Hi Kumudji,

Good knowledge of language can make a person more thoughtful and more expressive. He/She can express the views and facts more clearly than a simple ordinary person which has limited word-power as well as less facts to throw light upon. But I would like to know, whether these drawbacks should stop a person from expressing its honest feelings about an issue which in his view are quite justified and genuine. I could guess from your name and article that you have lots of life-experience and knowledge about each and every topic. But most of the burning issues do not touch you directly that is why you have been terming the sincere comments as blogs.

The reservation issue has already eaten up an entire generation and the new generation is aware of the outcomes of such policies that is why national level agitations as well as discussions are going on. To take a neutral stand on these issues would mean that you do not care for the future of the nation. You need not do that since you have achieved something in life.

I think PatnaDaily.Com is one of the few sites which provide enough space and unbiased editing to the earnest feelings of common people. So, even if it seems blog section to you, the site should keep on doing the great service to the common persons like me.

Moreover, in such turbulent state of nation, where fires of hatred and casteism are ready to take the entire society in their clutches, the demand about old good songs "TU CHHUPI HAI KAHA" is like playing Nero while Rome is burning. - Ravish Kumar, Hyderabad - May 23, 2006

Thanks for responding, Mr Anil. I must disclose that the title for this article was selected by The Editor. I am glad it invoked the connoisseur inside you.

Manna Dey’s songs Phool Gendwa Na Maro and Pinjare Wali Muniya which he sang with the rustic Bihari touch are masterpiece. These songs can bring life to any ‘mehfil’, I can bet upon it. The song Laaga Chunri Mein Daag is sung as superbly as it was written and composed. If one selects 10 best classical songs in the history of Hindi cinema, at least 7 would be of Manna Dey. The songs Bhay Bhanjana, Sur Na Saje, Ketaki Gulab Juhi (with Pt Bhimsen Joshi) – these wonderful classics from the movie Basant Bahar can leave one spellbound. Tu Pyaar Ka Saagar Hai can bring tears out of a rock. The list is endless.

Manna Dey has sung Madhushala (twenty stanzas) in an album. Madhushala is often compared with Omar Khayyam’s Rubaiyat. I wish I could understand Farsi to enjoy Rubaiyat. All I get on web is the English version. Mr Aarcee can help drawing the parallel between these two. I am waiting, Mr Aarcee.

Another song starting with “Chhupa/Chhupi” that I remember is “Chhupa kar meri aankon ko” by Lata. - Kumod Jha - May 23, 2006

Kumod ji:

Great songs you have mentioned. Manna Dey was a natural, just like Mohammed Rafi. Amazing range he had! From lighter songs like Jodi hamari (Aulad) and Aei meri zohara zabeen, tujhe maloom nahin (Waqt)... to the songs you have mentioned and much more like Kaun aaya mere manke dware (Dekh Kabeera Roya) and Puchho na kaise maine rain bitaai (Meri Surat Teri Aankhen), he displays a range of vocal chords that is still unmatched in Indian film industry.

Thanks for refreshing the memory.

By the way, another song I remembered with the word 'chhupa/chhupi' is 'Chhupne wale saamne aa' by Mohd. Rafi (don't remember the film name).

Ravish ji:

There is no reason why we all need to give up other finer things of life just because the entire country is consumed by totally absurd issues created by a handful of selfish, almost criminal, politicians. Should we stop going to movies? Listen to songs while driving to work? Play with our children? Watch the glorious colors of a sunset? Take the family to a picnic? Read good books?

Furthermore, I find your Nero analogy a bit hypocritical when in another topic (Aged Politicians Holds Their Forts - by Indra) you proudly declare "I would rather like to play far simpler games like jobs, social service, meditation, entertainment, parties, boozing. Let them play the lethal and dirty game of politics themselves. We are happy playing our own games."

So while India is burning with reservation issue, you are busy in partying, boozing etc?? Isn't that's what Nero was doing when Rome was burning? - Anil Kumar - May 23, 2006

Was there a song like…. 'Chupa chupi o' chupi… something something bole mama o' mama aai billi aiee re, Billy boli myao, kahe ghabrao…

Another one was something like 'O chhupne wale samne aa chhup chhup ke mera dil yun na jala'... - Neena Gangulee - May 23, 2006

Kumod ji, how nice to hear from you. I've been in and out of PatnaDaily everyday, reading, learning and waiting for the opportune time to write. I too have wondered about Aarcee and Siddharth. Come on gentlemen, Kumod ji has spoken! Let us all get together and 'brighten' up this place. - Dr Ignatius Joseph, Malacca, Malaysia - May 24, 2006

Neena ji, I guess you are referring to a song that went something like 'Chhupa chhupi khelein aao' by Rafi-Lata. Don't remember the film but I believe it had Hema Malini in it. Good one.

