Mumbai's Nervous System

The constant vibration, the loud clatter, the high-pitched calls, the elbow hit, sometimes the feet stamping, the irrefutable wind blowing, the urge to just fall asleep, the tiredness, the unbearable body odour, the restricted space, and the chhuuk-chhuuk-chhuuk-chhuuk…

Mumbai’s Local Train is an experience everyone dreads to undertake. 

 

I was a kid when I first saw the local trains. Excitement bubbled inside me like boiled water on stove, I wanted to experience the maddening thrill of chasing a speeding train and climbing into it. That thrill evaporated the moment I experienced it. My love for local trains has reduced to negative in the last seven months. Now it’s a necessity— speed and convenience, that’s it. But I can’t refute the fact that local trains continue to be the nervous system of this magnanimous city. Today, it is responsible for daily commutation of more than 7.24 million people and has the largest passenger density in the whole world.

Have you ever just sat idly(that is if you get a seat!) and observed the insides of a local train? If yes, you know what I’m talking about. If no, well, you are missing something! There is a pool of versatility pouncing on you, literally. Rich or poor, educated or uneducated, young or old, student or professional, you name it, these trains have it. It has an amazing power of bonding people of all classes together. Marathi, Gujrati, Hindi and English, I hear a mixture of all these languages regularly.

Not only diversity, but locals present a whole range of human mentalities too. In ladies coach, you find these ladies who stubbornly refuse to move even an inch when your station arrives, ladies shouting loudly and gossiping, but sometimes, ladies who readily help you unload your luggage from train too.

But what I’m going to talk here is about the two most interesting elements of local trains- its instant markets and advertorial opportunities. Even in an extremely packed train, brave hawkers squeeze their way in and hang their items in steel holders for display. What is even more fascinating is that women (such shopping freaks they are!) take out time to carefully scrutinize and buy these items. Imagine a very crowded compartment, women sweating, some sitting, and most of them standing. Now imagine those who are standing have their one hand firmly clutched around the metal holders hanging from the top, and with their other hand, which they tactfully squeeze through the crowd, they sift through the items. Not only this, they even manage to bargain and buy it with a satisfied smile. Looking, bargaining and buying, all that in those extremely packed spaces; spaces in which I can’t even breath!

 

This is just the beginning. Now comes the part about advertorial opportunities. In the inside walls, plastered on ceiling, doors, windows and walls are print advertisements- not the normal ones we get to see on TV or magazines, but some innovative ones. The one I can never forget goes like this:

“Samasya hai to samadhan bhi hai.

Khula challenge 7 ghante me 100% laabh guarantee ke sath, aapki manokaamna 100% purn hogi jaise- naukri, karobaar me laabh, karzmukti, prem vivah, manchahi shaadi, kisi ne kuch khilaya pilaya ho, sautan pareshani, talaak, grah klesh, court matter, filmo me safalta, santaan prapti, lakshmi bandhan, muthkarni. Call Baba Ahmed Khan”

Now that is an advertisement! A poor unemployed fellow will surely try this out. After all ‘7 hours’ sounds so tempting. I was almost on the verge of calling this baba up, just to check whether its’s true! Not only this, there are many more ads. “Earn money at home” or “Join a call center” and the list continues.

 It is amazing how a transportation device has been harnessed to its full capacity in all respects, not only in terms of ads, but also in terms of its space. The local trains display a capacity of maximum 85 passengers in one coach. Once I tried to count, and after counting till 97 I gave up. It was too jammed pack! I realized then, the magnitude of population explosion our country is facing. Every inch is being used up!

And as I sit now, writing my blog in yet another local train (this one is less crowded so I can use my laptop here!), I realize its necessity in Mumbai. People thrive on locals. Mumbai grew exponentially because it had locals to connect even its remotest part. This city would have been just another city, had local trains not spread its nerves in every part of it. What is commendable is the fact that special compartments are allotted for handicapped people. And a cherry on cake-- a policeman stands on guard in ladies coach at night! I sit here alone in the compartment with just another policeman, and I know Western Railways will ensure my safety.

Mumbai will get handicapped without its locals, and so will we!

 The advertisements in trains.

 

An Untold Story: Face-to-face with Naxalism

It was a chilling January morning, chilling by Mumbai standards, which is usually like a steam boiler all throughout the year. I walked on the dry leaves strewn across the pathway. Panvel’s temperature is, by rule, a few degrees lower than Mumbai. It’s more open, has fresher air, and provides you with a blast of greenery. I was in Nere, a village located about seven kilometers off the main-road. It is a typical village- with kaccha roads leading you to farms, smell of cow dung filling your nostrils, golden-yellow hay-sack piling up every lane, and tanned labourers going about their daily routine in the bright sun.

