In the Celestial Arms of Nature

It was that time of the year when I needed solace from the usual monotony of deadlines and exams.  November is a month when the atmosphere is quite pleasant in India. Therefore, my family and I chose this month as suitable for our next exciting vacation. Last year we paid a visit to the exhilarating sea coast of Ganpatipule, this year we decided to explore the hills to enjoy the cold weather and experience yet another facet of India’s diverse geography. We decided to go on a vacation to Coorg, a beautiful hill station in Karnataka. We boarded a flight from Mumbai to Mangaluru, from where Coorg is around 180 kilometers away. We reached Mumbai airport in the wee hours of morning, yet it was crowded like any other hour of the day. Indeed Mumbai is a city that never sleeps! As our flight took off from Mumbai, with a childlike excitement I saw the tall buildings and slums of Mumbai appear like ants from above. My busy city still looked beautiful despite the high density of population she bears. As the flight was nearing Mangaluru, all that I saw from above was greenery, contrary to Mumbai’s commercial view that I had seen. After reaching Mangaluru, we commenced our road trip to Coorg which was 4.5 hours long. The long roads surrounded by tall trees on both the sides were respite to the eyes. I enjoyed the cool breeze which brushed my face. As we drove higher in the mountains, the air became cooler thanks to the impenetrable greenery nestled in the mountains. We were to stay in Cottabetta bungalow of Tata Coffee Estate in Pollibetta. Thus, our wait was finally over and we reached our regal sojourn of 4 days. The heritage bungalow was 130 years old with its antiquity beautifully preserved. Throughout the stay, we experienced the amicability and perfect hospitality delivered by the people of Tata, which made us feel at home. 

Next day onwards we began with sightseeing. Our first destination was Dubare Elephant Camp. When we reached the camp, some elephants were relaxing in the Cauvery River, enjoying the bath. They let themselves get pampered as they lay lazily in the water as their caretakers bathed them vigorously. I grew fond of one elephant calf which was constantly around its mother, never letting her go out of its sight. After its mother was done with her bath, this little one followed her out of the river like an obedient child. Later we visited the elephant feeding area, where they were fed dried grass and wheat. With amusement we saw how the caretakers stuffed wheat inside the grass like a sandwich. The elephants using their trunks skilfully, lifted their ‘sandwiches’ and enjoyed their breakfast after a cool bath. But the little calf held my attention for long. It was tiny, its ears were still not grown fully and tusks were yet to grow. It had its separate baby food and after finishing the meal, it went to stand under its mother’s trunk. It was a beautiful example of mother and child bonding. As I watched these gargantuan animals walk, I looked at their sword-like white tusks. I wondered how God has his own way of making his creations look adorable in a unique way. At the same time I remembered that these intelligent animals are killed in large numbers for ivory. I silently prayed for long life of these wise beings whom we revere as Lord Ganesha. Elephant rides too were available. Rather than riding on an elephant, we chose to simply watch and appreciate this patient-looking animal’s easy behaviour. 

Our next spot was Cauvery Nisargdham, where we enjoyed the plush greenery around River Cauvery. We strode in the park amidst the pleasant coolness provided by the trees around. There was a deer park too and we saw two deer who were busy grazing. We walked further to reach the great River Cauvery. The river looked pure and pristine. It was surrounded by trees on all sides. The sound of the flowing river was melodious. In a city like Mumbai where water is becoming a scarce resource, I looked at this generous source of water which provided glut of purity. It is up to humans to maintain and protect these sources which provide man’s indispensable need for water.

In the afternoon we visited Namdroling Monastery also called as Golden Temple, located in Bylakuppa of Mysore district. It was built by Guru Rinpoche in 1963 to spread the message of peace in the world. The monastery covered a huge area where there were Buddhist viharas and places of residence for the monks. There were well maintained gardens around the temple which added to the monastery’s beauty. We visited Padmasambhava Buddhist Vihara temple which had golden statues of Guru Padmasambhav, Gautam Buddha and Guru Amitayus. We sat there in silence and looked at the statues as though they were staring at us. The temple had walls with resplendent paintings of 25 disciples of Guru Padmasambhava. The temple was an epitome of peace and serenity. One could attain complete rejuvenation of mind. There were three more viharas in the monastery premises. It was the time of prayer when we visited, and therefore all the monks sat in front of the Buddha and paid their obeisance to the Lord by playing some kind of a musical instrument. It was a ‘never-seen-before’ sight for me as it was the first time I visited a monastery. I observed that the monks did not speak and only gesticulated to communicate with each other. In our daily lives where we find a constant need to talk and express ourselves, I was amazed how these monks had vowed to simplicity in their lives. The monastery also housed a high school for the young monks. I left the monastery carrying new found respect for Buddhism and its teachings.

In the evening, we went on a Plantation Safari of Tata Coffee Estate for which a typical safari jeep was arranged for us. A naturalist accompanied us on this visit and showed us the Arabica and Robusta coffee plantations. Initially we mistook them to wild berries. It came as a surprise to us when the naturalist told us that they were coffee plants. Our urban minds knew coffee beans which were brown in colour. The naturalist explained that these seeds become brown once they are plucked and roasted for further processing. At Tata coffee estate, pepper is also cultivated whose fruits bear its strong smell. As we drove deeper into the plantations, we realized the huge quantum of coffee that the estate produced and exported. In its vast estate we saw a medical clinic provided by Tata for its workers, houses for them as well as shelters for the physically handicapped. Thus, Tata proves to be an exemplar of doing business with dignity while providing utmost care for its employees. All these years I had read about Tata’s fair business practices and I believe that its concern for employees has led Tata today to reach the pinnacle of success. I truly understood why people who join Tata retire from Tata only at the end of their careers. Working for such an organization must be bliss for its employees. Besides, by employing locals Tata was serving the society and our nation, by providing them livelihood. I found this to be a perfect way of Corporate Social Responsibility which Tata was successfully carrying out. 

