Heritage Sites : Dirtying and Defacing Them : An Article

We are fortunate that numerous heritage places abound around us; like forts, structures, mounds, palaces, monasteries, temples, mosques, churches, shields, carvings and the like. Effort is being made, at government and personal levels, to attract more and more tourists to visit our heritage places, with several objectives in mind, such as spreading awareness about our rich past, conservation of our heritage places, development of tourist places, and so on; yet this has raised an increasing concern for the very conservation of the cherished monuments and structures. The two most widely felt problems in this realm are dirtying the places and defacing of structures.

It is an irony that in a country like ours, with a glorious tradition and heritage, people have to be made aware of the value of cleanliness; the Svachchhata Abhiyan, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is a step in the right direction; it has helped in achieving better cleanliness and hygiene at the personal level; however, when it comes to public places, the situation has not improved much. People often dispose things wherever they wish to despite a dustbin lying in the vicinity. This habit gives a very bad impression especially where we want our tourists to visit. Last year, I invited a VIP from another state to visit a few heritage places in Meerut; but when he did, he did not go back with a positive impression, especially about dirtiness. He was in particular unhappy how people threw things here and there without paying an iota of thought to it. People can be sighted throwing papers, cups, plates, bowls, buds, and the like just about anywhere, and if you pointed it out, you are out for a quarrel for sure; I speak this from personal experience.

If we wished that our country should look clean and great, cleanliness is the first and foremost necessity. Without it, our surroundings would keep looking like a fish market. The scene is very deplorable on occasions where some festivals are arranged at places of heritage and pilgrimage. We have to accept the fact that all tasks cannot be accomplished by the government alone; it cannot succeed in the task of keeping the places clean without active support and contribution of the common people. It is our most sacred duty we must abide by.

Another bad habit that makes dirtiness even more alarming is that of writing and drawing on the heritage structures; there is a potent threat from sticking posters too. Wherever you may visit, right from the Red Fort in Delhi to the Tunnels at Barnawa in Meerut, you will hardly find an important structure where people have not written their names; they might have the uncanny desire of immortalizing their names, but what they are doing is erasing the importance of the place, and at the same time, bringing a bad impression on the people who happen to visit these places.

It is matter of elation that the endeavours of the INTACH have succeeded to get certain tasks accomplished which would boost tourism in the area, including launching of a tourist bus for Meerut Darshan. It would be expected of all people to pay attention to the fact that they don’t, knowingly or unknowingly, deface the structures. The people who visit our heritage places should preferably let others know about the importance of these heritage places, and while doing this, they should not forget to emphasise the conservation of these places, especially in view of keeping them clean and spotless, to make them splendid and glorious.

Human Rights : An Essay

To live life with respect and dignity, each individual needs certain rights. These rights can be called by different names, as basic rights, rights of man, fundamental rights and so on; but in a broader perspective in the world, these rights are known as human rights. Thus, human rights are those rights which belong to humans by virtue of their being human beings. As these rights are concerned with their existence, they become operative with the birth of a human, whichever part of the world he may reside. Thus, human rights are the birth rights and are inherent in all human beings irrespective of their castes, sex, creed, religion, nationality, region and so on. These rights are essential as they are consonant with their freedom and dignity and are conducive to physical, moral, social and spiritual welfare. They are necessary because they create an environment in which people can develop their full potential and lead a productive and creative life in accordance with their needs and provide suitable conditions for the material and moral uplift of the people. In view of these characteristics, these rights are also known as inherent rights, natural rights and birth rights.

Despite wider acceptance that every human being has human rights, it is difficult to define them precisely. In general, we can take 'human rights' as a generic term which embraces civil rights, civil liberties and social, economic and cultural rights. In simple term, we can say that the rights that all people have by virtue of their being humans are human rights. They cannot be deprived of these rights because human dignity is intimately linked to them. Justice J.S. Verma has rightly observed that 'human dignity is the quintessence of human rights'.

Human rights are essential for all-round development of the personality of a human being in the society. They provide meaning and substance to human life. Keeping such great importance of human rights in the mind, it is necessary that they must be protected by the government.

Broadly, human rights are divided into two kinds : (1) civil and political rights, and (2) economic, social and cultural rights. These are very broad terms, and we should understand them.

By civil rights we understand those rights which help a human being have personal liberty and security, such as right to privacy, home and communication; right to own property; freedom from torture; protection against inhuman and degrading treatment; freedom of thought, conscience and religion; and freedom of movement from one place to another.

By political rights we mean the right of a human being to participate in the political process, like voting  in and contesting election for forming the government. Under these rights, a human being runs the government through the representatives he chooses by the right to franchise.

The nature of civil and political rights may seem to be different, but they aim at similar outcomes, so they are treated as one group because civil rights are obtained by the political process, while a political process can be realized only when civil rights are understood.

The human rights of the second group, known as economic, social and cultural rights, are related to the guarantee of minimum necessities of life to human beings. In the absence of these rights, the very existence of human beings is likely to be endangered. This group is inherent in rights like right to adequate food, clothing, shelter and standard of living; freedom from hunger; right to work; right to social security; right to physical and mental health; and right to education. As these rights need positive action from the governments, they are also called positive rights. These rights are basically based on the concept of social equality. They are very important to realize equality in the world, but they are slow in coming. A large portion of the world population is deprived of these rights.

At the international level, a number of covenants have been approved for human rights, the most famous of them being the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. President Truman of the United States stated about human rights thus : "We have good reason to expect the framing of the International Bill of Rights, acceptable to all the nations involved. The Charter is dedicated to the achievements and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms. Unless we can attain these objectives for all men and women everywhere without regard to race, language or religion, we cannot have permanent peace and security."

Adopted on 10 December, 1948 by the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights incorporates human rights divided into two categories, that we have studied above. These are (1) civil and political rights, which comprise 21 rights, and (2) economic and social rights, which comprise 7 rights. This declaration of human rights by the United Nations is one of its major achievements, as it has recognised the inherent dignity and equal and inalienable rights of all people in all nations.

So far as India is concerned, the rights mentioned in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights cannot be claimed as of right; the Government of India is not legally bound to abide by these human rights. However, our Constitution framers were well aware of the Universal Declaration, so they incorporated a majority of them in the Constitution of India.

The Constitution of India was brought into effect on 26 January, 1950, and the provisions of Fundamental Rights in it are greatly influenced by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The following human rights, as given in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, have found expression under the Fundamental Rights in India :

·         Equality before the law.

·         Prohibition of discrimination.

·         Equality of opportunity.

·         Freedom of speech and expression.

·         Freedom of peaceful assembly.

·         Right to form associations or unions.

·         Freedom of movement within the territory.

·         Protection in respect of conviction for offences.

·         Protection of life and personal liberty.

·         Protection from slavery and forced labour.

·         Freedom of conscience and religion.

·         Remedy for enforcement of rights.

A Soldier's Letter to His Wife

July the 14th, 1971

Transit Camp,

Udhampur (Kashmir)

My very dear Sangeeta

The indications are very strong that we shall move to the frontier in a few days—perhaps tomorrow. Lest I should not be able to write you again, I feel impelled to write a few lines that may fall under your eye when I shall be no more.

