This and that: sense and sensibilities II

There is a saying that “empty vessels make the most sound”...

It is the Indian way. Be it music, politics, humor, movies, a brawl, discussion (on TV and otherwise) or anything else it is loud and colourful while being less appealing to the senses and tickling the sensibilities. We see a sense for drama in all activities. The usually reticent MMS, PM of India, addresses the Nation on serious matters and says during his speech “money does not grow on trees...”. To this a CM (Modi N.) retorts “for the congress money grows on 2G and coal....” or words to that effect...both irresponsible and theatrical utterances, trivialising matters to nonsensical depths. In the rhetoric the purpose is lost intentionally and unintentionally.

But noise creation is in the gene of an Indian. His Gods revel in noise. Last evening as I returned home from office, I encountered a traffic hold up on a road which was a one way path precisely to prevent such hold ups. Vehicles were seen coming from the direction of no go. The procession of vehicles - cars, tractors et al - were accompanied by bands playing a cacophony of tunes from the latest movies. People were dancing on the roads in frenzy normally attributable to inebriation. Majestically perched on the tractor was an idol of Lord Ganesha being taken for the immersion. Who can grudge Lord Vigneswara the annual hold ups as he is instrumental in removing all vignam (obstruction) in our lives for the next year....but couldn’t we do with some less noise?

Most of us work in the extremes. If it is not a loud mouth interaction we indulge in small talk and skip the functional topics. This happens exactly in our debates and discussions aired on live TV. The discussions seem to be for the sake of discussions....but for a change last night there were two discussion which I felt were refreshing...one anchor was alternately airing an MLA from a particular National party leading a ‘Rajhdani’ rail roko agitation and irate passengers (aam adhmi?) expressing their ire. The spokesperson form that particular party was visibly embarrassed when asked “do you support this?” He of course was initially evasive but finally had to concede that the ‘the law must take its own course” in such matters! The second was by another channel about the killing of a democratically elected panchayat member in the Kashmir Valley. The panelist from the two major parties and one sympathiser from a minor party in the Valley had to admit that militancy controlled from Pakistan was still rampant in the Valley! In both cases there was something appealing to the senses rather than tickling the sensibilities.

Just sound bites will not fill the pot...we will remain hungry as long as the pot is empty...

My First Diwali at NDA

I recall my first Diwali at NDA. The year was 1969. 42^nd course had joined NDA on June 13 of that year. Diwali duly arrived in November (or thereabouts…).

My cabin (room) was on the first floor second on the right from the central landing. First on the left was that of Arun Khetarpal. My cabin was flanked by that of two Nigerian naval cadets – lanky guys with an accent.

I had not officially left the confines of NDA since joining. On Diwali day, 1969, I applied for liberty and got it. I was off to Pune after breakfast. I had some friends there; when I left, as I was to realize only later, I made the cardinal mistake (?) of leaving the venation blinds open on a Diwali day.

On my return late evening I found my cabin in a shambles. The ‘seventh heaven’ was lying outside on the floor. The kit bag corner was a mixture of burnt remains of my kit bag and contents, foam, water and much more.

As dusk fell, I was told, and crackers were being burst one errant ‘rocket’ seemed to have found its way from the out side into my kit bag through the open venation blind - a bulls eye. When fire and smoke were detected there was panic amongst the few who had gathered in front of the locked cabin. That is when the Nigerian cadets put their best foot forward. Acting in unison, I was narrated, they brought down the heaven and with one climbing on top of the other, the shorter (6’ 2” I think) of the two was inside in a jiffy. Fire equipment et al as rehearsed were passed into my cabin, and potential widespread damage was arrested.

I heard different versions of the incident and smiled. A lot of guys patted me on my back for taking all this in without a tinge of sadness. Thankfully, my bed was undamaged and I slept well that night. Next day there was an inquiry which concluded that my venation blind was faulty. I was told to give a list of all equipment / kit I had lost in the fire. Now can you ask for more than a brand new set of equipment and kit re-issued towards the end of the first term when you could, with your eyes closed, recognize all your squadron mates?