#Travelogue: India Gate in New Delhi

Pictures taken in Feb 2018.

All Pictures (C) Rahul Tiwary

#Travelogue: Amrit Udyan in New Delhi

Here are some pictures taken by me from Amrit Udyan, New Delhi. Amrit Udyan is very near to Indian Parliament building and opens for people at declared duration in February and March every year. During this period it remains open on all days of the week except Mondays. It has several small gardens within the premises: Bonsai Garden, Herbal Garden, Spiritual Garden (consists of plants and trees mentioned in religious scriptures); there is also a musical fountain to add to its glamor.

While walking in the garden, we reach very close to the Parliament building and it feels great to see Indian Flag flying high. 

Mughal Garden remains most beautiful garden I have seen. It is so very well maintained - after all it is situated in the National Capital! Flowers are very healthy and I loved the positive energy this garden has.

All pictures (C) Rahul Tiwary

[Reflections] Our Life, Our Goals and Our Relationships

For the last 5 years Rohit wanted to go to an onsite assignment from his company. Today when he got an opportunity, he does not want to go anymore. He does not feel the need any more to go. Why? Because, whenever he thinks about going, face of his newly born son comes to his mind – and he does not want to miss being together with him. It is a classic case of changing priorities. And I think there is nothing wrong in it. What appears important today, may not appear important enough tomorrow. So what do we do with this learning? Let us not be rigid about anything – this can be a good lesson.

One of the truths of life is that no goal is permanent. We all are taught in the childhood and younger days to be ‘focused’ towards our ‘goals’. But most of those ‘goals’ are not ‘our’ goals to begin with – those are the goals which our parents, family members and society have decided for us. When we are young, no one cares about what we want – because they don’t trust our instincts – and hence they write prescriptions for us based on what they think is best for us. But sometimes we get so much used-to with this prescriptive mode of decision making, that we waste a large part of our life in fulfilling others’ dreams rather than our own. Some of us even forget that we could have our own dreams.

Relationships are the most difficult stuff in this world. Because it is one area where you don’t have individual control over it – you depend on the other person or persons for doing anything. Sometimes I feel that to find someone who goes on nicely with you – is such a rare thing in this world! The other person need not be like you, or think like you, or do things the manner in which you would do it too, but that person’s thinking, way of doing things and being makes you ‘complete’ and ‘content’ – and that I think is the ultimate test of compatibility.

Even in the matters of relationships, I think our society has taken the easier path. They tend to find ‘equality’ most of the time – which may not be the same as ‘compatibility’. Most of the social conventions and norms are made with ‘simplicity’ and ‘practicality’ in mind, not specifically efficiency and effectiveness. This can be understood because it would not be possible for society to determine and guess things are a micro level. And hence they made rules at a macro level. It is up to us to remind us of these limitations while imitating what society has framed for us without customizing it according to our needs or situations.

The most unfortunate thing in life would be to lead a long life lived on others’ terms. For life is often judged by its outcomes and not on its insides or content – which again is due to limitations in social control. I think we ourselves are the best judges on our lives. There is no one else who knows us and our situations better than us; and hence it would not be possible for others to judge us and our life.

This is one subject where thinking and talking does not help. Everyone is constrained by a numerous things and hence for us to expect the other person to act or react in a particular fashion would be a wrong thing to do. But where does this leave us in the matter of relationships where we are forced to depend on the other person for its success? A lot of people either go into a shell or end up breaking the cord when faced with an intolerable prospect. It would be harsh to judge them – a principle we made and must follow. So where does it lead us to – can we conclude anything on relationships?

I think where it leads me to is the realization that it is a matter of great luck that we come across the ‘right’ person or persons. Having once found such persons, it is our responsibility to tread cautiously and ‘protect’ the relationship. But here again, it gets tricky. As someone said – relationships are like holding sand in our fist – if we put pressure, it escapes from the gaps of our fingers and if we hold on it too softly – it again is lost. So all that is in our control is to try and hope for the best.

