Christmas is an annual festival honouring the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. Santa Claus is Santa Claus, legendary figure who is the traditional patron of Christmas in the United States and other countries, bringing gifts to children. 

Santa Clause is mythical giver of gifts in Christmas, his popular image  is associated with Saint Nicholas,  a 4th-century Christian saint who is typically portrayed in red bishop’s robe. The Dutch are credited with transporting the legend of Saint Nicholas who was also called Sinterklaas to New Amsterdam (now New York City), along with the custom of giving gifts, toys, clothes and sweets to children on Christmas.

The current depiction of Santa Claus is based on images drawn by cartoonist Thomas Nast for Harper’s Weekly beginning in 1863. Nast’s Santa owed much to the description given in the poem  “ A Visit from St. Nicholas” first published in 1823. The image was further defined by the popular Santa Claus advertisements created for the Coca Cola company from 1931 by illustrator Haddon Sundblum; his Santa was a round, overweigh, white-bearded gentleman dressed in a red suit with a black belt and white fur trim, black boots, and a soft red cap.

Christmas is called the festival of giving. Giving has a profound impact on both the giver and the receiver. By providing support to those in need, we can make a positive difference, both now and for eternity. This was the whole idea of Christmas. It is about giving. Over the years people forgot it’s true motive and started celebrating it just for their own happiness. Christmas additionally explains how giving and sharing not only helps the recipients happy but also gives you a sense of satisfaction and joy.

In today’s selfish world, the joy of giving is highly underrated. It’s a mutual feeling and not a one way feeling. It makes the other person happy because you’ve helped them or given them a reason to feel joy. It also makes you happy because the satisfaction you receive is unmatchable. If you possess the power of giving and if you use that power in the right manner, you’ll never be dissatisfied.

And trust me when I say giving is not always monetary or something which can be bought by money. It can be anything which brings joy, happiness or satisfaction to the other person and yourself too. It can be a feeling, good news, a few kind words, words of wisdom, a small gift, a kind gesture or anything in general. Toward the end of the 18th century the practice of giving gifts to family members established. Theologically, the feast day reminded Christians of God’s gift of Jesus to humankind even as the coming of the Wise Men (Magi) to Bethlehem suggested that Christmas was somehow related to giving gifts.

The famous belief about Santa Claus is said that he lives at the North Pole with his wife (Mrs. Claus), where he spends the year making toys with the help of his elves (small creatures with pointed ears who has magic powers). He receives letters from children asking for Christmas gifts. On Christmas Eve he loads his sledge with toys and flies around the world, drawn by eight reindeers, stopping at each child’s house. He slides down the chimney and leaves the gifts, refreshing himself with the milk and cookies left for him by the household’s children.

Santa Claus’s story stretches all the way back to the 3rd century, when Saint Nicholas walked the earth and became the patron saint of children. It is believed that Nicholas was born sometime around A.D. 280 in Patara, near Myra in modern-day Turkey. Much admired for his goodness and kindness, St. Nicholas became the subject of many legends. It is said that he gave away all his inherited wealth and travelled the countryside helping the poor and sick. One of the best-known St. Nicholas stories is the time he saved three poor sisters from being sold into slavery or prostitution by their father by providing them with a dowry so that they could be married. Over the course of many years, Nicholas’s popularity spread, and he became known as the protector of children and sailors.

The legend also has that after the birth of Jesus Christ in the winter season, some of the trees shook off the snow and turned green to mark the great event. Thus, the Christmas tree represents permanence and immortality. That’s why it is decorated.

Gray divorce is a term used to describe the increasing number of divorces among couples who are over 50 years old and have been married for several years. We see marriage is treated s burden these days. Traditional views of marriage as a lifelong commitment are shifting.

A couple who has lived together for four-five decades go for divorce, which is surprising.  Our societal values  are shattering, the bond between two people is fading away. People want to enjoy individuality. People are seeking more freedom to pursue their interests and hobbies. They don’t want to be tied down to marriage. Young people are choosing to live together without legal or religious serenity.  Even older people opt for live-in relationship, which has lesser bindings.

