RE-CALLING HISTORY

"If India pokes its nose in Pakistan, US will not keep its trap shut. India will be taught a lesson”
- Richard Nixon. 

“India regards America as a friend. Not a boss. India is capable of writing its own destiny. We know and are aware how to deal with each one according to circumstances”
- Indira Gandhi 

The year was 1971 and the month November. 
Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi articulated these exact words sitting with the U.S. President Richard Nixon in the White House, while maintaining an eye-to-eye contact. 
The said event was narrated by the then Secretary of State and NSA, Henry Kissinger in his autobiography. 

That was the day when the Indo-U.S. joint media address was cancelled by Indira Gandhi who walked away from the White House in her own inimitable style. 

Kissinger, while ushering Indira Gandhi into her car, had commented, "Madam Prime Minister, don't you feel you could have been a little more patient with the President". 
Indira ji replied, "Thank you, Mr. Secretary, for your valuable suggestion.
Being a developing country, we have our backbones straight - & enough to fight the atrocities. We shall prove that days are gone to rule any nation far from thousands of miles”

Thereafter.. as soon as the Air India Boeing touched the Palam runway in Delhi, Indira Gandhi summoned the leader of opposition, Atal Behari Vajpayee to her residence immediately. 

Post an hour of discussion behind closed doors, Vajpayee was seen hurrying back. It was thereafter known that Atal Ji would be representing India at the United Nations. 

Donald Paul of BBC had jumped in with a question to Vajpayee, "Indira ji regards you as a staunch critic. In spite of that, are u sure you'd be at the United Nations shouting your throat (voice) out in favour of the Incumbent Government?”

Vajpayee had a repartee.. "A rose adorns a garden, so does a Lily. Each is beset with the idea that they are individually the most beautiful. When the garden falls in a crisis, it's no secret that the guarden has to safeguard its beauty as one. I have come today to save the garden. This is called Indian Democracy." 

The resultant history is all known to us. 
America sent 270 paton tanks to Pakistan. They called the world media to demonstrate that these tanks were produced under exclusive technology, and are/were thus indestructible. The intention was very clear. This was a warning signal to the rest of the world that no one should help India. 

America did not stop here. 
Burma-Shell the only U.S. company supplying oil to India, was told to stop. They were sternly told by U.S. not to deal with India anymore. 

India's history thereafter was only about fighting back. 
Indira Gandhi's incisive diplomacy ensured oil came in from Ukraine. 

A battle that lasted just a day destroyed these  270 paton tanks. The destroyed  tanks were brought into India for demonstration. The hot deserts of Rajasthan still stands as a witness where U.S. pride was decimated. 

A war that lasted eighteen days thereafter culminated into capturing 1.5 lakhs POWs from Pakistan.  
Mujibar Rahman was released from Lahore Jail. 

The month was March - Indira Gandhi recognized Bangladesh as an independent nation in the Indian Parliament. 

Vajpayee addressed Indira Gandhi as “Maa Durga”

These events had a packet of long lasting manifested fallouts. 

—India's own oil company, viz. Indian Oil came into being. 
—India expressed itself as a nation of strength in the eyes of the world. 
—India led the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) from the front. 
Its leadership was unquestioned. 

Times and events of such strength did get submerged into the great depths of yore.

Truthful history till date remains as a baton. 

India has treaded fifty years hence. There is a sense of tiredness. 

Democracy finds itself lonely as a word in the lexicon. 
The opposition is no longer part of democracy anymore. 
The voices, if not in toe, are regarded as voices of evil.

OVER-ESTIMATION

A part of the self-delusional bravado of our leadership lies in its belief in the omnipotent ‘Indian market’.

There has been a humiliating rupture in India’s ties with its eastern neighbours, China and Nepal. This would have been just another episode of politico-military bungling, which India is used to, had it not been for the loss of lives of 20 soldiers, including the Commanding Officer of 16 Bihar Regiment, and the capture of four officers and six others on June 15. India has retrieved the captives and the bodies, but not its prestige. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, in his telephone conversation with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, categorically stated that the violence and casualties were the result of a premeditated and planned action by the Chinese troops and that this action proves the neighbour’s intent to alter the status quo.

