Modi-Arise-Awake

Modi Vs Rest contest is set for 2019.  We have seen different combinations of the 'rest' since 1977.  A 'strong Modi' is by far better to lead India post-2019.  But the contest is not going to be easy for Modi next year. Modi must arise and awake to win 2019!

Be more inclusive

Modi's slogan of 'sab ka saath' seems to be overshadowed by 'hardline Hindutva'.  Even among Hindus, Modi is yet to win the hearts and minds of our 'dalits'.  Modi must unequivocally disown all those hardliners who are perpetrating atrocities on dalits.  

Immediately he must install at least 2-3 dalit CMs, may be in major states like Gujarath and Haryana. Cow vigilantes must stop violence and guilty must be punished.  Motor-mouthed Hindutva brigade must stop causing damage.

Moderate muslims seem to have welcomed steps like 'banning of triple talaq'. Modi should not hesitate to embrace 'soft islam' for winning their goodwill. Remember Vajpayeeji displayed statesmanship in elevating Abdul Kalam as the country's President!

Constitutional reservation and other schemes for helping 'poor from all sections', irrespective of caste and religion must be introduced.

More allies

Modi alone may not win 272 seats.  He must get going with allies. He can begin by strengthening relationship with allies like Shiv Sena and Biju Janata Dal, may be even by offering them Chief Ministership.  Was such a chance to win over JD(S) missed in Karnataka recently? 

Rural India

Although the steps like 1.5 times of cost of production as the support price for farmers are revolutionary, not much is done to reach the rural masses.  'March towards villages' should become the 'mantra' at micro-level.

Job creation

This is one of the major issues where much needs to be done! While Modi claims 9 crore Mudra Loans are disbursed to create jobs, there seems to be wide-spread discontent.  Will speeding up domestic investment under sectors like 'bijli, sadak, paani' (power, roads and water) help?

Populist economics

i) Middle class, the most trusted vote base of Modi is unhappy. Deposit rates for senior citizens must go up at least up to 9%. Pensioners must be freed from the net of Income Tax!
ii) Petrol price is shooting up.  Popular schemes like 10 litres of petrol per month free for all poor families (BPL) may be introduced. 

Such populist schemes are bound to increase chances of winning.

More vote banks

More vote banks like auto-drivers, street-vendors will certainly help.  Massive schemes to help such vote banks may be introduced.

Attack on Black Money

Real estate is one sector where huge black money is involved. Although new laws like Benami Property Act are introduced, massive attack on them is not yet done.  Such operations will bring in lots of goodwill, besides adding to Govt. revenue, which may be used for populist schemes.

Relationship with Media

This is one area where Modi should improve.  Poor relationship with Media is one of the reasons for their narrow loss in recent Karnataka elections.  Some soul-searching must be done!

Let us hope Modi will rise to the occasion and emerge victorious next year!

Burdened to perform?

At the outset let me wish all our mothers, A VERY HAPPY MOTHER's DAY! All over India, now it is the season of crucial exam results (10th & 12th) involving young students.  Last week I was pained to read that an 'upset 10th standard boy committed suicide' although he had scored 74%!  Not even his parents console could prevent him from committing the grave act. 

Such is the pressure on our young students to 'perform or perish'! 

Is it good to pressurize young minds?  Are parents alone responsible for all these developments?  It is time to think over.

Seniors of my generation have now witnessed three generations of young minds handled in three different ways. I fondly recall my own young days of 1960s.  We were fortunates in being a part of 

a large family.  We were all from small places where life used to be simple with little expectations.  Guidance and hand-holdings were more from elder sisters and brothers than parents! Going to school used to be more fun and play than learning.  Teachers used to know all students and their parents personally.  But 'feedback on us' was neither sought nor given.  Home-works and tests were virtually not there and passing the year end exam was a mere formality. Tuitions, music classes, cricket coaching and summer camps were unheard!  For scoring 74% in 10th, I was hailed a 'school-hero'.  Compare this to today's child who has committed suicide for scoring just 74%!

Then came the 1990s.  They were the years of my children.  Families had become smaller with only 'two children'.  Grand parents too were still a part of the household. Income of the families had considerably gone up and also the expectations.  

Pressure to perform was there on children right from childhood.  Educated and even employed mothers virtually used to rule the roost in children related issues.  Children were even pushed to extra-curricular activities like dance, drama, music and of course cricket too!  Often one could see parents thrusting children on desires and achievements they had missed during their childhood. But once children used to come to 10th and 12th, academics used to become the number one priority!  Take a seat in a reputed BE/MBBS/MBA college used to be the mantra.  Thanks to the team effort of parents and children, most of the students used to get in to good professional colleges.  Also the boon of LPG reforms (1991) and the IT revolution helped landing our children in good jobs too.