The Supreme Court of India has granted legal and constitutional sanction to values like same-sex marriage and inter-religious marriage. The idea of adopting a child is becoming more popular. People are considering marriage as a responsibility and are focused on their careers and personal growth. A culture of competition, comparison, and disappointment has affected expectations and demands of married partners. 

After living for thirty/forty/fifty years together, couples realize they no longer have shared interests or goals after their children grow up and leave home. Other factors include increased life expectancy, financial independence, and shifting societal norms. 

This trend is on the rise with the increase in people living longer and seeking more out of life when they get older. Other factors such changing expectations within society also contribute to the rising numbers of grey divorce. Lifestyle adjustments, such as changes in living arrangements, financial and emotional impacts, the need for assistance with healthcare are also some of the causes. The complex legal implications of updating wills and changing the beneficiaries is adding to the challenge. According to the government data, divorce rates among middle-aged and older adults have increased since 1970. In 1990, 8.7% of marriages among people over age 50 ended in divorce, but by 2019 that number had grown to 36%. Older couples argue over retirement savings and pension plans. Divorce becomes  financially devastating, and older adults have less time to recover. Also, infidelity is a leading cause of divorce. 

Nothing compares to the joy of coming home to a loyal companion. The unconditional love of a pet is more precious that keeps you company. Pets may also decrease stress, improve heart health. People prefer living with a pet instead of a human.

Domestic violence can include physical, verbal, sexual, emotional, or economic abuse. Drug  or alcohol addiction can cause chaos in a marriage and home. According to the Gottman Institute (a research institute working on relationship) contempt is the greatest predictor of divorce. People are easily growing apart. Incompatibility becomes more noticeable as people grow older together.  Finding a balance, respecting each other’s needs, and creating a space for solitude and togetherness can help build a healthy and compatible relationship.

As women have become more financially independent, it has become easier for older couples to divorce and support themselves financially after their marriages end. This has made it easier for older couples to end their marriages without having to worry about financial consequences. People are very self-centered, listening to only what matters to them. I think one more reason is nuclear family system. The second reason being social media allows us to vent our opinions and therefore, we see many different opinions bashing each other. This was earlier going on in our brains. There was not outlet for this. Now, we have an outlet. Thus, we see more intolerance. People are getting emotionally detached easily.

Emotional detachment can affect a person’s physical, psychological, emotional, and social development. However, it can also be helpful if used purposefully, such as to set boundaries with certain people or groups. 

The institution of marriage is losing its serenity. One of the most significant causes of gray divorce is the changes people experience as they age. Growing apart is the most frequently cited reason for divorce at any age. For older adults specifically, aging represents a big change, and people’s priorities, interests, and needs obviously shift as they grow older.

We visited Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City also known as Saigon in May 2024. Ho Chi Minh is most notably known for its importance during the Vietnam war. However, there is so much more to this city than old war museums and Vietcong tunnels. Vietnam is one of the most popular countries in Southeast Asia, Vietnam is bursting with culture and breathtaking natural beauty. From picturesque beaches to historic local villages and cosmopolitan cities, Vietnam has countless unmissable destinations.

I found Saigon very clean and lush green. It is a major modern hub of Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City offers a glimpse into both the future of the country and its past. The city’s landscape if full of skyscrapers tower over French colonial buildings and ancient pagodas, while the streets buzz with the hustle of daily life. There are pieces of Vietnam’s history everywhere, from the architecture and culture to historic landmarks. The Independence Palace or the War Remnants Museum for understanding depth of the Vietnam War. The Mekong Delta consists of the rows of houseboats and paddy fields for a true look at local life. Saigon is famous for night life.

Vietnam, like most of the other Southeast Asian countries is known for its meaty delicacies across the globe. It is hard to be a vegetarian when there is at least one non-veg ingredient in the Vietnamese cuisine. But in the hordes of frog legs, snails, pork, dog meat etc.

