“A PINCH THAT CREATES MAGIC”, FLAVORED SALTS OF KUMAUN

“A journey of empowering women”.

 

Visiting the Himalayan region of Kumaun , one not only gets connected to the pristine beauty and mystical nature but also  with the people and their food habits . Situated in the Shivalik range of Uttarakhand , the region is a well known destination  for producing special salts   reviving its  traditional culinary art .

Catching hold on to the taste of the millennials, flavoured salts of Kumaun has made its place in every household.

 

 Pisi loon (grounded salt) a variety of colourful, flavoured salt,  is an old aged tradition of Uttarakhand . Literally translating to ‘ground salt’, this ‘ pahadi namak’ is made by combining rock salt and fresh herbs and spices in a sil-batta,( grounding stone)infusing  the condiment with  an aroma and unique combination of colours and flavours.

 During severe cold, harvests are often less and vegetables are in scant supply. In these hard times, the only food for the locals is to eat rotis’ and ‘parathas’ by sprinkling some of the flavoured salt on top.

The making of this flavoured salt talks about the hard work of the women folk of Kumaun . ‘Earlier these ladies had no source of income; they had to rely on their milch cows, and their fields. ‘Our fields gave us very less to eat; we had no money to feel in hand, says Kunti, a mother of two. Now, ‘we are becoming self reliant and are empowering others too.’

 

 

 Places like Garam Pani and Kakrighat on Highway No. 109   in Kumaon region have turned as major entrepreneur joints.  They are the best outlets for the tourist thronging during summers and winter seasons.

 Deepa Khanayat of   Kakrighat  Nainital established her small venture Himalayan Flavored Salts  on 12 th December2012 with a group of six ladies , the lady who  has earned a great fame and holds a great respect in the vicinity igniting the fire  to succeed  among many.

 Uma Tiwari and Hema Negi of Garam Pani have their own self help groups preparing salt .  ‘We don’t have to run all the time for raw material, it is within our reach, says one.’

 ‘Long queues for salts at these places makes me jealous’, says a shopkeeper nearby.

 “Women in nearby villages have started growing mint, coriander, ginger, garlic, sesame seeds, bhang seeds and bhangeera spice to keep up with the  demand. “We directly buy the produce from the farmers so that they save on the transport cost,” quips an entrepreneur .

Rakesh Joshi and his wife Kiran run a self-help group that prepares 10 varieties of flavoured salt in  Haldwani a city in the foothills and its adjacent areas,   They have  exhibited their products at fairs and  have received good responses from people .

‘Hara namak, a mixture of green coriander, mint and garlic, is the fastest selling one,” says   an upcoming entrepreneur’.

‘Today, these twenty four varieties are increasingly popular not  only just up in the hills, and in major metro cities like Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai and Pune but  also   among the Indians  residing abroad.  The market has a made a good recognition with a good turnover.

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 AN UNTOLD STORY

 

CHAPTER 1

Hanna is watching the birds singing in her garden, “she is around thirty, a beautiful  specimen of God’s creation” . Slim and slender, medium statured around five feet six inches immaculately dressed, smiling face with golden brown hair flowing onto her back.

 I have known Hanna since graduation. She has always been a versatile person    both   at professional and home grounds, now is actively working for women’s cause in New York.

Mary, ‘there is convocation ceremony, am invited as a Chief Guest   I will be addressing the audience and also be addressing about my present project’, said Hanna.

Great news indeed madam, ‘it makes me proud’.

Saying this, Hanna gets busy while drowned in her future thoughts. She is keen to figure out what has future in store for her. She feels confident to step ahead, make others see how she has grown with times.

The college was bustling with activity, the officials were busy with arrangements. The hall was buzzing up now; the visitors had started pouring in. The announcement was brief.   Hanna was directed to her place by one of the escort on duty. She was greeted by others there. Hanna settled herself   in her seat and glanced at the program list.   Her flight of imagination was obstructed when a handsome man just moves in and gets seated next to her.

