OOOOOOO SUNDAY, MAY 31, 2020 (PAGE 3) SACRED SPACE BOOK REVIEW Tribal Gandhian who resigned from ics for Hockey Gentleness Ashok Ogra paid except that 'at the end of the harvest and hockey forced him to defy the rules and every household gave one mound of paddy.' resign from ICS. This was a rare case of true It would not be an exaggeration to say that Going by the overall conditions of Adivasis patriotism before personal interest. The the Constituent Assembly of independent that time, the Pahan family were rich and Indian hockey team bagged the gold. Both India was heavily loaded in favour of upper owned two horses. legendary Dhyan Chand and Shaukat Ali A Strong Hand with a Soft Touch castes. But for the relentless efforts of The author provides a rich account of were part of the squad. Sadly, Jaipal could Ambedkar (who was also the Chairman of the Adivasi lifestyle: 'for the Mundas, hunting wild not play in the finals because of differences drafting committee) and few more members, Lalit Garg come in violence. Only physical nomic, political or sociological, are animals had been a sport that no elderly young with the English coach. the genuine concerns of the millions of disad- men or the male children wanted to miss, Actor Akshay Kumar's movie Gold, abuse is not under the category of basically rooted in men’s cruelty. If vantaged and marginalized sections of our The quality of gentleness is collo- violence; mental abuse plays the a man wants to book a ticket in an unless unwell or physically crippled. … It was inspired by Indian hockey's 1948 Olympic society would have received cursory mention. one occasion when youngsters would call gold win, celebrates the legacy of Kishen Lal quially understood to be that of same thing or we can say equally urgent situation he has to offer One such member who argued forcibly in the kindness, consideration and amia- harm a person. With all these ruth- some bribe to get the ticket, any names to the elders, without any danger, with who captained the Indian team to win their constituent assembly for protecting the inter- impunity.' first gold as an independent nation. But it is bility. Gentleness is a strong hand lessness going on, any talk of moral- Government official work cannot be ests of the Adivasi (Adibasi in local parlance) Santosh continues that at the end of the forgotten that this victory came on the back with a soft touch. In other words we ity sounds quite meaningless. completed by these kind of works. was Jaipal Singh Munda - himself a tribal. hunt, the elders however assumed their of three consecutive gold medal wins for the can say gentleness means sweet- We have committed a big error to Weapons business industries play a Speaking for the first time as a member of superior social position and met in a council country while still a British colony. The first ness. It is a secret behind a success- discriminate between morality and vital role in terrorism. A business- the Constituent Assembly, Jaipal Singh to judge outstanding village disputes. one of those victories, in 1928, started the ful living. Gentleness is the virtue of religion. We think it is necessary to man adulterates the feed with the Munda owned up his tribal heritage and After initial schooling in the village, he fable of Indian hockey. doing your good with the least pos- become a religious person than a result that cattle start dying after spoke about casteism and patriarchy in was admitted to St Paul's School, Ranchi- As president of the Indian Oxford Majlis, sible harm to others. Gentleness is humble one. We think that religious consuming it. The whole story of mainstream Indian society. 'As a jungli, as an run by the Christian Missionaries of SPG Jaipal interacted with personalities like C. F. an inner peace that resists war, cru- person is capable for doing the right economic corruption is the story of Adibasi, I am not expected to understand the Mission of the Church of England. It was Andrews, Annie Besant, and Lala Lajpat Rai. elty, brutality, aggressiveness, bar- thing in life. We think it is necessary cruelty. legal intricacies but my common sense tells His contemporary N. G. Ranga of Swatantra barism, coarseness, insult, violence, to be religious for achieving salva- Let our behavior towards another me that every one of us should march in that Party recalled, "Even in those days Jaipal and other violations of another’s tion or gaining entry into paradise. be free from cruelty. We have to road to freedom and fight together. Sir, if would never tolerate denigration of Indians develop our empathy for another’s there is any group of Indian people that has by the British, he was unique in many ways." been shabbily