I am a pure vegetarian. I had a big problem of finding vegetarian food. Luckily, we found a good vegetarian restaurant named ‘Benaras’ near our hotel, tucked within the vibrant culinary landscape of Vietnam. This Indian Restaurant emerges as an ideal restaurant offering wide array of culinary dishes of Indian origin; South Indian, North India, Marathi. Gujarati foods. I ordered idli and masala dosa and to my surprise, they were authentically cooked. Benaras is founded and led by Nidhi Arora in 2018. Prior to her entrepreneurial stint, Nidhi worked as a HR consultant. Benaras Indian Restaurant has swiftly earned its place as the premier destinations of Vietnam for the best Indian food experience in Vietnam. It has multiple branches.  

I could luckily discuss with Nidhi as she was present at her Saigon restaurant. She is a charismatic lady. In restaurant business the biggest challenge is handling the staff as the attrition rate is very high. Nidhi handles her staff compassionately; she has mastered collaboration and empathy skills. I found a strong leader in her. She sees others as actual people, not just work producers. As a woman leader, she is more attentive to her employees and the customer’s needs, aspirations, and experience.

Restaurant ambience personifies the owner’s character. I found Benaras restaurant’s atmosphere warm, incorporating lighting, decor, pastel color scheme, dining tableware textures more to match the intended vibe. The lighting brings so much change to an indoor environment. The right tableware can set the mood complementing the lunch/dinner’s general theme and the food’s visual aspects. The pictures on menu and description serve functional purposes. The cutlery set collection adds to visual aesthetics.

I honestly recommend tourists and visitors to visit Benaras Restaurant at Vietnam. I wish Ms. Nidhi Artora best wishes for all her upcoming endeavours.

A public display of affection (PDA) is an act of intimacy between a couple that which they display openly. Hugging, kissing, or holding your partner’s hand in public are some examples of PDA. Sharing a private intimate moment in a public forum such as social media can also be a form of PDA.

In our society public displays of affection is often looked down upon due to our cultural and traditional norms that underline modesty and privacy in personal relationships. In many parts of India, there is a strong emphasis on conservative values and respect for traditional behaviour. Public displays of affection, such as kissing or hugging in public, are often considered brazen and may be seen as a violation of cultural norms. Additionally, the influence of religious and societal beliefs plays a significant role in shaping attitudes towards public displays of affection in Indian society.

75% of men think kissing without tongues in public is acceptable, but just 62% of women agree. Young people are significantly more likely than older groups to be comfortable with it  eight in ten (78%) 18 to 24s are fine with a public kiss, compared to six in ten (58%) of those aged 55 and above.

Public displays of affection (PDA) are generally not as common in India as they are in some other countries. In many parts of India, there is a strong cultural emphasis on modesty and caution, particularly in public spaces.

A lot depends on your upbringings. If we grew up in a family where our parents were affectionate and demonstrative with each other, we may see PDA as normal and acceptable. On the other hand, if we grew up in a family where our parents didn’t display their affection openly, were distant or divorced, we may see PDA as undesirable. It’s important to be mindful and respectful of others’ boundaries and comfort levels when engaging in PDA. Ultimately, whether PDA is considered good or bad is subjective and varies from person to person.

I go for evening walks. And I stay in an area with lots of schools and colleges. During my walks in evening, I witness a lot of younger as well as older couples occupying garden seats engaged in kissing, inappropriately touching each other, hugging inappropriately in public. I look in other direction because I feel uncomfortable watching PDA. Some elderly couples in their 40s and 50s are involved in adultery, it shows from their body language. It is practically impossible to act natural in such situations. I avoid going for walks in such places, especially of walking near the affectionate couples.

Is public display of affection banned in India? Under section 294 of the Indian Penal Code, causing annoyance to others through “obscene acts” is a criminal offence with a punishment of imprisonment up to three months or a fine, or both.

Some people may feel uncomfortable witnessing intimate behaviour in public, as it can intrude on their personal space or make them feel awkward. Cultural and social norms also play a role in shaping attitudes towards PDA, with different societies having varying levels of acceptance for public displays of affection.

Some partners do not have compatible preferences when it comes to PDA. For example, while some people are comfortable being openly affectionate with their partners, many people are more private with their relationships and prefer to not be affectionate in front of others, due to their upbringing, family culture, or social norms. 

