-
Our Stars Twinkle in Nigeria
Read more here: Our Stars Twinkle in NigeriaSokoto is so far from Punjab, and yet it brings back little memories of that land. Like Punjab it is 1,000 miles from the sea. The Niger river swamps and the lush Lagos forests lie far to the south. Here we are, just on the edge of the Sahal, that dry land of stunted bushes…
-
An Ol’ Ranger
Read more here: An Ol’ RangerOutlook | September 29, 2008 My love affair with the Himalayas started in 1961 when I trained at the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Darjeeling, under Tenzing Norgay and his nephew, Nawang Gombu. The affair continued during my stint as deputy commissioner, Lahaul-Spiti, under the great Punjab chief minister Pratap Singh Kairon. A winter crossing in February…
-
Concrete Valleys
Read more here: Concrete ValleysOutlook | September 3, 2007 Pre-1966, the Beas-Kangra valley was part of the Punjab. My early service was spent in that beautiful valley. In 1961-62, I was deputy commissioner, Lahaul-Spiti, across the Rohtang Pass. My family and I have continued to visit Lahaul since then. Last week, I went after a decade and a half…
-
Peaks Of Power
Read more here: Peaks Of PowerOutlook | April 30, 2007 I first went to Kathmandu when I was CEC many years ago. It was a world congress on mountaineering and tourism, Nepal’s main bread-earner. But I spent most of my time with the political establishment, the Election Commission of Nepal, and the late King Birendra. I can never forget the…
-
Europe on 2 bottles of “achaar”
Read more here: Europe on 2 bottles of “achaar”The Tribune | February 25, 1986 In lighter vein by M.S. Gill If you are up at Cambridge you want to go somewhere for the vacation. The place is closed for six months in the year to allow people to study. Terms are meant for more serious pastimes! A friend says we have holidays between…
-
The Real Punjab Mail
Read more here: The Real Punjab MailThe Tribune | July 18, 1980 The Orient Express was made famous by Agatha Christie. In the days of the raj the most romantic train on the subcontinent was the Frontier Mail which ran from Bombay to Punjab and the Khyber Pass. Men like John Masters have described the fascinating journey by this train, full…
