OCTOBER 2020

LITERARY DIGEST www.literarydigest.in | OCTOBER 2020 | VOL # 1 - ISSUE 06

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AUTHOR INTERVIEW Meet Col Surjan Randhawa

POETRY Hindi & Urdu from Meenaxee’s pen

FEATURE Celebrating Traditional Handicrafts - II

OCT ISSUE Cover photo by: AMAN SIDHU INSIDE: TOUCHWOOD

THE WHEEL OF DESTINY MARCH OR DIE - II BEAUTY OF THE DAHLIAS TIME IN PANDEMIC TIMES

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

12 The Wheel of Destiny

06 Touchwood

07 Meenaxee Raj’s exquisite poetry

14 Creating unforgettable character names

16 Punjabi@

08 Celebrating traditional handicrafts of India -II

10 The ethereal beauty of Dahlias

17 You heard ‘em Now know about ‘em

18 Poetree

19 March or Die - II

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AUTHOR INTERVIEW

Lt. Col.

SURJAN SINGH RANDHAWA

my Post-Graduation in Business Management.

I also took part in the 1971 Indo-Pak war and got married in 1972 and we were blessed with two daughters and a son. Due to some family constraints, I had to seek premature retirement in 1992.

After retirement, I planned to venture into the manufacturing sector and took a great risk of entering an unexplored world.

After my children got married, my wife also joined me in business and we did extremely well.

After I reached the age of 65, I was determined that come what may, I would spare some time to write a book. When I looked back at my past & introspected my own self, I realized that I had some inbuilt spiritual qualities which had helped me reach the stage where I was today. Throughout my life, I followed the principles of positive thinking, honesty, loyalty , proactive, inquisitive to perform better, patience, humility, truth, peace, happiness and so on, which were imbibed in me by my parents, teachers, and my grooming during my military career and finally lessons learnt from the highly competitive business world.

I was born to a farmer family in Western Punjab during British India (now in Pakistan). After partition my family migrated to Punjab and I spent my childhood in the village and passed my matriculation with first division from the local school. I joined the Indian Navy in January 1963 as PBOR. I passed my Intermediate Examination as a private candidate in April 1965 and became eligible to apply for Short Service Commission in the Indian Army. I participated in the 1965 Indo-Pak war, while I was in the Navy. I was finally selected for the Short Service Commission in the army in 1969 and got commission in 1970.

My new career in the Regiment of Artillery commenced. I felt a great honour changing from the white to the olive green uniform.

My new journey in the army was very challenging and I did extremely well, having qualified for a number of courses. In the meantime, I also improved my How was the transition from academic qualifications by graduating from Panjab University, being an Army officer to an author?

Chandigarh and then completed

During my childhood I used to write poetry in Punjabi and then, in the early days of the Naval service, I wrote a Punjabi novel which I could never publish. Later on, throughout my military career, I became overly busy in my profession and side-by-side took to studies to enhance my academic qualifications. When I reached the age of 65 years, I decided to start writing my book and gradually started unburdening myself from business activities. This is what I have done practically till I reached the age of 70. As I had a great inclination to write what I have experienced from the long journey of my life and also learned from the experiences of others, I added it all. This is how my first self-help book titled ‘Managing the Successful Journey of Life’ came into being, which was released in 2012 and was well appreciated by my readers. This is how my new journey as a writer commenced and since then I have had the honour of publishing three other books in the Self-help genre.

What books influenced you in your earlier years?

In my military career, I was mostly involved in reading professional as well as academic books. Whenever I got some time, I used to read books on philosophy of life which

also included Self-management, Spirituality and books pertaining to your physical fitness. I have read a lot in my lifetime.

Tell us something about your books?

My first book titled ‘Managing the Successful Journey of Life’ speaks about the full journey of your life and also explains in detail various stages of life giving out your role and responsibilities. It has briefly covered my own experiences and various reasons of my success in life. Every segment of society can read it. My second book in the series is titled ‘Secret of Fulfilled and Happy Life’, it covers in detail most of the divine principles, character attributes, true assets of life, important life skills and life steering traits. It is a very comprehensive book having about 400 pages. If this book is understood and followed in practice, one can create miracles in your life.

My third book titled ‘Seven Pillars of Self Mastery’, guides as to how you can balance your soul, mind, body, intellect, emotions, finance and society in order to prosper, succeed and live a happy life. In other words, it teaches you how to balance your inner self, outer life and always try to move from inner to outer world thus following the principle of ‘Be, Do and Have’ but avoid the opposite to it ‘Have, Do and Be’. If you

understand and follow the guidelines of this book you can achieve self-mastery of your life.