All couples are not the same. Some dislike PDA because it feels like their relationship is being put on display for others and that makes them uncomfortable. Some people don’t like attention of other around them and they don’t like being forced to kiss the partner in a non-romantic setting. Some people don’t like being touched intimately in public settings because it feels a bit like showing off to other people and that looks crass.

Having different values and upbringing or preferences around PDA can harm the relationship, particularly if one person is trying to be affectionate and the other person is rejecting the advances, which could be combined by the public aspect of the interaction. Many people fear the consequences of damaging their reputation both socially or professionally, especially when PDA could be easily photographed and shared on social media.

India is a nation with rich linguistic diversity.  Each language has a separate set of art and culture. They also have separate customs and traditions.  Moreover, children get educated in these languages to gain knowledge in the schools. Education in mother tongue is crucial for achieving 100% literacy. It leads to overall fulfilment of human life.
Various International conventions also call for their protection. The freedom to express ourselves through language is a fundamental human right. But globalization has made our multiple languages vulnerable; migration and trade do not recognize these languages.

After Independence, the government was reluctant to divide the country on the linguistic lines because the country had experienced painful partition on the basis of religion. People were divided on the basis of language. It was the largest, most unexpected, unexpected, and tragic transfer of people based on religion. The violence went out of control with tit-for-tat crimes largely because members of the armed forces had also become radicalized. Families in India and Pakistan lost their properties, assets, some even lost children, parents everything. The partition in 1947 between India and Pakistan had killed millions of people. It feared that further division of the country on linguistic lines could disrupt its unity and integrity. The Government led by Jawaharlal Nehru felt that it was required for the country to remain strong and to reject any force which could disturb the peace and unity of the country.

When the demand for the formation of States on the basis of language was raised, some national leaders feared that it would lead to the disintegration of the country. Complaints about shortage of teachers and lack of training facilities continue to be received from linguistic minorities from various States. Regionalism, communalism, and terrorism are serious threats to the National unity of India. 

The government finally formed a commission in 1948 under Justice SK Dhar, an Allahabad High Court judge, to address the need for linguistic division of states. However, the committee did not agree with this basis for the re-structuring of states, and would rather do so for administrative convenience. Let us appreciate that reorganization of more than 500 princely states into effective provincial units was one of the biggest tasks. The credit goes to Vallabhai Patel.  

Later in 1948 ‘JVP’ committee was organized on the initials of the three leaders who headed the Committee. They were Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Vallabhai Patel and Pattabhisitaramayya to discuss the linguistic states. This committee scrutinised the recommendation of SK Dhar committee recommendation and submitted a report in the month of April 1949. According to this committee also reorganisation of states on the basis of language was not good for the country’s future.  Thus, this committee also rejected the proposal of reorganisation of state on the basis of language. The committee gave importance to unity of nation and economic prosperity. This committee also recommended that formation of new provinces should be delayed by which various emerging issues could be resolved. 

In 1956, State Reorganisation Commission’s (SRC) recommended the linguistic reorganisation of 14 States and six Centrally-administered territories were partially completed with several other states to be reorganised later on.

Since then, reorganisation of states has been an unfinished task as outcome of linguistic reorganisation has not been quite positive in the long run. It has resulted in unequal sizes of jurisdiction. The differences are visible in States like UP and North Eastern states. This has led to imperfect resource distribution. With few states reaping attention, while few states experiencing negligence.

According to the Census of India of 2001, India has 122 major languages and 1599 other languages and dialects. Satisfying linguistic goals of all groups is rather impossible. For example: demand for redistribution of boundaries of Maharashtra and Karnataka based on language is still unresolved. Belagavi issue has created political tussle between Karnataka and Maharashtra. Belagavi is an area in Karnataka, which has a sizeable Marathi-speaking population and has been at the heart of a six-decade-old border row between Karnataka and Maharashtra whose final order from Supreme Court is still awaited.

