Bollywood fans

                                                      The Bollywood fans

This story is one my experience during my United Nations peace keeping tenure in Africa in Nov 2007.

We were tasked to go and fetch current situation report from Galgok area of Sudan where there were recent event of ethnic killings. It was border area of controversial line 1156.  We were airborne towards the baron marshy lands of Africa.

The noise of chopper grew louder as we were trying to touch the ground. I peeped from window and saw some thatched roof huts and people running sighting our chopper.

The veteran French pilot didn’t take long landed right between the clusters of huts, which left me astonished, all safety and landing protocols were just left aside.

I looked from the round window of Mi-8(Russian helicopter) and saw few thatched roofs blown away and slowly being surrounded by some black men with RPG (rocket launcher) and AK-47 and moving from all sides. I looked at my team, could see them getting ready for action.

I could feel the tension and more so as I was the patrol leader responsible for the lives and safety of the UNMOS (United nation mission observers) 3 of them from Malaysia, Peru and Rwanda.

‘Stand- by’, I gave the order and slowly opened the door of the chopper.  I landed and I ordered everyone to stay behind in chopper.  I said,” we are from UN and have come for Peace, no fight, no fire” and raised my empty hands. Which I thought was the right thing to do than getting shot in foreign land.

After few rounds of negotiations with petrifying SPLA (Sudanese people’s liberation army) rebels, I could manage a meeting with their leader to take the reports on current situations of the on going war.

The men in gorilla outfit told me that only 4 people can go to their leaders, hence me along with 2 Observers decided to go there. We were blind folded and taken in one rusty jeep through bumpy muddy track.

We reached the place which was already in shambles and there was some discomfort around which made it difficult to break the ice. The most interesting part of whole story starts here after.

After saying our hellos and exchanging unpleasant pleasantries, listening to few allegations, noting down some vital reports amidst the whole crowd of gunman, the focus shifted to me.

 “Where are you from captain?” asked the 7 feet tall intimidating gigantic fellow who was supposedly the leader or Colonel of that rebel force. ‘India’! I uttered with lot of pride and looked towards all trying to ease out the tension on all faces.  “NO! You don’t look like, you must be from Malaysia” said the chief as if I have cheated them. I had nothing to say.

To confirm the statement he said, ‘do you know Shahrukh khan?  Yes! I exhaled in excitement.

Amitabh Bachan? Yes very much, my voice grew even more confident, looked at everyone’s face.

The UN observers had no clue whatever I was speaking, but they felt as if I had leaked the information of Bin laden’s whereabouts to the rebels.

I saw huge smile on the faces of all the rebels in the room with positive nod. How is Mr. Bachan? Asked the rebel leader.  He is doing very fine and so are his wife Jaya and son Abhisekh, I uttered in exuberance to ease out the situation. They thought I actually knew them, no matter whether Bachan and shahrukh knew me or not.

I learnt that Bollywood movies of Amitabh and Shahrukh were big hit in the continent even before the War tormented the Sudanese land. The whole discussion thereafter revolved around bollywood. I promised them that I would get them some CDs next time I came for patrol.  The chief said something to one of the boys and he came with a bottle of 30ltr Pepsi out of nowhere in that rebel camp. He offered me Pepsi and didn’t even bother to ask my fellow patrol team members. The ignorant souls were unfortunate to see me sipping well earned ‘Pepsi’, whereas they had settle by drinking their saliva. I knew for sure that I was safe in safe hands for knowing Bollywood.

Bollywood took precedence before the of UN reports and war situation reports. I couldn’t imagine the life in the dreaded Darfur region could be beyond killings and murder. That very place was far behind modernization and development. People may not have heard of TV or other white goods, yet such is the charm of Indian cinemas it has left mark in such remotest places in world. It has created fans amidst the hard hearted rebellions, who don’t blink eyelids before killing anyone.

