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Milk man
MILKY WAY: Prem Kumar Jangra (right), who has been surviving solely on milk since birth, being honoured by former Hansi SDM Satish Kumar Jain. |
Remember being coerced and cajoled by your mother to have milk when you were a child? Many of us have grown up thus and many have long since outgrown this childhood fuss about milk. Not so for Prem Kumar Jangra of Hansi, who got so addicted to milk that he’s been surviving solely on it since birth. It may sound incredible, but this 45-year-old timber and stone merchant of this ancient township claims not to have had any solid food in his life. “I used to have tea when I was in school, but stopped it in 1977 after a bout of jaundice,” says Jangra. His mother recalls that he refused to have any solid diet even in infancy. Initially, his parents did try to introduce him to solid food. But their efforts proved futile and gradually, they gave up. “He would not even have medicine, leave alone eating food,” maintains his mother. He was taken to several doctors in Hisar and at Rohtak Medical College, but was found to have no disorder. Eventually, his family became used to it and this staunch ‘milk man’ grew up subsisting on this liquid food. The belief that milk makes for a wholesome diet certainly holds good for Jangra. As of now, he drinks about 3 to 3.5 litres each day. In addition to it, he has water and sometimes, a pinch of salt. On being asked the reason for not having any other food, he simply says that he does not feel like it. Married and the father of two school-going children, Jangra leads a normal life and works like any other person his age. However, he does abstain from heavy physical labour. He has been honoured by the local administration for his rare quality. He, however, rues the fact that he has not been offered a government job. Interestingly, when Jangra staked his claim for a mention in the Limca Book of Records, it was turned down on the ground that it “could not be verified.” Mushroom samosas to manure The company that introduced the mushroom-stuffed samosa in the US has now developed a new generation of organic manure converted from the waste of spent mushroom substrate (SMS). Himachal Pradesh-based Himalya now converts all organic waste of its food-processing unit, including vegetable peels, mushroom roots and even the effluent disposal of its new cheese plant, into organic manure, rich in nutrients essential for plant growth. It is embarking on a plan to use all its organic manure for making organic produce in Himachal Pradesh. The company is in the process of filing its patent, according to Chairman Manmohan Malik.
Of cow dung and clay
SANJHI SAHELIAN: Exhibits being judged at a sanjhi-making contest held in Fatehabad recently. |
Of the many folk arts of rural India, ‘sanjhi’ is a form that has been immensely popular in parts of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and the ‘Brijbhoomi’ (mostly western UP). To popularise the art among rural women, a sanjhi-making competition was organised in Fatehabad recently. Young women from the rural areas came with their creations to the local office of the Public Relations Department, which had organised the competition. Usha Dahiya, President of the Mahila Sahayatarth Samiti, gave away the prizes, while Suman Mehta, Jyoti Machra and Suvarsha Mehta judged the contest. The first, second and third prize winners were awarded Rs 1500, Rs 1000 and Rs 500, respectively. Paramjit Malik, District Public Relations Officer, Fatehabad, explained that ‘sanjhis’ were artifacts of deities made from clay and cow dung. After the monsoon season, young village girls collect good quality cow dung and clay from the fields to make these art pieces. They then decorate their ‘sanjhis’ with stars and clothes, all made of clay and dung. The more the number of stars on a ‘sanjhi’, the more beautiful it looks. Some ‘sanjhis’ have as many as 200 stars on them. It takes 10 to 15 days for a ‘sanjhi’ to be ready. Many folktales are associated with the festival. The ‘sanjhi’ can be a depiction of Goddesses Lakshmi, Parvati, Durga or Mahadevi, depending on the local folklore.
Pen and the plough
VERSATILE IN VERSE: Ishar Singh Sobti received a Special Award from the Punjab Bhasha Department for his poetry book recently. Photo: Inderjit Verma |
Even at the age of 86, Ishar Singh Sobti is an example of relentless pursuit of a passion. Though an agriculturist by profession, writing has always been his real passion. And his recent book, ‘Khyaalan Da Vehaan’, has not just been noticed, but has also brought him a Special Award from the Punjab Bhasha Department.
It is the first time he has come out with a collection of poems after having penned at least a dozen books, including well-known ones like ‘Death Demystified’ and ‘Sachchi Kahani Batware Di’, which came out last year. The Ladhowal-based writer, who writes in Punjabi, Hindi, English and Sindhi, and has quite a few local awards to his credit, is mighty pleased about the latest venture, “I am very happy with this achievement.” He says his writing reflects the way he perceives things, be it the ‘Taj Mahal’ wherein he has described the death of thousands of workmen, or the ‘surajmukhi’, the flower that he feels is not just about beauty but also teaches virtues like humility. His literary journey, right from his first novel “Anokhe Phull” that was published in 1947, has given him a lot of contentment. He says, “Agriculture is something I pursue full-time, but I write whenever I feel like. I have put no bindings on myself, it comes naturally. Writing is the truest expression of one’s feelings and I would want to continue it forever,” says the writer, who is quite fond of writings by S.S. Narula and Sant Singh Sekhon. Contributed by Sunit Dhawan, Naveen Garewal, Sushil Manav and Shveta Pathak
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