Literary Digest July 2020

LITERARY DIGEST www.literarydigest.in | JULY 2020 | VOL # 1 - ISSUE 03

04

07

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AUTHOR INTERVIEW Meet Mohindra Singh Chowdhry

POETRY Hindi & Urdu from Meenaxee’s pen

FEATURE Shooting to capture

JULY ISSUE Cover photo by: AMAN SIDHU INSIDE: STYLE YOUR HOME WITH BOOKS

POLARITY THERAPY A CUP OF CHAI BE A MORE MINDFUL YOU

SAGUNA JAIN

The FOUNDERS

She started her career with the ‘Times of India’ way back in 1992, but soon moved to Chandigarh, where she started teaching journalism in the Deptt of Mass Communication, Panjab University. Went on to own and manage the first event management company in the ‘city beautiful’ called Event it Right! Then she turned a consultant for events, business development & media. Fundamentals Consultancy Group, her consultancy firm in association with her new venture Intyoutive, that she is a partner in, works on three verticals design and publish in-house magazines, offer consultancy to start ups and organise literary workshops and events. Daily post, one of the newspapers that she was a consultant with carried her weekly column on parenting for over five years. A mother to two boys, aged 23 and 20, Saguna is an ardent golfer and believes in the simple mantra - we all live and learn!!!

HARDEEP CHANDPURI He is a media professional with a keen interest in the ‘written word’ and started writing weekly columns for ‘The Tribune’, called ‘Popthrob’ and ‘Jukebox’ while still in college, which were a huge hit with the youth. He completed his Masters in Mass Communication from Panjab University, Chandigarh.

After studying in Australia, USA & Canada, he moved back to India in 2001 and launched ‘Radio Buzz’ in the year 2002. He is a renowned broadcaster and trainer having hosted more than 8000 radio shows in India and abroad. He is often credited for revolutionising the radio scene in North India. A proud Limca Record Holder, for his brand ‘Academy of Broadcasting’ he is also the Founder of Ferntree Publishing, the Gen Secy of Chandigarh Literary Society and co-Founder of Inkspire. He is now jointly launching a print magazine this year.

SHONA SINGH She is a Masters in Journalism from the University of Westminster, London and also a holder of a Diploma in Freelance Journalism from UK. She did her schooling from Convent of Jesus and Mary, Simla. She has had an exceptional career in media, starting out with the ‘Indian Express’ and as a golf columnist for the ‘Financial Express’, New Delhi and is currently a special golf correspondent for ‘The Tribune’. An experienced golfer and a regular contributor to ‘Golf Digest’, she also extensively covered golf in Europe for the ‘Golfing Yours’. Her passion for writing and golf also led to regular contributions while travelling on the Asian Tour. A Press Officer at the IMG run Indian Open and BILT Open, India's biggest professional golf tournaments, she used her vast experience to set up the media office of the players’ initiated Professional Golf Tour of India.

CONTENTS 04 Author Interview

10 Shooting to capture

06 Be a more mindful you

12 07 Meenaxee Raj’s exquisite poetry

Understanding Polarity Therapy

13 Poetree

08 Why do we neglect our mental health?

17 Punjabi@

09

19

Style your home with books

All we need is a cup of Chai....

21 Growth: Perception v/s Reality

All the opinions and views expressed in the articles stories/features etc., belong to their respective authors and DO NOT reect the views of the Literary Digest or Intyoutive Ventures. Any Brand/Movie/Publishing House names mentioned in the magazine are ONLY used for representational purposes and the copyright/trademark is the property of their respective owners. The brands, if and where mentioned/used are not associated with us in any manner. All disputes are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Courts/Forums/Tribunals in Chandigarh (India) only.

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“PEOPLE IN ITALIAN CITIES &VILLAGES STILL REMEMBER OUR SOLDIERS WHO LIBERATED THEM”

I

arrived in England almost sixty years ago with great expectations as if the streets were lined up with the trees and everything I needed, grew on them. Later I learnt, all is available, only reach for the tree to get it, this is true in almost every case especially when you are only a 22 yearold Sikh boy with a turban, imagining that you are a Maharaja, first-time ever away from home in Delhi, with only one pound in your pocket. As said above, I, had to learn only one thing, how to make that effort to pluck from the tree, if I, needed anything? I needed everything and that too fast. I had no command of the language and it was extremely hard to adjust with the environment in each and every way. I had the basic education to start at the Bristol University to study Engineering and I needed to earn money and worked as a labourer at building construction sites from April till September, saved some money and sent it to India for the education of my siblings. I had to postpone my fulltime education at the University for one year and attended evening classes, while working and earning during the day. I opted to work as a labourer and not in the office because there was more money working on the site, rather than in the offices, it kept me very healthy and fit. I was learning fast.

At the college, I was a good student and at work a very good labourer. My daily routine was from 6.30 am till 12 midnight every day, apart from weekends for six years. I qualified as a Civil and Structural Engineer and was pretty successful because I had learnt how to make that effort to pluck from the tree.

I never cut off my hair or took the turban off for which, I am very proud. I found out that almost everyone was very kind to me,

especially the local English community; they are generous, honest and very straight-forward people. This country gave me lot more than I deserved. Hard work is a must here.