Linguistically divided states have fuelled regionalism. As a result, India is still a nation in making and its subnational feelings are given precedence over Indian unity and integrity. Recent creation of new states like Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand are based on developmental needs, where it was found that states, even after having enough resources, could not grow like the rest of its parent state.

The regional growth in India has been polarised. Some states such as Maharashtra, Gujrat and Tamilnadu are characterised by a high-income people and states such as Bihar, Odisha, and Chattisghar are occupied by low-income people. The worry is that the composition of rich and developed vs poor and under-developed states has remained largely unchanged over the last many decades.

Conclusion

In the light of the above discussion, it is concluded that India due to its multi-cultural and linguistic diversity cannot ever satisfy all linguistic groups. This has triggered immense regional and political confrontations for past seven and half decade.

As of October 2021, there have been 105 amendments to the Constitution of India since it was first enacted in 1950. The Eighth Schedule to the Constitution consists of the following 22 languages: Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, Bodo, Santhali, Maithili and Dogri.

Linguistic division of state has created increasing regionalization and narrow-mindedness among the citizens. The people of different linguistic groups who are concentrated in a state seem to think only in terms of interests of their own state. This weakens consideration of larger national issues and causes provincial feelings.

Myopic interests of certain groups demand for a separate state on linguistic lines creates problems for the concerned state as well as the centre which can disseminate separatism and threaten national integration.

We need to redraw the future map of India urgently based on rational criteria to create equal opportunity for all states to develop. Measures such as boosting manufacturing, sustainable urbanization, better and decent living standards, education for masses, decent medical facilities, decent infrastructure and most importantly empowering women to unlock their potential are some criteria we need to work on. Linguistic divisions of states have eroded the National Feeling. Afterall, the sovereignty of the country comes above all.

We tend to choose familiarity everywhere in life. We prefer knowledge of something through previous experience which increases our awareness; we go for things which matches our perception. We feel convenient with known people, known surrounding, known food items, known fragrance, known location etc.  It’s a sort of fixation. In social psychology, this effect is sometimes called the familiarity principle. familiarity has been defined as relational knowledge of another individual. Familiarity is a dyadic construct, based on the relationship between two individuals. Dyadic describes the interaction between two things or between two individuals.

Most often we get along with people who are like us. In psychology this is called certainty of being liked. We assume that someone who has a lot in common with us is more likely to like us. And in turn, we are more likely to like people if we think they like us. We enjoy being around such people because we can carry on enjoyable interactions with them without feeling cautious. It’s just more fun to hang out with someone when you have a lot in common. For example, one dog owner gets friendly with another dog owner easily because they have so much in common to share about their pets. Their love for dog makes them familiar with each other.  

The mere-exposure effect is a psychological phenomenon by which people tend to develop a preference for things merely because they are familiar with them. People who are familiar with each other’s indulgences, preferences and personalities can communicate more quickly. There is a connection and level of familiarity that streamlines and simplifies dialogue and decision-making. These “familiar people” collaborate and work faster and smarter because they understand how the other in a group thinks.

In marriage, when the partners cannot adjust or are unable to tolerate the time and money a partner puts into nurturing hobby, it can become a source of conflict.  

There is a large body of research which confirms that we tend to like people who are similar to us. But, the reasons why we like people who are like us can be complex; first, there is a difference between actually having a lot in common with someone which is called ‘actual similarity’ and believing that we have a lot in common which is ‘perceived similarity’. But research conducted by Condon & Crano in 1988, shows that perceived similarity has a stronger effect on attraction than actual similarity.

For example, Srinivasa Ramanujan and Godfrey Harold Hardy’s friendship bloomed as Hardy was the only one to recognize Ramanujan’s genius, Hardy brought him to Cambridge University, and was his friend and mentor for many years. The two collaborated on many mathematical problems, although the Riemann Hypothesis (a complex mathematical ratio) continued to defy even their joint efforts. It’s said that the role played by Ramanujan’s tutor Hardy in his life is very great. The Cambridge mathematician worked tirelessly with the Indian genius, to tame his creativity within the then current understanding of the field. It was only with Hardy’s care and mentoring that Ramanujan became the scholar the world knows him as today. I am giving this example to elaborate how similar interest bosoms friendship in two very different individuals. In this case it was mathematics. Both theses geniuses were very different in many ways yet the friendship among them brought out the base in the genius Ramanujan.    