Next morning we walked in the deep jungle surrounding the coffee estate. It seemed adventurous to walk in knee deep grasses and making way through the rocky path. It was indeed a strenuous morning exercise! After relishing delicious breakfast of Paputtu and coconut chutney, we headed to visit Tata tea estate. We were awestruck to see the huge green mountains of tea plantations as we walked along. We proceeded further to reach Irupu Waterfalls. A forest trail leads to this breathtaking waterfall. The gushing sound of the snow-white water was a treat to eyes as well as ears. This was again the myriad aspect of nature’s boundless beauty. As I am a keen lover of wildlife, we decided to visit Nagarhole National Park which is home to tigers, leopards, deer, monkeys and wild pigs. We rode in a crowded safari bus with an anticipation to spot a leopard or a tiger. Alas, our hopes were belied when we could not spot a single leopard or a tiger. We could see only large numbers of spotted deer who had abundant vegetation in the forest. The dense forests provided a perfect home for these endangered species. For a Mumbaikar who sees only concrete buildings around, I was captivated by these pure natural surroundings.

Next day was our last one for sightseeing. Our first spot for the day was Abbey Waterfalls in Madikeri. This waterfall was easy to reach unlike Irupu waterfalls. The cascading waterfalls looked exactly how I had seen waterfalls in pictures or paintings. The falls looked pleasant, pure and calm. The sun shone brightly over the Abbey waterfalls making it appear picturesque. After bidding goodbye to this magnificent being, we went shopping. We bought what Coorg is well known for: Spices. We could see a plethora of spices and chocolates in the shop. The tantalizing aromas represented India’s ‘absolute advantage’ in spices in the entire world. After buying these specialties of Coorg, we drove to visit our last spot in Coorg, Raja’s Seat. Raja’s seat is a spot where kings came to get the view of sunrise or sunset. One can see the entire greenery of Coorg in various shades of green. This sunrise and sunset point is adorned by beautiful gardens.

We returned to our bungalow carrying nature’s virgin beauty in our minds. As we had our last sumptuous meal, my heart became heavy with the thought of leaving the next day. The excitement and longing for this vacation was coming to an end. I expressed my ‘melancholy’ to my sister and my parents. My father lifting up my spirits said, “It shows that you enjoyed here to your heart’s content and therefore are morose to leave this place. But won’t you forever cherish these memories and nature’s wealth when we get back to Mumbai? The sight of these wonderful creations of God will forever be treasured in our minds.” The next day on our flight to Mumbai, I bade goodbye to the greenery of Mangaluru to again welcome the tall buildings and busy lifestyle of Mumbai. We had got our much needed relaxation and rejuvenation in the lap of Mother Nature.

Teaching: Still Noble or Technology Driven?

ज्ञानशक्तिसमारूढः तत्त्वमालाविभूषितः ।
भुक्तिमुक्तिप्रदाता च तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः ॥

“Salutation to that noble Guru, who is established in the power of knowledge, adorned with the garland of various principles and is the bestower of prosperity and liberation.”

Many a times I reminisce my childhood days with my sister and laugh over the funny and innocent moments that we shared together. The other day as we talked about the games that we played as children, my sister recollected my most favourite activity, or rather my ritual as a child-  my daily ritual of playing ‘Teacher Teacher’ every morning before leaving for school in the afternoon. Some of my soft toys used to be my ‘students’ who regularly attended my classes and dared not ask me any doubts! A blackboard and boxes of chalks used to be my treasured possessions to help me ‘facilitate’ this childhood passion. This constructive hobby of teaching helped me revise my lessons and helped me hone my communication skills. My parents are particularly proud of my teaching habit, even today. They think it was one of the useful ways to learn and remember things. Though a number of years have passed since I bade Ciao to my favourite hobby and I chose a different career other than teaching, deep down in my heart it still remains one of my most admired and honourable professions.

A couple of days back, one of the guest speakers whom I listened to said, “I learnt most of the financial concepts on Google and never relied only on my faculty.” Though most of us today turn to Google to solve our gravest of the grave queries and get instant answers, I reflected if really internet is capable of replacing a human teacher. When I asked this question to myself, I got both Yes and No as answers, given the transition in education that I have witnessed so far. During my previous semester, I studied the Education Sector of India. While reading through various statistics, I came across the fact that Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Multimedia are going to be the growth drivers in the Education Sector, though presently their contribution to the Education sector is merely 0.6%. If such technology is adopted in schools, it would, to some extent reduce the efforts required to teach the students. Blackboards and chalks would soon be replaced with white boards, projectors and computers. I wonder how learning can be fun by just looking at the technology aided slides and pictures. Learning would become monotonous and dull. I still remember my school days when my teachers took great pains to make us understand concepts using globes, scientific models and the extensive writing on blackboards! We were far from technology and thus enjoyed the personal touch and attention of our beloved teachers. 

I am of the opinion that though internet can make valuable additions to our bags of knowledge and wisdom, it can never be a substitute to a teacher’s valuable experience which he or she imparts during the course of education. I believe education is not simply gathering and processing information but it also a way of thinking and implementing ideas in a proper direction. And only teachers in form of guiding lights can help us achieve that, with their prowess of teaching.

As I am fond of languages, I believe that a teacher plays an important role in developing to speak and write a language. It is similar to mothers teaching their children to speak their respective mother tongues well. I recently had a difference of opinion over this with my beloved sister. As she is learning French, she often uses various translation websites to frame sentences and learn new words. Having proudly formed a number of sentences using the translation websites, she said, “Nowadays internet has made learning foreign languages so easy. One can easily master any language without a teacher!” I shared with her my experience of writing letters in German in my initial learning years, using translation websites. The outcome of such drudgery used to be horrendous and grammatically nightmarish. Only when I used to get a number of red correction marks from my teacher on those letters of mine, did I realize how indispensable my teachers were! All the languages that I learnt so far, learning them was fun only because of the way my teachers taught them. That is why I believe that languages can be learnt better only if they have a human touch to correct them when erred and thus helps us to learn the language in a fun way. And for persons like me who finds subjects like Mathematics scary, learning it on computers or through internet, can make numbers appear scarier than ever!