Life in winter is a struggle and extremely harsh.

What was the main purpose of writing this book?

The main purpose of writing this book was to create Awareness and Bridge the Communities (ABC), create awareness about the Sikhs, what they have done for free people in the past and a peep through into the future, since the Sikhs are spread throughout the world. When as a child in India, I noticed that apart from being in the army, mostly they were portrayed as truck or taxi drivers, even in the movies, when a Sikh appeared on the screen, people began to just laugh.

In the UK, till sometime back almost everybody assumed that Sikhs either worked in the factories, were bus drivers/conductors or into menial jobs (however, there is no problem about this) but sadly no one associated them with any other top profession.

I decided that I will highlight what sacrifices Sikhs have made for India and the world. I am the President of the ‘Punjabi Forum International’ for the past twenty five years and to create awareness about the Sikhs, I organise two or three functions a year and invite top ranking individuals from every important sector, so that they can meet our people to help each other now or in the future. Today, Sikhs are fully integrated in society and for all Europeans, this book is a mirror to highlight the sacrifices that the Sikhs made for them during the World Wars, how they travelled thousands of miles to fight for them in a completely hostile environment. We have recently built a ''Sikh War Memorial'' in memory of Sikh

MOHINDRA SINGH CHOWDHRY

soldiers in the city of Bristol, which helps in creating awareness about the Sikhs, who have sacrificed a lot for Europe. Visitors from all over the country, visit this place. For Sikhs, the world is their oyster. Sadly, there is one very strange thing, that even the Sikhs themselves, do not know this history.

How difficult was it to research for this book?

Since this was my first book and very dear to my heart, it took me just over five years to finish it. I had to borrow books from various libraries around the entire country, many trips to Imperial War Museum in London, who were very kind to lend me many works.

I had to seek help from some friends who had to dig out information from old records especially 'Persian' news papers. I made two trips to India and Pakistan to get the feeling of as to where they came from of course, a few trips to Europe.

Describe one of the fiercest battles/actions in the book that really touched your heart?

For me, it was the Italian campaign which revealed the true spirit of the Sikh soldier. The war correspondent of the Illustrated London News has categorically stated that at the end of the Italian campaign on VE Day 1945, the 8th Indian Division was perhaps the best fighting formation in Italy.

Their sacrifice is still talked about in Italian cities and villages that how they helped to liberate them. In an incident in Poggio San Giovanni,

Havildar (Sergeant) Sham Singh of the 2nd Battalion, 11 Sikh Regiment, successfully captured a German machine gun position and four of its crew single-handedly.

The Fourth, Eight and Tenth Divisions will forever be associated with the fighting for Cassino, the capture of Rome, the Amo Valley, the liberation of Florence and the breaking of the Gothic Line. The Spoon River, where the Sikhs fought on the Emilia Romagna territory, has an exotic sound which evokes the memories of the eastern hemisphere.

The Indian forces though limited to the strength of 4, 8 and 10 Divisions, distinguished themselves by their raw courage and tenacity in the battles of Sangro Cassino, the Liri Valley, the Gothic Line, the Senio and several other engagements.

The Indian soldiers fought in a terrain that was ideally suitable for defence, yet they fought onwards with unparalleled courage and relentless tenacity. At the Memorial in the Sangro River Crematorium, one of the three memorials erected in Italy to officers and men of the Indian forces, whose remains were cremated in accordance with their faith - the other two memorials are Forli Indian Army Cemetery and Rimini Gurkha War Cemetery. The Sangro River Memorial commemorates 517 Indian serviceman who fell in 1943-44, out of them 237 carried the surname ‘Singh’, while at Cassino there were 377 and at Forli 769.

Any acts of empathy and compassion that really stood out during these Wars by soldiers from any particular side?

I was trying to present the broad picture of the engagement of these soldiers. Of course, the book constantly refers to Sikh philosophy, to the idea that we are from the same, one God, and to the generosity of Guru Gobind Singh Ji. I touch, for example, the insistence of the Guru for equal treatment on the battlefield for both Mughal and Sikh wounded.

Compassion and mutual respect runs through my books, as it does through the holy scriptures.

constantly. This is the only reason, I have chosen to highlight the Sikh side of the story and hence, organise functions under the banner of Punjabi Forum International and the 'Sikh Soldiers War Memorial at Bristol'. One very important point, if Sikhs themselves do not know their own history, how can we expect others not to ignore us?

What according to you made the Sikh soldiers show such great bravado against all odds during the Great Wars?

Bravery, courage and just brute force.

Full trust in the Guru and their final destination – the victory. Dressed up like kings with the turbans.

What was the role of Indian soldiers in Hitler’s army? Apparently some were even given officer ranks?

The Free India Legion, which consisted of ex-Prisoners of War who had been mostly captured either in the Libyan desert or in Singapore, was essentially an exercise promoted by Subhash Chandra Bose. I did not focus on the Legion because they do not appear to have been regarded as a sizeable force, as their chief role seems to have been defensive as part of the Atlantic Wall. I have not researched them, but it would be an interesting project. They were a small motivated bunch of around 2500 men. Now compare that the two million strong army of Indian volunteers, who served in the British Army, and the offensive roles which were entrusted to them in many theatres of war.