Our movement may be one of a few days' duration and full of pleasure, or it may be one of severe conflict and death to me. Not my will, but thine O God, be done. If it is necessary that I should fall on the line of duty in the battlefield for my country, I am ready. I have no misgivings about, or lack of confidence in, the cause in which I am engaged, and my courage does not halt or falter. I am ready, by mind and by body, to make the supreme sacrifice.

I know how our countrymen depend on us for their security; I know that they can live in peace because we are ready to shed blood on the frontiers. I know that not all countrymen look at me with respect, yet there is nothing that prevents me from laying down my life for the sake of my Motherland and for my people. You can indeed call my love selfless. I am aware how great a debt we owe to those who went before us, who suffered blood and suffering, and most of them have been our soldiers whose legacy we have inherited. I am still determined to do my duty though I am aware that people may not bother about your well-being after I am gone. I am willing—perfectly willing—to lay down all my joys in this life, to help my country survive, and to pay that debt which I owe to the land of my birth.

But, my dear wife, when I know that with my own joys I lay down nearly all of yours, and replace them in this life with worries and sorrows. You know that I have eaten for long years the bitter fruit of orphanage myself, and if I die in this war, I must offer a similar life to my dear little children—Akshay and Anita. While the banner of my purpose floats calmly and proudly in the breeze, my unbounded love for you, my darling wife and children, should struggle in fierce, though useless, contest with my love of the country.

Sangeeta, my love for you is deathless, it seems to bind me to you with mighty cables that nothing but Omnipotence could break; and yet my love of country comes over me like a strong wind and bears me irresistibly on with all these chains to the battlefield.

The memories of the blissful moments I have spent with you come creeping over me, and I feel most grateful to God and to you that I have enjoyed them so long. And hard it is for me to give them up and burn to ashes the hopes of future years, when God willing, we might still have lived and loved together and seen our children grow up to honourable life around us. I have, I know, but few and small claims upon the Almighty God, but something whispers to me—perhaps it is the wafted prayer of my little children—that I shall return to my loved ones unharmed.

If I do not, my dear Sangeeta, never forget how much I love you, and when my last breath escapes me on the battlefield, it will whisper your name.

Forgive my many faults, and the many pains I have caused you. How thoughtless and foolish I have often been! How gladly I would wash out with my tears every little spot upon your happiness, and struggle with all the misfortune of this world, to shield you and my children from harm. But I cannot. I must watch you from the Heaven and be born near you in my next birth, while you face the storms with your precious little resources, and wait with sad patience till we meet to part no more.

But, O Sangeeta! If the dead can come back to this earth and flit unseen around those they loved, I shall always be near you; in the brightest day and in the darkest night—amidst your happiest scenes and gloomiest hours—always, always; and if there be a soft breeze upon your cheek, it shall be my breath; or the cool air fans your throbbing temple, it shall be my spirit passing by.

Sangeeta, do not mourn me dead; think I am gone and wait for me, for we shall meet again.

As for my little children, they will grow as I have done, and never know a father's love and care. Little Anita is too young to remember me long, and my shiny-eyed Akshay will keep my frolics with him among the dimmest memories of his childhood. Sangeeta, I have unlimited confidence in your maternal care and your effort for development of their characters. Tell my mother I call God's blessing upon her, and tell my brothers and friends that I go for their sake. My body might disappear, but I shall ever be around to look after their well-being, and of course, the country's.

O Sangeeta, wait for me, we are bound to meet, here or in heaven.

Lovingly yours

Kanti

                                                                        --(based on Sullivan Ballou's 'Letter')

Rifleman Sanjay Kumar : An Essay

Rifleman Sanjay Kumar

Unit : 13 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles

In 1999, Pakistani army occupied a large area in Kashmir in the winter, so an operation was launched in the summer to get this area vacated. This operation is known as Kargil war.

This is important to know that defeating a well-fortified enemy is a very difficult job, and in this war, the Pakistani soldiers had occupied strong bunkers on the hilltops, and defeating them there was a massive challenge. This challenge was even more difficult in view of the fact that the enemy was located at a height while the Indians had to move from below, so they could be easily seen by the enemy. However, the Indian Army, with help of the Indian Air Force, started to attack and occupy one peak after another.

Point 4875 is the name of one of the hilltops on which the Pakistani army had built strong fortifications. It was difficult for the Indians to attack these bunkers because all the routes leading to them were in the open and the enemy could easily see the approaching Indians.

At this, Sanjay Kumar took up the challenge and led a team to attack this point. Despite coming under direct enemy attack, he advanced with his small team inch by inch. Sanjay Kumar himself leapt from a distance and crossed the main hurdle killing three Pakistani soldiers. In this task, he himself too was wounded, but the goal was not yet achieved.

From a nearby bunker, the Pakistani soldiers were firing at Indians and it was necessary to silence them too. Despite being wounded, Sanjay Kumar jumped from this bunker to the next and attacked the Pakistani defenders there. The Pakistanis were so terrified that they fled from there leaving behind their machinegun. Sanjay Kumar took it up and fired at the fleeing enemies.

Enthused by his courage, the other Indians joined him and silenced the remaining Pakistanis in the area, taking control of the hilltop fully.

For his unique courage, dutifulness, loyalty and decision-making ability, Sanjay Kumar was conferred with the Param Vir Chakra.

Fg Offr Nirmaljit Singh Sekhon : An Essay

Flying Officer Nirmaljit Singh Sekhon

Arm : Indian Air Force

The air force plays the most important role in any modern war, so was the case in the 1971 India-Pakistan War. It defends the country from the enemy air attacks and also launches attacks well within the enemy territory. The Indian Air Force accomplished its objectives well and made victory possible in this war.

On 14 December, 1971, six Pakistani Sabre jets approached the Srinagar airfield to attack. At this time, Sekhon and Ghumman were on ORP duty, that is, they had to take on any intruding aircraft. They had the Gnats to defend the airfield, while the Sabre jets were far more powerful. But these two warriors were not scared of either the larger number of enemy aircraft, or the more powerful enemy. They scrambled their Gnats on the runway when the Sabre jets were on their heads, raining down bombs.

Sekhon and Ghumman took off facing these odds, and immediately started to chase the Pakistani aircraft. There was fog and visibility was poor, but they dared the enemy. Sekhon first shot down one Sabre jet and then chased the second one and hit it too. But the remaining Pakistani aircraft came behind him and shot at him. His aircraft sustained a hit. Sekhon spoke to Ghumman on radio and said, "It seems my aircraft is hit. Continue with the fight."

After this, his aircraft started to fall off the sky and was soon engulfed in fire. He died in the line of his duty. His effort disallowed the Pakistani intruders from causing any significant damage to the Indian installations. For his daring feat, technological skill and courage, Sekhon was conferred with the Param Vir Chakra posthumously.

