Literary Digest November 2020

LITERARY DIGEST www.literarydigest.in | NOVEMBER 2020 | VOL # 1 - ISSUE 07

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AUTHOR INTERVIEW Meet Mandeep Rai

POETRY Hindi & Urdu from Meenaxee’s pen

FEATURE Art Deco - The Timeless Juggernaut

NOV ISSUE Cover photo by: AMAN SIDHU INSIDE: C’EST LA VIE

OF FUR, FLUFF, PAWS & CLAWS MARCH OR DIE - Final Part CARING FOR PLANTS IN WINTER BE A SPIRITUAL WARRIOR

The FOUNDERS SAGUNA JAIN 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 inhouse 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 S. 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 coFounder 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

11 Rakhshanda Jalil

06 C’est La Vie

14 Of Fur, Fluff, Paws & Claws

07 Meenaxee Raj’s exquisite poetry

16 Punjabi@

08 Art Deco - The Timeless Juggernaut

10 Caring for your plants in Winter

17 Health is the actual Wealth

18 Poetree

19 March or Die - Final

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MANDEEP RAI

M

y early life was spent in different cantonments where my father (Col. Amar Singh Rai) was posted. In 1962 I joined YPS, Patiala and passed out four years later, being fortunate to win the Yadavindra Gold medal for the best All-Round Boy of 1965.

My Essay Book, which I was keen to preserve, was snatched from my hands by students of Class X, who just refused to part with it. My younger brother informed me later that the Headmaster of YPS had to make an announcement in 1967 that anyone found copying Mandeep Rai's essays would get a big zero.

First Novel I wrote my first novel in 1966 when I was in IIT, Bombay. This dichotomy of wanting to become a creative writer while pursuing Chemical engineering soon came to a head and, to the bitter disappointment of my parents, I opted out of IIT in 1968. My father cautioned me that if I take up creative writing as a profession the path ahead may be very difficult and it may take me twenty years to get published. It actually took me twenty eight years thereafter to get published; in 1996 my third novel ‘In the Shadow of the Pines’ was published. My father persuaded me to appear for the Civil Services exam and in 1973, I joined the Indian Revenue Service. This duality of writing works of historical fiction in my spare time co-existed

“Creative writing is different & historical fiction is not-fictional history.....” with my work as an Income Tax man, till I retired in 2009 as Director General of Income Tax (Investigation), Chandigarh. Looking back I am able to appreciate how much my work in the Income Tax Department helped me in culling out primary facts and evidence in support of the same, meeting argument with counterargument, understanding the opposing viewpoint and rebutting the same, et all. This honing of skills helped me immensely as a writer.

First major novel My first major novel ‘When The Vulture Descends’, is the story of an Indian politician who is firmly convinced that democracy has failed in tackling the perennial problems of poverty, hunger, illiteracy, social disturbances, corruption and nepotism, and that only Communism can succeed in doing so. How he comes to power and introduces a Communist dictatorship and how the nation fights back is portrayed in a gripping manner in this fast paced novel. The conflict between totalitarianism and the free-world is taken to a different level in this novel. Though this work was completed in 1986, it was published only in 2003.

Revisiting the ‘Raj’ The best known of my works is ‘In the Shadow of the Pines: A Story of the Raj’, which was published in 1996, by UBSPD, New Delhi.

This novel is set in mid-nineteenth century India and covers Lord Dalhousie's tenure as Governor-General. Lord Dalhousie, who was only thirty six when he came to India in 1848, had this dream of building an urban-based society in India, where centres of trade and learning would flourish. He introduces the civil engineer and architect to India (prior to his coming the British had only military engineers in India). who help in creating a new world in the shadow of the pines in Simla and Kussowlie (present-day Kasauli). The novel commences with the Anglo-Sikh wars and ends in the tragic Indian mutiny, for which Lord Dalhousie, who had introduced so many reforms, is wrongly blamed. This work stays with you long after you

have read the book.

The Cold War era novel My other published novel ‘No Friends - No Enemies’, set in the early sixties, deals with the complexities and contradictions of the Cold War era when the Berlin crisis and the Cuban missile crisis threatened to provoke a nuclear war. This novel is an eye-opener, bringing out the missed opportunities of history.