What has been the response to your book?

We have sold out our first edition.

People are very kind and honest to me and have always been very charitable and gracious. They all tell me that I have made a good effort and it was received well. The book was presented to the HRH The Queen and HRH Prince Charles.

The book was presented to HRH Duke of Kent, when he inaugurated our 'Sikh Soldiers War Memorial' at Bristol.

It is present in the House of Lords, House of Commons libraries, besides being there in the German Archives. It also has a foreword by Capt Amarinder Singh, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Punjab and Peaches Golding, OBE, Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of the County and City of Bristol.

Tell us about the next book that you are writing?

Why is it that European war historians have forgotten the role of My next book is, 'Sikh Evolution to various ethnic minorities that stood Revolution'. This book begins right after the execution of Banda Singh by them during the Great Wars?

Bahadur and to the Sikh Misls, the book Life in Europe is very fast and the stands to criticise the Maharaja, about people are immensely busy in their dividing Punjab and terminating the day-to-day life, often involved with Sikh Misls. It is 75% ready and hoping their set routine and any spare time to publish by Baisakhi 2021. with their own families on weekends.

Most of them are kind hearted, charitable towards good causes and they appreciate history very much, but very few have time to venture in to history especially since it is not their own. People need to be reminded

“Oh! I am so sorry” - that was my colleague apologizing to a pillar at my workplace the other day, with cell phone in her hand and her attention (not quite in her hands) struggling and multitasking to try to make sense of things amid the cacophony of my warning her about the pillar ahead, of endless task reminders and notifications from emails and WhatsApp-all this, while she was recounting the anecdotes of how mindless and forgetful she has become lately!

M i n d l e s s n e s s h a s s u cce s s f u l l y managed to creep into the lives of most humans-age, gender and ethnicity no bar.

Examples of mindlessness are plentiful.

Notice how many you can relate with: · Reading a few sentences and being unable to understand what you just read, and so you land up reading the sentences again and again. · Eating without savoring the flavours and textures of food. · Ruminating about some past mistake or apprehending about the future. · Always in a rush to meet deadlines, so you end up turning in work full of errors.

Imagine how much do we miss because of mindlessness. We put ourselves completely out of context and perspective.

Well, that does not pose a major threat, if we were to carry out only the routinized and mundane tasks. Trouble begins when we are mindless even in activities of pleasure and leisure. What a tragedy! We slog to earn these pleasures and won't even know how to savour them.

The antidote to mindlessness is being mindful. No, it is not the same as meditation; it is simply being able to engage all your senses to experience the moment you are in right now. It would certainly require you to slow down, pause and be all there- exactly why people are unable to do so, given the frenetic pace of their lives as they juggle from one chore to another! But the benefits of practicing mindfulness are many. It has the

potential to increase your productivity at work and enhance yo u r s e l f- e s t e e m , thereby making you more authentic, attractive & trustworthy.

BE A MORE MINDFUL

YOU

Here's how you can sneak in some mindfulness in your daily routine: · Resist the urge to kick-start your day with checking your 'to-do' lists and upcoming meetings. Let the morning aroma of your soap and shampoo engage you, while you're bathing. · Or try to employ all your senses while eating your breakfast. Eating is not all about the taste alone, it is also the aroma, the texture and even the sound of some foods that add to the experience. · Cut back on your tendency to multitask and follow the 'Be Here Now' principle. · Take some time to stretch and help your muscles feel awesome. · Quit the habit of shallow breathing. Go for slow but deep breathing from your belly and not your chest. · Pay attention to your posture and gestures.

Do your muscles feel too tight in your shoulders? Do you clench your jaws too often?

Such regular check-ins will aid mindfulness. · In the evening, turn on some soothing music and do nothing else except enjoy the beats and take it all in.

Remember, mindfulness is achievable without yoga. All you have to do is get off that hamster wheel, pause, breathe and be more present. And “Hey...!! look out for the pillar ahead.....”

Contributed by:

ADITI AHLUWALIA Psychologist and Counsellor

वो क र

ेइ

के िदखाता है

बफ़-िनगाहो ं से िदल जलाता है वो मुझको

ब

िबठाता है

और रक़ीबो ं से िदल लगाता है फ़ासले दरिमयाँ बढ़ाता है और

MEENAXEE RAJ

ाबो ं म चला आता है

ँ पशोपेश म जाऊँ या नही ं वो मुझे इस तरह बुलाता है

ूँ बे िफ़ िफ़

ँ म ,है िफ़ मंद ज़माना

क़ैद बा मश

त है , कोई बताना

तुमने ज़मी ं पे जो दे खा उसको ही सच माना दे खा कहाँ है तुमने फ़लक का तहख़ाना नज़ रए को

