Well I was off again. This time to a vacation (yeah ! not to a pilgrimage in the name of a vacation). Come to think of it in an earlier post I said - "what the heck - lets go on a pilgrimage. As it is I need a long due and well earned vacation". Just the kind of thing my mom need to know I said.
Because had she known these lines of mine she would say - see your pilgrimage brought you the truly well deserved and long due vacation....
Well I was in Darjeeling for 10 heavenly days. Will put of a post soon. I still have to complete the second part of the "Tirth Yatra". So stay tuned.....
Friday, June 30, 2006
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
Rahul Mahajan - Trial by Media??
TOI edit on 6th june notes a fact in the ongoing case of Rahul Mahajan that instead of giving their story to the police the four young men involved in the case presented it to the media, first. The edit says
Ha Ha..... a police that has lost all its credibility and hence trust of the country's people can only hide behind the fig leaf of well-laid-out procedures. No, I am not saying that their performace at cracking the cases is bad (that it is) but I am saying that their performace in conniving with the perpetrators of the crime is legendry. So what does the insecure do? They try and inform as many people as is possible. Thats the individual's best bet. And in the case in question the later developments proved them - ahem.... astute - if not right.
Do we think that Apollo hospitals did not try to help mahajan get out of this?
Do we think that police was trying hard when they did not arrest Rahul long after drugs were talked about?
Do we think police would do the same had I, a hardly popular and surely not political figure, been involved in the case?
Frankly - I might be wrong with those questions, but media is ensuring at least that police will have to follow due process.
TOI in the same edit says
Yep.. possible and yes it is dangerous. But, lets take this risk. Let some high and mighty be victimised by the sheer incompetence and corrupt behaviours of our policing system. May be then that will improve the police forces.
TOI says further
Noble words those - hey but the credibility or the balance comes from the fact that there is severe competition in the media and its cut throat - so one major error and TRPs could nosedive.
No, I am not worried that they will go over the top - they might be derailed, carried away some times, even get corrupted occassionaly but they will check themseleves just in time - if they have to survive.
Why, the TOI edit itself is an example - who is it cautioning - the media channels who are getting attaraction of people. So tomorrow if someone there actually slips the credibility test - another TOI edit will mention "See we told you". The powers that be in the channel will then act - a few heads may roll or a few at least get the rap. So the next story is done better.
Similarly let another high profile case come and the police will follow procedures better and Doctors would learn to stick to facts better rather than try to drop some distortions. Free markets at its best.......
PS. Lookout for the police and Doctors also learn fast.
"While there is some justification for their act, it is a disturbing trend,
one that could lead to all kinds of distortions. Bypassing normal, well-laid-out
procedures cannot be encouraged."
Ha Ha..... a police that has lost all its credibility and hence trust of the country's people can only hide behind the fig leaf of well-laid-out procedures. No, I am not saying that their performace at cracking the cases is bad (that it is) but I am saying that their performace in conniving with the perpetrators of the crime is legendry. So what does the insecure do? They try and inform as many people as is possible. Thats the individual's best bet. And in the case in question the later developments proved them - ahem.... astute - if not right.
Do we think that Apollo hospitals did not try to help mahajan get out of this?
Do we think that police was trying hard when they did not arrest Rahul long after drugs were talked about?
Do we think police would do the same had I, a hardly popular and surely not political figure, been involved in the case?
Frankly - I might be wrong with those questions, but media is ensuring at least that police will have to follow due process.
TOI in the same edit says
It could also muddy the waters or prejudge the case. More importantly, it
has the potential of trial by media — a dangerous trend.
Yep.. possible and yes it is dangerous. But, lets take this risk. Let some high and mighty be victimised by the sheer incompetence and corrupt behaviours of our policing system. May be then that will improve the police forces.
TOI says further
Media must not give into sensationalism and not do anything that could help
the accused. They need to cooperate with the investigating agencies and
intervene only when absolutely necessary to help the cause of justice. This is a
test case. The media must live up to the role of watchdog if they are to
continue enjoying public credibility.