Lt Col A.B. Tarapore : An Essay

Lieutenant Colonel A.B. Tarapore

Unit : 17 Horse

17 Horse is the name of the unit, but it does not have horses for fighting; when it was established long back, it had horses, which were by the year 1965 replaced with tanks, but its name continued as before. Tanks are armoured vehicles which play a major role in a battle. In the 1965 India-Pak War, this unit came to face the Pakistani tanks at Chavinda.

On 16 September, 1965, Tarapore was ordered to deploy his tanks at Chavinda. Taking part in a battle nearby, he was already wounded, but he continued to fight. He led a massive attack on the Pakistani tanks and destroyed 60 of them. In this effort, only 7 Indian tanks were destroyed. In this battle which lasted for 6 days, Tarapore laid down his life leading his unit from the front. For his exemplary courage and leadership qualities, he was awarded the Param Vir Chakra.

Subedar Joginder Singh : An Essay

Subedar Joginder Singh

Unit : 1 Sikh

An army cannot fight well in the absence of supplies, that is, it needs clothing, guns, ammunition and food. If an army is not provided adequate supplies, its defeat is almost certain. Somewhat of this situation was faced by the Indians in 1962 India-China war. At this time, Jawaharlal Nehru was the Prime Minister of India, who believed that China would never attack India, so he did not prepare his army well, and its consequences were disastrous.

Despite lacking supplies, the Indians proved their bravery par excellence. They established highest standards of bravery in the battlefield while facing a much stronger, well-supplied and well-reinforced enemy.

On 9 September, 1962, 7 Infantry Brigade was ordered to occupy Namka Chu which the Chinese had occupied and fortified it well. The attacking Indians lacked training, arms, ammunition, equipment, clothing, and even food. In Chinese retaliation, this brigade had to suffer a huge loss, and lost about half of its men.

However, the Indians fought well with whatever they had. A part of this brigade was 1 Sikh, which was armed with .303 rifles in which bullets had to be loaded one by one, while the enemy possessed automatic guns. At one post, Subedar Joginder Singh led his platoon to take on the strong Chinese army, but soon he was out of ammunition. At this, displaying extraordinary courage, his soldiers attached bayonets on their rifles and jumped out of their bunkers to launch a direct physical attack with their battle call "Jo bole so Nihal, Sat Sri Akal". The enemy was bewildered to see these turbaned soldiers attacking in the open. How long could they sustain their attack on the powerful army? Despite lacking ammunition, they caused huge damage to the enemy, before most of them laid down their lives while the remaining were badly injured.

Subedar Joginder Singh too was badly injured in the fighting, he was taken prisoner by the Chinese, but he did not survive long. For his inspiring leadership and glorious bravery, he was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra, the highest bravery medal of India.

Major Somnath Sharma : An Essay

Major Somnath Sharma

Unit : 4 Kumaon

In 1947, soon after independence, Pakistan cast its greedy glances on Jammu and Kashmir, and sent its soldiers in the garb of tribals to occupy as much part of the state as possible. To beat back the Pakistanis, India sent its army from Delhi and Ambala. One of these forces included the D Company of 4 Kumaon Regiment, commanded by Major Somnath Sharma.

Just prior to airlift to Srinagar, Somnath was taking physical exercise in which he fractured his hand, so he was advised not to participate in the war; but he said, "How can I rest in Delhi when my men are going to war?" Despite his fractured hand, he became the first officer to land at Srinagar.

His D Company was deployed in Badgam to check the advance of the invaders. Somnath had only 90 soldiers under his command. At noon, he saw that just outside the village, several people gathered near a canal. Somanth thought that they were villagers, but they were in fact Pakistani soldiers who were dressed like local villagers.

These Pakistanis entered the village and launched an attack on the D Company from there. With this, Somnath ordered his soldiers to retaliate. He found that the enemy was in a great number and was armed with mortars, guns, rifles and other large guns. The invaders were attacking them fiercely, but the Indian soldiers had to be careful as the women and children in the village could be killed in their firing.

The D Company repulsed an attack from the invaders, who returned to attack in a larger number. Several of the Indian soldiers were getting hit and killed in the attack, but they were fighting bravely and inflicting a major loss on the enemy, piling up corpses of the enemy soldiers. Seeing the large number of enemies, Somnath called for reinforcement from the Brigade Headquarters.

Somnath established ground signals for the Indian Air Force to attack the enemy, while his soldiers were taking better of the enemy. With the increasing number of his soldiers laying down their lives, the number of Indian soldiers was dwindling rapidly, while the enemy was still strong. When he saw that his men were facing shortage of men to load the machineguns, he himself helped them do so despite his injured hand. About this time, a shell fell near him claiming his life.

In this battle, Major Somnath Sharma made the supreme sacrifice along with 21 more of his men, while another 26 were wounded. In this comparison, the enemy lost more than 300 men.

For displaying the rare courage, Major Somanth Sharma was awarded the Param Vir Chakra posthumously. He became the first person to get this award.

A.P.J. Abdul Kalam An Anecdote-3

In his childhood, Kalam was influenced by several people, one of them being Samsuddin, his first cousin. He was the sole distributor for newspapers in Rameswaram and catered to the reading needs of the 1,000-strong literate population of the town. Dr. Kalam recalls that the newspapers brought news pertaining to the national independence movement, astrology and bullion rates prevailing in Madras. Some people would discuss Hitler, Mahatma Gandhi and Jinnah as well as Periyar EV Ramaswamy. When the Second World War broke out in 1939, there was an unprecedented demand for tamarind seeds, which Kalam used to collect and sell to a local provision store. When India was forced to join the Allied Forces, there was something like a state of emergency, and its first casualty was in the form of the suspension of the train halt at Rameswaram station. Dr. Kalam recalls this much later in these words: "The newspapers now had to be bundled and thrown out from the moving train on the Rameswaram Road between Rameshwaram and Dhanuskodi. That forced Samsuddin to look for a helping hand to catch the bundles and, as if naturally, I filled the slot. Samsuddin helped me earn my first wages. Half a century later, I can still feel the surge of pride in earning my own money for the first time."

A.P.J. Abdul Kalam An Anecdote-2

In his childhood, Kalam was influenced by several people, one of them being Samsuddin, his first cousin. He was the sole distributor for newspapers in Rameswaram and catered to the reading needs of the 1,000-strong literate population of the town. Dr. Kalam recalls that the newspapers brought news pertaining to the national independence movement, astrology and bullion rates prevailing in Madras. Some people would discuss Hitler, Mahatma Gandhi and Jinnah as well as Periyar EV Ramaswamy. When the Second World War broke out in 1939, there was an unprecedented demand for tamarind seeds, which Kalam used to collect and sell to a local provision store. When India was forced to join the Allied Forces, there was something like a state of emergency, and its first casualty was in the form of the suspension of the train halt at Rameswaram station. Dr. Kalam recalls this much later in these words: "The newspapers now had to be bundled and thrown out from the moving train on the Rameswaram Road between Rameshwaram and Dhanuskodi. That forced Samsuddin to look for a helping hand to catch the bundles and, as if naturally, I filled the slot. Samsuddin helped me earn my first wages. Half a century later, I can still feel the surge of pride in earning my own money for the first time."

