Indian soldiers from Malabar in world war I.

Indian soldiers in Action in  World War I. 

 Hundred years have passed since World War I. The world is observing World War I centenary ( WWI period was 1914-1918). But there is no sound and fury in India unlike in other European countries. Main reason is India was a British Colony then. But today’s generation will be surprised to know that an amazing number Indians participated in the war. Some records show that more than 14 Lakh ( 1.4 Million) Indians participated. This count far outnumbered the count of soldiers from Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa, the other British ruled nations, put together.

Lord Macaulay’s words “How can a man die better than facing fearful odds, For the ashes of his fathers, and the Temple of his Gods” would have inspired a lot in India then as it is today. But Indians then fought for a British King and a distant nation which they never saw.

Britain definitely used the Indian “coolie soldiers” in hordes. Most were called Sepoys. It was their duty to protect king   ;)   and for whom .. and for what the war was.. ?  

Although Colonial issues ( who -  controls what? ) of powerful European powers  were responsible Wikipedia history puts the  beginning cause as  assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie by Gravilo princip an ethnic Serb from Bosnia. What a thing to start a world war!

And Where were they going ? Against whom were they fighting? It seems they were just pawns.

India contributed immensely to the war effort in terms of both men and material. Her

soldiers served with credit and honour in numerous battlefields around the globe: in France and Belgium,

in Aden, Arabia, East Africa, Gallipoli, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Palestine, Persia, Salonica, Russia, and

even in China. By the end of the war it was recorded that 1,100,000 Indians had served overseas at the cost of 60,000 dead.

We do not know much about Indian Participation except some memorials here and there in small towns.  Most WW1 memorials are not kept well. In Tiruchi town you can see tower clock and a plank showing “349 from that place left for war and 41 did not return”.

We do not teach our children about the Indian soldiers participation at all.  A few names on the India gate is deceiving.  There were regiments from all the regions administered by Britain. There was a Regiment from Malabar too..    Nair Regiment.!

Some data I got from the book ‘Kozhikodinte paithrukam’ ( by Adv.T.B.Seluraj  - Mathrubhumi books) will be of interest to you.

Records show a total of 99,680 was recruited from Malabar. People from Malabar actively participated.  Documents show 1,500 people dead from Malabar alone.  We do not see any memorial here.

People were asked to donate money generously for the war and a sum of Rs.9,32,500 was collected. Ships traveled from Kozhikode to Mombaza – 5 times, To Basra 25 times, To Suez 13 times,  To Alexandria 7 times, To Arabia 13 times.  The British authorities in Malabar encouraged recruiting agents by giving attractive awards – Mainly watches and Revolvers!  - A Wrist watch was a highly sophisticated technology product - a coveted prize then!.  Records show that one Yusuf from Malabar got a watch for supplying largest number of soldiers. The watch was sponsored by Vengayil Kunhikrishnan Nair - on behalf of Govt.. A Revolver was awarded to Pootheri Kuttikrishnan Nair from Feroke for supplying large number of coal workers. Poor hapless Malabaris -  they were toiling in distant lands in Gallipoli, Flanders, Macedonia,Sinai. But when the war ended the Government took care of the dependents and the injured considerably well. We must appreciate that. There was an order to give a minimum 5 acre land to dependents and injured. The documents show 43 people got 94 acre land like this.  The Gov. jobs fetching upto Rs.15/- p.m. was reserved for war victims family members. Free education upto secondary. Free notebooks too. ;)
I only wish if at least one literate guy among those soldiers had attempted to write his experience, today we would have relished it ! 

Mother Robin of my courtyard.

It has been 13 or 14 years since I planted the Lychee tree in my courtyard. So far it did not bear any fruit. Recently a friend visited home said the tree is not Lychee it is lololikka (Sour cherry). Whatever it is, I am not disappointed for it not giving me any fruit. In fact I am very happy to see lot of birds perching, resting on this tree. This photo shows, my friend,a mother Robin resting on the tree on a lazy afternoon. Sitting in the Portico, and watching it idly, we communicate each other in subtle ways. My heart is filled with love and affection. Can a bunch of sour cherries or lychees give it? No, I don’t think so. I am not a ‘prayojanavaadi’. Sometimes we need to do things without expecting anything in return. 

