#IAmAChaturBaniya

Oh, yes, without being apologetic but with due respect to the Baniya/Business community of India, I proclaim that I am indeed a chatur baniya (shrewd businessperson). Otherwise, what would you say of a situation when all my cousins were getting their pocket money, I had to work for it and that too when I was just ten years old? Mother never believed in giving extra money to me, whether it was to eat ‘chanachor’(a mix of roasted lentils, nuts, onions, chillies and salt)  or ‘boiled alu(potato) garnished with tamarind and finely chopped onions’.

So, the chatur baniya in me ideated! I made hand painted handkerchiefs out of the left-over material from the dresses mother stitched for the neighbours. I sold them each for five rupees. I was over the moon as I had enough money to treat my friends.

So, when the fetes in school were organised, I made sure I had a couple of things to sell. I meticulously created handmade cards out of pressed ferns, leaves and flowers; hand-embroidered and also painted napkins and handkerchiefs and also got some potted plants. I was rich by the time the fete ended.

Since one thing leads to the other, this chatur baniya got featured in an Assamese magazine a year after she relocated to Guwahati and it was all about how she made handmade cards. And yippee, I got an order to deliver five hundred cards to an organisation called Green Plus. All this when I first started my Pre-University! You guessed right! I spent my earnings treating my friends to cold coffee and hotdogs!

I knew that my baniya acumen was good when I had my first solo exhibition of all things hand-made. The principal of a school gave me the space to showcase my things. The stuff sold off like hot-cakes. Some people even now proudly comment on how they love ‘showing-off’ to guests at their home some of the arty things they bought from me when I was in my second year of college. I made quite a bit at this exhibition!

Cut to 2000! By this time, I had already worked in different capacities in several corporate houses. I wanted to have something of my own! And voila, it was an overnight decision to start Siang Valley Production, an agency which has since then created more than fifteen documentaries. In the process, I minted money both for myself and several other boys and girls who had worked with me. Those were happy days for all of us!

Well, this chatur baniya will not stop just at this! Right now, I am ideating and the next project will be all about making others happy, whether with or without the financial aspect. This chatur baniya has never cheated or killed or maimed or hurt anyone while trying to make money. The principal of living and let live, of ahimsa, of austerity, of simple living and high thinking will stay alive deep inside this chatur baniya. And that is how I, Tinat, will keep Gandhiji alive.

Yes, he was a chatur baniya and that is why we live in a free country. If he didn’t ideate for his people to live in their own country with their heads held high; doing, thinking, eating, wearing, whatever they wished to, then, right now, I would have probably been scripting a different narrative!

RAINBOW STORIES 7

FROM THE CITY AFTER MY HEART, GUWAHATI

SATYAM, SHIVAM, SUNDARAM

When was the last time you resigned and said you have had enough of life and given up on it? If you have, you should be sorry you did it! You might be absolutely fit to take the world by storm but you won't because you're filled with so many excuses.
Well, friends, the next time you decide life hasn't given you the best, then you have to see, hear and feel Shivam Ayengia's story, which hasn't been a bed of roses since he was born. Growing up with cerebral palsy, a condition marked by impaired muscle coordination (spastic paralysis) and/or other disabilities, typically caused by damage to the brain before or at birth(Wikipedia), was not something easy to cope with by both the parents but seeing Shivam's zeal to prove himself has made them stand like rock-solid pillars of strength besides him. All of 20 now, Shivam is studying at Tezpur University, which again has been extremely supportive towards him. In his fourth semester of Engineering, Shivam's father, Mr. Nripen Ayengia, a businessman, says his son has been inspired by his maternal uncles, who are both engineers, even after he had told him that it would be easier to graduate in arts from any other college. But Shivam doesn't like to do things the easy way. His physical condition has been no impediment for this amazing young man, who works out three times a week at Mr. Universe, Mahadev Deka's gym.
Shivam is a writer and loves to pen his thoughts, especially about his condition. In 2015, Shivam Ayengia was awarded with Inspiring Leader of the Year!
If this is not inspiration, then what is? More power to the indomitable spirit of Shivam Ayengia!
#shivam #inspiration