Many of my readers have read the book more than once, so absorbing and intense is the interaction between Nikita Khruschev, Charles de Gaulle, JFK and Harold Macmillan, with many a knot being disentangled.

Motivation to write My whole quest in life has been to understand how an event occurs or, if I may say, how an event is 'constituted' and how it happens that the intended and planned event, which would further the cause of peace and prosperity, fails to materialize, with history always taking a negative option. What fascinates me is how nations pursuing their self-interest, suddenly lose track and in aiming to enhance national security get entangled in disputes and conflicts, with national pride adding an element of volatility to the heady mix. The Great War broke out of a clear blue sky and historians till date cannot adequately explain it. In telling this story I have placed the reader at the ring-side where he can observe things much as if he is a participant. Literary agents abroad had trouble understanding what qualifies me to undertake such a project as I am not a historian.

Well, no writer of historical fiction is a historian...creative writing is different and historical fiction is not-fictional history. It took me eight years to complete this work as a great deal of research was involved.

About your latest book This novel delves into the mysteries and causes of ‘The Great War’ and how misguided patriotism and chauvinistic fervour propelled Europe into the vortex of disaster. But deep down what touches the reader’s heart is the monumental struggle waged by some characters and how the battered human spirit, pitted against zealots controlling vast armies, battle it out in a bid to stem the tide and keep mankind from going over the precipice.

The Wheel of Destiny holds a stark mirror to the fact that wars are fought not for national interest but for national pride and that is the biggest folly of man. And how ironical it is that both sides invoke God’s blessings to destroy the other.

Praise from the late Khushwant Singh?

The first thing he wanted to know was why I had not got ‘In the Shadow of the Pines’ published abroad. I related my efforts to have it published in London but publishers shied away on one pretext or the other. In Punjabi he said, "Ho Jaani si," implying that I ought to have persisted in my efforts. He then asked me, "English kithon sikhi?" I answered, "YPS Patiala, Sir." He tossed his head, utterly unconvinced by my response. A little later he uttered, "I am most impressed". On hearing these words from him a wave of relief went down my spine.

The Future There is a project in mind for which I have started my research. Will reveal it at the appropriate time.

‘The Wheel of Destiny’ is available on Amazon & Flipkart

C'est la Vie! ‘Tis the season, folks! It's that time of the year when festivals are lined up one after the other. That nip in the air evokes nostalgia and won't let you forget the association and memories you've made with the festive season. There's so much commotion outside and within and a strange cheeriness which makes you feel joyous for no specific reason.

But just like all good things come to an end, this festive mirth doesn't last too long either; and we're back to the daily grind. All things seem mundane and boring, as if there's nothing exciting to look forward to. But hey!

Not if you make an effort to look at things from a different perspective.

Think about this- Why celebrate just festivals? Why not celebrate every day?

Living in this fast-paced, frenzied world has made us forget 'how to stop and smell the roses'. We literally have no time to sit back and relax (without our gadgets and devices), to be grateful and glad about what we have, to pursue the hobbies our hearts desire or to cherish our tiny wins.

It's as if we've been conditioned to focus more on lags, problems, glitches and failures; and not on reflecting upon our accomplishments.

Nobody is perfect and mistakes happen because life's like that- c'est la vie! We win some, we lose some. And so, it's time to change your life's mantra and celebrate each and every moment of your life.

Clueless about how to get started?

Here are a few tips: Begin your day as a celebration Yes! There's every reason to do so, because you're alive. You successfully overcame the worries of yesterday and you have this moment today to cherish and enjoy. Sip your favorite cup of joe with a grateful heart and savour the warmth it gives you.

Focus on the tiny wins Every so often, we take ourselves for granted and forget to acknowledge our small

achievements, like when we talked our mom/sister/ daughter/ friend out of a bad mood they were struggling with for days, or how we helped a colleague who was stuck with a problem, or when we brought our car to a screeching halt just so that a squirrel could cross the street. You're awesome, so celebrate yourself for giving somebody your time to make their life easier.

