Model – UN 2023 at Police DAV Public School at Jalandhar

 

Model – UN 2023 at Police DAV Public School at Jalandhar

 On October 27, Police DAV School, one of the best schools in the region, invited me to deliver a key note address at the inaugural session of the annual event - Model UN. It was the second time successively when the honours fell on me; courtesy Principal Dr. Rashmi Vij, one of the finest and acclaimed academician and
educational administrator around. I write this with a sense of gratification in the process of living my post retirement life as I find myself fully engaged in such productive activities with a view to pay back to the society. As usual, Model – UN 2023 was a well arranged and aptly conducted function under the stewardship of Principal Dr. Rashmi Vij, an embodiment of culture and dignity with her competent colleagues and Coordinators of M-UN; Balwinder Singh, Manoj Dutta, Sheema Sharma among others. The well

planned and presented programme was interspersed by cultural items of songs and dance by the talented students of the esteemed school. The welcome speech of Principal Rashmi Vij was very inspiring and thought provoking. Thanking me for joining them at M-UN, she said that since the subject matter of the event was diplomacy and international affairs, it was only appropriate to invite a speaker of relevant background. In my key note address, while thanking the school management for inviting me again to the event I said that I tended to accept such invitations without any hesitation for my own somewhat selfish reasons. I utilize such opportunities to charge and recharge my

batteries by meeting and interacting with intellectuals and academics and also young students which also further educate me. I briefly touched on the role and contribution of India in the functioning of the UN and added that India was yet to get its due and rightful place and space at the Horse-shoe High Table of the Security Council of UN in New York. Lamenting on the emerging situation in which UN was fast losing its relevance, I quoted a diplomatic assertion, “What keeps me awake at night is the issue of relevance of the UN”. Commenting on the evolving foreign policy of India, I said that it was a matter of satisfaction that coming out of the ‘goody-goody’ phase, of late, it had been observed that Indian foreign policy was getting pragmatic and assertive and rightly so. Underlining the importance of such events, I informed the young audience that Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, father of the Indian constitution delivered a historical and thought provoking lecture on Parliamentary Democracy in India way back in October, 1951 at the session of the Mock-Parliament of Jalandhar DAV College.  Abhimanyun Rathore, a talented and well-groomed student, declared the M-UN 2023 open with aplomb as the SG of UN. Principal Rashmi Vij appreciating the role and contribution of

the entire team of young students of the school told me that they did most of the things in-house with regard to the M-UN under the supervision of Tanvi Khanna as Head of Operations.  A vivacious duo of the school talent; Bhuvan and Niharika steered the function as skillful Anchors. It was a pleasure to be there at the Police DAV – Model UN 2023.  The bonus was to meet many of the worthy Principals of the Schools in and around Jalandhar and also the grand-parents of the SG Abhimanyun Rathor, dignified senior citizens belonging to an established business family of Jalandhar.

Watching and listening to the young students performing and participating in the M-UN 2023, it gave me feeling of satisfaction and a poetic assertion came to my mind –

Tu Pehle Baat Phir Baat Ka Andaz Paida Kar

Phir Zamane Mein Tujhe Koi Nazar Andaz Kar Nahin Sakta

 

Sheela Mahey: A Socio-Cultural Activist – An Obituary

 

Sheela Mahey: A Socio-Cultural Activist – An Obituary  

Sheela Mahey, one of my fellow BootanMandians, passed away at a young age of 57 on October17. Sheela, a home-maker, was the wife of Balwinder Mahey, an established businessman in leather in

Bootan Mandi. Balwinder is the scion of the iconic family of Seth Khushi Ram, a community and political activist of standing of his times some decades ago.

I don’t recall having met Sheela personally but I heard a lot about her socio-cultural activism in and around Jalandhar for the benefit of the community from my brother Paramjit and nephew Mahesh who themselves are involved in community activities. Swami Balram Virdi of Bootan Mandi Satguru Ravidass Dham, with whom Sheela and her team, were coordinating their activities; particularly spiritual ones, also confirmed the appreciable role and contribution of Sheela and her associates from Bootan Mandi and adjoining localities towards social welfare n the area in the field of education, environment, rations and medicines to the needy among other civic needs. Sheela was spearheading these activities under the aegis of an organisation named after Guru Ravidass as Mission Fateh, run with the voluntary financial contributions generated by the organization.  Some of the activities of Team Sheela, to my mind, are really thoughtful and must be appreciated.