And now we are witnessing the days of our grand children. We have almost realized that 'our days are over and our writ no longer runs on our own children, leave alone the grand children!  

Most modern parents prefer to restrict to one-child norm.  May be parents have professional compulsions.  But are they not denying the benefit of an in-house company to the first child? How will the child learn the spirit to share, tolerate and co-exist?

Incomes of modern families have multiplied dramatically.  Added to this they have the benefit of properties and savings from their seniors too.  LKG fees now runs in to lakhs, but who cares? Mother-tongue is no longer being spoken even in homes. Our tradition, culture and festivals are almost forgotten!  Foreign trips and postings have become so common for the present generation.  But pressure on young minds to perform too has grown by leaps and bounds.  Modern parents should realize that we have moved away from the days of BE/MBBS/MBA.  Opportunities for challenging careers are now spread over a variety of subjects and activities.  Self-employment and business which was a 'big no-no' for middle class, now has become an attractive proposition. While modern parents are welcome to groom their children for such challenging careers, they should know that pressurizing the young ones on performance issues will do more harm than good.  Modern children need the parents love and affection more than their guidance!

Every child is unique and it is a sin to compare children.  But

these are the days of 'reality TV shows'.  Knowingly or unknowingly our modern parents tend to express too much appreciation for the  young contestants in these shows, indirectly belittling the esteem of their own children! And our TV judges also lavishly praise contestants, although undeserving many times!

Early memories of my beloved father takes me to the day when he had taken us to the 1958-award winning film  'School Master'.  It was a

master-piece from the veteran show-man B.R.Panthulu.  When 'Vasu', the young student steals the teacher's pen, the master teacher handles the issue by excusing him and permitting him to keep the pen, but not before highlighting the ethical ways of life. And towards the end 'Vasu' grows to become a Police officer and restores his teacher's pride was of course a dramatic climax.  But is this not a great lesson for our modern parents?

Last decade, we saw the memorable movie 'Tare Zameen par'.

Most parents fail to recognize the talents and desires of young children.  Instead they thrust and pressurize children to 'score more marks'!  Should they not listen to the inner cry of their child?

  मैं कभी, बतलाता नहीं 

 पर अंधेरे से डरता हूँ मैं माँ

यूँ तो मैं, दिखलाता नहीं

 तेरी परवाह करता हूँ मैं माँ

 तुझे सब है पता, है न माँ 

तुझे सब है पता.. मेरी माँ 

(Shankar Mahadevan, Parsoon Joshi, Shankar-Ehshan-Loy. Listen using link given below)

https://www.google.co.in/search?q=andhere+se+darta+hoon&oq=and&aqs=chrome.1.69i59j35i39j69i61l3j69i57.3307j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

We are a male-dominated society, living in a cricket-crazy world.  A couple of years ago, it was a pleasure to see a biographical film 'Dangal'  wherein a father pushes his 'girl-child to excel in wrestling'!

The other contrast was provided by the Telugu film 'Dhoni' wherein a father pushes his son to become an MBA, much against son's desire to become a wicket-keeper-batsman like M.S.Dhoni! Both these films have a great message for our modern parents.

Of course, I know that the modern generation hates advice, and we seniors don't know how to keep quiet!  But the day clearly belongs to our modern parents and I am sure they are capable of handling the situation well.  And of course, they have umpteen number of valuable lessons to take from various sources.  May God bless our GenXT!

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Flowering trees

Once Lord Krishna visited Indra Loka along with his dear wife Satyabhama.  There Satyabhama was attracted by the Parijata flowering tree and loved to take it to her Kingdom Dwaraka.  When Krishna and Satyabhama started taking the tree to their motherland, Indra objected.  Furious battle erupted and ultimately Lord Krishna had to use his Sudarshana Chakra to defeat Indra.  Humbled Indra had no way and had to let the beautiful tree to be taken to Bhuloka, the earth! This well known story called 'Sri Krishna Parijata' is a popular theme for Indian poetry, music, dance and drama.

But this legendary effort of Lord Krishna was just one more addition to the host of flowering trees already on this earth. Right now we are in the midst of spring season (March-May).  Entire world is beautified by the glory of flowering trees which are in their full bloom!  It is a pleasure to watch them while walking and travelling. Often we fumble to identify their names and origins and hence this humble effort of mine.