treated it is my people. They Soon after resigning from ICS, Jaipal have been disgracefully treated, neglected for worked for Burma- Shell in Calcutta. It was the last 6,000 years. The history of the Indus during this time that he met Tara Mazumdar- Valley civilization, a child of which I am, the granddaughter of the first President of the Religious shows quite clearly that it is the newcomers - Indian National Congress, W.C. Bonnerjee. most of you here are intruders as far as I am They took a liking for each other and got mar- consciousness concerned - who have driven away my peo- ried in St. Paul's church in Darjeeling. and moral ple from the Indus Valley to the jungle fast- Jaipal also served as Principal of Rajkumar ness. The whole history of my people is one College Raipur, and Foreign Secretary in the consciousness of continuous exploitation and dispossession durbar of Maharaja of Bikaner. by the non-aboriginals of India punctuated But his heart was aching to serve his peo- are two different by rebellions and disorder, and yet I take ple. He returned to his home city Ranchi in things. What Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru at his word. I take 1938 and a year later was elected President of you all at your word that now we are going to the Adibasi Mahasabha thus heralding a new we need start a new chapter, a new chapter of inde- chapter in his long and illustrious life. pendent India where there is equality of Santosh Kiro has done incredible today is opportunity, where no one would be neglect- research in documenting the struggle by a radical ed,' he said. Adivasis demanding their genuine rights- Both in the constituent assembly and beginning with the Birsa Munda-led rebel- transformation of later when elected to Lok Sabha from lion 'Ulgulan,' meaning 'Great Tumult' Ranchi, Jaipal Singh came to represent trib- (1899-1900), which took place in the south consciousness. als not just of his native plateau, but also of when admitting his son at this school that the of Ranchi. It is seen as a landmark incident in all of India. He was a gifted speaker; whose father gave him the name Jaipal Singh the agrarian history of tribal India. It was interventions as an MP enlivened and enter- Munda. He showed his extraordinary talent against encroachment and dispossession of tained the debates. in sports -particularly hockey- and excelled tribal land. As a result of his efforts along Sadly, Jaipal's contribution to the welfare with others, that the Constitution included situation and point of view. If cruel- in academics. The Principal of the school of tribals is not known to the majority of Canon Cosgrave who was a wealthy priest multiple safeguards for tribals and provided sanctity. A man possessed of gentle- If a man has not moral values but he ty and selfishness is removed from Indians. from England and had donated his entire them reservations among other things. ness is capable of instantaneous is quite religious, then he must be the earth, then the earth has become How many Indians know that Jaipal wealth to the college took a special liking for His dream of a separate state for the trib- adjustment in every kind of situa- not a good human being. A man itself a paradise. We have to respect Singh Munda was captain of the hockey team young Jaipal. As the luck would have it, after als was realized on 15 November 2000, when tions. Gentle behavior is the essence thinks that irrespective of his con- and preserve the dignity of all peo- that won gold at the 1928 Amsterdam a few years Canon was transferred back to Jharkhand was created, but he wasn't alive of moral consciousness. duct, his worship of God shall wipe ple. Olympics? England. While leaving, he announced that to cherish it. Jaipal died on March 21, 1970. Some people are very cruel. Their out all errors, that is truly a wrong The spirit of goodwill and friend- How many Indians know that the brain he was going to support Jaipal's higher stud- Prof. Santosh Kiro deserves praise for treatment and behavior towards act. Religious consciousness and ship is the starting point of univer- behind the 5th and 6th schedule of the con- ies at Oxford University in England. documenting the life of this great social animals or men is so ruthless. When moral consciousness are two differ- sal brotherhood. Gentleness is a stitution when adopted on 26 November Jaipal did not take much time to demon- reformer cum architect, parliamentarian, a man treats the animals so cruelly, ent things. What we need today is a constant strength born from sereni- 1949, was Jaipal Singh Munda? strate his brilliance in academics and mettle as a excellent sportsman, sports journalist and an how can there be any