THE PEOPLES’ MOVEMENT CALLED DARRANG COLLEGE

May 14, 2024article, articles, autobiographyamerican soldiers, assam, bengali theatre hall, british government, darrang college, duchi, gujarat, harijan colony, italian, Jyoti Prasad Agarwala, kamakhya prasad tripathi, KamalaPrasad Agarwala, kamlesh tripathi, kumud dutta, mahatma gandhi, mangaldai, manthan, milk revolution, quit india movement, shravan charity mission, shyam benegal, tezpurshravancharitymission

The 1976 movie ‘Manthan’ by Shyam Benegal was based on India’s White Revolution and the importance of milk. The movie was funded by 500000 farmers who donated Rs 2 each. Manthan is the first crowd-funded Indian film. Not many outside Darrang district would know that the citizens of the district too funded the construction and commencement of Darrang College in Tezpur, Assam. A passionate movement to establish Darrang College started around the Quit India movement in 1942, the undercurrents of which began in 1941. The sad part is no commercial movie was screened on this great movement for education in India. Why it escaped the attention of so many distinguished filmmakers remains a mystery. Maybe the story of this remote district never reached them.

The beginning of Darrang College takes you back to the age-old colonial British Raj when there was no college in the Darrang district. Darrang, a remote place in Assam, became a district with Mangaldai as its headquarters. In 1835, the headquarters was shifted to Tezpur. Tezpur as we all know came into the limelight during the Indo-China conflict in 1962 (https://darrang.gov.in/history.htm).

When India was struggling for independence, Darrang district was striving, both for India’s independence and for a college that would have heightened the literary levels of the students in the district. The citizens had foreseeable ambitions for a college but lacked resources. The British Government was not inclined to help the citizens, especially, after the announcement of the Quit India Movement in 1942 by none other than Gandhi Ji himself.

World War II was at its zenith and the Japanese threat loomed large in the east. Time was not suitable. But even then a few prominent citizens of Tezpur headed by Kumud Dutta, Kamakhya Prasad Tripathi and Jyoti Prasad Agarwala made a bold decision to start a college in Tezpur. A public meeting was called on the 9th of February 1941, and a committee was formed to raise funds to implement the decision.

Meanwhile, the Allied Troops occupied strategic places and Assam became the battlefront. In Tezpur, foreign troops occupied all school buildings and available public and private places that they could lay their hands on. Simultaneously, the Indian revolution for freedom flared up from one end of the country to the other. Tezpur and adjoining areas became the scene of bitter struggle. Many freedom fighters lost their lives and many suffered brutal assaults and severe injuries. Many leaders were jailed. Nothing could be done under these appalling conditions. The idea of starting the college receded to the background, while the war continued till 1945 with unabated fury. The prospect of opening the college thus appeared bleak.

Later, the atmosphere cleared up with the release of national leaders, the war coming to a close and the prospect of political settlement in sight. On the 11th of November 1944, at a meeting in the municipal office in Tezpur, it was finally decided to start the college by July 1945, both in the Arts and Science stream. A drive to raise donations from the public was thus undertaken. It was decided that contributions would have to be sought from none other than the citizens of Darrang district themselves. Accordingly, a communication was drafted in which it was spelt out that all citizens needed to contribute to the cause to realise their dreams.

Soon a brochure was also published. It emphasised the need for a college in Tezpur, the headquarters of the Darrang district. To make the idea more understandable to the general public, a sentence was added in the brochure which stated ‘If every family in the district contributed the amount of paddy consumed by a parrot in a year, it would be sufficient to establish a college’. That was the spirit of those times because a college in the district was an absolute must, just as India’s independence, as without education, the citizens of the district would have remained behind. Soon, volunteers started visiting the citizens for donations and the people of the Darrang district contributed munificently. Can anyone think of such a novel campaign now? Perhaps not because there are alternate resources available now to realise one’s dreams in independent India. But that apart, the spirit of camaraderie, bonding and the oneness of Indians were much more intense under the colonial British Raj than it is today.

Soon volunteers started a door-to-door campaign. Citizens who could not contribute money contributed in kind such as building materials or any other item required for the college or got involved in plain Kar-sewa or any other leg-work. The campaign at its crescendo became a personal swansong of every citizen of Darrang district. Every morning volunteers made a milk run on defined routes of the Darrang district to collect money and communicate the progress of the project to the citizens. ‘Darrang College’ was now a movement alongside India’s Independence Movement. The campaign’s intensity induced even the poorest of the poor to contribute for the college.

Donations were made extensively by the public and the business community. It crossed rupees sixty thousand which was a big amount then. The highest contribution came from a villager by the name of Shri Prabhu Ram Karki Chetri for what he called the ‘Temple of Education’.

An Italian-born citizen of Tezpur, by the name of Mr Duchi, offered his beautiful residential building to start the college. The building was mortgaged to one prominent merchant, the late Sohanlal Dugar. He readily agreed to forego the interest. The building was purchased. Shri M.N. Phukan played the leading role in this transaction.

The college opened in July 1945 with 112 students and 8 professors. Shri K.P. Tripathi became the founder-principal. It was a red-letter day for Tezpur and everybody rejoiced the reward. The college applied to Calcutta University for affiliation. Such was the flow of visitors that even American Soldiers and Airforce Men (white and black) flocked to the college campus to see to their surprise how fluently the professors lectured in English without the aid of any notes. They organised a boxing contest in the Bengali Theatre Hall in aid of the college fund. This gesture of goodwill was gratefully acknowledged by the students. ‘Be the Jewel Among Men.’ became the motto of the college. A few years later Mahatma Gandhi blessed the college when Tripathi and Agarwalla met him in Harijan Colony Delhi.

I still wish someone could make a film on this public movement called ‘Darrang College’. Is someone listening?

***

Written by Kamlesh Tripathi

https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life-threatening diseases, especially cancer. Our posts are meant for our readers, including children and adults, and have a huge variety in content. We also accept donations for our mission. Should you wish to donate to the cause? The bank details are given below:

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

Kamlesh Tripathi’s Publications

GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

(The book is about a young cancer patient. Now archived in 8 prestigious libraries of the US which include Harvard College Library; Harvard University Library; Library of Congress; University of Washington, Seattle; University of Minnesota, Minneapolis; Yale University, New Haven; University of Chicago; University of North Carolina, at Chapel Hill University Libraries. It can also be accessed at MIT through Worldcat.org. Besides, it is also available for reading in libraries and archives of Canada; Cancer Aid and Research Foundation Mumbai; Jaipuria Institute of Management, Noida, India; Shoolini University, Yogananda Knowledge Center, Himachal Pradesh and Azim Premzi University, Bangalore).

ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

(Is a book on ‘singlehood’ about a Delhi girl now archived in Connemara Library, Chennai and Delhi Public Library, GOI, Ministry of Culture, Delhi; It is also available for reading in the Indian National Bibliography, March 2016, in the literature section, in Central Reference Library, Ministry of Culture, India, Belvedere, Kolkata-700022)

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

(Is a fiction written around the great city of Nawabs—Lucknow. It describes Lucknow in great detail and also talks about its Hindu-Muslim amity, which is the undying characteristic of Lucknow. The book was launched at the Lucknow International Literary Festival in 2014. It is included for reading in Askews and Holts Library Services, Lancashire, U.K; Herrick District Library, Holland and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library, Mecklenburg County in North Carolina, USA; Black Gold Cooperative Library Administration, Arroyo Grande, California; Berkeley Library, University of California).

REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

(Co-published by Cankids–Kidscan, a pan India NGO and Shravan Charity Mission, that works for child cancer in India. The book is endorsed by Ms Preetha Reddy, MD Apollo Hospitals Group. It was launched at the Lucknow International Literary Festival in 2016).

TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN

(Is a story of an Indian salesman who is, humbly qualified. Yet he fights his way through unceasing uncertainties to reach the top. A good read not only for salesmen. The book was launched on 10^th February 2018 at Gorakhpur Lit-Fest. Now available on Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

RHYTHM … in poems

(Published in January 2019. The book contains 50 poems. The poems describe our day-to-day life. A few poems from the book have been published in Shillong Times, Bandra Times and Bhavan’s Journal. The book is available on Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

MIRAGE

(Published in February 2020. The book is a collection of eight short stories available on Amazon, Flipkart and Notion Press)

AWADH ASSAM AND DALAI LAMA … The Kalachakra

(The story of the man who received His Holiness The Dalai Lama and his retinue in 1959 as a GOI representative when he fled Tibet in 1959. The book was launched on 21^st November 2022 by His Holiness The Dalai Lama at Dharmshala. The title is archived in the library of the Department of Information and International Relations (DIIR) Government of Tibet, Tibet Policy Institute (TPI) and the personal library of His Holiness The Dalai Lama. The title is also archived in The Ohio Digital Library, USA. It was recently included in the digital library of the world-renowned company APPLE).

BHAVANS JOURNAL

Short stories, Book reviews and Articles published in Bhavan’s Journal: 1. Reality and Perception, 15.10.19; 2. Sending the Wrong Message, 31.5.20; 3. Eagle versus Scholars June, 15 & 20, 2020; 4. Indica, 15.8.20; 5. The Story of King Chitraketu, August 31 2020; 6. Breaking Through the Chakravyuh, September 30 2020. 7. The Questioning Spouse, October 31, 2020; 8. Happy Days, November 15, 2020; 9. The Karma Cycle of Paddy and Wheat, December 15, 2020; 10. Power Vs Influence, January 31, 2021; 11. Three Refugees, March 15, 2021; 12. Rise and Fall of Ajatashatru, March 31, 2021; 13. Reformed Ruler, May 15, 2021; 14. A Lasting Name, May 31, 2021; 15. Are Animals Better Teachers? June 16, 2021; 16. Book Review: The Gram Swaraj, 1.7.21; 17. Right Age for Achievements, 15.7.21; 18. Big Things Have Small Beginnings, 15.8.21; 19. Where is Gangaridai?, 15.9.21; 20. Confront the Donkey Within You 30.9.21; 21. Know Your Strengths 15.10.21; 22. Poverty 15.11.21; 23. Top View 30.11.21; 24. The Bansuriwala 15.1.22; 25. Sale of Alaska 15.2.22; 26. The Dimasa Kingdom 28.2.22;27. Buried Treasure 15.4.22; 28. The Kingdom of Pragjyotisha 30.4.22; 29. Who is more useful? 15.5.22; 30. The White Swan from Lake Mansarovar 30.6.22; 31. Bhool Bhulayya 15.9.22; 32. Good Karma 30.9.22; 33. Good Name vs Bad Name 15.10.22; 34. Uttarapath—The Grand Trunk Road 1.12.22; 35. When Gods Get Angry 1.1.23; 36. Holinshed’s Chronicles 15.1.23; 37. Theogony 15.2.23; 38. Poem: Mother 14.5.23; 39. THE NAG MANDIR 30.6.23; 40. The Story of Garuda 30.7.23; 41. Janmabhoomi vs Karmabhoomi 31.8.23; 42. The Ghost Town of Kuldhara 15.9.23; 43. The Tale of Genji 15.10.23; 44. The Soul Connection 1.12.23; 45.Book review: Jungle Nama … a story of the Sundarban 16.3.24;

THE SHILLONG TIMES

ARTICLES & POEMS: 1. POEM: HAPPY NEW YEAR 8.1.23; 2. POEM: SPRING 12.3.23; 3. POEM: RIGHT AND WRONG 20.3.23; 4. THE GUSH OF EMOTION—WRITING, 26.3.23; 5. THE NAG MANDIR, 7.5.23; 6. POEM: MOTHER 7.5.23; 7. POEM: RAIN RAIN 9.7.23; 8. POEM: YOU COME ALONE YOU GO ALONE 6.8.23; 9. RAIN RAIN (SECOND TIME) 10.8.23; 10. POEM: GURU TEACHER 10.8.23; 11. POEM: AUTUMN … THE INTERIM HEAVEN 15.10.23; 12. POEM: HAPPY DIWALI 12.11.23; 13. OVERCOMING BLINDNESS: LEARN IT THE JOHN MILTON WAY 10.12.23; 14. THE HAPPY PRINCE AND THE HAPPY MAN’S SHIRT 31.12.23; 15. ANNUS MIRABILIS 2024 7.1.24; 16. GANDHI TO MAHATMA GANDHI- Incidents that Shaped Gandhi in South Africa 28.1.24; 17. POEM: TOGETHER BUT NOT MADE FOR EACH OTHER, 11.2.24; 18. THE BIRDS BEES AND THE SPIDERS OF NICHOLAS GUILDFORD AND JONATHAN SWIFT 25.2.24; 19. THE OVERCOATS OF NIKOLAI GOGOL AND RUSKIN BOND 10.3.24; 20. THE ETHNIC COLOURS OF HOLI 24.3.24; 21. A LESSON FROM DALAI LAMA, 21.4.24; 22. POEM: MORNING WALK 28.4.24;

THE ASSAM TRIBUNE

ARTICLE: 1. THE MAGIC OF READING 11.12.23; 2. GANDHI TO MAHATMA 29.1.24; 3. GEOGRAPHY OF SOLITUDE 8.4.24; 4. A LESSON FROM DALAI LAMA, 22.4.24; 5. A SOURCE OF INSPIRATION, 29.4.24; 6. THE FOUR-LEGGED LIBRARY, 12.5.24;