Amidst all this, under a tree, stood a man who would have otherwise melted into the surroundings had I not heard him say “Naxalites”. A twiglike figure with hunched shoulders and curly hair soaked in oil, he resembled one of those geeky students who are invariably anxious about their upcoming engineering exams.

It would turn out much later that I was wrong.

I went ahead to get a better look. He was in his late twenties. He wore rimmed glasses which he kept pressing between the bridge of his nose. His black almond-shaped eyes reflected innocence and his thin lips spoke cautiously, pronouncing every word with deliberate slowness.

I was informed that he was the guy who would drop me at Panvel station. A little flashback—I had come to Nere with my college to participate in a community service program. Since I had to leave early, I was supposed to take a lift from someone and reach Panvel station. It turned out that this lean man was my helper for the same.

I decided I wanted to get pally with him. I introduced myself and so did he. He was assisting the local doctor who treated leprosy patients in Nere. “Bingo,” I thought. So he is indeed a geek.

I asked, “Did I hear you saying something about Naxals?”

See here’s the thing, the word “Naxals” has always intrigued me. So I could not control my urge to question him!

“Yes. I’m from Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh.”

“Hey, I’m from its neighbouring state, M.P.! I live in Indore!”

He smiled. “There is quite a difference between the both. I belong to a Naxal-hit area.”

I knew he was right.  The word ‘Naxals’ derives from ‘Naxalbari’, a village in West Bengal from where the Communists Party of India (Marxist) first began their violent uprising. Unfortunately this movement did not limit itself to just that village, it spread like a forest fire. Now it covers Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. I have always felt sorry for locals living in that area. I mentioned that fact to him.

“But I had a secure life in Bilaspur,” he said.

That shocked me. Bilaspur is the epicenter for naksalvadi (Naxal) activities. I got even more inquisitive. I asked whether Naxals never bothered them or killed locals as portrayed by the government and media alike. He shook his head, as if out of habit. “Many people have asked me that question,” he said. “Come let’s talk while I’m driving, you have to reach Panvel right?”

I nodded. And we left on his Pulsar—with him driving slowly to facilitate conversation and me clutching the back steel-handle tightly. (PS: I don’t trust men riding bikes!)

On that half-hour ride, he introduced me to the world of Naxals. I unlearned whatever I knew before. Naxals originated when landlords suppressed farmers and forcefully took their land away. It first began as a movement to safeguard their rights. Later, Communist leader Charu Majumdar entered the political arena to get a better hold over government. He even wrote “Historic Eight Documents” which laid down the ideologies of Naxals. Their struggle continued intensively from 1967 to 1975 after which it dwindled due to several causes.

“You know my father told me that Naxals helped in improving the infrastructure of our area,” he said. “They not only taught new farming techniques but even brought development to regions where the government failed to reach us.”

I was amazed. I had heard a little bit about Naxal development, but I had always discarded it as a myth.

“But why do they kill locals now?”

“You’ll be surprised to know. But there’s a conspiracy theory. In the 1970’s the ruling Congress party deployed spies in the Naxal group. There were several elements that started misusing Naxal ideologies and killed tribals. My family believes that the government dumped allegations on Naxals so that they could justify counter-attack on them. It was a pre-conceived plan that Congress played.”

My jaw dropped. I could feel goose-bumps now. He continued to explain how his father was himself a government employee but the Naxals never harmed him. It was incorrect that Naxals killed locals. They just fought for their rights. But when the government used unfair techniques, the Naxals retaliated back with murders and loots. It was then that they lost their aim and started indulging in violence.

“So what is the scene now?” I asked.

“Now, Naxals do not involve themselves in any developmental project.” Even with the wind thrumming strongly in my ears, I could detect a hint of sadness in his tone. He explained that the government paid many villagers to spy on Naxals and transfer information. Since then, Naxals have stopped helping villagers. Now they have grown into a bunch of angry men ready to take revenge. They neither trust anyone nor are they willing to help locals. They feel betrayed and are unsure of everyone. That’s why they have limited themselves to jungles and isolated patches. What began as a fight for the helpless turned into a violent aimless struggle.