As Teachers’ Day soon approaches I feel indebted to all my teachers, right from Kindergarten till my MBA, who gave a soothing touch to difficult subjects as well as made interesting subjects even more interesting with their passion and experience of years of teaching. These sagacious minds are like sculptors who contributed greatly in molding my mindset.

No doubt, that online lectures and videos play a crucial role in educating a mass number of people and contributes towards enrichment given the paucity of time people face, to attend a class; I believe that a classroom experience is like no other. That is because, online learning makes the process of learning one way or rather myopic, while a teacher in a classroom can make you think and help you to brainstorm the ideas, thus bringing out creativity in each student. Ideas evolve and revolution of thoughts happen only when discussed with wise minds like teachers. I fear we might soon miss out on all this if teaching becomes a passé as the technology improves and more and more students turn to the internet for gaining information and thus overlooking knowledge in the process.

 In India, though teaching is perceived as a low paying job and hence there is not much rush by youngsters towards the profession, I believe that teaching is the noblest of all professions as it empowers a person to enlighten millions of minds in the career span. What can be a better service to society than this? If a teacher can kindle even one mind with his or her candle of knowledge, the light is then spread to thousands and millions of other minds!

As the fear of technology taking over teachers and books concerns me, I remember the story ‘The Fun They Had’ by Isaac Asimov wherein the children in the year 2157 are in an era of mechanical teachers to submit their homework and learn lessons and are completely oblivious to the concept of human teachers and books. The children in the story envied the fun which their forefathers had in schools. I think we are slowly and steadily moving towards that era which Isaac Asimov contemplated in his story. A time may soon come when the upcoming generations would too long for actually going to schools and may miss out the fun with their friends while learning! Therefore by preserving the culture of teaching which we inherited from our mythologies centuries ago, we will not only be preventing unemployment for many but also we will be attempting to keep human touch alive and not transforming the process of learning and teaching from human to robotic.

Human body: A temple

When I was in school, my Alma Mater celebrated various occasions like Independence Day, Diwali, Christmas etc. Every occasion that we celebrated had a specific theme on which the entire programme used to revolve around. On one of these occasions, the theme was ‘Our body: a temple’. It emphasized as to how each one of us should treat and worship our body like a temple. The only way of respecting our body is by maintaining good health.

Do we really respect our bodies and treat them like places of worship? Are we maintaining good health? When I see people smoking or hear cases of drug addiction, I believe that such people torment and put their precious health in danger. The reasons cited for such addictions are commonly believed to be as ‘stress busters’ and way of ‘enjoying life’. I wonder how nicotine and alcohol, which are slow killers, enemies in disguise can be a way to enjoy life! Though we watch a number of advertisements (with shivery visuals) appealing people to give up smoking, it is still uncertain as to how many people have really given up this harmful habit. One of the meaningful advertisements requesting smokers to quit smoking was by Cancer Patients Aid Association (CPAA). As an innovative move, this Association fitted ‘chanting’ lighters at every shop which played the death chant ‘'Raam Naam Satya Hai', every time someone tried to light a cigarette. As a result, most smokers were totally shocked by the bluntness of the message that they decided not to light their cigarettes there. Some of them, out of a sense of realization and horror, even threw the cigarettes away. In India, one has to go any extent to inculcate sense among the masses. Indeed it is a sad sight to see when educated working classes and youth too are ‘victims’ of these sinister addictions.

When I visit villages, I am amazed to see the people there with such fit physical health, inspite of meager income that they earn. It’s quite ironical that the ‘urban folks’ spend so much on gyms and fitness centres and despite that still do not enjoy good health! The only difference is the lifestyles led by urban and rural people. Rural masses put physical efforts to work in fields or small scale industries contradictory to the sedentary lifestyle of the urban people. Hence the life span of rural people is found to be better than their urban counterparts. Not just the lifestyle, but also the environmental conditions and food habits of the people also differ which makes a huge difference in the longevity of people’s lives.

It is not only essential to ensure that we are fit physically, but also mentally. We hear students and working class suffering from stress and in extreme incidents, we read cases of suicides by troubled students and working people unable to cope with burgeoning stress. Or we hear about people in their 30s suffering from heart ailments and blood pressure due to the challenging jobs that they handle. It differs from person to person how one deals with stressful conditions at work. We hear cases of a number of ‘frustrated’ people who bemoan the work environment and about the people that they work with. What one should bear in mind is that, though we cannot choose the people we want to work with nor the environment, it is a test as to how we handle such ‘stressful’ situations and keep our mind healthy. It is need of the hour to maintain mental health to ensure that stay we stay fit physically too, for the state of mind and body are complementary to each other. Nowadays we read about a number of organizations who strive to ensure that their employees are fit physically and mentally so as to improve the productivity of their employees. The secret to remain fit physically is by eating healthy, sleeping well and exercising daily. If one maintains this balance, no one will ever suffer from any ailments. Unfortunately most of us do not follow this ideal life as most of us eat untimely, ‘fast’ and unhealthy meals. Due to stressful and demanding schedules, there’s always lack of sleep and exercise in our lives. Is that why we Indians are called most flexible and ‘quick on their feet’ people because we sacrifice these vital things and still strive to give our best?

