Hibiscus
Petunia
Vinca rosea
Petunia, Marigold and Impatiens(?)
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
#8. Whither Hindi Cable TV
Whither Hindi Cable TV?
I have retired from service and have plenty of time at hand. The result is that apart from reading books and doing some gardening, I see TV also for sometime. From time to time I get hooked on to some serial on one or the other channel which have mushroomed over the years on the Indian skies. It is pointless to see movies on TV. A three hour movie takes about 5 hours to finish. You have to sit through 2 hours of advertisements which have no more remained interesting due to repetition. And the worst part is that sometimes the ad break (or should it be brake?) is 10 minutes after every 10 to 15 minutes of movie. And after sometime t becomes a little tiring.
You have some interesting happenings on the ad front. For instance, at the time when most of the urban India take their meal, you have to bear the ad for toilet cleaner, and not once but 2-3 times over a period of half to one hour. Needless to say, it is with visuals. This is more tortuous when you are fond of having your meal in front of the TV, as many of us are wont to.
The other sriking thing about TV advertisements is the preponderance of the use of children in the ads. Whether it is detergent or soap or spices, it is the children who tell you the home truths. ‘Child is the father of man!’
Coming to the serials, the saas-bahu thing has become a much-used formula, and therefore some other ways to show the human wickedness have been devised. There is a serial at prime time in a prominent chnnel which I am sure has an excellent TRP rating. The step mother-in-law and sister-in-law are ably supported by two bad-mouthed and prejudiced children who do not like the idea of another kind and loving girl to replace the dead mother. All sorts of ugly emotions expressed by the children are shown: grinding teeth, angry and avenging facial expressions, vitriolic remarks. And the story goes that in spite the best efforts by the new mother, the children remain hostile. The fact of life is coolly left on the shelf that a young widower has every right to marry, instead of whoring around. And all the men are shown spineless, hearing out the ladies of the house with the stoic silence unlike the typical Indian male who probably raves and rants, and sees that his will is done. Probably the things have changed now in the actual world also. My disgust at the way things are shown is because of the effect such serials are going to have on the tender minds of the chidren. With fewer deaths than divorces among the mothers and wives of today, step parents have become a reality wihc cannot be overlooked. What a fine way to poison the minds of chidren belonging to such homes!
You have the different permutations and combinations of the wickedness and viciousness of the family and the people around you in almost all the serials. In the Hindi movies, there used to one villain or vamp who could do the honours; now in a family drama sometimes it is 2 -3 or even half a dozen wicked members who use all types of ingenuity in showing nastiness, including actual violence on the womenfolk of the household, including whipping. And the best part is that that the whipped lady has an axe to grind against the family she has been married into. And she is patiently waiting for the opportune moment to take the revenge.
I entirely agree that the world is full of vicious people who keep self-interest above everything, and who commit acts of sin and crime without compunction or conscience, and there are families who have such people, but not always and not everywhere. Why do you have to show all the permutations and combinations of human meanness on the TV in programmes which are seen by the family together, including the children?
I have retired from service and have plenty of time at hand. The result is that apart from reading books and doing some gardening, I see TV also for sometime. From time to time I get hooked on to some serial on one or the other channel which have mushroomed over the years on the Indian skies. It is pointless to see movies on TV. A three hour movie takes about 5 hours to finish. You have to sit through 2 hours of advertisements which have no more remained interesting due to repetition. And the worst part is that sometimes the ad break (or should it be brake?) is 10 minutes after every 10 to 15 minutes of movie. And after sometime t becomes a little tiring.
You have some interesting happenings on the ad front. For instance, at the time when most of the urban India take their meal, you have to bear the ad for toilet cleaner, and not once but 2-3 times over a period of half to one hour. Needless to say, it is with visuals. This is more tortuous when you are fond of having your meal in front of the TV, as many of us are wont to.
The other sriking thing about TV advertisements is the preponderance of the use of children in the ads. Whether it is detergent or soap or spices, it is the children who tell you the home truths. ‘Child is the father of man!’
Coming to the serials, the saas-bahu thing has become a much-used formula, and therefore some other ways to show the human wickedness have been devised. There is a serial at prime time in a prominent chnnel which I am sure has an excellent TRP rating. The step mother-in-law and sister-in-law are ably supported by two bad-mouthed and prejudiced children who do not like the idea of another kind and loving girl to replace the dead mother. All sorts of ugly emotions expressed by the children are shown: grinding teeth, angry and avenging facial expressions, vitriolic remarks. And the story goes that in spite the best efforts by the new mother, the children remain hostile. The fact of life is coolly left on the shelf that a young widower has every right to marry, instead of whoring around. And all the men are shown spineless, hearing out the ladies of the house with the stoic silence unlike the typical Indian male who probably raves and rants, and sees that his will is done. Probably the things have changed now in the actual world also. My disgust at the way things are shown is because of the effect such serials are going to have on the tender minds of the chidren. With fewer deaths than divorces among the mothers and wives of today, step parents have become a reality wihc cannot be overlooked. What a fine way to poison the minds of chidren belonging to such homes!
You have the different permutations and combinations of the wickedness and viciousness of the family and the people around you in almost all the serials. In the Hindi movies, there used to one villain or vamp who could do the honours; now in a family drama sometimes it is 2 -3 or even half a dozen wicked members who use all types of ingenuity in showing nastiness, including actual violence on the womenfolk of the household, including whipping. And the best part is that that the whipped lady has an axe to grind against the family she has been married into. And she is patiently waiting for the opportune moment to take the revenge.
I entirely agree that the world is full of vicious people who keep self-interest above everything, and who commit acts of sin and crime without compunction or conscience, and there are families who have such people, but not always and not everywhere. Why do you have to show all the permutations and combinations of human meanness on the TV in programmes which are seen by the family together, including the children?
Monday, January 26, 2009
#7. Chambal Cruise
Woolly-necked stork, grey heron (?),spoonill
Woolly-necked stork 
Open-billed stork and stone plover
woolly necked stork, spoonbill,grey heron, painted stork Both above and below).
Pelicans and greylag geeseMan with camel on the bank. He will search for
a place where water is shallow, and cross the river.
Bar-headed geese in flight
Large 
Group of Bar-headed geese
Group of Bar-headed geese
Group of six ruddy shelduck (Surkhab)
crocodile
Surkhab
Wooly-necked stork
Narmada bank
Spoonbill
(More photographs on the site www.flickr.com/photos/akbhatt/
There is a set for Chambal cruise)
The Chambal: A Heaven for Birds
Ganga, Sindhu, Saraswati, Kshipra, Vetravati cha Yamuna/ Godavari, Narmada, Kaveri, Saryu, Mahendratanya, Charmanvati, Vedika etay mahanadya vartate. Chambal is Charmanvati. However, Chambal has not attained the holy category that is occupied by Ganga, Yamuna, and Godavari. On the other hand, Chambal is supposed to be an unholy river. The folklore/mythology is that the river has originated from the blood of cows sacrificed by an Aryan King in his quest for supremacy. Alarmed, the Brahmans cursed the King and all things associated with the sacrifice, river included. That is perhaps the reason why there is no temple town on the banks of Chambal.
Originating in Manpura near Mhow in Indore district of M.P. it has confluence with Yamuna at Pachnada near Bhareh in U.P. at the border of Bhind and Etawah districts. Pachnada is unique as within one kilometer there is the confluence of five rivers, Chambal, Kwari, Yamuna, Sindh and Pahuj (doesn’t it beat the Triveni at Prayag?). I don’t know why this place has not become more popular!. Chambal drains water of the Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh. At Neemuch there is Gandhisagar dam which gives water for hydel generation at Gandhisagar, Pratapsagar and Jawaharsagar dams, and irrigation for more that 5600 sq, km.
