Bastogne: Let Us Remember, So That We May Not Repeat

The siege of Bastogne. The Battle of the Bulge. Dunkirk. Normandy. Stalingrad. The terrible march of armies across Europe towards Berlin.

We remember these battles not to glorify war, but to remember what war does to human beings.

The television series Band of Brothers (2001) brought many of these events painfully close to us. The episode on Bastogne, in particular, leaves behind something more profound than the memory of military strategy or battlefield victory.

It leaves us with the wounded.

In the frozen winter of Bastogne, soldiers of the Easy Company 506^th regiment of 101st Airborne Division endured hunger, cold, bombardment and unimaginable injuries. Among the people caring for them is a nurse who seems to possess an extraordinary touch of grace. Her touch calms even the most severely wounded soldiers. She herself does not understand it until a young doctor tells her that his friend’s grandmother possessed the same spiritual gift—the ability to bring peace and healing through her touch.

Yet both the doctor and the nurse have become emotionally numb. The sheer number of dead, mutilated and dying soldiers has overwhelmed their hearts.

That is perhaps one of the most terrible wounds of war: sometimes the living are wounded so deeply that they can no longer feel.

The German forces demanded the surrender of Bastogne. The American commander, General McAuliffe, famously replied with a single word: “Nuts!” The siege continued, and the town came under devastating bombardment.

Then comes one of the most heartbreaking moments of the story.

The young doctor returns from the front with wounded soldiers to the makeshift hospital established in the church. But the street has been destroyed by bombing. The hospital has disappeared beneath the ruins.

Among the debris, he finds a small piece of the nurse's headscarf. That tiny fragment says more about war than all the maps, arrows and military statistics ever could. A life has disappeared. A person who brought comfort to the dying has herself become one of the countless casualties of war.

And this is why we must remember. We remember Bastogne, not because war is glorious, but because war is terrible. We remember Dunkirk and Normandy. We remember Stalingrad and the long Soviet march to Berlin. We remember the millions who died on every side; not merely as soldiers belonging to armies, but as fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, husbands, wives and friends.

History must not become a collection of heroic battles that teaches us to admire war. It must become a warning.

War is not the answer.

We are not politicians, nor do we claim to understand the calculations of those who lead nations. We are simply people who have seen enough of history to know what war can do to the human heart. We remember Bastogne, Stalingrad, Normandy and Berlin not to celebrate the battles, but to remember the countless human beings who disappeared into them.

October is the month of Mary. And the call of the white-robed patriarch is a call to pray for peace and for the end of war. May that prayer rise from churches, homes and streets across the world. May it be heard by those who have the power to stop wars. And, above all, may it be heard by the Creator. We, the ordinary people of the world, do not have much. Our families, our little homes, our friendships, our work, our faith, our laughter and our peace are precious to us. Peace and joy are almost everything we have. Let us not lose them.

And may the God who created us all teach us to choose life over destruction, reconciliation over hatred, and peace over war.

Let us remember, let us pray, and let us hope.

 

 

...an old Argentine Fan!

FIFA 2026: A Second Chance for Argentina?

There is an old saying among football lovers that Diego Maradona's unfinished blessing upon Argentina included a second World Cup triumph.

In the 1994 World Cup in the United States, Maradona was sent home after testing positive for a banned substance. Until that moment, Argentina looked like one of the strongest teams in the tournament. Without their captain and inspiration, the team faltered and was eventually eliminated.

Many supporters have long wondered: What if Maradona had remained with the squad? Could Argentina have lifted the trophy once again?

Today, history offers a different opportunity.

Lionel Messi is not Maradona. Their personalities, journeys, and careers are very different. Yet Messi has guarded and developed his extraordinary gift over two decades and has become the heart of a generation of Argentine football.

When Messi is on the field, Argentina believes. His presence lifts the entire team, and that influence cannot be measured by statistics alone.

As FIFA 2026 approaches, millions hope to see both Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo on the world's biggest stage one more time. Beyond their achievements, they inspire crowds wherever they go. Even Argentina's warm-up matches attract enormous attention and packed stadiums.

Whether Argentina wins or not remains to be seen. Football offers no guarantees. But with Messi leading the way, the dream is alive, and for many fans, it feels as though history has opened one more door.

The road to 2026 begins.

Touristic & General Information on Russia

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Many of the tourists who take the tour with us love the Indian songs. They have many Bollywood favourites which they have heard while growing up in their own countries. In UK, Israel, Russia, Middle-East, Africa.. Talking about Music will eventually lead us to the favourites of our visitors. They do mention names and hums tunes which unfortunately do not ring any bell for us in the begining. Here is the story of one such often mentioned song, "Killing Me Softly with his song.."