He left Bilaspur after completing his graduation in Medical Science. He feels his family is still safe there because he knows that Naxals won’t kill anyone without any cause. The man sitting right in front of me was working hard in Mumbai so that he could earn and go back to Bilaspur to start a hospital. He wanted to get better medical aid for his city. And neither the government nor the Naxals will help him in that.

We reached my destination—Panvel station. I got down, thanked him for the lift and the story that he had told me. He smiled. I realized this man was everything but a geek. He’s about to start his own hospital, how cool is that!

I waved good bye and left. When I had caught my train and was reflecting back about my meeting I realized something. I spent 45 minutes with this man and we did’nt even know each other’s name!

Damn!

But at least, I learnt something more about the dreaded Naxals. That is-- Don’t dread them, help them.

Of ‘Marriage’ and ‘Singlehood’

We met after exactly four months. Last time I saw her, she looked fresh like a juicy apple, her cheeks glowed and her smile never faded. Now, she had that same rosiness, but there was something about that smile- it looked more tired.

It was a lazy Sunday afternoon. I took bath in a hurry and ran to the Marine Lines station with my hair dripping wet. She stood on the main road looking for me. Her eyes pressed into a thin crease as she strained against the sun overhead. Then her eyes fell on me, and she smiled automatically. I walked faster and smiled in response. Her smile had always been infectious. When I reached her, we did not hug or exclaim loudly. We just smiled, exchanged a “hello” and I took her large handbag and we set off walking again, back to my house.

That was our friendship. My childhood friend and me- we never expressed our love for one another, never bought fancy gifts for birthdays, and never remained in close contact like besties do. But, we still shared a bond in which we shared everything the moment we got down together.

Earlier our talks used to be of college, parents, studies, shopping, latest fashion and movies. Mostly we shared our world on either her or my scooty- a vehicle that provided us the time to sit and ride wherever we wanted. This Sunday things were different. She was a married pregnant woman and I was a stressed out college student. We did share everything yet again, but, on my bed and not on my pearl silver scooty.

She is one and a half years older than me. But I never felt any age difference throughout our childhood or adolescence. That age gap only broadened dramatically when she got married in October last year. I realized this the moment we started talking. I asked her about her life and she set off to describe the intricacies of a married life. She lives with her husband and in-laws and is still coping up with the hectic lifestyle that Mumbai presents. Her days are spent doing housework, and when dusk approaches she waits for her husband to return. She has been thinking of doing some job in order to contribute her share in the family’s budget. But with her pregnancy, she knows she has to wait for a long time before she can realize her dream.

Her thin body has been bearing a seedling since four month. This February, she’ll be five months pregnant. I felt weird. My stupid college talks and assignments seemed meager in front of her family plans and pregnancy talks. She spoke about how she had sudden urges to eat chocolates and how sometimes she felt instantaneous hatred towards a food item. “That happens”, she said and I nodded. It all went beyond my level of understanding. I obviously have never tasted such an experience and watching my friend go through it felt as if it’s me whose experiencing the joy of bearing a child.

We spoke for hours about mundane issues and it registered how matured our talks had become. From movies to silly crushes, we have now moved on to another level. Our talks lingered on future job plans and busy lifestyle, pressure on our heads and our efforts to cope up with them, current news and its impact on the society. Who thought two silly girls would grow up to share the contrast that they share? While one is a happy satisfied housewife, the other is a busy diploma student. While one is worried about maintaining the monthly budget, the other is spending carelessly on shopping. While one is about to become a mother, the other is in the process of hunting for a job.

Our lives were so similar previously, now they are poles apart.

But when I think now, I’m glad we still share the same old bond of friendship! I’ve learned lessons from her that no un-married friend could have taught- that is selflessness and devotion to your own family.

The Racket

When one watches Slumdog Millionaire, one wonders whether in reality a racket as brutal as child trafficking really exist. The smuggling of young kids, training them to sing bhajans, and then using them to beg on roads makes us question the authenticity of the whole process. May be this is’nt real. But things more gruesome than this are…

When I first stepped in the Cuffe Parade slum, I instantly felt nauseated. Was I sick? No! It was the atrocious stink which filled my nostrils and reached the pit of my stomach that made me want to puke. Even when I was busy trying to control my nausea, I could not help but get surprised by the fact that the people around me- the ‘slum-dwellers’, were absolutely fine with the obnoxious stink that made me sick. Recovering from that initial attack, I moved further into the depths of the slum. A mix of dilapidated shanties and ‘pacca’ houses flanked either side of the ‘kachha’ road. People, specially men kept staring at me with eyeballs ready to pop out any instant. I felt an urgent need to go and grab a stole or ‘chunni’ for myself. Why did I come here? I kept asking myself. If it was not for this assignment I had to do, I would never have come here.