On 21^st June we celebrated International Yoga Day as a tribute to the ancient Indian wisdom emphasizing the well being of body and mind. Yoga has gone international today and people all over the world and pay obeisance to it as an effective means to remain healthy. Yoga is a way of life, a confluence which connects body and mind. As descendants of this revered invention by our forefathers, if each one of us practices the yogic way of life, it will act as a panacea to all the physical and mental disorders we suffer from. It will truly be a way to remain happy, peaceful and satisfied in all stages and all situations, rather it will help us to tackle the testing moments in our lives. Good health is possible only if we have are optimistic, honest, confident, hard working and intrepid attitude towards life. All of us should consider good health as our utmost important religion, our body as a temple to worship and should always take efforts to maintain the sanctity of this temple.

The Great Divide

It is said that knowledge and experience come from all directions in different forms and situations. One should be absorbent like a sponge and learn from all the experiences, whether good or bad. Journey by public transport of Mumbai teaches you the lessons of survival amid the thickly packed throngs. If one has to understand what rat race is, one can always travel by the public transport of Mumbai. I became a regular commuter of this ‘deluge’ a year ago and since then I have observed and learnt the horrid forms of rat race which can take place for a seat in a bus or a train. First class compartments of trains are known to be convenient and less crowded than the second class compartments. Unfortunately, these ‘convenient’ compartments for which we shell more money are cubbyholes where it provides seats for 13 women. Though the written instruction says “13 passengers only”, I watch an eighth woman constrict into 7-seater long seats. I commiserate with the other 7 women who lose the opportunity to sit comfortably because of this 8^th encroacher. And if this woman happens to be a plump one, the others are in for great discomfort. Therefore a delay of a single minute to get into the train and you lose the chance to be among the ‘Top 13’ or else you become a forceful intruder inviting the wrath of the seated ones. During summers, travelling in packed trains becomes intolerable. To add to the misery, first class ladies compartment is too small to bear the huge hordes of women getting in at each station. On the other hand, the gents’ compartment is relatively bigger, where men, in most cases, stand or sit comfortably. This is the first ‘divide’ I come across every day.  Also, I come across many ignorant women who mistakenly get into first class compartments, given the relatively scanty crowd. We all wish to travel comfortably, don’t we? Therefore, with an expectation of at least standing comfortably in the train, these poor women board the First Class. But the ladies of the First Class do not tolerate this ignorance and they taunt and scold these women for the ‘unpardonable crime’, until they drive them out on the next station.

What I find astonishing is the surmising power of the ‘Great Women of the First Class’. Only by looking at the ignorant women’s attire, do they understand that these women do not belong to the First Class. How a person’s dressing sense can determine his or her wealth, I wonder. There are so many people in this world, who dress and live simply, in spite of the immense wealth that they possess. Wear a simple looking dress and you are perceived as a second class traveler! What a parameter! I feel bad for these ignorant women who have to bear the criticism for no fault of theirs. I am not saying that such women should be allowed to travel freely into First Class putting up ignorance as an excuse. But I believe the other women in the train should be polite to these women while making them understand for their mistake. What does it cost to be polite? Absolutely nothing! This is the Second Divide that I observe that of being educated, well informed and civilized and on the other hand, being illiterate, ignorant and savage. The local trains are meant for everyone, for all strata, the destinations to reach are common, yet such a vast difference between its classes of travelers. I cringe at the fact that some do so well in their lives, enjoy affluence and all the comforts, while some are deprived of simple joys and necessities. Necessity of having enough wealth and education to stay in a city like Mumbai and the ability to support one’s family! Although many efforts and taxpayers’ funds are utilized into improving the level of education, it will still take many years to bridge this gap of education and ignorance.

From past one month and a half, I have been travelling to Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), the hub of trade and commerce, where head offices of big conglomerates are situated. While I travel in a bus from Kurla till BKC, I pass by huge pockets of penury and misery. The poor occupy every little space that is available and build hutments in whatever meager space that is left. My sincere salute to all BEST Bus drivers who drive on such narrow roads without losing calm and patience! If one wants to understand the thick density of population, one can find it on the roads of Kurla. Sometimes these filthy localities and slums offer catering services and food stalls. Given the nearby surroundings, it’s easy to determine the safety and hygiene of these meals. The part of my journey, where road construction is going on, I see a serpentine queue of slums, which are built using 4-5 bamboo sticks each and plastic covers serving as roofs and walls. The urchins play on the road fearlessly. These are half naked children in poor state of health and hygiene, who find joy even in their deplorable way of life. Every morning I watch this tremendous transition from the squalid streets of Kurla to the plush roads of BKC. When I witness such enormity of poverty and misery, I am reminded of the concept of ‘vicious circle’ which we were taught in Economics. Population explosion is the second stage of demographic growth where the birth rates are high and the death rates low. Such a situation prevails in developing economies like India. Population explosion leads to unemployment, which causes poverty among the masses and therefore an increase in the crime rate, which proves pernicious for the entire society.

Burgeoning population is the scenario which I observe almost every day during my train or bus journey. The observation goes like this: I wait for my train, which is to arrive in 5 minutes, or say 2 minutes (It is assumed that the trains run on time!). I am pleased to see only 5 to 6 women around me, waiting for the same train as I. I make plans to sit or stand comfortably in the train, plug in my headphones and listen to music till I reach home. Alas! While I am lost in my reverie, making such ‘hypothetical’ plans, I see a huge group of women gathered to catch the same train. I am stupefied to see such a large number of women in a mere 5-minute period. I marvel that if this is the rate of people gathering only to catch a mode of transport, how rapidly our population must be growing! Delay of trains, be it on working days or even Megablocks on Sundays, can cause near-death experience to the commuters. Dilatoriness of trains or buses during monsoons paralyses the entire city. The strain on resources which such a preponderant population must be causing is beyond imagination. As a result, no matter how well the infrastructure is developed, it still proves insufficient to meet the needs of ever growing population. We often find people expressing dismay about the Government and the authorities, for not promising efficiency in the services.