1.Parijata 

Common name: Night Flowering Jasmine

Origin: Indian Sub-continent

Flowering season: March-April

Local Name: Parijata in most Indian languages

During morning walks, we find these paritaja trees on roads and parks.  Often we feel like bending down to pick these white petaled-orange stemmed flowers lying down.  Some even just shake the branches of these trees when it falls down in large numbers. People pick them for performing morning pooja.                               

2.Golden shower

Common name: Golden shower

Origin: Mountains of Southern Europe

Flowering season: April-June

Local name: Laburnum, Amalthas in Hindi, Haldi Hoo in Kannada

This late flowering tree blossoms when most other trees are past their bloom and hence it ensures a sort of extended spring. Stem of this tree is quite strong and used in making agricultural equipments.

3.Flame tree (May Flower)

Common name: Flame Tree OR Mayflower

Origin: Madagascar

Flowering season: April-May

Local name: Palash in Hindi, Gulmohar in many Indian languages, Gentige Hoo in Kannada

This beautiful tree is fast growing and hence brittle.  Most of the city corporations have found this tree falling during heavy rains disturbing the traffic.  Many Corporations are now avoiding fresh plantings and therefore it is less seen now-a-days.
4.Garlic pear tree (Crateva)

Common name: Garlic Pear Tree

Origin: Europe

Flowering season: March-June

Local name: Barna in Hindi, Niravala in Kannada

This tree named after the great Greek naturalist and Physician Cratevas, is a medicinal tree too.

5.Bauhinia

Common name: Bauhinia

Origin: India

Flowering season: April-May, Sep-Oct

Local name: Kachnaar in Hindi, Basavana Paada in Kannada

It is a beautiful ornamental tree with a wide range of colours like purple, lavender and pink.

6.Jacaranda

Common name: Jacaranda

Origin: Brazil

Flowering season: Feb-March

Local name: Neelkanth in Hindi

Jacaranda comes in both blue and pink colours.  A treat to watch the tree when in full bloom.

7.African tulip tree

Common name: African Tulip Tree

Origin: Africa

Flowering season: August to December

Local name: Fountain Tree, Rugtoora in Hindi, Neerukai (Uchhe kai) mara in Kannada

These commonly found and strong stemmed trees are distinct with thick green leaves and large dark red flowers. Flowering lasts for longer time.  The buds of the flower are soft with water (neerukai) inside. During childhood we used to play pranks with each other by  spraying the water inside by pressing the buds.
8.Red silk cotton tree

Common name: Red Silk Cotton Tree

Origin: Asia

Flowering season: March-May

Local name: Kantisenbal in Hindi, Boorugada mara in Kannada

Stem of the tree is thick and spiked. The nut of the tree gives rise to cotton which is used for making beds. This tree is also called 'silent doctor' as its parts are used as medicine for treating many ailments.

9.Canon ball tree

Common name: Canon Bal Tree

Origin: South America & West Indies

Local name: Naaga Linga in most Indian Languages

Strangely flowers of this tree is in the trunks.  This flower is considered sacred in India as it resembles 'Shivaling' with serpent-like arch covering it!  The fruits of this tree are spherical in shape and large in size.
10.Indian beech tree

Common name: Indian Beech Tree

Origin: India, Australia & China

Flowering season: March-april

Local name: Karanja in Hindi, Honge mara in kannada

Flowers of this tree are not prominent.  The tree is known for thick green leaves and provides the most comfortable shade.  There is a proverb in kannada which says 'taayee madilu, honge neralu' meaning this tree's shadow is as comfortable as the mother's lap!  The nut of this tree is used in extracting non-edible oil which is also a medicine for body-massage. The size of this tree is modest and quite stable by constitution.  Therefore almost all municipalities/corporations are planting this tree in large numbers.
India is blessed with a wide variety of trees.  Trees spread their branches and  leaves around to attain grace, balance and beauty much beyond the imagination of the most creative artist!  Their roots go deep into the soil holding it in tact.  They clean the environment by absorbing carbon dioxide to prepare food and release the much needed oxygen for all of us.  With clock-wise precision they keep time with seasons to bear fresh leaves, flowers and fruits for benefit of all living beings.  But thankless man keeps axing them for meeting his selfish needs.  They want trees all over the city, but not one in front of their house!

Let us learn to live like trees.  Let us plant more trees, protect them and save this wonderful nature for our coming generations.

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Music Festivals of India

It's now Sri Rama Navami Music Festival season all over Southern India.  The month-long annual festival which started on 26th March 2018, has added musical charm to the onset of spring season.

The noble tradition of celebrating Sri Rama navami (Lord Rama's birthday which falls on Chaitra Shukla Navami) with classical music was initiated by none other than Krishnaraja Wodeyar, the Maharaja of Mysuru.