BANDRA TIMES, MUMBAI

ARTICLES & POEMS: 1. POEM: SPRING, 1.4.23; 2. POEM: MOTHER, 1.6.23; 3. POEM: RAIN RAIN, 1.8.23;

ARTICLES IN THE DIGITAL MAGAZINE ESAMSKRITI

29.12.2020: INDICA BY MEGASTHENES; 14.3.22: ABOUT THE DIMASA KINGDOM ASSAM; 10.12.22: GRAND TRUNK ROAD-UTTARAPATH; 5.10.23: THE GHOST TOWN OF KULDHARA NEAR JAISALMER;

(ALL THE ABOVE BOOK TITLES ARE AVAILABLE FOR SALE ON AMAZON, FLIPKART AND OTHER ONLINE STORES OR YOU COULD EVEN WRITE TO US FOR A COPY)

*****

A PEEP INTO NATIVE AMERICAN LITERATURE

May 3, 2024article, book corner, book launch, book review, book talk, literary corner, literatureatlantic ocean, aztecs, beowulf, chinook, clatsop, coyote, europeans, genghis khan, germanic heroic legend, kamlesh tripathi, missippi, mongolian, native american literature, new world, north america, salmon, shravan charity mission, south america, story, trickster, uighurshravancharitymission

The term “Native American Literature” relates to the stories of the natives of the New World. North and South America are known as the “New World”. The term originated because of the European voyages across the Atlantic Ocean. The Europeans discovered the two continents in the late 15th century. The expression “Native American Literature” in the real sense is a misnomer since the natives of the “New World” didn’t have writing traditions. There was no established alphabet or language in which the native tribes across the continents could write their stories.

On the contrary, the Native Cultures had oral traditions. A story would be passed down from one generation to another orally. It would be told by a storyteller, usually around a campfire at night. The stories were often tweaked while storytelling, with each storyteller adding, his or her spin to it with unique gestures such as tone and other alterations to make it more interesting and spicy and even more probing in terms of the story details. The central theme of the story however remained intact and was given a new look and feel with each generation of storytellers.

Umpteen parallels are available in history about oral traditions, later adopted into scripts. For example, scholars have debated if ‘Beowulf’ an old English epic poem in the tradition of Germanic heroic legend was initially transmitted orally. Beowulf was written mostly in the Late West Saxon dialect of Old English. In the 13^th century, Genghis Khan did not permit military information to be written down; it had to be delivered orally. The messengers therefore had to learn to compose and recite military orders through “rhetorically ornate rhyming words and cryptic expressions”. Concurrently, the government used the Mongolian language written in Uighur script for non-military mundane affairs because they had no script of their own—so even borrowed scripts were in vogue. The Uighurs had extensive libraries of hand-copied manuscripts translated from Sanskrit, but under the Mongols, many Tibetan manuscripts were also translated into Uighur script. Since the beginning of the 13th century, the Uighur script was adopted as the official script of the Mongol empire.

Some cultures did have a system of written traditions like the Aztecs, now more or less an extinct language. Some cultures used hieroglyphics and pictographic drawings to record important stories and messages.

The native nations across America shared no common language at the time of the Europeans’ arrival. In fact, no unified Native American culture existed at that time or any other time. The tribes and nations across the continents organised their societies in various ways. They had different economic and political systems, linguistic structures, and customs. The better-organised tribal societies co-existed along with hunter-gatherer societies. So, it was a genuine mix of cultures.

The Europeans had comedies, tragedies, sonnets, and lyrics and the native cultures developed their own storytelling methods.

Trickster tales were common across Native American cultures. A “trickster” was usually a rowdy, childlike prankster who created trouble wherever he went. He didn’t behave by the rules and had little respect for authority. But he had magical abilities. He could change his gender on his whim- to avoid getting caught or to cause mischief. A trickster was commonly associated with an animal. In the West, he was a coyote, in the Southeast a rabbit, and in the northern Great Plains a spider. A trickster would cause trouble, but at the same time he would convey an important message through a parable. Through the disorder that he caused, he pushed people to reflect on what they valued and knew. Tales of a familiar trickster character were usually strung into “cycles” of different episodes.

Coyote is a major mythological figure for most Native American tribes, especially those west of the Mississippi. Like the real coyotes, the mythological Coyote is well known for his crafty intelligence, stealth, and voracious appetite.

In a Clatsop Chinook trickster tale, the trickster Coyote learns about certain fishing taboos regarding fishing salmons in the river. After each failure, he angrily consults his excrements, who reveal another secret about properly catching, cutting, and cooking the fish. The Clatsop are a small tribe of Chinookan-speaking Native Americans in the Pacific Northwest of the United States.

Like Europeans, Native American cultures had their own stories about how they came to be. The creation of Native American stories helped cultures understand their role on planet Earth. The stories were usually set in nature and had anthropomorphic characters, supernatural events, and complicated storylines. Many native cultures also had stories of the ‘great flood’, like the Judeo-Christian and other religious traditions worldwide.

Like other cultures, Native American cultures too had specific rituals to welcome new life, celebrate rites of passage, and bury the dead. Information about conducting important rituals was shared through song, dance, and music. Stories about how the rituals came to be were often woven into long song cycles. One Mojave song cycle, composed of 525 songs, tells a creation story. The song cycle is sung over several days after someone dies. The cycle helps the deceased on his or her journey to the afterlife.

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***

Posted by Kamlesh Tripathi

https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

Kamlesh Tripathi’s Publications

GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN

RHYTHM … in poems

MIRAGE

(Published in February 2020. The book is a collection of eight short stories available on Amazon, Flipkart and Notion Press)

AWADH ASSAM AND DALAI LAMA … The Kalachakra

BHAVANS JOURNAL

THE SHILLONG TIMES

THE ASSAM TRIBUNE

ARTICLE: 1. THE MAGIC OF READING 11.12.23; 2. GANDHI TO MAHATMA 29.1.24; 3. GEOGRAPHY OF SOLITUDE 8.4.24; 4. A LESSON FROM DALAI LAMA, 22.4.24; 5. A SOURCE OF INSPIRATION, 29.4.24;

BANDRA TIMES, MUMBAI

ARTICLES & POEMS: 1. POEM: SPRING, 1.4.23; 2. POEM: MOTHER, 1.6.23; 3. POEM: RAIN RAIN, 1.8.23;

ARTICLES IN THE DIGITAL MAGAZINE ESAMSKRITI

29.12.2020: INDICA BY MEGASTHENES; 14.3.22: ABOUT THE DIMASA KINGDOM ASSAM; 10.12.22: GRAND TRUNK ROAD-UTTARAPATH; 5.10.23: THE GHOST TOWN OF KULDHARA NEAR JAISALMER;

(ALL THE ABOVE BOOK TITLES ARE AVAILABLE FOR SALE ON AMAZON, FLIPKART AND OTHER ONLINE STORES OR YOU COULD EVEN WRITE TO US FOR A COPY)

*****

SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION PARTICIPATES IN TREATMENT OF FOUR BRAVE HEARTS

May 3, 2024articles, ABOUT NGO, column, ngo activityapollo hospitals, cancer, kamlesh tripathi, karma, moral, shravan charity mission, spiritualshravancharitymission

We are happy to inform you that your trust Shravan Charity Mission extend financial aid to the following poor child patients suffering from Cancer on 12.2.24. These patients were recommended by Apollo Hospitals, New Delhi.

