A Lock Down is a once in a lifetime event. Due to the threat of Covid19, the lockdown has descended on us without much prior warning and obviously most of us were not ready for the experience. But some of us were better prepared to face the lock down than others; Dr Anjali is one of them. Her preparation for this unexpected crisis, and the hidden opportunity therein, must have been taking place for a long time. She was certified fit to face a crisis of this sort, when she walked out of cancer with a smile on her face.
‘Anjali’ literally means a divine offering, a gift carried in both hands. This book is Dr Anjali’s gift to all of us. She has brought for us, thoughts of great souls like Osho, O Henry, Martin Luther King Jr, Arthur Ashe, Buddha, Rumi, Thich Nhat Hanh and Nelson Mandela along with her unique Manadalas and equally beautiful reflections.
I was amongst the lucky recipients of these thoughts and Mandalas each morning. Many a times her sentences would force one to take a pause and reflect further on what has been written. As an example onsider this one sentence, ‘We cannot run the world on efficiency alone’ which she wrote while she was writing on the theme Love. Nothing more is required to be said to underline the need and importance of love in human life.
Through out the book, Dr Anjali comes across as an intelligent and sensitive person; who is infused with an unshakable confidence and a remarkably positive attitude. Her spiritual quest and gratitude towards life is reflected on almost every page. And she retains a sense of complete dignity and detachment when she describes her experiences which almost appear like miracles. To an agnostic reader like me, if the author were not Dr Anjali, such experiences would come across as unsound and untrustworthy. But herein lies her great strength. Like most of us, she has come across challenges and faced contradictions in life- but in her unique way she has overcome her challenges, retained her humility and in the course has attained complete credibility. Having achieved these feats, her reflections carry an immeasurable capacity to enrich and inspire the reader. I am sure the readers would find this reading insightful and thought provoking.
I wish Dr Anjali well for her continued Conquest of Happiness; and am eagerly looking forward to reading her thoughts and seeing her ever colourful mandalas in the years to come!
Short Biodata of Mr Sadanand Date
Mr. Sadanand Date is an IPS officer of 1990 batch Maharashtra Cadre.
He has done M.Com and he is a qualified Cost and Management Accountant. He was awarded Ph. D. by Pune University in 2003 for his research on theme ‘Monitoring of Economic Offences: A Management Control Systems Perspective’. As a Fulbright scholar,in 2005-06, he visited the USA to study investigation and prosecution of White-collar and Organised Crime cases.
Mr. Date has worked in different capacities in Maharashtra and Mumbai Police, CBI, CRPF and Department of Justice, GoI. He is currently the Commissioner of Police
Mira-Bhayandar, Vasai-Virar
He has received several commendations for his work from DGP Maharashtra, Director CBI, DG CRPF and got a number of medals including Presidents Police Medal for Gallantry.
Effective delivery of police services, Organizational Development, Community Policing and Police Welfare are the themes on which Mr. Date has continuously worked.