How stupid, don't you know your great-grand-Dad?

North India is often riled for its penchant for flouting wealth and the family name to influence others while making a point about an individual's power & glory in the society. Don't you know who my father is? Well have you ever heard someone say,"I am not interested to know the name of your father, but do tell me who was your great-grand- father?"A two minute silence may follow.

How many people in the so called tradition bound 'Sanatan' society of India can tell the name of family beyond Dada Dadi & Nana Nani? Almost none may not be able to write a ten sentences long essay on their par-Dadda or par-Daddi ji. Do you think its inconsequential to know mambo jumbo about your family that has no bearing on the present? Come on, how can you swear to god about family values of India and still don't value the memory of your ancestors? Take a walk in any street in India to meet with many a Swamy roaming around to remind you about the Hindu DNA of your ancestors. Jokes apart, a society that forgets its past is condemned to repeat their blunders, So better be careful and take a peep into your past and carefully connect the dots backwards to know your future.

Lets get back to the present moment & dispel the disbelief about your grasp on it. How many can write the story of your parents, where were they born and how they lived before you arrived in their lives and the later period? Many can write an longer essay on cow, than her real mother. Same for the father. Therefore you need to seize the moment and sit down to write a long story of your family that you could leave behind for your great grand children. Facebook will not lead to redemption on this account. Like other SM sites, facebook has a limited life span. Therefore if you are interested to help your great grand kids to know you better then scribble all your memories on a piece of paper for the posterity.

Let me make few suggestion about how to go about this arduous task. To begin with ask your father mother to narrate their story to you, Record it. This may take more couple of sittings depending upon the journey s/he have been through. Once your have a draft story then make a plan to visit the locations associated with their past with the intent to take pics of school, university, house & jail where ever they have spent sometime. Try meet as many people as possible to dig out the other version of the incidents narrated by your parents. Such inquest may lead to better understanding of your loved ones. Finally, sit down wearing an editor's hat to create a collage that gives a near true picture of the life of your father or mother. Don't worry about the grammar so long as you paint the story in an interesting manner. 

Finally you could give no bigger gift to your parents than their own story, in form of a book, which they had forgotten in the struggle to make life better for you. Its good to know your great grand dad, and better to write the story of your mother father for the sake of their great grand kids. Some tradition excite all of us always.