Vivan Bansal
Athrav Singh Yadav
Ms Jyoti Kumari
Anvika Agarwal

We wish them good health.

Posted by Kamlesh Tripathi

https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

Kamlesh Tripathi’s Publications

GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN

RHYTHM … in poems

MIRAGE

(Published in February 2020. The book is a collection of eight short stories available on Amazon, Flipkart and Notion Press)

AWADH ASSAM AND DALAI LAMA … The Kalachakra

BHAVANS JOURNAL

THE SHILLONG TIMES

THE ASSAM TRIBUNE

ARTICLE: 1. THE MAGIC OF READING 11.12.23; 2. GANDHI TO MAHATMA 29.1.24; 3. GEOGRAPHY OF SOLITUDE 8.4.24; 4. A LESSON FROM DALAI LAMA, 22.4.24; 5. A SOURCE OF INSPIRATION, 29.4.24;

BANDRA TIMES, MUMBAI

ARTICLES & POEMS: 1. POEM: SPRING, 1.4.23; 2. POEM: MOTHER, 1.6.23; 3. POEM: RAIN RAIN, 1.8.23;

ARTICLES IN THE DIGITAL MAGAZINE ESAMSKRITI

29.12.2020: INDICA BY MEGASTHENES; 14.3.22: ABOUT THE DIMASA KINGDOM ASSAM; 10.12.22: GRAND TRUNK ROAD-UTTARAPATH; 5.10.23: THE GHOST TOWN OF KULDHARA NEAR JAISALMER;

(ALL THE ABOVE BOOK TITLES ARE AVAILABLE FOR SALE ON AMAZON, FLIPKART AND OTHER ONLINE STORES OR YOU COULD EVEN WRITE TO US FOR A COPY)

*****

TWO HUNDRED YEARS OF TEA IN ASSAM

May 3, 2024article, Indian Agriculture, travelogue, travel,abita, ahom, aituc, assam, barak valley, bijoychandra bhagwati, ctc, dibrugarh, intuc, ita, jorhat, kamlesh tripathi, khamti, kp tripathi, maniram dewan, marwari, shravan charity mission, singpho, tea, tea garden, tea gardens, tezpur, tocklaishravancharitymission

After Captain Welsh’s expedition into Assam in 1792 and his commercial treaty with Ahom King Gaurinath Singha, the East India Company saw some possibilities of agro-commercial opportunities in the region. In 1823, the journey of tea began in Assam and gradually developed into a household beverage. No one could imagine a day without one’s morning cuppa. The discovery of an indigenous tea plant in upper Assam by a Scottish adventurer Robert Bruce in 1823 convinced the British of the possibility of turning the region into a ‘tea ground’ after the Burmese invasion. The Singpho and Khamti tribes knew about the benefits of the tea plant and drank the brew made from its leaves long before the British discovered it. Robert Bruce’s insights into the existence of the tea plant in upper Assam were acquired from a Singpho chief.

In 1826, C.A. Bruce who commanded a gunboat division in upper Assam during the first Burmese war, collected some specimens of the indigenous tea plant. These specimens were sent to the Botanical Gardens in Calcutta. The Governor General of India, William Bentinck, then deputed Francis Jenkins in 1832 to Assam to evaluate her resources leading to plantation of tea.

After tea was introduced in 1835, it became a stimulant of economic growth towards the latter half of the nineteenth century. Several tea gardens were opened in different parts of Assam between 1856 and 1859. The liberal grant of ‘wastelands’ enabled the newly formed ‘Assam Company’ to foray into the profitable venture of growing tea. Following the footsteps of the Assam Company, some more companies entered the turf of tea plantation. The Assamese noble Maniram Dewan was the first Indian who started two tea gardens in Chenglu and Chenimora. But due to his alleged complicity in the revolt of 1857, he was hanged and his gardens were confiscated.

The introduction of the steamer service in the 1860s and the construction of railways by the British in the 1880s boosted the tea industry in Assam. It established closer geographical, economic, political and cultural relationships between the region and the world.

Initially, tea planters imported Chinese labour, but it proved to be a costly affair. Even experiments with local labour were challenging due to their difficulty in adjusting to a time-work-discipline regime. Local Kacharis and Nagas were willing to engage in plantation work temporarily. Although a few gardens imported labour from Bihar and Chota Nagpur, it was only from 1859 onwards that tea gardens began to recruit labourers on a wide scale from Bihar, Orissa, Bengal, Central Provinces, United Provinces and Madras Presidency.

Tea plantations attracted Marwari traders to Assam to start business ventures. They provided the necessary trade and finance services to the tea gardens.

A planter’s wife Iris and her son Alan MacFarlane titled their book ‘Green Gold’ meaning ‘Tea’. They opined that the tea we drink is a product of the British Empire. While Assam tea has been able to cast its spell over different parts of the world, its impact closer home was also par excellence. Several noted Assamese were either sons of tea garden owners or were owners of tea plantations themselves. Apart from making significant contributions to the development of Assamese society during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, they played a useful role in the politics of their time, some of them being active Congressmen.

‘Without the tea industry, a stable middle class would not have come into existence in Upper Assam. Through tea, they secured business links in Calcutta and London. With the arrival of the tea planters in Assam came the capitalists. Tea was the only force of ’embourgeoisement’ in the economy of Assam. It offered the Assamese middle class a channel for professional self-expression. It increased the size of the middle class, with some working in clerical jobs and others involved in cultivation, trading, and selling of tea.

The tea story is incomplete unless we acknowledge the contribution of some pioneer planters who turned the plantation industry into a flourishing enterprise in the Barak Valley. Planters from north Bengal also made huge investments in the tea plantation industry of Assam.

The tea industry was key to the urban growth of Assam. It contributed towards the construction of roads, hospitals and the development of towns like Dibrugarh, Jorhat and Tezpur. It also helped Assam gain global prominence as one of the major producers and exporters of tea in the world.

Despite several welfare activities and attempts to create employment opportunities for the locals, the management of the tea industry very often became the target of insurgency. The Indian National Congress brought tea garden workers under their umbrella after independence. The All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) also attempted to spread its influence in the tea gardens. To counter the communist influence of AITUC the Congress formed The Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC).