A.P.J. Abdul Kalam An Anecdote-1

In his childhood, Kalam was influenced by several people, one of them being Samsuddin, his first cousin. He was the sole distributor for newspapers in Rameswaram and catered to the reading needs of the 1,000-strong literate population of the town. Dr. Kalam recalls that the newspapers brought news pertaining to the national independence movement, astrology and bullion rates prevailing in Madras. Some people would discuss Hitler, Mahatma Gandhi and Jinnah as well as Periyar EV Ramaswamy. When the Second World War broke out in 1939, there was an unprecedented demand for tamarind seeds, which Kalam used to collect and sell to a local provision store. When India was forced to join the Allied Forces, there was something like a state of emergency, and its first casualty was in the form of the suspension of the train halt at Rameswaram station. Dr. Kalam recalls this much later in these words: "The newspapers now had to be bundled and thrown out from the moving train on the Rameswaram Road between Rameshwaram and Dhanuskodi. That forced Samsuddin to look for a helping hand to catch the bundles and, as if naturally, I filled the slot. Samsuddin helped me earn my first wages. Half a century later, I can still feel the surge of pride in earning my own money for the first time."

The Wild Friend : A Story

Shakti was on a jungle safari. Ever since his childhood, he had a great liking for the forests, as his house was located at the edge of the forest. His father was a village landlord, but he never allowed him to go into the forest. Once long back, when he had expressed his desire to go in the forest, his father had said, "I can allow you to go in the forest only when you have realized your dream."

So, he passed his childhood and adolescence looking at the forest from his fields and house. Whenever he wished to see wildlife, he was taken to the zoo in the city. The only exception was Bholu, a little bear cub, which was brought in the house by his father, a great hunter. When his father brought the bear cub in the house for the first time, he said, "I found this cub near its dead mother; I took pity on it and brought it with me, else it could have died there in the forest."

Shakti had read several stories and biographies in which experiences about the forest had been mentioned, but having a real experience was something different, so he was now in the middle of the forest; of course, only after he had realized his dream. He was now a lieutenant in the army. His military training also comprised a substantial part of jungle training, so he had practical experience of the forest, though not very elaborate.

Shakti was in the forest with his servant, Malu and had planned for a week-long safari. They had arrived just the previous day and had pitched the tent on a mound. His jeep was parked on the jungle track. The entire area was thickly covered with trees, vegetation and undergrowth. It was early in the morning. He was sitting on the folding chair cleaning his rifle. He never wanted to kill a wild animal, but you don’t know, when you might need a gun to scare away the wild animals. Malu was making tea. He had much experience of the forest as he had accompanied his father on several forest excursions.

By the time Malu brought tea, Shakti had already cleaned his rifle and kept it against the small table.

"Baba," said Malu addressing Shakti. He had been with his household for more than two decades and had seen Shakti grow from a toddler to a handsome young man. "Better load your rifle, you don’t know when you may need it. I've heard about a maneater leopard in this part of the forest."

"Yes, Kaka," said Shakti. 'Kaka' was a term of respect for the old servant. "I'll load the rifle before we start. Bring the cartridges, they are in the tent."

His military training had made him quite confident. He sat on the chair comfortably with the cup of tea in his hand. The forest was serene. He could hear some animal calls in the distance. Perhaps two groups of monkeys were fighting not very far chattering loudly.

Shakti sat lazily sipping tea while Malu was inside the tent gathering things that they needed to carry with them. Today they had planned for a ten-kilometre track on foot. And then the keen eyes of the trained military man turned to a side, in the same action, he kept down the cup and his hand moved to the rifle. The first thing a soldier does on perceiving a danger is to reach for his weapon, this was what Shakti had done precisely. He had heard the leaves rustle; he was sure there was something behind the bushes in the front. He breathed in deep; he could sense some strange smell. There is certainly a large animal around. The birds on the trees too were screaming by now. It confirmed there was a large animal around.

Shakti was now fully alerted, but his rifle was not yet loaded. He called Malu to bring cartridges. He sensed some danger somewhere very near.

As he looked around carefully, he found two eyes staring at him. It was the uninvited guest, it was the leopard. 'Is it the maneater that Malu was talking about?' this was the first question that lurked his mind. The problem with him was that his rifle was not yet loaded. He was trying to remember all the tricks that his military training had taught him how to face the enemy physically. An empty rifle was worse than a stick, he knew, so he threw it down.

Shakti was weighing his options, and Malu was yet inside the tent. Maybe he had not heard his call, so he called again, louder this time, "Bring cartridges, Kaka!"

Malu emerged from the tent carrying the whole box of cartridges. He said, "Its latch is entangled, it cannot be opened."

"There is a danger, I think we have the maneater right here," said Shakti pointing to the bushes with his glances.

"I'll bring the jungle knife," said Malu before entering the tent.

Just then the leopard sprang in the air and leapt on Shakti who had spotted it in the air. He ducked swiftly to a side; still, its paws rubbed against his back, but bruising him mildly, but it was not the time to look at his wounds. Before Shakti could turn, he found the leopard on his back. He fell face down shrieking loudly. He turned on the ground and found that the leopard was on him. He could feel the hot, stinking breath from its fearful mouth. He knew there was no rescue from the deadly paws. Death stared in his eyes.

The desire to live on reigned supreme in his mind, but the situation was terrible, he needed outside support to survive, and Malu, where was he?

The leopard looked here and there, and then opened its mouth showing its long, sharp teeth giving out an angry growl. In the leopard's open mouth, Shakti saw his opportunity to survive. Remembering the swift movement of catching snakes he was taught in his military training, he decided what he ought to do. Giving a jerk, he raised his shoulders and caught with his right hand the tongue of the beast as hard as he could and pulled it hard. The leopard was bewildered at this sudden movement; it tried to free itself with all its might, and in the process, the two rolled over and under each other.

Shakti felt that all his energy was deserting him, he was already bleeding from a couple of places. He knew he could not go on like this for long. He eyes were getting closed, he felt his hands squeezed of all energy, he knew he could not keep his consciousness for long; he was still holding on to the tongue, but not as strongly as before.

And then he saw some shadow leaping on the leopard from one side, and fell away taking it with it. Shakti was losing his senses. He thought it was Malu who had leapt upon the leopard. And then dark eclipsed his vision; he was unconscious now. He did not know what happened then. He did not know whether he was dead or alive, or whether he would die or live.

When Shakti regained his senses, he found himself lying on his cot in the tent and Malu was sitting near him, massaging his chest.

"Thank you, Malu, for saving my life," said Shakti with a feeble voice.

"Not me, Baba, I didn’t save your life, it was a bear," said Malu.

"Bear…?"

"When I came out of the tent and was thinking how to attack the leopard, a bear emerged from behind the grove," Malu narrated, "and it immediately attacked the leopard. It was so furious that the leopard was unable to face it. In a flash of a second, the bear caught it from the neck and shook it wildly. It left its neck only when the leopard fell dead. I had never seen a bear in such a frightful form."