The slum I was roaming in can be fairly categorised as a well-to-do slum. People do not live in extreme poverty here, although you could fairly guess that they do struggle to make their both ends meet. For basic bread and butter one has to work for the whole day and only then can he expect a decent meal. My initial shyness evaporated in about twenty minutes, and then I started my interaction. I was chit-chatting with young boys playing football when my eyes fell on a policeman who was keeping his eyes steadily on the boys. I decided to talk to him. Mohan Bhisai, the officer who has been appointed to look after kids in that lane spoke in a guarded tone, as if not sure how much to reveal. “My senior instructed me to stay here”, he said. “I look after the kids who play here since there have been several kidnappings in the past”, he further added after a little urging from my side. Zapped, I stared back at the kids. Were they even aware of the potential threat they faced in their own locality? The home, the shelter, the protective cocoon, which made them feel so secure, was in fact one of the most dangerous place to live in.

I kept asking other people, since Mr. Bhisai was in no mood to divulge further details. What I gathered was shocking. Young kids, less than six to seven years old were kidnapped and found dead a few days later near the slum. There were two things common in all the missing kids- their dead bodies were invariably discovered on a ground near Lalit building in Cuffe Parade and even more gruesome was the fact that the kidneys of all the corpses were found missing. What was shown in the movie Slumdog Millionaire was nothing in front of this horrifying kidney racket.

Bharat Chauhan, a young banjara, spoke about how his neighbour’s three-year-old daughter was kidnapped and later found dead on the same ground. “Her kidney was missing”, he confirmed. And what he added on was even more horrendous- the girl’s head was chopped off. Such brutalities immediately alerted the Cuffe Parade police and they installed CCTV cameras along with stationing policemen in every lane of the slum. When asked, people talk about such kidnappings with caution, since they have been instructed not to discuss much about it by the police.

I went to the police station to enquire further, since the locals were not giving in much. Jagannath Gaikwad of Cuffe Parade Police station mentioned that the first kidnapping took place on October 20, 2011 when a girl went missing from Sayonara Junction. Days later her dead body was recovered. The second kidnapping happened on January 12 2012. This time a three year old girl was the target, she was kidnapped while she was walking with her grandmother. The third incident took place on April 18, 2012, and yet again a girl was kidnapped. All the girls were found dead after a few days. The police preferred to keep mum when asked if there were any signs of sexual assault. And they maintaned their silence when asked about kidneys being stolen from the bodies. Their silence forced my thoughts to linger on one possibility- a huge racket was at play here. Its web was far-fetched and full of conceits. No one knew what to say or whom to blame. The police has not yet unearthed evidence against a single party. Too many questions and too many doubts, so far nothing has been answered.

However, the police did start taking measures with the second kidnapping and stringent action scared off perpetrators. But fear flies high, and slum-dwellers still worry about their little ones playing outside blissfully. The ignorant children are not even aware that they’ll be picked by strangers from just outside their houses. The people living there stated that kids were lured by chocolates and they followed the person wherever he took them. Even after repeated attempts at cautioning kids, this process of trapping kids continues.

Can the children of Cuffe Parade be saved from a racket that is freshly brewing? For that we need to rely on the police and make the slum dwellers more cautious. Only then can one hope to save what looks like another Slumdog Millionaire in making.

To Yash ji, with Love.

Since months now I did not get the opportunity to blog. With assignments lined up, creativity was messed up! But when I heard the news of Yash Chopra's sad demise, I could not help writing about him. A little tribute to the legend through my small piece of writing.

I was about to sit for my daily prayer when my friend rushed in. Her cell-phone, the tool for her twitter updates, was in her hand and she wore a shocked expression. “Yash Chopra just passed away”, she uttered. I stopped short, mirrored her expression, and stupidly asked, “How come, his movie was about to release next month?”

I’m not that stupid generally. It was utter shock that made me ask such a question. What I meant was, you were so fit and healthy, happily directing movies, and then you suddenly left this worldly life into an another extension. Yashji, ever since my memory has developed into a substantial form, I remember the definition of ‘romance’ through your movies. In 1995, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge released, I remember distinctly how the movie’s lovey-dovey craze rolled over the whole nation; what I don’t remember is how many times have I watched that film! The love, the emotion, the action quotient, and the family drama- the movie was a perfect amalgam of everything. And then came Dil to Pagal hai in 1997, the movie’s music was an instant hit with my mother, and it didn’t fail to attract a seven-year-old girl like me. I used to dance to the tune of ‘The Dance of Envy’ and sing ‘Dil to Pagal hai’ song 24*7. You gave music and romance a new definition, and that’s the definition I still acknowledge till date.