Notice the ways others help you Your family members' caring little gestures like getting you a glass of water when you're just so tired and listening tirelessly to your stories, your friends' funny whatsapp chats and overwhelming birthday wishes or your co-worker's zoom call to get you out of the technical mess- when you begin to pay attention to all the good things others do for you, it will help you to appreciate others more and fill your heart with a great feeling.

Reward yourself- because you're worth it!

Acknowledge your accomplishments in a special way. Go out for a meal with friends or for a long drive with family just because! You deserve these rewards every now and then for a job so well done or because you simply made it this far.Life's too small to ignore the precious moments no matter how insignificant they seem. So, make celebration a daily ritual and shake all your blues away.

Contributed by:

ADITI AHLUWALIA Psychologist and Counsellor

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

MEENAXEE RAJ

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).

ART DECO The timeless juggernaut in interior design Decoding Art Deco: Art Deco is a popular design style of the 1920s and '30s, characterized especially by sleek geometric or stylized forms and by the use of man-made materials.

Why choose Art Deco?

Art deco items bring French chic into modern interior design. Egyptian and Mediterranean trends in home decorating create living spaces that look impressive and feel exclusive. The Art Deco decorating ideas blend these styles and jazz up the mix with French elegance and artistic

details, creating original and expressive decor items that transform modern interior design.

Art Deco decorating ideas allow to create truly unique home interiors and show creativity and a sense of style. Designers love to add accents in Art Deco style to modern interiors and turn rooms

into spectacular and luxurious living spaces. Eyepopping and dramatic wallpaper patterns with distinct geometric patterns, unique curvy or straight-lined shapes, contrasting room colours and unique accents are great ways to bring Art Deco decorating ideas into modern interior design.

Art Deco materials Vintage furniture and African safari decorating theme, rich ďŹ nishes and exotic woods, semiprecious stones, marble and shells look fantastic with modern interior design materials.

Home decorating with glass, bright fabrics, life size paintings, metallic paints and large mirrors in intricate and artistic frames, blended with exotic decorating materials complete Art Deco interiors, creating fabulous, striking and luxurious modern interior design in this style.

‘Art Deco interiors are one of the latest trends that have the potential to stay.....’

Contributed by:

HIMANI GALHOTRA Founder

Touchstone Interiors

CARING FOR YOUR PLANTS IN WINTER CUT DOWN ON WATER Almost all house plants go into hibernation mode over the winter, which means they don’t need as much water. If you keep watering them at summer rates, they could develop rot or diseases. So caring for houseplants in winter starts with watering only lightly. When in doubt, check to see if the soil is moist about an inch below the surface. Exceptions to this are citrus species, which tend to do better with higher moisture soil.

AVOID DRAFTS AND BREEZES Put houseplants near a window to help them get enough light, but be sure to avoid access to cold winds or breezes that may chill them.

WATCH OUT FOR PESTS Winter pests are problematic for window plants. Keep houseplants clean and watch for pests like mites. If you spot a problem, isolate the plant and treat it immediately.

ADD EXTRA WATER FOR VACATIONS If you’re going on vacation for two weeks or AVOID OR DILUTE FERTILIZER If you think they need some fertilizer, dilute more, it’s all right to break the low-water rule and give your house plants an extra it by at least 50 percent before applying, soaking so they stay healthy. else avoid it totally.

WASH AND TRIM PLANTS BEFORE BRINGING THEM IN It’s common to bring your beloved potted plants in for the winter, but they need your attention first. Wash the plants gently and trim them up before bringing them inside.

REMEMBER TO CLEAN THE LEAVES Dusty leaves are bad news, as they encourage disease and prevent house plants from absorbing sunlight. Lightly brush dust off the leaves of your plants regularly.

MOVE PLANTS AWAY FROM WINDOWS ON FREEZING NIGHTS The air near windows can grow perilously cold for plants when the temperature outside drops at night. Move house plants off the windowsill if you think they may freeze. Some people leave the plants in place and cover them with newspaper, but moving them is often easier.