The reason for this havoc in public modes of transport is the subsidization of these services by the Government. Providing large subsidies can result into exacerbation of the economy in the long run. Though the hoi polloi rejoices over the reasonable rates of transport services, the quality of the services is questionable. In countries like the USA, travel by train maybe as expensive as flying. I have travelled in Mumbai Metro, which is a best paradigm of privatization. Fare for a single journey is as high as Rs. 30 from Ghatkopar to Andheri. Besides, it provides the services of highest class. There is no scope for people to travel ticketless in Metro. The infrastructure and security is ensured to be state-of-the-art. I imagine that if such transport network would have existed in the entire city, the train journey would have been so hassle-free!

Population and poverty are growing at rapid pace and so is urbanization. People in rural areas or smaller cities migrate to cities like Delhi or Mumbai in search of better education and job opportunities, which lead to overcrowding in cities. If we really want development of our nation as whole, it is necessary that development is concentrated in each city or state, in terms of infrastructure and job opportunities. It will only then be possible to distribute the resources fairly to all people and justice would be done to the taxpayers’ money. Secondly, it is the need of the hour to curb the population growth in our country. As per the Census, the working population of our country i.e from the age group 15-59 is high in number, which bears the brunt of all taxes. High working population would also mean high fertility rate, resulting into immense growth of population. Like China, if even India strictly implements ‘one child’ policy, we can bring down this tension. It sounds theoretical though in a country like India, where a child is considered to be God’s gift, which one should not refuse!  Similar to ration cards, where names of only up to two children are only allowed to be added, certain tax deductions or relaxation can be offered to families having one or two children. Now that ration cards are reckoned to be obsolete, this measure will induce the penny pinching working class to keep population under check. Rather than producing more children with an expectation to continue the lineage in a family, it is always a good deed to adopt orphans who are in dire need of love and care. Just imagine the bright future these children can have if they are adopted by well-to-do couples. It would be tautological to giving birth to a new life.

Primarily the attitudes of the people need to change. Merely criticizing the authorities does not help. Change should happen from within, from every household.  Governments are run by human beings after all and so we cannot expect them to be infallible.  A nation can enjoy complacency only if its citizens and the Government walk hand-in-hand playing pivotal roles towards development of the nation. The malaise of poverty and corruption can be weeded out if there is such cooperation. Only then can every individual live a secured life without much struggle, a sense of solidarity and compassion is developed, and there are smiles of contentment instead of lines of worry on every face. Though such a picture may look Utopian and difficult to achieve, we all can try to achieve reformation of mindsets, effacing out the boundaries of division and reaching closer to this Utopia. If that happens, it will truly symbolize the greatness of our nation.

1st Anniversary Special: Femme Fortitude

10^th May 2014: The day my Graduation exams got over and the entire evening that I spent creating my blog. The long discussions that I had with my sister over the URL of the blog, the title and look of the blog all seems fresh in my mind. I still feel that same excitement which I had then, when I published the first write-up on my still embryonic blog. The fervor to express my mind on the blog grows every time I post something. And this exhilarating journey continues further. Since my sister has been a driving force behind my rhetorical style of writing and today we celebrate Mother’s Day as well, I wish to dedicate this write-up to all women….. (Read: To Men readers, I hope you join me in my feminine eulogy!)

Recently I finished reading a novel. As I closed my book, a question crossed my mind. Which was the best novel I had ever read? I got my answer in no time. It had to be ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’ by Khaled Hosseini. The characters Mariam and Laila of that book are two of my most favourite characters among all the characters that I came across in novels. Each page, each description seemed real. It was as though I was experiencing affliction of Mariam and Laila as they suffered at the hands of their acrimonious husband and further the immense courage that they show to ameliorate their lives. Though the book was a work of fiction, I wondered how many women would be there all over the world, who are silent sufferers of injustice and whose screams for help are lost deep in this ruthless world.

In one of my college events, we performed a street play on the theme domestic violence. My friends and I discussed the apparent reasons of domestic violence. We came up with situations like harassment for dowry, domestic violence by drunken husbands, women tormented by husbands and in-laws in want of a male child, not only in low strata families but also in well educated families. Domestic violence reminds me of Sudha Murthy’s encounter with a woman who was set alight by her husband’s family for her inability to pay dowry. This burnt woman, who was admitted to the hospital for the mishap of ‘stove burst’, had further committed a ‘crime’ of bearing a girl child, which resulted into such heinous deed by her in-laws. According to Indian National Crime Record Bureau, India has by far the highest number of dowry related deaths in the world. A bride is burned every 90 minutes, or dowry issues cause 1.4 deaths per year per 100,000 women in India. Women are still valued like commodities and are sent to the bidder-like families who quote a whopping price for the bride entering their home. I wish if there is someone like Ananya Swaminathan of Two States in every family or is one such friend to women, who can really find question the man’s true worth for his bride!

There are some movies based on true stories which are capable of touching the human minds. I saw one such movie few months back: Philomena. The movie was based on the life of Philomena Lee, who was an unwed mother and was separated from her son when he was an infant. The film shows the 50-year struggle of Philomena to find her forcibly adopted son. In 1950s England, being an unwed mother was a matter of disgrace. In India, it still is. This reminded me of another Sudha Murty’s vignette on unwed mother. She describes how there is a difference between the outlook of the western countries and India towards unwed mothers. On one hand, one of her students commits suicide when she finds out that she is pregnant before marriage and her boyfriend and his family refuses to accept her with her child, on the other hand, there is a young Norwegian girl who has a son which is born out of her affair with a college classmate. Though they split up, the little boy’s father assumes full responsibility of his son. The child’s parents lead separate but happy lives. The western society does not look down upon or raise eyebrows at unwed mothers, which so not the situation in India. I read an article ‘When young girls are at risk’ in one of the magazines. It focused on how girls are ignorant about sex and pregnancy making them vulnerable. These girls are usually in the age bracket of 15 to 19 who then go for abortions. Some girls who accidentally get pregnant belong to the educated class of the society in which the level of awareness is believed to be high. In our country where sex and sex education is taboo, such cases are bound to happen. Parents are uncomfortable about discussing such issues with their children. As a result, girls become susceptible to unwanted pregnancies. It happens that girls offer sex for love and boys offer love for sex. For girls, love is an emotion while for some boys love is a sexual conquest. This mindset needs to change and girls need to be alert and wise before falling in love with someone. Love should not be so blind that we fail to see the possible ramifications.

