buRhaapa worries of my generation

I remember in old days middle aged folks used to look forward to buRhaapa when they will samaiT all their responsibilities, and wehlay ho key enjoy the retirement and buRhaapa. BuRhaapa was time you looked forward to...buRhaapa was a time when you had all bodily hair white and it was a plus as everyone respected you even when you were being totally stupid and stubborn....when your sons and daughter-in-laws respected you, took your advice on everything, while two dozen grand children tried to make you happy and take care of you.

It is not so any more. There are stories about buRhaapa...from burhaapa gone wild(70 yr old NRIs marrying 20 something chicks from back home), to buRhaapa dying in the nursing homes while 2 dozen grand children enjoying their life to the fullest only miles away from the nursing home...and never visiting the grandpa or grandma.

Just few days ago while to a dinner at a friends house, buRhaapa question popped up again. It is very sad...no not the buRhaapa but the fact that the people not having yet touched 40, having good health, making good living already worrying about their buRhaapa. What is interesting is the exculsion of any aas umeed/hope of any support in buRhaapa from their children and their children by this pre-pre-buRhaapa generation(which includes me). Ironically, this pre-pre-buRhaapa generation is the most extruciatingly dedicated people sending these children to the best schools and preparing them for global competitive future they are going to be facing...and doing so they are spending most of their savings on this next generation but no aas-umeed of support from them...where are we going? Where are the days when parents went to retirement leaving you in debt, did not send you to good schools, always nok-Tok on everything you did and above all beat the shit out of you even when you had growing beard...and YOU still respected them and took care of them in buRhaapa.

Is it time for us all to follow the philosophy of Shiv Batalvi

joban rutte jo vi marda
phull bane yaaN tara

heck with buRhaapa..let us enjoy the today. where is my glass of wine...and the belly dancers...aah Moroccan restaurant sounds good.

Bhagat Singh, Lahore and Folklore

Here is an interesting tid-bit about Bhagat Singh, Lahore and folklore. I think the writer has got some of the details on Bhagat Singh wrong but other than that the piece is very interesting. Nawab Ahmad Khan Kasuri, the magistrate who sentenced Bhagat Singh was from Kasur. His son, another judge in Lahore had an assassination attempt on his life during Bhutto's time. Zia charged Bhuttoo for this murder conspiracy later and hanged Bhuttoo. These days the Pakistani foreign minister Kasuri is the grandson of the magistrate Kasuri who sentenced Bhagat Singh.

Article Here

The legend goes that the Khans of Kasur, who were in league with the British to topple the Lahore Darbar, sent an envoy to negotiate with a Sikh chief to conspire the murder of Maharajah Ranjit Singh. During the discussions things went wrong and the head of the envoy was chopped off and sent to Kasur. The treachery of the Pathan rulers of Kasur had met its match. It is said that a seer had then predicted that the ghost of the envoy would seek revenge at this very place, and that the circle of revenge would not be completed with one killing alone. Chilling stuff. But then subsequent events were to prove that this prediction was true, and many say the circle of treachery still lives on.

Tagore and Einstein Meeting

Looks like Baba Tagore and Baba Einstein met each other in 1930. Read about their conversation Here.