RAINBOW STORIES 6 FROM THE CITY AFTER MY HEART, GUWAHATI! While you and I whizz across the city in our posh AC cars, pursing our lips, grimacing at the humidity and spewing expletives at a sun which is at its shining best, someone somewhere is doing some good work, which often goes unnoticed.  As I drive up the Chandmari flyover, I see a young boy in his uniform helping a tired, sweaty man in an over-worn grimy tee-shirt and an equally unclean towel around his waist, to push his cart-load of bamboo and wooden planks. The task is arduous up the fly-over and the man must have felt blessed to get a helping hand. I hop off my car to talk to the young boy! Nayan Kalita, a student of Class XII of Jigyas Academy, Sundarpur, thinks that even after a hard day at school, the excruciating heat is not an impediment for the random act of kindness that I caught him doing on the Chandmari flyover yesterday afternoon. A resident of Beharbari, Nayan stays with his parents and a younger brother. He wishes to complete his MBA and then contribute in whatever way he can to his state! He believes that only the young generation can root out corruption if they make a determined choice! I am blessed to have met Nayan Kalita! More power to youngsters like Nayan! ‪#‎Guwahati‬ ‪#‎actsofkindness‬ ‪#‎youngpeopleofGuwahati‬‪#‎applause‬

• RAINBOW STORIES 5 FROM THE CITY AFTER MY HEART, GUWAHATI! A BLUEPRINT FOR LIFE  It's a Monday morning. I walk into the B Barooah Cancer Institute and I see this angelic lady, who wears a smile wider than the circumference of the Earth and brighter than the celestial star, colourfully dressed and with a bagful of books authored by her over one shoulder. She doesn't smile for me alone, as she walks up to me and hugs me ever so warmly to her. She nods and smiles for everyone around her! She's the Florence Nightingale for many, Minoti Barthakur Baidew! This is her twenty second year of fighting Malignant Lymphoma after doctors had declared way back in 1994 that it was forebodingly too late for them to try any life-saving activity on her, even for a year. Well, it's for all to see how Minoti Baidew took each day at a time and proved destiny wrong! She says she has lived upto her promise to the Almighty that she would dedicate her life to the cancer patients of the Northeast India and has she taken the pain! She has spent days and nights going through large number of books and research works written by cancer specialists and cancer patients during the period of her sickness. With the data acquired from these books including her own experience of yoga and meditation and from her intense study over the internet, since January 2000, she thought of offering her honorary service to the Dr. B. Barooah Cancer Institute (The Regional Cancer Institute for the entire North Eastern Region, situated at Guwahati, Assam). Through her counseling, Baidew tries to change the attitude of the patients by inspiring and motivating them to fight with their disease. 1. She encourages the patients to increase their mental strength so that they are not afraid of the disease. 2. She encourages them to take responsibility and to fight like a soldier so that they can get rid of their sickness. 2. She gives guidance about what food is best for them and how to prepare their food. 3. She teaches them to do regular physical and breathing exercises. 4. She sings and dances with the patients. 5. She also offers prayer in the hospital along with the patients so that they regain their mental strength for early recovery. 6. She also trains the patients the art of meditation through her meditation center. The patients of Dr. B. Barooah Cancer Institute are now encouraged to a great extent since her counselling has given them immense mental strength to fight their disease. Moreover, patients who were earlier afraid of Chemotherapy or Radiotherapy could later boldly face the treatment after her counseling sessions. She makes regular visits to the homes of terminally ill patients and prays to lessen their pain. She even guides patients about meditation over the phone. And now, it is not only patients from the North-East but from other states of India as well who take her advice over phone and e-mail. Minoti Barthakur Baidew has visited Bangladesh in 2004 and offered her services in Mahakali, Dhaka Cancer Hospital. She worked in National Cancer Hospital, Maharagama, Colombo, Sri Lanka in 2009. This year she has delivered 6 lectures in different islands of the Maldives on request of the Maldives Cancer Society and her lectures were highly appreciated by the doctors, employees and the organizers of the different hospitals. With a ‘never-say-die’ attitude, Minoti Baidew retired from active government service in 2006. She had a brilliant academic record and was a gold medalist from Darrang College Tezpur, Assam. She had served as Professor and Head of the Department of Philosophy, Cotton College, a premier Post-Graduate Institution in Guwahati. Even her second and more painful attack in 2009, left Baidew undaunted. She went onto write her first book on cancer care in Assamese; “Mor Asukhar Ebasar, Ejon Cancer Rogir Abhigyata” which became extremely popular and has completed six editions till now, and the seventh edition of the book is coming shortly. With over 18,000 books sold till date, it has also been translated to English, Bengali, Hindi and Bodo. The English version, “A Cancer Survivor: Struggle and Success” is published by B. L. Publishing Corporation Delhi. She has written the book based on the cancer researches done on the cancer survivors and also on her personal observations during the period of her sickness. The book is also a guiding tool about the kind of lifestyle to be maintained by a cancer patient; food, exercise, and the power of the mind in controlling this debilitating disease. She chronicles the victories of some patients who have used the power of their thoughts to cure themselves. With the kind of trauma and pain she has been through for over more than two decades, she deems it fit for herself to counsel patients, ‘cause who better than her would be able to understand their story. Always full of life, Minoti Baidew knows nothing more than loving people. She runs a free counseling and meditation center, for the cancer patients apart from students and other people. The name of her center is “Minoti’s Counseling and Meditation Center” which is situated in Flat No- B4, Silver Heights, Opposite Old Passport Office, Bye Lane Basishthapur -3, Beltola Road, Guwahati. A brilliant orator, she has published her second book in English namely “The Hardworking Nyishi Women of Arunachal Pradesh” for the development and progress of the Nyishi community. Her third book “Kalija Kaite Bindhile Ji Soraye Gan Gai” has been recently published, on the story of her life in a question answer format with Gitimalika Neog. At present, Baidew is busy writing her fourth book, “The Concepts of Meditation”. Minoti Baidew also delivers lectures in schools, colleges and universities including some such places to motivate and inspire young people. Minoti Barthakur Baidew, this woman of steel, keeps adding feathers to her cap when every now and then different organisations honour and felicitate her. In 2005, she had been awarded the N.E.T.V. Woman of the Year. In 2007, she was the recipient of an award presented by the Governor of Nagaland for her dedicated service for the cancer patients of the North-Eastern region and in 2008, she was recognised as the “Positive Health Hero” from Dr. Batras, an international organization having health centers in 56 countries of the world. An extremely active Rotarian, having joined Rotary in 1989, Minoti Barthakur Baidew has been awarded with the highest honour known as the “Service Above Self Award” by Rotary International. More power to Minoti Barthakur Baidew! I love you!