When people take decisions about partnership in life based on actual similarity, often it doesn’t work especially in marriages. For example, a lady meets a new man. Gets along for few years and makes him her soulmate. It excites her like a new adventure. She feels the spark, passion and many good points in the man. She makes him her soulmate. She’s having a lot of fun, whilst learning and discovering more about this new soulmate in her life.

A few months or years go by and it seems like the spark has gone.  She starts feeling her life a little dull now.  She takes this person for granted. Because she knows the man inside out, she knows everything about him. She runs out of things to talk about, doing things together with him bores her because of too much of similarity. At this juncture, she perhaps starts ignoring some good points about him and notices more of his bad points instead. That’s the Law of Familiarity in action. The more time you spend with a person, the more you get familiar with him/her, the more you take the person for granted.

Similarity comforts us for some time, it helps taking thing little easy, it helps us relaxing, but it does not help us when we get challenged. When adversities arise in life, you need different strengths to fight. You also need new ideas, people to correct you when you are miserable.  If you hang out only with people who are like you, you can be out of touch with the big, lovely diverse world out there.

Having the blues” is an expression meaning that someone is feeling sad or somewhat unhappy.  The Guinness World Records has recently declared Monday, the first day of the week as the ‘worst day of the week’. Guinness is the authority that maintains lists of world records of human achievements and the extremes of the natural world.

Guinness World Records on Monday, 17^th October 2022 tweeted about a unique record that left netizens in splits. It was so relevant that the Twitterati flooded the micro-blogging platform with various funny memes and jokes. The official Twitter handle of Guinness World Records shared, “we’re officially giving Monday the record of the worst day of the week.”

Many people around the world find Monday extremely slow and boring as people resume office after the weekend. Monday morning blues or Monday blues is the sad feeling that after a weekend you have got an entire work day, or work week, ahead of you. Even for the school going children Monday is the most boring day. Most people deal with Monday blues by dragging on. People feel sluggish because they have to return to their work. Kids have to return to their schools. With Monday people start stressing over their jobs.

For many, Monday Blues are as real as they can be. It is a slow day which comes quickly but does not end quickly. After relaxing for two days on the weekend, the first working day ‘Monday’ is not liked by many for obvious reasons. People feel bogged with the work pressure. School children also mentally feel hassled to go to school. 

In American literature of the 1830s, Blue Monday referred to the hungover state of the labour workforce after a weekend spent drinking, and the association of the colour blue with a depressed state of mind. Monday blues typically refers to a feeling of the sadness or lack of motivation taking place on Monday i.e. the first day of the typical working week.

One reason people feel fatigue is that they either pack their Saturday and Sunday with too many activities. Another thing is majority of us do not practice healthy habits in order to up the chances of feeling our best. We must stay hydrated, eat nutritious foods, get some exercises and try to take it easy on alcohol and caffeine. Do not cram too much into the weekend. Striving to have a peaceful night, and getting quality sleep and rest is one of the best things you can do for your health and well-being.

Rest is vital for better mental health, increased concentration and memory, a healthier immune system, reduced stress, improved mood and even a better metabolism.  Rest is vital even for better mental health and increased concentration and memory.

The list of winners of Padma Shri Awards in 2021 has made the Indians proud because it has signalled that the awards are no longer reserved for the elite. They are given away to the most deserving citizens of India working at grass root level. One fact is that these awardees are inspirers and have contributed to society silently. Their work is not marketed by journalists. One such inspirer is Mr. Jitender Singh Shunty who became ‘family’ for thousands during the Covid second wave last summer. Due to the strict Covid protocol thousands of families abandoned their own kith and kin’s dead bodies but Jitendra Singh Shunty and his Shaheed Bhagat Singh Sewa Dal did humane work of cremating those abandoned bodies of Covid victims.