By the way the bird is Oriental Magpie Robin. It is very interesting to watch it. A family is staying in our compound. We in KeraLa call it KalyaNi kuruvi, MaNNaaththikkiLi, MaNNaaththippuLLu etc. MaNNaaththi means washerwoman. Most washerwomen are dark because they stay in sun all the time. But they wash clothes well and when they come with bright white Dhothis there is color contrast. Perhaps this bird got that name because of that BW color contrast. This bird is a fantastic singer. It gets up early in the morning say about 4 ‘O’ clock and starts singing. Some times I used to wonder why? I watch through the window and see it just sitting on a tree or electric wire and simply sings. 

It is late-nighter also. It is there till 7:30PM flying and singing around. It becomes quite friendly. In BengaLi it is called Doyel. A very popular name. You know one thing... …It is BangLadEsh’s national bird ! 

Another Nov.14th ! 125th year of Jawaharlaal Nehru , former PM of India.

Another Nov.14 and this time it is 125th anniversary of Chaacha Nehru.
Posting a rare photo of Chacha with Grand Children looking into a pond.
I respect Nehruji though I have some reservation on his Brit-educated-elitist outlook of India. Nehru’s charismatic personality subdued Indians so much that their ability question and reasoning was compromised. People were reluctant to discuss “after Nehru who?” .
And the fight is on now for legacy ..on who owns the legacy ? ..
Congress Party for years had cultivated the legacy to fool us. Now as the time passed and the world progressed, we learned so many things about Nehru, we are not concerned who actually owns legacy except media and some political parties. Two people, a mother and son, who do not even have a strain of Nehruvian quality is claiming the legacy. We should let them have it all for themselves.

I remember having a lesson in English Reader while in 3rd standard titled “Chacha Nehru” It had a picture of Nehru playing with 2 small kids. Children were playing with toys. The lines below the picture said ..This is Chaacha Nehru. Nehru loves Children.. These are his grand children Rajiv and Sanjay. Rajiv likes aeroplanes. Sanjay likes cars.” etc etc. ! Nehru was Prime Minister then !
Later during 1970-71 when I was in college, Nehru’s daughter Indira Gandhi was Prime Minister. There was a whole BOOK to study in the Primary classes titled “Indira Priyadarshini”.
No questions asked, no answers given! No Arnab Goswami then !. Nation never wanted know either.
Imagine if now the kids have to learn just one line about our current PM, who rose from a humble background to the nation’s highest position, who is the most popular prime Minister after Nehru, … ..the sky would have fallen!
Happy Children’s day !

Dan Brown in India !

Dan Brown is in India. 
Rajdeep Sardesai Interviewed him. As a true Maculay's child he asked Dan any plan to write about other Religion especially Hinduism ? Ignorance has no excuse. Hinduism has no single book and is not history-centric. With around 2000 basic books, more than 10,000 study texts, more than a Hundred thousand sub-texts and yet with so much destroyed Granthaas and unknown Original texts, and with an amazing mosaic of culture, I am sure Dan will be sitting on some rock on the shores of Ganges in Hrishkesh doing meditation. 
On the other hand on expected lines, to make some more quick bucks, to please some quarters, he can write on Rat and snake worship or like Arundhathi he can dwell into casteism or perhaps better like Wendy Donigar can crawl in Kamasuthra and say that it is all about sex!.

Just saw Interstellar !

Had just seen Interstellar yesterday and now today heard the news of Rosetta Mission - landing on Comet...... Mind is out in space.  
Interstellar reinforces my faith in ancient Indian Wisdom and capacity. No wonder the Black hole is inadvertently discovered by an Indian. ...C.V.Raman, S.Chandrasekharan all names come to my mind. Thats all modern. 
But Our ancestors knew everything. They were experts on Gravity and Time. Bharadwaja's Vaimanika Sasthra was all on Science of Gravity. I have never seen Time calculation from Micro second to Mahakalpakaala, Paraanthakaala any where else. In any civilisation that exists or did exist on Earth.Thats true for distance as well. Even a Mokshakaala (people think they don't come back if attained Moksha - but it is not true) is computed. Everything very precisely. Calling our Ancestors, Avatars, Astrology, and all other sciences with connotations as Hindu- is belittling. It is Sanathana philosophy an endless journey.. .. And many texts still exists .. One life will not be enough to explore. An ocean should not be judged by looking at waves. I pray for those masters of the yore ..in silence.