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All through the ceremony Hanna avoids conversation with him. As Hanna’s name is called aloud the crowd cheered aloud. ‘But the man hid his emotions, back somewhere, wanted to know more about the lady sitting next to him’. Out of   courtesy he greeted Hanna, and she pleasingly accepted it.

 

May I introduce myself said the man, ‘I am Stephens,   have come to watch the ceremony, my cousin Derry will be getting his degree here’. ‘Nice to see a  college gathering again.’

 ‘Yes, it is like ‘back to good old days’. Hanna added

Are you the Alumni?’ Your way of talking makes me feel so.

Yes, said Stephens. ‘I graduated in 1993 from same place that is why came here again’.

You said, ‘1993 batch, which course?’

‘Bachelor’s in Journalism’.

What a co incidence Mr…. Stephens?

I have passed the same year, didn’t see you in any of the classes, and was yours a distant learning?’

 ‘I was enrolled as regular, had to skip some classes due to urgent work.

‘Okay’.

The announcement by the time brought the life inside the hall to bustling activity.  The ceremony took three hours to conclude.

Stephens now knew Hanna as a social activist with a huge number of fan following. Before leaving the premises, wanted to know more about her.

‘Will she spare her little time so that I could know her well’? Stephens   hammered his brain.

Hanna understood him well and gave a visiting card, saying

 ‘I have a job at Associate Press, New York, I am an editor there.’

‘Sounds    grand’.  ‘You have been at the press for quite a long time I suppose’.

Yes, ‘more than seven years, it is where I also started growing as an activist, 

Mr. Stephens , ‘may I know a little about you too’.

Presently serving in army, hope this much will do.

Yes, enough to know about a man.

Stephens , ‘if not occupied’ , ‘ can join us  at  the party’.

‘Will try , if possible ,by the way where is the celebration?’

‘Chef’s Table, at Brooklyn Fare, 431W. 37^th street’, said Hanna.

Alright

 Stephens reached Chef’s Table Brooklyn Fare, it was throbbing up with festivity. The environment was wrapped up in a symphony of Japanese-reminiscent hospitality. Stephens shows up there and joins. Hanna introduces him to her friends (very little she knew about him).

It was by midnight that Hanna declared to go back home. She bade goodbye to all her friends, walked to the parking lot.

She found Stephens waiting.   What’s up! Why didn’t you leave?

‘Hope all is good’

‘Yep, no problem, but … wanted to know when can we meet again’?

Only this, ‘you are so simple, I loved your style, will meet tomorrow then

Near German Enclave, 86^th street,   a river flows by its side,   a lone stand point over the bridge.’ ‘Will catch up there’.

 Hope, ‘you understood Stephens.’

Alright , see you  then.

Back home Hanna felt something amiss .She found herself strange and restless.  She couldn’t   sleep. All the night she was tossing on the bed.  Whenever she tried to close her eyes she found Stephens standing in front of her. She realized that it is her love for Stephens. These small formal meetings slowly inched into love dates. Both were now seen at the lone stand point over the bridge, immersed in love. The passersby could now recognize them from a far away distance too.

 

CHAPTER 2

 

(It was the evening    multitude of crowd had gathered at the beach to enjoy the  fun and frolic. The air seemed festive. People were heard singing and dancing, enjoying every bit of time. Hanna hurried back to be again there at the meeting point the lone stand point facing the sea. She checked her watch and noticed the crawling time, soon the twilight would be about to fall, the beachcombers would be packing back and making their way to the homes. Restless she was, but tries to comfort herself and to be a bit normal, started scribbling something on the railing when she heard the footsteps nearing her. Hanna lifts her head up finds Stephens standing there by her side. (Quickly she ran and hugs him tightly).

 You are again late dear, “Were you so occupied”?  

Oh no! Hanna, ‘ it was not all that’ , ‘  had some visitors at my place’. ‘Will tell you   details later’. Come on, ‘let’s go for a cup of coffee’

   Really!  I too was wanting for that.