 Keeping with this sense of appreciation and thanks for the work done by Sheela, I thought of writing this obituary as my humble tribute to Sheela Mahey, my worthy fellow BootanMandian. I was told that Sheela, while herself stranded in Canada, arranged rations to the needy in the deadly pandemic Covid a couple of years ago.  She catered to the requirements like uniforms, stationery etc. of

needy students of Bootan Mandi Schools. The Satsang Mandali formed by Sheela and her associates Rani Puri, Ms. Narinder Salhan and Sunena Chaudhary, granddaughter of yet another iconic BootanMandian, Seth Kishan Dass of among others. Sheela was fully involved in the community activities such as support and participation at Tughlakabad – Delhi (Guru Ravidass Dharam Asthal) agitation, various protests and dharnas for the dalit  cause in and around Jalandhar and beyond (providing of Langar Sewa and other amenities, help to the needy during recent floods in Punjab through charities like Begumpura Aid and Akhari Umeed. She was fully alive to the issue of clean air and environment in the area and under tree plantation campaigns at various Deras like Sachkhand Ballan and Gurudawara Sahib of Sant Sant Nirmal Dass Jaure. I am told that Sheela really thought big and had many projects in the pipeline; like medicines at affordable prices and providing training and support to the ladies for their startups. I have noted and it has humbled me that she did all this without any fanfare and publicity like a faceless diplomat. It is not an easy thing to do.

With the demise of Sheela Mahey, the community has lost a huge asset. It is easy to say but difficult to do. Sheela did it. I salute her and fully recognize her services to the community. May God grant peace to the departed soul?

बड़ी मुश्किल से होता है चमन  में दीदावर पैदा

 

International Seminar on Life, Time and Philosophy of Satguru Ravidass ji

 

International Seminar on Life, Time and Philosophy of Satguru Ravidass ji

I participated in the one day International Seminar on Life, Time and Philosophy of Satguru Ravidass ji held on October 14, 2023 at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi. The Seminar was organized jointly by JNU and British Ravidass Heritage Foundation

of the UK. It was a well participated and attended event about which I will write separately. Today I will mention here only about my Paper – Guru Ravidass: Harbinger of Social Harmony which I presented at the Second Technical Session of the Seminar which was Chaired by Prof. Narendar Kumar of JNU.

In my opening remarks while thanking the organizers, I said that I was there not as any intellectual or authority on Guru Ravidass but as

a humble follower of the great Guru to learn and educate myself from the learnered academics and intellectuals in consonance with the thoughts of Guru Ravidass who said in his lofty Vani:

Tum Chandan Hum Rind Bapre Sang Tuhare Wasa;

Neech Rukh Te Unch Bhayo Hai Gandh Sugandh Niwasa

 

Underlining the need to study and analysis the philosophy of the Guru in these days of increasing animosity and strife, I said that the thought of Guru Ravidass is as potent and relevant today as it was before as:

Shakti Bhi Shanti Bhi Bhakton Ke Geet Mein Hai;

Dharti Ke Wasion Ke Mukti Preet Mein Hai

 

Here is the Text of my Paper - Guru Ravidass: Harbinger of Social Harmony          

Guru Ravidass: Harbinger of Social Harmony

Guru Ravidass, 16th century mystic saint and social reformer of the Bhakti Movement was the harbinger of equality, fraternity and harmoy in the society.  The leadership of the main-stream of the society, these days, calls it ‘Samrasta’. The great Guru’s egalitarian thoughts stood against the birth based caste-system and pleaded for brotherhood as stipulated in his lofty Vani  -