You can achieve anything you have ever dreamt of. Then, you don't have to run after these ‘fake babas’ asking for solutions for your problems. Every solution is hiding deep inside your mind and you have to learn to reach out to that secret place. Nobody, other than you have the secret key to open the door to your success. It will open your eyes after reading each page of this book.

My fourth book in the series is titled ‘Four Battle Fronts of a

service, but also after they proceed on retirement. This book will inspire and motivate our youth to join the defence forces. Serving and retired soldiers will be able to get aware as to how to lead their lives with limited financial resources and live a happy, healthy and content life.

What inspired you to write these books?

My own experiences on my long journey of my life and self motivation inspired me to become the author, as it was my long pending dream.

What was the response to the books?

I got a very good response, however, being very busy in business, as well as visiting my children abroad, I could not plan the marketing of my books.

What was the kind of support you got from family and friends?

My wife supported me at each and every step so that I could concentrate on writing, and she also helped me with the editing part. My children & grandchildren encouraged me to write more and more books.

Military Hero’. This book covers all the aspects of a soldier that includes an insight into his inner self, financial life, social life in addition to his military profession for which he is very extensively trained to fight. This book tells the true tales of brave soldiers who valiantly fought the various battles during their active service and were decorated with gallantry awards. Let me tell you, if you really want to enhance the battle worthiness of the fighting forces, you need to make them free from the inner life, financial and social battle fronts not only during active

How do you strike a balance between writing and a retired life?

Presently, I am enjoying my retired life and have plenty of time. I have planned my daily routine of looking after my health and doing a bit to assist my wife at home. It seems ironic, but thanks to the present pandemic situation for the compulsory rest for such a long time. I am enjoying a happy, healthy and content life.

Touchwd C

hildhood days were less complex, and our parents and grandparents made it even more sorted by simply categorizing things into good and bad, vice or virtue. And if nothing worked with the stubborn ones, a foolproof strategy was the use of superstitions. What logic could not explain, superstitions did- and that would put an end to all the arguments, no matter how meaningless and vague most of the superstitions seemed.

I vividly remember my grandmother disallowing me to cut my nails after sunset.

When asked to explain why, she just gazed right into my eyes (and my soul) and said these words: “Because one must not.” No scientific explanation, empirical findings, or a valid statistical data could beat what sounded like the ultimate truth at that point of time, although it was probably something to do with the era my grandmother belonged to, when there was no electricity and trying to snip nails in the dark could become risky for a number of reasons. But the brain rejects all rationality and won't investigate any further because disobeying was a lose-lose situation. An angry parent is any child's misfortune, so why get into trouble. Quite clearly, you now know how potentially unlucky it is for kids to not believe in the superstitions their family members believe in. And just like that, I was deeply conditioned to avoid pointing at rainbows, to ensure my slippers are placed upright and not upside down, to not get near any gigantic peepal tree around evening time, or to just change my route or cancel my plans if I encountered a black cat crossing my path.

As I grew up, studying Psychology taught me how to challenge ideas and beliefs and why not to accept things at the face value. We studied the science behind superstitions and understood that these are mere associations which develop as an attempt to predict or control the unknowns of life. And when they seem to give us some sense of control, these can be completely unavoidable. Interestingly, the biggest driving force behind most superstitions is us humans wanting more control or certainty, because the truth is, no matter how well we are prepared for an exam, a ceremony, a presentation or an event, things can still happen beyond our control.

A more scientific explanation is Kahneman's dual thinking model, in which he proposed that humans are capable of both, fast and slow thinking. While the former is quick and more intuitive, the latter is speculative and rational, goes way deeper and is therefore time

consuming. When it comes to believing in superstitions, people can feel that they are working more intuitively and something is not right, but because slow thinking is capable of only error detection and not error correction, they continue to believe in the superstitions anyway. So, in a way, superstitions are like the real- time placebos- if you think something will help you, it may do just that- filling you with a sense of security, comfort and confidence. In addition, these work as super- fast anxiety relievers, chaos turned to calmness within minutes.

All thanks to Psychology, it helped me gain such deep insights into human behaviour and cognitions. I feel liberated from the tentacles of illogical and unreasonable thinking system.

I've now learnt how to challenge superstitions, and 'Touchwood!', everything in my life is going just fine.

Contributed by:

ADITI AHLUWALIA Psychologist and Counsellor

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MEENAXEE RAJ 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).

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Celebrating the traditional

HANDICRAFTS OF INDIA

CANE & WICKER Cane and bamboo have remained inseparable parts of life in Assam. Grown in abundance there and hence most of the household articles in the homes of Assamese are made of cane and bamboo.