Why would the Chinese unleash a premeditated attack to capture the heights of the Galwan valley? Well, to answer the question, we need to first accept the fact that India has lost territory to Chinese aggressive designs in the Galwan valley to occupy the vantage point overlooking the Darbuk-Shyok-Daulet Beg Oldie road, much like the Pakistani infiltration in Kargil intended to cut off the Leh-Srinagar road in 1999. Once this planned action and its intent are understood, it is easier to analyse why the Chinese did what they did. Late last summer, on August 6, 2019, while abrogating Article 370 of the Constitution to create the two union territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, Home Minister Amit Shah had stated that Pak-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Aksai Chin are integral parts of India and he would give up his life to keep it so.

This was an aggressive and provocative statement about territory held by a nuclear-armed neighbour — something that necessitated an immediate diplomatic intervention. Within a week of Shah’s statement, Jaishankar visited Beijing to calm Chinese nerves. But the deceptively calm Chinese waited for the next summer to respond to the statement. The Chinese seem to have expected India to act according to its stated intent, that too articulated at the highest level, for that is what nations normally do. But unfortunately, Indian politicians have a habit of using extremely volatile foreign policy issues to score domestic brownie points. The ‘chest-thumping government’, as The Economist magazine calls it, did not realise that the inimical neighbour would take the theatrics seriously. So, instead of India crossing the Line of Actual Control (LAC) to put up posts in Aksai Chin, the Chinese made the aggressive move.

A part of the self-delusional bravado of our leadership lies in its belief in the omnipotent ‘Indian market’. Little do they realise that the $56 billion trade surplus China has over India does not make much of a difference to its economy; India is only its 12th largest trading partner. So, what Indians assume to be bountiful munificence is just small change for China; worse, India has become so completely dependent on Chinese imports in almost all spheres of life that it will soon have to reinvent the wheel to show a national spine. And that will not happen in a hurry because even while the tension on the LAC was spiralling out of control, the Union Government and its departments and Public Sector Units were busy awarding contracts to Chinese companies. One of these was offered as late as June 12, to dig a tunnel close to the Hindon Air Force base near Delhi.

The Nepal fiasco is also another instance of domestic electoral politics influencing foreign policy. If the thunderous statements on PoK and Aksai Chin were meant for the domestic audience, the Nepal strategy was shaped by the Hindutva agenda. The demeaning economic blockade of 2015 and the attempt to use Madhesis as a vote bank to manipulate Nepali politics backfired to such an extent that the Indian influence in Nepal diminished drastically. Now, the dormant anti-India sentiment has got institutionalised with a law amending the Constitution, which empowers the government to redraw the country’s map with Indian territories Limpiyadhura, Kalapani and Lipulekh as part of Nepal, violating all previous agreements and international norms.

After the Covid lockdown breaking the back of the economy and reducing poor workers to destitution, the worst that could have happened was a war-like situation. China might have wanted to inflict pain not just for our claims on Aksai Chin, but also for our perceived proximity with the US. The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue or Quad military alliance with the US, Japan and Australia could have provoked China, yet a planned aggression in Ladakh leading to a large number of fatalities has to be accepted as China’s projection of power. And there are lessons to learn.

Indian leaders should no longer superimpose domestic political sloganeering on to foreign policy objectives. Border disputes cannot be used to score brownie points in Parliament. Indo-Pak wars have been derisively described as ‘communal riots with tanks’; but war is serious business that deserves to be handled by professionals, not pliant military leaders who talk loosely about a two-front war to merely bolster their masters’ identity politics. Hindutva cannot replace diplomacy, either as a manipulating tool in the case of Nepal or as an identity project against Pakistan. If India has to capture PoK, Gilgit-Baltistan and Aksai Chin, India must, but with a clearly laid-down visionary doctrine that understands the gain, pain and cost. But it cannot be used as a slogan to fight the next municipal elections.

It will be tragically counter-productive to use toxic TV anchors as force-multipliers. All that they are capable of is to whip up a national frenzy which can consume common sense, caution and considered responses. India deserves better.

