30th April

Completed morning program. Visited the Supreme court. Attended the court no.1 & 2. Also applied for renewal of SCBA identity card. Its validity expired on 14/03/2012. I was told that a new card will be given after about 20 days.
 In chamber from 1.15 to 3.45 pm.
The Presidential election and trial of Rajesh and Nupur Tlwar in Arushi murder case are the main subjects in the news.of the day.
Retired to sleep at 10.30 pm. 

29thApril

Went for brisk 45 minute walk. Except ' Pramad', I have no other explanation for not completing the morning program. An executive of a company which collects and organizes to preserve the stem cells from milk teeth of infants/children was to visit us to give a demonstration and tell us cost of it also. I was not inclined to receive him today, though I was otherwise free. I had an engagement in the evening only. Now I have given  time at 12 am on 6th May for the demonstration. All the grandchildren, Khyati, Abhishree, Aamolikaa, Akshat & Alaynah have milk teeth. These could be preserved. Subhash has preserved stem cells from the umbilical chord of his grandson. It cost him Rs.one lac. He may have to pay again after 10 years for their continued preservation.
Venita went to join in the reading of Sunderkand in a neighbor's house. Gillo boarded the train and left for Kanpur.Attended musical evening followed by dinner at CISF hqrs.
Retired to sleep at 11.30 pm.

28th April

Went for a brisk walk for 45 minutes.Could not adhere to morning program. Had to leave for Noida early to attend Mishti's betrothal. Attended betrothal ceremony in Gymkhana club in Greater Noida. Besides Barun's family, his 3 sisters, 2 brothers and their families, Rajat and Chhotu, Silku, Ritabara and their 2 daughters, Khyati &;Alaynah, Anand & Abhay,Tunu & Gauri and there son, Yash, Anup and his family (Bina's brother ) attended. From would-be bridegroom's side, his parents and other relations ( about15 )attended .They are Ahujas, Punjabi Khatris. The bridegroom's father worked in RBI and now lives in Noida after retirement. His elder sister and her family live in Delhi.The other two sisters live in USA with their families.He has no brother.He is MA from Delhi School of Economics and now working in Price Waterhouse, Gurgaon. Mishti is also working there. They met there and decided to get married.The marriage will take place in August this year Marriage is an important stage in one's life. Life's real struggle starts after it. After marriage, I lost all my romanticism, infatuation with flowers, generally with nature and journeys on clouds.My father, with whom I shared my thoughts, told that marriage was like a " 'Topa' of responsibility which covered your head. You lose all your flights of imagination. Your creativity goes. Like billions, you start chasing  worldly objects in search of happiness".  I think that you can get back all that you lost after marriage if you regain yourself and remain in touch with it. Vipassana meditation helps.
Gillo's railway reservation could not be done today evening. SP ACB Mumbai and RSO promised to get it done by Pushpak Express starting 8 am on 29th. RSO confirmed it at about 11 pm. I informed Gillo, She was happy.
Retired to sleep at 11 pm.

27th April

Could go  only for brisk walk for 45 minutes  Did pranayam for 15 minutes Visited PNB and Assam house. Dictated a letter in Assamese to Ratneswar Das .Visited CGHS and SBI  Pradeep came  Yash is stable and improving. No blood transfusion has been necessary since  May 2011 .Pradeep is contemplating to send Yash to school on part-time basis.He could appear in 6 monthly examination writing answers sitting in the library
In chamber from 1.30 to 5 pm.
Pravesh rang up. Could not go to him. He has been requesting for a visit.  He said that he wanted to discuss a case. I will try next week. I have unavoidable engagements on Sat and Sunday..
Pilku has been inquiring about Yash. He suggested a course of action for him. I rang up and wanted him to tell it to Pradeep when he was with me in the chamber.He said  that he was preoccupied in the office at that moment. He would talk to him during the week end.
I had sent a mail to the DGP, Assam yesterday to inform  Rtd. A.B. Naik Ratneshar Das, who was on duty with me for over 12 years, to talk to me. He talked to me today. He is fine. Pilku was keen to know about his welfare.
Aatish Taseer, author of  'Stranger to History and Noon', wrote in HT in center page today " It allowed the world to shape its idea of itself." 'It' in the sentence refers to India. He recommends a bit of  xenophobia to get over the complex. We recognize our talent, literature, art and philosophy after a seal of approval is given by the world. It is unfortunate. But it is fact. However I don't agree with Aatish that we need a bit of xenophobia to be own self. We can be own self if we look inwards,.do a bit of introspection, develop 'Drashta Bhav', see the reality and shun 'Bhokta Bhav'.In short, we need to practice Vipassana.
Retired to sleep at 11.15 pm.      

