The Bedis - Ramesh and his sons, Rajesh and Naresh - are by any reckoning a most remarkable family. Rajesh and Naresh have made a niche for themselves among the world's best wildlife photographers. To shoot elusive animals with movie cameras at close quarters needs enormous time, patience and dedication. They have all three in ample measure. Their films have been shown on television channels of most countries. Less is known of their father because he is a shy, retiring person, reluctant to talk about his achievements. But he is the man who inspired his sons and made them into the world celebrities they are today. Ramesh Bedi is of the same age as I am and born not very far from the village of my nativity, now in Pakistan. He studied Ayurveda at Gurukul Kangri (Hardwar) and set up an Ayurvedic pharmacy in Lahore. On Partition, he left Pakistan and served in the government of India's health ministry as a research officer till he retired in 1973. He made his home in Hardwar and resumed his search for medicinal herbs found in the Himalayas. He was invited by the governments of Bhutan and Brazil to do the same in their countries. His list of jaree-bootees comprises 8,000 species listed in pharmacopoeias. He has written extensively about them; many of them translated into different Indian and foreign languages. He has been honoured with honorary degrees and awards. Ramesh Bedi's latest offering is Among Tigers and Tuskers. It is based on his observations of wildlife in the Corbett National Park, where he spent many months with his sons, armed with cameras. Most of the time they rode on elephants and on occasions were attacked by angry tigers, whom they had disturbed while devouring their kills. They also ran into herds of wild elephants and had narrow escapes from the wrath of rogues on the rampage. This book has some beautiful, colour photographs and a glossary of animals, reptiles, birds and trees found in the Corbett Park. Untying the knot The institution of marriage seems to be slowly dying out. More and more people prefer to live with their loved ones without going through religious ritual or a civil marriage. As long as they dwell under the same roof, their children have no emotional problems which children of single parents are prone to have. If they do not hit it off, they simply go their own ways without going through the nastiness of divorce proceedings. Among people of my generation, divorces were rarely heard of. The stigma of being divorced could not be wiped out for the rest of their lives. Everyone subscribed to the fairy tale endings, 'then they lived happily ever-after.' Of course, this was not true because infidelity and extra-marital liaisons were common, but the facade of contented matrimony was maintained. It is different with my son's generation. Most of his contemporaries have broken marriages. Some live together without being married: No stigma attached to them. Is n't it time we took a dispassionate look at the institution of monogamous marriages? Monogamy is clearly against human nature. Also, human nature requires that women who bear all the burden of giving birth to children and most of it in rearing them need protection as well as emotional and financial support. Children need both their parents in their growing years. What then are the right answers to matrimonial problems? I have no suggestions to make. The champ in our midst Some years ago when I was in Muscat on the invitation of Humayun Zafar Zaidi of the Indian Muslim Association to speak on the poet, Allama Iqbal, I met a large number of eminent Indians and Pakistanis. At the farewell dinner there were almost a 100 guests including ambassadors of both countries. At the time I did not know who had laid on the lavish feast. Much later I learnt that my hosts were Mohammad Ali and his wife Rasiya. He was born in village Talikulam (Trichur district). He was trained as a civil engineer. For higher studies he went to the United States of America and France. On his return he set up his Galfar industries in Cochin. In 1970, he went to the Middle East to set up a construction company, which today employs nearly 14,000 workers, the largest in the Sultanate of Oman. He keeps shuttling between Kerala and the Gulf ever-expanding his business, as well as setting up schools, colleges and hospitals. He has been awarded an honorary doctorate by the Glasgow Caledonian University and recently given the highest civilian honour by the Sultan of Oman. A fortnight ago the Indian community of Muscat celebrated his rise to fame and fortune: he has become a multi-millionaire. Mohammad is only 52. Ali's list of assets is impressive. He was the first to manufacture activated carbon in Cochin. He followed it up by setting up a construction company in Bangalore. Among other works, he built the Cochin International airport. Then the Le Meridien hotel and the International Convention Centre in Cochin. To repay his debt to his home state he built the CSM Central school in Thrissur and the Muslim Souhrida Vedi in Cochin. In Oman, he opened an Indian school and colleges to teach engineering and medicine. One is tempted to think that there may be something common between Mohammad Ali, the world's boxing champion of yester years and our own Mohammad Ali from Kerala. He is well on the way to becoming the champion of Indians living abroad. What's in a religion? Are we true Hindus? Are we true Musalmans? If we are so - Then why are we taking each other's jaan Which religion are we following - Are we following Gita? Are we following Quran? We are not humanbeings We are not even animals We are worse than the shaitans What will we gain If we build a temple Or what will we gain If we build a temple Or what will we gain If we make a mosquev by killing so many insaans You must tell your spiritual leaders 'don't try to become bhagwans' First try to love your neighbour First try to become insaans Only then we will follow the Gita Only then we will follow the Quran Only then we should hold the Tiranga Only then we should sing - 'Hamara Bharat Mahan' (Contributed by J.P. Singh Kaka, Bhopal) Money does matter A miser was convinced by a friend to buy a couple of lottery tickets. But after he won the big prize, he didn't seem to be happy. 'What's wrong?' the friend asked, 'You just became a millionaire!' 'I know,' he groaned, 'But I can't imagine why I bought the second ticket!' (Contributed by Reeten Ganguly, Silchar)