• Rainbow Stories 4 From the city after my heart, Guwahati! This year, February mornings and evenings are still chilly. Early morning joggers and late night revellers will vouch for that! But aren't we all grateful for that? There is some respite at least, not to forget that the scorching heat is just round the corner! But what about the man on the street, homeless, hungry and pathetically helpless under any circumstances; winter, summer is all the same for him! He doesn't have much of a choice about anything at all! On request of anonymity, a close friend called me up today morning while returning from gym and with obvious elation in his voice said, "I am very happy today! I have done something I have never done before!" He went onto narrate that on his return home, he found a man without a shred of clothing, shivering uncontrollably while trying to pull a torn poster around his frail thin body. My friend got off his car and pulled out a pair of tracks he had bought the previous day from his bag and gave it to the man. The man was overjoyed! The only regret my friend had was that he didn't have a tee-shirt to give him. I told him, "Give it to him the next time you meet him!" Salutations to this rainbow friend of mine, who has in the past too spread a lot of sunshine in the lives of the deprived and he has made a choice to continue to do so! What a wonderful choice!

Rainbow Stories 3

From the city after my heart, Guwahati! 

"Goodmorning!" Her greeting and a bright smile is enough to make a sad, angry person at least break into a smile! 

She wishes to wake up late every morning and laze around, maybe sometimes not go to work at all. She wishes to go to school after a hearty breakfast with her family. She wishes to work in an office, maybe drive her own car and start her own beauty parlour. 

But Sofia cannot afford to wake up late. She has to work. And she starts working early, every morning in five different houses as a cook, cleaner, often having to buy vegetables in some houses. She has to work 'cause she looks after her mother, her brother and her younger sister, sometimes even the elder one, when a situation demands. 

However, all this doesn't stop Sofia from dreaming; dreaming to live a life of her own; free and without inhibition. She knows she will overcome all the obstacles one day. 

In spite of working in five houses everyday, without fail, she has completed the basics of a beautician course. When she's not cooking or cleaning, Sofia does facials, hair spas, manicures and pedicures for the women in the area, her business acumen clear that these will be her future clients when she starts her parlour. In the evening, she makes an effort to study the Alphabets and also do some Maths. And she's getting better every day!

Marriage not being the most important agenda in her life, Sofia is now thinking of taking driving lessons! I wish Sofia, a role model for many, all the best! I hope this rainbow woman reaches the pinnacles of her dreams! Kudos!

Rainbow Stories 2

From the city after my heart, Guwahati! 

It's morning of the day after Diwali and you're off to work. If you notice, the roads are clean, with no remnants of the previous night's crackers or the shrivelled plantain trees or anything repulsive. Well, it doesn't make you very surprised 'cause that's the way it has been. That's the way it's supposed to be. We mess up so that someone cleans it up. We have taken the lives and works of some people for granted! 

Rewind to 4am of the same morning and these three musketeers, Noor Ali, Aman Ali and Azhar Ali are out on their usual chore of picking up the garbage from the doorsteps of the different homes in their designated areas. They work so that our homes are clean and filth free. Who likes to even touch what others have thrown away? They do 'cause they have a home to look after. They don't have an option, 'cause it's a choice they have made till they make another one; to collect the city's garbage! 

Kudos to these three 'rainbow men' and to countless others in the city who work tirelessly to keep the city clean. Let's join them and take responsibility of the city!