Thursday, April 3, 2025

THE GREATNESS OF THE SPOKEN WORD










"BOLNA  KA KAHIYE  RE  BHAI.".......KABIR 
( Brother !   Spoken words are great  )

 Once we visited Golden Temple, Amritsar  before sunrise . We were there at 5am. Too early for some but an appropriate time for meditation and  contemplation for many .Yesterdays thoughts are washed off. The mind  wakes up   fresh for the day. The world within is calm and   noiseless and so is it  outside   . The Sikh scriptures hail it as Amrit-Vela or the divine time . A time  for  Naam-Japa  or reciting the name of that lone  Akaal Purukh ( the Deathless Entity )  . When we went inside the  sanctum sanctorum , the Raagi was singing  Kabir’s Nirguna Bhajan .
  
Bolna ka kahiye re bhai ( Brother !   Spoken words are great   )

I had heard this Bhajan many times ; Once live from   Raagi Harjinder Singh  ,Srinagar-wale..  e( Baba !  Bolnaa Ka kahiye  ).This Kabir Bhajan has been  incorporated in  Guru Granth Sahib by Guru Arjun Dev Ji . 

Kabir has always laid stress on the discipline of the  spoken  word. He believes that Man gets  trapped by his own   thoughts, words and deeds.  A thought created in the mind gives rise to words and  deeds. Good thought creates good words and good deed  so does a  bad thought foul our mouth and drive us towards a misdeed . The skill lies in  handling thoughts .According to Kabir,  those who give words to every thought  get trapped  or enmesh themselves in the  Maaya Jaal.  Kabir believes that our  tongue is our  access key  to the world.Those who can't handle the spoken word , quite often rub others on wrong side apart from landing themselves in trouble and gloom . The mishandlers of spoken word spend most part of their precious life in arguments, anger and quarrels .  They create a world of sorrow and misunderstanding around them and rarely find a sincere well-wisher .  If the spoken word is used properly , every door opens   for us  but if abused or misused  or used without restraint,   every door appears locked. Carefully  spoken words create an aura of goodwill and happiness around us . Words spoken without restraint  can  create sorrow ,gloom and misunderstanding for  us .

 (Shabd baraabar dhan nahin  jo koyee jaane bol ,
Heera tau daamon mile shabd ke mol na taul  )
 ( Kabir )

 (No wealth equals the spoken word,
 Should a person know the skill of the speech .
For diamond can also be bought for a price ,
But spoken word remains priceless and no balance can weigh it  .)

Aisee vaani boliye, mun ka aapa khoye 
Apna tan sheetal kare, auran ko sukh hoye 
( Kabir )
  (Speak such words, as are free from the trap of the ego,
 Then alone this  body shall be  calm and the listener  turn Joyful)

Mukh Aave soyee kahe bole nahin vichaar 
Hatey paraayi aatmaa jeeb bandhi talwaar 
( Kabir )

 (Some people say whatever comes  to their mouth  ,
Never do they  ponder  before their speech .
Such words that disturb the  soul of the listener 
Alas ! They carry a sword upon their tongue ) .

And then the silence . For Kabir it remains the universal speech.    And Silence is the final language of spirituality.Here goes the  Nirguna Bhajan  of Kabir “Bolnaa ka kahiye re bhai  ” with my simple English rendering …

"Bolna Ka Kahiye Re Bhai 

Bolat Bolat Tat Namayee 
Bolat Bolat Badhe Bikara 
Bin Bolyan Kyon Hoyee Bichara 
Sant Mile Katchu Kahiye Kahiye 
Mile Asant Mushti Kari Rahiye 
Gyani Suun Bolyan Hitkari 
Moorakh Suun Bolyan Jhakh Mari 
Kahe Kabir Aadha Ghat Dole 
Bharya Hoyee Tau Mushan Na Bole "
( Kabir )
 
 (Brother !   Spoken words are great ,
 But spoken words  veil  the truth also .
Spoken words also lead to confusion .
But then without speaking, How can one converse?
Should you meet a  saint then talk you should  ,
Keep silent should you come across an imp ,
What a blessing is it to talk to the wise ?
What a waste of time talking to a fool ?
And then Kabir says ,
 "The half filled always makes noise 
While fully filled  keeps quiet .."