In Bollywood, Chambal is famous for the ravines and the dacoits living there, in short it is the badlands. Mansingh of olden days and Putlibai and Phoolan Devi are some of the bandits who lived and hid in these badlands and who have gone down in folklore for centuries to come.
Probably because of its being a non-holy river, Chambal is one of the most unpolluted rivers of Northern India, is perennial and it has deep pools at several places which are sometimes 60 to 70 feet, and that encouraged the establishment of Chambal Gharial Sanctuary which has Ganges Dolphins, crocodiles, turtles, and of course gharials. Gharial has a round projection at the tip of its long snout.. Unlike popular belief, it never hurts humans. It is the crocodile which is dangerous to humans. The sanctuary is spread in 5400 km in three states of Rajasthan, M.P. and U.P. and has 400 km of river length.
River dolphin is special as millennia of living in the muddy waters of Ganga and its tributaries, it has completely lost its eyesight, it doesn’t have lens ,and it sees its prey through echolocation only. The respiratory system of mammals like whales, porpoises and dolphins requires them to come to the surface of water at regular intervals. Ganges dolphins can dive at one time for 3 minutes, although it comes to the surface after every 45 seconds.
Well, with this long and probably boring introduction, let us come to the more interesting part. Every winter the Sanctuary gets 30,000 to 40,000 migratory birds. I have made it a point to visit Chambal every winter, although when I was away to Mumbai and elsewhere for postings, it was not possible. This year, I made the trip on the 19th of December. There are two routes that one could take for a boat ride. One is to start from Rajghat, just under the Chambal road bridge which connects Morena in M.P. to Dholpur in Rajasthan. From there one could go downstream to Tighri Rithora which is a small island in water, and further upto Kuthiana. Last year I had been to Kuthiana, and took the jeep from there to Gwalior. Going back to Rajghat against the current is slow, and time consumig, and one would reach back after dark only. This time the boat was at Barhi,about 160 Km downstream from Rajghat. We started from Gwalior at 7 in the morning, reaching Barhi (100 km.) at about 10 a.m. We had our breakfast in the ramshackle Forest Hut which had recently been spruced up as the headquarters for the experts who visited to search for the cause of death of a large number of gharials, possibly due to a viral disease. My friend’s wife had packed delicious sandwiches, both chicken, mutton and cheese, and I gorged on them forgetting about the simple fare of puri-sabzi which I had brought. Fragrant English breakfast tea rounded up the breakfast.
Nine of us started then in a motorized boat. Boat ride is a funny experience. On the one hand, with the continuous breeze and water spray when the boat cuts through the water, you feel cold, and on the other hand, the bright sun is on you in full glory, so much so that a cap, a muffler and a pair of sunglasses are a must. But the whole experience is bracing and exhilarating. You hang the camera with the long lens around your neck, and hold the binocular in your hands- on the whole you are too full with your clothes, accessories, and gadgets.
The first 4-5 km stretch went blank. So much so that I regretted why I had not chsen the other stretch from Rajghat to Kuthiana. But slowly the feathered ones started appearing. First it was spoonbills- snow-white with black spoon-like bill. Then the woolly-necked stork- like a lady in fur collar or very similar to what we were dressed as. Woolly-necked was generally standing alone or was in pairs, not in the flock. Then Brahminy duck. This bird is always in pair, and unluckily a favourite sport bird. In Urdu, it is known as Surkhab, and my guess is that it is the famous Kraunch bird which made Valmiki utter the first Sanskrit shloka.
Bar-headed geese were a real delight, in numbers (about 15), at the bank, eating away the crop sown by the nearby farmers. This bird breeds in Ladakh (Lake Tso-murari is one such place), and spends the winter in the North and Central India. A majestic and graceful bird, it is probably the ‘hans’ of our mythology and ancient literature. I had not seen such a large flock before as in this visit.
There was a crocodile, and a number of gharials at a distance.
There were a few black ibises and a huge flock of little cormorants which is probably the ugliest-looking waterbird in the company of bar-headed geese, flamingo, surkhab, spoonill and spotbills. Three was also a man with a camel. In a previous visit to the Chambal, I had seen 3-4 camels laden with goods crossing the river. The camel driver knows where the water is shallow enough for the long-legged animal to wade through. We also saw six surkhabs together which is a rare treat, followed by a huge flock of bar headed geese (again!). I counted 54. Spoonbills in flight, open-billed stork and stone plover. It was followed by a flock of grey-lag geese and pelicans. Then a lone crocodile basking in the sun, and moving in water disturbed by the movement of the boat. This croc was looked at by a pair of stone plovers (I think). To round up, about ten grey herons, and a real assortment containing woolly-necked, spoonbills, grey heron, and painted stork. We also saw three spot bills and a few terns in flight.
In between, we shored up on the sand, and had our lunch with the rippling river, and the yellow mustard fields in the background.
What we did not see this time and in this stretch were Indian skimmers, terns, pochards, flamingos(too early) and cranes: sarus crane and common crane.
Ultimately we got down at Chakarpur, about 35 Km from Barhi, where we had the vehicles sent and reached Gwalior when it was already dark. This visit was memorable for the flock of bar-headed geese and grey lag, and the large number of grey herons and spoonbills.
Yes, I forgot to mention that we did see a number of dolphins coming to the surface at many spots.
I am not embarrassed to admit that I am already looking forward to my next visit to the Chambal. Incidentally, the Forest Department of M.P. has started an eco-tourism cruise from Rajghat to Tighri-Rithora and back. Best if luck and I do hope that we will have several more who will experience the same thrill as we had in this trip.
Ganga, Sindhu, Saraswati, Kshipra, Vetravati cha Yamuna/ Godavari, Narmada, Kaveri, Saryu, Mahendratanya, Charmanvati, Vedika etay mahanadya vartate. Chambal is Charmanvati. However, Chambal has not attained the holy category that is occupied by Ganga, Yamuna, and Godavari. On the other hand, Chambal is supposed to be an unholy river. The folklore/mythology is that the river has originated from the blood of cows sacrificed by an Aryan King in his quest for supremacy. Alarmed, the Brahmans cursed the King and all things associated with the sacrifice, river included. That is perhaps the reason why there is no temple town on the banks of Chambal.
Originating in Manpura near Mhow in Indore district of M.P. it has confluence with Yamuna at Pachnada near Bhareh in U.P. at the border of Bhind and Etawah districts. Pachnada is unique as within one kilometer there is the confluence of five rivers, Chambal, Kwari, Yamuna, Sindh and Pahuj (doesn’t it beat the Triveni at Prayag?). I don’t know why this place has not become more popular!. Chambal drains water of the Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh. At Neemuch there is Gandhisagar dam which gives water for hydel generation at Gandhisagar, Pratapsagar and Jawaharsagar dams, and irrigation for more that 5600 sq, km.
In Bollywood, Chambal is famous for the ravines and the dacoits living there, in short it is the badlands. Mansingh of olden days and Putlibai and Phoolan Devi are some of the bandits who lived and hid in these badlands and who have gone down in folklore for centuries to come.
