ARE THE URBAN POOR UNDER FEAR?

Notwithstanding the fact that the central government, quite a few state governments and various non-state actors have come out with commendable social sector and employment generation schemes, the poor in India still find it difficult to come out of the vicious trap of poverty, uncertainty, fear, hopelessness etc. Thus, social commentators are perhaps not wrong in saying that numerous Indias co-exist within India. While one stratum of society lives on 28 rupees a day, the other stratum possibly lives on 280 rupees a day. This mammoth gap in socio-economic status has its impact in myriad dimensions. One such dimension is with respect to the comfort level exhibited in the process of using public utility services. This piece is intended to look at one such instance. It is written purely on the basis of personal experiences and as such readers have every right to disagree with every bit of the piece.

Delhi Metro, the country’s show stopper, has recently completed ten years of impeccable public service. During this last decade, this popular mode of transportation has undergone various changes and uplifts in terms of routes, capacity, daily volumes etc. Most importantly, the metro is now being symbolized as the perfect example of mass transport. Right from the elite to the downtrodden, the metro has been the torch bearer of the hopes and aspirations of the people in the capital.

However, a deeper analysis would show that the urban poor still find it difficult to get them assimilated with this mode in some form or the other. An uncanny sense of fear, doubt, no-confidence and reluctance seem to cast dark clouds over them. This is observed at all the stages of their travelling. Right from buying a token to entering the platforms via the token/card scanners to walking/ standing on the escalator to entering the train to exiting the destination station, they invariably get caught up in some issue or the other. Further, even inside the train coaches, their behavior is worth noticing. Even when a seat is vacant, they are a tad hesitant to occupy it provided some affluent person is also eyeing the same seat. And even if they occupy it, they look around frantically just to make sure that they are not being laughed at. Even after a decade of service, a sense of genuine comfort level seems to elude them.

The Delhi Metro is meant for everyone- a construction worker has as much right to confidently travel in it just like an IT professional. Thankfully enough, the planners of the metro had not compartmentalized the seats or the coaches. Thus, although the urban poor have been making use of this mass mode, it is perhaps not a true representation of their assimilation.

So, what precisely is the reason for the existence of such a phenomenon? A cursory look at the issue would say that these people, in all probability, feel themselves inferior to their richer counterparts and hence try and maintain a distinct and visible gap with them. Or is the pendulum not in equilibrium due to other subtle reasons? Do the richer classes (willingly or unwillingly) impose implicit restrictions on these people by way of stares, looks, gestures etc.? In broader terms, is this lack of assimilation yet another portrayal of the rich-poor divide in the country?

The above are questions which require a deeper study and research. My prime idea was to bring out the issue to the fore. But, one thing is for sure- The poor have remained poor and vulnerable, they are still struggling and who knows when their struggle ends? Or for that matter, will it ever see an end in the first place? Are the stakeholders listening?

CHANGED EQUATIONS OF THE GAME

Do you know the profession which can get you the maximum focus in the country today? Well,  let me tell you that it is not one of those traditional favourites viz. bureaucrats, doctors, engineers etc. Times have changed and in the sixty plus years of this independent country's journey, apart from the three major pillars of the government i.e., the legislature, the executive and the judiciary, the fourth pillar seems to have grown by leaps and bounds. From the one and only Doordarshan to limitless news channels today, this fourth pillar "MEDIA" has assumed such humongous position that the power equations have undergone massive changes. If you have got it by now,  the job of a Television Journalist is, in fact, the one which can shower you with unimaginable light and vision.

It is true that with the advent of 24*7 media, the awareness levels among the masses have seen enormous jumps. Accountability has assumed new dimensions today. But, as every positive action is inadvertently followed by a negative one, media too perhaps has crossed its contours. Although, today, Parliament does not function as per the norms laid out in the constitution, we have pseudo-Parliaments located in the studios of these news channels. Funnily enough, the people who are supposed to debate it out in the Parliament make the most of these designed opportunities. What is interesting to note here is the insurmountable role of the presenter in the discussions. Lights, camera, action...and the camera invariably focuses its gaze on the most important object, the presenter who predominantly starts the discussion with a preconceived notion surrounding the concerned burning issue (It's an irony though that every other news item is now either breaking or burning). For the next half an hour or so, the anchor takes recourse to paraphrasing the same thing over and over again. Further,

He decides who speaks, who does not...He decides who speaks for how long and in what order...he decides whose words to cut short and when...he decides what conclusions to draw from each of the so-called panelist's words, he decides what the eventual verdict of the jury is....He is the new bond- the JANK Bond. 

