Author: Swati Sani

Passing of an era

He still lives. He is ageless. His melodies are timeless. His name is synonymous with Shehnai , an instrument traditionally played during Indian weddings and in temples. He brought it to the forefront and presented it to the world.

I have heard him often but I met Ustad Bismillah Khan just once, I was almost 6 months pregnant at that time. Needless to say I was swayed away by his charm. The way he plays and the way he talks. I still remember that night as if it was yesterday. Shimmering moonlight, he sat by the pond side at Telenkhedi Gardens and played under a Shamiyana. We all were in awe, he looked frail but he had the physical strength that showed through his rendition. There were very few listeners but to him it did not matter. Most people around were just not interested, for, they were there to attend the wedding of a politician and newspaper owners child. Yes, Ustadji was called to play during a wedding ceremony. But like all great people for him too, it did not matter where he played the Shehnai. However for me and people who really cared for his work, it was an opportunity to sit within 4 feet of him and listen to the magic he created. That one moment of touching his feet and taking his blessings will last a life time for me.

Brindabani Sarang

Rag Sarang or vrindavani (Brindabani) Sarang is also the sweetest of all Sarangs. Since I am in the process of learning this rag (instrumental – on sitar), through out my waking hours, it keeps playing inside my mind, I have not learnt many ragas (Started learning about an year and half ago) but Des and Brindabani sarang are going in “my favourite” bunch I am sure.

Brindabani Sarang, as the name suggests, originated in Mathura region and is the flagship rag of the Sarang family. It is an early afternoon raga of rainy season and today, when I sat for my class, the time and weather was perfect.

Bol ki thoda waqt bohut hai

बोल, कि लब आज़ाद हैं तेरे
बोल, ज़बां अब तक तेरी है
तेरा सुतवां जिस्म है तेरा
बोल, कि जाँ अब तक तेरी है
देख कि आहन-गर की दुकां में
तुन्द हैं शोले, सुर्ख हैं आहन
खुलने लगे कुफ्लों के दहाने
फैला हर इक ज़ंजीर का दामन
बोल, कि थोड़ा वक्त बहुत है
ज़िस्मों ज़ुबां की मौत से पहले
बोल, कि सच ज़िन्दा है अब तक
बोल, जो कुछ कहना है कह ले

_ फैज़ अहमद फैज़

Speak up, while your lips (thoughts) are (still) free
speak up, (while) your tongue is still yours
Speak, for your strong body is your own
speak, (while) your soul is still yours
Look at blacksmiths shop
hot flames make the iron red hot
opening the (jaws of) locks
every chain opens up and begins to break
speak for this brief time is long enough
before your body and words die
speak, for the truth still prevails
speak up, say what you must.

Such strong and powerful urdu words of Faiz Ahmed Faiz, translating them into English does not bring out the power the verse contains.

On a high

So it has happened, I am on anti lipid drugs. After 5 years of fighting to keep my triglyceride levels in check with diet and exercises alone, my endocrinologist told me they are going over the roof now and I should be put on medication. During the annual health check up in March 06, the levels were 229 (normal is 200), a repeat lipid profile on 15th June 2006 shows that triglyceride level have happily glided up to 568 and VLDL from 46 to 113 -enough for the alarm bells to ring. I don’t like to live on medicines, but there is no escaping reality. I am glad though that I don’t have diabetes currently.

Sunday was spent lazing around watching “Antarmahal” a Bengali movie directed by Rituparna Ghosh. To repeat myself, I love the way this man handles characters and their relationship. Playing with the light and dark shades of people he makes them all so real that it gives goose pimples. Bongs indeed are sensitive and creative people.

What else

I need advice from food experts –

Yesterday night I made the following for dinner

1) Cool cucumber starter – boiled cucumber whisked in curd, some mint, some chillies (very little) topped with crushed ice, finely chopped cucumber pieces and chopped mint
2) Soup – chicken stock, sweet corn, shreds of chicken, corn flour (to thicken the soup) garnished with green onion leaves
3)Cold chicken salad – boiled and shredded chicken with cabbage, coriander, black pepper powder, some chillies and cream
4) Dinner Rolls (bought from bakery)
5) fruit cups – mango, grapes and apple in a large bowl, poured some orange squash over it (1.5 teaspoon for every bowl) topped with fresh whipped curd.

While planning I thought this would be a perfect balanced as well as an interesting meal. However when we sat down for dinner, I felt there is something lacking. Some thing to eat the bread with perhaps (butter I did not want)

I need suggestion for
1) an alternate carbohydrates containing dish to go with the meal
2) If bread, then what to go with it .

BNHS and regional politics

A lot of people had told me that Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) plays regional politics and does its best to exclude people from “small” places like Nagpur. I pooh poohed it saying no body can stoop so low.

However to my shock and surprise I first hand experienced it while tying to send some local school students for the BNHS Vacation Training Programme in Bioresources for students scheduled for the month of May 2006.

The chronology of event is as follows:

The details reached me late (on 22nd April) so I telephoned Dr. V.Shubhalaxmi, (Senior Education Officer, Bombay Natural History Society, Conservation Education Centre) and asked if the admissions to the course are really closing on 23rd April which was a Sunday. To this she replied that she does not have enough students so she would be happy to have students from Nagpur over. She told me to tell the school to send the names of students interested in participating on Monday, 24th April 2006.

I am in touch with teachers of Sandipani school, Nagpur and they are extremely environment conscious people. So, the school sent the names of two of its IX std students, Sujay Uikey and Yaduraj Korde on Monday 24th April 2006.

One of the parents, Mrs. Uikey is known to me and she wanted to know what will happen on non training days. So I telephoned BNHS office again and asked about the lodging and boarding of out of station students. I was assured by the man who picked up the telephone that they will provide lodging and boarding to out station candidates and that the students can just rest and relax on weekends.

The teacher concerned from school spoke to one Ms. Shubhada Nithare of BNHS on 25th April 200t6 and was told that only students that have gone to X std will be considered for the training programme. This confused the teacher from school, as it was clearly stated in the BNHS circular that they will accept students from std IX to std XII
To quote:
Ø Eligibility: Students of standard IX to standard XII (age : 15-18 years)

When I spoke to Ms Shubhada on phone, on the same day she said it was because the age group is 15-18. On my saying that one of the students has just turned 15 and the other is nearly 15, but both are now in Std IX as per your circular, you should give them a chance in training programme, she relented and said ok.

Then there was another clause stated by Ms. Shubhada saying the the training will be only from Monday to Friday and the out station candidates will have to make their own arrangements for weekend lodging and boarding.

The parents of the students were told accordingly and they made arrangements of weekend stay with their friends/relatives at Mumbai.

And then when the father of Yaduraj Korde, telephoned BNHS he was told by the course director herself that BNHS will not bear the cost of travel of the out of station students – again very contrary to what was stated in the circular
To quote:
Ø The students would be provided to and from second class train fare or bus fare from residence to the venue, as well as free boarding and lodging during the training.

What irks me most is the facade these high flying conservation body wears. If they did not want out station candidates, there was no harm in stating so. But this kind of politics playing brings down whatever respect I had for BNHS.

Unfortunately for me, I am a life member of BNHS and I hang my head in shame in front of the school and its students to whom I recommended this training programme.

There are many more such stories including plagiarism in research but I don’t have first hand information right now.

How can such a prestigious, and the foremost conservation society of the country stoop so low!!!

< update - 3rd May 2006 >

Our Phone calls perhaps made a difference – the two boys, Sujay and Yaduraj have been selected for the workshop and both of them are leaving for Mumbai by the evening flight tonight

< / update >