( Avtar Mota)

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Sunday, March 30, 2025

MY POEM : "NAVREH IN EXILE "

                                     
                                    
                                      

     
NAVREH  IN  EXILE

"Aessi raev koll, booen ,naag ta parbat,
Saeki shaatan kar phael  pamposh.
Draalav hyot mujji molla  jaadaad,
Baskeen feraan khaana-badosh...
Sheenas tal fojmitch yemberzal,
Ath mosh navreh thaaluk bosh ....
Yeti kuss zaani zi kya guv navreh 
Sonteiki vaavo hosha hosh..."
( Avtar Mota )

"We lost the brooks, the Chinar tree,  fresh water springs and Hari Parbat  ,
When have lotus flowers bloomed in deserts ?
After the brokers purchased  their  property for peanuts ,
Like nomads,  the residents hop from city to city and place to place .
Look ! the narcissus  flower has sprouted under snow now ,
It has forgotten its graceful place  in the sacred Navreh Thaali? 
O spring breeze! , move carefully ,
Now in this city, nobody  knows what Navreh is ." 

NAVREH  POSHTE : BIKRAMI NAV-VARSH KI SHUBH KAAMANAAYEIN.....

( Avtar Mota)





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Friday, March 28, 2025

ADI SANKARA'S BHAJ GOVINDAM AND KASHMIR....

                                    
                                       
 ( M S Subalakshmi reciting Bhaja Govindam )


ADI SANKARA'S BHAJ GOVINDAM AND KASHMIR....

Composed by the great saint Sri Adi Sankara, Bhaja Govindam is one of the most lucid yet insightful works of Vedanta. Some of the other brilliant works on Vedanta by Adi Sankara are the Vivekachudamani and Atmabodha. He combined his scientific knowledge of the subject with deep devotion to produce brilliant compositions. Sankara’s works are classified into 3 main categories:

1. Bhashya: Commentaries on the scriptures such as the Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita and the Brahmasutras

2. Stotras: Devotional compositions like the Dakshinamoorthy stotras

3. Prakarana Granthas: Introductory manuals for spiritual studies

Bhaja Govindam is a strotra with 31 verses. It deals with our twin motivations in life: Kanchana or the acquisition of wealth, and Kamini or the enjoyment of it. By the first, we accumulate wealth for Dukha Nivrutti or security against sorrow. And by the second motivation, we indulge in Sukha Prapti, the enjoyment of the accumulated wealth. Bhaja Govindam brings the futility of worldly pursuit to our attention and says no matter how much we seek whatever we seek outside, the truth is, it will always be within. There is a Sloka, possibly 21 or 2,2, in Adi Sankara's "Bhaj Govindam ". I quote:- 

"Punarapi jananam
punarapi maranam 
punarapi janani jathare sayanam,
iha samsare bahudusare 
krpaya’ pare pahi murare.,"

(Again and  again we are born,
Again and again, death takes us away,
 Again and again we rest in the mother’s womb! 
It is indeed hard to cross this boundless ocean of samsara (cycle of repeated birth and death).
 O Murari! By your causeless mercy, 
 please protect us from this aavagaman or transmigratory process.

"Punarapi Jananam ,punarapi maranam"  or the opening four words of this Sloka define the aavagaman process  in this universe .I have done some research on the influence of "Bhaj Govindam "verses in the Leelas of many  Bhakti poets of Kashmir. Its influence is also clearly visible in "Shastra " verses of many Sufi poets, including Sochha Kraal, Wahab Khar, and Samad Mir. This particular essay with specific references will appear in my next book.
                               