They happen to be the two most commonly-used items in daily life, ranging from household implements to construction of dwelling houses to furniture to weaving accessories to musical instruments. Today, items made from these two, including wicker are a huge rage in decor across the globe.

Besides being environment friendly, they add that colonial charm to your home.

The State has the greatest concentration of rattan and bamboo in the country and has more than 45 varieties. So add a piece or two of wicker or cane into your living space to make it even more enviable.

‘Wood, wicker furniture and decor pieces are taking centre stage in homes’ Architectural Digest, Sept 2019

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DHOKRA ART Dhokra art is essentially creating stunning metal figurines fashioned from bronze and copper-based alloys using a ‘lost wax casting’ known as ‘cire perdue’ in French. There are several processes involved in the making of Dhokra art and hence, a single piece could take up to a month or two to be created. It is the earliest known method of non-ferrous metal casting known to human civilization. The name dhokra or dokra was initially used to indicate a group of nomadic craftsmen, and is now generically applied to a variety of beautifully shaped and decorated brassware products created by the lost wax process. In India, these craftsmen are clustered in the states of Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Orissa and West Bengal.

CONCH SHELL CRAFT Conch shell craft basically refers to the art of engraving beautiful images on natural shells, obtained from the ocean bed. Each artisan has his own unique pattern of carving the shell.

While some craftsmen draw the image of Lord Shiva over the shell, others create entire episodes from the Mahabharata on it. Then, the stories of Lord Krishna also serve as popular themes for engraving the conch shells. It is very difficult to carve a conch shell and takes a minimum of two to three months to design a single shell item. This craft comes from West Bengal and the beauty and uniqueness of these crafts is very difficult to be described in words.

It is an extremely sophisticated and delicate craft. Not only are conch shells beautiful and delicate, they are also considered to be extremely auspicious, as per Hindu mythology. The craft form is also very expensive and is patronised by the ‘high and mighty’.

Contributed by:

Himani Galhotra Founder Touchstone Interiors

Dahlias

The ethereal beauty of

Come winter and the whiff of fragrance from the flowers mesmerises you. The season has a wide variety of flowers that are suitable for the Indian weather and are a sight for sore eyes. But for many, Dahlias pack a punch with their vibrant colours, size and sheer kingly presence in your garden.

ABOUT Dahlia is a genus of bushy, tuberous, herbaceous perennial plants native to Mexico and Central America. Its garden relatives thus include the sunflower, daisy, chrysanthemum and zinnia. There are 42 species of Dahlia, with hybrids commonly grown as garden plants. The Dahlia was declared the national flower of Mexico in 1963. Earlier, in 1824, Lord Holland sent his wife a note containing the following verse: "The dahlia you brought to our isle Your praises for ever shall speak; Mid gardens as sweet as your smile, And in colour as bright as your cheek” They come in different varieties that range from single-petalled to multi-petalled, dwarf, as well as button. They are very beautiful flowers and are a main attraction for butterflies and birds.

GROWING THEM You can grow Dahlias in pots or directly in soil. But use very less water until your Dahlias have sprouted. One should water Dahlias at least once or twice in a week after the flowers have bloomed. Dahlias grow best in winters in India. The flower blooms fully and beautifully. Dahlias demand ample amount of sunlight for healthy growth. Around eight hours of blazing sunlight will lead to an enhanced blooming capacity of the plant. Over watering can cause tubers to rot. Avoid watering the soil till the plant appears. You can fertilize them but make sure you do not over-fertilize your plants. In that case, they will not bloom.

Contributed by:

SEEMA SHARMA A Masters in Ecology & Environment and Diploma holder in Landscape & Horticulture from University of Canberra, 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.

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CHANDIGARH LITERARY SOCIETY presents

CHANDIGARH INTERNATIONAL LITFEST

2020

VIRTUAL EDITION

20 - 22 Nov 2020

BOOK ON DRONACHARYA AWARDEE DP AZAD TO BE OUT SOON

A

book titled ‘Desh Prem Azad: The Man Behind Kapil Dev’ authored by his son, Monish DP Azad tracing the achievements of Indian cricket’s first-ever Dronacharya awardee, (Late) Sh. D P Azad is going to be released soon. It is pertinent to mention that Azad was the coach behind the success of many Test cricketers including Kapil Dev, Chetan Sharma, Yograj Singh and Ashok Malhotra.

“If I have achieved anything in cricket, a lot of credit goes to him," remarked Kapil Dev in an interview. "He coached me from the beginning of my career. I remember the first

day I went to the stadium and I only learnt from him. Later on, he was not just a coach for me but a great friend too.”