Bar scam in Kerala..LDF saves UDF !

ബാർ കോഴ വിവാദം കെട്ടടങ്ങിയോ ? അറിയില്ല .
ഈയിടെ കോഴിക്കോട് ബാർ അസോസ്സിയേഷൻ നടത്തിയ ഭക്ഷ്യ മേളയിൽ എത്തിയ ചിലർ "മറ്റേതുണ്ടോ " എന്ന് ചോദിച്ചുവത്രെ . ബാര് ഓണേർസ് അസോസ്സിയേഷൻ എന്ന് തെറ്റിദ്ധരിച്ച് പോലും ....മെലിഞ്ഞ് ഉണങ്ങിയ വക്കിലന്മാരെയും കുംഭേശ്വരന്മാരായ ബാർ ഉടമസ്തരെയും കണ്ടാൽ തിരിച്ചറിയാത്ത പാവങ്ങൾ .. ബാർ ബാർ (പല തവണ) ബാർ എന്ന് കേട്ടാൽ അങ്ങനെ യൊക്കെ ധരിക്കും ."കാണുന്നതൊക്കെയും ഹരി നാരായണായ നമ: കേൾക്കുന്നതൊക്കെയും ഹരിനാരാ... " എന്ന ഭക്തരുടെ മട്ടാണ് ഇപ്പോൾ കുടിയന്മാർക്ക് ...ബാർ കോഡ്‌ എന്ന് കേട്ടാൽ പോലും ചിലര്ക്ക് വിറ വരുമത്രേ.
എന്തായാലും വിവാദമൊഴിഞ്ഞുള്ള നേരമില്ല ഉമ്മൻ ചാണ്ടിക്കും പ്രഭ്രുതികൾക്കും - എപ്പോഴും ഡിഫൻസിൽ തന്നെ കളി .. ഏത് കാര്യത്തിലാ "സർക്കാരിന് കോടതിയുടെ രൂക്ഷ വിമർശം " എന്ന് കേൾക്കാത്തത് .?. ഒഫൻസിവിൽ കളിക്കാൻ ഒരു ചാൻസ് ഉണ്ടായിരുന്നു ..മോഡിജി സ്വച്ഛ് ഭാരത്‌ തുടങ്ങിയപ്പോൾ ..അതിനും മുമ്പ് ശുചിത്വകേരളം തുടങ്ങി യത് നമ്മളാ എന്ന് പറഞ്ഞ് ചൂലെടുത്തിരുന്നെങ്കിൽ .. അതിന് പകരം ചെയ്തതോ ! ആ പാവം ശശിമാഷെ ! കഷ്ടം !

TWELVE YEARS BACK HOW PEOPLE THOUGHT ABOUT FUTURE INDIA ! 

Leaving all the debates on “Chaiwala, Zeher ki kheti, gutter snipes and impotency” I went for reading some stuff. After dusting the shelf an old magazine caught my attention. It was “Bhavan’s journal”, 49th annual Number dated 15th August 2002. Our Ex-president Shri R.Venkataraman was the President of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan then. Perhaps that’s the reason why they brought up a nice pocket edition worth keeping for years. This book contained a special feature namely “My vision of Free India” and about 100 people famous and not so famous had penned their visions in it. 

Vajpayee was PM then and K.R.Narayanan the President. Apart from the usual pleasantries from Pres., Vice Pres., PM etc. it contained a Vision by APJ and it was the best. It contained vision of non-descript people including an VIII std student namely Gayathry Latheef. I was quite happy to see the vision of late Shri V.K.Eradi. He was a mentor and friend to me. 