There is much convincing evidence about the popularity of "Bhaj Govindam"  among Kashmiri Pandits who would often recite it along with Panchastavi and Shiv Mahimnapar. Before 1990, I had also seen a Sharada manuscript of Bhaja Govindam with a family that lived near Raghunath Mandir, Habba Kadal, Srinagar. Pandit Pitamber Nath Ji, fondly known as Pita Kak, would sometimes recite Bhaja Govindam before his students in the Pathshala inside the Shiva Temple ( Bodd Mandir ) in Rainawari. Pandit Jia Lal Dhar Saraf of Batyar, Alikadal, also translated Bhaja Govindam into Kashmiri. Why did we forget it? I don't know? In Southern parts of the country,y especially in Tamil Nadu, it is a household Stuti or prayer which many young boys and girls recite extempore. The beauty of  Bhaja Govindam is that it can be sung sweetly with or without accompanying music. One of the greatest singers of our present contemporary age, Padmashri M.S. Subalakshmi, has sung  'Bhaja Govindam' very beautifully. I am told that Bhaja Govindam has been translated into various Indian languages, including  Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam, Gujarati, Bengali, Odia, Assamese, Hindi, and Bhojpuri.
                                     
                                          

                                                        
( Front page and one inside page  of the book by Jia  Lal Dhar Saraf, having Kashmiri translation of Bhaj Govindam )

 These Slokas are philosophical, full of wisdom and compassion for all living creatures. Though sung as Ba hajan, "Bhaja Govindam " contains the essence of Vedanta, imploring  man to think:-

"Why am I in this world?"
"For whom am I amassing this wealth? "
" What is my family to me ?"
"What is the aim of my existence ?"
"What is the ultimate truth? "

Believed to have been compiled in Kashi, "Bhaja Govindam " invokes a strong mood of vairagya or renunciation given the transience of the reasons of human pride. Bhaja Govindam was known as Moha Mudgara, the remover or the hammer of delusions.

While most assume his birthplace was Kalady, his mother Aryamba’s family home was Veliyanad.  There is strong evidence that Adi Sankara was born and spent many of his early years in Melpazhur, his ancestral maternal home. Kaladi was his paternal home next to the Periyar River, where he went for his Gurukul studies. Leaving home at the age of 8, Adi Sankara travelled from Kerala to Kashmir, spreading knowledge, compassion, wisdom and creating unity. Wherever he went, he debated, discussed, taught, learnt, created and reformed the society, freeing it from some primitive customs. And he did all this in a life span of 32 years. Adi Sankara was an intellectual giant, a genius of linguistics, and above all, a spiritual light and the pride of India. The level of wisdom and knowledge he showed at a very early age made him a shining light for humanity. I conclude this small write with a Sloka from Bhajan Govindam:-

"vayasi gate kaḥ kāmavikāraḥ,
śuṣke nīre kaḥ kāsāraḥ |
kṣīṇe vitte kaḥ parivāraḥ
jñāte tattve kaḥ saṃsāraḥ !" 

(What good is lust when youth has fled? 
What use is a lake which has no water? 
Where are the relatives when wealth is gone? What is saṁsāra ( transmigratory process), when Truth is known?")

( Avtar Mota )

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NA GAVAAO NAAVAK E NEEM-KASH..FAIZ AHMED FAIZ

                                     




NA GAVAAO  NAAVAK E NEEM-KASH...DIL E REZA REZA GAVA  DIYA...

(Stay your half-drawn arrow, 
waste it not,
this heart lies splintered,
 long dispersed.)


Many singers of the subcontinent have sung this Gazal of Faiz. My choice remains Iqbal Bano. The use of Sarangi in Iqbal Bano's singing aptly blends with the feelings that Faiz has poured in this Gazal. Many people have translated it into English.My choice is Mustansir Dalvi. 

Prof Dalvi teaches architecture at JJ School of Art ,Mumbai. He is a poet, editor, art curator writer, columnist and translator apart from being a teacher .See three samples of Dalvi's simple yet  great translation:-
(1)
"Meray chaaraagar ko naved ho, saf-e-dushmanaa ko khabar karo
Jo woh karz rakhte the jaan par
 woh hisaab aaj chukaa diya..."..Faiz Ahmed Faiz 

(Send my healers good tidings,
inform the legions of my foes-
the debt that lingered on my being,
that debt is now defrayed.)