"Then…!"

"What the bear did then is still more perplexing," said Malu. "It first ensured that the leopard was dead, and then it walked to you. You were lying senseless on the ground. I was scared that it could attack you. I was really frightened. But it walked to you, sniffed all around you, licked your face with its large red tongue, and then moved away disappearing behind the bushes."

"What…?" Shakti tried to sit up. He said in an excited tone, "I'm sure he was Bholu."

"Who…Bholu?" Malu was bewildered.

"Don’t you remember the bear cub that we had in the house?"

"O yes, that was a great friend of yours."

"I am sure it was he, he had come to repay the debt of our friendship," Shakti sat up and walked out of the tent. He could see the leopard lying dead on the ground. He could also see two shining eyes behind the bushes. He walked towards them.

"You must take your rifle with you, it is loaded now," called Malu from behind.

"I don’t need any weapon to meet my friend," said Shakti.

Seeing Shakti coming near, the bear rose to its great height and growled as if telling that he had done what a friend should, and then walked away. Soon, it disappeared into the dense forest.

"Good bye, friend!" said Shakti waving his hand from behind. He found Malu looking at him intently. He then said, "Friends will come and friends will go, but a friend like Bholu would never be found."

Shivaji and Surgical Strike : A True Story

From Vishalgarh, Shivaji made to the fort of Rajgad, his capital. Along side Bijapur, the Mughals too were becoming a potent threat, so they needed to be dealt with too. Shivaji had escaped from Panhala and now it was 1663. He had used the intervening time to expand his territories, win more forts, make his army stronger and harass the enemy. But now Shaista Khan, the Mughal governor, with a very large army, was near Poona, and he needed to be tackled on priority. Once again, Shivaji was faced with a much larger force. He knew he could not take on the mighty enemy face-to-face, so he started to launch nightly sallies, in which a few of his troops would come out of the fort at night, attack a part of the garrison, and go back causing some harm to the enemy. The harm caused by these attacks was not massive, but it certainly had an adverse psychological impact, as the enemy soldiers rarely knew when they would be attacked. They felt the pangs of terror all the time. And then, Shivaji planned something dramatic to cause irreparable psychological damage. Until now, the nightly sallies had targeted the posts located mostly on the outskirts of the garrison; but this time, Shivaji planned to strike at the very centre.

You have heard about the surgical strike that India launched not very long ago in 2016, in which a few of the brave Indian soldiers entered Pakistani territory and destroyed the terrorist camps. Perhaps they had learnt this lesson from the exploits of Shivaji that he undertook in 1663.

On the night of 5 April, 1663, Shivaji marched with 700 of his soldiers. He left 500 of them just outside the enemy garrison, asking them to enter if they perceived a problem. With the remaining 200 soldiers, Shivaji headed for the camp in which Shaista Khan lived. Let us not forget that Shivaji had walked almost 40 kilometers to undertake this daring attack.

Walking by the camps of the Mughal commanders, Shivaji reached the Janana or the inside palace of Shaista Khan. They broke through a wall and entered one by one. Only ten of them entered led by Shivaji, and the remaining were posted outside to alert them of any untoward movement. Shivaji headed for the cabin in which Shaista Khan was sleeping.

About this time, the Mughal soldiers were alerted about the enemy presence in the palace, but the lights were dim and nothing could be seen clearly. Before Shaista Khan could be attacked by Shivaji, he jumped out of the window to save his life, but in this melee, he lost three fingers of his right hand. Shaista Khan's son was killed in this attack.

Having caused a massive upheaval in the enemy camp, Shivaji returned to his base safely. He had struck terror in the enemy's heart. Striking at the very centre of the enemy garrison was no child's play. It terrified Shaista Khan so profoundly that he shifted his base from Poona to Ahmednagar. He was now too frightened to undertake any attack against the Marathas.

Shivaji Escapes : A True Story

In 1659, Shivaji defeated a very powerful military commander of Bijapur, Afzal Khan; not only this, he also occupied the fort of Panhala. This fort was not very large and had limited resources. Disturbed by this setback, Bijapur wanted to do away with Shivaji somehow. When it came to know that Shivaji was in the fort of Panhala, it sent one of its most shrewd commanders, Siddi Jauhar with a strong army of 20,000 horse-mounted soldiers and 40,000 foot soldiers in addition to cannons. This army surrounded and lay siege to the fort from 2 March, 1660.

In any military operation, the leadership plays the most important role, so it is vital that the leader is protected at any cost. It has been seen on several occasions that when a commander is killed, even a large army can be defeated by a smaller not-so-powerful army. Siddi Jauhar knew that Shivaji was right in the fort, so he deployed his army all around the fort such that literally not even a bird could fly out.

In those days, forts played an important role in the battles. It was normally very difficult to attack and win a fort, though Shivaji was a great exception in this regard. During his career, he conquered about 250 forts from the enemies, this also speaks volumes of his capabilities.

The siege continued. Shivaji ordered his troops to launch a few attacks on Bijapur, so that this siege would become weakened, but it did not happen. With the passage of time, the rations and resources in the fort were depleting fast, and this could force the Marathas to surrender. His problems were further aggravated when the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb sent his powerful commander, Shaista Khan, with a large army, to finish with Shivaji.

Shivaji could no more afford to remain in the fort at Panhala, it was necessary for him to get out in view of the depleting resources and the enemies threatening to annihilate the entire empire. In such a situation, he had only two options before him: (1) to come out of the fort and fight until the end; and (2) to sneak out of the fort somehow and then take on the enemy from a position of strength from another fort. Shivaji chose the second option because he was not in a position to choose the first one, especially in view of his small force present in the fort and depleting resources. However, sneaking out of the fort was no easy task, and some stratagem would have to be applied.

On 13 July, 1660, Shivaji sent out a message to Siddi Jauhar that he would surrender the following day; this put the enemy at some ease; but the same midnight, one by one his troops started to come out of the fort in the dark. It was raining, so the rocky surroundings had become quite slippery. The enemy had surrounded the fort from all around and Shivaji needed to cross through the enemy siege. A total of 600 soldiers set off with Shivaji in a palanquin. They did not have many horses; moreover, the noise from horses could have alerted the enemy. This force started towards the fort of Vishalgarh without making any unwanted noise.

They had barely crossed the enemy lines, when at an outpost, an enemy soldier noticed them in the faint moonlight. He immediately rode his horse to alert his commander. Siddi Jauhar immediately knew what was happening. He lost no further time to despatch a force of 2,000 horsemen, under the command of Masud, his son-in-law.

Shivaji was a master strategist. He came to know that his trick had been found out, and they would be chased. So, he planned something dramatic.

The force under Masud did not take long to sight and surround a group of 40 men carrying a palanquin. He never doubted that the enemy had surrendered without any opposition. He looked inside the palanquin, and said to his troops, "Yes, Shivaji is right in it. Let us take him to the camp."

Masud rode his horse in front with puffed up chest and forehead held high. He was sure that he would be promoted because of this feat in addition to getting a handsome reward from the king himself. His joy knew no bounds, but he rarely knew the reality.

