REVISITING SWEDEN - 2024

REVISITING SWEDEN - 2024

I am on a revisit to Sweden to be with my son, Nareh and his family. It happened to be a family reunion. Vivek (Jimmy) , brother of Anju, my daughter-in-law, escorted me to Stockholm on December 23 from Jalandhar to IGI Airport by taxi to catch the Swiss flight to Stockholm via Zurich on December 24. It was a pleasant experience. Jimmy was extra careful and

caring to help me at each step from Punjab to Sweden. Naresh and Arvind (Abi), my grand-son received us at Arlanda airport. My daughter, Vaishali and her two daughters, Komal and Tania joined us from Canada later in the same evening. They were received by Arvind and my grand-daughter, Pallavi. It was a happy reunion at a picturesque home of Anju and Naresh in the greens of Marsta in the outskirts of Stockholm. Anju treated us with her usual culinary skills with Indian and Swedish dishes to celebrate the Xmas Eve in style. We all had a relaxed day on December 25 to recover from the jet-lag of the long journeys.

As a natural corollary of their social life in Stockholm, Anju and Naresh are doing well in integrating with the society. On December 26, we all went to the sprawling villa of Sanjay Loyal in Sollentuna for a family dinner. The occasion had an

emotional social touch. It was a family get together of two families which were set to cement their bonds of social status. My grandson, Arvind Ryan and Sanjay Emmenual‘s daughter Sonali Sharon, friends and schoolmates from their childhood, have been falling for each other for a few years. Thoughtfully, their parents decided to recognise and accept their relationship socially and bless them. It was an introductory family dinner for me, Vaishali and her two daughters, Komal and Tania. Jimmy had already met the Loyal family during her earlier visits to Stockholm. I found Sonali a beautiful and vibrant young lady with a definite streak of well-grooming. Her parents Meclina and Sanjay were a socially alive and dignified couple. They were totally reverential and respectful to me. I enjoyed this emotionally filled evening with a sense of contentment. Both the families agreed to formalise the relationship on December 28 at the residence of the Loyals with a brief and solemn ceremony of Roka (pre-engagement ritual). 

December 27 was an exciting day to prepare for the big day in the life of Sonali and Arvind. In the evening of December 28, we reached the cozy home of our hosts who welcomed us with traditional sounds of Dhol-Dhamaka and Bhangra (Music and Dance). This traditional Punjabi touch to the occasion overwhelmed us. The Roka ceremony was performed by

invoking the Heavenly Blessings of God with the recital of spiritual prayers and invocation of Verses from The Bible (With reference to Love) by the parents of Sonali. We reciprocated with prayers and invoked Gurbani - Anju expressed her gratefulness to God for giving us Sonali by very thoughtfully reciting a Verse from the Gurbani; Jo Mange Thakur Apne Te Soi Soi Deve. Congratulating both the families, I quoted from the Gurbani to avail of and join the emotions of the families: Jad Satgur Hon Dayal Tan Har Rang Maniye; Jad Satgur Hon Dayal Tan Sharda Puriye. Naresh was equally charged with emotion and said, “Now, instead of one, I have two daughters; Pallavi and Sonali”. It was a fun-filled evening with friendly vibes and spread of excellent food and superb hospitality. God bless Sonali and Arvind.

We were in for a pleasant change to the Mexican treat at the cozy home of Sumitra and Vinod Patel, family friends of my son, Naresh in Marsta itself, on December 29. I found both

Sumitra and Vinod excellent hosts with good talk and tenor. We started with Champagne and traditional Gujrati Dahi Bhalla and Kichodis.  Sumitra and Vinod served excellent home cooked Mexican food with the right spirits. Thanks Sumitra and Vinod.

In the run up to the close of the year 2024, Anju and Vaishali remained busy in preparing for the year-end party at home  on December 31; The New Year Eve to usher into 2025 with prayers and wishes for further peace and prosperity in the days to come. Sonali with her parents and extended family are

invited to join us at the New Year Eve. We are looking forward to meeting our new relations to say GoodBye to 2024 and usher into 2025 with hope and aspirations. It is my last blog of the year. Life goes on; Let us hope for the best in the years to come.

खुदा जाने यह दुनिया गाहे नाज़ है किसकी;

हज़ारों उठ गए मगर वही ही रौनक है महफ़िल। 

(God knows whose pride this world is;

Thousands have left but the same splendor remains in the gathering)

Happy New Year

 

PM Manmohan Singh - A Greatman

 PM Manmohan Singh - A Greatman 

PM Manmohan Singh passed away on December 26 at the ripe age of 92. One of the highly acclaimed academic and intellectual bureaucrat and politician of contemporary India. I saw him often in the PMO corridors in the mid-1970s as an Economic Expert and Advisor to the GOI and PM Indira Gandhi; a simple and humble personality but highly respected in the higher echelons of power. 

In the wake of economic difficulties in India, PM PV Narsimha Rao picked Manmohan Singh, the troubleshooter Finance Minister to address the ills of the economy of India in 1991. He rose to the occasion and became the Economic Reformist FM of India with new liberalised economic policies with considerable success. It  paved the way for his career  as an Economist and Sauve Politician. He became the PM of India by his own right in 2004 and served the country for 10 years with total dedication and dignity. 

I thought of writing this small piece to register my heartfelt condolences on the passing away of the worthy son of India. I am on a personal visit to Stockholm (Sweden) and with the demise of PM Manmohan Singh, a vivid memory of him and his Economic Reforms introduced in 1991 came to the fore. I was posted as First Secretary dealing with  Economic and Commercial matters in the Embassy of India in Stockholm. In the wake of new liberalized economic policies of FM Manmohan Singh, Swedish Trade Council invited me for a briefing and interaction on the new policies. After my brief opening remarks, there was a full-fledged interactive session. The President of the Swedish Trade Council, posed a question whether, in view of the fact that the current Government was a minority government, these policies would stand the test of time or these would be short lived and changed with the change of government. It was a difficult question in the given situation. I responded that what I understood, not as an economic expert but as a diplomat, was that it was not a temporary measure of a government but a gradual process of evolution of policies. These economic reforms to integrate the Indian economy with that of the world with liberalization and transparency would be the national agenda in the days to come. With the change of men at the helm, there may be some deviation from the route but the end destination would remain the same. My audience appreciated my submissions. After a year or so the then Minister of Industry, P.J. Kurien visited Stockholm as the

Co-chairman of the India-Sweden Joint Commission on Economic and Commercial Matters. The Swedish Trade Council hosted a meeting under the aegis of India-Sweden Joint Business Council in the presence of the Indian Minister and his Swedish counterpart. While speaking at the meeting, the President of the Swedish Trade Council said, pointing towards me sitting in front row of the audience, “Here sits the man who told us some months ago that Indian reformed policies were the National agenda of the country. Now we fully believe and appreciate that. I thought of narrating this small thing as my humble tribute to the memory of PM Manmohan Singh, the architect of Indian economic reform to keep India on the rails. 

My heartfelt condolences on his demise. Rest in Peace, Sir.