I am Daarji

A dog has earned the title of being ‘Man's Best Friend’ for over a century now and possesses a loyalty for their owner that is unwavering and immeasurable. My dogs are my true buddy, they accept me for what I am despite my imperfections, and they stay beside me through thick and thin.    Being pack animals my dogs consider me the leader of their pack; therefore, they are always by our side no matter what the situation maybe.. Dogs have been known to sacrifice their lives to save their owners….I can vouch for that….one day I will tell you that story as well.    The unconditional love and companionship they provide to us, has resulted in them being bona fide members of this family. "Happy Tails Day”... What a wonderful sound it has...And do you know that Australians celebrate 8 th  October as Happy Tails Day to celebrate our tailed friends.... our animal friends who make our lives better?  Animals have always been an integral part our life at the farm and we hav

        The Day Guru Nanak became a Defendant!                               My last two stories were pertinent to the life and times at Rai Bhoi di Talwandi and all the more pertinent to us it happens to be the place of birth of Guru Nanak. Blessed was this land on which he walked and blessed were its people……. For Rai Bular Bhatti and generations of Bhattis, he is revered as a father.’ Rai Bular Bhatti However, aberrations did happen So, let’s go back to the point where I heard about a behavioural anomaly as given in the account of Dr Harpal Singh. It seems he was on a visit to Nankana Sahib about six or so years ago, and after the ceremonials and ‘langar’ at Gurudwara sahib he took time out to walk around and garner some local flavour and perhaps get some interesting sound bytes…..and that he sure did. Dr Harpal Singh Professor & Head Perchance he met a devout old man, six ft six-inch tall, an imposing personality in a traditional Muslim Punjabi suit and c

For men in olive greens…or as we call them the men in ‘OG’, travelling has been a one big added benefit, at least for some of us who are bitten by the travel bug.  We get to live all over India and if good fortune comes our way then perhaps we get global deputations or two like I did. The opportunity to see places teaches many valuable things about other cultures and ways of life. But there is a difference between those who travel to gain knowledge about the world and its people and those who travel for pleasure as well…for if you derive personal pleasure then you gain the power to feel the soul of the place and your journey becomes a spiritual odyssey.                 As I look back I could say with confidence, and I am sure Bebe will second me on that ,that  all our journeys  across India  in service of the nation  have been one of  the most rewarding perks of  soldiering, and our tour of duty has been one long  tour …a cruise through time over many de

           The old dictum, ‘y outh is wasted on the young’  is one that I seem to be in harmony with these days…Could the reason be  a discord between the spirit of my mind and spirit of my  body….willy-nilly one is slowing down and not keeping pace with the other.  When I was young and filled with enthusiasm, I had the youthful energy as the driving force in me to take on new challenges to make the best of all that life offered...The momentum was all fast forward… And sure, that's the way it should be….For youth dare where angels fear to tread.  To have taken a pit stop then, to take stock and look back at ‘Life’ was definitely not a choice to be considered. In  fact , that was the farthest from my mind. It is only now,  that I am older and the energies have dipped , that I have begun to sit back and overview the  years as  they rolled for us…. That is for Bebe and  I….   Where we've been, what we’ve done and what's still left to be done. …and heaven kn