Contributed by:

SEEMA SHARMA

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A Masters in Ecology & Environment and Diploma holder in Landscape & Horticulture from University of Canberra, Australia. Seema has designed and executed prestigious projects like Airtel Campus Gardens, IT Park Chandigarh, Infosys, DLF Valley (Kasauli, Amravati, Hyde Park) etc and she is the founder of Merry Mind Landscapes.

RAKHSHANDA JALIL

“I was far more productive in the pre-‘lock-down’ phase...”

- RAKHSHANDA JALIL

During the ‘lock-down’, what was that one consistent thought (or purpose) that challenged your personal and professional abilities?

To keep my loved ones safe -- both from the COVID virus that is the cause of the ‘lock-down’ but also safe from the virus of communalism that I see growing by the day in our country.

It is easier to keep one-self safe from COVID, but how does one keep the other, more deadly virus at bay? That has been the only thought preoccupying me over all else.

What did a day during the ‘lock-down’ look like for you?

Mostly doing domestic chores, cooking, cleaning, a lot of mindless surfing of the net, watching movies and binge-watching Netflix and Amazon.

How has this experience impacted you as a writer? Any new found revelations?

For me personally, I was far more productive in the pre-‘lock-down’ phase with all the compulsions of daily life, its clamour and clutter made me do more work than this selfisolation. Clearly, I work more, and produce better work, when I am multi-tasking and

juggling various things.

What has been/foreseeably the most significant take-away for you from this experience?

How little we actually need? How much extra stuff we accumulate -- be it in our wardrobes or our kitchen cabinets or our daily life. Post‘lock-down’, I hope to learn to do with less in a purely material sense. Sorry I dont have anything positive to contribute.

As told to Suparna-Saraswati-Puri Rakhshanda Jalil writes on issues of literature, culture and heritage. She has published over 15 books, which includes two edited collections of short stories, Urdu Stories and a selection by Pakistani women called Neither Night Nor Day; two coauthored books with Mushirul Hasan, Partners in Freedom: Jamia Millia Islamia (Niyogi Books, 2006). She was co-editor of Third Frame, a journal devoted to literature, culture and society brought out by the Cambridge University Press. She has published six works of translations; the latest being Naked Voices & Other Stories

by Saadat Hasan Manto; Panchlight etc. She edited and introduced the highly acclaimed book ‘Jallianwala Bagh - Literary Responses in Prose and Poetry’ .

Abir Hiranandani, an international student in Melbourne, is an aspiring ďŹ lmmaker 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.

Original photos of Cactus

OF FUR, FLUFF, PAWS AND CL AWS Cactus

I

'm not an animal person. I'm not an animal person at all.

At least, this is what I believed and declared till 'it' arrived in my house and stationed itself in my heart forever. By 'it', I mean my cat 'Cactus' - a furry, fluffy, grey Siberian tomcat. It was bought by my brother as a gift to his wife, who is a diehard animal lover. She loves anything that moves on all fours, without any discrimination - quite opposite of me. I, on the other hand, although not an animal hater, am no fan of them either. In fact, I cannot stand animal hair or dander anywhere near me!

Cactus was a two-month old kitten when it arrived in my house - a fur ball, sitting picture-pretty in a tiny decked- up basket, wrapped in a soft warm stole, the colour of which complimented it's honey brown eyes. One look into those innocent eyes and that gaze tugged at my heart as if begging me to hug the tiny creature and cuddle it tight. I shook myself and reminded myself of my aversion to animal hair but 'Cackie' (as he was nicknamed) had cast his magic spell already! I suffer from a chronic disorder called 'Systemic Lupus Erythamatosus', an auto-immune disorder.

It's a health condition where the body's immunity becomes hyperactive and begins to attack and harm its own healthy cells, tissues and organs, thus rendering the person gravely sick. Besides, I am cancer survivor too. Sickness has made me somewhat irritable. Due to my health condition, I get bouts of asthma, which explains my phobia for animal hair and dander. So, I was in a dilemma whether to love this tiny cute kitten who had stirred my soul, or, to stay away from it completely as all that fur would make me sick again.