Africa as a continent interests me a lot. Certain African tribes’ customs towards women brings me shivers. I had seen a video of the Hamar tribe in Ethiopia, where there is a ceremony of female whipping. The whipping is consensual and women go begging to whip them. They do not show the pain they feel and they say they are proud of the scars. One effect of this ritual whipping is to create a strong debt between the young man and his sisters. If they face hard times in the future, he’ll remember them because of the pain they went through at his initiation. Her scars are a mark of how she suffered for her brother. In Mauritania, girls are forcefully fed so that they find suitable husbands in future. A plump girl in Mauritania is a symbol of family’s prosperity and wealth. A frail looking girl would therefore not get good marriage prospects. Togo is one of the poorest countries in the western part of Africa, yet polygamy is legal and widely practiced. Practice of polygamy is frequent in the rural areas than in towns and cities, and a Togolese woman’s level of education is also directly linked to whether she will choose polygamy or not. Even the health of African women is highly at risk due to the gruesome customs and lack of better health facilities. For example, I had seen a case of a pregnant African woman who had to go on a motorcycle with her husband on the hilly road till the clinic where she could deliver her child. In Rwanda, 18% of menstruating women miss on an average 35 days of school and work because they cannot afford sanitary napkins. Therefore they resort to unsafe alternatives like rags, leaves and mud which can lead to infections and diseases. Thanks to organizations like the Desert Flower Foundation started by the Somalian woman Waris Dirie, that fights against female genital mutilation and other issues which women face.

One of the most prevalent dangers that Indian women face today is that of rape and sexual harassment- be it at home or at workplaces. Such inhumanity does not depend upon the kind of attire a woman wears. It is the sick, diabolical mentality of men who want to prove their chauvinism over women by imposing such atrocities on them. Such men emerge from families where women are treated as inferiors and these young boys grow and mistreat women in the same way. They cannot reckon the fact that women can and should step out of their homes to get educated and stand on their own feet. Sadly men with such sordid mindsets hail from the elite class of people too. This shows how education fails to illuminate the minds of all. Women trafficking are also one of the lurid cruelties against women. The shocking fact is that there is underage prostitution too, wherein there are an estimated 1.2 million children involved. God knows where our society is headed and how far can these merciless acts against women go.

We have been living in a patriarchal society where women are subjected to male dominance. But the times are changing and we the transformation happening in form of an upsurge in women getting educated and excelling at jobs. The myth that rural women are far from development is slowly changing as we see a number of women being superb managers at self help groups to run their families and earn a living. For those who feel that ‘women can’t have it all’, there are glorifying examples of women who are not only wonderful homemakers but also dedicated professionals. Being a feminist is not tantamount to misandry. It is an attempt to elevate women’s status by exonerating them of all the society’s unfair set of rules against them. It is a means to promote the fairer sex of the society to a venerable level, just like we respect our Goddesses. It is a movement which will not be successful without the encouragement, sensibility and support of men. I believe the feminist movement will only be successful if boys are imbibed since childhood to treat women with dignity; they will surely turn into fine young men who will be excellent sons, brothers, husbands and fathers. 

Cordon Bleu- Pampering the Taste Buds

For me, the fun ersatz to my afternoon siesta has always been movies, most of the times the good and the sensible ones. Today I happened to watch one such ‘mouth-watering’ movie, if that is a non-lecherous way to describe a movie. Julie and Julia, starring my favourite Meryl Streep and Amy Adams, was a movie based on Julie Powell’s book “Julie & Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen”, where Julie (Amy Adams) excellently cooks Julia’s (Meryl Streep) French dishes from her recipe book ‘Mastering the art of French Cooking’ and shares her experiences of the same on her blog. Some of the French dishes that were shown were amazingly tempting which of course, required a lot of meticulous effort on the ingredients and the method of cooking to be obediently followed. French cooking was epitomized in the film ‘A hundred foot Journey’ as well. The reason why ‘La Cuisine Francaise’ is considered best in the world is probably attributed to the geographical and climatic variety of France. The reasons for the supremacy of French cooking have a great deal to do with religious attitudes to pleasure, high-powered political patronage of cooking over the centuries and straightforward economic reward. So much so, that the words ‘restaurant’, ‘gourmet’ and ‘Bon appétit’ have not found any English equivalents. It is as though cooking and France share a tautological relationship.

Food is one of the basic necessities of all living creatures. But this basic necessity when blended with sterling culinary skills can result into a healthy being. Recently my sister got for me a walnut cake. Each bite of that cake tasted like heaven. The adage “One must eat to live and not live to eat” seemed momentarily hazy for me as I could live to eat such tempting confectionaries. I have a sweet tooth for few selected sweet dishes circumscribed to Sheera, Seviyaan, Gulab Jamun and of course, cakes. Indian sweet shops are loaded with a panoply of sweetmeats and the rush for them during festivals is at peak.

I consider India as one of the best places to savour and devour food. If variety is the spice of life, then welcome to India as Indian food is a potpourri of rich ancestral heritance and a variety of spices and ingredients, which one cannot procure anywhere else in the world. When I enjoy the delectable dishes of various states of India, I silently thank my country for its diversity. The cuisine of each Indian state acts as a liaison of the unique traditions, culture, language, religion, geographic and climatic conditions of that state. To give a simple example of people living in north India who prefer fatty and highly carbohydrate oriented diet owing to the chilling weather conditions, in contrast to their Southern counterparts who prefer less fatty and light diet due to the sea coast in its propinquity. The bountiful Mother Nature in India has assured that man uses her edible resources to satiate his eating needs and therefore we enjoy diverse cuisines and distinct cooking styles.