26th April

Completed morning program. Visited CGHSs at North Avenue (Aurvedic) & at Pandara Road (Alopathic).In chamber from 1.15 to 4 pm.
Silku rang up and said that I need not have pointed out the mistake (ref. blog dated 25th April) to the British Visa office.It would have gone unnoticed. Although I had to rush around and make another trip to the Visa office due  to pointing out  of the error, but I thought that it was proper to correct the error. No mess-up would now occur on this count. It has been my experience that truth always helps you in the long run.
I had met Lindstorm in Stockhome in late 80s, but he did not tell all that he told Chitra now as published in IE yesterday... Perhaps he could not talk then due to constraints of Govt.service. Now he is a free man and can talk anything he likes.
Retired to sleep at 10.30 pm     

25th April

                                              British Visa

As I had to come to the chamber to collect some papers for British visa and reach Visa office by 11 am, I could not adhere to morning program. This mess-up took place as I thought it was 24th today and that I would arrange all papers today for submission to Visa office tomorrow. But when I realized that it was already 25th I got a bit nervous and had to rush to the office to collect the papers. Went for a short walk in the evening. 
Appeared for the Visa interview and gave all the papers. I have to go to London on 26th May. There is no need to go for fast track disposal of the application. In usual course, one gets back the passport with or without Visa in 2 weeks' time.. In fast track you get it in 2 to 3 days But you have to pay an additional amount of about Rs.5000/- I can wait for 2 weeks. I went through the Premium service route.. I had to pay an extra Rs.2000/- for the Premium route. In the premium route,you wait in an AC lounge for a few minutes, have  coffee and cookies without additional charges. You are attended to by smart employees and your work is done in no time.Otherwise you have to wait in a common lounge for your turn. You get only water and that too you have to take yourself.
First I went to the Visa office in the forenoon. I had noticed a factually wrong entry in the application form early in the  morning It could be corrected only by refiling the application form on line.I could not do it.It takes much time.I type slow.It  could be done by my assistant or I could go to a cyber cafe. He could be available after 11 am. A Visa expert said that the mistake would be ignored by the authority.But when i showed the error to Visa office, I was advised to correct it and come back by 4 pm to file the corrected form. Through oversight, it had been mentioned in the form that the passport, submitted by me, was the first passport. In fact it was the third passport.Earlier passports had been cancelled one by one as there was no space for visa entries anymore. Accordingly i revisited the Visa office and after filing a corrected  form at about 2 pm, left it. I deposited Rs 6650 for a 6 month Visa and Rs.250 as processing fee. I had to visit the Visa office twice.I had very many tense moments from early hours (when the said mistake was detected ) till the corrected copy was filed. I had quite a few cups of coffee and must have munched a number of cookies in the premium lounge.I was hungry.I had taken a frugal breakfast of fruits and oats early morning before I left for Visa office. .
In chamber from 9 to 10 am,11 am to 1 pm and from 3 to 5.15 pm
Retired to sleep at 11.15 pm.

24th April

Completed morning program. Visited SBI and CGHS. In chamber from 1.15 to 4.15pm. Tomorrow I have interview in connection with British Visa at 11 am. I have left some papers in the chamber. I have to take the same from there and thereafter go to Nehru Place for the purpose.Talked to Vikas about Singhvi episode.The Supreme Court snub to a group of persons on the appointment of the new Chief of Army Staff was timely.
Retired to sleep at 10 pm    

23rd April

Completed brisk walk for 45 minutes and Pranayam for 15 minutes. Visited  Eye and Dental consultants.in Safdarjung hospital. In chamber from 1.15 to 4 pm. Emailed Arbitration proceedings, held on 20th, to the parties.
 Maloy.Dhar rang up.He wanted me to request Vikas to appear in the High Court in the appeal against the order of the CAT in the Additional Sec. level officers pension case.I informed him that Vikas had agreed to appear in the case and Biswas could discuss the details of it with me. Biswas rang up and said that he would come back to me after discussing with other pensioners.
'The Break-out Nations' is a much discussed book. I have read a review of it. I heard a panel discussion on it in NDTV today. It would be worthwhile to go through it in details.
Retired to sleep at 11.15 pm.

22nd April

Had  brisk 45 minute walk in the morning and evening too. Sheomohan has come today. Servicing and tyres of the car cost over Rs.25000/-.
In a speech, BJP leader Jaswant Singh said that corruption of spirit was the worst. Pilku sent a video of his visit to Cairo Spent the day at home reading magazines and newspapers.
Retired to sleep at 11.15 pm.

21rst April

Completed morning program. Venita went to visit children at Gurgaon.She returned at about 9 pm.
A very hard hitting write-up on management of Air India is written by Chetan Bhagat in TOI today in the center page I wish it is taken note of by the Govt.But i doubt.
A report says that over 40% of the boys and girls in India go to private schools whereas 20 in USA,6 in Canada,10 in UK,and cent/percent go to government schools in China.
Daawood's is Mumbai's first family of crime, according to a special report, printed in India Today dated April 30.
Jaipur's reputed gem market suffers a trust deficit after resin-treated emeralds are passed off as natural according to another report, printed in India Today dated April 30.
Retired to sleep at 11 pm.