When you declared that you were retiring from the film industry on your 80^th birthday this year, it gave me a jolt. The 54-year- long glorious career would finally come to an end. Who would make romantic movies now? I was even more anxious and equally thrilled to watch your next flick- Jab tak hai Jaan. It pains me to think that you would not be here to see the box office success of this movie (and I’m sure this movie is going to be a blockbuster hit since it’s in limelight now).

 I started falling in love with Shahrukh’s acting with your movie Darr, and I started believing in hard-core romance after watching Chandni and Silsila. The elegance of Sridevi in Chandni, the ‘Angry young man’ look of Mr Bachchan in Deewar, the sugar-sweet romance of Shahrukh in DDLJ, and the seriousness of Anil Kapoor in Lamhe- it all came out from the mind of one brilliant man, and that’s you, Yashji. Speaking of films, one can never forget your association with Switzerland- I cannot even count the number of films that have sported Switzerland’s background. Be it the crystal white snow or the long stretch of tulips, be it the country-side roads or the snowy mountains, your films have invariably captured the beauty of Switzerland.

The newspaper spoke of dengue followed by multiple organ failure as the cause of your death, since then, the thought of ‘dengue’ sends currents of goosebumps in me. Had the female mosquito Aedes never come into existence, the dengue virus would never have spread; or had there been a treatment to this deadly disease, you would be alive at this very moment. So many if’s and but’s… I wish one permutation or combination worked here! Perhaps then, at this moment you could be thinking of some new story idea or helping your son Aditya with a new project. Yashji, you gave Bollywood a different identity. Romance would never be portrayed in the manner your films did.

When people said the King of Romance passed away- they were indeed true. No one can ever surpass your directorial skills in terms of hard-hitting romantic dramas. It is not surprising that BAFTA awarded you its lifetime membership, which is an absolute honour since you were the first Indian to receive it. My salute.

Your fan,

Tabassum.

India’s ‘Benevolence’

India’s move to extend a sum of $10 billion to dissolve Eurozone crises looks as if one beggar is sharing his already scarce meal with another beggar.

With policy paralysis, sluggish economy, high inflation, presidential controversies and a row of issues enveloping our country, Indian government should and must focus on improving our economy instead of making donations to countries richer than us. The move might have brought accolades in G-20 summit, with India scoring a decent slot in ‘big donors’ tag amongst Russia, China, Japan, etc… But was the move necessary?

The amount could have been better utilized in health sector, education sector, infrastructure or the already battling aviation sector. Our country today faces uncountable problems, thanks to population explosion. And when it’s own citizens struggle to make their both ends meet, how is it possible to help other countries? Take China’s example, it first funded money in various sectors to boost it’s own economy. Only after securing a position as a ‘Developing country’, did it extend help to other countries.

But…but.. first let us understand the complications behind Eurozone crises. It began as an aftermath of the great 2008 US and UK recession, like a contagion effect. There was a big build-up of debts in Spain and Italy before 2008, and when it resulted into a pressure cooker situation, the interest rates fell and entire Eurozone was dept-ridden. It might not directly affect India, but an indirect impact on financial markets is inevitable. Chief Economic Adviser Kaushik Basu commented that if the crises does not end they will hit India in the face. But since Europe is no longer our biggest export destination, only an indirect impact will be observed.

PM Manmohan Singh said that the crisis in European banking system was going to prevent economic growth not just in Europe but the world at large. And I agree. European crises will affect India’s economy. But the consequences of not investing in one’s own country and donating that amount somewhere else will be far greater. The solution? Simple. A smaller amount could have been agreed upon for IMF’s additional firewall of $430 billion.

With socio-political issues visible in every nook and corner of our country like a spider’s web, a whopping figure of $10 billion is simply unaffordable at this stage. Our GDP of January-March quarter is scarily dangling at a 5.3% and there are no surplus funds to spare too. Besides an even more worrying issue is the devaluation of rupee, it touched an all time low of 57.37 to the dollar. Enough mounting tensions already, and to top it up, we have the raging presidential election controversy too.