Being a Mumbaikar I enjoy my country’s diverse food here as Mumbai is a city where people of almost all states reside. Hence, there is no dearth of any cuisine in Mumbai. A gourmet like me can enjoy food of all kinds here- both continental and Indian. Mumbai’s status of the ‘commercial hub’ of India is a feather in the cap as you can taste the food here which is found globally, without losing the original essence of the dishes. Mumbai is also famous for its street food and chaat which every Mumbaikar relishes. The dishes which Mumbai can call rightfully its own are Pav Bhaji and Vada Pav. It is believed that no person in Mumbai can starve as he can thrive on a vada pav. The laborious work style of the mill workers in the olden times of Mumbai necessitated a wholesome and heavy meal and thus Pav Bhaji came into existence, the variations of which we enjoy today. It is a perfect example of:  creation of need --> identification of need --> ways to fulfil the need --> creation of a profitable business model.

I believe traditions, ancestral inheritance and culture play a major role in shaping the cooking style of a family, a state or a nation. For example, I have noticed that there is a tremendous difference between the South Indian dishes prepared by people other than South Indians and the same dishes prepared by a South Indian family. Similarly Puran Polis made in a Maharashtrian home taste better and original than in a non-Maharashtrian home. Also the Biryani that is cooked by the Muslims has an original charm and unique taste. It is as though the food is analogical to a state. When we say Dhokla, it’s Gujarat, Chole Bhature – Punjab, Daal Baati Churma- Rajasthan, Rasgulla- West Bengal, so on and so forth.

Thanks to globalization, we are exposed to international cuisines. Successful chains like McDonald’s, Burger King, KFC, Subway, Starbucks, Taco Bell etc. attempt to introduce Indians to western lifestyle. Many dishes at these outlets are designed to suit the Indian tastes, keeping the religious sentiments in mind. Therefore we enjoy vegetarian burgers, French fries, sizzlers, pizzas, tacos and cakes which are normally non-vegetarian in their countries of provenance. Where else would you find paneer on a pizza or aloo tikki in a burger? Well, that’s truly the east meeting the west! As a result, vegetarians like me are not deprived of such delicacies!

In India, there is a rift between the vegetarians and non vegetarians. Vegetarian food eating people may not like to eat food in a restaurant where non vegetarian dishes, too are served. The vegetarians see the non-vegetarians as carnivores, bloodthirsty people. On the other hand, the non vegetarians view their vegetarian counterparts as cattle, eating ghaas-phoos!

Though I am a connoisseur of various vegetarian continental and Indian cuisines, for me the best cooks in the world are my mother and grandmother. My Grandmother’s signature recipes of puran polis, jhunka, modak and every other simple dish that she cooks are worth devouring. Despite her old age, I see the immense efforts and dedication that she invests in making that dish. For her, cooking is her forte and every dish that she cooks, her piece de resistance. My grandmother honed her culinary skills under my great grandmother’s tutelage, she says. That’s what I call bequeathing the food habits from one generation to the other. My mother’s expertise, as a working woman, lies in cooking tasty food in a short span of time. Though my sister is an amateur when it comes to cooking, I can proudly say that she is getting an excellent hand at cooking for I appreciate every dish that she prepares lovingly for the family. My sister is the one who introduced me to the world of continental dishes because she is a foodie who loves to taste and experiment various dishes.

Like I said earlier, food being a necessity, no person can live without it – rich or poor and hence the food industry will never cease to exist. Lot of innovations and variations are possible to make food taste better every time. Cooking provides lucrative opportunities to so many, especially the housewives who possess excellent culinary skills.  This can be a paradigm where you can transform your métier into money making successful business proposition. And what can be better than you being your own boss?

I believe that our body is a representative of our diet. While pampering one’s taste buds, one should not forget the nutritional enrichment or pernicious repercussions that affect the subsequent stages of life. Choosing to have a vegetarian diet or a non-vegetarian one or both, omnivores that we humans are called, one must always keep in mind the diet’s influence on the body. Faulty and miscalculated eating habits in addition to the stressful lifestyle can cause several ailments. To avoid that, we must relish the gifts of nature in their original form so that we enjoy a healthy, disease-free, long life. The food prepared and the eating habits adopted, not just bearing to please the tongue but to the well being of the entire human body can ensure that. So readers, watch your tongue!

 

Envisaging a Spic-and-Span India

If someone asks me the best place to study human behaviour, my answer will always be: An Indian railway station! It is a place where you would always find huge exoduses and equally huge arrivals, at any given hour, be it early morning or late at night. Railway stations are truly the spots of Mumbai, which never sleep. As a regular commuter of the local trains, I observe diverse colours of human foibles. Some observations teach me important lessons in life; some are thought-provoking incidents, while some give ugly glimpses of human nature. Every morning after successfully accomplishing the Herculean task of getting a seat in the cubbyhole-like First Class compartment, starts my litany of observations. The most ignoble sight which I come across every morning in the passing train is that of people walking along the railway tracks, carrying bottles or buckets in their hand to attend nature’s call. It goes without saying that these people are residents of a nearby impoverished area, which we call as ‘slums’, a preponderant feature of Mumbai. These slums house innumerable people cramped like in a Holocaust. Where it is so difficult to make both ends meet, how can a person living in such an area think of better sanitation facilities? As per latest reports, even Mount Everest is sinking under the weight of human excreta, how can one expect hygiene in these hubs of squalidness?  While my mind is filled with disgust when I see the state of those people, at the same time I feel sorry for the sordidness which is still prevalent in a developing country like India. Today this picture is certainly deplorable when we compare it with the ancient Indus Valley Civilization, which had water supply and sanitation devices that were the first and best of their kind.