Noble words those - hey but the credibility or the balance comes from the fact that there is severe competition in the media and its cut throat - so one major error and TRPs could nosedive.
No, I am not worried that they will go over the top - they might be derailed, carried away some times, even get corrupted occassionaly but they will check themseleves just in time - if they have to survive.
Why, the TOI edit itself is an example - who is it cautioning - the media channels who are getting attaraction of people. So tomorrow if someone there actually slips the credibility test - another TOI edit will mention "See we told you". The powers that be in the channel will then act - a few heads may roll or a few at least get the rap. So the next story is done better.
Similarly let another high profile case come and the police will follow procedures better and Doctors would learn to stick to facts better rather than try to drop some distortions. Free markets at its best.......
PS. Lookout for the police and Doctors also learn fast.
Monday, June 05, 2006
Funny Fanna
"When celebrities speak they must take a prepared punchline from those whom they seek to represent" sounds ridiculous to you ?? me too. But thats exactly what one of our rather intellectually bent media persons would want us to believe.
I am refering to a talk show we the people telecaseted on NDTV on 4th June. Brakha dutt as always was good and could collect a variety of interesting and informed panelists on the discussions. The context was celebrities involvement in issues of public interest. Obviously it erupts out the reaction in Gujarat on Aamir's film Fanna. Thankfully she also kept the discussion on course by discussing neither the film "Fanna" nor the "Narmad Bachoo Andolan" and kept the discussion squarely on the issue of celebrity endorsing issues and implications thereof.
Apart from the usual points about the fact that in a democracy everyone has a right to say what he or she feels about, and that the reaction to aamir's statements in Gujarat are obviously wrong. Almost all in the group seemed to agree with that. However two voices had some interesting points to make. The two voices were none other than Tavleen singh and Nalini Singh.
Nalini made the point that - celebrities need to appreciate that they carry great influence over the public and so they should be cautious about what they say on issues on which they know little about. Not much to disagree here but then to my surprise she ended up suggesting this - "see when Amitabh and Sharukh were given the line - Do boond Jindagi Ke (Two drops of life) - it worked just great for the polio campaign. Thats because - they did not need to know much about polio virus or the disease. Someone worked for weeks - may be a month and came up with lines that they could communicate well to people. Thats an effective way to take a informed and right thing to people." The message - Don't just go out there and speak soemthing that can affect such a large number of people, just like that.
Thankfully someone in the audience was moved enough to ask her point blank - "Does Nalini mean that what celebrities should do is utter prepared lines but never say what they feel in their own words? I am really confused is this waht she means".
Nalini - a professional as she is, remained composed and yet fiddled with words suggesting that this is like distorting what she said and went on to unconvincingly explain that what she meant was that there are so many crores of people out there who might feel and get affected by what the celbrities say and what I am saying is...........blah!!
And then there was the inimitable tavleen singh, columnist - who points out that celebrities need to be responsible for their statements. Sure, not many would disagree with her on that but then what do you mean by responsibility? she says something to the effect - if you have stuck your neck out stick with it. Specifically, in the context of Fanna controvesy - she is unhappy that aamir and company visited for half a day and made those, now historical, statements. According to her celebrities should own it up for long and be consistent about it. She took example of Shabana accepting an award from the world Economic forum when she had already raised her voice against them in a different context.
Well - what does one say. A good TV anchor has to find conflicting voices to bring to her show a variety of opinions. And some in media carve their presence by ensuring that they write or say which is different if not exactly opposite to what media is printing reams on. Both Nalini and Tavleen belong to that brand, whom I admire because they do bring some genuine nuances of the issue. But frankly sometimes this effort stretches into either trivialities or sometimes simply nowhere. Tavleen's issue though right are at the wrong time and hence belong to the former category while nalini belongs to the latter. An entire hour of time wasted on explaining to those two the simple irrelevance of their ideas in the current context - is a huge waste.