The discussions are orchestrated in such a manner that screaming, howling, bawling, bellowing, screeching are bound to find their designated places. From the role of the presenter, he swaps his role to that of an adjudicator (the only thing missing from his kit is the hammer used by judges to maintain decorum in the house...with times to come, the hammer might also figure in his paraphernalia ). At the end of it all, what happens is nothing but irrational glorification of the all-knowledgeable presenter. These bizarre discussions are not a matter of a day or two. Rather, this is the daily scheme of things. The keen and the vigil viewer is left wanting for more. He tunes on to these channels every other day with a hope that things might change. But alas, not all hopes are realized.

The question is-  
Do these presenters undertake sufficient homework for the cacophonous war of words? 

Do they truly deserve the light and attention nestled on them? 

Is it time to strip these chancellors of their contrived feathers?

HIDDEN GENIUSES ABOUND

When one gets to experience sheer brilliance right in front of one's own eyes, the effect is lasting. Today, I had the privilege to watch such brilliance unfold its unflappable layers. Well, here, I am not referring to orthodox brilliance. Rather, what I intend to write about is brilliance which lies hidden in the many nooks and corners of our country. The former category has always been the cynosure of all eyes. But the latter category, the ones to whom this piece is dedicated to have always been felt to their own ordinary fates. Don't they deserve to garner at least half of the praise and goodwill which their compatriots at the other end been bestowed with? I sincerely believe that all the more reasons exist to exemplify this hidden brilliance.

To cut the long story short, let me briefly narrate the circumstances which have compelled me to belt down this piece. Of late, I have had several issues with the functioning of my laptop and to find readily available solutions to the same, I have flocked to the CTC Computer Market near Paradise in Secunderabad and believe me, I have always returned with utmost satisfaction. Irritating loud noises were emanating from the laptop on a regular basis. I went up to Bhajan Lal who had repaired my charger for mere Rs. 150 sometime in 2010 (ever since, there has been no issue with it). He guided me to the fifth floor of one of the buildings in the market. What I was to witness from here on is nothing short of being termed as remarkable. The floor was divided into umpteen cabins (probably of the dimensions 5' * 5'). The cabin's space was put to such optimal use that even practicing economists can take lessons from them regarding the best utilisation of available resources. The moment I switched on my lapy, the mechanic Paras could identify the same and immediately said- "Sir, iska fan kharab hai...hazar rupaye lagenge...ek ghanta time lagega". Without digging for any second thoughts, I allowed him to operate on the system. In the next 40 minutes or so, I saw him segregate the lapy into its various peripherals. He finally took out the fan and explained me the reasons that had led to the generation of noises. Paras also deals in used laptops. In fact, among the many systems that he had up for sale, one was exactly of the same model as that of mine. Having masterfully separated the fan from that piece, he replaced the same in mine. He tightened the screws and my lapy was back- back with a BANG !!! It was not an ordinary BANG though! It was the consequence of the precision of the mechanic, who at most would have attended an ITI course or so. The speed and accuracy with which he undertook the complete exercise left me bewildered !! (For that matter, any educated modern day person would have felt the same way as I did).

This is just one instance of brilliance. There must be thousands like Paras who are left behind everyday. I am wondering what guys like Paras could be up to if they are provided with the desired platform. Perhaps, he can learn and improvise even further. Also, there can be many more Parases if his expertise trickles down !!! The youth can lead to more income generation...living-standards can rise and consequently, deserving brilliance can get its due recognition.....!!!!

WHEN HALEEM STALLS ADORN THE CITY OF HYDERABAD

It is that time of the year that Hyderabadis wait for eagerly. Well, its the holy month of Ramzan. Fasting for a duration of more than fourteen hours even without gulping their saliva, Hyderabadis have this age old tradition of quenching their hunger with HALEEM ! 

It was during the Nizam rule that the dish was introduced to the Hyderabad state by the Arab diaspora and ever since, the dish has come to be regarded as the pride of the city (just like its sister concern Biryani ). Such has been the popularity and legacy of the dish that in 2010, it was granted Geographical Indication Status (GIS) by the Indian GIS Registry Office, making it the first non-vegetarian dish in India to be listed as GIS.