Keh Ravidass Khalas Chamara; Jo Ham-Sehri So Meet Hamara

Guru Ravidass was a widely recognized and revered personality of his times not only spiritually but also as a revolutionary social reformer. As a voice of the underdog and discriminated segments of the society on account of the Varna Vibastha, Guru Ravidass resolutely stood against all these inhuman and anti social practices. Guru Ravidass’s teachings and philosophy, obviously, got wide spread acceptance and recognition throughout India and proved itself revolutionary to reform the society. His contemporaries like; Guru Nanak, Sant Kabir among others fully supported Guru Ravidass ji who became the flag bearer of egalitarian society with the lofty ideals of democratic socialism as stipulated and propounded in his Vani:

Begumpura Sehar Ka Naon; Dukh Andoh Nahin Jis Ke Thaon

It was a matter of great satisfaction that the Sikh Gurus, fully understanding the social philosophy of Guru Ravidass, thoughtfully, included his Vani in the Guru Granth Sahib. As such the teachings of the great Guru got further currency and acceptance as a potent voice to reform the society and live a pious life as dignified citizens and good human beings.

It is a matter of satisfaction that the very principles of having a healthy society as followed and preached by Guru Ravidass found place in the ‘secular, socialist and democratic’ constitution of India written under the stewardship of Babasaheb Ambedkar who was greatly impressed by the thoughts and legacy of the great Guru to establish an inclusive society. Babasaheb Ambedkar dedicated one of his books, The Untouchables, to Guru Ravidass and rightly so.

Guru Ravidass clearly laid the foundation of democratic socialism in the present parlance of good governance and said:-

Aaisa Chahun Raj Mein; Yahan Mile Saban Ko Ann;

Chot- Bade Sab Sam Vashen; Ravidass Rahe Prasan

 

Guru Ravidass’s message of freedom of thought and expression and also of equitable social order was candidly conveyed in his Vani. It certainly set the ball rolling to establish a just order for the mankind. He fought against dominance and subservience in the society. The revolutionary Guru said –

Pradheenta Paap Hai; Jan Lyo Re Meet,

Ravidass Dass Pradheen Se Kaun Kare Hai Preet.

Guru Ravidass was dead against the caste based discrimination prevailing in the society. He said –

Ravidass Janam Ke Karne Hot Na Koi Neech

It is a matter of gratification to note that, in spite of all odds, our forefathers led by Babasaheb Ambedkar stipulated and codified the lofty ideals of Guru Ravidass and others in the constitution of India to abolish caste system and even provided for ‘affirmative’ actions in the form of Reservations to the weaker sections of the society. One can safely say that India is on track and has come a long way and perhaps has arrived. But still it has to go a long way to reach. Guru Ravidass ji’s message of brotherhood, fraternity and harmony is the only way to go ahead with our ‘Tryst with Destiny”. The great Guru’s vision is fully conveyed in the poetic assertions of one of the renowned Hindi poets, Maithli Saran Gupt –

Mein Nahin Sandesh Swarag Ka Laiya;

Iss Bhutal Ko Hi Swarag Banane Aaiya

 

 I referred to the Samrasta agenda of the main stream of the society in the opening paragraphs.  Let me touch the subject with a view to say that Guru Ravidass was the harbinger of Samrasta to transfor the society and bring about a harmonious social order, the first requisite of a cultured and humane society. I have no hesitation in registering my candid support to the lofty idea of Samrasta in my own humble way as I am a firm believer in ‘fraternity, harmony and brotherhood’ as a humble Ravidassia and an Ambedkarite. We need to come out of the ‘lip service’ phase and do something concrete to reform the society. The sooner the better. Guru Ravidass ji’s teachings and philosophy is as relevant and potent today as it was in the medieval times. India is passing through challenging times with increasing strife and communal tensions all around. If we really intend to transform and reform of our society, we should study and practice the lofty Vani of the great Guru. We are still to do a lot in this regard. I am reminded of Allama Iqbal –

Iqbal Bada Updeshak Hai; Man Batton Se Moh Leta Hai

Gifftar Ka To Yeh Gazi Bana; Kirdar Ka Gazi Ban Na Saka

 

With this, I take this opportunity to pay my hearty tributes to the great social reformer, revolutionary Guru and harbinger of a just and equitable social order and also social harmony. Let us transform India that is Bharat into Begumpura – country and society without sorrow and exploitation as visualized by the Great Guru.