development radical transformation of con- ty and patience that contrasts with a How many Indians know Jaipal Singh hockey player. He went on to represent Oxford administrator, and for the tribals of of morality in him? According to me sciousness. strong personality. A good life Munda, an Adivasi, became the president of the University where he was conferred Oxford Blue. Chotanagpur, 'Marang Gomke' or Great hunger of dowry is also a ruthless Man has three weaknesses- cru- means the development of gentle- Oxford Indian debating Society in the 1920s? Santosh narrates an interesting fact that Leader. The book is published by Prabhat conduct of humans. Every year elty, incongruity and the tendency ness and straightforwardness. One How many Indians know that Jaipal will certainly surprise many of us. India decid- Prakashan, New Delhi. One wishes the author had also included photographs - par- thousands of innocent girls get suf- to harm himself. Cruelty plays a who practices equanimity, comes to Singh Munda resigned from ICS in 1928 to ed to send a hockey team to the Amsterdam serve the cause of Indian sports? ticularly of the 1928 Olympics, and also pro- fer through this mental trauma. In major role in all of them. All the realize himself, and with realization Olympiad in 1928. At that time Jaipal was In this regard, the biography titled 'The undergoing training as an ICS probationer. vided an index. Jainism it is a belief that if you incongruities, all the contradictions, comes the awakening of eternal con- Life & Times of Jaipal Singh Munda' written However, Munda will always be known torcher someone mentally, it is also all the problems today, whether eco- sciousness. The hockey federation offered Jaipal to be the by my friend Prof. Santosh Kiro-fills the gap captain of the Indian hockey team - an offer as the man who brought the story of the trib- and delivers a detailed close up of this great Jaipal couldn't resist. His request to the British als to the centre stage of Indian politics. But SOCIETY son of India. authorities for leave from training was refused. unlike Ambedkar who now justifiably enjoys Born to Amru Pahan and Radhamuni on He was in a dilemma - whether to play for the a god-like standing among average Indians January 3, 1903 in Takra Pahantoli village, country or forego a career in ICS which held in across castes, Jaipal Singh Munda continues near Ranchi, the family belonged to Pahan store great opportunities, social recognition, to be viewed only as a tribal statesman and tribe who were the priestly class in Munda unprecedented dignity, secure life and unques- remains 'unsung' and 'uncelebrated' in the Special skills for children families. They named their second child tioned authority with the British at the helm of rest of India. Ashok Sharma and other items, parents ought to take their children with Pramod Pahan. power. (The author works for reputed Apeejay them to expose them to the experience of shopping skills so Initially, he went to a village school where However, Jaipal's love for his motherland Education Society, New Delhi) It is said that adversity is a bliss.One who has not faced that shopkeepers don't cheat them by supplying them he learned basics. No fee was required to be adverse times cannot prosper in good times and in order to expired items or indulging himself in unscruplous activities rise in life,one needs to fall.In the olden days, life was very such as under weighing and supplying spurious things. ART & CULTURE tough and in the midst of hardships and scarce They must also be well versed in using the gas stoves, resources,people had to work hard to keep themselves alive grinding spices and simple processes of frying, roasting and and support their families.Parents even taught their chil- baking common foods. Parents must actively involve them dren odd jobs such as bringing water in pitchers from the while preparing dough and turning it into chapatis and natural springs, stitching,picking up fruit and pranthas and aware them about the precautions to be vegetables,arranging fodder for the cattle,sowing and grow- Music in Lockdown observed while using gas stoves. When exposed to these ing vegetables,putting cord in their pyjamas,going to water experiences, children can learn these skills quickly as they Rajeshwar Singh ‘Raju’ with even more novelty. He decided to some, those ones associated with such cre- are active learners. Then work on free verse poetry that is in fact ative works feel overjoyed. The result was Yes the entire world is in the grip of always a challenge for a Music Compos- overwhelming that boosted the morale of there are some other odd this pandemic that has shaken the er. The free