“I believe this award (Padma Shri) is a responsibility and a trust the President of India has bestowed upon us for continuing the social work. I will take it as a challenge”, said Jitender Singh Shunty on the occasion of being conferred with the Padma Shri award in the category ‘social work.’ Jitender Singh has been working persistently for service to poor people for more than 25 years in various areas plus by running ambulances to ferry and cremate bodies during Covid pandemic.

He gracefully announced that he is not the sole bearer of the Padma Shri award. He  dedicate it to all Covid warriors working with him which includes ambulance drivers and people working on the cremation ground and assisting in transporting patients and carrying bodies.

Mr Shunty was born in a poor family and lost his father at an early age. As a child, he witnessed multiple hardships and did odd jobs to make ends meet. It is in 1995, after Mr Shunty’s business picked up some momentum that saw him start his own organisation ‘Shaheed Bhagat Singh Sewa Dal’ which runs operations in Delhi. The organisation was established with the objective of saving lives through promoting availability, accessibility and effectiveness of emergency services. Since inception of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Sewa Dal, Mr Shunty and his team have been taking care of the cremation of unclaimed bodies and those of poor people by providing ambulance service, mortuary box, and hearse van. In the last 25 years, the team has cremated over 56,000 bodies.

The team stepped up even during the COVID-19 pandemic and worked for 18 hours at a stretch given the horror of the task at hand because of massive emergencies. In the last one and a half years of COVID-19, the team cremated 4,000 dead bodies. Talking about his motivation and the belief that death must have dignity has kept him and his team going even when faced with extreme distress and disturbing circumstances. He and his teammates were deterred by others that Covid is an infectious disease, they must stay home. But he and his team continued their humane work of giving dignity to the dead by cremating the bodies gracefully in time.

To ensure the safety of his team and at the same time, assure that the COVID warriors are at the top of their game, Mr Shunty arranged for courses on first aid and dead body management for his frontline warriors. Mr Shunty believes the COVID-19 pandemic was an eye-opener for many as it showed the real face of people. Many found a family, an amigo in a stranger. While signing off, Mr Shunty gave the message of preparing for the future and helping one and all. During the pandemic, in many cases, even the family didn’t come forward to perform the last rites. On contrary, strangers came forward which shows that everyone can be a protector. The security forces sitting on the borders, guarding the country cannot take the sole responsibility of protecting the nation; while they protect us externally, internally every civilian is police and a guard.

Earlier in September, in an exclusive interview with NDTV, Mr Shunty had shared heart-wrenching stories of the suffering he witnessed first-hand. Recounting one such story, Mr Shunty said, during the worst phase of Covid a 20-year-old girl brought her father’s body to him and requested to perform the last rites. She told him that the previous night she was searching for a hospital but failed to find any and eventually she saw her father taking his last breath in the car itself; the ordeal didn’t stop there, she was struggling to find space for cremation. While working on the frontlines, Mr Shunty and his family tested positive for COVID-19 twice, he lost one of his ambulance drivers; sometimes he himself had slept in a car outside a cremation ground and sometimes in the parking area. But the passion to serve people kept the COVID warrior and his team going.

World across In most religions acceptance of cremation is a determining factor for many when considering the final disposition for themselves or loved ones. There are many religions, and even more sects, with attitudes that range from cremation as the preferred method to those that forbid it. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) this year in the month of May issued an advisory to the Centre and States on “upholding the dignity and protecting the rights of the dead” in view of the large number of deaths during this second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and the challenges in management of the bodies.

I salute Mr.Jitendra Singh Shunty for his most humane work of protecting dignity of dead people; honestly he should have been the “Padma Shri” much earlier.

We all come to life empty handed and end our life empty handed. We can’t leave this world with our riches. Though this is one of the prudent facts of our life, most people in world are worried about giving their time, energy and money. They feel, if they give, they will be left with nothing.

Giving is purely about the attitude than the act itself. Once we develop the heart of a giver, we start experiencing that we will never ever fall short of anything in life. Sometimes we may not have the resource to give; however, the will to give would enable us to find a way to help the person in need. It is often the biggest nightmare of people who want to give their best; they feel they won’t be appreciated for their time, energy, money, affection etc that they give. If you give expecting something back in return from the person or organisation, then be prepared to be disappointed.