He was a great patron of music who nourished great musicians like Mysuru T. Chowdaiah (violin) and Mysuru Vasudevachar, the great 20th century composer who composed great kritis like Broche vaare varura.

Common men too have never lagged behind in taking the lead in celebrating Rama navami music.  Saint Tyagaraja was their inspiration who dedicated all his compositions and music for the praise of Lord Rama.

Late S.V. Narayanaswamy Rao (right-top in pic) was a humble employee of HAL who started organizing Ramanavami music at his tender age of 14!  Due to his dedicated and relentless efforts, Sri Ramanavami Music in Bengaluru today is celebrating its 80th anniversary. It has provided platform for five generations of musicians in showcasing their talent and enthralling music lovers. Noted singer Yesudas has been performing in annual Carnatic classical concerts (south Indian classical  music) here continuously for more than 50 years!

Tansen Sangeet Samroh, is celebrated every year during December, to honour the memory of Tansen (1493-1586) who was born as Ramtanu Misra.  He was a prominent Indian Classical Musician and was one of the navaratnas in the court of Akbar, the great. 

The event is being organized in Gwalior near the tomb of Tansen by Ustad Allauddin Khan Sangeet Academy and the Government of Madhya Pradesh, since 1950. The 4-day long 'national music festival' attracts prominent musicians from all over the world!

Tyagaraja Aradhana is celebrated during January, every year to pay homage to the musical saint Tyagaraja (1767-1847).

This event is held near the samadhi of Saint Tygaraja in Thiruvaiyaru, Tamil Nadu  on the banks of the river Cauvery.  Musicians and devotees  from all over the country come here, sit on either side of the samadhi and sing pancharatna kritis of the musical saint.  The event is being organized by the saint's devotees since 1905.

The Sawai Gandharva Bhimsen Mahotsav is an annual Indian music festival held during December every year in Pune since 1953.  Sawai Gandharva was the 

Guru of Bharat Ratna Bhimsen Joshi, probably the greatest vocalist from Kirana gharana.  The festival was started by Bhimsen Joshi himself in honour of his Guru. After the death of  Bhimsen Joshi (2011), the festival was renamed including his name too.

Margazhi Music Festival is held during Dec-Jan every year in Chennai.  This great tradition was  started during 1927 by a group

of music lovers, who later on established the Madras Music Academy.  This music festival is said to be the largest of its kind in the entire world.  Every year concerts from veterans and budding artists are arranged by various music Sabhas all over Chennai.  The number of such concerts during every season reportedly crosses 2000! 

Hariballabh Sangeet Sammelan is probably the oldest music 

festival in the world.  This sammelan which has a history of 143 years is celebrated during December every year in Jalandhar, Punjab to commemorate the memory of the late musical Saint Hariballabh, an exponent of Hindustani Music. This festival attracts musicians from the neighboring Pakistan too for performance.  Government of India has recognized this event as a 'National Music Festival'.

Love for classical music in our country is not just confined to major cities.  These celebrations are evenly spread all over India in its smaller towns and villages too.

India's greatest contribution to the world of culture is its classical music.  Indian classical music consists of two forms, Hindustani and the Carnatic (south Indian) music.  The hallmark of both these forms of music is their uniqueness in  presentations by way of improvisation and spontaneity. It is heartening to note that in all these major festivals, classical artists from all parts of India and even from other parts of the world are invited to perform, thereby recognizing our cultural unity.

With passage of time, love for classical music is also taking a hit.  

Our youth are carried away by the instant kick provided by film 

music and pop music!  

But the advent of younger classical artists and their popularity is 

providing the silver lining. Support from the corporate world, media and even the Governments is also helping the cause in no small measure.  Let us hope that our GeNext retains its zeal in taking this great tradition forward.

Long live our classical music!

Long live India!!

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World Storytelling Day

Storytelling is an art.  We all have grown up listening to stories from our elders, teachers and peers right from our childhood.  'World Storytelling Day' is being celebrated on the March equinox (a day on which the duration of day and night are equal and this year it falls on Tuesday, the 20th March 2018) every year all over the world to encourage interested people to tell and listen to stories, forge and nourish the much needed international network.

Storytelling is not just for children.  The art of storytelling can influence almost all fields, including education, training, entertainment, religion, management and even politics! It promotes  creativity, communication skills, personality development, healing, planning, strategizing and what not?

Storytelling basically needs good verbal and non-verbal communication skills.  Value addition may be brought in with the help of costumes, visuals, songs and even the electronic media.

