SYNONYMOUS WITH SHAHEED

On 27 September 2007, he would have turned 100. But he died a martyr at 23.

The title – Shaheed (martyr) – has become synonymous with an inspirational icon born in the Khatkar Kalan village in Punjab. Bhagat Singh's family was passionately patriotic and had participated in numerous movements supporting independence of India. However, it was the Jalianwala Bagh Massacre of 1919 that deeply impacted young Bhagat's mind. At the tender age of 13, he turned freedom fighter. In his teens, Bhagat ran away from home to escape marriage, and enrolled with Naujawan Bharat Sabha.
Bhagat was a voracious reader and a very expressive writer. He read a lot of poetry and literature which was written by Punjabi writers. At the age of 16, Bhagat's essay grabbed the attention of the Punjab Hindi Sahitya Sammelan and professor Bhimsen Vidyalankar. At the latter's request, Bhagat joined the Hindustan Republican Association . He wrote for and edited Urdu and Punjabi newspapers . Along with Chandrashekar Azad, Ramprasad Bismill, Ashfaqulla Khan, Bhagat's revolutionary activities became the stuff of folklore.

In 1928, Lala Lajpat Rai succumbed to injuries inflicted by the violent lathi charge on a non-violent march. Bhagat vowed to take revenge. Along with Rajguru, Gopal and Sukhdev, he plotted to kill the police chief, Scott. However, in a case of mistaken identity, Saunders, instead of Scott, was shot. He quickly left Lahore to escape the police. To avoid recognition, he shaved his beard and cut his hair.

To counter the revolutionaries, the British enacted the draconian Defence of India Act. To voice their protest, Bhagat and Batukeshwar Dutt threw non-lethal bombs in the assembly on April 8, 1929 . Whilst shouting "Inquilab Zindabad!" they also threw leaflets stating that it takes a loud voice to make the deaf hear. Bhagat's leaflet stated that "It is easy to kill individuals but you cannot kill the ideas. "

While in jail, Bhagat launched a hunger strike advocating the rights of prisoners. His philosophical and political thinking is well documented in the diary he wrote in jail. When accused of vanity of not seeking salvation in the face of death, Bhagat wrote a pamphlet entitled "Why I am an atheist". On March 23, 1931, Bhagat, Rajguru and Sukhdev were hanged . He was just over 23 years then, but he had developed an immortal dimension of inspiration for the youth…
Bhagat Singh has shown that the length of the road does not matter…
We must "develop new dimensions" NOW, don't wait to do it later…

Regards
Pravin

TRUTH is INCONVENIENT

Last Thursday, I watched a very riveting documentary. Actually it was basically a filmed version of the PowerPoint lecture by an environmental advocate called Al Gore - the person who almost became the President of the USA. The film, directed by Davis Guggenheim, is poignantly called “An Inconvenient Truth”.

Gore impresses as an impassioned speaker with a mission, making a convincing argument for common sense and ethical intervention in reversing the harmful effects of global warming through personal and political accountability. “An Inconvenient Truth” makes the compelling case that global warming is real, man-made, and its effects will be catastrophic if we don’t act now.

Gore presents a wide array of facts and information in a thoughtful and compelling way. We see animations of ancient glaciers that have retreated entirely over the last hundred years, and the disintegration of today’s glaciers, literally before our eyes… disappearing rivers, disappearing species, disappearing rainforests, disappearing land… Hard facts from peer-reviewed scientific journals that deflate the humbuggery of oil-company-supported PR “think tanks” about “natural cycles”.

Gore insists that global warming is not a political issue at all… it is "a moral issue." He shows that the choice between economical and ecological well-being is a false dilemma. For those following climate sciences -- not climate propaganda -- little that Gore says will be news, but he puts it all together in such a devastating way that the impact is enormous. While the mainstream press may continue to insist that there is no scientific consensus on global warming, presenters like Gore and filmmakers like Guggenheim have shown the way to present the truth in all its dimensions.

An Inconvenient Truth accomplishes what all great films should: it leaves the viewer shaken, involved and inspired. However, it is not a depressing film. Though his forecast is scary, Gore does not leave us in despair. And that is the real truth… we can save our world… by embracing some inconveniences… by searching for alternatives… by developing new dimensions in attitudes and approaches towards our mother Earth!

the debate between economy and ecology is not about intellectual interactions…
“develop new dimensions” to initiate consciousness and appropriate actions…

Regards
Pravin

QUIZ

“The one who knows is the one who grows”….

The alumni of St. Britto High School, Mapusa –Goa call themselves Britto's Old Boys' Association. Yesterday, on a rainy Sunday, they organised a QUIZ QUEST where twenty-one schools participated. Each team had four participants and a chaperon. Eight teams made it to the semi-finals and four contested the finals. But all remained seated in the audience till the very end, and that undoubtedly was the success of the event.

Quizzing can be a very interesting and entertaining, because it provides the opportunity for even the loser (who cannot answer a particular query) to be an eventual winner (the knowledge base is widened once the answers are disclosed)… Quiz contests encourage the spirit of enquiry and discovery in the minds of the participants as well the audience… Rather than be mere tests to assess knowledge, Quiz Contests help nurture a questioning mind, a positive outlook and a wide-angle approach to developing new dimensions to our database of information.

Just look around at the persons who participate or attend Quiz Contests regularly. You will notice an extra zest for life and a proactive optimistic attitude. In fact, when we look at Quiz Masters like Siddharth Basu and Derek O’ Brien, we notice personalities who have been able to develop multiple facets in a multi-dimensional world… In fact, Quizzing in India has developed its own, unique flavour because it involves diverse genres of different geographical regions, cultural diversity, a colourful history and an emerging collective conscience…

Whenever, any parent asks me for recommendations to develop new dimensions to the personality of their child, I recommend three things… activity that involves Mother Nature (from sports to trekking), the Library Habit and developing team spirit through participation in team activities… and the best way to get the child to do all of these (and more) is to provide and support the opportunity to participate, attend and observe the infectious art and craft of Quizzing… and of course, I do mention, “Adults too need to connect to exciting activity of Quizzing…”

Inculcate the attitude of being inquisitive and proactive enquiry
“Develop new dimensions” through the process of discovery…

Regards
Pravin