  It seems a serene place. ‘The city’s noise seems to fade away here’, ‘am  really happy ’.

‘This is the most awaited meeting that I was looking for’, said Stephens

What is that, ‘will you tell me too’?

 ‘It‘s about you and me,’ quoth Stephens

am ‘here to ‘ confide something’. Believe me dear,’I have come today to clear myself, my deeds and doings’.

 ‘You are indispensable’.  This you know better.   I wish, ‘these days never to end’. But…

Look- I am planning to-

What-? You feel the same as me, said Hanna

 ‘And I find it quiet  right  to say something’ “  right now”

‘I feel, ‘it is high time,’

‘we should better think about getting married’. suggested Hanna

 ‘It is nearly one and a half years by now’

  ‘Showing each other up,

 ‘it is becoming tiresome.’

‘Hmm…yes… you say it right’. (losing all the night’s charm), Stephens whispered

 ‘  you show no interest in what I say’  , I don’t believe,

 Where are you? You know

 I mean , ‘where are your thoughts hovering’?

‘Is there something’, ‘ you really don’t  want’?

‘I…er… Hanna …

 ‘I love you and want … to be with you…

forever…

 ‘but…

but…getting married …this time ‘ is just  impossible’.

‘Now I understand you better,’ this is what ‘ you were planning to say’?

‘This is where you have made me stand’? O! on a slippery ground.

‘I cannot believe’, what you have all said.

Why? All of a sudden, this change?

 It seems, ‘ fishy’, is it Betrayal…or if not

‘ simply confide with me’.

I see , you are ‘ yourself not happy’

 ‘your eyes speak of  pain’.‘ Let me hold your hand’, said Stephens

  ‘let my guts speak’.

 ‘What has happened’?  Anxious Hanna said

 ‘What is troubling you’?

Speak up fast , ‘or I will die’.

‘You know Hanna , ‘I am not the right man for you’

‘My life is not my own’

‘I cannot think of bringing troubles for you’

‘Do not get hurt…..’ I am …not a cheat, ‘have been entrusted with a duty’

‘  am on a mission’,

‘  hid this truth’…‘ due to some reasons’.

cannot say more

  ‘ you must be thinking, ‘ why I befriended you then,’

  ‘ It is your  love that had made me speechless, ’said  Stephens

‘couldn’t gather the strength to tell you ,’ but….

‘That you don’t want me’, fired Hanna

 ‘You want to break those memories off…

I know…

‘I know all men are like that’

what a gullible creature am I?

No dear…

‘it is not that’

‘I have some responsibilities some secretive tasks that I cannot speak’

‘have to leave this station  urgently’ .

‘ And cannot ask even a day’s leave’.

‘Don’t know how long the stay would be.’ 

 ‘You have cheated me, Hanna replied.’ I know, ‘you are not speaking the truth’.

 You want me to be left like this on this half traversed road.

I will not forgive you…I will never forgive you….I hate you.

‘Goodbye Hanna Good bye’, said Stephens, he hurries to the door, closes it with a loud metallic thud and runs ahead to board a bus.

CHAPTER 3

Hanna is thoughtful, purely immersed in her past , thinking about her meeting and the co incidence of falling in love at first sight. This place stands witness to the whole events that took place simultaneously one after the other. The breeze lulling by made her feel the presence of Stephen’s soft touch, those dark eyes talking to her as if would never leave her side. Hanna gets drifted to her sweet imagination spell where she again remembers the first date, the anxiety the nervousness and the hidden excitement which she really wanted not to show to anyone.  Hanna just wakes out of her reverie and looks again at the rolling waves. The gloom had by now taken a great hold of her.  She misses Stephens a lot.  She remembers again that fateful day when all of a sudden Stephens announces that he is now going back and cannot say when he will return.

 

 It had been nearly two years by now, since then, Hanna had not heard anything about him .Life had shown her different phases. She was now working as the Chief Editor for New York Times. Professionally she had grown leaps and bounds, her rise in career had made many jealous of her. She by now had more rivals than friends.

