WOMEN / MANIRATNAM / RENOWNED FILM MAKER / GOES CANDID

 Women should ask for what they want and get what they want. 

They should be respected for what they are asking.

Their demands would never be unreasonable. 

It would be absolute necessities.

When one woman who is in a position to make such a rightful and fair demand, asks for what she wants, it opens the door for the rest of the women to ask for what they want.

 Men should acknowledge their demands and cope to live with it.

Gone are the days of male chauvinism,  male dominance and male suzerainty

Quote from an interview published in Times of India with Maniratnam, renowned film maker, except the final two lines.

PARENTAL ROLE

 Parental role is to always support 

their children and enable their curiosity.

In the matter of career choices 

where they seek clarity in a world of endless possibilities, 

parents have to learn to assist them 

in their quest and never try to impose

their will on them or try 

to structure them as they think

WHEN IN A CRISIS

 When in a crisis, you have to understand

 it is the time to focus on your mission,

 irrespective of the comments and criticism 

that would defintely be there against you.

CHESS// TAKE AWAYS/ FROM/GUKESH/CARLSEN/GAME

 From Chess

Gukesh/Carlsen

Gukesh beats Carlsen in the epic sixth round of Norway chess on 1stJune2025 where Carlsen outplayed Gukesh for the large part of the game.

 Experts felt it was a matter of time before Carlsen converted the position into a victory.

Magnus Carlsen is the World No. 1 and D.Gukesh is the World Champion in Chess at the moment.

Take aways.

1.Great work never go unrewarded

2. Great play needs to be matched by equally precise play at the end too.

3. Middlegame domination doesnot mean victory at the endgame.

4. You have to find dynamic moves to deny a decisive winning path to the opponent.

5. Hope that a series of good moves will induce an error by those working against you.

6. You have to be aware that you are not the best player in the world. 

7. You have to aim to keep on winning.

 8. Hold your nerve and never give up.

9. Be brave.

 10. Refuse to budge and display your tenacity, tactics and superior calculation to win.

Source:

Times of India

3 June 2025

    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posting, because I strongly feel,  this is how you have to tackle the challenges before you,  taking a leaf out of Chess.

USTAD IMDAD KHAN ON SITAR AND THE MAHARAJAH OF THE CENTRAL PROVINCES

 LIKE FINE WINE is nine real, rare love stories by Syeda Imam.

Quoting from the story THE GENIUS OF A CHOICE

Ustad Imdad Khan, the sitar maestro, had been invited for a 'Baithak' (a type of Hindustani classical music performance) for a Maharajah of the Central Provinces.

After his concert, the Rajah presented Ustad Imdad Khan with a bag of several hundred gold coins, saying, "Have you ever known of a Rajah as generous in your illustrious career?"

He then proceeded to have the famed musician ride on his elephant around his estate before being guided to the Kothi (house) where he was billeted for the night. The Rajah later heard from his retinue that the musician had distributed every one of the coins to the poor as he rode through the bazar that night. 

The next morning, the Rajah insisted that the ustad have breakfast at his palace before leaving for the station. Presenting him a bejewelled necklace of precious stones which he took of from his neck, he said,

"Was I ill-mannered, Khansahib?" 

"I heard you gave my gift away in charity."

The great Imdad Khan was quick to reply., "Not at all, Raja Sahab! I too wanted to ask your people."

"Have you ever seen a musician as large- hearted as this?"

Ustad Shujat Husain Khan, the great  sitar exponent, and  great grandson of Ustad Imdad Khan reflects, "This is in my blood, my pride in our integrity. A musician will never be a tycoon. But his integrity, no one can take away fro him."

       ......................

I must quip, served the vainglorius Rajah right.

 

SITAR MAESTRO USTAD VILAYAT KHAN IN THE EYES OF HIS SON USTAD SHUJAT HUSAIN KHAN

LIKE FINE WINE is nine real, rare love stories by Syeda Imam.

Quoting from the story, THE GENIUS OF A CHOICE

(In the context of Hindustani classical music, a 'Gharana'  refers to  a lineage based musical tradition passed down through generations of teachers and students. To put it further Gharanas are charaterised by a specific musical style. The term 'gharana' comes from the Hindi word 'ghar' meaning 'house'.)

"Ustad Vilayat Khan, of the famed Imdad Khan gharana, had been declared widely to be a magician with the Sitar. He was overjoyed when a son, Shujat Husain Khan, was born to him on 19 May 1960. 

Vilayat Khan brought up his son in the tradition of the famed gharana. Shujat Husain Khan was on the Sitar from his very childhood. His debut was at the age of six. It was  the  launch of  the seventh generation of the famed gharana.

Shujat's wife, Parveen, was proud of the raconteur that her husband was. She could never forget the tale of how Vilayat Khan once whisked him off to Saharanpur from Dehra Dun, where the family stayed, to do the household's grocery shopping at a modest little store there. 