Lori Lieberman, a young lady in her early twenties, went to the Truberdor Bar to listen to this particularly talented young man who played there and was becoming popular with his style. While she was there the young man, who was Don McLean,  played his melancholy and heart pulling number "Empty Chairs.." which took young Lori's heart for a ride. She felt his words were straight out of her life, he was reading her letters loud, she felt feverish and embarassed and wished he would finish but kept right on...

The next day Lori discussed her experience with her associates  Charles Fox and Norman Gimbley with whom she was discussing the making of a record. Norman took the clues from her talk and wrote the song giving the title "Killing me softly with his song" which was inspired by some Blues singers whom he met earlier who sang songs like "Killing me softly with his Blues". They recorded the song which Lori Lieberman sang in the year 1972.

Roberta Flack, an already established Afro-American singer, was on a flight when she heard this song on the airplane's song collection. She was so struck by the song, she asked the stewardess to replay that song for her repeatedly while her musical mind took down the lyrics and made mental correction and adjustments to the Lori's song.

Immediately after she got off the plane, she called Quincy Jones to contact the writers of the song and request the permission/right to sing the song. She started practicing the song with her band at Jamaica, the way she wanted it to be played but did not record it. While performing on stage for an organiser, after her set encore, they asked her play something new if she had. She said, yes, there is a song we are practicing and gave it a try.
The audience went berserk after listening to the song and their reaction prompted the organizer to comment, " Baby don't you play this song ever again, before recording it".

Within a month the song was recorded and released and rose to the status of the most popular song of the year and one of the few all time hits.

Thus, Lori Lieberman's emotions while listening to a Don McLean performance became the most popular hum of a generation through another singer's voice while Lori's own song was sideline. One can imagine what it would have done to a sweet young lady like Lori, emotionally. She kept on with her writing and composed and song many other songs and albums though she left the space for a long time after the "Killing me softly with his song.." experience. 

An year without Maradona

 Indira Gandhi’s assassination in 1984 and her nationally televised cremation ceremony was an event which was watched by our whole nation, it was more or less an introduction of the visual media and TV to our nation.  Many of us did not have TV then, we walked miles and went to those houses where they had. Everybody co-operated.

I was in my school final in 1986 when the world cup came. By then we had a black and white Keltron TV that came in a case with shutter. It was on that TV our generation watched and experienced the first global event – The FIFA world cup of 1986.

That was undoubtedly Maradona’s world cup. With his game, talent and spirit he won us over and made us a fan of him and his country, Argentina, a country we had not heard about. Maradona became our hero. Excessive fouling and harsh man marking did not let him be as successful in 1990 world cup as he was in 1986 and in the one that followed in 1994 he was disgraced and banned for use of unacceptable drugs.

For the way he made us feel and experience the peaks of joy and excitement in 1986 he stayed in our heart as our hero and we went through all the bad news about him with a sad heart and kept only the memories of the game he once played.

It's going to be an year since he is gone, but the memories will not go away from our hearts till we die.

Thank you Diego, for your life and making that fleeting part of our lives in 1986 when the way you played football ruled our hearts and made it the best times of our lives.

IPL 2026 Final

The 19th edition of the IPL belonged to Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

RCB successfully defended the title they had won last year—their long-awaited first after years of being one of the finest yet unluckiest teams in the competition. This victory was not merely another trophy. It was the confirmation of a champion side that has finally learned how to convert promise into silverware.

At the vast Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, with nearly one lakh ten thousand spectators filling the stands and millions more watching across television and digital platforms, the stage was set for a memorable final.

RCB won the toss and chose to field first.

Gujarat Titans, so composed and commanding against Rajasthan Royals in the first eliminator, could not find the same rhythm on the grandest evening. The pitch offered a sharp, tennis-ball-like bounce and GT never quite settled. Their innings struggled for momentum as pressure steadily mounted, and they finished with 155 runs from their 20 overs.

The chase began with authority.

Venkatesh Iyer and Virat Kohli gave RCB the kind of powerplay start finals demand. Venki played with intent and confidence before falling in the fifties, leaving the game delicately balanced.

For a brief while, RCB seemed uncertain.

And then experience spoke.

Virat Kohli (75 from 42) did not chase headlines; he guided the innings. With maturity, composure and the calm of a man who has seen every shade of cricketing pressure, he steadied the ship and carried his side through when nerves threatened to take over.

Some titles are won through brilliance.

Others are defended through character.

RCB's second consecutive crown felt like both.

New Academic Year

After the joyful summer holidays, we return to schools and colleges with new hopes and fresh dreams.

Best wishes to all teachers and students.

May you have the grace to use your opportunities and time wisely, and may this academic year be filled with learning, growth, and success.