Mr. Arun Jaitley, in his recent Union Budget announced that around 6 crore toilets will be built in India under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. This budget allocation, I believe, is vital than any other, as I am of the opinion that social development of a country comes prior to its economic development. This particular provision in the budget gave me a sense of confidence that finally (and hopefully) those beleaguered people that I see every morning would be soon able to ‘relieve’ themselves in a correct manner! In some villages too, people do not still understand the importance of having toilets at home and therefore are vulnerable to many diseases. Vidya Balan’s advertisement of “Jahan soch waha shauchalay”, stating the need to have toilets at every home, surely attempts to open every ignorant villager’s eye.

Till the time comes when the sanitation facilities in India can be availed by everyone, the dread of epidemics or newer diseases will always brood over us. Why just open defecation, aren’t we surrounded by haphazardly thrown heaps of garbage? Not to forget, the menace of stray dogs that add to our environmental woes! The reader might think that I am too critical of the state of railway stations in Mumbai, but sadly they are the implied dumping grounds for many commuters. And when I say ‘commuters’, I do not target people of a specific strata or status, or people travelling by a particular class. After all, they all are citizens of India, rich or poor.

I remember this amusing incident of my junior college days, when I had gone ice-cream savouring with my friends. Each one of us bought an ice-cream cone of varied flavours and was enjoying it till we reached the railway station. I wanted to throw away my ice-cream wrapper but I couldn't find a dustbin nearby. When I expressed my ‘predicament’ to my friend, her answer was just like any other Indian. She said, “Throw it on the railway tracks, simple!” I was taken aback by her reply. I wondered if educated people like my friend had such a mindset, then expecting civic sense from barely educated or illiterate people would be an over-expectation.

There was another train incident, when a lady sitting opposite to me, was about to throw orange peels outside the window. When she saw me looking at her, she immediately stuffed them in her bag. I wish if every person who litters around were this conscious. The lady in the train must have thought that she would owe me a justification if I saw her throwing garbage out of the window. Similarly, any person who throws waste carelessly in the surroundings owes a big penalty towards the society and the environment. Then such people have no right to bemoan the dilatory railways during rains, as people of such frivolous behavior are responsible for the clogging of railway tracks during monsoon. The problem with us so-called educated Indians is that we often revile the municipal authorities for not keeping the surroundings clean, but we fail to retrospect where we err to keep our environment clean. When Indians go abroad, they abide by all the rules there and dare not litter on the roads, but when in India, they find nothing wrong in degrading the environment. When I was in school, we often used to throw pencil shavings or crumpled papers on the floor. Seeing this in almost every class, our principal pointed out once, “School is your second home. Do you throw around waste like that at home? No. Then how can you litter your second home like that?” All Indians need to think in the way our principal had suggested then.

Another environmental malaise which exists in society is that of spitters. The epitome of flouting is when people spit on the board itself which says, “Yahaan thookna mana hai” or at some places I have seen the word ‘mana’ scraped from the sentence, making it look “Yahaan thookna hai”. Seriously, how lunatic one can get! Often, at the railway stations, the garbage bins which are meant for ‘garbage’ are converted to spittoons with people spitting more and throwing less garbage in it. These so-called ‘dustbins’ are covered all in red, with paan stains on it. Same follows in case of people who pee in the open, despite the similar ‘mana hai’ hoardings.

Then there are stray dogs to cause further discomfort to the pedestrians. In the newspapers we read cases of people being attacked by packs of stray dogs. Of course, there are certain ‘mercenaries’ in the society who have a big share in mollycoddling the dogs by feeding them biscuits and food, something which can suffice the hunger of one poor person at least. The result of such ‘kindness’ is again, degradation of surroundings. Food wastage is another common problem in India, where people absolutely have no regard for food. One would wonder if such people eat to live or live to eat. The quantum of food which is wasted in India is beyond imagination. One fails to realize the value of food for the hungry indigent. Truly, the rift in the mentality of Indians is very high to fill the gap of sense and sensibility, and of right and wrong.

The only broom which is capable of cleaning the minds to have a green and clean environment is education. And by education, I do not mean merely introducing the subject Environmental Studies in schools and colleges, but making people aware, educating them about the need of maintaining clean surroundings. Inculcating civic sense is important. Imagine, if every individual becomes environmentally conscious, we need not worry about diseases like malaria, dengue or jaundice.

Technology too can play a huge role towards a clean environment. Recently I read about the maiden voyage of ‘Bio-Bus’ in England. This bus runs on biomethane, which is generated through the treatment of human and food waste. The article said that the bus can travel up to 186 miles on one tank of crap, besides having 88% less greenhouse emissions. It is an example of innovation + technology = clean environment. In India, there are many villages which have installed biogas plants as an effective step towards waste management and power generation. As shown in one of the episodes of Satyameva Jayate, there can be other scientifically innovative ways too, to generate ‘wealth out of waste’. Companies, who are required to spend 2% of their net profits towards CSR, can surely work in this area of development. Sudha Murty, chairman of Infosys Foundation, explained the significance of pay toilets in one of her vignettes. She is helping out rural areas by building 10,000 public toilets and several hundred toilets in the city of Bengaluru. This is a wonderful way of expressing gratitude to the society, by doing something for the society. Many companies have followed suit towards betterment of the society.

I believe we can achieve the pinnacle of cleanliness and hygiene if each individual strives to do as simple acts like throwing garbage in the dustbin and not around it, not treating the surroundings like open air toilets, eating and cooking food keeping the appetite in mind, so on and so forth. As citizens of India, if we follow Mahatma Gandhi’s principles towards cleanliness, we would definitely be called ‘developed’ from the global point of view. It would not only result in realizing the present Government’s dream of Swachh and Nirmal Bharat, but also a disease-free and habitable environment for every human being.