The Assam Branch Indian Tea Association (ABITA) was a pillar of strength and support to the tea industry in Assam. The history of the ITA goes a long way back to 1879 when the first association of tea producers known as the Indian Tea Districts Association was formed in London. Considering the geographical distance from London, an association which could be easily accessible became the need of the hour to regulate matters at home. In 1881, a discussion was initiated in Calcutta by representatives of Jardine Skinner & Co., and Begg, Dunlop & Co. which led to the birth of ABITA on 29 October 1889 in Jorhat. James Buckingham of the Amgoorie Tea Company was elected chairman of the association. Due to his meritorious service to the tea industry, he was later known as Sir James. In 1904, he was appointed secretary of the ITA, London. Known as the ‘Father of the ABITA’, Sir James Buckingham contributed towards the development of tea science in India. The CTC machine introduced by another chairman of the ABITA, Mr. William McKercher revolutionised the manufacturing process of tea. India exports large quantities of CTC tea produced in the tea gardens of Assam. The world’s biggest auction market of CTC is located in Guwahati. Lt. Col. W.D. Smiles, chairman of the ABITA was later conferred the honour of knighthood for his valuable contribution to the tea industry and development works in Assam. ABITA’s contribution towards the development of road and railway communication in Assam is noteworthy. Many airfields in Assam were built with the help of tea garden workers during the war. The ABITA has been closely associated with the research and development of tea in Assam since its formation in 1889.

The oldest and the largest tea research institute in the world – is the Tocklai Tea Research Institute located in Jorhat. It was only with the establishment of the Tocklai Experimental Station in Jorhat in 1911 the systematic research on tea was initiated. The Tocklai Experimental Station was established in collaboration with the Governments of Assam and Bengal by the Indian Tea Association (ITA).

Although the tea industry has significantly contributed to the development of the state’s economy and provided a livelihood for many, it has also led to the growth of trade union activities.

The trade union movement in Assam was led mainly by two fronts- the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) led by the Congress and the Hind Mazdoor Sangh led by the Socialists. The Assam Chah Mazdoor Sangh (ACMS) was established as a branch of the National Mazdoor Congress in 1947 through the efforts of Bijoychandra Bhagwati (1905-1997), Robin Kakoti (1910-1996), K.P. Tripathi (1910-1984), Mahendranath Sarma and many others.

***

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NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

Kamlesh Tripathi’s Publications

GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN

RHYTHM … in poems

MIRAGE

(Published in February 2020. The book is a collection of eight short stories available on Amazon, Flipkart and Notion Press)

AWADH ASSAM AND DALAI LAMA … The Kalachakra

BHAVANS JOURNAL

THE SHILLONG TIMES

THE ASSAM TRIBUNE

ARTICLE: 1. THE MAGIC OF READING 11.12.23; 2. GANDHI TO MAHATMA 29.1.24; 3. GEOGRAPHY OF SOLITUDE 8.4.24; 4. A LESSON FROM DALAI LAMA, 22.4.24; 5. A SOURCE OF INSPIRATION, 29.4.24;

BANDRA TIMES, MUMBAI

ARTICLES & POEMS: 1. POEM: SPRING, 1.4.23; 2. POEM: MOTHER, 1.6.23; 3. POEM: RAIN RAIN, 1.8.23;

ARTICLES IN THE DIGITAL MAGAZINE ESAMSKRITI

29.12.2020: INDICA BY MEGASTHENES; 14.3.22: ABOUT THE DIMASA KINGDOM ASSAM; 10.12.22: GRAND TRUNK ROAD-UTTARAPATH; 5.10.23: THE GHOST TOWN OF KULDHARA NEAR JAISALMER;

(ALL THE ABOVE BOOK TITLES ARE AVAILABLE FOR SALE ON AMAZON, FLIPKART AND OTHER ONLINE STORES OR YOU COULD EVEN WRITE TO US FOR A COPY)

*****

A LESSON FORM HIS HOLINESS THE DALAI LAMA

April 25, 2024article, articles, autobiography, kamlesh tripathi, snippet, story, storytelling, travelogue, travel,arunachal pradesh, assam, Dalai Lama, god, his holiness, india, kamakhya prasad tripathi, kamlesh tripathi, karma, minister, misamari, moral, nehru, shravan charity mission, spiritual, story, tezpur, tibetshravancharitymission

What does it take for a person to smile when he has lost his country. Learn it from HH The Dalai Lama. Read my piece in The Assam Tribune, 22.4.24.

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NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

Kamlesh Tripathi’s Publications

GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN

RHYTHM … in poems

MIRAGE

(Published in February 2020. The book is a collection of eight short stories available on Amazon, Flipkart and Notion Press)

AWADH ASSAM AND DALAI LAMA … The Kalachakra

BHAVANS JOURNAL

THE SHILLONG TIMES

THE ASSAM TRIBUNE

ARTICLE: 1. THE MAGIC OF READING 11.12.23; 2. GANDHI TO MAHATMA 29.1.24; 3. GEOGRAPHY OF SOLITUDE 8.4.24; 4. A LESSON FROM DALAI LAMA, 22.4.24;

BANDRA TIMES, MUMBAI

ARTICLES & POEMS: 1. POEM: SPRING, 1.4.23; 2. POEM: MOTHER, 1.6.23; 3. POEM: RAIN RAIN, 1.8.23;

ARTICLES IN THE DIGITAL MAGAZINE ESAMSKRITI

29.12.2020: INDICA BY MEGASTHENES; 14.3.22: ABOUT THE DIMASA KINGDOM ASSAM; 10.12.22: GRAND TRUNK ROAD-UTTARAPATH; 5.10.23: THE GHOST TOWN OF KULDHARA NEAR JAISALMER;

(ALL THE ABOVE BOOK TITLES ARE AVAILABLE FOR SALE ON AMAZON, FLIPKART AND OTHER ONLINE STORES OR YOU COULD EVEN WRITE TO US FOR A COPY)

*****

A LESSON FORM HH THE DALAI LAMA

April 25, 2024article, article on foreign affairs, casual causerie, causerie, column, interesting facts, moral lesson, parable, political article, short article on politics, spiritual article, tributesassam, Dalai Lama, Dharamshala, god, his holiness, india, kalachakra, kamakhya prasad tripathi, kamlesh tripathi, karma, mismari, nehru, shravan charity mission, spiritual, story, texpur, The Dalai Lama, tibetshravancharitymission

What does it take for a man who has lost his country to smile. Learn it from HH The Dalai Lama. Read my article ‘A LESSON FROM DALAI LAMA’ in the The Shillong Times (Sunday Shillong) 21st April, 2024.