CHOICE IS WITH YOU

*Intelligence*  Vs *Wisdom*

1. Intelligence leads to arguments.
Wisdom leads to settlements.

2. Intelligence is power of will.
Wisdom is power OVER  will.

3. Intelligence is heat, it burns.
Wisdom is warmth, it comforts.

4. Intelligence is pursuit of knowledge, it tires the seeker.
Wisdom is pursuit of truth, it inspires the seeker.

5. Intelligence is holding on.
Wisdom is letting go.

6. Intelligence leads you.
Wisdom guides you.

7. An intelligent man thinks he knows everything.
A wise man knows that there is still something to learn.

8. An intelligent man always tries to prove his point.
A wise man knows there really is no point.

9. An intelligent man freely gives unsolicited advice.
A wise man keeps his counsel until all options are considered.

10. An intelligent man understands what is being said.
A wise man understands what is left unsaid.

11. An intelligent man speaks when he has to say something.
A wise man speaks when he has something to say.

12. An intelligent man sees  everything as relative.
A wise man sees everything as related.

13. An intelligent man tries to control the mass flow.
A wise man navigates the mass flow.

14. An intelligent man preaches.
A wise man reaches.

 *Intelligence is good but wisdom achieves better results.*

खूब लड़ी मरदानी ~ वो तो झाँसी वाली रानी थी

वीरांगना रानी लक्ष्मी बाई के बलिदान दिवस पर नमन के साथ ।

इतिहास या परिहास : ~

दो राजपरिवार ,एक के वारिस सालों से ऐश कर रहे हैं और दूसरे के गुमनामी में ।
एक बार फिर से झांसी राजघराने के वारिसों की स्थिति ।

झांसी के अंतिम संघर्ष में महारानी की पीठ पर बंधा उनका बेटा दामोदर राव (असली नाम आनंद राव) सबको याद है. रानी की चिता जल जाने के बाद उस बेटे का क्या हुआ?
वो कोई कहानी का किरदार भर नहीं था, 1857 के विद्रोह की सबसे महत्वपूर्ण कहानी को जीने वाला राजकुमार था जिसने उसी गुलाम भारत में जिंदगी काटी, जहां उसे भुला कर उसकी मां के नाम की कसमें खाई जा रही थी.

अंग्रेजों ने दामोदर राव को कभी झांसी का वारिस नहीं माना था, सो उसे सरकारी दस्तावेजों में कोई जगह नहीं मिली थी. ज्यादातर हिंदुस्तानियों ने सुभद्रा कुमारी चौहान के कुछ सही, कुछ गलत आलंकारिक वर्णन को ही इतिहास मानकर इतिश्री कर ली.

1959 में छपी वाई एन केलकर की मराठी किताब ‘इतिहासाच्य सहली’ (इतिहास की सैर) में दामोदर राव का इकलौता वर्णन छपा.

महारानी की मृत्यु के बाद दामोदार राव ने एक तरह से अभिशप्त जीवन जिया. उनकी इस बदहाली के जिम्मेदार सिर्फ फिरंगी ही नहीं हिंदुस्तान के लोग भी बराबरी से थे.

आइये, दामोदर की कहानी दामोदर की जुबानी सुनते हैं –

15 नवंबर 1849 को नेवलकर राजपरिवार की एक शाखा में मैं पैदा हुआ. ज्योतिषी ने बताया कि मेरी कुंडली में राज योग है और मैं राजा बनूंगा. ये बात मेरी जिंदगी में सबसे दुर्भाग्यपूर्ण ढंग से सच हुई. तीन साल की उम्र में महाराज ने मुझे गोद ले लिया. गोद लेने की औपचारिक स्वीकृति आने से पहले ही पिताजी नहीं रहे.

मां साहेब (महारानी लक्ष्मीबाई) ने कलकत्ता में लॉर्ड डलहॉजी को संदेश भेजा कि मुझे वारिस मान लिया जाए. मगर ऐसा नहीं हुआ.

डलहॉजी ने आदेश दिया कि झांसी को ब्रिटिश राज में मिला लिया जाएगा. मां साहेब को 5,000 सालाना पेंशन दी जाएगी. इसके साथ ही महाराज की सारी सम्पत्ति भी मां साहेब के पास रहेगी. मां साहेब के बाद मेरा पूरा हक उनके खजाने पर होगा मगर मुझे झांसी का राज नहीं मिलेगा.

इसके अलावा अंग्रेजों के खजाने में पिताजी के सात लाख रुपए भी जमा थे. फिरंगियों ने कहा कि मेरे बालिग होने पर वो पैसा मुझे दे दिया जाएगा.