Probably because of its being a non-holy river, Chambal is one of the most unpolluted rivers of Northern India, is perennial and it has deep pools at several places which are sometimes 60 to 70 feet, and that encouraged the establishment of Chambal Gharial Sanctuary which has Ganges Dolphins, crocodiles, turtles, and of course gharials. Gharial has a round projection at the tip of its long snout.. Unlike popular belief, it never hurts humans. It is the crocodile which is dangerous to humans. The sanctuary is spread in 5400 km in three states of Rajasthan, M.P. and U.P. and has 400 km of river length.
River dolphin is special as millennia of living in the muddy waters of Ganga and its tributaries, it has completely lost its eyesight, it doesn’t have lens ,and it sees its prey through echolocation only. The respiratory system of mammals like whales, porpoises and dolphins requires them to come to the surface of water at regular intervals. Ganges dolphins can dive at one time for 3 minutes, although it comes to the surface after every 45 seconds.
Well, with this long and probably boring introduction, let us come to the more interesting part. Every winter the Sanctuary gets 30,000 to 40,000 migratory birds. I have made it a point to visit Chambal every winter, although when I was away to Mumbai and elsewhere for postings, it was not possible. This year, I made the trip on the 19th of December. There are two routes that one could take for a boat ride. One is to start from Rajghat, just under the Chambal road bridge which connects Morena in M.P. to Dholpur in Rajasthan. From there one could go downstream to Tighri Rithora which is a small island in water, and further upto Kuthiana. Last year I had been to Kuthiana, and took the jeep from there to Gwalior. Going back to Rajghat against the current is slow, and time consumig, and one would reach back after dark only. This time the boat was at Barhi,about 160 Km downstream from Rajghat. We started from Gwalior at 7 in the morning, reaching Barhi (100 km.) at about 10 a.m. We had our breakfast in the ramshackle Forest Hut which had recently been spruced up as the headquarters for the experts who visited to search for the cause of death of a large number of gharials, possibly due to a viral disease. My friend’s wife had packed delicious sandwiches, both chicken, mutton and cheese, and I gorged on them forgetting about the simple fare of puri-sabzi which I had brought. Fragrant English breakfast tea rounded up the breakfast.
Nine of us started then in a motorized boat. Boat ride is a funny experience. On the one hand, with the continuous breeze and water spray when the boat cuts through the water, you feel cold, and on the other hand, the bright sun is on you in full glory, so much so that a cap, a muffler and a pair of sunglasses are a must. But the whole experience is bracing and exhilarating. You hang the camera with the long lens around your neck, and hold the binocular in your hands- on the whole you are too full with your clothes, accessories, and gadgets.
The first 4-5 km stretch went blank. So much so that I regretted why I had not chsen the other stretch from Rajghat to Kuthiana. But slowly the feathered ones started appearing. First it was spoonbills- snow-white with black spoon-like bill. Then the woolly-necked stork- like a lady in fur collar or very similar to what we were dressed as. Woolly-necked was generally standing alone or was in pairs, not in the flock. Then Brahminy duck. This bird is always in pair, and unluckily a favourite sport bird. In Urdu, it is known as Surkhab, and my guess is that it is the famous Kraunch bird which made Valmiki utter the first Sanskrit shloka.
Bar-headed geese were a real delight, in numbers (about 15), at the bank, eating away the crop sown by the nearby farmers. This bird breeds in Ladakh (Lake Tso-murari is one such place), and spends the winter in the North and Central India. A majestic and graceful bird, it is probably the ‘hans’ of our mythology and ancient literature. I had not seen such a large flock before as in this visit.
There was a crocodile, and a number of gharials at a distance.
There were a few black ibises and a huge flock of little cormorants which is probably the ugliest-looking waterbird in the company of bar-headed geese, flamingo, surkhab, spoonill and spotbills. Three was also a man with a camel. In a previous visit to the Chambal, I had seen 3-4 camels laden with goods crossing the river. The camel driver knows where the water is shallow enough for the long-legged animal to wade through. We also saw six surkhabs together which is a rare treat, followed by a huge flock of bar headed geese (again!). I counted 54. Spoonbills in flight, open-billed stork and stone plover. It was followed by a flock of grey-lag geese and pelicans. Then a lone crocodile basking in the sun, and moving in water disturbed by the movement of the boat. This croc was looked at by a pair of stone plovers (I think). To round up, about ten grey herons, and a real assortment containing woolly-necked, spoonbills, grey heron, and painted stork. We also saw three spot bills and a few terns in flight.
In between, we shored up on the sand, and had our lunch with the rippling river, and the yellow mustard fields in the background.
What we did not see this time and in this stretch were Indian skimmers, terns, pochards, flamingos(too early) and cranes: sarus crane and common crane.
Ultimately we got down at Chakarpur, about 35 Km from Barhi, where we had the vehicles sent and reached Gwalior when it was already dark. This visit was memorable for the flock of bar-headed geese and grey lag, and the large number of grey herons and spoonbills.
Yes, I forgot to mention that we did see a number of dolphins coming to the surface at many spots.
I am not embarrassed to admit that I am already looking forward to my next visit to the Chambal. Incidentally, the Forest Department of M.P. has started an eco-tourism cruise from Rajghat to Tighri-Rithora and back. Best if luck and I do hope that we will have several more who will experience the same thrill as we had in this trip.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
#6. Poison Arrows and Vishkanyas
Poison Arrows and Vishkanyas
Krishna was sitting under a peepal tree. He was old and tired. Some say he was 120+ at that time, but in any case he must have been in late eighties at that time. He had lost everything. His kingdom was under the sea (Tsunami?), and the womenfolk of his community were snatched away by robbers right under the eyes of Arjun, his dearest friend, as he could not string his bow Gandiv: he had become so feeble in old age. And then his clan in a drunken brawl had been entirely annihilated. He sat with his sole turned up. And this was mistaken by a bahelia (A person who hunts for a living) for a deer or any other small animal, and he shot an arrow. Well, that killed Krishna who had won the battle of Kurukshetra. Why should he have did of a simple arrow shot in a non-vital organ. Well, it is said that it was a poison arrow, and very soon the blood took the lethal poison to different parts of the body, and he could not be saved. One can say that otherwise also Krishna had nothing to look forward to, and the death at that juncture was the most appropriate ending to the great tragedy of Mahabharat .
One has also read in Mahabharat and elsewhere about amogh astras (invincible weapons). In 1500 B.C. what could they be? It was certainly not agnibaan as it was already known. Arrow-head made of some hard metal, sharpened like a razor? Or, what my guess is (yes, it is all a guesswork) that it was poison arrow with venom which did not have an antidote. Lakhman became unconscious when hit by a strange new weapon of Meghnad. It could be a poison whose only antidote was the Sanjivani herb. A natural corollary is that all the weapons which one got with great difficulty from some deity who had developed it were arrows with arrowheads or darts slaked in a venom for which there was no known antidote aailable. It is interesting to note all such prized weapons were arrows, and not mace or sword. It had to be a sharp projectile, capable of covering some distance.
Poison arrows have been used in South America, Africa and Asia. The venom was either animal-derived or plant-derived. In South America, tribals dipped the blowgun darts in the poison made from the skin of three species of Phyllobates, a genus of poison dart frogs. The poison is collected by roasting the frogs over fire.