I am refering to a talk show we the people telecaseted on NDTV on 4th June. Brakha dutt as always was good and could collect a variety of interesting and informed panelists on the discussions. The context was celebrities involvement in issues of public interest. Obviously it erupts out the reaction in Gujarat on Aamir's film Fanna. Thankfully she also kept the discussion on course by discussing neither the film "Fanna" nor the "Narmad Bachoo Andolan" and kept the discussion squarely on the issue of celebrity endorsing issues and implications thereof.
Apart from the usual points about the fact that in a democracy everyone has a right to say what he or she feels about, and that the reaction to aamir's statements in Gujarat are obviously wrong. Almost all in the group seemed to agree with that. However two voices had some interesting points to make. The two voices were none other than Tavleen singh and Nalini Singh.
Nalini made the point that - celebrities need to appreciate that they carry great influence over the public and so they should be cautious about what they say on issues on which they know little about. Not much to disagree here but then to my surprise she ended up suggesting this - "see when Amitabh and Sharukh were given the line - Do boond Jindagi Ke (Two drops of life) - it worked just great for the polio campaign. Thats because - they did not need to know much about polio virus or the disease. Someone worked for weeks - may be a month and came up with lines that they could communicate well to people. Thats an effective way to take a informed and right thing to people." The message - Don't just go out there and speak soemthing that can affect such a large number of people, just like that.
Thankfully someone in the audience was moved enough to ask her point blank - "Does Nalini mean that what celebrities should do is utter prepared lines but never say what they feel in their own words? I am really confused is this waht she means".
Nalini - a professional as she is, remained composed and yet fiddled with words suggesting that this is like distorting what she said and went on to unconvincingly explain that what she meant was that there are so many crores of people out there who might feel and get affected by what the celbrities say and what I am saying is...........blah!!
And then there was the inimitable tavleen singh, columnist - who points out that celebrities need to be responsible for their statements. Sure, not many would disagree with her on that but then what do you mean by responsibility? she says something to the effect - if you have stuck your neck out stick with it. Specifically, in the context of Fanna controvesy - she is unhappy that aamir and company visited for half a day and made those, now historical, statements. According to her celebrities should own it up for long and be consistent about it. She took example of Shabana accepting an award from the world Economic forum when she had already raised her voice against them in a different context.
Well - what does one say. A good TV anchor has to find conflicting voices to bring to her show a variety of opinions. And some in media carve their presence by ensuring that they write or say which is different if not exactly opposite to what media is printing reams on. Both Nalini and Tavleen belong to that brand, whom I admire because they do bring some genuine nuances of the issue. But frankly sometimes this effort stretches into either trivialities or sometimes simply nowhere. Tavleen's issue though right are at the wrong time and hence belong to the former category while nalini belongs to the latter. An entire hour of time wasted on explaining to those two the simple irrelevance of their ideas in the current context - is a huge waste.
Friday, June 02, 2006
Musings from a Pilgrimage - I
Sorry for this hiatus – was really occupied with personal, professional and the spiritual. Yes ! I was out for a week on a pilgrimage (tour)
“Pilgrimage – now that sounds boring. And since when did you start paying visits to the deities?” Comments that I received when I announced my trip.
OK !! I have never been over the top with religion or any thing that remotely smells of the meta physicals. But, what the heck - I am OK with the idea of faith. So when my parents issued an emotional appeal (Well fine!! emotional blackmail) – I just said yes. Here was a long sought vacation which I was unable to plan somehow. And – it turned out to be quite a bit more than a pilgrimage – so this post promises to be much more then just a travelogue.
I might have never mentioned that I belong to a jain family – it seems so trivial but one realizes that one’s religion is very much a part of one’s identity. A visit to shikharjee - the place in question – thus is a once in a lifetime opportunity for us to wash off all the sins that we might have committed in our lifetime. (some made me believe that actually it also takes care of sins that you are going to commit in our future…… I told you it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity). Eevry one was convinced that my kid is really lucky to go on such a “yatra” at such a tender age (four years).