At the camp, not only Siddi Jauhar but also Masud were shocked to find that the man in the palanquin was an ordinary soldier, he was not Shivaji. They were mad at the trick that had been played on them. Siddi was mad at this, he cried at Masud hoarsely, "How stupid you are!"

Masud once again set out after Shivaji. When the Bijapur forces caught up with the retreating Marathas, they were about 8 kilometers from the fort of Vishalgarh. It was not so dark now as day was about to break. The Marathas could hear the sounds of the trotting horses, and could soon see them nearing fast raising a cloud of dust. The threat was imminent, and their purpose was not yet fulfilled. They had been walking all night, and were certainly tired, but they were determined to take on the enemy with all their might and apply all tactics they knew to check the enemy advance.

Shivaji divided his force into two groups. One group was to take Shivaji to the fort, while the other group, commanded by Baji Deshpande, was to take on the chasing enemy. The latter group was given a task to check the enemy's advance until Shivaji had made to the fort safely.

Just imagine only a couple of hundred foot-soldiers taking on a far numerous army of horsemen! But these warriors engaged the enemy and made the supreme sacrifice, but not before their leader had made it safely to the fort.

The place where this battle took place has been named Pavan Khind (or Sacred Plateau) in the honour of Baji Deshpande and his men who fell fighting keeping the highest traditions of chivalry and bravery gloriously aloft.

The Secret Bond : A Story

Manik played well today and made the highest score in the game, he had fielded well too taking two spectacular catches. After all the hard work he had put in, he felt hungry as he walked back home. He remembered he had a tenner in his pocket, so he decided to buy a bar of chocolate from the neighbourhood market. First he wanted to eat it, and then decided that he would eat it only after he washes his hands, so he headed home with quick steps.

As he climbed up the staircase to his apartment on the first floor, he found a small crowd standing in the lobby. He found his mother standing just outside the closed door with sweat on her forehead. He thought there was some thing wrong, so he dashed and was in no time before her. He grew cautious and asked, "What happened, Mummy?" He thought that he had got late, so she was worried about him.

"Thank God, you are here," said his mother.

"What is there to feel nervous about? I was in the ground playing cricket," Manik tried to pacify his mother. He noticed a letter in her hand.

"Is there something in this letter that worries you?" said Manik trying to take the letter.

"I am not worried about you or about this letter, son," she said. "Actually, the postman came and as I came out to take this letter from him, the door was accidentally closed and locked. This is the problem with automatic locks. I don’t have the key to open it."

"But you keep a key tied to your saree all the time, where is that?"

"I left it in the bathroom when I was bathing."

"Where is Grandpa?"

"He is right in the house, and he must be sleeping now. You know he is hard of hearing. I have pressed the bell and knocked at the door several times, but to no avail. I am trying to draw his attention for the last half an hour," his mother said wiping sweat from her forehead with her saree.

"Mummy, it must be half past five, Grandpa must be awake by now," said Manik.

"I can't say for sure, he is not very well today."

Manik looked around the building what he could do, and then he noticed the old neem tree near the kitchen window.

"I can climb up the tree to look into the house; I am sure Grandpa will see me," said Manik.

"No, you can fall down," his mother said anxiously.

"Don’t worry, Mummy," assured Manik. "I have climbed up this tree several times."

As Manik came down the stairs and started climbing up the tree, there were many people to draw his attention.

"Be careful."

"Hold that thin branch."

"That twig is weak, don’t hold that."

"Keep your foot on that hole."

Manik laughed in his heart about all these instructions. In no time, he was sitting at the branch from which he could see across the kitchen window.

"Can you see Grandpa?" his mother called from below.

"No, maybe he is asleep in his room," said Manik. "Let me wait here."

Manik was already feeling hungry, so he slipped his two fingers into his pocket and took out the bar he had bought while coming back. He removed the wrapper and ensured that he did not touch the chocolate inside, and as he took the first bite, his eyes saw something that amazed him. He could see Grandpa entering the kitchen. He hurriedly swallowed the bite and was about to call him, when he saw that Grandpa opened the refrigerator and took a bowl full of sweet pudding from the casserole. And now he was standing right there, quickly eating one spoon after another.
Manik held himself. He observed that Grandpa would eat from the bowl and also keep an eye on the entrance. He was taking sweet stealthily. The doctor had forbidden Grandpa to eat any sweets as he was suffering from diabetes, so his mother kept a strict eye on him; but today, he had found an opportunity to gulp down as much sweet as he could. Mice enjoy when the cat is away.

At first, Manik wanted to call, but then he remembered the favour that Grandpa had done to him just the previous day. He could not help suppress his smile, but covered his mouth because all his movements were being observed from below. He wanted to give Grandpa an opportunity to enjoy himself, and thus repay the debt.

Yesterday, Manik had got his monthly progress report in which he had scored very low marks in science. He knew that both Father and Mother would shout at him, so he told this fact to Grandpa first. He had said, "Grandpa, I am scared that I may be thrashed." At this, Grandpa had said, "Don’t worry, I'll ensure that nothing happens." In the evening, he had said to Father, "Manik is a good student, but he is a little weak in science, so there is nothing to be surprised when he scores low marks in science. I have decided to teach him science now. I am sure he will score nice marks in the final exams." This was an indication for Manik to show his progress card. Grandpa's warning had ensured that he would not be rebuked or thrashed. And now the time had come when he could repay the debt. After all, none can be a better friend than a grandfather.

Sitting on the branch, Manik decided that he should allow Grandpa to eat as much sweet as he wanted. He kept munching the chocolate showing as if he could see nothing inside the kitchen. He was enjoying Grandpa's expressions because he loved so much what he was forbidden to eat.

And suddenly, Grandpa happened to look outside the window. He had never expected to see Manik there on the tree, looking at him intently. A long line of terror appeared on his face. He hurriedly kept down the plate, joined both hands and put his finger on the mouth as if requesting to keep mum. Manik slowly nodded his head. Grandpa came near the window and whispered, "Before your mother enters, let me wash the plate and set the house in order. Just wait a little."

Mother called from below, "Manik, could you see Grandpa?"

"No…yes…I can see him coming from the room. I am trying to draw his attention," said Manik as he broke a twig or two to wave. "Yes, Mummy, he has seen me, let me call his attention."

After some time, the door was opened. Manik entered with Mother and said, "I want to have pudding today."

"You don’t like pudding I suppose," Mother looked at him. "Here is good news for you that I have cooked pudding today."

A little later, Mother served Manik a small bowl of pudding, which he pushed towards Grandpa, saying, "You too love pudding greatly."

"No, Manik, I don’t want, you know I have diabetes. The doctor has forbidden me to eat any sweets," said Grandpa meaningfully.

Mother intervened, "No problem, you can take a little. He is offering you the pudding with all the love of the world."

Mother found Grandpa and Manik smiling very softly. She could not understand the cause of it. She too joined them smiling. The secret bond between grandfather and grandson was growing stronger.

