With the pollution level rising and concerns over hazardous air quality mounting at many places, I am reminded of my road trip to Delhi four years ago in mid-November to attend my niece’s wedding.
Easing into a life of retirement
Four years ago on that day when I was dressing up to go to the college, my work place for one last time; I could feel tightening in my stomach. I had a weird sinking feeling as I bid adieu to the institution where I spent more than three-and-a half decades of my life in a profession that I loved.
After the D-day, the prefix ‘retired’ became a reality, though not Continue reading “Easing into a life of retirement”
The Sahars of Afghanistan
‘Hello ma’am, hope you are safe. I pray to God to protect you, your family and friends from Covid 19…’ was her last message dated April 30,2021 on Facebook Messenger when the devastating second wave of the coronavirus was ravaging the country.
It was a touching message fro Sahar, one of my old students, a post graduate student in Economics from Afghanistan. I remember Sahar as a simple girl with a pleasant demeanor. Though her fundamentals in Economics were not strong, she lacked proficiency in language, she overcame challenges with her dedication and sincerity and managed a second division. After completing her education, Sahar returned to her homeland. Through my occasional interaction with her on social media, I learnt that she was decently placed in a government job in Kabul.
Sahar was one of the few Afghan students studying in my college. In fact, it has been not been long since Afghan girls have started coming to Chandigarh for higher education. Recalling my initial years as a lecturer in 80s; there were many foreign students from Fiji, Mauritius, Iran and also plenty of African students from Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa studying in our college. The African girls would stand out with their distinct physique and looks. I can’t forget how frail and pygmy I looked, in my early twenties, in front of those girls with athletic built. Over the past few years, the demography of international students has changed altogether, none from Africa but now the foreign students are mostly from SAARC nations especially Nepal, Bhutan and also Afghanistan. The Afghan girls look distinctive mainly because of their attire, a scarf fully covering their head and a loose garment over their dress.
Coming back to Sahar’s heartwarming message, I happened to read the text a couple of days later on 2 May when I checked messenger, which I seldom do. I responded immediately, thanked her for the good wishes and at the same time warned her of the notorious new strain of the virus. But there was no response. Suspecting something amiss, anxiously I checked her Facebook page but found her social media account deleted. (It occurred around the time when withdrawal of NATO forces from Afghanistan began)
I had advised Sahar to beware of the virus but little did I know that there was a bigger danger, the threat of Taliban looming large over Afghanistan. Ever since the American troops started withdrawing from Afghanistan, Taliban has been seizing control over many parts of the country unleashing a reign of terror . And now the barbaric fundamentalist forces are in control of the country.
I pray for peace in the land of Kabuliwala, a country which has a special place in my heart ever since I read Rabindranath Tagore’ iconic short story in my childhood. My heart goes out to Sahar, and all girls and women in Afghanistan whose safety and rights are at stake. I wish their hard won rights and limited freedom gained over the past two decades is not snatched away. I sincerely hope that notable improvement in women’s education, job opportunities and civil liberties is not eroded. With prayers on my lips for the well-being of all the Sahars of Afghanistan, I sign off.
(Published in The Tribune as MIDDLE on 18 August 2021)
Forward ‘soch ke’ Think before you forward
‘A herd of giraffes is walking down majestically to the diving board. One by one the giraffes pull off acrobatic dive into the swimming pool.’ An awesome video going viral on social media with the claim that it is a real show in Australia! The fact is it is not a real show, but computer graphics, an award winning animated video. Sample another widely shared image which is of an elephant carrying a lion cub with its trunk and a lioness walking by the side. The picture is going round in social media with the back-story that the elephant is coming to the rescue of a cub in harsh Sahara desert. Fantastic! Animals forgetting animosity in the times of adversity! However, the photo is not real, but a doctored image.
Continue reading “Forward ‘soch ke’ Think before you forward”
Never too late to live it up
‘Girlie gang’ sounds funny for retirees, but this is how we tend to behave when we get together. Retired, we are from the college but certainly not tired. After all, there is much more to life than an active work schedule. We may not be young enough to work, but definitely not old to renounce a vivacious life.