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NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

Kamlesh Tripathi’s Publications

GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN

RHYTHM … in poems

MIRAGE

(Published in February 2020. The book is a collection of eight short stories available on Amazon, Flipkart and Notion Press)

AWADH ASSAM AND DALAI LAMA … The Kalachakra

BHAVANS JOURNAL

THE SHILLONG TIMES

THE ASSAM TRIBUNE

ARTICLE: 1. THE MAGIC OF READING 11.12.23; 2. GANDHI TO MAHATMA 29.1.24; 3. GEOGRAPHY OF SOLITUDE 8.4.24; 4. A LESSON FROM DALAI LAMA, 22.4.24;

BANDRA TIMES, MUMBAI

ARTICLES & POEMS: 1. POEM: SPRING, 1.4.23; 2. POEM: MOTHER, 1.6.23; 3. POEM: RAIN RAIN, 1.8.23;

ARTICLES IN THE DIGITAL MAGAZINE ESAMSKRITI

29.12.2020: INDICA BY MEGASTHENES; 14.3.22: ABOUT THE DIMASA KINGDOM ASSAM; 10.12.22: GRAND TRUNK ROAD-UTTARAPATH; 5.10.23: THE GHOST TOWN OF KULDHARA NEAR JAISALMER;

(ALL THE ABOVE BOOK TITLES ARE AVAILABLE FOR SALE ON AMAZON, FLIPKART AND OTHER ONLINE STORES OR YOU COULD EVEN WRITE TO US FOR A COPY)

*****

BIBLIOBURRO: THE FOUR LEGGED LIBRARY

April 16, 2024article, autobiography, casual causerie, causerie, column, facts, kamlesh tripathi, literature, travelogue, travel,alpha beto, biblioburro, brahmin, catskill mountain, columbia, holindshed's chronicle, kamlesh tripathi, kumbhakaran, la gloria, luis soriano, MACAULAY, rip van winkle, shakespeare, shravan charity mission, story, taiwan, the donkey library, tibetanshravancharitymission

The Biblioburro (The Donkey Library) is a travelling library that distributes books to book readers being carried on the backs of two donkeys, Alfa and Beto. The concept was initiated in La Gloria, Columbia, by one passionate teacher Luis Soriano. The Biblioburro operates within the central municipalities of the Department of Magdalena, on Colombia’s Caribbean shore. In La Gloria, Columbia, many rural communities lack access to books, which limits the educational opportunities of children. Luis Soriano’s Biblioburro aims to bring books directly to these communities, by bridging the terrain gap and giving children the chance to experience the magic of learning.

If you can’t reach the books let the books reach you is Luis Soriano’s philosophy of life. He introduced knowledge to the children in remote areas through books. Luis Soriano reminds me of a Tibetan folk-tale which is about a village that had no mirrors. As a result, no one had ever seen his or her face until a local trader who travelled to distant locations bought a mirror and introduced it in the village when for the first time everyone saw their faces and got emotional.

Remaining ignorant or illiterate is like the dormant Kumbhkaran who slept for six months at a time and that brings me to the short story of Rip Van Winkle by the American author Washington Irving, first published in 1819. The story is about a Dutch-American village in colonial America. There a character by the name of Rip Van Winkle meets some mysterious Dutchmen, drinks their mysterious liquor and falls asleep in the Catskill Mountains. He wakes up 20 years later to a changed world, having missed the American Revolution. So that’s what a (metaphoric) slumber or ignorance might do to you. The Catskill Mountains conversely remind you of La Gloria, Columbia and Luis Soriano’s Biblioburro where the rural communities lacked access to books and that limited educational opportunities for children leading to illiteracy. Not reading and learning is like sleeping. Sadly, Rip Van Winkle did not have Luis Soriano and his Biblioburro to wake him up before the American Revolution.

In ancient times Brahmins were considered as moving libraries or knowledge reservoirs when scriptures were not written. Killing a Brahmin was therefore a grave crime because in actuality you were destroying knowledge or burning down a library.

In the heart of rural Columbia, where the rugged terrain meets the horizon, a man and his two faithful donkeys carry a precious cargo of knowledge and imagination.

Together, they form the Biblioburro (the donkey library), a mobile library of around 120 books that roam the countryside, spreading the joy of reading and learning to children who would otherwise have no access to books. As they journey across mountains and valleys, Soriano and his companions are greeted with excitement and wonder by the young readers who eagerly gather around them.

After finishing high school in La Gloria, Columbia, Soriano knew he wanted to become a teacher. He got a job at a small rural school while completing a degree remotely from the Universidad del Magdalena. However, he found that his students were not progressing and did not do their homework, which he attributed to their lack of access to books at home.

Despite his limited access to resources, he resolved to bring knowledge to his pupils by bringing books to them. One day in the year 1997, with the help of one of his donkeys and a stack of books, he set off before dawn and embarked on a challenging journey across the countryside. He travelled several miles, stopping at the homes of each of his students to read with them. Afterwards, he lent them the books and promised to come back to collect them the next day. Day after day, he repeated this process, arriving in the early hours of the morning, long before school started. Soriano’s Biblioburro soon became more than just a mobile library. It became a beacon of hope, a symbol of possibility, and a gateway to a brighter future.

More than two decades later, Luis Soriano has not stopped. Despite being robbed a couple of times, facing violent threats, and enduring many injuries during his travels, Soriano continues to promote literacy because he believes it is crucial for ending violence and bringing peace to his country. His library which started with only 70 books, today, boasts a collection of more than 7000 titles, most of which were donated after his inspirational story was made known to the public via media.

But who inspired Luis Soriano to do this noble job? The scourge of illiteracy perhaps and the libraries showed him the way. Established in the early 19^th century was the world’s biggest Library—The Library of Congress which retains copies of significant English publications deemed significant for America. Bookstores in Taiwan allow young students to read their books (on the display shelf) while sitting on the store premises. Books nurture ideas just as William Shakespeare got the idea of Macbeth from Holished’s Chronicles. Babbington Macaulay never remained without a book. Whatever the occasion he had a book in his hand. Luis Soriano had realised the importance of books for his countrymen.