verse poetry has no every one and it was decided to make it a jobs that everybody is mankind. The long Lockdowns might be meter/rhythm which is a vital aspect for continuous process during ongoing lock- expected to do at one or the having positive signs as far as ensuring a music composition. But here lies the chal- down. other phase of his/her life. check on spread of corona virus is con- lenge and Brij Mohan has the instinct of During this odd time, within all limi- These jobs include putting cerned but at the same time they have accepting challenges and coming up to tations Brij Mohan has till date composed cord in the pyjamas, wash- emerged as a grave psychological concern the expectations of music admirers. music for Dogri as well as Hindi free verse ing, drying and ironing too. The reason is quite obvious. We are It is pertinent to mention here that he poems of prominent poets like Lt. Yash clothes, handkerchiefs and not in the habit of being far away from the has already created magic with Sharma, Lt. Kunwar Viyogi, Lalit Mago- company of our nearer and dearer ones undergarments, preparing 'Chamtkaar' series based upon the free tra, , Arvind Raina, Shashi Pathania in for a long time and are bound to visit dif- verse poetry of celebrated Dogri poets like Dogri and Sangeeta Gupta, Chanchal bed, polishing shoes and ferent place of worship as well tourist tying laces, sewing simple Padma Sachdev, Ved Rahi, Lalit Magotra, Dogra, Yogita yadav, Vijay Saraf spots for rejoicing. Whenever there are Chhatrapal etc in the past that was a huge Meenaghi and Rajeshwar Singh 'Raju' in clothes, stitching buttons in some holidays, we always pack bags to success. Now during lockdown, the tough Hindi. These soulful compositions have the shirts and trousers, fold- move to our favourite destinations with task became his passion again. But, this been given voices by versatile singers like ing the garments and bed- family and friends to relax. But it has time it was even more difficult. Jitender Singh, Riyaz Malik, Lovely sheets nicely, putting gar- become a thing of past now. For the last In a conversation Brij Mohan said, "I Chandra, Sonali Dogra and Vanshika Jar- ments in the hangers, pre- more than two months now, everyone has al. cautions to be observed been within boundary walls of their Says Brij Mohan, "It's a continuous while spraying pesticides homes or flats that have made life quite process now as after the release of every miserable. But, is there any other option? and insecticides to protect composition the music lovers are wait- If you want to stay safe, you have to ing for the next venture." He wishes to cloths and kill mosquitoes ensure safety of others also. For that_ work for all the celebrated poets of Dogri and other such insects, win- Stay Home is the best mantra. nowing food grains such as But during this crisis also there are the as well as Hindi language. He admits maize, rice, wheat etc. creative brains that have the skill to inno- that in addition to satisfy his inner While girls should know vate new ideas to keep themselves cre- instinct and serving the music lovers he how to knit sweaters, boys atively busy and offer an opportunity to has a personal agenda also behind this obsession. During the Lockdown and should be trained how to others to amuse and forget the temporary Covid 19 related news gripping every shave their beard. Children tensions gripping owing to continuous individual, he didn't want to fall victim ought also to be trained in Lockdowns and the stress that the dead- ly virus has imposed. to loneliness and negativity propagated mills to have the grains ground into flour etc.In doing so, the art of washing the utensils and in fact, it should be made they trained the children to learn the valuable skills such as Now Music has the healing power. It through different channels. Rather he mandatory for every member of the family to clean his/her is said that Music therapy has been very wanted to encash this opportunity by self reliance, discipline,adaptability to the changed situa- plate and bowls after taking meals. They must be encour- tions,etc. But the times have now changed a lot and so has successful in stress and strain. When the devoting even more for his passion that aged to sweep the rooms and maintain cleanliness and san- world is undergoing same, then Music helped him to abstain from psycho pres- the lifestyle of people.Parents now pamper their children so itation in and around their home. much that they go around doing and managing everything Composers have an imperative role to enjoy the tough tasks and composing free sure. In order to keep himself busy and They must also be imparted training in the