(2)

"Yeh tere husn se lipti hui aalam ki gard
Apni do-rozaa jawaani ki shikaston ka shumaar
Chandni raaton ka bekaar dehektaa hua dard
Dil ke be-sood tadap jism ki maayoos pukaar
Chand roz meri jaan faqat chand hi roz."...Faiz Ahmed Faiz 

(This dust of sorrow that veils your beauty
This bounty of defeats on our fleeting youth
This worthless throbbing under moonlit nights
The futility of heartburn, the body's unheard lament,
A few more days, my love, only a few days more.)

(3)
"Moti ho ki sheesha jaam ki dur
Jo toot gaya so toot gaya
Kab ashkon se jud sakta hai
Jo toot gaya so chhoot gaya
Tum naahak tukde chun chun kar
Daaman mein chupaaye baithe ho
Sheeshon ka maseeha koi nahin 
Kya aas lagaaye baithe ho"

(A pearl, a mirror, wine-glass or gem
Once shattered stays shattered
Tears will not cleave them together
What is once broken is lost forever
Well may you try to gather shards
And hold them fast to your breast
Well may you hope against hope,
But mirrors expect no savior.)

( Avtar Mota)


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Thursday, March 27, 2025

STRANGE SURNAMES AND NICKNAMES IN RAINAWARI ,SRINAGAR

                                 

   

NICKNAMES IN RAINAWARI

Rainawari had everything unique. People with strange surnames have lived in this area for centuries. Some peculiar surnames from Rainawari were:-

Mandaloo ( buttocks)
Partaazi ( Trader ) 
Machaama ( sweetened rice ) 
Kataal 
Haaktsar( Haksar  or insect feeding on Haak leaves )
Sipahi
Naaz
Mohtasib
Nakhasi
Kissu. ( Smallest  finger of the hand )
Dharmarthi ( religious )
Bagh ( having a, garden )
Turki ( Turkish ) 
Kotru
Hangloo
Kaar 
Shaar
Potaar
Daas
Tamiri 
Qongai( Qanoongo , a revenue official )
Bamatsoont( quince )
Jhandoo ( flag holder)
Watt ( corn boiled to eat as food)
Voffa  ( barking ) 
Krandoo (  a kitchen appliance used for measuring cooking oil)
Zaharbaad ( a deadly boil that doesn't heal )
Kuchroo( penis )
Sikh 
Rawal 
Jaan
Ambardar
Mahaldar 
Kotha ( derived from Koth, a disease resembling gangrene)
Khachroo (pony)
Vaas
Yachha ( Yaksha)
Durani ( Afghan surname ) 
Rangroo ( dyer)
Watloo ( jumping insect )
Teli ( engaged in crushing oil seeds to extract oil )
Kitroo ( flying bird )
Mujoo( raddish )
Kennu 
Haak ( green vegetable )
Kobb(  with a hump like deformity ) 
Daemin( sheep stomach)
Nar( manly ) 
Trakroo
Abhay ( unafraid )
Dembi (who lives on the bank of a water canal )
Ganhaar 
Zijoo ( an  insect )
Mota ( 2 families  )
Boni
Kichloo
Dulloo ( a container with a wide opening )
Miyaan 
Salmaan 
Beera (small  wooden  ball)
Chakku(Sour to taste )
Wattal 
Rambaal
Chottur ( They used to write Chitra) 

Mota and Kuchroo families had come from Chinkral Mohalla( Habbal Kadal) and Baramulla respectively. Let us see some strange Muslim surnames from Rainawari .

(1) Dalkaaw ( crow from the Dal Lake )
(2) Daandh ( Ox) 
( 3)  Dugga ( circular wooden container )
(4) Shoga ( a parrot-like bird that eats ripe fruits )
(4)  Ponzoo ( Monkey)
(5) Chaku ( sour to taste )
(6)Gaada ( fish )
(7) Paacha ( sheep feet or paaya)
(8) Tota ( parrot)
(9) Naelcha( pipe of  Hookah )
(10) Shaayar ( poet )
(11) Gadoodh ( wastage in a butcher's shop) 
(12) Naasti ( snuff addict ) 
( 13) Mond ( log of wood )