Chetan Sharma was also coached by him since he was seven years of age. The book features DP Azad’s rise from playing cricket to coaching and has some interesting anecdotes.

A number of former and current players have given glowing tributes to him and his unique coaching techniques.

His contribution to the field of Cricket and Golf as a Sports Administrator are also featured in the book. The book is published by SRS Azad Publications.

The

WHEEL of

DESTINY A STORY OF THE GREAT WAR

Chapter of the forthcoming book ‘The Wheel of Destiny’ by Mandeep Rai (Cont’d from Sept issue)

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n Saturday, the 22nd of July David slept till 8.15, having attended a late-night party thrown by an old friend of his from Harrow – much back-slapping, heavy drinking, raucous laughter at the silliest of jokes, and in general bonhomie and revelry. As he came awake, feeling sluggish and a bit heavy in the head, with his pulse strident and fast, he couldn't have regretted it more.

He rang the silver bell, which promptly brought Mrs. Hodgkin, the housekeeper, to the door, with the morning papers, carried on a silver tray.

“Good morning, Mr. Freeman,” she said, looking at him rather closely.

“Mornin....”

“Shall I prepare the concoction first?” she asked, referring to her famous concoction of salted limewater, a pinch of black-pepper and some crushed raisins, which she believed could beat back a hangover.

“Yes.” So off she went to do the needful. It wasn't until he had gulped the full glass of limewater that David picked up the Saturday edition of THE TIMES. The headlines had him sitting straight up in bed, the sluggishness having vanished as if miraculously.

There it was staring him in the face: David Lloyd George, the considerate Welshman, who was widely regarded as a dove, having opposed the Boer war, had given a stern warning to Germany. As he read the entire report he couldn't help admiring the perspicacity of Winston Churchill, who had apparently set this up.

“There's a feeling in Germany,” Sir Edward had told him a few days back, “that Britain would sit on the sidelines if there's a flare-up between France and Germany. The hardliners in Berlin point to the Entente Cordiale, which doesn't oblige us to back

France in any war. And there's a growing feeling that the Cabinet would be deeply divided on this issue, with Lloyd George in particular expected to oppose any protagonist who moots war. Winston is aware of this. He has promised he'll work on Lloyd George and get him publicly to rebuke Germany. He feels that if our greatest pacifist issues a strong statement the Germans will find it difficult to disregard it.”

'Hats off, Sir, Hats off,' said David in his mind, reading the punch lines over and over again, which were as under: 'Speaking with uncharacteristic vehemence, David Lloyd George delivered a sharp warning to Germany in a hard hitting speech at Mansion House, the residence of the Lord Mayor of London. Addressing the annual gathering of the corporate heads of railway and maritime companies, bankers and financiers, industrialists and factory owners, insurance executives and stockbrokers, merchants and traders, and other financial leaders, the Chancellor of the Exchequer declared that he was willing to make great sacrifices to preserve peace in Europe. “But if a situation were to be forced upon us,” he further said, “whereby peace was to be preserved by surrendering the great and powerful position Britain has won over the centuries by acts of heroism and achievement, and where our interests were vitally affected as if Britain was of no consequence in the Cabinet of nations, then I say emphatically that peace at that price would be an intolerable humiliation.”

'Lloyd George was lustily cheered by the audience, which was entirely won over by the strong patriotic flavour of his speech. As one observer put it, British financial leaders have unfailingly put the national interest above business considerations, the response to the Chancellor's

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speech being another example of that sentiment.

Informed sources indicated that the Germans would find it very difficult to ignore this warning, coming as it does from a senior and much respected member of the Cabinet. They observed that in the wake of this speech it was extremely unlikely that Germany would take the risk of escalating the crisis in Agadir.'

Expecting a buoyant atmosphere in the Foreign Office, David had hastily dressed and rushed there, only to find that the mood was sombre and downcast. He couldn't quite comprehend this. The mystery was cleared when he met the Foreign Secretary, who was bristling with indignation.

“What happened, Sir?” “The Germans have made the most preposterous demand imaginable – they want the coast of French Congo and a large part of the hinterland in return for withdrawing the BERLIN from Agadir. This is brinkmanship of the worst order – no Power can snatch colonies like this! In a way, they're telling the French we'll leave you alone in Morocco and allow you to establish a protectorate provided you compensate us with territorial concessions in Africa,” said Sir Edward, all het up.

“This'll surely rile the French, Sir. They are yet to live down the loss of Alsace and Lorraine.”

“It sure will! I was hoping it wouldn't come to this… but we'll have to give them a stiffer warning and threaten Naval action.”