ूँ बनाते हो मदाना - ज़नाना

क़दरत ने तो हमको फ़क़त इनसां ही था माना ु हर शाम की तरह जब हो फ़ र

ो ं का आना

साज़ ओ सामाँ से नही ं उनको ऐमाल से मनाना ऐमाल - deeds

Meenaxee Raj is an officer with the Haryana Administrative Services, presently posted as Joint Transport Commissioner and Chief Vigilance Officer, HAFED, Haryana. She has previously been a judge in Haryana and Rajasthan for about three years. She pursued her BA (Hons) Sociology from Govt College for Girls, Sector 11, Chandigarh and LLB from Delhi University. She has been the only woman SDM of Ferozepur Jhirka, a remote sub-division of Mewat. Besides, she has served the Education Department Haryana as Joint Director, Joint Secretary to the Governor and Joint Director Urban Local Bodies, Haryana. She is the youngest civil servant in the country to have been a member of a Govt of India Committee along with sitting High Court judges. The Committee gave its recommendations to Govt of India on international parental child abduction, an issue of imminent international relevance. She has an Urdu poetry book to her credit in the name of ‘Paighaam-e-Sukhan’, which was released in 2017 by Hon’ble Justice Anil R Dave (Retd Judge-Supreme Court of India).

WHY

??

DO WE NEGLECT OUR

with a mental illness feel there is something not right with them but do we ever think that when we have any physical illness, lets say diabetes or thyroid?

Sadly, mental illness strikes tatistics reveal that more individuals of all strata but the strain women die due to mental illness than childbirth-related of treatment is acute for those of low income group. Due to this reason, causes. The rate of suicide is on an they go for treatment only when the ever increase. Figuratively speaking, a survey done in 2018 revealed that Asia and Eastern Europe have the highest suicide rates with 28.6 suicide deaths per 100,000 people.

In spite of ever increasing deaths due to mental illnesses we pay more focus on our physical health. It is a very common phenomenon. Let me explain it to you with an example: Whenever we have a prolonged fever or a headache we rush to our GP (General Practitioner) and get ourselves the required medication or follow up with the required treatment. But how many times have we consulted someone when we lose interest in activities which we considered interesting or when we are too lazy to even get out of situation goes out of hand any many the house? Let me tell you- NEVER. times its too late. Statistics reveal We think it would be 'embarrassing' that one in six adults living below to go to a psychologist or worse a poverty line have severe mental psychiatrist. More than anything we illnesses. fear what would people think if they “I wish people could found out we consulted a 'shrink'. understand that the brain is the most Trust me no one cares, no one has important organ of our body. Just the time to focus on your life. Get because you can't see mental illness yourself the help which you need like you could see a broken bone, before it turns into something grave. doesn't mean it's not as detrimental or According to the National devastating to a family or an Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), individual”..... the cost of untreated mental illness - Demi Lovato in the US is more than $100 billion lost in productivity. The figures have Contributed by: been on an ever increase. There have Dr. AMREEN SEKHON been various outreach programmes Psychologist Counsellor promoting importance to mental health and well-being yet the stigma attached to mental illness prevents oneself from seeking help. People

MENTAL HEALTH?

S

Style your home with BOOKS.....

A

ll of us have grown-up on a steady diet of books. We have treasured our collection of Enid Blyton, Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, Alistair McLean, Mills & Boon, Dan Brown etc., as we savoured each word with many a smile and a tear interspersed in between. The characters have lived in our hearts for a very long time. And now its time, to bring them HOME.....

Ahoy.....there.....

COFFEE TABLE CALLING A coffee table isn’t complete without a perfect pile of eyecatching books across genres.

This collection of yours not only showcases your personality and interests, but is also great for guests to flip through while they are waiting.

and unpretentious feel and look that will do wonders for your interiors.

ELEVATED LOOK Using books to elevate another accessory generates a lot of attention around the piece, while creating layers of height and scale within the room. You might get the feeling that this is a lot of extra attention to lavish on a STACK ‘EM UP If you have collected hardbound curio or a succulent, creating colour co-ordinated vignettes in book series then nothing better than stacking them up as per the simple palettes brings everything series title and number. This way together beautifully. they add charm to the decor and PASSAGE WAYS also do justice to the price you These are the most often used but have paid to acquire them. neglected places which offer ample space for displaying your FLOOR-UP Books make the art of creating a love for the ‘written word’. The trick here is picking the right perfectly styled room, less trickier. The key is knowing how books, try and go for ones that celebrate art and design books to do it and to make your with a good aesthetic appeal. You everyday living environment will notice how often you stop looking magical. Like art, books there, just to browse. can be displayed in a pyramid style on the floor for an authentic

Contributed by:

Himani Galhotra Founder Touchstone Interiors

Shooting to Capture Puja and Shivanand Narayan, residents of Panchkula, just discovered that a bird in your lens is a joy forever. They share their newfound hobby and more with you.

A small tale of passion, as told to SAGUNA JAIN The current pandemic is being dealt with in various ways by us humans. While some keep waiting to see what the 'new normal' that everybody keeps talking about unfolds, my husband Shiva and I tried to make a go of the present. Both of us always knew that where we connected and what got our adrenaline going, lay in the jungles. After all, for the last three decades now we have been spending almost all our vacations amongst the wild ones and all our earnings on upgrading shooting equipment - of the camera kind!