Containing numerous ingredients, namely, meat (either mutton, beef or chicken), pounded wheat, ghee, milk, lentils, ginger and garlic paste, turmeric, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, black pepper, saffron, jaggery, dry fruits etc, haleem is cooked on a low flame of firewood for up to 12 hours in a makeshift bhatti (a cauldron covered with a brick and mud kiln) before it turns into a paste-like substance. 

Every nook and corner of the city manifests of a number of Haleem stalls. However, what is interesting to note is that the taste and quality differs significantly from stall to stall. Right from plain to double spicy, from white colour to yellow colour, the stalls try and cater to the taste buds of the larger community. Also, worth noticing is the huge gap in prices prevalent among the stalls. While one can get a Chicken Haleem for as low as Rs. 30, there are those like Pista House at the other end of the spectrum which offers the same for as high as Rs. 95

If one happens to pass by the city roads (for instance,through Tolichowki ), one can see how the 4Ps of Marketing have been effectively put into perspective by the various stalls. Right from the manual counting of the "Days to Ramzan" (started and exhibited from as early 60 days backwards) to huge hoardings and banners, the city wears a look of nothing short of a carnival. The moment an individual slows his bike/ vehicle, he is surrounded by a string of Delivery Personnel who by their mastered art of customer service would oblige him/her to buy at least one Haleem (in most cases, people end up buying Family Packs). What is also noticeable is the fact that the dish and its popularity is not limited just to the Muslims- the dish is equally popular among other communities as well !

It is highly probable that your mouth must have started watering while reading this post. So, what are you waiting for? Go grab your HALEEM and get drowned in its eternal appeal...

THE GOOD OLD DAYS OF INDIAN CRICKET

I am not referring here to the 70s or 80s. Rather, what I mean here by 'THE GOOD OLD DAYS OF INDIAN CRICKET" are those days when I, as a kid, used to be glued to our UPTRON television set just to see how Azruddin (if I get it right, that's how Ian Chappel used to pronounce Azhar then) maneuvered his wrists to play his trademark FLICK shot. I am referring to Indian cricket when Azhar was reinstated as the captain in the early 1998. 

These were the days when the team used to be heavily dependent on Sachin. After he used to get out, an inexplicable sense of sadness and despair used to engulf every cricket loving fan in the country. This was more so true if India were chasing a big target (anything beyond 250 used to be considered a big target those days). Captain Azhar would make his way to the ground next and would strive to cement a partnership with the likes of Ganguly and Dravid. The deft touches he used to master along with Ganguly flourishing through the offside and Dravid endeavouring to play the perfect cover drive were beyond doubt a treat to watch.

These were also the days when Sachin used to go hammer and tong at Shane Warne (just how Chris Gayle does to every other bowler nowadays). His knocks in Sharjah shall always remain intact in our minds. Remember Henry Olonga who became a star overnight by getting Sachin out early in one of the innings. Well, as always, Sachin gave it back to him.We had a decent fast bowler in the form of Javagal Srinath who always used to run hard in order to be able to extract some purchase from the wicket. He was largely successful barring few occasions like the one in the World Cup Final 2003 when Ricky Ponting blasted him around for sixes (I must say we all felt sad at the way he was milked  !!!)

We also had a medium pacer in Venkatesh Prasad who, at times, used to rip apart even the highly attacking batsmen (remember how he showed Aamir Sohail the way to the pavilion !!). These were also the days when Nayan Mongia used to do apt justice to Anil Kumble by holding on to difficult chances which Kumble's unorthodox spin bowling used to exude.We were lucky enough to have a young fast bowler who goes by the name Ajit Agarkar. The way he went about achieving the feat of fastest 50 wickets in ODI cricket led to germination of big hopes in the minds of the Indian fans (Alas, his brilliance was short-lived !!!. He is still playing though- played for Delhi Daredevils in few of the matches this year in IPL and also managed to take few wickets). The team was privileged enough to have modern days's Michael Hussey in the avatar of Robin Singh. There must be countless incidents when he single-handedly stood between India losing and the opponents winning. There was something beyond comprehension about Robin Singh which made him highly popular with the masses. Then there were the likes of Jadeja who often used to do what Yuvraj Singh does today to bowlers- exterminate their spells! I cannot but mention Hrishikesh Kanitkar who will always remain alive in our hearts for that boundary he hit off the bowling of Saqlain Mushtaq. 