David was quiet for once, wondering what diplomats could do given Germany's strident and intransigent attitude in the Agadir crisis. “The Germans don't understand,” continued the Foreign Secretary, “Britain and France have acquired colonies because they are sea-faring nations. Germany is not. And even otherwise the Germans are ill-equipped to run colonies. They set no store for understanding different cultures, societies, faiths, languages. Britain and France do.”

“Absolutely, Sir, in my opinion, German society is essentially inward-looking… the attitude is more of a land-locked people who have this burning desire to expand their borders.”

“To colonize distant lands you have to venture out in the right spirit, understand the local people, speak their language, know their culture, appreciate their sensibilities; have the ability to deal with different faiths without infringing your own on them. It requires great subtlety of mind and a flexible attitude for you have both to adapt and adopt, learn as you go by….”

“The Germans clearly lack this, Sir.” “They certainly do. A German Viceroy's main concern would be to Germanize his colonial possession.”

Minutes later, when David got up to leave he was very sure that the elder man had his eye on the ball and would play it right in the middle of the bat. In diplomacy the Germans just couldn't match the British, he well might have said to himself.

But any hopes of an early resolution of the crisis were dashed on the 25th of July when matters came to a head, with the German Ambassador delivering such a strongly worded rejoinder that it created a panic. The Foreign Secretary summoned the First Lord of the Admiralty, McKenna, to his chamber in the House of Commons and told him bluntly to be prepared for hostilities as the British Fleet could be attacked by the Germans without any further warning.

Later that day when Sir Edward Grey returned to the Foreign Office from the House of Commons, accompanied by an unusually grimlooking Churchill, it was a clear sign that the crisis hadn't yet blown over. While David was not in the loop of people who knew exactly what was going on, it became clear to him in the evening that an ultimatum had been given to Germany to withdraw the BERLIN from Agadir at once, or else.

And in a master move, which David suspected bore Churchill's stamp, the British Fleet was directed to move southwards through the English Channel, so that there could be an effective 'Checkmate'. David noticed a growing friendship between Churchill and Grey thereafter, with the two of them leaving together every evening to visit the Automobile Club.

MANDEEP RAI

A gifted writer, known for his impeccable research, Mandeep Rai is a former IRS officer and has authored ‘In The Shadow of the Pines: A story of the Raj’, ‘No Friends - No Enemies’ and ‘When The Vulture Descends’.

THE ART OF CREATING UNFORGETTABLE CHARACTER NAMES How a character feels about his or her name is a goldmine of character development just waiting to happen. Never be afraid to be creative. Remember, regardless of what you're writing, this is your world. These are your people. Make them your own.

S

herlock Holmes, Liam Devlin, Sir Lancelot, Tintin, Vitalstatistix, Hannibal Lector, Atticus Finch etc., are names that are etched in our memories. That's been only possible by authors/writers who had worked hard on creating such believable and memorable names. To quote Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, "What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." But would it? A heroine named Beth doesn't invoke the same response as a Christine or a Juliet. A memorable character name will not only define the book and shape the story, but it should invoke an instant image in the reader's mind. For example, Scarlett O'Hara places a much different image in the reader's mind than June O'Hara or even Juanita O'Hara. The name Scarlett completely captures the spirit and fire of the Margaret Mitchell character that we all know and love as the turbulent heroine of ‘Gone with the Wind’. Her full name was in fact Katie Scarlett O'Hara. The name Katie is sweeter, more demure, almost childlike, while Katherine is proper and formal, neither of which would have been appropriate for our Scarlett.

Capture the persona You should always try to choose a name that captures the character's personality, an instant reader association that will allow them to know something about that character. What you wish to convey is solely up to you. But make the name mean something. Don't just arbitrarily

decide on a name for any of your people, including secondary characters. You never know when that character will come back to be the hero of another book or even another series. Spend time with every character in your story, large or small. Take a little time and get to know them. Almost everyone human has some type of baggage that comes along with their names. Playing off, of this will make your character seem more real.

Choose a name in keeping with your character's heritage and personality Keep the character's social status in mind. Until recently, it was virtually unheard of to find European nobility named "common" names such as Sarah, Molly, Emma, etc. They relied on the traditional names such as Elizabeth, Victoria, Anne, and such that were recycled through their families. Today they are bucking that tradition, but remember that if you have a character who does, it would be a cause for alarm to the rest of the family who might want a more traditional name chosen.

Avoid the names others have made famous Most character names are not trademarked; however, some are. But regardless of whether they've been trademarked, it's always a good idea to avoid the names that other people have made famous. It pays to be original and it's a great high to create and savour something, even if it is a name for your character.