So does Lord Krishna’s teaching on Karma comes best to our rescue? To do best that is in our hand and to leave the results to the Supreme? Well, it may be unexpected but it indeed seems so…

- Rahul Tiwary 

Human Side of Shopping Should Not Be Ignored

Bought a cellphone from a small shop in our neighborhood market. Online shopping portals have made their life so miserable (they have to work longer hours to make the same revenue, which is only to reduce with time) that it felt like a social service to buy from them. The human side of shopping can also not be ignored.

In our childhood in our small town, shopkeepers were important part of our society. People depended on them and they depended on customers. There was a mutual respect. Society functions when people bond together and no one is isolated. Today, since I was not getting the cellphone model I was looking for, I had to do a survey of 6-8 shops. I visited all these shops for the first time ever. I talked to all these shopkeepers for the first time - person to person. Despite living in the same locality for so many years I had not "needed" these guys till yesterday - for me they had not existed or if they did, fulfilled some purpose alien to me - all due to shopping from online portals.

When I visited these shops, I saw so many new things; got to know a bit about my fellow neighbors (shopkeepers), and their places. For me as a part of society, this is important.

I also negotiated with them a bit and when we made the deal - I could see a sense of satisfaction in the eyes of the shopkeeper. I was happy too as a customer. I saw how respectfully he treated me. I saw him writing my 'name' on the receipt with his hands. Online portals don't care about my name - they even don't care if I am a man or a robot - until they are getting orders which are getting paid for.

I can go on but I think you have understood the message. I think it is a good idea to buy from our neighborhood shops every once in a while. The smaller the shops - more humane would be our experience. Even if they are not as good, not as polite as we want them to be, but remember - they are "us". And we should take care of each other.

- Rahul

Disclaimer: Written by Rahul Tiwary on 18 Oct 2015. Views expressed are personal.

China and Bihar

History is made, and not written. Any low position is an opportunity to aim high. And anyone down with a great past is a sleeping giant.

The sleeping giants

We have listened enough of the Chindia (China+India) debates, now here is something fresh. What is common between China and Bihar? … Both are underdogs, and both are down.
China has been renowned for justifying the negative connotation attached with the word 'cheap'. It can manufacture anything that can be manufactured and at a price which is below others’ raw material costs. However, the product quality will always be broke. The recent scandal in baby milk, which made over 54000 Chinese children sick and many dead, is just the ‘most recent’ visible example. The tainted milk products were contaminated with a toxic chemical melamine, to disguise the protein levels of adulterated milk. Many countries including India have banned such products from China. From farm products to automobile components, Chinese quality is under serious doubt. China is down.

However, Japan was in a very similar situation at the beginning of 70s when its product qualities were not better than junk. It started from there and within years, Japan became synonym with best-in-class quality. A number of Japanese companies like Sony took it personally and in order to remove the poor quality tag from "Made in Japan", they created a history. China has the opportunity to do the same. It is down and the whole world is watching her. It can manufacture a change.

Bihar on the other hand is also in one such situation. Despite having a past that is more glorious than any other part, it lost all its shine in the after years of independence. The land where Lord Buddha attained enlightenment, where Lord Mahaveer and Guru Gobind Singh were born, and the place where great men like Chandragupta, and Ashoka ruled, lost its touch with the happenings later on. Out of government apathy and lack of opportunities, people moved out of the state to other parts of India and the unwelcomed migrating populations were targeted in many places. Of late, there has been a general skepticism that nothing can happen in the state. Then, the most devastating flood in the history of modern India happened. For state which had lost its major sources of revenues by creation of a separate Jharkhand, and where corruption eats through any public spending, it could not have gone worse. Millions have been without homes for months and thousands were washed away by the mad water. There cannot be a tougher time. Bihar is down.

However, never before in its recent past the state has been able to generate the genuine interest and pure empathy towards its condition that has happened this time. Even the skeptics who ridiculed the state have been touched at nature's fury at the innocent population. This is the real turning point. Never before in the last many decades, the collective India has seen Bihar with this much empathy. Already the new leadership in the state is doing well and trying hard to turn it around. The state is down and the whole India is watching her. The state can take it from here.