As an activist, she had seen the world with a broader outlook. She had seen unfair relationships and their catastrophic ends. Hanna was able to console the people in distress and find them a better path to lead their lives, but when it came on her own life to reflect, she was dumbstruck, totally in confusion, how could she not  smell the foul game Stephens was playing with her. She was torn between her doubts and firm trust. She was really not able to understand why Stephens left her all of a sudden. If, he had earlier told how transient his stay was, she could have controlled herself in a much better way.

Suddenly she leaps and catches hold of her side bag, quickly boards her car and rushes to her office.

‘There must be some new arrivals by now’, Hanna said to herself.

‘At two I will lead the delegation at Times square’, Hope Sarah must have jotted the agenda too, and with this she dialled a call to Sarah for confirmation.

Yes, ‘Madam have briefed all in the meeting,’ ‘the points are there at your table to view,’ quipped Sarah

Is there any new arrival?  , asked Hanna

Yes, ‘there is a sensational news covered by Robert’ , ‘need your assistance on that’, replied Sarah.

‘Will be reaching within fifteen minutes.  Be ready with the news stuff’.

Hanna reaches her office on the twenty seventh floor, her room was well lit, She felt good looking at Sarah  .

Good to see you madam,

Here is the news.’ ‘With this she handed over some photo clips to Hanna’, Will call Robert to explain.

Hanna glanced casually at the images, tried to sequence them and…to her surprise sees--- a vague picture of a handcuffed   prisoner.  Bewildered see tries to see more images to recognise who the man is ?

Her heart was throbbing very fast, as it had already affirmed her, the presence of Stephens.

O  God! ‘How can this be possible’?

‘How on earth this could ever happen’.

‘How could I not gather any news about him’?

‘Got Captured’, ‘where’, I know not,

‘Where is he’?

He had told every bit of truth, ‘I was a fool, did not want to hear what he was saying, Hanna talked to her inner self.

Pondering a little, Hanna rushed to Robert’s cabin, ‘Be quick, ‘I need to know from where you got these pictures’.

 Ma’am , a passer by gave me early this morning, He said to give you these , had further said that  will come with more information after three days.

Didn’t you ask his name or anything, shouted Hanna.

No, ‘as all happened in a quick succession’, but ‘I am sure the man will come’.

CHAPTER 4

Hanna reached late at night; the same feeling of restlessness was again overpowering her. She couldn’t sleep. It was Stephens again in her life…this time as a prisoner, no one knows where.

A strong disgust wanted to hold her mind and soul, she removed that unpleasant thought, found that she still loved him a lot.

The next day, by seven she was in her office, figuring those pictures at different angles .Hoping for the news to arrive.

Two days passed, no news came as such, she was hopeless knew only a miracle could help, It was eight in the evening, Hanna thought of leaving her office, no sooner had she made her way to the entrance, met a man, who told her that he had come to meet Robert and to hand him over some piece of information, urgently’.

‘I cannot wait, some people are there after my life’, begged he. ‘Hold this and give to Robert’.

With this he ran away as fast as he could. Hanna could only see him calling for a taxi.

Hanna goes back inside her cabin, opens the package, finds a letter addressed to her from Stephens for help.

Dear Hanna

 The day I left you, I was myself very much perturbed.  I was sent on a secret mission to Afghanistan the next day. I had lost all my contacts as we were at war with the enemy. I had a hope that after this war gets over I will meet you and fulfil all those promises at my end, but, you know, no one can predict what is next in store. I am unfortunately caught by the rebels here, and somehow a local was able to send pictures of my captivity, Hope you must have seen them by now.

Waiting to meet you soon

Yours Stephens

Reading the letter Hanna’s eyes were filled with tears. She could now understand what was all that. Why Stephens had denied. Wiping her tears back she becomes a lady in action, promptly she arranges a meeting with the Home Secretary on the issue. Without waiting for others, she drafted the news, and sent it for publication too.