BOOK TITLES YOU THOUGHT NEVER EXISTED

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ਵਣ ਚ ਲੰ ਿਘਆ ਜਾਂ ਵ ਦਾ ਿਬਰਛ ਨੇ ਫਿੜਆ ਹੱ ਥ ਤੂ ੰ ਤਾਂ ਮੈ ਨੂੰ ਜਾਣਦ ਤੂ ੰ ਮੇ ਰੀ ਗੱ ਲ ਦੱ ਸ

Punjabi@

(ਨਵਤੇ ਜ ਭਾਰਤੀ)

ਹਰ ਿਜ਼ੰਦਗੀ ਿਜ਼ੰਦਗੀ ਨਹ ਕੋਈ ਕਥਾ ਕਹਾਣੀ ਹੈ (ਿਸੱਧਾਰਥ ਜੀ ਦਾ ਕਥਨ)

RUPINDER SINGH AULAKH

ਫ਼ਲਦਾਰ ਦਰੱਖਤ ਹਮੇਸ਼ਾ ਝੁ ਿਕਆ ਹੁੰਦਾ ਹੈ

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.

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You heard ‘em

NOW KNOW

Songs based on books

ABOUT ‘EM

RAMONES – PET SEMATARY (1989) Based On: Stephen King – Pet Sematary (1983). King himself is an enormous Ramones fan and Dee Dee Ramone reportedly wrote the lyrics in the basement of the author’s New England home in Bangor, Maine.

METALLICA FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS (1984) Based On: Ernest Hemingway – For Whom The Bell Tolls (1940). The madness of war strips away all narratives except ‘the will to be’ and makes for one of Metallica’s most powerful ‘political’ statements.

JIMMY EAT WORLD GOODBYE SKY HARBOR (1999) Based On: John Irving – A Prayer For Owen Meany (1989). Jimmy Eat World mainman Jim Adkins has actually acknowledged that as Anthrax “always had a Stephen King song” he wanted to try to insert the ideas of what he was reading back into his music. A complex drama of friendship, faith and the trials of 20th century America.

IRON MAIDEN BRAVE NEW WORLD (2000) Based On: Alders Huxley – Brave New World (1932). The title-track from Iron Maiden’s 2000 return-to-form and singer Bruce Dickinson’s return to the fold packed a big punch on the music charts. It provides the basis for a masterwork of incredibly expansive, utterly irresistible sweep. Top stuff.

MANDEEP CAUR

What do I make of…Your Prolonged silence Tacit promise Terse note Just the hunches of your Unfinished conjecture Unspoken words Unexpressed feelings Brusque touch Distant… incoherent…inchoate…

I try to join them Piece by piece To complete a message I long to receive!

None that I can Touch… feel… grasp Makes me wonder If there was any?

Or I chased a mirage Unreal and ersatz

DIVYA BANSAL

सं

ार था

POETREE

आओ एक बार िफर माँ भारती का मान बढ़ाएँ , सं

ार था की एक नयी रीत जग म चलाएँ ,

हर घर हो सं

ारी बालक ऐसी एक लहर उठाएँ ,

हर माँ हो चेतन, िशशु को गभ म ही ान िदलाएँ , आओ एक बार िफर माँ भारती का मान बढ़ाएँ । भोजन से ही ना केवल, पोषण आयुवद से भी पाएँ , पुराणो ं की वाणी सुन मनो: मंगल भजन भी गाएँ , ेम से धारण कर गभ, माताऐ ं स िचत हो जाएँ , मात- िपता गभ से ही बालक को सं

ार िसखाएँ ,

आओ एक बार िफर माँ भारती का मान बढ़ाएँ । बेटा-बेटी एक समान पहले ये ख़ुद को समझाएँ , िदल से हर फ़क िमटाकर आने वाली ख़ुशी मनाएँ , एक दू जे का स

ान करना कोख म ही िसखाएँ ,

आदश माता-िपता बन बालक को िव ान बनाएँ , आओ एक बार िफर माँ भारती का मान बढ़ाएँ । भेद भाव का ज़हर कभी भी ना िशशु को िपलाएँ ,

Mandeep Caur is a poet and has a published book ‘Living to Winning’ to her credit. She is a VicePresident for one of the mul i-na ional telecom service providers in India. She has also won many accolades for her work.

सहज सरल हो हर बालक ऐसा ही कृित से वो करे ेम ऐसा वचन आर

वहार बनाएँ , से भराएँ ,

ेम मोती हो हर ब ा एक जगत की माला बनाएँ , आओ एक बार िफर माँ भारती का मान बढ़ाएँ । Divya Bansal is a spiritual counsellor who guides with Tarot Cards, Psychic Healing, NLP, various Medita ion techniques. She expresses herself by wri ing ar icles and poems, pain ing and community service ac ivi ies.