मां साहेब को ग्वालियर की लड़ाई में शहादत मिली. मेरे सेवकों (रामचंद्र राव देशमुख और काशी बाई) और बाकी लोगों ने बाद में मुझे बताया कि मां ने मुझे पूरी लड़ाई में अपनी पीठ पर बैठा रखा था. मुझे खुद ये ठीक से याद नहीं. इस लड़ाई के बाद हमारे कुल 60 विश्वासपात्र ही जिंदा बच पाए थे.

नन्हें खान रिसालेदार, गनपत राव, रघुनाथ सिंह और रामचंद्र राव देशमुख ने मेरी जिम्मेदारी उठाई. 22 घोड़े और 60 ऊंटों के साथ बुंदेलखंड के चंदेरी की तरफ चल पड़े. हमारे पास खाने, पकाने और रहने के लिए कुछ नहीं था. किसी भी गांव में हमें शरण नहीं मिली. मई-जून की गर्मी में हम पेड़ों तले खुले आसमान के नीचे रात बिताते रहे. शुक्र था कि जंगल के फलों के चलते कभी भूखे सोने की नौबत नहीं आई.

असल दिक्कत बारिश शुरू होने के साथ शुरू हुई. घने जंगल में तेज मानसून में रहना असंभव हो गया. किसी तरह एक गांव के मुखिया ने हमें खाना देने की बात मान ली. रघुनाथ राव की सलाह पर हम 10-10 की टुकड़ियों में बंटकर रहने लगे.

मुखिया ने एक महीने के राशन और ब्रिटिश सेना को खबर न करने की कीमत 500 रुपए, 9 घोड़े और चार ऊंट तय की. हम जिस जगह पर रहे वो किसी झरने के पास थी और खूबसूरत थी.

देखते-देखते दो साल निकल गए. ग्वालियर छोड़ते समय हमारे पास 60,000 रुपए थे, जो अब पूरी तरह खत्म हो गए थे. मेरी तबियत इतनी खराब हो गई कि सबको लगा कि मैं नहीं बचूंगा. मेरे लोग मुखिया से गिड़गिड़ाए कि वो किसी वैद्य का इंतजाम करें.

मेरा इलाज तो हो गया मगर हमें बिना पैसे के वहां रहने नहीं दिया गया. मेरे लोगों ने मुखिया को 200 रुपए दिए और जानवर वापस मांगे. उसने हमें सिर्फ 3 घोड़े वापस दिए. वहां से चलने के बाद हम 24 लोग साथ हो गए.

ग्वालियर के शिप्री में गांव वालों ने हमें बागी के तौर पर पहचान लिया. वहां तीन दिन उन्होंने हमें बंद रखा, फिर सिपाहियों के साथ झालरपाटन के पॉलिटिकल एजेंट के पास भेज दिया. मेरे लोगों ने मुझे पैदल नहीं चलने दिया. वो एक-एक कर मुझे अपनी पीठ पर बैठाते रहे.

हमारे ज्यादातर लोगों को पागलखाने में डाल दिया गया. मां साहेब के रिसालेदार नन्हें खान ने पॉलिटिकल एजेंट से बात की.

उन्होंने मिस्टर फ्लिंक से कहा कि झांसी रानी साहिबा का बच्चा अभी 9-10 साल का है. रानी साहिबा के बाद उसे जंगलों में जानवरों जैसी जिंदगी काटनी पड़ रही है. बच्चे से तो सरकार को कोई नुक्सान नहीं. इसे छोड़ दीजिए पूरा मुल्क आपको दुआएं देगा.

फ्लिंक एक दयालु आदमी थे, उन्होंने सरकार से हमारी पैरवी की. वहां से हम अपने विश्वस्तों के साथ इंदौर के कर्नल सर रिचर्ड शेक्सपियर से मिलने निकल गए. हमारे पास अब कोई पैसा बाकी नहीं था.

सफर का खर्च और खाने के जुगाड़ के लिए मां साहेब के 32 तोले के दो तोड़े हमें देने पड़े. मां साहेब से जुड़ी वही एक आखिरी चीज हमारे पास थी.

इसके बाद 5 मई 1860 को दामोदर राव को इंदौर में 10,000 सालाना की पेंशन अंग्रेजों ने बांध दी. उन्हें सिर्फ सात लोगों को अपने साथ रखने की इजाजत मिली. ब्रिटिश सरकार ने सात लाख रुपए लौटाने से भी इंकार कर दिया.

