A PRAYER FROM THE WARRIOR AHEAD OF POLL BATTLES IN PUNJAB

I happen to be right in the middle of political crossfire as I happen to be heading the media campaign of one of the two main contenders in the forthcoming elections in Punjab. Every morning I get up early and start the day with some quiet introspection and a silent prayer:" May I not shirk battle but may I not belittle myself as a warrior with petty thoughts and feelings of bitterness towards the opponent. Let me play the best and let the best player win. And no matter who wins, let me have the wisdom and the large heartedness to accept that the man who wins is better than me in some respect. but may I do enough to be that man myself. Let me not be provoked by what may appear to be lowly or even spiteful attacks. And no matter who is on the other side of the fence, Captain Sahib or Manpreet or whoever, let my heart not harbour any bitterness towards them. May I be able to love them all during and after the battle is won or lost. May I never lose what makes me who I am. And let me be guided by just one thing: do my best in what I think is right. And may I have the wisdom always to know what is right, and when I don't have that wisdom, may I have the humility and honesty to accept that I am wrong. With all this, may I also have the resolve to fight with all my heart and win. And having won, may I take my all my opponents in an embrace of love and forgiveness. But if for some reason I do not win, I may still have that love and forgiveness in my heart. And I pray that my opponents too may be freed from the bondage of petty hatred and greed. May I fight the battle not out of greed for reward but because I seriously believe that its worth a fight. And when and if I win, I may have the will to take everyone along so that we may unitedly achieve the goals for which everyone fought. And may my people always stay together after it has been decided who will play what role during the next five years. And may the Generals on whose side I fight always have the graciousness and large heartedness which they have shown up to now to allow me to love the people I fight. It is this graciousness which makes me choose them above others, but I pray that others may also have the same graciousness towards their soldiers and allow them to love our generals and our soldiers. " ------This prayer is addressed to no God but only to the spirit of life and to myself.

· · · Share · Delete

• Anuradha Zutshi, Jaswant Singh Aman, Madan Gandhi and 2 others like this.
• • 

    Sanjeev Ahluwalia Best wishes for the tough electoral battle ahead.

    3 hours ago · · 1
  • 

    Parveen Sethi Amen!!!

    2 hours ago ·
  • 

    DrNirmal S Dhallu BIG ask but I am sure you do well as always. This is a sociopolitical battle and as a result should be about individual's collective policies (good and bad) and not about person.

    2 hours ago · · 1
  • 

    Jaswant Singh Aman Difficult take but stil.....तथास्तु!

    about an hour ago ·
  • 

    Pavittar Bhinder

    Sir this note being related to politics, i would be honest and straight with my comments(in political context only) about it.
    
    I have noticed a gradual change in your words/color/tone on political issues and your opponents. From challenging S. Manpreet Badal for a debate and then in direct election from gidderbaha constituency to labelling his NRI supportes as extremists you have travelled a long distance.
    Now your tone/vocublary/color is quite opposite... calm..subtle and indirect.. earlier you were quite direct(challenge to fight MSB in election) and now you claim to be just doing your job as media advisor.
    
    I assume two things/reasons from this pleasant change:
    1. Either, you have realised govt. change around the corner so you prefer to be mild now... (may be even contemplating of working for a different person in future).
    2. Or, now with time and your past experience on social media you have mellowed down or seasoned well.... and prefer to be soft with your opponents.
    
    i welcome this pleasant and positive change(political) irrespective of the reasons 1 or 2 mentioned above.
    
    Statesmen should always behave in this manner.
    Already said this before but I reiterate, "i wish punjab that gets just one statesman which it so desperately needs."
    -regards.

    52 minutes ago · · 1
  • 

    Rajiv Mudgil As a prayer, just, "May I never lose what makes me who I am" is enough. The rest is a journey of one's own evolution which must derive from deep thinking rather than prayer. We propel our own progress; we do not wait upon an external source to bestow it upon us.

    34 minutes ago · · 2
  • 

    Sunnymindcaves Caves

    Pavittar Bhinder: To be honest, I was half afraid myself of being misunderstood . No one these days likes to believe that someone would want to be nice without fear or greed of favour. But in response to all your points, this is all I cansay: 1. My challenge to Manpreet Singh Badal or -- since he thinks he is too high and mighty -- to any of his chosen spokespersons -- stills stands and my view of what happened in October 2010 is exactly as it was. And I have always -- always -- pleaded for decency, decorum and dignity in public discourse.. 2. Till my last day on this planet, I will be with Mr. Parkash Singh Badal. Over the past thirty five years, neither fear during the days of militancy nor greed ( I had an official written offer from Sardar Beant SIngh to join him with a cabinet rank and I politely turned it down to remain loyal to Mr. Badal) have succeeded in luring me away from my beliefs. .....I lost my university job and was thrown out of a decent government house in Chandigarh and could easily have retained both by simply becoming neutral under Captain Amaridner Singh . I thought Captain Sahib was wrong and I said so and chose to pay the price. .....But I ahve been trying very hard, without compromising on my beliefs, to inject an element of civility and decorum in political discourse in Punjab. That I haven't succeeded has not discouraged me. That said, let me reiterate. in my honest view, there is no match today in Punjab or national politics for a man of Parkash Singh Badal's stature and intrinsic human values. he is a class apart and sixty years of relentless struggle has not robbed him of his humility and warmth, Lot of lesser players become bitter simply because they don't get their way in everything and form new parties. Others leave those parties when the new leader behaves with insolence. This man has just stuck to one line and has gone on and on and on......Yout get a Parkash Singh Badal only once in life. But having said that, let me reiterate that I have learnt it from him that one can be competitive without being bitter, fight without hatred in your mind, hold on to yuur faiths without ridiculing others, be brave with ex[ressing your beliefs without a resort to language of hate. But before Mr. Badal came into my life, i had someone in m life -- my mother -- who set high standards for me : " If you can't get along with someone,” she said, "then be more concerned with how you conduct yourself....Dignified, without being discourteous, remote without being rude, indifferent without being insulting, aloof without being arrogant. Differ but don't disrespect." Her favourite: Jab lag duniya rahiye Nanak, kichhu suniye kuchh kahiye" ... but first " suniye.....

    18 minutes ago · · 2
  • 

    Sunnymindcaves Caves Rajiv Mudgil: Thanks Rajiv for surfacing. Yes, We propel our own progress; we do not wait upon an external source to bestow it upon us.....And " -This prayer is addressed to no God but only to the spirit of life and to myself."