*****

Posted by Kamlesh Tripathi

https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

Kamlesh Tripathi’s Publications

GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN

RHYTHM … in poems

MIRAGE

(Published in February 2020. The book is a collection of eight short stories available on Amazon, Flipkart and Notion Press)

AWADH ASSAM AND DALAI LAMA … The Kalachakra

BHAVANS JOURNAL

THE SHILLONG TIMES

THE ASSAM TRIBUNE

ARTICLE: 1. THE MAGIC OF READING 11.12.23; 2. GANDHI TO MAHATMA 29.1.24; GEOGRAPHY OF SOLITUDE 8.4.24;

BANDRA TIMES, MUMBAI

ARTICLES & POEMS: 1. POEM: SPRING, 1.4.23; 2. POEM: MOTHER, 1.6.23; 3. POEM: RAIN RAIN, 1.8.23;

ARTICLES IN THE DIGITAL MAGAZINE ESAMSKRITI

29.12.2020: INDICA BY MEGASTHENES; 14.3.22: ABOUT THE DIMASA KINGDOM ASSAM; 10.12.22: GRAND TRUNK ROAD-UTTARAPATH; 5.10.23: THE GHOST TOWN OF KULDHARA NEAR JAISALMER;

(ALL THE ABOVE BOOK TITLES ARE AVAILABLE FOR SALE ON AMAZON, FLIPKART AND OTHER ONLINE STORES OR YOU COULD EVEN WRITE TO US FOR A COPY)

*****

GEOGRAPHY OF SOLITUDE

April 8, 2024article, kamlesh tripathi, literary corner, literature, parablearistotle, austrian bohemian, kamlesh tripathi, rainer maria rilke, shravan charity missionshravancharitymission

Posted by Kamlesh Tripathi

https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

Kamlesh Tripathi’s Publications

GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN

RHYTHM … in poems

MIRAGE

(Published in February 2020. The book is a collection of eight short stories available on Amazon, Flipkart and Notion Press)

AWADH ASSAM AND DALAI LAMA … The Kalachakra

BHAVANS JOURNAL

THE SHILLONG TIMES

THE ASSAM TRIBUNE

ARTICLE: 1. THE MAGIC OF READING 11.12.23; 2. GANDHI TO MAHATMA 29.1.24; GEOGRAPHY OF SOLITUDE 8.4.24;

BANDRA TIMES, MUMBAI

ARTICLES & POEMS: 1. POEM: SPRING, 1.4.23; 2. POEM: MOTHER, 1.6.23; 3. POEM: RAIN RAIN, 1.8.23;

ARTICLES IN THE DIGITAL MAGAZINE ESAMSKRITI

29.12.2020: INDICA BY MEGASTHENES; 14.3.22: ABOUT THE DIMASA KINGDOM ASSAM; 10.12.22: GRAND TRUNK ROAD-UTTARAPATH; 5.10.23: THE GHOST TOWN OF KULDHARA NEAR JAISALMER;

(ALL THE ABOVE BOOK TITLES ARE AVAILABLE FOR SALE ON AMAZON, FLIPKART AND OTHER ONLINE STORES OR YOU COULD EVEN WRITE TO US FOR A COPY)

*****

SHORT STORY: THE ENIGMA OF KARMA AND AGEING

April 4, 2024fable, literature, nature, parable, short story, spiritual, spiritual article, story, storytellingageing, conclave, kamlesh tripathi, karma, maharaj, moral, old man, shravan charity mission, spiritual, storyshravancharitymission

There was once a lazy king who was very scared of dying. He wanted to live long to enjoy the world. Keeping this in mind he called for an ‘Old Man’s Conclave’ to understand what all was needed for a long life. He sent his horsemen in all directions to invite old people to understand from them the secret of a long life.

He was expecting a good number of participants in the Conclave on that day and was excited that he would soon get to hear from the horse’s mouth the prescription for a long life. The king had not invited any healer (doctor) to the conclave because he often used to interact with them locally and was aware of their routine prescription for a long life.

On the D-Day when the king reached his court, he was happy to see quite a few senior citizens there but none were centenarians. This disappointed him. Yet he patiently heard them out but wasn’t impressed by any of them as none had crossed a hundred years.

Disappointed the king thought of calling it a day when an old man entered the court. Though he was old, he was walking straight and without a stick.

He announced his arrival by bowing to the king. The dejected king droopily asked ‘how old are you?’

The old man said, ‘Your Majesty, I’m quite old but not aware of my exact age in years but I do certain things that keep me fit.’ The solemn words of the old man brought some cheer to the king’s face.

‘What all do you do to keep fit?’ The king asked.

The old man thought for a moment and said, ‘Maharaj, the first thing that I do is, not to count my age in years because it makes me feel old.’

‘But why,’ asked the king.

‘Because age is just a number and the count of age in years is depressing.’

‘But why so?’ Asked the king.

‘Because after a person is born there is a long journey of karma that he needs to undertake. So he should concentrate on the journey ahead rather than count the number of years that have gone by,’ replied the old man. He then added. ‘Every passing year brings us close to our end, whereas, every milestone attained adds to our accomplishment. If you continue to focus on the age it will pull you back whereas, if you focus on your karma and mission of life it will take you higher and make you feel happy.

On hearing this the king’s expression suddenly changed for the better. He enquired, ‘How do you balance yourself between ageing and karma?

‘Maharaj, I only focus on my karma and not on my age. By performing your karma regularly you increase your lifespan automatically, and you don’t have to worry about your ageing, replied the Old Man.

‘But how is that possible?’ Asked the impatient king.

‘No Maharaj, it is possible and let me tell you how. Every day I walk for two pahars (about six hours) and that increases my life span by a few moments each day. Every day I also do pranayama in the dawn and that increases my lifespan again by a few moments. So over the years, my lifespan has increased manifold because of these two karmas that I perform each day. I also eat very little and that helps in my longevity. Till now I have attained twenty big accomplishments and over a hundred small ones in my life and that rejuvenates me and desists from making me feel I’m old.

And what do you do for accomplishments? Asked the king.

‘Maharaj I travel to see places. I’ve seen many rivers, summits and cities. I have also read several treatises and have associated myself with several organisations that work for the good of the people. Even now I was going to cross that hillock over there he pointed his finger but when I heard about this conclave I came for your darshan. Never ponder about how old you are, rather ponder about what you’ve not seen and achieved in your life and that itself will increase your lifespan, Maharaj.’ The old man was done.

The king got up from his throne. He started clapping. He had found the prescription for a long life which was not merely to count your age and celebrate your annual birthday but to count your achievements and milestones.

The moral of the story: Counting your age in years only tells you how close you are to death. But counting your accomplishments and focusing on your mission tells you how successful you’ve been in the journey of life.

The old man had cured the king of his paranoia of death and had motivated him to perform his karma more routinely and effectively.