दामोदर राव के असली पिता की दूसरी पत्नी ने उनको बड़ा किया. 1879 में उनके एक लड़का लक्ष्मण राव हुआ.दामोदर राव के दिन बहुत गरीबी और गुमनामी में बीते। इसके बाद भी अंग्रेज उन पर कड़ी निगरानी रखते थे। दामोदर राव के साथ उनके बेटे लक्ष्मणराव को भी इंदौर से बाहर जाने की इजाजत नहीं थी।
इनके परिवार वाले आज भी इंदौर में ‘झांसीवाले’ सरनेम के साथ रहते हैं. रानी के एक सौतेला भाई चिंतामनराव तांबे भी था. तांबे परिवार इस समय पूना में रहता है. झाँसी के रानी के वंशज इंदौर के अलावा देश के कुछ अन्य भागों में रहते हैं। वे अपने नाम के साथ झाँसीवाले लिखा करते हैं। जब दामोदर राव नेवालकर 5 मई 1860 को इंदौर पहुँचे थे तब इंदौर में रहते हुए उनकी चाची जो दामोदर राव की असली माँ थी। बड़े होने पर दामोदर राव का विवाह करवा देती है लेकिन कुछ ही समय बाद दामोदर राव की पहली पत्नी का देहांत हो जाता है। दामोदर राव की दूसरी शादी से लक्ष्मण राव का जन्म हुआ। दामोदर राव का उदासीन तथा कठिनाई भरा जीवन 28 मई 1906 को इंदौर में समाप्त हो गया। अगली पीढ़ी में लक्ष्मण राव के बेटे कृष्ण राव और चंद्रकांत राव हुए। कृष्ण राव के दो पुत्र मनोहर राव, अरूण राव तथा चंद्रकांत के तीन पुत्र अक्षय चंद्रकांत राव, अतुल चंद्रकांत राव और शांति प्रमोद चंद्रकांत राव हुए।

दामोदर राव चित्रकार थे उन्होंने अपनी माँ के याद में उनके कई चित्र बनाये हैं जो झाँसी परिवार की अमूल्य धरोहर हैं।

उनके वंशज श्री लक्ष्मण राव तथा कृष्ण राव इंदौर न्यायालय में टाईपिस्ट का कार्य करते थे ! अरूण राव मध्यप्रदेश विद्युत मंडल से बतौर जूनियर इंजीनियर 2002 में सेवानिवृत्त हुए हैं। उनका बेटा योगेश राव सॅाफ्टवेयर इंजीनियर है। वंशजों में प्रपौत्र अरुणराव झाँसीवाला, उनकी धर्मपत्नी वैशाली, बेटे योगेश व बहू प्रीति का धन्वंतरिनगर इंदौर में सामान्य नागरिक की तरह माध्यम वर्ग परिवार है ।

BEST TEACHER ~ FAILURE / SUCCESS

#Society:

There was a very brilliant boy, he always scored 100% in Science.

Got Selected for IIT Madras and scored excellent in IIT.

Went to the University of California for MBA.
Got a high paying job in America and settled there.

Married a Beautiful Tamil Girl.

Bought a 5 room big house and luxury cars.
He had everything that make him successful but a few years ago he committed suicide after shooting his wife and children.

*WHAT WENT WRONG?*

California Institute of Clinical Psychology Studied his case and found *“what went wrong?”*

The researcher met the boy's friends and family and found that he lost his job due to America’s economic crisis and he had to sit without a job for a long time. 

After even reducing his previous salary amount, he didn't get any job. 

Then his house installment broke and he and his family lost the home. 

They survived a few months with less money and then he and his wife together decided to commit suicide. 

He first shot his wife and children and then shot himself.

The case concluded that the man was Programmed for *success* but he was not *trained for handling failures*.

Now let's come to the actual question.

*What are the habits of highly successful people?*

First of all, I want to tell you that if you have achieved everything, there is a chance to lose everything, nobody knows when the next economic crisis will hit the world. 

*The best success habit is getting trained for handling failures*.

I want to request every teacher/ parent, please do not only program your ward to be *successful* but *teach them how to handle failures* and also teach them proper lessons about life. 

Learning high-level science and maths will help them to clear competitive exams but a knowledge about life will help them to face every problem.

Teach them about how *money works* instead of teaching them to *work for money*. 

Help them in finding their passion because these degrees will not help them in the next economic crisis and we don’t know when the next crisis will hit the world.

*"Success is a lousy teacher. Failure teaches you more."*