Independence Day, 15th August, 2013 : My Speech

Dear Brothers,

I congratulate you on 67^th Anniversary of Independence of our great country India. 

For us this is very special, pious and great day.   We enjoy freedom of expression,  freedom of work, freedom of career.  We sing the way we want, there is no restrictions, no inferiority complex.  We always boast the self pride, self-confidence, the joy of celebration of Holi or Diwali or the pleasure of Eid or Christmas or Baishaki as a free  nation.  The great patriotic leaders like Subhash Chandra Bose, Chandra Shekhar Ajazad, Shahid Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, Veer Savarkar, Mahatama Gandhi, Sardar Patel, Nehruji and so many other known and unknown  warriors sacrificed their life to see the light of the day.  Perhaps we might not be able to understand its importance today because we born after Independence, but ask a country like Tibet how suffocating is to remain a country without freedom of its own. 

We have done remarkable progress in these 67 years after independence.  We built  big dams, big highways, created nuclear bomb,  run big factories, opened new technical colleges, put latest satellite into orbit, created largest network of railways in the world.  Our doctors, scientists, engineers, professionals went to every part of the wold and made the nation proud with their achievement.    Recently we launched INS Vikrant a defence aircraft carrier which raised hackles of the hostile countries. 

But is it enough?  Should we be contended with the progress we have achieved so far?   Or we need to do something more?

Our country is plagued with so many disease that we need to cure them.  In the name of religion or cast we will fight immediately. We shirk the responsibility in office work.  The Indiscipline, corruption and lack of character is eating away the very foundation of the nation like pests.  For past few years, our media is dominantly occupied by the stories of corruption like 2G Scams, Coal Blocks, Common Wealth Games, defence deals, land allotment and so on and so forth.  There is hardly any place for positive and constructive news.  There is somewhere something is lacking.  The enemies of the nation are bent upon creating trouble in  our country.   On pious occasion of Eid in Jammu some anti-social elements raised anti country slogans which disturbed the peace of the country.      We might have difference of opinions, but this does not give you permit to indulgence in violence, burn the nation’s properties, and damage the shops and houses of other faiths. 

This is matter of shame.  This is matter of great concern.  We have to fill up this gap.    We cannot tolerate such intolerances.  Nobody is above supremacy of nation.

China is bent upon incursion in our Leh Ladhak area, Pakistan is free to enter our country and kill our soldiers.  Are we so meek and weak that we can’t rebuke these rogue nations in the fittest way?

We have to think over these.  We have to remain united at any cost.  We have to live a simple but great life.  We have to teach our children the importance of honesty and uprightness.  We have to give example by our conduct.  We should be brave and our children should learn to remain brave.

At least those who are present here can pledge today that we shall never compromise on our integrity.  We shall play our role dutifully.  Nation does not require more than this.

Jain Hind. 

 Pradeep kumbhat

BAIJI, MY MOTHER

Baiji, My mother (1933  to 2013)

My mother (Baiji) had her last breath on 1^st May, 2013 after prolonged illness of around 2.5 years at the age of 80 in Ahmedabad.

She was known as Indira mata in the family.   She was the last surviving member of my Nana’s family who had  four sons and two daugthers.    Nanasa came from a modest family of Koselov, a village in Pali district of Rajasthan  and later shifted to Pune for auto business.

Baiji married in the year 1949 and was blessed with six sons and three daughters.  Baosa my father was a revenue official in Rajasthan and had a transferable job.  Initially she also shifted from one place to another place like Barmer, Dhorimana, Siwana, Rakhi and so on, but finally settled in Mokalsar, a village in Barmer district of Rajsthan way back in the year 1958.  Mokalsar was a small village  but fairly well connected with Rail and road transport.  It  had good education and medical facilities too.     

Baiji had courage of raising nine siblings.   In  Mokalsar initially we had fairly big house made of kacchi bricks and Khepadas (eathern cover over ceiling), metal sheets and big shelter for cows.  Baiji would get up in the early morning preparing food for cows, milching  them and washing Togdas (calves of cows).   There was no water supply in the houses at that time, therefore, water had to be brought in Matkis (eathern pos) from Pechka (Water Distribution Centre).  My mother along with my sisters and other village ladies would go to Pechkas in very colourful traditional attire, wait for their turn and bring water in Matkis.  Minimum 10 to 15 matkis  had to be brought to fulfill the need of entire family.  Pechka was about one km away from our house.  Normally male members used to go to common places like Pechka or Abotia ki beri or Behtalab or Mamaji ka Than for bathing and washing cloths.  In those days we had habit of taking some refreshment at around 4 pm alongwith tea.  I remember a incident when one fine afternoon when baiji and I were taking tea in Basali (front area before kitchen) a monkey entered house, snatched all chaptatis and cup of tea and went up to the Neem tree which was there in the mid of my house and enjoyed Kaleva (afternoon refreshment)   Immediately baiji managed a few chapattis for me.  