***

Written by Kamlesh Tripathi

https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

Kamlesh Tripathi’s Publications

GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN

RHYTHM … in poems

MIRAGE

(Published in February 2020. The book is a collection of eight short stories available on Amazon, Flipkart and Notion Press)

AWADH ASSAM AND DALAI LAMA … The Kalachakra

BHAVANS JOURNAL

THE SHILLONG TIMES

THE ASSAM TRIBUNE

ARTICLE: 1. THE MAGIC OF READING 11.12.23; 2. GANDHI TO MAHATMA 29.1.24;

BANDRA TIMES, MUMBAI

ARTICLES & POEMS: 1. POEM: SPRING, 1.4.23; 2. POEM: MOTHER, 1.6.23; 3. POEM: RAIN RAIN, 1.8.23;

ARTICLES IN THE DIGITAL MAGAZINE ESAMSKRITI

29.12.2020: INDICA BY MEGASTHENES; 14.3.22: ABOUT THE DIMASA KINGDOM ASSAM; 10.12.22: GRAND TRUNK ROAD-UTTARAPATH; 5.10.23: THE GHOST TOWN OF KULDHARA NEAR JAISALMER;

(ALL THE ABOVE BOOK TITLES ARE AVAILABLE FOR SALE ON AMAZON, FLIPKART AND OTHER ONLINE STORES OR YOU COULD EVEN WRITE TO US FOR A COPY)

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THE GUJARATI DNA

March 29, 2024article, skill development, national wealth, PMO, Rajiv Pratap rudy, BJP, HRD, Human resources, Smriti Irani, USA, billion dollars, usa, japan, china, france, germany, india, russia,, column, Gandhiamit shah, article 35a, article 370, ayodhya, bjp, british raj, caa, Gandhi, Gujaratis, hindutva, hyderabad, india, invaders, J&K, jinnah, junagadh, kamlesh tripathi, kashmir, ladakh, LK Advani, lok sabha, narendra modi, otto von bismarck, rath yatra, sardar patel, shravan charity missionshravancharitymission

The Indian subcontinent has seen the worst of times in the past. It was trounced by myriads of invaders from central Asia finally ending up with the British Raj. The invaders’ rule and the British Raj left behind umpteen miseries for India to deal with. Although leaders from many parts of the country participated in India’s freedom struggle that lasted for almost a century the actual heavy lifting in the game changers such as India’s freedom from the British Raj, the partition of India, the integration of the princely states, the abrogation of Article 370 and 35A of Jammu and Kashmir, the legal battle, construction and inauguration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, the CAA (Citizen Amendment Act) were all helmed by a few Gujarati leaders/politicians. So is there anything special about these leaders from Gujarat?

Let us begin with the first war of independence that began in the year 1857 but soon withered away because there was no one to lead the fight. Later, it was only when Gandhi returned from South Africa in 1915 after more than two decades he realised that India was gasping for breath and wanted freedom from the British Raj. Gandhi went to Champaran to attend to farmers woes and it was here that his real work in India began and later spiralled into the freedom struggle. And very soon he was spearheading the independence movement. Gandhi was the institution revered by freedom fighters across India. Mahatma Gandhi was a Gujarati. Today, in hindsight, it is hard to imagine an independent India without the sacrifice of Mahatma Gandhi the father of the nation who was the backbone of the freedom struggle movement. Gandhi inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world.

Standing opposite the mighty Mahatma was Muhammad Ali Jinnah the divider-in-chief of India who too had Gujarati roots. He too was a barrister like Gandhi but was amongst the chief proponents of the doctrine of a divided India and the leader of the All-India Muslim League. Though he was educated in England and was well versed in the divide-and-rule policy of the Britishers, he took the ugly decision of dividing India. Jinnah once proclaimed that “either we shall have a divided India or a destroyed India”. But Jinnah was a one-off phenomenon.

The political integration of independent India was no less complicated than India attaining freedom. At the time of independence, the Indian Union had 12 states. This formidable task of political integration was completed by Sardar Vallabhai Patel who too belonged to Gujarat. As the first Home Minister Patel played a key role in the integration of the princely states into the Indian federation. This achievement formed the cornerstone of Patel’s popularity in the post-independence era. He began to be known as the ‘iron man of India’ and the man who united India. In this regard, he was also likened to Otto Von Bismarck who unified the many German states in 1871.

Under the plan of 3 June, more than 565 princely states were given the option of joining either India or Pakistan or choosing independence. Indian nationalists and large segments of the public feared that if these states did not accede, most of the people and territory would remain fragmented. The Congress as well as, senior British officials, considered, Patel the best man for the task of achieving the annexation of the princely states by the Indian dominion. Gandhi once said to Patel, “The problem of the States is so difficult that you alone can solve it.” Patel persuaded the princes of 565 states of the impossibility of independence from the Indian Republic, especially in the presence of the growing opposition from their subjects. Stressing that the princes would need to accede to India in good faith, he set a deadline of 15 August 1947 for them to sign the instrument of accession document. All other states except Jammu and Kashmir, Junagadh and Hyderabad did not fall into his basket immediately. For Junagadh, Patel had to use the Indian Army for the final takeover. The same methodology was adopted for Hyderabad too.

Hari Singh acceded to India in return for the Indian military being airlifted to Kashmir, to engage with Pakistani-supported forces. The result we all know.

The construction of Somnath Temple was also started by Patel as Deputy Prime Minister of India, after receiving approval for reconstruction from Mahatma Gandhi.

After the passing away of Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel, there was a gap of almost seven decades before Articles 370 and 35A was abrogated. On 5 August 2019, the Union Government revoked the special status granted to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 through a Presidential Order and made the entire Constitution of India applicable to the state. This implied that Article 35A was abolished. This heavy lifting of the contentious constitutional malady was again done by two daredevil Gujaratis—Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his deputy Amit Shah, the Home Minister with pin-point precision and against stiff resistance from local and national opposition parties of J&K and India respectively, left-liberals, hostile neighbours and even some superpowers. Further, the state of J&K was divided into the eponymous union territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. But why weren’t these ‘do-or-die’ (Mahatma Gandhi’s slogan) legislations, not taken up, by earlier governments and leaders when they were so crucial for India? Was India in procrastination under the Congress regime that ruled India for a fair amount of decades after independence? The abrogation of articles 370 & 35A required political guts despite the thumping majority in the parliament because it had international ramifications. But Modi and Shah have an appetite for big things.

The Ram Mandir in Ayodhya became a reality, again during the regime of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The spark of Hindutva lit by LK Advani during the Rath Yatra became the guiding flame of Hindus during the reign of Modi and Shah. Going further, the CAA is a reality now where the BJP has reiterated their commitment to protect the linguistic, cultural and social identity of the people of the Northeast, the Hindus, Jains, Buddhists, Sikhs and Christians who are trying to escape persecution from India’s neighbouring countries and they will be given citizenship in India.

The intent of this article is only to highlight the brand image of a few Gujarati leaders and politicians, who have dealt with contentious issues and it is certainly not to disparage leaders from any other party or state. We need to introspect before the coming Lok-Sabha polls as to what sort of leadership we want in our country. Do we want the same firebrand leadership of Narendra Bhai Modi or a subdued leadership of other parties as we have seen in the past? The choice is yours. But under all circumstances, we should avoid another Jinnah in India.

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Written by Kamlesh Tripathi

https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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