After the meeting

‘Allah Hafiz’, “kullu tamam” I said to all and they dropped us back to chopper and we took off for our base.  This event raised the bar of Bollywood in my eyes thereafter.

(Later I realized during my visit to Khartoum city (capital of Sudan) I saw some cinema theatres running old Bollywood movies with Arabic subtitles).

On the Job

patrol team before take-off to base

The Hard Decision

Me with Diana and her master

‘Jai hind sahaab!’ Soldier greeted me as I was sipping the morning coffee at my post amidst picturesque hills, somewhere in Manipur. I could feel the concern in his voice. ‘What’s the matter?’ I asked. ‘Sahaab Diana has not eaten since three days’. Diana was beautiful, healthy,shining and intelligent Labrador trained in explosive devices. Jitendra was his trained master/handler. I asked him to check up with battalion’s Vet nary Doctor and let me know.

He walked away with something in his heart.

Next day, I asked jitendra again and he said that Diana drank only water since morning. I called him and casually kept my hand on his shoulder and asked if everything was fine at his home.

He told me that his wife was in hospital due to deliver their first child within two days and here he was fighting militants in the wild jungles of Manipur. I could sense the feeling of depression in his voice and to add salt to injury,there was no telephone connection in the close vicinity so that he could call up his home.

It was only Diana the dog who could feel the pain of his master which affected her heart and appetite.

I was amazed of such an amazing feeling between human and animal. I called for JCO (junior commissioned officer) and asked why he wasn’t sent on leave on time. ‘He can’t be sent without another dog master as per SOP otherwise the dog will not listen to anyone. His point was valid.There was no one available to relieve him and it would be too late for things to happen. The Soldier walked up to me for help. I asked my Commanding Officer for his views. ‘The Dog is there for a specific purpose and will not move out from there, nor will the master’ was the reply.

For the first time in life I felt very difficult to take decision. I was stuck in the middle of human relation and professional orders. I was helpless commanding my men under the high tension Insurgency Area.

I couldn’t sleep the whole night as it was my daily routine to be awake but I kept on thinking about solution. The next morning I wrote a SOS message in form of official radio msg. “Dog in critical condition, needs cas evacuation”. Chopper was arranged to take dog to vet doctor in Imphal(capital city)

I asked his master to accompany her, show her to vet, hand over to another handler and proceed on leave thereafter. He was very relieved and glad, however he was very much concerned that Diana was not well. Few hours passed and we were waiting for chopper to arrive. “Jai Hind sahaab!” It was voice of Jitendra but this time it was filled with happiness. I asked him what happened now. “I have been blessed with a baby boy!” he said with excitement and Diana also ate little ‘pedigree’ today.

I congratulated him and he gave me one of the warmest hug of my life. He left for the post happily leaving me behind to face the after effects of the whole scene. I had to listen to some bitter taste from my boss and superiors but I was happy that I could save two hearts and lives. Sometimes it is difficult to understand the dichotomy of human relations. Sometimes you need to take decisions from heart. J

The Cab Driver

“Kahan le chaley sahib?” the cab driver said, with his feeble eyes peeping through the frames of his powered glasses. “Hiranandani” I said doubting his skills on his ‘Fiat’ similar to his age and bearing. Well this isn’t just another story, but here is a 70 yrs old cab driver with typical Islamic beard hanging on his wrinkled face. He drove out of the airport, peeping through his bifocal lenses into the racetrack of Mumbai.

I couldn’t help and went ahead askind his age. ‘70’ he said, with sadness in his voice fighting his way through Mumbai cops with typical side caps. The Old man hailed from Allahabad. Moved to Mumbai in 1960s and been driving taxi since then. He has a son for whom he built a house, bought a car and gave him everything in life. ‘But the sad part was that he turned out to be a useless one’ he said with a sigh, his son roams around with local “taporis”(goons), spends time gambling in bars. This left him with no option but to sit on the driving wheels to fetch for himself at this age. “Lucky are those who have kids to look after them in their old age.” He wished he cold be one.