The water problem was solved in the year 1972 when regular water supply through government tapes was installed.  At that time also we shifted to “Sagar Niwas” a big pucca house near Jain temple. 

Baiji and Tara bai were very close friends.  No day will go without meeting Tara bai.  They  will go to each other’s house every day and will enjoy tea in Talis (deep bowl).  I have seen on many occasions both friends fighting like birds but after a few minutes both will be together having sip of tea.  Both of them spent more than 30 years together and ultimately Tara bai went to heavenly abode in the year 1985.  Guruji, her husband shifted his base to Osia after her demise and stayed there till last moment of his life. 

All my brothers and sisters got education up to secondary level in Mokalsar and then went to Jodhpur for higher education and career.  Baiji chose to stay back to Mokalsar as one of my sisters though married in Jodhpur was teacher in Mokalsar and she had small kids to be take care of.  Many years later when all the brothers got married, baiji shifted her main base to Jodhpur.  Many people say that baiji was reluctant to come to Jodhpur because she was not prepared to take up responsibility of grown up children.  Strange it might sound…but surely she spent her early days in very hardships  for raising nine her own children and three kids of her daughter and she surely deserved some rest.  But whenever she visited Jodhpur, the command was in her control only, though she was quite liberal.

In Mokalsar we were formally inducted into Oswal Panchyat in the year 1976 and became eligible for “Hanti” (all common gifts and presents)  distributed to the communities on the occasions of marriage or special religious festivals.  Mostly gifts were in the nature of stainless steel utensils.  Baiji had special likings for them.  Baiji  had  a whole lot of collection of utensils of different shapes and sizes.  She was purchasing them otherwise also from other families from her meagre savings. 

My sisters were employed in government schools as teachers immediately after passing their higher secondary schools as they were the highest educated women in the village at that time and the appointment letters directly came from Panchayat.  This was great support to family.  Though my elder brother was already shouldering this responsibility as he started working from childhood itself a manager to a PDS shop.    But baiji ensured that whatever difficult phase  might be, the kids do not suffer.  So she didn’t mind borrowing money from  local money lenders even at 2 to 3 percent per month of interest.  

Baosa had very high on temperament and very bold voice.  Nobody could dare to face him whenever he was angry.  Baiji  would listen to him patiently and cool him down.

Baiji was very good cook.  It was a great pleasure to eat some of the special preparations of baiji particularly gate ki sabji, pittod, basania, bhindi, loki – dal,  kakdi ki sabji and gur ka seera.  Winter was always cherished with methi ke laddu.  I am very fond of methi ke laddu and now Beenu, my wife takes care of it…of course, the flavor of baiji is missing.

My eldest brother and bhabhi, though took most of the financial responsibilities for marriage of brothers and sisters, baiji ensured that family remain united.  It is proud moment for family that we all 40 members of the family meet practically every year. 

Baiji had special liking for folk dance and music.  She would love to see her daughters in law particularly Beenu and granddaughter in law Anju dancing on folk music. 

Though she was a little conservative on costume of daughters in law.  She wanted them to look like “bahu” and not “beti” ..so she wanted them to wear Saris.  But later years she allowed Beenu to wear cloths of her choice and all other bahus followed her.

Till the age of 76 she was hale and hearty.  She was staying alone in the house of 12^th road and enjoyed  her independence.  But old age coupled with high diabetes  she fell ill and became bed ridden.  During her illness she kept on shifting from Subhas nagar Jodhpur – Ahmdabad-Chandigarh.  Finally ill health didn’t allow more movement.  In Jodhpur, we salute, Induji and Charmi my bhabhi and niece who toiled day and night to make her comfortable when she was ill.

She was being treated in Ahmedabad from July 2013 and taken care by Bhai sab and Babhiji.  Despite so much care, she was victim of bed shores and they took toll of her.  Last three months of her life were extremely difficult, painful and merciless. 

While many parents pray for birth of daughters in their homes because daughters are more attached with parents, baiji must be praying that her sons gets daughters in law like Induji and Chanduji who abdicated their personal pleasure in service of father in law and mother in law.