18

MARCH OR DIE A BRIEF ACCOUNT OF THE CORPS OF GUIDES (cont’d from Sept issue)

L

ieutenant Harry Lumsden also known as Joe Lumsden, was just the man for the job as he was a keen marksman, swordsman and horseman and the sort of a man that the Frontier Tribesman would respect. He was said to be ideally suited to the task of recruiting, training and leading some of the most unpromising soldier material it is possible to imagine. These were men who considered themselves to be warriors, but who looked at any sort of authority with contempt.

Lumsden wrote to his father after his appointment calling his post 'the finest appointment in the country'. When the Guides were raised in 1846 they had very humble beginnings and comprised of one troop of cavalry and two companies of infantry.

Lumsden established the regimental Headquarters in a ruin known as the Burj in Peshawar, the only building which still survives from the era. After 1851 the Regimental headquarters was moved to the village of Hoti Mardan about 40 miles from Peshawar on the Yousafzai plain. Hoti Mardan remained the home of the Guides for almost 90 years. It was here at Mardan that Lumsden built this unique unit of horse cavalry and infantry in a fighting force which over time has gained a legendary status. The early recruits were drawn from the three largest Pashtun tribes of the Vale of Peshawar- the Yousafzai, the Khatak and the Muhammadzai.

However, overtime the Guides expanded its recruiting base to include men from the Sikhs, Gurkhas, Afridis, Hazaras, Waziris and Pathans from every class. Tough men who could look after themselves, could lead and inspire were recruited and this gradually made the Guides the firefighters of the Frontier as well as the sought after unit for special missions. The love and affection that the troops had for Lumsden is evident with this anecdote, that when Sir John Lawrence, the Lieutenant Governor of Punjab visited the Guides and spoke to Lumsden in a rough manner it was taken as an affront to the prestige of the unit and the Commander. That evening Lumsden's orderly came to him and told him how deeply he and his comrades felt about the incident. They offered to

intercept Lawrence and make sure that he does not reach his destination, thereby regaining the honour and pride of the Regiment. Suffice it to say that Lumsden had to convince his men to do no such thing. This incident was illustrative of the esprit de corps and elan of the Regiment.

The Corps of Guides were also the harbingers of another iconic item- the Khaki uniform. Khaki means the color of dust - a predominant feature on the wild Frontier. As the Guides were operating in an area dominated by dust and barren hills, it was thought imperative that some sort camouflage be adopted. After many attempts the correct formula was found in mulberry juice which produced a drab yellow colour. This was the colour which then evolved into Khaki. Overtime the khaki became the standard for all uniformed services in India and other colonies and in time was also adopted by the British Army. Besides the Army it found favor with the police, postal services etc.

The police today are synonymous with the word Khaki.

The greatest test and achievement of the Corps of Guides, however, took place not on the Frontier, but on the Ridge of Delhi in the tumultuous summer of 1857 during what was known to the British as the Sepoy Mutiny and to us Indians, as our first shot in the long struggle of Independence. Various reasons are attributed for the Revolt by historians, the most famous being the issue of cartridges being greased with beef or pig fat or both, thus alienating the Hindu and Muslim troops of the Bengal Army. The Bengal Army infact suffered from a generation of indifference shown by its young officers to the Sepoys, leading to a fatal disconnect between the officers and men. The fact

that the Madras and Bombay Armies did not mutiny goes a long way to show the way the Bengal Army was being run and that the question of Mutiny was not if but when. The Bengal Army in protest of this and many other things rose and swiftly took many towns garrisoned by the British in force and going on take Delhi and proclaiming their allegiance to the last Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar.

The only troops who could swiftly be moved to Delhi were the irregular troops of the Punjab Frontier Force or Troops from the uncompromised Madras and Bombay Armies.

It was in this backdrop that one of most epic marches in the annals of war took place under the harshest of circumstances covering the Corps of Guides forever in glory.

When news of the Mutiny and the fall of Delhi reached the Frontier, Harry Lumsden was not at Mardan having been sent on a high risk mission to Kandahar with a detachment and the Guides were under the command of Hanry Daly. The hot months of the summer were well under way and it was the month of Ramzan, meaning that no adult Muslim could eat or drink during the daylight hours. On 13th May the Regiment was ordered to move to Delhi and assist in the retaking of the city. On the same day at 1800 hrs they set forth from their base at Hoti Mardan for Delhi, having to fight a punitive action at Karnal and also being held up at Attock Fort and Rawalpindi for five days.