Watching cricket used to be a different exercise back then from another angle also. There were just two known Indian English commentators- the ineffable Ravi Shastri and the ever so critical Sunil Gavaskar. Tony Greig, Ian Chappel Geoffrey Goycott, Tony Cozier, Ian Botham etc. were the celebrated names in Cricket Commentary then. It was a pleasure listening to their use of words and their vivid analysis of the cricket being played on the ground. Perhaps, there would never be another Tony Greig.

India undoubtedly were bad at chasing totals then. With the openers gone and the middle-order batsmen not able to rotate the strikes and consequently the run-rate ticking over, the pressure and the tension gripping the fans also used to see a proportional rise. I still remember how my father used to irritate me by saying "....they need 7 runs an over..they are definitely losing...come on, sleep now...you have school tomorrow...there is no point watching this match any more.....". I used to relentlessly argue with him that anything can happen in cricket and a late strike by Robin Singh or Jadeja could turn things around in India's favour. Although I very well knew that the occurrence of such an event was quite unlikely, I kept praying that somehow India ended up winning. 

Perhaps, there was a greater attachment then between the game and its followers. The next day at school used to be earmarked for our analysis.We- namely Bishakh, RajKumar, Sataroop, Arindam, Partha, me, Sayan, Amit Bihari, Samitabh, Jogen, Sangam, Mridu, Manas, Ruka used to discuss and analyse every minute detail of the match.

I miss the good old days of Indian cricket- the days when the thin line between sport and entertainment stayed firmly erect !!!!!!

TRAVAILS OF SMALL TOWN STUDENTS

"Our problems are man-made, therefore they may be solved by man. And man can be as big as he wants. No problem of human destiny is beyond human beings"

                                                                                                    - John F. Kennedy

People say that great men seldom get their views and thoughts wrong. I, however, differ with this famous quote of the former President of the United States of America. The context I have chosen today to counter the merits of this quote are nothing but the travails of small town students when they migrate to larger towns/ big cities either for higher studies/coaching for competitive exams or for jobs. 

Higher education is India is unfortunately centralized or restricted to few cities/ hubs. As such, any student from a small town/ village who (after his/her completion of basic education- generally up to Class XII) aspires to achieve something big in life has very little/limited choice but to migrate to these education hubs (My personal mentor would like to call this situation of these students as "CHOICE-LESS CHOICE"). 

Living in a small town and dreaming about coming to big cities for studies with big ambitions is undoubtedly a pleasant experience. However, dreams are far from reality and it is no different in this case as well. Harsh facts start imposing their whims and fancies on these students from the moment they leave their houses and catch the trains to their destinations. 

Things slowly begin to get worse from here on. The first problem with which these students are confronted is to find and negotiate a three-wheeler/ taxi to ferry them to their uncles'/aunties'/friends' house where they plan to stay for a week or so on. Once they reach the house and freshen up and sit down to have food with the host, they face another stark reality. Their host would invariably tell them that his/ her landlord does not like guests staying for more than 2-3 days and as such, they have to look for an accommodation the next day (Sadly enough, most of the colleges and institutes of these education hubs have limited hostel facilities)

Night passes by. Now comes the most interesting part of the story. One will go and look for houses/ hostels/ Paying Guests etc.; but will soon realise that the landlords/ owners don't agree to giving their houses for rent directly- the request has to be routed through an agent who is popularly known as "PROPERTY DEALER". You go to the Property Dealer and you will be greeted by some large-bellied uncle or a huckster. Very simple funda- pay the broker 1-2 months' rent as commission and you find yourself a place to stay. (Let me tell you that the quality of accommodation is directly proportional to the amount of money paid to the broker).

After shelter, time comes for food. One can go for food delivered at one's door-step by people commonly known as "DABBAWALAS" or go for a cook and have homely food (the second one is a relatively expensive proposition). Then comes the problem with drinking water- Go for municipality water (provided you want to be infected with JAUNNDICE within the next 8-10 months) or get that 20 litre can (Branded cans like Bisleri come for Rs.80 nowadays and those of local brands are available for Rs. 30 onwards). Now that you have stayed for one week, your clothes become dirty and here again, one can adopt two options- go for a washerman or try self-washing (the second option is little tough but not altogether unachievable)

