.........Click here to learn more about author's native district, Darbhanga ...... and his native state, Bihar
Education: Need, Compulsion and Obligation, an excellent article by Shabi Hashmi, with Tariq Nawaz Qaisrani
in·ter·reg·num
n. pl. in·ter·reg·nums or in·ter·reg·na (-n)
The interval of time between the end of a sovereign's reign and the accession of a successor.
A period of temporary suspension of the usual functions of government or control.
A gap in continuity.
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What is happening? Am I lazy? Or have I simply run out of steam? If anything is sure, it is that I have definitely not run out of ideas to write a few words on this blog. Well, I do not mean just typing what I feel, because even though this is supposed to be a personal blog, I understood long back it had transcended that barrier and become public property. Meaning, I have an unspoken responsibility towards the readers of this list, and take care not to just spew trash in the name of a blog. That would be simply unfair of me, irrespective of what every one else says or does.
So does that mean I write a rigmarole every time my fingers kiss the keyboard? Write only of cerebral or esoteric stuff? Nay, that is not why I started writing this blog for. I wanted to put in words my experiences here in Europe, so that I can re-live them, and also let the readers relish them. And I do have wonderful experiences every day. Though I would love to blog every one of those, I think it is not worthwhile, as such an exercise will only tone down the intensity of my blogs about other more pen-worthy experiences.
So, I have decided to do this. Make it a point to write at least a post a week, probably more, but at the same time keep them worthy of being read by every one. This means I have to exercise my 'grey cells' at least once a week, so that I am always blog-ready. It is also good way to keep my brain active, what with my lazy lifestyle at the moment - well, what can you expect from a research fellow? It is time that I start using other areas of my brain (Ooooh...enough said...get on with something else na...)
There are some 'events' that I wanted to write about very badly, but simply could not do it so far. I would write about them in the coming days. Some of them may be deemed unpalatable to some people - I mean the way I saw them and see even now. But it is imperative that I write what I feel, because if I do not defend myself, no one else will.
And then, there was this piece that my friend Mrs. Pallavi Rao sent me. She wanted me to post a blog on this piece - an extract from Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf. Now, how many times have we seen his name cropping up out of nowhere, and every time there is a gasp, with people finding it quite unfathomable why on earth would onle like to disturb his ghost? Well, in this piece Mr. Hitler refers to India (the British colony of India, that is), and Pallavi wanted that I post my views on this. Well, I would not post a literary criticism on it, but just express my views on how relevant the issues expressed thereof are to the present-day country that is India. But I need some time to read it and do a write-up. Patience.
The following events deserve mention, and a few lines of blogspace here:
1. The Eid Al Adha function(s) in Cardiff that I took an active part in organizing.
2. My adventures in the guise of having fun - my driving from Newport to Cardiff , my
cycling trip to Welsh valleys and other such adventures.
3. My views on the piece about India in the extract from Mein Kampf, recommended to me by my friend Mrs. Pallavi Rao.
4. My forthcoming proposed trip to China.
5. My active association with Bihar Anjuman (http://www.biharanjuman.org) and its activities. How to revive a sense of responsibility among the sleepy bihari muslims?
With this teaser, I sign off for the moment. But keep looking on my mails in the coming days. Es lohnt sich (It is worth it). The interregnum is coming to an end.
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- Back with a bang (indeed why not! after all optimism is the name of bang.. he he he!!!)
Hmm...comatose I would call it..the huuuuugggeee break I had between my last post and the current one..let me calculate...October 6th was the last one..today is Jan 13th..this makes it 99 days..man that was indeed comatose!!!
Well, I had been sort of busy with my work but that is not a reason for not writing regularly, especially when the actual reason I started this blog was to keep my writing skills alive, and also as a detour from my schedule. Na, forget it then...better now and late than never again at all!!! And boy..do I have something to write? Why, hell a lot...so pardon me meine liebe Damen und Herren if I decide to choke you with so much stuff all at one go.
And talking of being 'comatose', this quip crossed my mind some time back..I promise you it is original and I made it up myself:
"Every one faces problems at some time or the other in his life. Those who take it as a 'comma' and get on with life, make history. Those who take it as a 'coma' and plunge deep into it, become history!!!"
So I think the basic difference in facing a problem is in whether you consider it just a 'comma' and carry on, or a 'coma' and fade into oblivion!!! Boy...am I thinking up stuff....Well, I just came out of a 'coma', eh? So I can be forgiven for that I guess...that is, atleast until my next 'coma'!!!
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Hmm..
the comma is really turning into a coma.. so let me get my paper and pen again (or as you may call in the age of computers, "...let me get my fingers on the keyboard...") Though it may seem to be quite a break between my previous and current posts, I was not snoozing in the meantime. I was, as usual in the past, busy with my Research which is certainly nearing its conclusion , also writing up some posts for the blog, which have as yet not been sent to you people. They have to wait, at least for the time-being.
I started writing a novel some 2 years back, but as befits my dilettante nature, I discontinued it after writing some pages. Partly because of this, and partly because I was forever changing the theme of the novel, I did not deem it fit to continue writing it, at least at that moment. A lot has changed since, my outlook on certain events among other things, and I thought the time was ripe to restart it. Well, things may happen, my outlook may change and so will the theme of the novel, but I decided to nevertheless carry on with it. I can not let this baby of mine be any more stillborn. Let me whack the life out of this moribund effort.
As with the theme, the title of the novel also has changed many times. What started as Metamorphosis became Diplomatic Immunity and later turned out to be Guest Appearance. So much for my determination to write a book, and a Novel (with a capital N) at that. I am not sure what I will name it now, or if the title will persist to the end, but one thing is certain. I am determined to continue with my endeavour :-) (yeah, I can hear your guffaws...take it out on me), even if it means only a few lines at a time. As they say, Rome was not built in a day.
So, let the magic begin...