Date: 24 Oct 2012
WE ARE MOST GRATEFUL TO THE LEARNED WRITER, A GREAT PATRIOT FOR THE FOLLOWING PERSONAL ACCOUNT. \\\\\\\\-Owner Site.\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ The account of a few personal details I mentioned was of course before 15th August , 1947 . \\\\\\\\\\\\ However the same Zeal & enthusiasm continued amongst the people of Jhansi , U.P. at least till 1960 when I had finally left Jhansi. \\\\\\\\\\\ Again, very recently, when I was in Jhansi, I had checked with the Ram Lila Committee & they had told me the same old traditions are still followed in my home town Jhansi & with same fervour of paying respect to the elders, known or unknown , after the burning of the effigies of those three Devils , then the casts of the persons acting as Raja Ram, Lakshaman, SITA & Hanuman along with their both the other brothers : Bharat & Shatrughan used to be taken in procession with bands & folk music etc when the ordinary people pays them their respects as well with all the happiness of winning the war over RAVAN & HIS DEVIL-LIKE KINGDOM . \\\\\\\\\\\ \ Please note that the population records are as per Government of India's official Figures , nothing of my own & whatever I have stated in my mail is absolutely remembered correctly & then penned to the best of my memory, which is exceedingly sharp & intact till date. \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ S C Gupta, \\\\\\\\\\\\ \\\\\\\\\\ In a message dated 24/10/2012 06:11:53 GMT Daylight Time, \\\\\\\\\\\\\.com writes: \\\\\\ On this day of DASHERA some old memories come CROWDING to my mind : \\\\\\\\\\\\\ 1. The birth of our First & subsequent Grand child : My wife used to take AARTI of our daughter-in-law & son as well with the New Born Baby in their lap on their return from hospital , before allowing them to enter the House : it was a sort of worshipping & remembering GOD's immense Bounties on our family. Then both our son & daughter-in-law used to bow down & touch our feet with great respect to be blessed along with the NEW_BORN baby . This made Unqualified Continued LOVE & Respect for each other in the family. We used to shower raw rice , Raw Barley ( JAU , the most "SATVIK " grain as advised in our VEDAS ) & we used to apply TILAK on all the THREE ,First . \\\\\\\\\\\\ 2. Dashera Day : First there used to be a Big Havan in OUR LOCAL Arya Samaj Mandir , then on our return from there , we used to have another brief Family Havan in the house . Thereafter , my father who used to remain about 7 - 8 months out of the town , used to come with his stick ( as an armament or support ) along with a few people of the locality , touching our father's feet , first by keeping their sticks on the ground ( that used to be our weapon in those days ) then led by my uncle , all used to greet my father touching his feet ( of course including us ) when each one was by our father .\\\\\\\\\\\\\ Thereafter , first our Cows & both the horses were fed with "BUNDI LADDOS & DAHI & ROTI - DAL SABZI _ KHEER & everything " but before doing so our keepers of cows & of horses , used to wash them properly & used to decorate them suitably & they used to be brought in the open chowk of our house & we used to cuddle them & they also used to realize that we are showering Love & oneness on them. \\\\\\\\\\\\ 3. Thereafter only , we used to have Dahi- Laddo & then we used to have an early Lunch together with the neighbours irrespective of their caste or creed simultaneously sitting together on the floor which used to be covered with "DAREES" , a sort of Carpet \\\\\\\\\ 4. The whole town used be decorated with decorated animals all around with Piper band & folk Music every where.\\\\\\\ 5. In the afternoon , say about 4 or 5 p.m. the entire town used to be vibrant with the slogans of "BHARAT MATA KI JAI " & other slogans which were popular then. Then all the citizens will automatically come together & used to form ARMY LIKE BATTALION WITH WHATEVER ONE'S ARMAMENT< SOWRD or Lathies etc had & then all such Civilians of the town used to go around in ARMY LIKE FORMATIONS , COMMANDED BY TWO ELDERLY PERSONS EACH WITH A SWORD IN THEIR HANDS, along with Marshal Band & Slogans of BHARAT MATA KI JAI.\\\\\\\\\\ ( quite a few of the youngmen , used to take oath to free our motherland from the British Yoke .) \\\\\\\\\\\ DURING THE WHOLE DAY , NONE OF THE WHITE BRITISH TROOPS WERE ALLOWED BY THEIR COMMANDERS TO MOVE OUT OF THEIR BARRACKS & THEY USED TO HIDE THEMSELVES LIKE MOUSE IN THEIR BARRACKS. . \\\\\\\\\\\\ 6. THEN IN THE EVENING , THE WHOLE TOWN USED TO COLLECT AT A CENTRAL PLACE ( HUGE CROWD OF ABOUT FIFTY THOUSAND PEOPLE ) , USED TO SEE THE BURSTING OF FIRE-CRACKERS & BURNING OF THE EFFIGIES OF RAVAN, KUMBHKARAN & MEGHNATH ; THEREAFTER EACH ONE USED TO GREET THE OTHER IN A MOST DIGNIFIED & DISCIPLINED MANNER , TOUCHING THE FEET OF THE ELDERS & THE WHOLE TOWN USED TO ECHO & VIBRATE WITH THE INTENSE FEELINGS OF NATIONALISM & GOODNESS TOWARDS EVERY ONE FORGETTING ANY ENEMITY, IF ONE EVER HAD TOWARDS THE OTHER . \\\\\\\\\\ 7. THEN AT NIGHT , WE USED TO HAVE KAVI-SAMMELAN WITH NATIONALIST TOUCHING POEMS ONLY FOR ABOUT AN HOUR OR SO , BEFORE RETIRING TO RESPECTIVE PLACES / HOUSES . \\\\\\\\\\\\\ THAT WAS OUR TOWN OF JHANSI, THEN WITH A POPULATION OF ABOUT 75,000, NOW OVER 5,500,000. \\\\\\\\\\\ IN OUR CHILDHOOD DAYS THE TOTAL POPULATION OF MUSLIMS USED TO BE HARDLY 1/2 TO 1% MAXIMUM , WHO USED TO PARTICIPATE WITH US IN THE SAME WAY , BUT NOW THEIR POPULATION HAS GROWN TO 14.5% & THEY KEEP A DISTANCE FROM THE HINDUS , RATHER THEY EVEN CREATE RIOTS , ABDUCTING EVEN THE HINDU GIRLS AT ANY OPPORTUNITY ETC. ON THE INSTIGATION OF OTHER TOWNS VIOLENT MUSLIM OUTFITS . \\\\\\\\\\\\ ====================================== S C GUPTA. MUMBAI, \\\\\\\\\\ ======================================= 000000000