I did not realize that we were off to such an important “yatra” of my life until I occupied my birth in the train. We were dropped by my uncle and family – sheepishly they took out a couple of garlands (the typical yellow genda – variety which one sees hanging at all flower shops) and we (I, my wife and the kid) were felicitated complete with the red “tilak” on our forehead. I felt like the sacrificial lamb being readied for the final kill. I recalled Haj yatris on railway stations being similarly treated and the fun I had watching all the drama – but never did I imagine that I will become the reasons for amusement of fellow passengers – Oh! God was it embarrassing.
I : Civil Sense ??
Anyways we left for an almost 36 hour journey in a train which will travel through so many corners of MP, UP, Bihar and Jharkhand that I never knew existed. After a long time I was on a long journey by Indian railways and that too sleeper class. I grew increasingly conscious of the fact that in brightly “shining” India – lack of civil sense remains a burning problem – a train coach which starts spanking clean from the origin station (no pun intended) becomes a mess with spits, wrappers, peels, dust, newspapers, water spills from water bottles to wash basins to even toilets. By the time our journey ends we just want a clean wash and sound sleep for the next day.
Another 25 km of taxi ride took us to Madhuban – a small town at the foot of shikharjee hills was to be our abode for the next three days. I was immediately attracted to the green hills that we were to travel the next day.
“Yatra Begins”
Well the D-day
started at 4:00 AM – and how? Of course with a wish for a successful yatra in front of a deity named Bhomyaji – considered the paheradar (Guard) at the doors of the shikharjee. It is amazing to note that almost every God worth his salt (or his temple) in India follows the business/corporate culture of establishing a trusted guard notionally outside his abode taking care of his boss’s business and like every other office reaching the boss passes through their tables necessarily (Remember Hanumanji for Ram Temples, or _________ for Lord Shiva etc.)
I was told this incredible news that we are supposed to walk approx. 27 km (yes twenty seven) by the evening. The only destination that we coul
d see was a one white temple on top of one of the highest peaks and gosh!! It looked far and high. I was ready to bet my money that this 27 km bit was an exaggeration by some over zealous “bhakt” and we started on an unending serpentine concrete road approx. 6-feet wide on a hill covered with thick green forest seemingly leading us to – well nowhere. I must say I really enjoyed the first km. Through the lush green dense forest at around 4:30 hrs. Not just me, to our delight even our four year kid was so full of energy and enthusiasm that he traveled almost the first km on foot.
II : Children of my country
Early on in our “yatra” I noted these young girls in their early school going age carrying
something in nylon sacks on their heads, on those steep concrete roads. While I clicked a few snaps I asked one of them as to what is it that they were carrying. She replied simply "Itta" (bricks). I was taken aback, as if hit by those bricks she was carrying, by the casual manner she answered it – a look at the bag would reveal that each bag must have contained 6 or 8 bricks. I could not think of carrying a travel bag for long with me and here is a small girl almost one-third my age carrying brickload on her head climbing this strenuous mountains.
I was aware that we would be traveling on concrete roads - which they said has made the yatra much easier. My parents who visited the place about 25years ago remembers that it was once just a "kaccha" path through the dense forest – where even the mighty sun would rarely reach them. I was suddenly conscious of the fact that this concrete road that we were walking on was laid down on a bed of bricks carried by these tender shoulders at an age when the Indian government promises them compulsory primary education. Thats India for all of us.
III : Fellow Human Beings
Did you notice those
“dolis” moving along with us – a strong thick wooden beam carried on their shoulders by two men with a swing like arrangement for one person to sit while they are carried by these two people through their yatras.
This is the only help available to carry out your journey if you are unable to complete the fete on foot. There are hundreds of such doliwalas swarming the place. They obviously cater to the peak time demand when this small town is full of “yatris”. At this time you just look around for a “doliwala” and at least 10 will approach you. If you have the courage and will to negotiate they will agree to half the price that they are entitled to. You would easily realize the sheer manual effort that is required in carrying a human being (50-70 Kgs on average) on these steep hills for 20 plus kms. And then it would dawn upon you, how inhuman it would be to negotiate a better price for their manual labour.