 Instead of playing ‘Kaun-banega-president’ games I hope the government focuses more on such critical issues…. Issues like providing subsidies to agriculture or health sector, or doing something about the bursting inflation.
The UPA is receiving criticism from all quarters, and yet it has it's ears buried deep in the ground.

Even Pritish Nandy tweeted: “Govt. promises booster shot for the economy on Monday. Hope it’s not another $10 billion for the IMF to bail out Europe”!

Ahem well, Mr. Prime Minister, are you listening? 

Another ‘Aman Ki Asha’…

Last year when around a dozen of my family members applied for a Pakistani visa, only half of us got through. We were dejected and crestfallen, a family wedding was round the corner in Karachi, and only six of us got visa. A silent thought floated through each one of our’s mind, why can’t Indo-Pak relations get amicable? Travelling across that ever so thin boundary would be much easier then, we could go there any time and every time we wished to, since half of my family practically resides there!

And when Asif Ali Zardari made a short visit to Ajmer, it was like an ice-breaker. India and Pakistan decided to get friendlier in terms of trade and business, for me that was a twig of a silver lining. My family in the other country immediately applied for visas. Just in case the relations got sour later, why lose such a golden opportunity? And I made a meticulous search on the current bi-lateral ties. Yes, good tide is in for a long time. Pakistan is the only country in the negative list under the Foreign Exchange Management Act, or FEMA, which prohibits investing in India. Now that name has been removed too. India has broadened the scope of FDI for Pakistan and in return Pakistan has taken a step further in naming India as the most favoured nation. Wow, most favoured nation, now that’s something right? Pakistan even increased the number of exportable items from India more than three-fold. Now that’s an immaculate example of symbiotic relationship.

I couldn’t be more happy.

And I’m sure the ones reading this blog share similar notion too. It does not matter whether or not your family or any acquaintance resides in that sister-country, peace is a noun that every single Indian and Pakistani yearns for. The media may have created a hype, stressing on the strained Kashmir issue or the deep-rooted terrorism or the not-so-friendly terms between India and Pakistan, but the people in both the countries have no such issues. I have spoken to many Pakistanis there, and discovered a pleasant truth, they are indifferent to all issues between the two nations. The market sells stuff claiming it is Indian-made, and people buy it immediately. The word ‘India’ has credibility there. I have encountered occasions when, on my routine street shopping occasions, many sellers have tried convincing me to buy items claiming it is from India, I have smiled silently, not because I’m an Indian myself, or not because I know for a fact that those items are not Indian-made, but because the people there consider India at a higher pedestal than you or I can imagine.

Had 1947 partition not taken place, both the nations would have flourished as one. The flawless singers there, be it Atif Aslam or Rahat fateh Ali Khan would have been our singers too, the cricketers there would have been in our team too creating an envious prospect for all other teams ( imagine merging India and Pakistan cricket teams!) and our combined economy would have been on the top slot. Not only this, petty issues like Kashmir dominance and terrorism would not have existed, neither would there be any strain on the LOC. Anyways I have gone far away from the practical world into an imaginary realm. This is just the beginning, if ever, peace is to come as a topping on both the countries, then we need more such initiatives. One for example, was Times of India’s ‘Aman ki Asha’ campaign that brought the arts of both the countries on a single platform.

Such endeavors constantly remind us that scope of love, friendship and cross-border trade is still probable. I’m reminded of a beautiful verse from Rabindranath Tagore’s poem...'Where the mind is without fear' , and I can not end without sharing few lines.

Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high
Where knowledge is free
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments
By narrow domestic walls
Where words come out from the depth of truth
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way
Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit
Where the mind is led forward by thee
Into ever-widening thought and action
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.

The Leading Ladies…

I read two articles today in Times Life…one was titled, “Mighty opponents in a Hijab” and the other one was named “Off with her Tee”. I was mildly surprised with the content.

Here is the Link.

- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/people/Mighty-opponents-in-a-hijab/articleshow/12314729.cms

-http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/people/Off-with-her-tee/articleshow/12314768.cms

The reason I’m sharing these articles is quite simple. They talk about different facets of being a woman. One article talks about Iranian women, dressed from head-to-toe, with only their face and hands visible, playing a close-contact game like Kabbadi with their Indian counterparts, who effortlessly hop and snatch in shorts with the ease of a wild predator. The picture in the newspaper itself is so expressive. It speaks so much about the plight and oppression women face in countries like Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and to some extent even India. The word ‘liberty’ is alien to them and they do as they are told by the government.