The fact that the Guides were able to complete the 600 mile march from Hoti Mardan to Delhi Ridge in 26 days, during the month of Ramzan and the scorching heat of the North Indian summer, fighting actions on way goes a long way in establishing how tough these men of the Frontier were and that the spirit of Naam, Namak and Nishan had entered their very soul.

Daly's diary for the first 2 days tells the story; 16th Boran, 32 miles from Attcok. Marched at 2 AM in the midst of a sweeping, violent dust storm, after which the air grew cool. Many of the men sore footed after that hot long march from Mardan to Attock, but all cheerful and making light of their work.17th Jani-Ki-Sang, 32 miles; a pleasant march, reaching our ground about 8am.

And so the march continued night after night in the sweltering heat. Around the 6th of June after crossing the Sutlej river and with Delhi less that a 100 miles away, the Guides suffered their first causalities with cholera claiming the life of one cook and effecting 7-8 other men. A local action also had to be fought against a hostile village in which one man was killed and 3 injured. On the 9th June the Guides finally reached the Delhi Ridge ending their epic 600 mile march. To observers who saw them coming in, the Guides seemed to only have marched a mile, so firm and light in step they were.

The Guides had started from Hoti Mardan a mere six hours after receiving orders to move, had made 3 halts on orders but had nevertheless marched 600 miles in 22 daysthe equivalent of 22 marathons completed in as many days but in full marching order, during the fast of Ramzan and the hottest month of the calendar. However, in less than three hours of their arrival on the Ridge, the Guides were in the thick of action. The mutineers had launched a massive attack and every man was needed to hold the line. When Daly was asked how soon his men could enter action he characteristically replied 'In half an hour'. The Guides were thrown in the fray a mere two to three hours after they had completed their epic march, the enemy was beaten back. The Guides, however, paid a heavy price with 350 of their ranks becoming casualties out of a strength of 600.

(To be continued in next issue......)

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 author currently resides in Panchkula and is a practicing Advocate in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Chandigarh.

Time In Pandemic Times

T

ime and death are in cahoots. Death's wrinkled hand fits the eternal glove of time perfectly. Their skilled chicanery has us believe in the blissfulness of an Elysian ignorance until the gloved hand punches us squarely in the face , in the aftermath of which our ears shriek and shout out their soliloquy to themselves, buzzing and ringing like an unanswered telephone. Almost immediately the train of our oblivion screeches to a halt. The moment of our epiphany is momentous. A misty dawn, the pale colour of death rises upon the horizon of eternal time while a brazen skyline makes their division conspicuous. The folds of a creased epidermis peer from under the glove of time. The eternal secret stands stark, stripped and naked. Having discovered the truth, we feel like a coming of age story.

The ticking clock tries to measure the transcendence of time. The crescent shaped moon of death emerges like a sickle upon the neck of time, but the eternity of time is limitlessly immortal while that of death is fleeting at best and mortal at worst. Both Time and death know that death cannot wrest the transcendence from time. Yet their skilled sophistry has us believe otherwise. It has us believe in the mortality of time tremulously fluttering at the helm of death's

claws. It has us believe in the vulnerable susceptibility of time to death's homicidal inclinations. Prior to the revelatory punch, we believed that death killed time and that time existed only to the extent that death spared it. So, we marked and traced the ascent of time by ticking clocks and clamouring bells and its descent by death and decay. Almost always we used time as a marker of progress, an outlier to the future, a path to a destination pivoted in another segment of being. We scarcely ever marked its descent, except through the archetypal time machine and the full-stop called death. That death marked an end to the flow of time objectively was ostensibly self-evident but the fact that the course of time cannot be traced objectively was something that the gloved hand refused to loosen its grip around. Death and time were birds of the same flock. Empty. Banal.

Elusive. Yet one was mortal the other immortal.

We did not know that an epiphany was a moment fleeting in time, careening swiftly through space, bequeathing the euphoria of an entire lifetime upon the nimble shoulders of an ephemeral second and that an epiphany was an anomaly to time's stringent laws . It were infinite moments squeezed into a single one. So many years living in the moment, a moment defying the surgical division of time. A moment like love.

Likewise, we did not know that the droll monotony of time spiralling in loops around us, could uncannily transport us into the future in no time at all. A second was all it took to jump from one Wednesday to another, from one year to the next in times like the one we are currently in.

Time is what it feels like and not what it is and death is just another hole in the blanket of its transcendence, a hole that makes no difference in the blanket's ability to spread itself expansively upon limitless space.

Contributed by:

SAHEJ MANN Harsahej Mann is an alumnus of The Welham Girls School Dehradun . She is currently pursuing an history honours degree at the Punjab University , Chandigarh. Her articles have appeared in publications like The Tribune and The Raw Whispers Magazine .

21

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