I was once in Calcutta (in the days when this was the name of the city) and saw human beings carrying richer fellow human beings on a hand pulled trolly (like a horse cart with a human being in place of the horse). If you feel that’s awful – this one is worse. I have always wondered how would one feel sitting in one of those carts (or one of these dolis) with the other human beings carrying you. At least I could not make myself sit even to try out this feeling.
IV : Faith
Faith is
an amazing thing. It can move mountains – or it can make you climb mountains – literally. Here is my mother – she suffers from chronic troubles with all joints in her body and she generally avoids walking for long because the pain becomes unbearable specially the outsized bones of her toes. Any number of doctors could not convince her to go for a regular morning walk which they claim will keep her joints more functional. And here was she all energized and determined to complete a 25plus km journey through steep mountains in a single day and by now she has traveled about 8 km. She keeps saying no to our suggestions, requests, emotional blackmails to sit
on a doli. How else can one define this seemingly unexplainable contradiction.
Here is another picture of faith – look at the frail beauty of this old lady whom I don’t know. Its hot summer of may and she travels all the way up here with her family (may be with the help of doliwalas) looking for what – God, Peace, Sense of conquer or just a need to tell herself that I am up and kicking.
The “yatra” continues and so does my musings. The post is turning out to be bulkier then I thought when I started. So More to come – wait for the next post – stay tuned.
“Pilgrimage – now that sounds boring. And since when did you start paying visits to the deities?” Comments that I received when I announced my trip.
OK !! I have never been over the top with religion or any thing that remotely smells of the meta physicals. But, what the heck - I am OK with the idea of faith. So when my parents issued an emotional appeal (Well fine!! emotional blackmail) – I just said yes. Here was a long sought vacation which I was unable to plan somehow. And – it turned out to be quite a bit more than a pilgrimage – so this post promises to be much more then just a travelogue.
I might have never mentioned that I belong to a jain family – it seems so trivial but one realizes that one’s religion is very much a part of one’s identity. A visit to shikharjee - the place in question – thus is a once in a lifetime opportunity for us to wash off all the sins that we might have committed in our lifetime. (some made me believe that actually it also takes care of sins that you are going to commit in our future…… I told you it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity). Eevry one was convinced that my kid is really lucky to go on such a “yatra” at such a tender age (four years).
I did not realize that we were off to such an important “yatra” of my life until I occupied my birth in the train. We were dropped by my uncle and family – sheepishly they took out a couple of garlands (the typical yellow genda – variety which one sees hanging at all flower shops) and we (I, my wife and the kid) were felicitated complete with the red “tilak” on our forehead. I felt like the sacrificial lamb being readied for the final kill. I recalled Haj yatris on railway stations being similarly treated and the fun I had watching all the drama – but never did I imagine that I will become the reasons for amusement of fellow passengers – Oh! God was it embarrassing.
I : Civil Sense ??
Anyways we left for an almost 36 hour journey in a train which will travel through so many corners of MP, UP, Bihar and Jharkhand that I never knew existed. After a long time I was on a long journey by Indian railways and that too sleeper class. I grew increasingly conscious of the fact that in brightly “shining” India – lack of civil sense remains a burning problem – a train coach which starts spanking clean from the origin station (no pun intended) becomes a mess with spits, wrappers, peels, dust, newspapers, water spills from water bottles to wash basins to even toilets. By the time our journey ends we just want a clean wash and sound sleep for the next day.
Another 25 km of taxi ride took us to Madhuban – a small town at the foot of shikharjee hills was to be our abode for the next three days. I was immediately attracted to the green hills that we were to travel the next day.