The other article was about the so-called infamous ‘FEMEN’ activists. Again the picture literally screamed a thousand words. When I first saw the picture, I was amazed by the audacity of the newspaper printing such pictures, topless Ukrainian girls with ‘crisis’ written against their breast. Then my mind told me to act matured and read the article. The article was just an interview, but it reflected so much more. The girls were there to create a difference, they were fearless of speculation and determined to be heard. That’s the reason why they opted for protesting topless, it grabs attention, and well it surely does!

I have a fear that I might be becoming a ‘feminist’. After all, all my blogs inevitably merge in one direction- women exploitation and distress. But reading this article came as a huge relief. It made me inhale a relaxed puff of air; women are definitely facing oppression in some or the other form and voicing opinion in their stand is not feminism, it’s called revolutionizing. Call me a female chauvinist, and I’ll be glad. Since my tender teenage years, I have felt both, disgust and infatuation, by women atrocities. If ever I could do something to uplift their status, that day would be like a nirvana for me!

Anyways let’s talk more about FEMEN (based in Ukraine, Russia). This group intrigues me, they display their assets, are stared upon by mobs, and they fight for women rights. Imagine, just standing in front of the Indian embassy, demanding non-biased visa policies, topless, with “I’m not a Prostitute” written on their chest, these girls have the nerves to shake the embassy. I’ve been at loggerheads with my mind deciding whether their methods of protesting are ethically acceptable. In response they say this is the best means of grabbing media attention and nailing the culprit. Well I have to agree. Peaceful protest request you to be patient, wait until you are heard and then wait further more until your demands are looked upon. On the contrary the FEMEN activists make sure they are heard the very instant their protest begins, that’s impactful. They are now termed as Russia’s topless warriors! (and yes, I’m smiling :-) )

From 2008 to the present day the group has fought against sex tourists, against the Putin government and for women rights. By 2017, they will muster enough support to launch women revolution in the female oppressed Ukraine.  Some goal that is!

I was reading and researching more about this group when I came across another female activist, Sampat Devi, the queen and founder of ‘Gulabi gang’. Being a child bride, this lady has witnessed the harsh reality of Uttar-Pradesh that cinema or television can only try to depict. When she could take it no more, this ice-cream vendor’s wife established her own Ping gang, the members of which wear pink saris, and fire lathis on anyone acting acridly or harshly with women. These Pink vigilante women beat up corrupt officials, fight against child marriage, prevent domestic violence (by beating up husbands!) and provide grains to the under-nourished.  These ladies are not exactly a group of male-bashing feminists – they are in fact 'female guardians'.

And these ladies are still under-cover, very few might have even heard about Sampat Devi or Anna Hutsol. What we might have definitely heard of, are names like, Anandi, or Pratigya or Ichcha….the women suffering in ‘reel’ life. But here are ladies who have seen harsher times in ‘real’ life. And they’ve given it all back to the world with a Bang. For me, these are my movie Heroes and my Anandi’s and my Pratigya's… these are my Leading Ladies…

The Two Extreme Political Cardinals

Two years back when Rahul Gandhi visited my university and addressed the college-crowd, I thought he depicted the epitome of leadership, his poise had a striking resemblance to the Late PM Rajiv Gandhi, his humbleness promised pure and clean politics, his communication was confident, fluent and filled with conviction, and he invoked a sense of faith in his listeners….I thought ‘finally’ India will be governed by a deserving candidate.

Now, in 2012, the unshakeable trust grounded in my heart has somewhat lost its foundation and I question the future of India if it ever lies in his captaincy.

Reason: Very simple. He took the Gandhi name for granted for far too long. He made several promises to the underprivileged, but fulfilled very few. He kept mum during the Anna Hazare campaign when actually he should have voiced his opinion loud and clear. And lastly, he failed to win even a single seat for Congress in his own constituency (Amethi)! Too much hype had been created, too much faith had been bestowed and too many projections had been made about this man, but he failed blatantly. The only reason this man is still valued is because of the surname that he tags along with his name. He is the fourth generation to the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty that has dominated the Congress party, and to a large extent Indian politics. I believe almost every Indian inevitably grounds his faith in the Gandhi family, and the reason why Congress has survived for so long is because the Gandhi pack holds its reins.