During the ‘Lockdown’, even as we spent days endlessly, pining to pick up our bazooka like zoom lenses and head to the National Parks, another magnificent creature of our amazing nature caught our eye. A beautiful Golden Oriole, as we would later discover, started visiting us regularly in our vicinity. He initiated our joyous journey into the world of birds and our fresh love for capturing these little wonders of God, in our lenses.

We realized that we had almost 30 different varieties of birds visiting us early mornings and late evenings. We soon started reading up on birds, trying to take a peek into their world and habitat. My husband even did an online course on photography to understand the nuances of how to photograph birds better. So consumed had we gotten with this new passion, that we changed our lifestyle completely. We would go to bed early for every morning saw us going to nearby bird reserves like Thapli and Morni in search of our new feathered friends. On each trip, we would take about 2000 odd pictures, get back home to sift through them and choose the best shots of the day, put them in the respective albums, then read up on the new avian that we had found. It was an exhausting process but we loved it all. Post the restrictions, we are back to work, but these little rascals won't let go.

Our mornings still start with an ear out for the

chirping and the day ends with one new discovery about what a particular bird feeds on, how it builds its nest, or even the way it feels. The bird featured in the accompanying photographs is our first love, the Golden Oriole. How can one not fall in love with its bright yellow golden colour and a melodious chirp to boot. Its a partially migrant bird as it breeds both in central Asia as well as the Indian sub-continent. End of June, on one of our trips to Morni, we found its beautiful basketshaped nest with two just-hatched babies. We actually found ourselves going back there repeatedly to check on the progress of the newborns. A week later, seeing them spread their wings and fly was easily amongst the most rewarding and ecstatic moments for both of us, bringing a tear of joy in our eyes.

"Just living is not enough. One must have sunshine, freedom and a little bird." Its thanks to this that when we think back on the last few months, we actually find ourselves asking each other, what ‘lockdown’?

Thank you Mother Nature!!

The Golden Oriole

Understanding

Polarity Therapy

and restrictions that arise due to negligence of symptoms. Polarity Therapy engages in a chemical process by utilizing the knowledge of five elements, the prakruti & vakruti, the zodiac structure, the chakra system and

P

olarity Therapy is a holistic healing modality developed approximately in the 1940's by Dr. Randlof Stone.

Polarity Therapy is a proficient mixture of scientific theories of western medicine and an age-old systematic study of Ayurveda. It provides a holistic framework of treatments for healing a wounded psyche & body and is based on the human energy field and its makeup. All around us polarities exist, we experience Polarities as front / back / in-between, hot / cold / medium, right / left / center and more. Polarity is a threedimensional field of existence of energy – yin / yang / teiji / Mind / Body / Consciousness, me / you / and many more such experiences.

The Universal energy manifests in the world through five distinct elements– Earth as solidity, Water as in fluidity, Fire as an action, Air as the movement & Ether/space which contains them all. Hence in the east we say – the human world is made up of panch-mahabhutta, the five great Elements!! Prakruti of the human polarity can be seen as Gunas - density ortamas, intensity or rajas, luminosity or sattva.

The natural imbalance of Guna is Dosha - of Tamas iskapha (dullness), natural imbalance of Rajas is Pittah (agitation) & of Sattva is Vatta (distraction) & Polarity Process restores the balance of prakruti & vakruti.

The aim of any body intervention system is to remove the blockages

the five ovals. It is a clear sight, a systematic application of knowledge between two existing aspects of universe – the Shiva & the Shakti. The knowledge in our bodies is a living intelligence of a cosmic order. The body knows itself as an empty space, freely moving air, the radiant force of fire, the resilient flow of water, and the organized solidity of the earth. The key to unfolding of this unified field is in the partnerships of elements that make up the Zodiac structure, producing, in the cosmos as in our bodies, twelve attributes and their realms. Blessed by access to these twelve realms of our being we learn to experience and be each of them and to explore the wealth of relationships between them. The twelve distinct and interdependent anatomical regions of our bodies can be used as twelve conceptual frameworks each with its main attribute,

nature, tasks and perspectives.

These twelve zodiac signs give us ways to dance, meditate, feel, think and be! Each of these twelve zodiacs is not just an expression of one element as commonly believed, but actually a play of two elements for eg: Taurus – is not simply an Earth sign, but actually a watery Earth sign & it rules t h r o u g h t h e N e c k . A n ot h e r example would be Libra – which not simply an Air sign but actually a fiery Air sign & it rules through the kidneys.

The idea of an alive, celebrated and glorious body can be d i s ce r n e d i n t h e p e r e n n i a l teachings of all great cultures and they have always known about the sensuous body as an achievable actuality. The whole of 'us' thus vibrates with infinite 'cosmic' possibilities. All this is always happening in our bodies in any case; when we begin to take an interest in it and work with it, we may become more conscious and therefore, more free in our bodies to experience the infinite.

I've been very fortunate to receive guidance from Masters and then to be able to devote all my time to its study and practices.

As a healer and an educator, I have a wealth of opportunities to explore and transmit, and as a seeker I never stop learning.

Contributed by:

SAHAYA JEEVAN She is a trained Polarity Therapist from Auroville and has been a seeker since 1999, under various schools of philosophy and leftist practices.