Although many surnames were linked with professions that people adopted yet most of the surnames evolved and stuck to the families through a process of street mocking, teasing and lampooning. Sarcasm was inherent in these surnames.  It took about three generations for a nickname to get tied or stuck to some family and ultimately become its surname. When we were attending our school, gossipmongers, idlers and street urchins had devised some new nicknames for some persons. These persons were mocked and lampooned the moment they were seen by young boys or shopkeepers, or idlers. Before 1990,some popular new surnames in making in  Rainawari were:- 

"Dhi Nazar, Curfew Bacha,   ,Dhitt, Ganda tsoor,Tanga lott, Tchhata Ras,Aniema, Tuvaan Bacha, Alley Duul, Gaari Oatt,Tikka Vaavij, Yaava Kath , Paachi Ras, Marshal , Shoga, Batakh Thool, Nadir Churma ,Ganda-ras, Tse-kun Me-kun,   Taka Addij, Lipton Chaai, Sorma Kukil, Shraana Pott, Adda Dazh ,Dukalla ( double headed ) , Hachi Kalla, Aaba Dabba ,ZB, Yezaar, Batah-pholl and many more ."

What happened to these characters after 1990, I don't know. All of them were innocent and simple.

( Avtar Mota )

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Tuesday, March 25, 2025

VIDUR OF MAHABHARATA : ACTOR VIRENDERA RAZDAN (1951-2003)

                                                                                      



                                                                             


 

VIRENDERA   RAZDAN (1951-2003)

 Known to his friends as Vir Ji, Virendra Razdan was born into a middle-class family at Sutra Shahi (near Neelam cinema) in Srinagar. His father, Pandit Govind Ji Razdan, was also into Leela and Sufiana singing. Accordingly, Virendra developed a keen interest in singing from his childhood days. About his acting, noted actor Pran Chandra has this to say:-

“He was a great friend. He was a very good singer. Singing was his hobby, and he would sing Talat, Rafi and Mukesh songs with ease. Initially, he was not interested in acting. Very reluctantly, I brought him to the Sangam Theatre. He had a passion whereby he would give his hundred per cent to anything that he would do. Very soon, he became a sought-after actor. At Sangam Theatre, he played important roles in Kashmiri plays like Gaasha-taarukh, Zuv Ta Zaatuk, Ropayi Rood and Kaejj Raat. He was also an approved artist of Radio Kashmir, Srinagar. Pran Kishore Ji was also impressed by his acting. If I remember correctly, Pran Kishore Ji used his voice for an advertisement for a circus company that had come to Srinagar. Moti Lal Kemu had recommended two names for NSD admission from J&K State. I was one while the other happened to be Virendra. I couldn’t go due to some domestic problems, but he went to NSD. After 1990, I met him in Jammu, as well as his in-laws lived at Barnai–Bantalab Link Road near Kangra Fort. He would come to Jammu every year.”                                                                  

At NSD (Delhi), he was trained by Ebrahim Alkazi, the doyen of theatre in India. Alkazi remained the Director of the National School of Drama, New Delhi (1962–1977). Impressed by his work, conduct and skills, Ebrahim Alkazi wanted him to join NSD as a lecturer but Razdan decided to go to Pune to do an advanced course in acting from FTII.  Alkazi was a noted art connoisseur, collector and gallery owner, and founded the Art Heritage Gallery in Delhi with his wife, Roshen Alkazi. As director of the National School of Drama, he shaped the course for modern Indian theatre, establishing links between traditional vocabulary and modern idiom.

 It was during 1979-80 that Sir Richard Attenborough visited India in search of talented Indian actors for his upcoming movie ‘Gandhi’. Attenborough visited NSD as it was the biggest premier Institute for acting and discovered Virendra. Attenborough liked his voice and acting skills. In 1983, he was cast for Maulana Azad’s role in the biographical film ‘Gandhi’ directed by Attenborough. Thereafter, he was seen in various roles in television series like Darpan, Dillagi, Majdhaar, Ehsaas, Saahil, Jab Apne Huve Paraye, Saaye Deodar Ke, Aasmaan Se Aagey, Kanoon, Yug, Junoon, Zameen, Aurat, Parvarish, Mahayodha, Vishnu Puran, Vishwamitra, Ek Kahaani, Katha Sagar and Bharat Ek Khoj, amongst others. He also played some good roles in films including Zanjeer, Jaan Lada Denge, Prakope, Karan, Aaja Meri Jaan, Zulm Hi Zulm, Bub, Sharat, Vaasta, Yaadon Ki Kasam, and Yaar Meri Zindagi.