I was startled to see a vision which has almost realized. That outstanding vision was of one Prof. Mary Thomas. She writes “My vision of India is one wherein Civil Society Organizations would act as a check on elected representatives, promote environmental health, initiate electoral and judicial reforms secure share in decision making to the common man at grass root level.” Yes, it is happening through AAP, IAC & other Organisations etc.

But then I was stuck at a vision or Non-vision page! That was of Opposition leader in Rajya Sabha then Dr. Man Mohan Singh!. It was the worst vision I read in the book. Even A.K.Antony’s vision was much better. Dr. Singh had written what India he would not like to see. Not much to say he filled half the page with Tagore’s poem “Where the mind is without fear..” Yes full poem!. A Clearly visionless person later became our Prime Minister and he was in the seat for 10 long years! I regret for forwarding his bio-data to so many people when he became PM. No other country head had that much Qualification and experience. But he greatly disappointed me and my countrymen.
Cry my beloved country!

Is Face Book reason for not blogging ?

Its amazing !
I did not blog for more than a year now. I was indeed quite busy. But that is partially true. I would be lying if I say that was the only reason. The charm of FB had overcome me. I thought FB is a good idea - a nice thing as all my friends gets instantly notified of my posts. And I collected many friends through FB too. I joined one or two groups was involved in many a discussions there.

But over the years I feel FB's charm is fading. Getting notified of uninteresting things is annoying. At times one becomes  a "Response robot". You are supposed to "like" somebody's stupid post. Some times when all other friends have liked your friend's child's photo with that funny Santa attire then you are also supposed to like it. Is n't it? Just to flatter some one people put comment "very very cute"! Some times for a kid who has no good looks at all gets so many "So cute" comments -  you are taken aghast. You have a feeling that you will be left out if you did not like some one's post or did not say happy b'day to a friend.  What if you do not like a photo? You have creeping feeling ... What your friend will think? Some times when I post a beautiful scenery or place I visited did n't I check who all liked it? So people must be looking whether I liked it or not. Close friends or relatives are ok. But what about some one has become a friend through FB?. Are you supposed to like his/her stuffs? I seldom share others photos but didn't I feel happy when people shared my photos? May be there are a lot of articles written about these things. I have n't read any.

At times when you are in a group you see posts which you really do not like. Then you are forced to write something disapprovingly. You then desperately look for an 'Unlike" button which is missing in FB.  There is no way to unlike in FB. "Unlike" is a word that FB does n't "like" ! Too many unlikes for somebody's post means that person will never be back on FB for sure. Then who would like to loose clients?. FB claims more than Billion now. No doubt FB rules the Social media scene. But when in FB you pretend too much.You avoid people by excluding them, You hide your posts, You post only in some groups. You secretly visit other's posts and photos. You peep into a person's profile who is not yet your friend. You create wrong profile and posts some nonsense in some groups or some other people's wallpaper. You unfollow some and follow some without their knowledge. You spent hours if you have one or two profile or if you are an Admin of a group. If you are member of 2 to 3 groups then FB eats up your time. I have seen girls and boys of my family who are not even 10 say they are 23 or 24 - so FB allows people to lie.  

The true facts for my getting involved in FB is 1. I was very much interested in IAC and ANNA Movement which was very prolific in FB. 2. As an environmentalist I had opened a group and I am the Admin of it. Busy with Environment activities year round I did not find enough time to write something creative which is requirement for a good blog. So Blog makes you creative. It does n't matter who sees it. I am on my own when I blog. I don't see a crowd. I don't see a group hostile to me who will immediately jump to attack me or defend their stand vehemently. I am a free man in Blog- Blogspot ! I am going to come back and write my stories.. What if I have no followers.. What if no one comments.. What if no one has ever seen it ..I don't care  I wrote whats in my mind ... forgetting everything the grammar the spellings ..I need not care whether I have hurt anyone or not.. I write from my heart with full freedom .. thats enough ! Thank GOD my blog is still active and I can write in it after a year or two.Thank you blogspot ! Thank you google!.  

But meanwhile wait a minute ...   Let me just see who has commented on my critical post in that "Nairs" group !

:)