'The Sacred Cow' of B S Mardhekar Crashed 50 years ago this weekend

Dag Hammarskjöld:

It is better for the UN to lose the support of the US because it is faithful to law and principles, than to survive as an agent whose activities are geared to political purposes never avowed or laid down by the major organs of the UN.

The New York Times Sept 16 2011 has the article 'Learning From Hammarskjold' by BRIAN URQUHART here.

"THE second secretary general of the United Nations, Dag Hammarskjold, died 50 years ago this weekend on a mission to the Congo, when his plane crashed on its landing approach to Ndola, now in Zambia, then Northern Rhodesia. In his eight years at the United Nations, he brought vitality to the world organization and established its secretary general as a major player in global affairs."

That unfortunate plane- "The Sacred Cow"- earlier used by American President Harry Truman, had featured in Marathi poet B S Mardhekar (बा. सी. मर्ढेकर)'s following poem before its demise in 1961:

सुखदुःखांचे गळे कापुनी
मळे पिकविले वर्षांनी तरि,
रवंथ काढी कुढ़या मनाची
जुनाच भाकड़-कडबा हा वरि.

कुड़ीकुड़ींतिल भाव लाळला;
आचळ धरिती पातळ आशा;
अधू मनाची दुडकी कुठवर-
जमेल तर ही जिथवर भाषा,

-अणि पांगल्या गाई जगभर
गोमुत्राने पावन अंबर!

I have translated these two lines as:

...And cows spread across the world
Cow’s urine sanctifying the sky!

Read my earlier post dated Oct 1 2007 on this here.

Mardhekar would not know this sacred cow's death because he had died in 1956.

Mardhekar was being sarcastic about American leadership in establishing San Francisco, international meeting that established the United Nations.

It's ironic that 'The Sacred Cow' was used in its final days by a guy who, some claim, brought vitality to the United Nations and established its secretary general as a major player in global affairs.

p.s. Was it an accident or murder? Read 'Who Killed Hammarskjöld?' here.

If Anant Pai features, can Vasant Sarwate be far behind?

On Feb 3 2010, I asked on this blog: When will Google Feature Vasant Sarwate Doodle?

I think I was being realistic.

Today Sept 17 2011, Google doodle features Anant Pai on his 82nd birth anniversary.

Read my tribute to Pai-uncle dated Feb 25 2011 here.




Courtesy: Google Inc.