Unfathomable, it seemed to him. 

Greeting the storekeeper warmly, Vilayat Khan handed over the shopping list to his son and stepped out himself to  look for his samosa shop.The storekeeper took over the list, led Shujat to the back of his shop into a puja room. He was pleasantly surprised to see a massive portrait of his father there. It was  at the centre towering over  of the rows of idols and statuettes of gods and godesses.

Shujat exclaimed,"You must be very interested in Indian classical music." 

He was stunned at the response.

"I know nothing about music... but I'm here because of him. In the old days, I was a tea stall owner at the New Delhi Railway Station. One day, I noticed this young boy walking, not buying anything or saying anything. I offered him a samosa. He promptly said no, he was not hungry. Later, when I took out my lunch packet, he was still there. Offering him my lunch I said, "Listen, we Hindus are not allowed to eat alone, eat something, so I too can eat." he seemed happy now, he ate very well.

"And he never forgot that. Years later , he came looking for me at the New Delhi Railway Station. He was told I had gone to Saharanpur, too ill to run the shop. Saharanpur was also his mother's home. He came, he found me. My entire treatment, this shop, these provisions, he bought for me. Now a big man. he has been there for me ever since. His picture should be even bigger,' his voice was tremulous as he finished hurriedly.

"He's like living god for me son, I know nothing about the sitar," the old man spoke in hushed tones, lest the ustad overheard him.

Shujat may never have had a clue of this had the long distance shopping trip had not occured."

Look at the kindness of the greatest. How they repay.

Question is, do we ?

MIRACLE PREGNANCY AT 48

HOW A 'MIRACLE' PREGNANCY AT 48  ENDED HAPPILY

Dr. Vaishali Joshi, Gynaecologist, Kokilaben Dhirubbai Ambani Hospital, reports her most interesting case in The Times of India of 28 May 2025, through Sharmila Ganesan Ram

"In January 2024, a 48 year old woman walked into my clinic, 16 weeks into her first pregnancy. After years of trying and undergoing IVF, this was her long awaited miracle. But she alraedy had high blood pressure, a high Body Mass Index (BMI), pre diabetes before pregnancy and her advanced age to reckon with. Such a pregnancy is itself high risk, so we had to be extra cautious

.At 18 weeks she had light vaginal spotting and a scan showed a large internal bleed near the placenta., known as a subchorionic hematoma with retroplacental extension. This can lead to the placenta separating from the uterus, risking both mother and baby's lives.

The tough part was balancing treatment options. She was on blood thinners to prevent other complications., but those very drugs could worsen the bleeding. We had to temporarily stop them and monitor closely to protect the baby's growth and prevent pre-eclampsia in the mother, which is a serious pregnancy complication characterised mainly by high blood pressure, protein in urine and signs of damage to other organs, most often the liver and the kidneys.

She lived far from our hospital, which made regular check ups harder. So, we arranged for remote consultations, local sonographies and home BP monitoring. Tight blood pressure control was essential. We adjusted her medicines and screened regularly for protein in her urine and blood to pick up pre-eclampsia signs. We also watched for gestational diabetes, a risk due to her age and pre-diabetic history.

The hematoma was the biggest wory. It sat right behind the placenta, threatening to block the baby's oxygen and nutrients. We managed it with strict bed rest, progesterone  support and ultra sounds. Only once the bleeding stopped did we cautiously resume low dose aspirin to maintain blood flow to the baby. But the baby's growth slowed down greatly after 30 weeks and the mother's blood pressure soared. At 34 weeks, we made the difficult decision to  deliver the baby. While still premature, 34 weeks is safe if we prepare well. We gave her steroid injections to mature the baby's lungs. Before surgery we started magnesium sulphate to prevent seizures, a known risk in severe pre-eclampsia. after the Caesarean, the mother was moved to the ICU. Her BP was stabilised and she received  blood thinners to prevent clots.  After 24 hours, she was moved to a regular ward.  The baby, though early, did well. After two weeks in the NICU, she was discharged  with the mother.

This case highlights how complex pregnancies can be for women in their 40s, especially with pre- existing health conditions. While IVF offers hope, it also brings added risks. That's why scuh pregnancies need careful planning, experienced doctors and a hospital with full facilities. To women in their 30s and 40s thinking about pregnancy, don't lose hope  but be realistic. Follow a healthy lifestyle, get regular checkups and manage blood pressure or diabetes early on. Regular prenatal care is key as is pre-pregnancy counselling. The desire to become a mother must be backed by knowledge, preparation and the right care. That's what gave this mother and her baby the happy ending they deserved."

Reading this article, my wife, a mother of two grown ups, quietly said she never knew pregnancy was this complicated.