Plant-derived poisons are generally known as curare. Greeks and Trojans used poison arrows and spears during the Trojan war. Alexander faced poison arrows during his conquests in India, and maybe he died of a festering wound caused by such an arrow (in his thigh, I think). Curare is a generic term for arrow-poisons that contain D-tubocurarine. This is found in the bark of the trees strychnos toxifera, S. guianensis, chondrodendron tometosum or sciadotenia toxifera. This is muscle-relaxant, paralyzing the respiratory system and thus bringing about asphyxiation. In Africa arrow poison is made from Nerium oleander.In the jungle areas of Assam and other north eastern states, Burma and Malaysia poison arrows are widely used and the poison is Antiaris toxicana strychnos and strophathus geneara. Aconite is used by Minaro tribe in Ladakh for hunting Ibex, and also by the Bhutia and Lepchas of Sikkim and Assam.
So as you see, in olden times, even the so-called advanced people like Greeks and Indians used poison arrows. And it was of course very commonly used by various tribes all over.
And now to Vishkanyas. I am afraid I didn’t get enough material on it. Beautiful girls were chosen from very young days to be Vishkanyas. They were given snake venom in small doses from the childhood, which was gradually increased. An adult girl was made to be bitten by venomous snakes, maybe more than once in the day and gradually her body became so venomous that conjugal or salivary contact with her proved fatal to the partner. Somewhere I read that the girls were administered sankhia (which I think is arsenic). But arsenic is not that instantaneous in its effect. Somewhere I also read that the vishkanyas die after once biting the targeted person. It is difficult to believe, because human body should not behave like that of a bee and a snake can bite any number of times. I remember a novel by Acharya Chatursen Shastri in which a Vishkanya was able to kill a number of people in one night of ‘orgy’. But that was fiction. Chanakya is reputed to have used vishkanyas for killing the enemies of Chandragupta. Somebody advised that I would get a lot of material in ‘Chandrakanta Santati’ by Devakinandan Khatri. I got the novel. It is in 6 parts, and needs some patience to go through. If I learn something, I will certainly let you know.
We talked about the snake venom and snake bite, so it is worthwhile knowing about poisonous snakes of India in a few sentences. So far as I remember there are very few poisonous snakes: cobra, king cobra, viper and Krait. They have venom glands and it is injected through their specialized teeth (fangs) in a syringe-like action to the prey or the being defended against. A combination (polyvalent) anti venom is available (or should be available) in the hospitals which acts against almost all the snake venom. According to Daniel, death occurs quickly in cobra and krait poisoning, and delayed in viper bites. But if in the bite any vein is ruptured death may occur within 15 minutes in either case.
People cry hoarse now against biological warfare, battles are waged, kingdoms fall and rulers hanged. But use of poison to kill one’s enemies has been there from pre-historic days. Not that there is any justification for either.
Krishna was sitting under a peepal tree. He was old and tired. Some say he was 120+ at that time, but in any case he must have been in late eighties at that time. He had lost everything. His kingdom was under the sea (Tsunami?), and the womenfolk of his community were snatched away by robbers right under the eyes of Arjun, his dearest friend, as he could not string his bow Gandiv: he had become so feeble in old age. And then his clan in a drunken brawl had been entirely annihilated. He sat with his sole turned up. And this was mistaken by a bahelia (A person who hunts for a living) for a deer or any other small animal, and he shot an arrow. Well, that killed Krishna who had won the battle of Kurukshetra. Why should he have did of a simple arrow shot in a non-vital organ. Well, it is said that it was a poison arrow, and very soon the blood took the lethal poison to different parts of the body, and he could not be saved. One can say that otherwise also Krishna had nothing to look forward to, and the death at that juncture was the most appropriate ending to the great tragedy of Mahabharat .
One has also read in Mahabharat and elsewhere about amogh astras (invincible weapons). In 1500 B.C. what could they be? It was certainly not agnibaan as it was already known. Arrow-head made of some hard metal, sharpened like a razor? Or, what my guess is (yes, it is all a guesswork) that it was poison arrow with venom which did not have an antidote. Lakhman became unconscious when hit by a strange new weapon of Meghnad. It could be a poison whose only antidote was the Sanjivani herb. A natural corollary is that all the weapons which one got with great difficulty from some deity who had developed it were arrows with arrowheads or darts slaked in a venom for which there was no known antidote aailable. It is interesting to note all such prized weapons were arrows, and not mace or sword. It had to be a sharp projectile, capable of covering some distance.
Poison arrows have been used in South America, Africa and Asia. The venom was either animal-derived or plant-derived. In South America, tribals dipped the blowgun darts in the poison made from the skin of three species of Phyllobates, a genus of poison dart frogs. The poison is collected by roasting the frogs over fire.
Plant-derived poisons are generally known as curare. Greeks and Trojans used poison arrows and spears during the Trojan war. Alexander faced poison arrows during his conquests in India, and maybe he died of a festering wound caused by such an arrow (in his thigh, I think). Curare is a generic term for arrow-poisons that contain D-tubocurarine. This is found in the bark of the trees strychnos toxifera, S. guianensis, chondrodendron tometosum or sciadotenia toxifera. This is muscle-relaxant, paralyzing the respiratory system and thus bringing about asphyxiation. In Africa arrow poison is made from Nerium oleander.In the jungle areas of Assam and other north eastern states, Burma and Malaysia poison arrows are widely used and the poison is Antiaris toxicana strychnos and strophathus geneara. Aconite is used by Minaro tribe in Ladakh for hunting Ibex, and also by the Bhutia and Lepchas of Sikkim and Assam.
So as you see, in olden times, even the so-called advanced people like Greeks and Indians used poison arrows. And it was of course very commonly used by various tribes all over.
And now to Vishkanyas. I am afraid I didn’t get enough material on it. Beautiful girls were chosen from very young days to be Vishkanyas. They were given snake venom in small doses from the childhood, which was gradually increased. An adult girl was made to be bitten by venomous snakes, maybe more than once in the day and gradually her body became so venomous that conjugal or salivary contact with her proved fatal to the partner. Somewhere I read that the girls were administered sankhia (which I think is arsenic). But arsenic is not that instantaneous in its effect. Somewhere I also read that the vishkanyas die after once biting the targeted person. It is difficult to believe, because human body should not behave like that of a bee and a snake can bite any number of times. I remember a novel by Acharya Chatursen Shastri in which a Vishkanya was able to kill a number of people in one night of ‘orgy’. But that was fiction. Chanakya is reputed to have used vishkanyas for killing the enemies of Chandragupta. Somebody advised that I would get a lot of material in ‘Chandrakanta Santati’ by Devakinandan Khatri. I got the novel. It is in 6 parts, and needs some patience to go through. If I learn something, I will certainly let you know.
We talked about the snake venom and snake bite, so it is worthwhile knowing about poisonous snakes of India in a few sentences. So far as I remember there are very few poisonous snakes: cobra, king cobra, viper and Krait. They have venom glands and it is injected through their specialized teeth (fangs) in a syringe-like action to the prey or the being defended against. A combination (polyvalent) anti venom is available (or should be available) in the hospitals which acts against almost all the snake venom. According to Daniel, death occurs quickly in cobra and krait poisoning, and delayed in viper bites. But if in the bite any vein is ruptured death may occur within 15 minutes in either case.
People cry hoarse now against biological warfare, battles are waged, kingdoms fall and rulers hanged. But use of poison to kill one’s enemies has been there from pre-historic days. Not that there is any justification for either.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
#5. Some Poisonous Plants of India
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Jatropha curcas (Physic nut)
Bakain
Glory lily vine
Ratti or Ghumchi
Strychnos nux vomica fruit in Andhra pradesh
Strychnos nux vomica tree in Andhra PradeshDhatura
Raat ki Rani
Photo credit for Jatropha curcas photos: Muthu Karthik
Others to Wikipedia and indiatreepix
Some Poisonous Plants of India
During childhood days, one heard stories about sadhus who were in the habit of taking dhatura seeds which were considered poisonous. One also read about vishkanyas in ficion and about poison arrows in fact and fiction. The story about vishkanyas is fascinating, and so is that of poisons in which arrow darts were slaked, both in the tribal societies and among more civilized people. But let us first take something more in our vicinity: poisonous plants. There are several species which are poisonous or injurious to human body in some way or the other. And you can find them in your garden or planted by the Forest department as a roadside tree with or without the knowledge about their effects on human body system.