The whole area throbbed with action. The government promptly sent a troupe to fight the rebels there. It took six days for the army to take things under control. Search for the men began late at night on the seventh day.

Inside one of the bunkers a small feasible hideout Stephens imagined his life ahead. He was excited to know about the prompt action taken by the government to save their lives. Anytime help was about to reach them. He was picturing Hanna in front of his eyes, he felt a great respect for her and was thinking about the moments of their final re union .

‘Just then, as a spark of a light something came like a thunder, a sudden bombardment, dust clouds erupted as high as sky .  The bunker which was throbbing with life a few minutes earlier seemed still, there was   no movement reported.

Later, the search party found two men badly injured and were immediately rushed to the hospital. Stephens was found lying  in a pool of blood, nearby lay his half open wallet with a picture of his beloved.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE REASON FOR WRITING

"Pen is mightier than a sword",

Is the enough reason to write all records.

Reasons to let the emotions flow spontaneously 

Vision to see the world go correspondingly

It is the writer at heart 

                                                    that makes the world see the art 

the art to look around

the art to promote around.

It is the  the culture,people and nations 

that helps the writer to reshape the definition

the definition that has no boundaries

the definition that shows line of thought as symmetry. 

I feel the spirit to lift my pen

To crave the contours of imagination by then

to take a flight as high as bird

to spread my wings  to feel all unearthed .

 This is the writer that speaks 

This is the writer that makes a peep

Into all the timelines around.

Dealing everything on happier ground.

सम्मान 

 एक आशा है सम्मान

  एक पहचान  है सम्मान 

व्यक्ति, जाति  भेदभाव   तोड़  

आगे बढ़ना है    सम्मान। 

मात पिता का आदर  सम्मान 

स्त्री शक्ति  की पह्चान -सम्मान  

न्यौछावर जो  देशहित  में 

  कहलाए  सर्वोच्च सम्मान। 

मीना शर्मा  

Stay Away From Lie

Stay away from lies

Otherwise it will take away the ties

Ties  those bonds that were to be cherished 

Ties if not respected will certainly perish.

Lie is an imposter a human trait,

That lies underneath on shady grey

The shades of distrust, malice and dishonesty

Thrives all in the gallows of immodesty.

Though all have learnt and spoken aloud

That lie is a cloud with a darker ground 

Why then,immerse yourself in such a say?

Why not have courage to put it at bay?

The day when realisation dawns

May be there is no one to moan

Leave,make haste 

Let the buds of grey be nipped 

Let the mankind be made to feel

The real essence of truth that  stands 

The real worth to be a man.

झूठ  से बच कर रहो 

 नन्हे  कदमों  से एक बच्चा जब उंगली पकड़  चलना सीखता है, 

उस उंगली   को थामे ही  तब संसार रूपी पहेली  को सुलझाने  चल पड़ता   है 

सब कहते  हैं  सब समझाते  ,  झूठ  से बच कर रहो,

यह नन्हा  बालक शून्य बन ,तब जिज्ञासा से भर टटोलता  है सब का यह  मन । 

वक्त  ही बलिहारी है,वो नन्हे कदम अब आगे  चल पड़ते  हैं 

इस अनबूझ  पहेली को अब हर जोर  समझने  चलते हैं  

सीख और शिक्षा  आज फरेब लग पड़ती 

जब अपने ही सब झूठ  की राह  पर चल पड़ते हैं। 
मन उद्वेलित हो जाता है ,

 जब   अडिग अटल सत्य अंतिम सांसे  लेता है 

सीख़ वो बचपन की  हाय फिर प्रश्न चिन्ह बन जाती है।  

संवेदनाओं  की कमी  हर ओर ,असफलताओं  की झड़ी  हर ओर 

मन को पुनः समझती है ,यदि रहना  है सफल जीवन में

तो चल पर फिर  निर्मल तन मन से 

दूर उस छल ,उस आडम्बर से ,

झूठ केइस  प्रपंची मायाजाल से। 

मीना  शर्मा