 

 

 

 

Babu Kanshi Ram – A Tribute

 

Babu Kanshi Ram – A Tribute

With the death of Babu Kanshi Ram on October 9, 2006, a wide political vacuum was created in the dalit politics of the country, second time after the parinirvan (death) of Babasaheb Ambedkar on December 6, 1956. The vacuum is still wide open and it appears that the situation would persist for years to come as no dalit leader is in
sight that can fill the gap, unfortunately. I wrote in my blogs about Babu Kanshi Ram and his legacy many a times earlier too. I thought of writing and remembering the tall leader, Babu Kanshi Ram, rightly called Bahujan Nayak, Manyawar and Saheb, on his death anniversary as I find a lot of relevance and need of his views and thoughts in the fast changing socio-political scenario of India that is Bharat.

Babu Kanshi Ram was not only an excellent organizer and political strategist but also a visionary leader. He founded All India Backwards (SC/ST/OBC) and Minorities Communities Employees' Federation (BAMCEF),  Dalit Shoshit Samaj Sangharsh Samiti (DS-4) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) which culminated in a political

force to reckon with in the coming years. His political protégé, Kumari Mayawati; popularlarly called ‘Behnji’ became the CM of UP for four times. During his life time, Kanshi Ram became a much sought after political personality in political circles and corridors of power not only in several states of India but also in New Delhi. Babu Kanshi Ram’s untimely death in October, 2006 halted the ‘Caravan’ of Babasaheb Ambedkar very skillfully steered by Babu Kanshi Ram. Kumari Mayawati and his followers could not hold the flag and failed their iconic leader and the dalit masses. It is a matter of great regret. Perhaps Babu Kanshi Ram has had an inkling of the things to come after his death. One of my fellow BootanMandians and a friend, Prem Shant in Jalandhar was close to

At Prem Shant's residence in Jalandhar

Babu Kanshi Ram and Babu ji used to stay with them quite often while in Jalandhar. He told me an interesting and relevant anecdote. Once at a political rally in Jalandhar, on arrival of Kanshi Ram, the crowd resorted to, as usual, in sloganeering ‘Kanshi Ram ji Sanghrash Karo; Hum Tumhare Sath Hain” Kanshi Rsm whispered in a lighter vein “Han Tushin Kuch Na Kariyo Sab Kuch Kanshi Ram Hi Kare”.

Just to register the potency of Babu Kanshi Ram’s thought and mission, I will come to the current political scenario later in the narration. Let me mention about an anecdote which I read in one of books on the dalit icons, President K.R. Narayanan and Babu Kanshi Ram. One day, Babu Kanshi Ram went to Rashrapati Bhawan to call on President K.R. Narayanan. After the meeting, setting aside all protocols, President came to see off Babu ji to one of the outer doors in spite of Kanshi Ram’s pleas that he should maintain the laid down protocol norms and let him go. President in his elements said in great humility that there would be many Presidents in the future but there may not be another Kanshi Ram in the years to come in the near future. India is India because of such great leaders.

Now I come to the current scenario. Some time ago, I wrote as to how the various political dispensations like BJP and even RSS and also Congress Party and numerous regional outfits were keen to own and appropriate Kanshi Ram and his legacy for political gains. Democracy has its own mechanism of leveling the playing field. Kanshi Ram has again surfaced on the political landscape in the wake of forthcoming state and national elections. Rahul Gandhi has supported the caste census in the ongoing slugfest on the issue. He said that he would tend to agree with the dictum of Babu Kanshi Ram “Jis Ki Jitni Ginti Bhari; Utni Uski Hisedari”. Here lies the importance and relevance of Kanshi Ram. I only hope, in the interest of the country, yet another wish of the Bahujan Nayak “Vote Hamara Raj Tumhara; Nahin Chalega Nahin Chalega”, is fulfilled and India becomes ‘Secular, Socialist, Democratic Republic’ in reality. The sooner the better.