use of vari- play. Brij Mohan, an ace music compos- involve all other like minded creative for the children with the result that they have become total- verses is in fact a challenge that has ous agricultural implements such as shovel, spade, er from the Union Territory of Jammu & people, he took a leap in this direction ly dependent on the former. always excited me. But during Lockdown scythe,sickle and encouraged in the art of kitchen garden- Kashmir took Lockdown as an opportu- it was even tougher. Social Media sites and was excited that not only many But little do the parents realize that they can't manage ing. They must know how and when to sow the seeds of var- nity to quench his thirst for innovative like Whatsapp played an important part reputed personalities became an inte- things for the children all their life and it is their children ious vegetables and kharief and Rabi crops.At the same music and also help the music lovers to in executing the whole process. The poets gral part of ongoing creative process but who may have to face the worst in future.So it is imperative time, children must be trained in the art of using screw get rid of psycho fear of deadly corona sent me their free verse poems on what- their efforts have been widely acclaimed that children are taught the basic essential skills & jobs of drivers to conduct minor repairs of electric iron, door han- virus. His written and composed Dogri sppp. Then I composed music for the across the boundaries also. He owes a lot life, which should help them in rising to the precarious sit- dles, etc which often need repair due to wear and tear with songs on corona have been viral on social same and sent the tune to singers who to poets and singers who have made this uation in future if they encounter any. the passage of time. media. These songs have been sung by recorded the same on mobile in their dream possible and ensures music eminent and versatile singer of the soil homes and sent back to me, which I fur- Every child must be equipped in skills such as cooking Last but not least,every child must know how to swim so lovers that they will be provided with rice, chapatis, vegetables, pulses, etc. They must know how Sonali Dogra. Such the efforts have been ther sent to Pawan Verma , a dear friend this type of music therapy uninterrupt- that they can dave themselves in case they are trapped in widely appreciated not only in Duggar of mine for necessary minor editing to peel, chop & grate vegetables and how to pick out flash floods.Involving and training them in all these activi- edly during the lockdowns. unwanted things such as stones,pieces of straw etc from the Pradesh but all over the world wherever before uploading on social sites." Honestly speaking, Lockdown has ties will make them confident and self reliant on the one Unlike Studios packed with all techni- pulses, rice etc.Children must also be imparted training in Dogri speaking and knowing people are been an acute problem for those who hand,while on the other hand,it will develop in them inter- cal excellence and support of different self defence so that they can defend themselves when living. His written and composed Corona remain isolated and don't involve them- personal skills,critical thinking, creativity,dignity of labour based song in Hindi has been sung by instruments, It was purely Home Made trapped in a precarious situations. selves with different activities to pass this and they will regard no work as low or mean but feel that Ankit Kohli and Shivaji Saini from productions, wherein the voice played the critical phase of life as a quality time. The They ought to be made aware of the basic health care every work is equally important having its unique impor- Muzaffarpur and Shubh Panchal from magic. It was in fact a test of potential too. personalities like Brij Mohan are an including importance of personal hygiene and sanitation tance in their life. Now that we are passing through the Hariyana for their Musical Band that has But fortunately, we have immense talent inspiration for others, who know the art and how to administer the first aid in times of minor bruis- period of lockdown, parents can utilize their time to involve also been quite a viral on social media. in singing who have proved their worth at of converting present crucial time not national level too. Yes, of course it's quite es and injuries in case their parents are not near their children in household activities. But he was not content with corona only into a Quality Time Pass but with all them.Similarly, while going out for shopping for grocery related works only and wished to work painstaking but when the result is awe- Creative Gains also.