Smoking - And Tablas!

The Tabla is a Percussion Instrument of North India. It comprises of a Set of two. The Right Hand one produces an Exquisite Bell like Sound. (Imagine, Wood and Animal Skin producing Bell Tones!). The Left Hand one is also Unique, in that it can produce Musical 'Slurs.' (Slur, in the Musical sense, is the Change in Tone between Notes, without a Break).

Showing a picture of the Instrument, let me also pay Tribute to one of the Maestros, late Ustad Allahrakha Khan. (Ustad means Master, and Allah Rakha means something like: 'The Lord protected me, or The Lord Protects.')

I started learning this revered Instrument when I had just crossed 20. And my Guru was another Young gent, not much older than myself. He was a Miller by trade, Stone Poor, and he used to Smoke! I was rather surprised, and asked him about it. I mean, we suppose Musicians would not give in to these kinds of habits, What? And he answered me thus:

'If I have two rupees, I can eat two chapattis. They would leave me Hungry. With two rupees I can smoke two cigarettes, which give me a certain Satisfaction.'

Thus the connection between Tablas and Smoking! I wanted to write on Smoking when I came across an article in the net, (reference in Comments), which carries the head lines: 'Unique but truth: 35 percent Indians use tobacco despite ad ban.' I give it to You as I found it; let them answer for their grammar.

We Think, and the World Thinks, that these Silly fellows have Nothing Better to do than Kill themselves with these Weeds. We Think, and the World Thinks, that Seeing a Green Dot, Everybody will Understand that it stands for 'Natural Product.' We Think, and the World Thinks, that a One Line message, in the Smallest Font possible, will even Reach or Teach the Millions of Smokers.

There is definitely a 'We' versus 'They.' 'We' are those fortunate enough to have PCs, Tablets, Androids and Blackberries. 'They,' though many of them do possess Cell phones, keep them to get their bookings for Work, and to keep in contact with their family. And I am Not Speaking about our 'college' youth, who waste many a merry hour away, chatting and messaging with their 'friends,' and God alone knows what Knowledge they are acquiring.

China, much maligned, carries out its 'education' through what we call 'brain washing.' The people have to sit and listen, period. But India does not function in that way. 

So, the Duty of taking Care of 'Them' falls on us. We are already used to taking care of Others. Our Children! ...If We are to be our Brother's Keeper, We have to become MUCH more Active.