But the magic-wand of Sonia Gandhi is losing its charm and her well-projected son just faced a massive blow in UP polls. Where Rahul emerged as an utter flop-show in this year’s elections, an unheard name meticulously worked hard to win a trusted position in Uttar Pradesh. A man named Akhilesh Yadav. This no-nonsense tech savvy man, invariably accompanied by an iPad that dangles by his side, a Anna-like topi adorning his head  and an unassuming non-flamboyant air that follows him, brought glory to Samajwadi Party at an early age of 38. Very little is known about Akhilesh, but from what I collected, I understand he is a man if grit, determination and humility. He never disclosed his identity (that of being Mulayam Singh Yadav’s son) in his college, nor did he use his ever so-strong political connections for his benefit. Where on one end, Rahul was nurtured and publicly exhibited as the future face of Congress party, the latter was kept under-cover and educated thoroughly. While there have been uncountable rumours about Rahul being arrested with his Columbian girlfriend in Boston, Akhilesh has thrived with a clean image in our minds. Both represent extreme ends of politics, and both rely on purely opposite tactics of winning over people. Rahul travelled in local trains to manifest his so-called ‘common-man’ image, while Akhilesh actually took his image of being a common man seriously. He flies by economy class every time, unlike the flamboyant chopper trips of Rahul Gandhi.

But above all, what swept me away is his honest attempt to develop UP. I recently heard that Akhilesh Yadav has created a Facebook page where he’ll be inviting suggestions for UP’s development. Now doesn’t this remind you of Anil Kapoor’s ‘Nayak’?  What Style, What Optimism and What Charisma. 

This man is here to transform the face of politics, and for good!

I hope Uttar Pradesh’s youngest chief minister will induce development with a pinch of technology and a slice of education.  

After all he is what every Indian yearns for in politics, young, dynamic and most importantly literate.

Superstitious, Are You?

Love, such an abstract, undefined word.

Like a fountain, it ejects out happiness to one extreme end of the pool and sadness to the other end. I’ve been in situations when my mind literally waged a war deciding one vital question- whether it’s happy being single or is relationship a better way of living life. Of course, till date, I’ve failed to get an answer. Anyways that’s not the reason why I’m writing this blog. As I said, love brings happiness, but it also bestows sadness. And Indian culture with its high-melodramatic love stories, brings with it every possible emotion- bliss, fear, fights, tears, tension and dejection.

Recently one my friend grudged about being a ‘manglik’ and her boyfriend worried over the fact whether marriage was on their cards. Common now, seriously? We live in the ultra-modernized extremely-broadminded 21^st century, where people have more conviction in science than superstitions. And yet, I find this perplexed couple fretting over their future on a baseless manglik issue. Look at Aishwariya and Abhishek,  have you noticed that Abhishek is still alive, and they both even have a daughter? And well for your knowledge, Aishwariya is a manglik. I don’t disregard the whole ‘manglik’ or ‘mangal dosh’ thing, but making it the base for all matrimonial decisions is an absurd idea. The topping on this cake is still left, my friend went a step ahead, she went for online assistance for matching kundlis and finding solutions for manglik dosh. I wondered out loud then, “Such things exist online?” “Oh yes they do, I even found a matrimonial site for all mangliks”, she said. I could utter nothing except issue a deep sigh.

Indian culture is an unpredictable, highly volatile bag. Before a marriage, we have ten different issues that need to be settled down- Is the girl or boy of the same caste? Does he/she eat non-veg? What is the prospect’s education? What is his or her background? Can her father give dowry? Can she cook? How much does he earn?……and blah blah blah. Parents are concerned, agreed, but marriage in Indian context, has become more of a job profile’s check-list than a blissful union of two souls. Christians also marry, do they live unhappily because they do not match kundlis? Parents are concerned about their daughter’s marriage as soon as she turns eighteen, mothers set on a groom-hunting mission in every possible marriage, fathers worry over the marriage expenses of their still little girl and the relatives leave no stone unturned in pressurizing parents to get their son or daughter married!

And yet, we continue living this ignorant lifestyle, fretting over it, but later accepting it invariably. With all due respects, just pause for a second and wonder, if your whole destiny was written out there, what charm will your life hold then? If pundits or moulavis knew so much, wouldn’t they work upon their own lives? Trying to know what’s in stock for future, and then getting miserable over it is a recipe for disaster! Instead accepting superstitions and yet living our life on our own terms is a wise well cooked dish ;) 

Be ardent believer of manglik dosh or pass it away as superstition, but follow one thing, don’t let religious orthodox principles or culturally bound rule-books ruin your life, instead let those very principles act as a solid base for your values and empower yourself to live beyond the monotonous some ‘baba-assisted’ lifestyle .