This whole topic reminds me of a late night radio program on Vividh Bharti in the Seventies called Chhaya Geet hosted by a woman named Kanta Gupta who had a lovely voice. Each night she would play 6-7 songs on one topic/word (virah (separation) geet, kid's song, wedding songs, words like chaand, more (peacock), taarey (stars), etc. Anyone remembers that? It was one of my favorite radio programs. - Anil Kumar - May 24, 2006

Ravishji, I am 28, not as old as you guessed it. And I am quite ordinary a man. I won't call myself a simple person, because simplicity is a virtue earned with profound knowledge. It’s not simple to be simple, someone like Dr Ignatius.

I have studied in schools where we translated sentences like "Gaya Gaya gaya so gaya hi rah gaya" into English. It doesn't improve vocabulary as much as it improves one's logic and sense of humor probably. To be honest, I struggled to understand the lectures delivered in English during my I.Sc. That was when 'dwighaatiya sameekaran' became 'quadratic equation' and 'phen utplaavan vidhi' 'froth floatation process'. Thankfully, one need not be a George Bernard Shaw to pass I. Sc. or to express his/her views on PD.

Had 'reservation' been a social topic, I might have commented on it. People often talk with less or no reasoning and lot of emotion on topics related to politics and religion. Even otherwise dumb fellows argue at the top of their voice on such topics. They never move an inch away from their stand. Their arguments have numerous flaws. They mix two different issues to make it so confusing that it leaves you wondering what the topic of the argument was (Read some past articles on IITs). They don't bother to provide the source of the statistics used in their arguments. How do you know what you know?

However, even if someone argues reasonably, it does not cause any excitement these days as we understand the tricks of political games and their result. We know what you know. In villages old nannies ask kids not to talk of spirits, it increases their power. Got it?

So, as Mr Anil said, let us explore the possibilities to smile instead of getting frustrated thinking of politicians. - Kumod Jha - May 24, 2006

Kumodji and Ignatius ji,

Thanks for remembering me. Was quite touching to say the least. It is not that I have given up my love for Bihar but there are times when a Pause or a Control Break on the keyboard of life seems a better choice than to join a procession which is free for all. I have been a muted reader these days who reads but refuses to react. IIT topic by Somji was the last issue where I reacted but quickly realized it was not a scorcher as many made it out to be. As for issues like reservation, like Kumodji mentioned, it is there for all to see - it does not need any more glorification.

It was interesting to read Arjun Singh's interview with Karan Thapar which brought to light, his poor knowledge of statistical data presented to him. If you have not please do because in many ways it exposed Arjun Singh's evil face.

I am surprised Kumodji is just 28. The kind of articles you have blessed this forum with, my premature conclusion now takes a humble beating. Your maturity and wisdom is beyond your years. At 30 I narrowly score over you in age, but when it comes to maturity and logical surmises and knowledge you have left many of us including yours truly, far behind. Please take it as a compliment. - Siddharth Verma - May 25, 2006

Hi Kumudji,

The maturity of your words had made me think you as an old person. Moreover, I was really disturbed by the current scenario of the reservation issue that I could not digest the merry-going attitude (what I thought, I may be wrong) of yours. The other thing which made me write those lines were the Bloggers statement made by you. Even if I do not know the statistics and facts to the root, I should express my feeling about a topic which really touches me. That doesn't mean that I am a mindless blogger. And as you, facts and statistics about a society can never be accurate. Since these figures are taken out of the mouth of small number of individuals and then spread over entire society by applying Law of Averages, these may give confusing results sometimes. Therefore, relying to much on statistical data, we should express our feelings without fear of knowing less.

Regarding Anilji's comments, sir, that was written in passive manner which you have taken as the truth. By writing that, I was trying to ridicule youth, which is lost is his own world, where everything seems so pink they do not want to go out of it to face cruel truths of the land.

Anyway, I didn't know my comments would ignite such a big discussion.

You all may play "TU CHHUPI HAI KAHA". Let the nation burn. - Ravish Kumar, Hyderabad - May 25, 2006

Discussion on this topic is now closed.