I leave it here as my humble tribute the great leader, Manyawar Kanshi Ram on his death anniversary.

 

 

Great Service to the Mother Tongue: Punjabi – Literary Friends at Adampur

 

  Great Service to the Mother Tongue:  Punjabi – Literary Friends at Adampur

Punjabi Sahitya Sabha of Adampur Doaba of Jalandhar district of Punjab is the platform of Punjabi literary talent of the region and beyond. It is engaged in publishing and promoting Punjabi literature under the stewardship of Retired DEO, Roop

Lal Roop, himself a poet and writer of standing.  The Sabha not only publishes stand alone works of writers of acclaimed status but also provides due space in its publications to writers and poets who are not able to publish their stuff on their own. As such the Sabha is doing a yeoman’s service to our mother tongue (Maa Boli) Punjabi. We must recognize and appreciate this great job. .

Though I am not a literary person of any standing yet it is my honour and pleasure that Punjabi Sahitya Sabha for the last couple of years kindly associated me with some of its functions

and activities like release of new books and poetic symposiums (Mushyaras). I thoroughly enjoy and benefit from these kind gestures. This time on September 17, honours to release the books of Punjabi poetry - Jagde Bol (collection of poems by different writers published by Punjabi Sahitya Sabha of Adampur) ) and Lafzan Di Dargah of Dr. Gurinder Gill fell on me. It was a real pleasure to be in company of literary personalities of the area. It was a well attended function by the quality audience in spite of not so hospitable weather due to heavy rain pour. Jagde Bol is a collection of assorted poems of 41 poems on various aspects of the socio-cultural and socio-economic concerns and interests to the society at large. The Editors of the book thoughtfully inserted and quoted some of the poetic gems of literary authorities like; Lal Singh Dil, Gurdass Ram Alam, Sant Ran Udasi, Pash, Baba Balwant among others. The second book was Lafzan Di Dargah of an acclaimed poetess and literary personality, Gurinder Gill, an NRI Punjabi living abroad. The book contains 133 poems on different subjects pertaining to day to day life of in this world of challenges and endeavors to meet them. The books were reviewed and commented upon by competent academics namely; Prof Malkit Jaure, Dr. Ravinder Kaur and Dr. Balwinnder Thind for the benefit of the attentive and awakened audience. It was really an impressive function. Roop Lal Roop is not only a worthy son of the soil but also an able educational administrator and an excellent organizer. These formal ceremonies to launch (Ghund Chukai) the book ushered us into the second part of the function, an impromptu Mushyara by the members of the Sabha and special invitees. It was a gratifying to note that a young physically challenged lady came on the wheel chair with her

mother and participated in the Mushyara.  In my brief comments, as an almost an illiterate entity as far as the literary aspects of the event are concerned, said that to my mind poets are certainly better human beings with God given talent and recalled Gurdass Ram Alam, in spite of the fact that he was not much educated formally, gave a new height to the famous dictum of Karl Marx ‘to each according to ones need and from each according to ones capacity’ in one of his poems in Punjabi ‘Asin bit to baddu diden han; sanu lod mutavik milda nahin’. Roop Lal Roop interjected several times with his gems of thoughtful comments of the literary and social value.

Yet another book of collection of poems in Punjabi – Viwastha Pariwartan consisting of 172 poems written by Dharam Pal

Panther of Rail Coach Factory in Kapurthala was presented to me by the author. Panther Sahib is a missionary writer and a community activist. I will certainly read the book to further educate myself.

Jagde Bol is the third book of Punjabi Sahiyatia Sabha published in recent years after Kavia Rishman in 2020 and Siar Da Pattan in 2022. I have had the honour to release Siar Da Pattan and also the earlier book – Fakiri Ramjan and Ulje Sulje Akhar of Gurinder Gill, Lafjan Di Sultan as termed by Roop Lal Roop.  Some details may be access in my blog: https://diplomatictitbits.blogspot.com/2022/02/siar-da-pattan-collection-of-poems.html