Poisoning can be by contact (causing skin irritation), ingestion (causing internal poisoning), absorption (by the skin) and inhalation (in the respiratory system).
Some surfing on the net told me startling facts. Some plants which we consider harmless are actually not so. And many which are used in some way or the other in medicines (especially in homeopathic pharmacology), in raw from are certainly not so benign.
Let us start with Bakain, which is a sister to our famous neem tree, known in English as chinaberry or scientifically as Melia azedarach. (Neem is Azadirachta indica). All pats of Bakain tree are dangerous if eaten. Leaves are used as insect repellents in stored grains and we arre suitably warned that when those cereals are eaten, care should be taken to remove all Bakain leaves from it. This tree can be often found in our country either on the roadside, or in large gardens, and one should be aware of its deathly qualities. Although its fruit is poison to humans, birds gorge on it, and reach a level of ‘intoxication’.
Oleander (Nerium oleander) Is another garden plant and all parts of the plant are poisonous. Its wood if used to cook food can poison it by the fumes. This bush has attractive flowers: pink, yellow or white (tubular) or double pink flowers. One can find it all over the country. My first posting was as Sub-divisional Officer in Jashpur, a large subdivision of Raigarh district and connected by rail to the district headquarters 213 kms. away. It was a small erstwhile state, with majority of tribals in the area, and therefore not having richness which could give it the opulence of Jaipur, Indore or Gwalior. Well, duiring the state time there was an English Diwan who had planted double pink oleander all through the road from Jashpur to Raigarh in his area. It was the border of Kasabel development block. There is another plant called Pangi (pangium edule) found in South East Asia where all parts of the plant are poisonous especially the fruit.
In Castor oil plant (Ricinus communis), all parts of the plant are poisonous to eat.
The next is Lantana (Lantana camara) where all parts are poisonous if eaten and can be fatal.It can also create dermatitis in some.
Renghis or rengas tree or marking nut (Gluta) causes dermatitis similar to poison ivy and poison oak (discussed later).
Lantana, castor oil plant, oleander and marking nut tree are endemic to India.
The other plant worth mentioning in this regard is Rosary pea (Abrus precatorious) which is a vine, and has beautiful black and red seeds. It is most dangerous and one seed is enough to kill an adult. This is found in India sporadically. It is known as ghumchi or ratti. Its seeds are surprisingly unvarying in weight and were used by goldsmiths in our country to weigh gold. One seed was equal to one ratti. One tola is 11.66 gm. 1 Tola is 12 Masha, and 1 Masha is 8 ratti. So one ratti is about 120mg. Whereas one carat is 200 mg.In Hindu gemology, especially related to astrology, ratti and carat are considered and treated almost synonymously. I vaguely remember that in my nana’s village, he had planted a lot of henna tres along the boundary of his homestead, and one of them had this creeper whose seed pods dried and opened showing the red and black gems inside. I also remember that as a child of 3-4 years I climbed the bush (not much of mountaineering I assure!) and plucked those seeds. But nobody told me then or later about its toxic properties, for obvious reasons if anybody knew.
Another plant I could mention is Strychnine tree (Nux Vomica). Berries contain the seed which yield strychnine. Al parts of the plant are poisonous, This is a native of tropics and non-tropics of South East Asia and Australia.
Poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) and poison oak (Toxicodendron diversibba) cause serious contact dermatitis. Poison sumac (Toxicodendron vemix) has similar effect. All parts of the plant can cause serious dermatitis at all times of the year. This plant is native to wet, acid swamps of North America.
Renglas tree or the marking nut (which was used by our washermen to mark the clothes wih distinctive mark of the owner so that their clothes are not mixed up. lt has flowers similar to poison oak and poison ivy and causes dermatitis. This plant is native to India, and East and South-east Asia.
Trumpet vine (campsis radicans) causes dermatitis. It is found throughout eastern and central North America in wet woods and thickets.
Once I went on short course to Nainital, a nice and cosy hill station in Uttarakhand. The blanket in the guest house there gave a strong dermatitis, with itching sensation and urge to scratch for 30-40 seconds, in the calf region. Any kind of dermatitis is not something to be talked about, and so I kept mum thinking that in a few days when I went back to Delhi, I would consult a physician. At the end of the course, when we were going by bus to Delhi, one fellow participant very coolly announced that now he was going to scratch, and he did. Later I came to know that about half a dozen trainees were thus afflicted which resulted from the room boys sunning the blankets on the lawn. Why I mention this is that only those who have had this can appreciate how violent the itching sensation can become in some kinds of dermatitis. I don’t remember now, but I think the Nainital itching subsided after a few days on its own. Or may be I used calamine on the advice of the physician. Althoough I haven’t done it ever (I was considered a studious type) but in stories one heard of leaves which was put on teacher’s chair folloed by the violent reaction.
I cannot resist the temptation of mentioning a few of more deadly plants. Death camas or death lily (Zigedenus species )has onion-like plant, but it does not have onion smell. All parts of the plant are very pisonous. It is a native of US (North and East), and American Western subarctic.
Poison Hemlock (Conium maculatum) is native to Eurasia and is extrememly poisonous. Easy to confuse with carrot or Queen’s lace. At another place the writer has said that that it can be mistaken for fennel, wild carrot or parsley, The habitat is swamp, streambank and wet meadow.
Water hemlock (Cicuta maculata) is also a deadly poison. Small amount may cause death. This is again a native of US and Canada and grows in swamps,wet meadows,stream banks and ditches.
In Cowage (Mucuna pruritum) contact with pods and flowers causes irritation and blindness if it is in the eyes. All parts of the plant are poisonous if eaten, and can be fatal.
The Manchineel (Hippomane mancinella) is extremely toxic. It can cause serious dermatitis even after ½ hour. It is a native of Florida and Caribbean.
Physic nut (Jatropha curcas) has yellow apple-sized seeds which are violently purgative. All parts of the plant are poisonous. This is found throughout the tropics and south USA.This Jatropha is looks like the same species that is being developed as a bio-fuel.
Among some other popular Indian plants, the famous Raat ki Rani(cestrum nocturnum) is poisonous, ncluding its white berry. Dhatura (Dhatura metel)contains highly toxic alkaloids, the main being scopolamine. This hallucinogen is present in highest concentration in leaves and seeds. Often it is mixed with food articles for robbing innocent passengers. This plant and its intoxicant properties have been known in India since prehistoric times. Shiva is associated with its flower and seeds. The latex of Madar or kanak (calotropis gigantean and C. procera) is considered poisonous, and was used for making poison arrows. however, its milky juice, flowers, rootbark and leaves are used in medicine. The powdered dried root is used for treatment of bronchitis, asthma, leposy,eczema etc. The whole plant dried and consumed is a god tonic and expectorant. It also attracts butterflies. The flowers are of two colours: purple and white. White is rarer, and its roots are used to carve icons of Ganesh. Arc latex processed is used in treating vertigo, baldness, hairfall, toothache etc. The side effects of its use are blisters, lesions and eruptions. Therefore the preparation of c. procera is to be used under the careful survellance of a capable medical practitioner.