Today, I want to introduce Chuck Feeney who is an Irish-British-American businessman and philanthropist who made his fortune as a co-founder of the Hong Kong based Duty Free Shoppers Group and he is the founder of the Atlantic Philanthropies, one of the largest private charitable foundations in the world which is closed down in 2020. Feeney was born in New Jersey during the Great Depression and came from a modest background of blue- collared Irish-American parents. He served as a U.S. Air Force radio operator during the Korean War, and began his career selling duty free liquor to U.S. naval personnel at Mediterranean ports in the 1950s.

Over the last four decades, Feeney has donated more than $8 billion to charities, universities and foundations worldwide through his foundation, the Atlantic Philanthropies. In 2012, he estimated he had set aside about $2 million for his and his wife’s retirement. In other words, he’s given away 375,000% more money than his net worth in 2012. And, it is significant to note that he gave it away anonymously.  While many wealthy philanthropists procure battery of publicists to broadcast their donations, Feeney went to great lengths to keep his gifts secret. Because of his secretive, globe-trotting philanthropy campaign, Forbes called him the  James Bond of Philanthropy.

Feeney preferred understating his profile compared to an oversized impact. He kept donating for umpteen causes such as bringing peace to Northern Ireland, modernizing Vietnam’s health care system, to turn New York’s long-neglected Roosevelt Island into a technology hub, for climate, agriculture etc. Feeney has never waited to grant gifts after death or set up a legacy fund that annually tosses pennies at a $10 problem. He hunted for causes where he could see a dramatic impact and went implementing it all.  Most of us each day bounce from task to task, frantically trying to meet deadlines and chase the next milestone; we collect so many things which are rarely used, we keep investing without being sure whether we are going to consume the money. We are often left wondering if any of it really matters. We feel the ticking of the clock without being sure of the path forward.

Feeney gave big money for big problems. In 2019, while some of his staff worked on a report for Atlantic Philanthropies titled Zero is the Hero, which summarized Feeney’s decades of giving, it contains hundreds of numbers, statistics and data points which Feeney summarized his mission in a few sentences. “I see little reason to delay giving when so much good can be achieved through supporting worthwhile causes. Besides, it’s a lot more fun to give while you live than give when you’re dead.”

Feeney’s astonishing charities and grants have won over the most influential entrepreneurs and philanthropists. His stark generosity and gutsy investments in noble causes influenced Bill Gates and Warren Buffett to launch the ‘Giving Pledge’ in 2010 which is an aggressive campaign to convince the worlds wealthy people to give away at least half of their fortunes before their deaths. “Chuck was a cornerstone in terms of inspiration for the Giving Pledge,” says Warren Buffett. “He’s a model for us all. It’s going to take me 12 years after my death to get done what he’s doing within his lifetime.”  As of August 2020, the pledge has 211 signatories from 23 countries.

On September 14, 2020, Feeney completed his four-decade mission and signed the documents to close down the Atlantic Philanthropies. The ceremony, which happened over Zoom with the Atlantic Philanthropies’ board, included video messages from Bill Gates and former California Governor, Jerry Brown. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi sent an official letter from the U.S. Congress thanking Feeney for his work.

At its peak, the Atlantic Philanthropies had 300-plus employees and ten global offices across seven time zones. The specific closure date was set years ago as part of his long-term plan to make venturesome, high-impact donations by setting a hard deadline to give away all his money and close shop. The 2020 ending date added firmness and discipline to his mission. It gave the Atlantic Philanthropies the time to document its history, reflect on wins and losses and create a strategy for other institutions to follow. Charles Feeney had said in one of his interviews in 2019: “Our giving is based on the opportunities, not a plan to stay in business for a long time.”  

Majority of the elite and rich class of people donate money for exclusive causes rather than making world a better place. Charles Feeney has set an example of real generosity and maintaining dignity of the receivers.  Dignity is one of the most important elements of the human spirit. Another thing Feeney has demonstrated is – there is no need to delay giving. In true sense giving opens doors of sanctification from God.