I tried to keep my distance from Cackie initially but failed miserably because every time he looked at me with

those puppy eyes, all my resistance was gone and I was forced by a motherly instinct to pick up the adorable 'baby' and hold it in my arms and cuddle it to my heart's content. It was winter time and he loved being wrapped in a shawl and sleep in my lap. I threw all caution to the wind and started nursing the little one who I felt, needed all the care and love in the world, since it was separated from its mother. The mother in me came to the fore and I found myself in love with the new baby in the house.

I noticed I was becoming adept at the sign language Cackie used. He would play hide and seek with me, stealing glances every now and then. In the early mornings, when I would wake up, he would come near me and encircle me, brushing his furry tale against my legs and feet. This was a signal that he wanted milk. After taking a nap, he would come and gesture with his paw to stretch my arm so that he could cosily lie on it and purr away to contentment.

And then, something enigmatic happened inside of me. I, who was mostly lethargic and sad due to my sickness, started to experience a feeling of elation. I felt energetic and happy as I played with Cackie enjoying every moment of the time spent with him. Cackie loved the outdoors. I would take him out in the evenings and he would take a stroll in our little garden and the verandah, chasing little frogs and lizards, who ran for their lives when he pawed them. Once he even killed a lizard. I felt as proud on his achievement as a mother would, when her child brought home a trophy! My sister-in-law pampered him with lovely toys and his favourite food Tuna Jelly, which he devoured greedily. She kept showering him with lavish gifts - accessories, feeding bowls, fish on a stick, squeaky toys and what not! How he loved being pampered! I think he definitely knew that he rules over our hearts.

He had a 'relation' of kinds with each family member. He would want my dad to pat him for at least half an hour every morning. He would brush his mouth against my mother's feet until she said endearments to him. He would sleep by my sister-in-law's side. But the best relation he had was with my brother. He was his Master. A snap of his finger and Cackie would run to him. Even a whisper of his name and Cackie would be by his side. He obeyed him. They were 'master and cat' and 'play-buddies' all at the same time. I didn't know that keeping a pet could be so therapeutic for me. The little rascal is almost an year old now and is becoming more and more cunning and active by the day. And I have found a cure to my loneliness and my sickness. Thanks to my buddy - my adorable Cactus! A salute!

Contributed by:

ANUPMA CHHABRA Educator, IELTS Trainer and an aspiring writer

Be a Spiritual

WARRIOR

Blessings of God God has blessed every human being with a wonderful gift of life with a purpose to live and let others live in peace and harmony, and serve others without any expectation from others.

In order to make the human being superior to other living beings, God has gifted him/her the most powerful and strong mind with the special qualities of self-consciousness (power to think) and free will (power to take independent decisions) which no other creature is so lucky to possess the same.

Soul, Mind and Body Human life is co-existence of soul, mind and body and they can't live without each other. Soul and mind are invisible in form of spirits and they reside in your physical body. Soul has all the spiritual qualities such as purity, love, truth, honestly, kindness, peace, joy, happiness and bliss, and in addition to it, possesses many more character attributes such as willpower, patience, integrity, self-discipline, self-conďŹ dence and so

on. Soul always believes in positive way of living only. It represents the spirituality and has all the divine powers. You enjoy the life’s best when your mind is in the state of soul-consciousness. Your soul always guides you to stay in a state of positiveness and keeps guiding you to steer the ship of your life in the right direction and help you disembark at the right destination of your life.

Mind is the most powerful engine of your life which moves it at the required speed as guided by you. It has the power of thinking, feeling, creating emotions & choosing the most suitable decision.

Remember, your thought creates action, repeated actions become your habit and repeated habits become your nature which gets converted into your beliefs, and your beliefs start commanding your future life. Like a coin, your mind has also two faces, positive and negative which can manifest positive and negative thoughts. You are to guide your mind whether to manifest positive or negative thoughts, which is absolutely in your hands. Positive mind has the power of creating miracles in your life and the negative mind can destroy your life.

In order to sustain and grow the body you need the physical facilities in terms of food, clothing and overhead shelter which are also known as basic needs. These needs have been further upgraded in terms of wants and desires as luxurious items. Today, a vast majority of our society is working day and night without any rest to procure such luxuries of life and in turn getting involved in gathering more and more money using underhand and corrupt methods leading to physical and mental illness, and spiritual weakness. Thus, creating self-miseries in their own lives.