Last in the list is GLORY LILY or Gloriosa superba. My friend Satyen introduced me to it. A vine with beautiful orange and red flowers, but all parts of the plant are poisonous. विष रस भरा कनक घट जैसे। Especially the roots. In traditional medicine it is used to treat ailments like sprain, bruise, colic pain etc. Poisoning results from overdose. It is also used for committing suicide.
First step after immediate hospitalization is stomach wash or use of emetic followed by symptomatic and supportive therapy. Prophylactic antibiotic treatment is also indicated.
You saw above how some poisonous plants resemble plants that are used by men for eating and otherwise, and so one has to be very particular in choosing what to eat if the plant is not known to him. Good old days when I had some land in a village and my father used to stay there, I remember that with a minor millet there used to be some poisonous grass which was impossible to separate from the grain plant whether in the beginning or at the time of harvesting. So sometimes when the person ate that poison grain along with that the cooked real grain, he used to sleep and sleep. He could get up only in the late afternoon. This was a known phenomenon and nobody bothered if somebody was thus affected. There is another pulse closely resembling tuar which is known as Khesari, and if it is eaten in the form of a loaf made out of its flour, it brings an affliction known as lathyrism with twisted swollen knees. This low grade pulse is used, hopefully not extensively, to adulterate tuar. Argemone seeed has been used to adulterate mustard oil because of its close resemblance to the mustard seed. There was a havoc in Delhi a few years ago because of such adulteration. The use of such adulterated oil in cooking brings lethal dropsy.
.
We live in dangerous times and dangerous world. Dangerous times as the world has become smaller and any plant seed can land up anywhere. See the nuisance parthenium (gajar ghas which some people jokingly called congress grass!) has created when it came with Mexican wheat seeds (its flower causes skin irritation). Moreover, it has become a weed.
I think I have revealed enough to make you worried at least for the night for you and your family. Next time we shall deal with something more fictional and less nearer to you (vishkanyas and arrow poisons!). Good night.
During childhood days, one heard stories about sadhus who were in the habit of taking dhatura seeds which were considered poisonous. One also read about vishkanyas in ficion and about poison arrows in fact and fiction. The story about vishkanyas is fascinating, and so is that of poisons in which arrow darts were slaked, both in the tribal societies and among more civilized people. But let us first take something more in our vicinity: poisonous plants. There are several species which are poisonous or injurious to human body in some way or the other. And you can find them in your garden or planted by the Forest department as a roadside tree with or without the knowledge about their effects on human body system.
Poisoning can be by contact (causing skin irritation), ingestion (causing internal poisoning), absorption (by the skin) and inhalation (in the respiratory system).
Some surfing on the net told me startling facts. Some plants which we consider harmless are actually not so. And many which are used in some way or the other in medicines (especially in homeopathic pharmacology), in raw from are certainly not so benign.
Let us start with Bakain, which is a sister to our famous neem tree, known in English as chinaberry or scientifically as Melia azedarach. (Neem is Azadirachta indica). All pats of Bakain tree are dangerous if eaten. Leaves are used as insect repellents in stored grains and we arre suitably warned that when those cereals are eaten, care should be taken to remove all Bakain leaves from it. This tree can be often found in our country either on the roadside, or in large gardens, and one should be aware of its deathly qualities. Although its fruit is poison to humans, birds gorge on it, and reach a level of ‘intoxication’.
Oleander (Nerium oleander) Is another garden plant and all parts of the plant are poisonous. Its wood if used to cook food can poison it by the fumes. This bush has attractive flowers: pink, yellow or white (tubular) or double pink flowers. One can find it all over the country. My first posting was as Sub-divisional Officer in Jashpur, a large subdivision of Raigarh district and connected by rail to the district headquarters 213 kms. away. It was a small erstwhile state, with majority of tribals in the area, and therefore not having richness which could give it the opulence of Jaipur, Indore or Gwalior. Well, duiring the state time there was an English Diwan who had planted double pink oleander all through the road from Jashpur to Raigarh in his area. It was the border of Kasabel development block. There is another plant called Pangi (pangium edule) found in South East Asia where all parts of the plant are poisonous especially the fruit.
In Castor oil plant (Ricinus communis), all parts of the plant are poisonous to eat.
The next is Lantana (Lantana camara) where all parts are poisonous if eaten and can be fatal.It can also create dermatitis in some.
Renghis or rengas tree or marking nut (Gluta) causes dermatitis similar to poison ivy and poison oak (discussed later).
Lantana, castor oil plant, oleander and marking nut tree are endemic to India.
The other plant worth mentioning in this regard is Rosary pea (Abrus precatorious) which is a vine, and has beautiful black and red seeds. It is most dangerous and one seed is enough to kill an adult. This is found in India sporadically. It is known as ghumchi or ratti. Its seeds are surprisingly unvarying in weight and were used by goldsmiths in our country to weigh gold. One seed was equal to one ratti. One tola is 11.66 gm. 1 Tola is 12 Masha, and 1 Masha is 8 ratti. So one ratti is about 120mg. Whereas one carat is 200 mg.In Hindu gemology, especially related to astrology, ratti and carat are considered and treated almost synonymously. I vaguely remember that in my nana’s village, he had planted a lot of henna tres along the boundary of his homestead, and one of them had this creeper whose seed pods dried and opened showing the red and black gems inside. I also remember that as a child of 3-4 years I climbed the bush (not much of mountaineering I assure!) and plucked those seeds. But nobody told me then or later about its toxic properties, for obvious reasons if anybody knew.
Another plant I could mention is Strychnine tree (Nux Vomica). Berries contain the seed which yield strychnine. Al parts of the plant are poisonous, This is a native of tropics and non-tropics of South East Asia and Australia.
Poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) and poison oak (Toxicodendron diversibba) cause serious contact dermatitis. Poison sumac (Toxicodendron vemix) has similar effect. All parts of the plant can cause serious dermatitis at all times of the year. This plant is native to wet, acid swamps of North America.
Renglas tree or the marking nut (which was used by our washermen to mark the clothes wih distinctive mark of the owner so that their clothes are not mixed up. lt has flowers similar to poison oak and poison ivy and causes dermatitis. This plant is native to India, and East and South-east Asia.
Trumpet vine (campsis radicans) causes dermatitis. It is found throughout eastern and central North America in wet woods and thickets.
Once I went on short course to Nainital, a nice and cosy hill station in Uttarakhand. The blanket in the guest house there gave a strong dermatitis, with itching sensation and urge to scratch for 30-40 seconds, in the calf region. Any kind of dermatitis is not something to be talked about, and so I kept mum thinking that in a few days when I went back to Delhi, I would consult a physician. At the end of the course, when we were going by bus to Delhi, one fellow participant very coolly announced that now he was going to scratch, and he did. Later I came to know that about half a dozen trainees were thus afflicted which resulted from the room boys sunning the blankets on the lawn. Why I mention this is that only those who have had this can appreciate how violent the itching sensation can become in some kinds of dermatitis. I don’t remember now, but I think the Nainital itching subsided after a few days on its own. Or may be I used calamine on the advice of the physician. Althoough I haven’t done it ever (I was considered a studious type) but in stories one heard of leaves which was put on teacher’s chair folloed by the violent reaction.
I cannot resist the temptation of mentioning a few of more deadly plants. Death camas or death lily (Zigedenus species )has onion-like plant, but it does not have onion smell. All parts of the plant are very pisonous. It is a native of US (North and East), and American Western subarctic.