                                                                        --based on a story by Neela Subramaniam

Knocked Thirty in a Blow : A Story

As the little tailor heard a honey-seller in the street, he craned out his neck from the window, and finding the honey of good quality, purchased two spoonfuls. The poor honey-seller went away as he had never sold so little honey before, but he could not refuse him – he being the first customer of the day.

The tailor cut himself a slice of bread and spread it with honey and deciding to eat it after having finished with the shirt in hand, placed it on the table.

Having finished with the job in hand he decided to have his breakfast. He saw that many flies had swarmed feasting on the slice. He cried, “You little naughty things! How dare you do that!” And picking up the shirt he had just sewed, blew away the flies violently. He noted that many flies had fallen dead. He counted them. They were thirty in all.

“Wow! Thirty in one blow! How strong I am!” pleased at his feat, the little tailor said to himself. “The world must know how strong I am!” And he sat down to make a belt for himself and embroidered on it in bold words, ‘KNOCKED THIRTY IN ONE BLOW’. And taking a piece of cheese which he might need on the journey and the bird he had in the cage, he set out on his journey.

Going through the streets with his head held high in a cocksure manner, he reached a forest. Seeing his feat recorded on his belt, a terrible giant appeared before him and said, “So you think you’re so mighty.” And he picked up a stone and pressed it so hard that it powdered. “Try and do it if you’re that strong,” cried the giant.

Controlling his perplexity, the little tailor took out the cheese from his satchel and squeezed and whey dropped from it, and he triumphantly said, “And what do you think of that? Was my squeeze better than yours?”

“Well done!” cried the giant in his astonished voice and picked up another stone and flung it away, and it fell a great distance away. “Beat that, O tiny warrior!”

“No doubt it was a great throw, but you look up. I’ll throw the stone which would never land,” said the little tailor and he freed the bird into the air. Finding herself at liberty, the bird flew away out of sight, never to be seen again.

“Well, O little warrior!” said the puzzled giant at his defeat, “Your stature defies your might, and you’ve earned my invitation. Come to my cave and I’ll treat you like my honoured guest.”

At the giant’s cave they had had a nice dinner and the little tailor got a fine bed to sleep on, but he was ill at ease, for he was not very convinced of the giant’s intentions of having come to terms with him, so he placed the pillow in the middle of the bed, and curled up himself under the bed having a sound sleep.

The little tailor was right. At dead of night, the giant came into the room and hit the bed hard with a thick iron rod, crying, “So you’re finally off to a perennial rest, you little creature!”

Having saved himself from the savage power of the giant, the tailor knew that the best course for him was to flee, so he sneaked out of the cave and ran and ran all night until he arrived at the king’s palace in the town. The dawn had already broken and he was dead tired, and seeing the soft green grass in the garden, fell asleep snoring loudly.

He had not slept for long that he was awakened by the king’s men who seeing the inscription on his belt, woke him up and led him to the king. The king was much impressed by the inscription he had on his belt, and said, “If you’re brave enough, go to the forest and kill the two giants there. They keep terrifying my subjects and steal away the pets.”

“As you wish,” the little tailor could only speak.

“And if you do, you can have half of my kingdom and my daughter in marriage,” the king proclaimed.

The little tailor bowed knee deep little considering how he could deal with the giants and wondering if he would ever be able to accomplish it. In the forest, he spotted two enormous giants fast asleep under a tree. How to kill them, the question lurked. Shall I throw stones at them, thought he. But one such stone would hardly injure them and they would awake only to make mincemeat of me, thought he. And an idea flashed his mind.

The little tailor came behind the tree and judged if he could do what he wanted. Then he slapped one of the giants on the face and hid behind the tree. The giant awoke and looked first at the other giant and finding him fast asleep thundering in snores, he looked around, and finding no one around once again lay down to sleep.

The little tailor once again came out from behind the tree and slapped hard the other giant. Now he awoke. Finding the first giant asleep, he too once again slept. Now the tailor hit the first giant again. He had hardly slept by then. He looked at the other giant. Not finding him asleep as fast as he was earlier, punched awoke him crying, “Hey you! It’s too much.”

The other giant sat up and finding his companion raging in fury cried, “It’s you who are hitting me.”

“Don’t tell me,” roared the first.

The two giants argued and quarrelled, hit each other with punches and slaps, and threw rocks and trees, and at last both of them fell dead.

The little tailor walked into the king’s palace and said proudly, “It’s all over. It was difficult indeed, but I finished them off. They threw trees at me and I returned with rocks, and the poor giants could hardly stand my fierce attacks.”

Having told the cooked up story, the tailor bowed his head anticipating for the reward the king had announced, but the king had never really thought to give half his kingdom and his daughter to the funny-looking man, so he said, “You’ve done a great job indeed, but to earn your reward, you need to get rid of the unicorn plaguing the kingdom.”

Once again the little tailor set off to the forest. The unicorn was a horse-like fierce animal with a strong horn on its forehead. As soon as it saw him, it began chasing him, making him to run for his life. Little did he know how he was to take on the dreaded animal, so he ran helter-skelter in the woods. When he saw the unicorn had caught up and was just behind him, he jumped behind a huge tree. In its flow of great speed, the unicorn could neither stop nor divert and thrust hard its horn into the trunk of the tree. Presently, it was no more in a position to move and all the little the little tailor had to do was to severe its head with his little sword.

The little tailor, having accomplished the job entrusted to him, returned to the king with his head held high boosting about his adventure. However, the king was least pleased with him and was perturbed at the thought of loosing half of his land and daughter in marriage, so he thought out another way, “The princess desires that you must spend a night with the bear in the palace cellar, and if you can do that, you’ll have your reward at once.” The king thought that he’d get rid of the tailor in this way, for the bear was very frightening and no one had ever escaped from his sharp claws.

“That’s not a great problem,” said the tailor.

In the evening the tailor was left in the cellar and locked from outside. As the bear got ready to make mincemeat of him, the little tailor took out some walnuts from his satchel, cracked open one and ate the inside. He then asked the bear, “Would you like to eat them? They are so tasty.”

The bear nodded. The little tailor gave him a walnut. The bear crack opened with his teeth and found it very tasty to eat. “Yes, it’s really good!” said the bear. “Give me some more.”

The little tailor this time gave him small brown pebbles. The bear wanting to taste the dainty inside, tried his best to crack open them, but little knowing that he was trying on pebbles, broke all his sharp teeth.

The bear was tired, but unable to sleep owing to pain in the teeth. The little tailor knew this, so he brought out the wooden flute and played. The bear liked the music and said, “Can you teach me how to play the flute?”

“Of course, I can, but your sharp long nails will come in the way,” said the little tailor. “If you’re so sure to learn it, you may have to undergo a little pain.”

“That I can, for I want to learn it. I can play whenever I want to entertain myself,” the bear replied.

“That’s the spirit,” said the tailor whipping out his needle. “I’d need to sew up your nails, agreed?”