“Yatra Begins”
Well the D-day
started at 4:00 AM – and how? Of course with a wish for a successful yatra in front of a deity named Bhomyaji – considered the paheradar (Guard) at the doors of the shikharjee. It is amazing to note that almost every God worth his salt (or his temple) in India follows the business/corporate culture of establishing a trusted guard notionally outside his abode taking care of his boss’s business and like every other office reaching the boss passes through their tables necessarily (Remember Hanumanji for Ram Temples, or _________ for Lord Shiva etc.)I was told this incredible news that we are supposed to walk approx. 27 km (yes twenty seven) by the evening. The only destination that we coul
d see was a one white temple on top of one of the highest peaks and gosh!! It looked far and high. I was ready to bet my money that this 27 km bit was an exaggeration by some over zealous “bhakt” and we started on an unending serpentine concrete road approx. 6-feet wide on a hill covered with thick green forest seemingly leading us to – well nowhere. I must say I really enjoyed the first km. Through the lush green dense forest at around 4:30 hrs. Not just me, to our delight even our four year kid was so full of energy and enthusiasm that he traveled almost the first km on foot.II : Children of my country
Early on in our “yatra” I noted these young girls in their early school going age carrying
something in nylon sacks on their heads, on those steep concrete roads. While I clicked a few snaps I asked one of them as to what is it that they were carrying. She replied simply "Itta" (bricks). I was taken aback, as if hit by those bricks she was carrying, by the casual manner she answered it – a look at the bag would reveal that each bag must have contained 6 or 8 bricks. I could not think of carrying a travel bag for long with me and here is a small girl almost one-third my age carrying brickload on her head climbing this strenuous mountains.
I was aware that we would be traveling on concrete roads - which they said has made the yatra much easier. My parents who visited the place about 25years ago remembers that it was once just a "kaccha" path through the dense forest – where even the mighty sun would rarely reach them. I was suddenly conscious of the fact that this concrete road that we were walking on was laid down on a bed of bricks carried by these tender shoulders at an age when the Indian government promises them compulsory primary education. Thats India for all of us.
III : Fellow Human Beings
Did you notice those
“dolis” moving along with us – a strong thick wooden beam carried on their shoulders by two men with a swing like arrangement for one person to sit while they are carried by these two people through their yatras.This is the only help available to carry out your journey if you are unable to complete the fete on foot. There are hundreds of such doliwalas swarming the place. They obviously cater to the peak time demand when this small town is full of “yatris”. At this time you just look around for a “doliwala” and at least 10 will approach you. If you have the courage and will to negotiate they will agree to half the price that they are entitled to. You would easily realize the sheer manual effort that is required in carrying a human being (50-70 Kgs on average) on these steep hills for 20 plus kms. And then it would dawn upon you, how inhuman it would be to negotiate a better price for their manual labour.
I was once in Calcutta (in the days when this was the name of the city) and saw human beings carrying richer fellow human beings on a hand pulled trolly (like a horse cart with a human being in place of the horse). If you feel that’s awful – this one is worse. I have always wondered how would one feel sitting in one of those carts (or one of these dolis) with the other human beings carrying you. At least I could not make myself sit even to try out this feeling.
IV : Faith
Faith is
an amazing thing. It can move mountains – or it can make you climb mountains – literally. Here is my mother – she suffers from chronic troubles with all joints in her body and she generally avoids walking for long because the pain becomes unbearable specially the outsized bones of her toes. Any number of doctors could not convince her to go for a regular morning walk which they claim will keep her joints more functional. And here was she all energized and determined to complete a 25plus km journey through steep mountains in a single day and by now she has traveled about 8 km. She keeps saying no to our suggestions, requests, emotional blackmails to sit
on a doli. How else can one define this seemingly unexplainable contradiction.Here is another picture of faith – look at the frail beauty of this old lady whom I don’t know. Its hot summer of may and she travels all the way up here with her family (may be with the help of doliwalas) looking for what – God, Peace, Sense of conquer or just a need to tell herself that I am up and kicking.
The “yatra” continues and so does my musings. The post is turning out to be bulkier then I thought when I started. So More to come – wait for the next post – stay tuned.
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