LEAVE AND LET LIVE

Fame that is negative is notoriety Birthed in times recent, you though are not nascent In actions and reactions From the Princes and Prime Ministers From the techies and the doctors From the populace of Breach Candy and New York From the slums of Dharavi and Delhi Infusing a deathly fear and fatality You appear to be the sole agent of mortality.

Beholding you and your lore from lands faraway I see you inch closer now, fairly a tither away Breaking the hubris of humans You are dispensing off millions.

The distant songs and the closer chirps Herald now a heartfelt dirge Are you not through yet with the purge?

People are indeed strange, Inflicting pain and pestilence on one another Each is hoping the price be paid by the other.

The sterile sealed hospitals akin to white morgues Gloomily puts out another barrage of victims The dirge of a distant funeral heralds the finality near These are no martyrs being mourned, their infected bodies run aground.

From tens, hundreds and thousands to lakhs Counting the dead appears to be the media’s act.

People are indeed strange They fear finality and revel in life’s uncertainty Life merely is an illusion, a profusion of passionate moments It teases, taunts, tests and detests sometimes to penury Driving one to misery.

Happy they still are to be blessed with life though For the living their lives are not through Why not you and I reach a pact?

You have amassed huge numbers These afflictions will continue to haunt the ones living.

Nations are chastened, its leaders beguiled The steady stream of bodies continue to be bagged.

Unaware they are of the merits of mortality Not for them the solace of death that alone offers certainty, A reprieve from grief, strife and loneliness It carries one to lands beyond loss & the frailties of love.

Let us then make a pact here and now Come, for you are welcome amongst us, the seekers It could be the orphans or the seers Come for the ones who seek to embark on the journey to eternity I, just like you, prefer certainty.

People are indeed strange But leave and let them live As Princes, PMs or paupers they may be.

POETREE ASHA G KUMAR Writer, Educator, Dreamer and Traveller always on the lookout for experiences that define life.

GROWING UP Growing up is a bad dream.

It is not as good as it seem.

Today, when I look at the toddlers playing, I remember the days when we used to play chasing.

How lucky those kids are, Have enough time to watch the twinkling stars.

They are always free, Playing in the garden looking like buzzing little bees.

However, an adult has a set of responsibilities, Doing work all day and looking for job facilities Oh! I miss those childhood days, Wish I could go back to that life and stay.

ASHNOOR KAUR AULAKH

Student of Springdale School, Amritsar

3

4

DEMYSTIFYING

1 5 2

2

THE BOOK COVER

1. ENDPAPERS The two sheets of paper that reside at A few more words to add up to your the beginning and the end of a book. knowledge: They sometimes can also have patterns or colours that enhance the overall Mock-up look.

An early “dummy” version of a book or format, which is either made by the 2. CASEWRAP If a hardcover book has a jacket on its printer or pasted up in-house. These outside, whatever is underneath is are usually partially printed, so they considered the casewrap. Today’s may not have every page, but they offer printing technology, uses designer a good visual idea as to what the paper as a casewrap, which allows finished product will look like. designers to print patterns, hues of Proof colours, and images.

Separately printed single sheets before any binding happens to check for the 3. BOOK BLOCK consistency and accuracy of the images The main text or body of the book . and colour.

4. GUTTER

It is the blank space or inner margin Saddle Stitch that separates the printing area from This is the most effective binding process used to fasten booklets by the binding. stitching through the middle fold of 5. HEADBAND sheets.

Small decorative strip of textile used at the top and bottom of a hardbound F&G book to decoratively fill the gap Stands for Fold & Gather. It’s an unbound copy of a book, and it is between the spine and cover. typically created for illustrated 6. SPINE children’s books.

The back of a bound book connecting the front and back covers—also known as the backbone.

6

SPRING DOESN’T KNOW SUMMER Gold fields, skies are blue Not a bird flying though The breeze is warm The ground seems parched Is it Summer I ask?

Grass as if speckled with gold Or an elf painted it so?

All around ice pops in hand Splish splashing of the pool Sizzle and smoke of the coal Aromas wafting through the air Friends dancing children too To that favourite tune Smothering sun, warm air Yes it’s summer I declare!

Contributed by:

MONA DHILLON MEHRA She is a Homemaker living in Amritsar

Daffodils in the garden Sunflowers too Wild roses with scents Oh!! So new!!

Flowers dancing in the breeze romancing Butterflies n bees How could it be so..?

Cause spring doesn’t know !!

Skies too Oh so blue Happiness is in the air Leaves rustling, birds chirping But the roads are bare How can it be so?

Cause spring doesn’t know..!

Streets painted with people no more Zoos are empty too No crying children, No ice cream trucks No recess bells in schools...

But daffodils are in bloom Sunflowers too Wild roses with scents Oh!! So new!!

How can it be so?

Because spring doesn’t know!

The above image represents the dark prospective of lunar colonisation.

The silhouette reflects mankind’s efforts to expand its lust for territory beyond the planet.

The image was taken at Scienceworks in Melbourne, which is a science and technology museum. The exhibit was part of their ‘Lunar Week’ in April 2019.

