Last night I had a severe pain in my left back with vice-like grip of muscle commonly called muscle catch or a cramp. It was so severe, I could not lie down on my bed anymore. Got up, walked up and down in the fairly large bedroom. The pain was excruciating. When I was found in this state, better-half was awakened and medical exam started. Soon the treatment too — from hot water-bag to muscle-spray and Dolo-650. Since I had similar experience about six months’ back and doctor had prescribed a tab that cured me, I looked for the remainder of that tab in the strip. There was and pop it went into my mouth.

A while later, I sought refuge in the bed as the pain seemed to fade away. I got up at 6 am, though my normal wake-up hour is 4.30 or 5 am.

Actually, I would have gone on sleeping but for a dream I was enjoying, rather experiencing. The name House of Mohammad Hassan was often appearing and also a blistered silver foil with tabs pressed out. The earlier details of the dream were not clear except about moving around a house and the name House of Mohammad Hassan being mentioned a few times and the last utterance waking me up at 6.20 am.

I was a tad confused. A House for Mr. Biswas was a book written by the Nobel Laureate V.S. Naipaul and I know of it. But this name ‘House of Mohammad Hassan,’ I had never heard of. So immediately I picked up my cell phone and called Google. After thinking a while I framed the question.

What is the book or poem about the house of Mohammad Hassan?

It gave, many titles but not about the book I asked. I gave up. A dream is a dream. I was left wondering like the Chinese Philosopher Chuang Tzu who, on waking up after dreaming as a butterfly, asked: Who is dreaming? Him or the butterfly. The Universal Dictionary of Reader’s Digest explains a dream as ‘a series of images, ideas and emotions occurring involuntarily to the mind in certain stages of sleep.’ It also means an aspiration; an ambition as declared by Martin Luther King Jr., American Civil Rights leader in his famous speech. “I have a dream.”

Anyway, no matter, I was not able to follow-up on my dream that followed my physical pain. I had a good sleep and got up without any body pain. I thank my doctor for that. Well, as for God? The Almighty only gave me pain and a dream!

Narender Surrender

In My life, since independence, I have not seen a LoP in Parliament like the present one. Age does not seem to have matured him, nor his distinguished manner to which he is born seemed to have contributed to his Parliamentary debating skill. He seems to be a pitiable apology to his otherwise celebrated, prominent political family of India.

Bereft of any public speaking skill, he delivers his staccato speeches that is almost always directed against Modi, the latest example came when he was addressing a party convention in Bhopal a few days back. To his luck these days he has a subject ready at hand to denigrate and even mock at Modi — ‘Operation Sindoor.’

While speaking, as if to dramatise what he was going to say, he makes a pause, looks around at his audience and says that US President Donald Trump called Modi and ‘Narendra surrendered.’ There was applause from the captive audience. LoP was beaming a sarcastic smile and looked around, pleased and continued. He said the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi (his grandmother) did not budge in 1971 war with Pakistan that created Bangladesh, despite the US sending its 7th Fleet.

Rahul said that India split Pakistan in 1971 despite America’s threat supporting Pakistan. He said no phone call came from America during the 1971 war. He affirmed, even though the 7th Fleet, weapons and an aircraft carrier arrived (at East Pakistan waters) Indira Gandhi did not surrender (implying in contrast Modi surrendered to America) and did whatever she wanted.

Well said, without reading the history of Bangladesh war. For the complete story one must read what Field Marshal Manekshaw has said in his many interviews.

Yes, American 7th Fleet had indeed arrived, but sadly for Americans, it was too late. Field Marshal Manekshaw has already handed our Victory to Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The 7th Fleet quietly returned to its destination.

If India had not finished the war by then, forcing Pakistan to surrender to India, instead of President of America Richard Nixon calling Indira Gandhi, probably it was Indira Gandhi who would have called Nixon. There is more honour in being called by an American President than calling the American President.

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