India is a treasure house of stories for all ages.  Long long ago a 

saint named Vishnu Sharma used the technique of teaching his princely students through his 'panchatantra stories'. In order to stimulate interest he created stories involving animals.  Be it the story of the mischievous monkey that got its tail caught, the tortoise that couldn't keep its mouth shut, the clever monkey that escaped from the evil plans of the crocodile or the clever hare that could kill the mighty lion.......there are lessons for all of us to learn. Obviously these stories have reached almost all corners of the world and are counted among the prides of India!

Coming to the contemporary India, R.K.Narayan's 'Malgudi Days'

caught the eyes of crores of Indians glued to the T.V. as a popular serial during mid-1980s. Malgudi is a fictional village (some say it is the combination of first three letters of Malleswaram and last four letters of Basavanagudi of Bengaluru) where the little boy 'Swamy and his friends' lived. Swamy is monitored by his strict father, loved by his mother and pampered by his grandma.  But Swamy loved freedom and time with his friends and the story unfolds in the form of 39 serials.  Swamy's hate for his school, love for cricket, exploratory visits to the nearby forests, his innocent mischiefs are all captured as short stories.  For most of we seniors, seeing this T.V. serial was almost like reliving our humble childhoods!

In the recent past, we saw two great children movies in English.  One was the famous 'The Jungle Book', based on a story written by 

Rudyard Kippling. Mowgli was a boy who grew along with wolves.  When the the wild tiger wanted to kill him, he was saved by his two friends.....a bear and a panther.

Yann Mortel authored 'Life of Pi', was the story of young Pi who had to seek refuge for survival in a life boat inside the mid-sea along with a hyena and a tiger. Enough ingredients for an exciting climax which we all enjoyed with our children.

Storytelling is all about creativity and innovation.  The familiar

story of hare and the tortoise is now twisted in three more different ways to draw new management lessons!  Look at the pic.  The repentant hare which didn't rest in the middle won in the second version, proving that fast and consistently fast wins the race.  In the next version, the clever tortoise changed the track to land-water and won the race again sending a new message....choose the track according to your strength to win.  Finally both the animals realized that it is better to 'collaborate' instead of 'competing'.  They ran the race together on land-water track, by coordinating with each other and achieved the mutually beneficial win-win!

Creativity of our great minds and their tweaking instincts 

have not even left our great epics....Ramayan and Mahabharath!

Arguably the greatest Indian novelist (Kannada) of our times Mr. S.L.Bhyrappa has rewritten these two epics giving a realistic touch.

Mr. Bhyrappa's master piece 'Parva' (published during 1979 and translated to almost all Indian languages including Sanskrit and English) is a recreated story of Mahabharat.  No miracles here and even Krishna is described as a ordinary human being who was a shrewd politician of his times. When Kauravas wanted to insult Draupadi by disrobing her, her five great husbands were helpless. Distraught Draupadi had to shout at Kauravas.....'you might have won my husbands.  Remember that Lord Krishna is on my side and he will teach you all a lesson'. Kauravas, scared of Krishna stopped pulling the saree further and Draupadi's honour was saved. This is how Mr. Bhyrappa has described the miracle of 'akshaya vastra' within the limits of reality.

Mr.Bhyrappa's Ramayan (published 2017) is renamed as 'Uttara Kaanda',  which is rewritten as a flash-back of reminiscent Seeta, of her life with Lord Ram. Seeta is not a passive lady here. Towards the end she dares questioning Ram and even refuses to join him back! She chooses to take up agriculture to make her living and dies on the field while doing her work, contrary to the popular belief that the mother-earth opened up to take her away!


So much about stories, what about great story tellers and their different forms of art?

Be it the 'Harikatha' (top-left) of the south, 'patachitra (top-right) of the east, 'Pandavani' (down-left) of the centre or 'Katputhli' of the north.......they are all Indian ways of storytelling with the help of acting, songs, pictures and puppets.

How this great art of storytelling is being taken forward?

The Indian Storytelling Network (ISN) was founded by Smt.Geeta Ramanujam (director of Kathalaya, Bengaluru) during 2011. The objective of ISN includes networking with similar bodies all over the world and facilitating the development of storytelling in India. For more details one may e mail to info@indianstorytellingnetwork.org OR kathalaya@gmail.com
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Wish you all a happy Yugadi and a happy new year!


I have made references to many sites and drawn info and pictures from them.  I acknowledge my indebtedness to all of them.  

I thank you all for your patient reading.  Please send me your valuable feedback. 

klakshminarayana1956@rediffmail.com
Mob & Whatsapp No. 98455 62603
fb: Lakshminarayana Krishnappa