Today, our youth are searching success and happiness in a materialistic world and have started ignoring the spiritual or inner-world. Even, some people spend their whole lives gathering a huge amount in their bank balances, building a big modern bungalow, with a eet of luxurious cars and a number of servants at their beck and call, while ignoring their near and dear ones when their children and wife needed them the most. As and when, these people realize their folly it becomes too late, when their children even refuse to recognize them. Then, these people keep regretting throughout their lives till death. So,

what is the use of amassing such huge possessions Don't forget to introspect yourself, and note down your positive and negative qualities. Now, plan to and later on live a miserable life. All this happens enhance your positive qualities and at the same because our youth is absolutely ignorant about time like a warrior, plan your strategy to eliminate their spiritual life, and they fail to balance their soul, mind and body. In order to stay spiritual and your negative points one by one. Now, take the selfguide your mind to manifest the positive thoughts pledge to become a positive person. Make sure that you keep the company with positive people and in order to create positive beliefs and also look avoid the negative ones. An ideal spiritual warrior after your physical and mental health to lead a is a person who has developed the inner power to balanced and happy life. In order to achieve this challenge fear, falsehood and blind beliefs, anger, aim you must move your life from inner to outer. worry, tension, ego, frustration, guilt, greed, lust, So, it is very imperative for you to become a rage, stress, and so on, which lead the mind to spiritual warrior to defend your spiritual life or unwanted turbulence, thereby creating suffering, your inner life against the negativity of life in the unhappiness and discontent in similar way as our military life. He has the power to convert warrior defends his country “Your real battle is not with these negative emotions into his against the enemies across the the outside world, it is with friends in the beginning itself. He border. an enemy that hides deep knows as to how to balance his within you.

Find it, fight it, inner and outer life while moving Spiritual Battle Field and set yourself free. The key from inner to outer, but not viceto freedom lies in your versa. He understands how to stay Unlike military battles where deepest fear.....” calm during adverse situations. two opposite armies are HENNA SOHAIL fighting against each other and In addition to our Defence Forces there are a huge numbers of staying alert 24 hours on borders, soldiers fighting with the enemy, whereas here you have to fight the spiritual battle our para-military forces, police, doctors, nurses, with your own-self as the most treacherous, most suppliers of essential commodities and the persons from hygiene and sanitation department did the powerful and most dangerous invisible enemies most wonderful job during the ‘lock down’ period that have penetrated deep inside your mind very to save and safe guard the society from this silently in the garb of anger, hatred, rage, ego, worries, anxiety, frustration, guilty, grudge, regret pandemic and other security threats without caring and so on. This enemy, if not tackled well in time is for their own lives.

No doubt we all are spiritual warriors who bound to destroy your life gradually in the similar manner as termites eat away your wooden furniture are fighting against this pandemic, but the or building structure very silently and turn it into a personnel mentioned above are our Spiritual Super skeleton. So you need to keep a continuous tap on warriors generally known as Covid19 warriors. your inner enemy and must plan to fight it back very rigorously and be serious to tackle it timely before it starts damaging your life. Like a military warrior, you as an individual should be prepared to fight a battle with your inner enemies. In your case, Contributed by: you need to fight your own battle within your own Lt. Col. mind very tactfully.

SURJAN S. RANDHAWA

Learn to Become the Ideal Spiritual Warrior As I have mentioned earlier, in order to fight back these notorious inner enemies, you must keep yourself prepared and stay vigilant at all times.