Abir Hiranandani, an international student in Melbourne, is an aspiring filmmaker and cinematographer.

Studying Media and Film at The University of Melbourne, Abir is passionate about visual storytelling, world travel, international student life and sport.

His ultimate aim is to be a real and relevant professional in the world of media.

ਪੰਜਾਬੀ

@

ਮਾਲਕ ਨੰੂ ਦੇਖਕੇ ਕੁ ੱਤਾ ਪੈਰ ਚੰਮ ੁ ਣ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ, ਬੇਗਾਨੇ ਉਪ ੱ ਰ ਉਹ ਸ਼ੇਰ ਵਾਂਗ ਹੱਲਾ ਬੋਲਦਾ ਹੈ, ਆਪਿਣਆਂ ਤੇ ਬੇਗਾਿਨਆਂ ਦੀ, ਤੈਨੰੂ ਸਮਝ ਕਦ ਆਏਗੀ (ਮੌਲਾਨਾ ਰਮ ੂ ੀ ਜੀ ਦਾ ਕਥਨ)

RUPINDER SINGH AULAKH is a Design Engineer

based in Seattle (USA).

He calls himself an ardent observer and art enthusiast.

He firmly believes that art saves us from our own negativity and acts as a mode of absorption and contentment.

His passions include writing, and promoting punjabi culture through creative photography and Punjabi calligraphy.

ਘਾਹ ਚਰਿਦਆਂ ਖਰਗੋਸ਼ ਨੰੂ ਕਲਡੀਸੈਕ ‘ਚ ਸਾਰੇ ਘਰਾਂ ਦੇ ਬਗੀਚੇ ਇੱਕੋ ਖੁੱਲੀ ਚਾਰਗਾਹ ਿਦਸਦੇ

Quiet man, quiet, snow is falling, Rest a while as nature pauses!

Hush’d the wind and hush’d the world, No paths, no pastures, no vultures, no prey; The devil hides and no evil thrives, And man inflicts no wounds on man!

So full the meadows, so full the vales, The pines so quiet, the mountains a blur, The horizon lost, and so the sky, The past frozen, the future yet to be!

Rest awhile, let all questions lapse, Who knows where the current will go, What hopes will live, what dreams will die, And where a restful glade you’ll find!

Quiet man, quiet, snow is falling, Rest a while as nature pauses!

A 19th century poem written by an anonymous poet

As featured in the best-selling book ‘No Friends, No Enemies’

by Mr. Mandeep Rai

ALL WE NEED IS A CUP OF

home photos, videos and somehow that was a nice distraction. People who hadn't worked out in ages started doing jumping jacks and we all learnt a zillion other sorts of push-ups. Soon we pulled our parents, into yoga asanas at home and everything was happy and sweaty.

Then came Week Four, whatever little I had lost during my vigorous life-changing, exercise routines was all washed out by the cooking era. Our WhatsApp groups were filled with women and for a change men trying out various recipes. Every group had a dedicated master chef, throwing out recipes and we gladly went about being their sous chefs, going through rigorous techniques of how to make dishes we could seldom pronounce. Winter left us, summer came upon us, we were faced with floods and cyclone and then viola Mr Monsoon is upon us.

Somehow the last few weeks from a little irritated child we went on to attain a zen-like state. Human mind is very puzzling yet conventional in so many ways. It adapts itself easily, though we feel that every change will take a toll on us and our habits but subconsciously we deal with them with great poise.

Today, cooped up at home, trying my best to follow all the rules of not stepping out if not needed, I was greeted with an early shower of heavy rains. I did not have the slightest urge (please note, I've been at home for precisely 75 days) to pack my bags and travel to some exotic location or a Michelin star restaurant for an early breakfast, all I did was, made 2 cups of chai with lots of ginger and gorged on a packet of Parle G. That was my solace. A simple cup of chai. And then like an old movie flashback, when you are in the arms of your long lost brother, it hit me that all throughout it was this mere little cup of chai that got me through this pandemic.

Every news channel that I followed I had a cup of chai in my hand, every debate at home had people blowing through their chai and passing opinions, every mother going though endless online classes for her kids, would run to the kitchen for just one sip of hot chai. I'm sure all our politicians needed just a cup of chai while making decisions and our mighty doctors, among all the pressure of rescuing every life, just at times wanted to sip their chai and get on with the day.

We just took our cup of chai for granted and soon I realized it was time to give it, its due. We never really needed a long break or a seven-course meal as long as we had our chai, refreshing us and keeping the hope alive that very soon Covid would buy its return ticket and leave us all in peace.

Chai.....

Life as we know, has come to a literal standstill, thanks to our dear virus that did the honours of travelling through

the oceans to grace our land. Covid, has changed our lives to a degree that we are unable to fathom, absorb and understand. We are just passing our days living from one lockdown version to the unlock down version, watching the numbers go up, counting the lives that have been lost and waiting.

A few months back, we were all so caught up with our lives that frankly speaking, if, on 19th March someone had said, what if something drastic happens and we end up limiting ourselves to 4 walls, I would have seriously considered giving him the number of a psychiatrist, because, well it is next to impossible to be in a situation like that, right? And then on 23rd March 2020, it was declared, ‘Bharat Bandh’. So now what? The first week was the week of denial, how could it happen to us?