Next, we proceed to a different set of problems-

• You fall sick quite often due to your body finding it difficult to adjust to new weather conditions
•  You can't study because your landlord's house will play the TV at loud volumes and even after repeated requests, things won't change
• Your cook/ dabbawala will disappear for 3-4 days (at times, up to 10 days)
• You don't like the taste of the food cooked by your dabbawala/ cook
• Your Dhobi will spoil the design of your favourite t-shirt/shirt. In worst cases, you might lose few of your t-shirts

I CAN THINK OF THOUSAND OTHER PROBLEMS. The intention here is not to go on bragging about these issues but rather to highlight that these innocent students are not themselves responsible for the problems they face. It is actually their bad luck. On a serious note, it is perhaps the outcome of the education policies adopted by the government at large and that of the private education space as well up to a certain extent. There is an imminent need on the part of the government and that of the private sector to move beyond their comfort zone and look at smaller towns/ cities as potential beds for higher education. In this regard, the efforts of the Central Government in opening up new IITs and IIMs in little-known places is a step forward in the positive direction. But much more needs to be done. After all, the students from small-towns/ villages can't be left to wander endlessly.

Disclaimer: This piece has been written mainly based on generalisation of individual experiences. Therefore, it is quite likely that many of its readers may not agree to certain aspects/ parts of the piece. You are welcome to differ !!!

CSK and Luck- Overcrowded convergence !!!!

Since the inception of the wonderful game of cricket, Luck has always played a major role in deciding the outcome of cricket matches...Be it inside edges, outside edges, french cuts, dropped catches, no-balls, wide-balls, or for that matter missed run-out chances, an unnatural outcome of a delivery has swung the pendulum in favour of the disadvantaged sides time and again. Although these instances of luck do keep happening, it is however, important to note the frequency of these occurrences. If the frequency changes dramatically during a particular match (in favour of a particular team), the cricket-loving fans are bound to delve profoundly on the issue. 

The Chennai Super Kings, defending champions of IPL has been riding such luck all through IPL5. Especially, during critical junctures of the tournament, this luck factor began imposing its influence to an unbelievable extent. The champions during the initial stages of the tournament were not able to make much of an impression. But, as time passed by, they went on to win few very close matches. Let me clarify that I am not doubting the capability of the CSK team. What I am trying to highlight rather is the incapability of the other teams when it comes to facing CSK. I shall not go into the details of all the matches. But I feel it is extremely important to pinpoint couple of matches:-

First is the penultimate league match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Deccan Chargers (which never got its team combination working throughout the tournament). By then, 3 teams namely DD, KKR and MI had already cemented their place in the playoffs. This match was meant to decide who would go to the playoffs- either RCB or CSK. If RCB won, it would make it and vice-versa. Significantly enough, the DC led by Sangakkara and coached by Darren Lehman (who always keeps taking notes during matches- What do you write Darren? Please share with us...Don't worry if your handwriting is bad; We are merely interested in the content) manages to gather all its lost pride and vigour in this match...BRAVO !! Wow !!! Hats off to DC. A team which was finding it difficult to defend 180+ during earlier matches successfully defends 132 in this crucial match. Now, this is called "PLAYING FOR PRIDE". 

Second, the eliminator match between CSK and DD. Now, this match had every element to make it to a Bollywood film directed by Ram Gopal Verma (He surely could have managed a hit with it). DD surprisingly enough drops the tournament's leading wicket-taker Morne Morkel and the in-form Irfan Pathan from its Playing Eleven and includes an IPL debutant Sunny Gupta (a little known spinner). David Warner, one of the best fielders in world cricket goes on to drop a sitter. Further, DD's captain Virender Sehwag changes his batting line-up and sends Jawardene up the order and demotes him to No.3. CSK go on to win the match and on track to win IPL5. After all, a team owned by the President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) can't simply be allowed to lose. 

In the light of the above discussion, the Governing Council of the IPL must make the hidden clauses of the tournament open during IPL 6. Following should ideally be the list of those clauses-

1. However good/bad a team plays during most of its initial matches in the tournament, in the final few matches, they must change their game plan to make CSK win
2. The teams will play for only second place. The Champion team is reserved for CSK
3. In play-offs, the other teams apart from CSK must make arbitrary and illogical decisions
4. The best fielders must drop sitters

5. Little known cricketers must make their debuts in important matches only against CSK

.

.

.

.........& the list goes on and on......

To end this piece, I would like to quote Ramachandra Guha 

" The IPL is bad for capitalism, democracy and cricket"