Mahabharat’s 1988 cast featured actor Virendra Razdan as Vidur. According to the mythological epic, Vidur was a Maha-Mantri of Hastinapur, a very sagacious and impressive character. In the Mahabharata, Vidur was Dhritarashtra and Pandu’s brother. He was notably known for his devotion to Dharma (righteousness). Mahabharata describes him as the wisest man in Bharatvarsha. At the initial stage, actor Nitish Bharadwaj was expected to play Vidur; however, B R Chopra personally intervened and selected Virendra  Razdan. About Virendra Razdan, noted actor Mukesh Khanna says this:

“I had lots of scenes with Virender Razdan. Nice actor and a very nice human being too. God rest his soul wherever he may be. All scenes between Bheeshm and Vidur were excellently written by Late Rahi Masoom Raza Sahib.”

 About Virendra Razdan, well-known film and TV actor K K Raina has this to say:-

"Dear Avtar Ji, it is very difficult for me to say anything about Virendra, I still can’t accept the fact that he is no more. I miss him every minute.  He went to the FTII to do a Film Appreciation course organised by NSD, only as part of the training. When he came to Mumbai, we joined the Surnai theatre run by Ila Arun. He did remarkable work in the theatre in Mumbai. Some important plays that he did at Surnai are: Riyaz, Beech Bhanwar Mein and Agni-leek. He remained a core member of Surnai till his last days. Virendra was more than a friend to me, like my brother; our families were connected in some kind of a relationship. Yes, he had a wonderful voice and hypnotic personality that impressed everyone. It was an experience to watch him perform on stage. We did some TV series together. His untimely death was a great blow to all of us in Surnai, and for me it was a great loss. I lost my brother, my friend, a confidant and well-wisher. I am in touch with his two sons; Sunny and Bunny, both married and of course his wife Usha  Ji, who is like a sister to me."

 About Virendra Razdan, Padamashri  Pran Kishore Kaul says this:-

“I was mesmerized by his voice. I remember how he became a part of the long chain of drama artists of Radio Kashmir, Srinagar. I first saw him in the stage play Gaasha Taarukh written by the prolific writer Sajood Sailani for the Annual Drama Festival of the J&K Academy of Art, Culture and Languages. His voice and impressive personality were his assets. I always had him in mind and wanted to utilize his talent when I moved from radio to film and television. God gave me the chance and I cast him in my TV serial ‘Saaye  Devdaar Ke ‘. As expected, he gave a memorable performance, one of his best. It was a delight to spend a few weeks with him when we were shooting for it in Chail near Shimla in Himachal Pradesh."


                                                                            

                         ( Virendra Razdan doing theatre in Srinagar ...Photo source ..Pran Chandra )
                                    ( Virendra Razdan doing theatre in Srinagar ...Photo source ..Pran Chandra )

About Virendra Razdan, Mumbai-based film producer and director, M Y Bhat has this to say:-

“He was a pious and noble soul. I sincerely miss him. He was a gem of a person, a gentleman, a great actor and a good friend. It was a pleasure to work with him. I liked his God gifted voice. He had a fantastic role in my film ‘Zanjeer the Chain’. He did justice to his role and performed very well.  Virendera and K K Raina used to visit singer Illa Arun's apartment often for rehearsals of the play. He would visit my home whenever he used to come to our building. A young man lost his life too early, and we lost a versatile actor too. I liked the company of Virendra, who was like a saint."

Bihari Kak, noted actor and producer, had this to say:-

“We worked together in the Bub movie. I spent some days in his company. I had seen him in Srinagar doing theatre, but he had matured a lot. He would read good literature and carry some books with him to shooting locations. He had an amazing voice. He was the definition of a gentleman. Never did he speak ill of any person. He was pained about what had happened in Kashmir and how Pandits had to leave their homes and hearths.”