“Yea,” said the bear. The tailor sewed down the nails of the bear and said, “See, I’m quite tired now. I’ll teach you how to play flute on the morrow.” And he lay down on the bear’s soft straw and fell asleep, snoring and muttering in sleep as he was used to. The bear wanted to learn music right then, but he was able to do nothing without his claws and teeth and growling helplessly he too slept down.

In the morning, the king had no more ideas to get rid of the little tailor and he married his daughter with him. The little tailor, now the king of half the kingdom, began to lead a comfortable life. One night, as was his habit, he muttered in sleep, “I’ll sew your shirt next week.”

Listening to these words, his wife felt strange and went to her father and repeated the words The king now knew the reality and said, “Your husband is nothing but a poor tailor.”

The princess too no more wanted to live with her husband, so the king said, “Tonight I’ll send some men to deal with him. All that you’ve to do is to keep the window of the bedroom open.’’

As the little tailor lay down on his bed, he heard some hushed voices from the window. Blinking he looked in that direction. He saw some soldiers stealthily sneaking into the room. He knew he could not fight them, so pretending fast asleep, he murmured, this time loud enough to be heard by the soldiers in the window, “I knocked thirty in one blow and killed the two enormous giants and a fierce unicorn and clapped the claws of the mighty bear, so why should I be afraid of the men in the window? I can kill them all in one blow.”

Listening to his words, the soldiers ran away as fast as they could. But the tailor realized that he might not be able to survive long, so he gathered a bagful of gold and fled from the kingdom the same night.

Fish : An Essay

When we say the word 'fish', the first image that comes to the mind is that of a slanting, streamlined colourful creature sliding in water, flapping its fins up and down, and jumping out of water when we throw food to it. But thinking this way is a very limited way of looking at a fish.

 The word 'fish' can be sometimes a tricky grammatical term for students because the same word stands for the plural too, but you should know that when we refer to different kinds of fish, we can very well use the word 'fishes', but for the same kind, the plural to be used remains the same 'fish'. So, you know the exact meaning when we use 'fish' or 'fishes' in the plural sense. The funniest thing about the word 'fish' is that all animals that carry it in their names are not necessarily fish; for example, jellyfish, crayfish, cuttlefish and starfish are not fishes.

Fish plays such an important part in our life that it has intruded our everyday language. We have a number of idioms and phrases that hinge on the word 'fish'. When you say that a person is like 'a fish out of water', you mean that she feels awkward or uncomfortable because she is not in familiar surroundings. When you say that you 'have bigger fish to fry', you mean that you have more important things to do. 'An odd fish' is a person who is slightly strange or crazy; and 'a big fish' is an important person. And when somebody points out that 'there are plenty more fish in the sea', he means that there are many other people or things that are as good as the one somebody has failed to get.

Fishes mean different things to different people. To many people, fishes are best known sources of food; they form a large part of food in the entire world, especially in the areas close to the seashores and water bodies. This has made catching fish an important source of livelihood for a very large number of people. To some people, fish are a source of sport or game, as they go out hunting them. Angling fish has been described to be an ideal pastime by many people, and may be, nobody seems to be talking about animal rights when it comes to fish.

Fishes are inhabitants of water, this fact is known to all people, but all those that live in water are not necessarily fishes, though they all coexist in water bodies including rivers, lakes and seas.

A true fish is a red-blooded, vertebrate animal which lives throughout its life in water. Its body is typically covered with scales. It breathes by means of gills. It propels itself by the sinuous movement of its body, aided by fins, which are the balancing organs. Most fishes breathe dissolved oxygen in water that bathes their gills; but a few like the lung-fishes have developed lung-like structures, which enable them to take in oxygen from the atmospheric air. Some of the lung-fishes are Epiceratodus, Protopterus and Lepidosiren.

A vertebrate is an animal with a backbone; a series of bones that we too have. Other than humans (who are mammals) and fishes, the other animals to have backbones are amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals.

The largest fishes living today are sharks; they are found in abundance in the tropical and sub-tropical zones of the world. Indian seas are rich in sharks. Interestingly, whales look like a fish, but are not one, they are mammals in fact.

Thus, we see that fishes are of so many types and are so universally found in seas, rivers and lakes that they have been divided into several types of groups. Though they all look alike so far as the shape of their body is concerned, but different features of their bodies and organs have caused their classification into different groups. It is estimated that there are about 25,000 species of fishes living today. They are second to insects in the largeness of population, and they outnumber all other vertebrates, mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians put together.

Fishes have had a long history. They first emerged about 430 million years ago. During this vast stretch of time, they have become adapted to all conceivable aquatic environments. They are the most common forms in rivers, rivulets, lakes and estuaries. They roam the open seas and have descended into the dark depths of oceans. They have climbed the rapid torrents of the mountains and crept into the crevices of cave waters. The story of their evolution is fascinating.

Fishes are curious to look because of their smooth body with scales, without legs and feet. And one of the most conspicuous features in fishes is the absence of the external ear, but they very well have the internal ear which is fully developed. They can very well recognize the sound produced by their own kind and can register sound waves conducted through water more sharply than through the air; this fact has been demonstrated by biologists through experiments. Fishes can also smell; their olfactory organs are paired, simple cup-like organs, which have no connection with the mouth. Most fishes have a high sense of smell, which enables them to detect their prey from a distance. Experiments on blinded sharks have shown that they can locate food with the help of smell alone. Salmon is a kind of fish that has an uncanny sense of smell. Fishes practically have no tongue, but they do taste through the oral membrane.

Fishes have a highly developed sense of touch, which most of them feel through barbels.

Have you seen a fire-fly, also called glow-worm or jugnu? It is abundantly found in our country. What makes it fascinating is the light that it emits in the dark. Among sea-creatures too, there are some that emit light; this phenomenon is called bioluminescence. It is in fishes that this process has reached its perfection. The great majority of deep-sea fishes living at depths of 90-550 metres or more have evolved light-producing organs, called photophores, which are varied in kind, number and origin. Deep-sea sharks produce greenish light.

What can be the use of these lighting organs in fishes? It is a biochemical process. The most obvious use is to provide light in places of darkness as in the deep seas, where sunlight does not penetrate. They are also used as defensive organs to confuse the enemy, as in lantern fishes. A further use may be as recognition marks for individuals of the same species, like spots and stripes. They also act as lures for prey as in wide-mouth fishes.

Some fishes have venom too, so it is not advisable to take every fish as food. Generally, fishes do not use their stings as organs of offence; they use them only on provocation, when attacked or stepped upon. In most cases, their venom is not life-threatening and can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, itching and numbness, sometimes accompanied by fall in blood pressure and heart rate.

Earlier it was thought that there are no separate males and females among fishes, so a large number of myths and legends grew around them. Some people said that they reproduced by spontaneous generation, while others believed that the young ones arose from the mucus or slime of their parents. But the truth is that there are males and females among fishes, and they come together to lay eggs. A fish can lay a very large number of eggs; for example, a cod, salmon or plaice may lay anywhere from 250,000 to 500,000 eggs in a single spawning season. You can see fish eggs during the rainy season in the local pond if there is one in the vicinity.