Poison Hemlock (Conium maculatum) is native to Eurasia and is extrememly poisonous. Easy to confuse with carrot or Queen’s lace. At another place the writer has said that that it can be mistaken for fennel, wild carrot or parsley, The habitat is swamp, streambank and wet meadow.
Water hemlock (Cicuta maculata) is also a deadly poison. Small amount may cause death. This is again a native of US and Canada and grows in swamps,wet meadows,stream banks and ditches.
In Cowage (Mucuna pruritum) contact with pods and flowers causes irritation and blindness if it is in the eyes. All parts of the plant are poisonous if eaten, and can be fatal.
The Manchineel (Hippomane mancinella) is extremely toxic. It can cause serious dermatitis even after ½ hour. It is a native of Florida and Caribbean.
Physic nut (Jatropha curcas) has yellow apple-sized seeds which are violently purgative. All parts of the plant are poisonous. This is found throughout the tropics and south USA.This Jatropha is looks like the same species that is being developed as a bio-fuel.
Among some other popular Indian plants, the famous Raat ki Rani(cestrum nocturnum) is poisonous, ncluding its white berry. Dhatura (Dhatura metel)contains highly toxic alkaloids, the main being scopolamine. This hallucinogen is present in highest concentration in leaves and seeds. Often it is mixed with food articles for robbing innocent passengers. This plant and its intoxicant properties have been known in India since prehistoric times. Shiva is associated with its flower and seeds. The latex of Madar or kanak (calotropis gigantean and C. procera) is considered poisonous, and was used for making poison arrows. however, its milky juice, flowers, rootbark and leaves are used in medicine. The powdered dried root is used for treatment of bronchitis, asthma, leposy,eczema etc. The whole plant dried and consumed is a god tonic and expectorant. It also attracts butterflies. The flowers are of two colours: purple and white. White is rarer, and its roots are used to carve icons of Ganesh. Arc latex processed is used in treating vertigo, baldness, hairfall, toothache etc. The side effects of its use are blisters, lesions and eruptions. Therefore the preparation of c. procera is to be used under the careful survellance of a capable medical practitioner.
Last in the list is GLORY LILY or Gloriosa superba. My friend Satyen introduced me to it. A vine with beautiful orange and red flowers, but all parts of the plant are poisonous. विष रस भरा कनक घट जैसे। Especially the roots. In traditional medicine it is used to treat ailments like sprain, bruise, colic pain etc. Poisoning results from overdose. It is also used for committing suicide.
First step after immediate hospitalization is stomach wash or use of emetic followed by symptomatic and supportive therapy. Prophylactic antibiotic treatment is also indicated.
You saw above how some poisonous plants resemble plants that are used by men for eating and otherwise, and so one has to be very particular in choosing what to eat if the plant is not known to him. Good old days when I had some land in a village and my father used to stay there, I remember that with a minor millet there used to be some poisonous grass which was impossible to separate from the grain plant whether in the beginning or at the time of harvesting. So sometimes when the person ate that poison grain along with that the cooked real grain, he used to sleep and sleep. He could get up only in the late afternoon. This was a known phenomenon and nobody bothered if somebody was thus affected. There is another pulse closely resembling tuar which is known as Khesari, and if it is eaten in the form of a loaf made out of its flour, it brings an affliction known as lathyrism with twisted swollen knees. This low grade pulse is used, hopefully not extensively, to adulterate tuar. Argemone seeed has been used to adulterate mustard oil because of its close resemblance to the mustard seed. There was a havoc in Delhi a few years ago because of such adulteration. The use of such adulterated oil in cooking brings lethal dropsy.
.
We live in dangerous times and dangerous world. Dangerous times as the world has become smaller and any plant seed can land up anywhere. See the nuisance parthenium (gajar ghas which some people jokingly called congress grass!) has created when it came with Mexican wheat seeds (its flower causes skin irritation). Moreover, it has become a weed.
I think I have revealed enough to make you worried at least for the night for you and your family. Next time we shall deal with something more fictional and less nearer to you (vishkanyas and arrow poisons!). Good night.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
#4. Tear Jerkers
Tears, Idle Tears
When the Poet Laureate wrote: 'Tears, idle tears I know not what they mean’ was he referring to the tears that come to your eyes when you are sitting just like that, reminiscing about something, you yawn in the winter afternoon sun and the tears come to your eyes. They are tears of laziness, slight boredom and sleepiness. Then we have crocodile tears which are only for show, and without any emotion behind them. There is another type which is full of emotion, grief, sadness, when you part with your near and dear ones, or when you remember something which you wish could have been otherwise, like crying over the spilt milk with a lot of emotion thrown in.
In the movie ‘Lamhe’, a neighbouring jagirdar comes to meet the son of his old friend who is no more, and the son has come after a long time. Well the jagirdar comes and leaves abruptly when his late friend is mentioned. The son is stupefied thinking that it was because of his faux pas, and is explained by his nannie that Rajputs don’t want to show their tears even to their own and that is why he had left.
Memories do bring tears, but what I have in mind the audio visual which draws tears, a movie, a song, or somebody reminding you of something. I remember one of my teachers who at the time of his retirement during his farewell speech to the students cried bitterly. There are some who cry in a movie, some invariably whether the scene is sad or not. Some even cry when they hear a sad song, or even during a reality show. Many sposrtspersons during their moment of achievement give way to their emotion and cry on the victory stand. Some cry when they could not stand on that. One remembers that when Lady Margaret’s son was lost in the African desert, his mother cried bitterly, in spite of her being called the Iron Lady. Some don’t cry when their nearest and dearest have passed away, and people worry over the effect pent-up emotins will have on the mental make-up of the bereaved. There is a sigh of relief everywhere when ultimately the person loses control.
Why should anybody start crying at the smallest incident in a movie or a TV serial whether sad or happy? Is that their threshold of emotions is too low? Are they emotionally more vulnerable, and therefore more disturbed? Or is it because of some psychological disturbance deep inside their mind which creates this havoc? Once I read that some actors do not need artificial tears and they can cry whenever they feel like, or whenever the need arises.
Whatever, there is a lot of difference between the real tears and these idle tears, and at the most emotional level are those which come to the eyes but do not fall: ‘Humne to jana hai Hazin/ Jo gir jaye woh paani hai/ Ansoo to who ek katra hai, jo palkon pe tadpe, beh na sake.’( I have realised Hazin (the poet) that what comes out of eyes is just water. Tear is the drop which trembles at the eyelids but dare not come out).
When the Poet Laureate wrote: 'Tears, idle tears I know not what they mean’ was he referring to the tears that come to your eyes when you are sitting just like that, reminiscing about something, you yawn in the winter afternoon sun and the tears come to your eyes. They are tears of laziness, slight boredom and sleepiness. Then we have crocodile tears which are only for show, and without any emotion behind them. There is another type which is full of emotion, grief, sadness, when you part with your near and dear ones, or when you remember something which you wish could have been otherwise, like crying over the spilt milk with a lot of emotion thrown in.
In the movie ‘Lamhe’, a neighbouring jagirdar comes to meet the son of his old friend who is no more, and the son has come after a long time. Well the jagirdar comes and leaves abruptly when his late friend is mentioned. The son is stupefied thinking that it was because of his faux pas, and is explained by his nannie that Rajputs don’t want to show their tears even to their own and that is why he had left.