Author, Industrialist and Retd. Army Officer

ਕਸੀਦਾ ਕੱਢਦੀ ਕੁ ੜੀ ਤੋਿਪਆਂ ‘ਚ ਭਰਦੀ ਿਨੱਕੀਆਂ ਿਨੱਕੀਆਂ ਯਾਦਾਂ ਮੇਲ਼ ਦੀਆਂ ਘੜੀਆਂ ਅੱਖਾਂ ਦੀ ਸ਼ਰਮਾਕਲ ਿਮਲਣੀ ਕਸੀਦਾ ਕੱਢਦੀ ਆਸਾਂ ਉਮੀਦਾਂ ਫੁ ੱਲਪਤੀਆਂ ਚ ਪਰਦੀ ਮਨ’ਚ ਗੁਟਕਦੇ ਪੰਛੀ ਰੁਮਾਲ ਤੇ ਕਬੂਤਰਾਂ ਦੀ ਜੋੜੀ ਬਣ ਜਾਂਦੇ, ਚੁੰਝਾਂ ਮੇਲਦੇ ਖੁਸ਼ਬੋ ਿਖਲਰਦੀ ਕੁ ੜੀ ਦੇ ਸਾਹਾਂ ਚ ਿਤਤਲੀਆਂ ਵਾਂਙ ਉਡਾਰੀ ਮਾਰਦੀ ਰੁਮਾਲ ਦੀਆਂ ਤਿਹਆਂ ਖੰਭ ਬਣ ਜਾਂਦੀਆਂ ਕਸੀਦਾ ਕਢਦੀ ਕੁ ੜੀ ਉਡੀ ਿਫਰਦੀ ਹਰ ਤੋਪੇ ਦੇ ਨਾਲ਼ ਨਾਲ਼

ਇਹ ਸਾਹ ਜੋ ਿਮਿਲਆ ਹੈ ਮੈਨੂੰ ਜੇ ਪੰਛੀ ਨੂ ੰ ਿਮਲਦਾ ਉਸਨੇ ਗਾਉਣਾ ਸੀ ਜੇ ਪੁਸ਼ਪ ਨੂ ੰ ਿਮਲਦਾ ਉਸਨੇ ਿਖੜਨਾ ਸੀ ਜੇ ਜੁਗਨੂ ੰ ਨੂ ੰ ਿਮਲਦਾ ਉਸਨੇ ਜਗਣਾ ਸੀ ਇਸ ਇਕ ਸਾਹ ਦਾ ਮੇਰੇ ਿਸਰ ਤੇ ਿਕੰਨਾ ਿਰਣ ਹੈ

(ਸੁਿਰੰਦਰ ਕੌਰ ਚਾਹਲ ਜੀ ਦੀ ‘ਕੁ ੰਜੀਆ’ਂ ਿਕਤਾਬ ਿਵੱਚ)

(ਨਵਤੇਜ ਭਾਰਤੀ ਜੀ ਦੀ ‘ਪੁਠਿਸਧ’ ਿਕਤਾਬ ਦੇ ਿਵੱਚ)

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.

Health is the actual

Wealth

A

healthy person lives a more happy and peaceful life than any person having a diseased body. A healthy person can achieve a lot more in life; however, an unhealthy person cannot because of the lack of motivation and concentration level. We all agree that happiness is a major motivation to live a healthy life, however good health is the actual source to live a happy and peaceful life. We can, therefore, say that the real wealth of a person is his or her health. In simple terms, health is not merely the absence of disease but a state of complete physical, social and mental well-being.

In order to achieve this, we all need to follow a healthy lifestyle and if we don’t, then this can lead to health disorders like overweight, high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, diabetes and many other heath issues. An unhealthy body gets tired very easily and a tired body quickly loses motivation and self-confidence.

Physical health means being fit physically and the absence of any illness or disease. Research has shown that when you have good physical health, you could have a longer life span. Its that simple. One can maintain his/her physical health by following a balanced and nutritious diet. Do not miss out on essential nutrients; take each one of them in appropriate quantities. Secondly, one must exercise daily. It could even be for ten minutes only, but never miss it. It will help your body maintain physical fitness. Moreover, do not consume junk food all the time. Do not smoke or drink as it has serious harmful consequences.

Lastly, try to take adequate sleep regularly instead of fixing your eyes on your smart phone. Mental

health refers to the psychological and emotional well-being of a person. The mental health of a person impacts their feelings and the way they handle situations. Yoga & mindful exercises & practices improve mental health by reducing anxiety, depression and negative mood swings and also improve self-esteem and cognitive functions.