Why didn’t the airports shut sooner, why couldn't a better plan be made, why? Every house had suddenly become little versions of ‘Lok Sabhas’ declaring various policies that could have helped in better management. Second week went through driving round the clock to the grocery stores thinking as if this was the last time we could procure rations for the rest of our lives, probably lets just buy food for the next 70 years and every kitchen was converted into a store house. Then we slid into Week Three. There was a sudden outbreak of workout from

Always on the go!

She loves sharing her travel tales through her blogs and articles.

Contributed by: PREETI

TALWAR

The

TIPS FOR A NEW WRITER

ADJECTIVES DESCRIBING A PERSON’s

WHAT-PAD

VOICE

GUTTURAL a deep sound made at the back of one’s throat FRUITY a fruity voice or laugh is deep & strong in a pleasant way

PLUMMY usually for someone who sounds very pompous.

Used to criticize the way someone speaks.

OROTUND this is a voice that sounds loud and clear

HONEYED sounds nice to the ears but one often cannot trust the person who’s speaking

GRATING a voice, laugh or sound that is unpleasant and pretty annoying

STRANGLED a strangled sound is the one that someone stops before they finish making it

TREMULOUS a voice or sound that is not steady, maybe when one is afraid or excited

RAUCOUS a raucous voice or noise is loud and sounds quite rough

GROWTH:

PERCEPTION v/s REALITY

I

n her autobiography 'Becoming', Michelle Obama, the former first lady of the United States of America, writes “I think its one of the most useless questions an adult can ask a child- What do you want to be when you grow up? As if growing up is finite. As if at some point you become something and that's the end.” The statement, in itself, is a revolutionary blow to the societal projections of growth and success. Ms Obama, in these sentences, tends to highlight the limitations imposed on the progeny by the process of socialization. The society endorses the narrow ideas of growth and hands down the same narrow ideas to the younger generations. And when a person attempts to tread a path different from the one set as ideal by the society, he/she is labelled as an idiosyncratic.

Albeit the problem is not peculiar to India as is evident from the fact that its reference comes from the pen of the first lady of the world's most ‘advanced’ country, but the quantum of its presence is much higher in India as compared to many other countries. The saying “22 tak padhai, 25 mein naukari, 26 mein chhokri, 30 mein bachche aur 60 mein retirement” provides for a conspectus of the whole Indian conception of an ideal life. These spurious standards govern the lives of children in our country, destroy their peculiarity and highly impede their growth and development. Moreover, there are the legions of false societal perceptions attached with these faulty standards of a 'successful' life. For instance, our society believes that the importance of education is limited only to getting a stable 'nine-to-five' job. Other than that the society envisages no role of education in one's life. And the same misperceptions are inculcated in the novice minds of children and they mould their conduct accordingly. The students desperately aspiring for good marks and not caring for the acquisition of knowledge are the conspicuous consequences of such mindsets. On the whole, the dialogue of the film '3 Idiots', “Padho ge nahi toh degree nahi hogi, degree nahi hogi toh naukri nahi milegi, naukri nahi milegi toh koi baap apni beti nahi dega” sums up the whole essence of education and employment from the vantage point of Indian society. We have a well-established and a deep-

rooted hierarchy of educational streams in our system which holds the science subjects in high regard, those of commerce at a better footing and the subjects of humanities are put at the bottom.

And these streams are 'allotted' to the students based on the marks obtained by them in academics-the students with best marks are considered apt for studying science, the mediocre ones are allotted commerce subjects and the rest are considered best 'only' for the 'humanities subjects'. Yes, in the scads of cases the students in our country are not even allowed to make choice of their own subjects. Either their parents do this for them or they themselves make a choice different from the one they actually wanted to make, succumbing to the societal pressure. Education, in this way, becomes an obligation and shuns all its fascination for students. It trains the children to lead a mechanical life without a hint of escapade and 'idiosyncrasy'. And this is the most unfortunate repercussion of society's limited vision.

I believe that education is the mightiest weapon to bring about a positive change in society and the society bringing about the negative change in education is the biggest curse. We need to understand that the importance of education is not limited to the pecuniary benefits. It is a potent weapon which has the potential of eradicating all the ills from the society. And in order to see this aspect of education, the society will have to be dispossessed of its faulty perceptions and it must allow its children enough leeway to form their own definitions of education and success. They must be allowed to pursue that educational stream which is best suited to their interests and not to their marks.

This is high time for us to embrace the high standards of growth for the children or better to not have any of them, because growth and growing up is truly 'infinite'.

Contributed by:

TANYA SINGLA She is a sophomore at University Institute of Legal Studies (UILS), Panjab University, Chandigarh.

This is the

WRITE

NOVELBUNCH L I T-T H U S I A S T S

time to get published

What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger.

We want to take your positivity to the world. Share with us an optimistic story of your experiences, not exceeding 2000 words, and we will publish it in our upcoming series of books to be titled

“EMPOWERED TO THE CORE” Let’s make this world bond over words.

Send your entry to: info@literarydigest.in Last date: 21st Aug 2020

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