Virendra was a lover of Kashmir, his motherland. Before 1990, he would join his family in Kashmir, taking a break from his busy work schedule in Mumbai. In 1990, his family had to leave Srinagar, and after a brief stay in Jammu, they moved to Mumbai to live with him. He felt pained to see the plight of his friends and relations who had to leave everything behind in Kashmir to save their lives.

He was a thorough gentleman who remained away from all vices, including cigarettes, liquor and women. He was shy and avoided the limelight and glamour. He died quite young after being diagnosed as suffering from cancer of the stomach at an advanced stage. He leaves behind his wife and two sons who live in Mumbai. The family had to struggle hard and presently his children are well-settled and happily married. His family lives in Mumbai. Virendra Razdan died young . And about such young people,  Friedrich Nietzsche rightly said:- 

" Though the favourites of the Gods die young, they also live eternally in the company of Gods."

 

(Avtar Mota )

PS

This is a copyright material included and  published in the second edition  my book ," The Bright Stars of the Foggy Nights" available at Amazon and Flipkart in India and also at Amazon worldwide . 



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Monday, March 24, 2025

PAINFUL STORY OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM INDIA IN FRANCE


                                      



















                                         





                                      


DUPED BY HUMAN TRAFFICKERS  POSING AS IMMIGRATION AGENTS  IN INDIA..

( All mobile camera photos by Avtar Mota ..Topmost photo...Grave of  Jean Paul Sartre )

In May 2023, I was travelling from Gare du Nord to Alfortville,Paris  in a metro train. A young Indian traveller sitting on the opposite seat was weeping inconsolably to the astonishment of other passengers. I asked a  lady sitting next to me as to what had happened to him. She replied  in French ,"Je ne sais pas pourquoi. Vous lui demandez s'il vous plaît" meaning ,"I don't know  why . You ask him please ." 

 Knowing my limitations in French language, I replied ," Parlez vous anglais" meaning ,'Do you speak English . She said ," oui " meaning ,'yes' .  I said , "  Si jai la reponse, je vous en ferai part " meaning,' if I get some response , I shall let you know' . And then I asked the youngman the reason for his weeping. He was reluctant and continued weeping. I  could see innocence visible on his face . He was from Punjab  . I moved to his seat , offered him my  water bottle  and put my arm over his shoulders.  I started my conversation in English but he was not comfortable. I started  talking to him in Punjabi as spoken in Majha region of Punjab as  he was from some vilage in  Gurdaspur . The youngman narrated that he had received information that his mother had died yesterday but he couldn't travel to India as he neither had passport nor  proper papers. He was illegal immigrant duped by some relative who had promised good  job and good life to him in Europe about  7 years back. This relative had directed him to a Jalandhar based agent who took a  hefty sum of 14 lakhs from him  . His father had raised Kissan Krishi Card loan and sold some land to  pay to the agent. He had come to Europe via Russia and Ukraine walking at night and hiding during daytime  through a network of human traffickers . He along with six boys entered Romania and finally landed in Paris via Portugal. Their passports were taken by the agent in Portugal and he had nothing except his mobile .  In Paris, he lived with ten other boys who had similar story . Only 2 had managed Portuguese passports after 15 years  and only after paying about 6000 Euros each  to some agent . Other eight were simply illegal immigrants making their living by selling mineral water or wine bottles to tourists in parks or gardens of Paris city. He added that he loved his mother and wanted to see her face but he had nothing with him to buy proper ticket . Any attempt to travel could land him in  prison and he could be deported after serving prison term. All the ten lived in 3 rooms in the outskirts of Paris city  . Their life was cooking, washing, sleeping and begging people to buy water or  wine and avoid police . He was not sure if at all he shall get resident status anywhere in Europe . There was no way to return to India. I consoled him .  The French lady heard the story and turned pensive . She took out a packet of  chocolate from her bag and gave it to the youngman. Looking at me she said, " c'est un problème humain. il doit y en avoir beaucoup comme lui. Les gouvernements devraient leur offrir une option unique de retour honorable." meaning ,'This is a human problem. There must be many like him.  Governments should give them  onetime option  of honourable return.'

( Avtar Mota )


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