Spiritual health is basically establishing a sense of connection with a person's inner-self to understand the meaning of life. Keeping the spiritual health intact, helps a person become more positive, patient and sorted in life. Effective ways of spiritual health are to take out time to sit in self-introspection for some time each day, meditate, practice deep breathing, and yoga. Social health is a person's ability to build and maintain satisfying interpersonal relationships with his friends, neighbours, relatives and others in society. It also refers to a person's ability to act appropriately and adapt to different social situations. A person can maintain their social health when they effectively communicate well with others. Moreover, when a person is friendly and attends social gatherings, he will definitely achieve good social health. So, good health matters a lot, more than the money. We all should maintain our good health in order to be wealthy in the real sense.

Contributed by:

TANIMA SRIVASTAVA SIDANA Founder - Health Stalwarts Health Stalwarts is an endeavour to help individuals/busy professionals to embrace fitness from the coziness of their home while, effectively managing work and home responsibilities.

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

MARCH OR DIE

(cont’d from Oct issue)

A BRIEF ACCOUNT OF THE CORPS OF GUIDES

T

he Officers also suffered a heavy toll with three officers having been replaced four times and one officer having been wounded no less than six times. The intensity of the battle was such that the Guides' casualties were well-over 50%. The Guides continued to be committed in action through the siege of Delhi until it was finally retaken. William Hodson, the former Commandant died after the siege of Delhi was over. Sir Henry Lawrence also did not survive the mutiny and died of his wounds in the early stages of the siege of the Lucknow Residency. Harry Lumsden continued as Commandant of the Guides till 1861, after which he moved on to other assignments. He retired from the Army as a Lieutenant General after 40 years of distinguished service. By the end of 1857, the mutiny had largely been quelled and the rule of the East India Company came to an end with India now directly being governed by the Crown.

The actions of the Corps of Guides in 1857, a mere 10 years after they had been raised, ensured their status as the foremost and most famous Piffer unit. So famous did the Guides become over the years that the renowned author M.M. Kaye based the main character of her epic 'The Far Pavilions' on an officer of the Guides.

The Corps’ continued service on the Frontier for the next 90 years fighting in every major engagement and taking on numerous special

jobs. Their actions in Kabul in 1879 during the second Anglo-Afghan War were in finest tradition of the Guides when a force of 25 Guides cavalry and 52 Guides Infantry killed 600 of the enemy in an action lasting 12 hours, dying to the last man.

In 1947, the Sub-continent was partitioned in the nations of India and Pakistan.

With this the great Indian Army was also divided with the Corps of Guides Infantry and Corps of Guides Cavalry (they had been separated by then) going over to the Pakistan Army. Today the Corps of Guides Infantry exists in the Pakistan Army as the 2nd Battalion of the Frontier Force Regiment. The Cavalry component today exists as the Guides Cavalry (Frontier Force) in the Armoured Corps of the Pakistan Army.

(Concluded)

Contributed by:

SUMER SINGH BRAR

The author is an alumnus of The Army Public School, Dhaula Kuan, The Lawrence School, Sanawar and The Army Institute of Law, Mohali. Hailing from an Army background, the author's father was commissioned in the Corps of Engineers, The Madras Sappers in June 1969 and is a veteran of the Battle of Basantar fought in December 1971. The author currently resides in Panchkula and is a practicing Advocate in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Chandigarh.

Aliens invade the earth. At first, they seem to help humanity by eliminating disease and bringing about a Golden Age. But at what cost, when the alien overlords do away with human culture and identity.

This book takes place long after the apocalyptic event has occurred.

The main character explores how the world has been reduced to tribal communities. It won the 1980 National Book Award for Science Fiction.

In this story, civilization has been destroyed by war.

Robots have taken over and one man’s mission is to destroy them before they destroy the rest of humanity.

Classic good v/s evil story somewhat reminiscent of a Stephen King novel.

Follows various characters across the US as they try to survive the aftermath of a nuclear war.

One small town in Florida is miraculously spared following a nuclear holocaust.

This is the tale of how a group of ordinary people fight to stay alive.

D

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