He kept on narrating the stories of Mumbai’s emergence, changes in the systems and roads. The development of High-rises and people moving away from each other. He feels tired to drive in the narrow roads with heavy traffic but he has no choice. He kept narrating me about the roads and for him every Sedan was “Impala”. While comparing the cars on the road he had serious concern for his car. “Fiat sahib will be asked to move away from Mumbai roads, where will I go and what will I do?” He said in despair.

“God has given you mouth, so won’t he give you grain?” I uttered to comfort him. It astonished him seeing my age and brought smile to his face. He agreed and gave in his humble surrender to the mercy of ‘Allah’. He dropped me to the destination and I tipped him for his service. I thanked him to which said that it was his duty to drop his traveler to the destination and I was his responsibility till the end. So much of dedication and belief in his voice reached my heart.

Well just another day but it left me with lots of questions. Standing still amidst the smoke left behind with my luggage, left me thinking what was wrong with generation which is upwardly mobile. Today everyone is forgetting that they have people who have given their yesterdays for our today are being forgotten to fight their own destiny. “If the young only knew; if the old only could”-

There is no support from govt whatsoever for growing numbers of old people in India. Though there are few NGOs , corporate initiatives for the cause but it alone cannot suffice the mammoth population of India. The Government should come up with substantial help for them. Schemes like old age pensions and benefits should deliver with success. We can’t solely blame govt to take initiative but it should come within us. Least we can do is try and take care of our own people and ageing elders around.

May be the coming generation will have something to learn , because remember its our turn tomorrow.

“The youth is not there to stay…remember tomorrow is your day.”

Beyond world

Beyond world

‘Rimfadle’, I say to old nondescript women when I cross them in the far never heard hamlets of ukhrul district in Manipur. 'Rimfadle' (hello) is the quick reply along with the innocent smile from them.The smile so full of innocence closes the lines on the faces but the energy you bet can never seems to go down.

People here would have never heard of worldly devices of modern world. Life is very basic and they are Satisfied with small happiness in small things. No TV, computer, electricity thought a yearly affair during “Christmas” is the only lightening moments in their life. And I feel some people making political agenda sitting over mass wealth under their ‘Seats ‘ should wake up and start moving to make some energies flow.

“Tankhul woman with her warm smile”.

"Roads waiting for 'light' yrs to come."

Innocent smile

The reel of panorama seems to come to stand still with the slowing train at the station and feeling I observe from the glass screen from my air conditioned seat of the train is very amusing and thought provoking. I see people running behind the train with their heart beats racing against time. But the only common feature which captured my mind was an innocent smile in everyone’s face..I had seen it always but never really pondered over it. When you peep from the window to see the metal board proclaiming the name of station in blue n red...you can’t really miss out on this. I had seen men running in their jeans, some in dhoti with ‘jhola’ in hand, trying to balance between one end of dhoti like a key to locker and other hand holding jhola. The prominent smile is so good to catch on the face of ‘babu mosai’. Take a look at some nondescript women from village with trying her best to beat PT usha on the platform, running in a cotton sari to catch the slowing train; she still has that blushing smile on her face. Another one is a small around 8yrs of age trying to leap away to beat the train and feel the sense of pride. With one hand holding the side pole of the train door you can sense feel of pride and sigh of relief in his smile. isn't it a rare sight to see people smiling these days? We have engrossed so much into competing for survival that it seems we have forgotten to take out time and smile without any inhibitions. I also have decided to smile for myself in any situation and spread this infectious disease.

Life will seem better and easier with a warm smile. Keep smiling..!

Maj manohar Diyali 02 mar 10.

Namaskar India..
So here i make my entry into this new world of "blogging".Now its time to rekindle my thoughts and wake up the amateur writer in me and share my thoughts with the world.So all are welcome to check my experiences and post their comments on my gramatical mistakes..!Hope i learn to keep your interest in the process.

manohar