Memories do bring tears, but what I have in mind the audio visual which draws tears, a movie, a song, or somebody reminding you of something. I remember one of my teachers who at the time of his retirement during his farewell speech to the students cried bitterly. There are some who cry in a movie, some invariably whether the scene is sad or not. Some even cry when they hear a sad song, or even during a reality show. Many sposrtspersons during their moment of achievement give way to their emotion and cry on the victory stand. Some cry when they could not stand on that. One remembers that when Lady Margaret’s son was lost in the African desert, his mother cried bitterly, in spite of her being called the Iron Lady. Some don’t cry when their nearest and dearest have passed away, and people worry over the effect pent-up emotins will have on the mental make-up of the bereaved. There is a sigh of relief everywhere when ultimately the person loses control.
Why should anybody start crying at the smallest incident in a movie or a TV serial whether sad or happy? Is that their threshold of emotions is too low? Are they emotionally more vulnerable, and therefore more disturbed? Or is it because of some psychological disturbance deep inside their mind which creates this havoc? Once I read that some actors do not need artificial tears and they can cry whenever they feel like, or whenever the need arises.
Whatever, there is a lot of difference between the real tears and these idle tears, and at the most emotional level are those which come to the eyes but do not fall: ‘Humne to jana hai Hazin/ Jo gir jaye woh paani hai/ Ansoo to who ek katra hai, jo palkon pe tadpe, beh na sake.’( I have realised Hazin (the poet) that what comes out of eyes is just water. Tear is the drop which trembles at the eyelids but dare not come out).
#3. Me Marathi Maanus Naai
Me Marathi Maus Naai?
During these days of linguistic fanatism in Mumbai, I am passing through a strange personal dilemma. But to understand why, you have to be patient and hear a long story about who I am.
It was probably during the Third Battle of Panipat that a large number of Maharashtrian Brahmans came to north India. Maratha warrior chiefs liked to travel with their paraphernalia, family, purohit et al apart from the battle things. It seems that after the Maratha were defeated, these Brahmans dispersed in north India, and a large chunk came to Banaras (now Varanasi). My great-great grandfather shifted to Ghazipur, a small place on the bank of Ganga about 45 miles to the east, and my forefathers lived there ever since. My great grandfather was a renowned ayurvedic vaidya in that part of the country, and he reportedly amassed a fortune. Unfortunately my grandfather died of cholera when my father was only 10 years old, and the property disappeared in a generation.
This group of Brahmans was different from the ones who went with the Maraharashtrian Brahman Shankaracharya who was sent by the Adi Shankar to Jyotishpith in Uttarakhand. This happened much earlier, and you still find Maharashtrian surnames like Joshi, Bhatt, Pant etc. in Uttarakhand. Our venerable Govind Vallabh Pant belonged to the same stock.
If our history is not clear, one may rightly ask why we call ourselves Marathi. The proof is Marathi, the spoken language, though what was used by my later forefathers was much diluted by the influence of north India. The other evidence is the religious rites and customs.
Come to poor me. My father married a girl from Bihar. And I grew up as a typical upper middle class Hindi speaking person whose family was never fully assimilated with the North Indians.
Many from our closed group migrated to Calcutta where a number of them got employment in banks, and some to parts of Bihar. Several religious rites were observed which were more prevalent among other linguistic groups than a typical Deshastha Brahman family. My father’s sister observed a Lakshmi Puja which was basically a Gujerati rite, and people expressed surprise. She was insistent that it brought her good luck, and she would not give it up.
Some of my cousins and other relatives went back to various places in Maharashtra, Nagpur, Pune, Nasik. They quickly adopted the accent of the region, language was of course the same. But one of my cousins who shifted to Nagpur, and married a local girl, casually confided to me that he would probably have been happier in Calcutta where he spent his young days. He said that whenever he talked to local people, and his son was also with him they replied to him in Hindi and to his son in Marathi. (He is above 70, and has been Nagpur for more than half a century).
Coming back to myself, I also married a north Indian girl and most of my life worked in Madhya Pradesh, and for some years in Delhi. My last stint was in Mumbai for about 7 years, but there I found that the people considered me more of a north Indian and never tried to speak to me in Marathi. In those seven years, even the domestic help spoke to me and my wife in Hindi.
That my daughter has married a north Indian, and settled in Mumbai where he has a job, and my son who is working abroad is also thinking of marrying a Delhi girl is understandable,
This time when my daughter came to us in Gwalior for her annual visit, she casually mentioned that very soon her position would be that of Muslims in Mumbai. I had no readymade reply for her.
Can my and my children’s claim of being only Indians and not Marathi Manus be acceptable in the largest metro of the country ?
During these days of linguistic fanatism in Mumbai, I am passing through a strange personal dilemma. But to understand why, you have to be patient and hear a long story about who I am.
It was probably during the Third Battle of Panipat that a large number of Maharashtrian Brahmans came to north India. Maratha warrior chiefs liked to travel with their paraphernalia, family, purohit et al apart from the battle things. It seems that after the Maratha were defeated, these Brahmans dispersed in north India, and a large chunk came to Banaras (now Varanasi). My great-great grandfather shifted to Ghazipur, a small place on the bank of Ganga about 45 miles to the east, and my forefathers lived there ever since. My great grandfather was a renowned ayurvedic vaidya in that part of the country, and he reportedly amassed a fortune. Unfortunately my grandfather died of cholera when my father was only 10 years old, and the property disappeared in a generation.
This group of Brahmans was different from the ones who went with the Maraharashtrian Brahman Shankaracharya who was sent by the Adi Shankar to Jyotishpith in Uttarakhand. This happened much earlier, and you still find Maharashtrian surnames like Joshi, Bhatt, Pant etc. in Uttarakhand. Our venerable Govind Vallabh Pant belonged to the same stock.
If our history is not clear, one may rightly ask why we call ourselves Marathi. The proof is Marathi, the spoken language, though what was used by my later forefathers was much diluted by the influence of north India. The other evidence is the religious rites and customs.
Come to poor me. My father married a girl from Bihar. And I grew up as a typical upper middle class Hindi speaking person whose family was never fully assimilated with the North Indians.
Many from our closed group migrated to Calcutta where a number of them got employment in banks, and some to parts of Bihar. Several religious rites were observed which were more prevalent among other linguistic groups than a typical Deshastha Brahman family. My father’s sister observed a Lakshmi Puja which was basically a Gujerati rite, and people expressed surprise. She was insistent that it brought her good luck, and she would not give it up.
Some of my cousins and other relatives went back to various places in Maharashtra, Nagpur, Pune, Nasik. They quickly adopted the accent of the region, language was of course the same. But one of my cousins who shifted to Nagpur, and married a local girl, casually confided to me that he would probably have been happier in Calcutta where he spent his young days. He said that whenever he talked to local people, and his son was also with him they replied to him in Hindi and to his son in Marathi. (He is above 70, and has been Nagpur for more than half a century).
Coming back to myself, I also married a north Indian girl and most of my life worked in Madhya Pradesh, and for some years in Delhi. My last stint was in Mumbai for about 7 years, but there I found that the people considered me more of a north Indian and never tried to speak to me in Marathi. In those seven years, even the domestic help spoke to me and my wife in Hindi.
That my daughter has married a north Indian, and settled in Mumbai where he has a job, and my son who is working abroad is also thinking of marrying a Delhi girl is understandable,
This time when my daughter came to us in Gwalior for her annual visit, she casually mentioned that very soon her position would be that of Muslims in Mumbai. I had no readymade reply for her.
Can my and my children’s claim of being only Indians and not Marathi Manus be acceptable in the largest metro of the country ?
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