Nothing Sophisticated About It!

Caged!

2011-04-25T08:31:00.001-07:00

A three-foot-high gray concrete wall ran down the middle of the main street, dividing it into two halves. It was the one of the first things that our guide, Avner, pointed out as we entered the Israeli-controlled sector of Hebron in the West Bank. “This side is for Jews, and that’s for Palestinians,” he said.

Will it never happen, I wondered, that a Muslim who regularly prays at the Ibrahami Mosque truly looks in the face of a Jew who regularly prays at Tomb of the Patriarchs (the two names for the same holy place on that street)? Will they not acknowledge each other’s presence? Will they not exchange greetings? The wall dividing them is not high enough to hide their faces from each other. And yet, something within me answered “no.”

Somehow, I began blaming that low wall for everything. This physical barrier strengthened the mental and psychological barriers.

Suddenly it made me think about life at home in India. I realized that there are many Hindu-Muslim riots and clashes in India. But as the days pass afterward, greetings are exchanged, interactions begin – helping to defuse the conflict, even if it continues to simmer.

From the door of a house on the Palestinian side of the Hebron barrier, a girl not older than five came running towards me. Perhaps my camera attracted her. She had a sweet smile when she was still close to her door. As she approached the wall, her smile progressively faded. Then she placed her small palms on the wall, which was almost her height, trying to reach me.

Later it occurred to me that while she was still relatively far from me, she could see me. As she came closer to the wall, I became less visible because of her height. The wall in the street helped teach children from an early age about “the other” in this ghost town. The wall made what could have been a temporary situation permanent.

Walking on, we reached Shuhuda Street. Avner explained that it had once been the main street of Hebron. Now it looked colorless, lifeless. All we saw was the brown of the dry sandy wind that blew and the gray of the concrete of the streets. Except for a living, breathing Israeli soldier, the only sign of life was the graffiti on the walls and closed shops.

It was clear that people lived in the houses on the left side of the road, but it appeared that they had no windows or doors opening on Shuhuda Street. The shutter blocking doors and windows, it seemed to me, perpetuated the mental barriers.

Everywhere the Holy Land is divided, fraught and tense. But the reason why Hebron made such an impact on me was that the division and tension were palpable there. Tangible. When you touch and feel something, you cannot deny it.

Raksha Kumar

What is All the Noise About?

2011-04-25T08:26:00.000-07:00

At 11 p.m. on a Friday, hundreds of twenty-somethings flood the five bars at the intersection of three Greenwich Village streets — Gansevoort, Greenwich and Little West streets. Most of them have just finished exploring one of the bars and are ‘bar hopping.’

When the loud music stops at around 3 a.m., they leave, many of them intoxicated. They tipsily look for cabs that honk their way into this intersection after having criss-crossed a maze of small streets. Residents of this neighbourhood are used to this weekend routine, so familiar with it they rarely complain.

Therefore, when Governor David Paterson recently signed a bill into law that tightens the reins on nightlife operators who routinely break the law, Village residents and bar owners had mixed feelings. While the law might help residents in many other ‘problem’ areas in the state, Greenwich Village, whose economy is driven by the nightlife industry, is negatively affected.

The law will enable the State Liquor Authority to revoke a liquor license after a nightclub or bar has incurred six or more noise or disorderly violations within a 60-day period. The authorities along with NYPD will develop the policy guidelines for this law. Senator Daniel Squadron, who proposed the bill, says he has no fixed date yet, but the guidelines will be out soon.

From 14th Street in the north to Canal Street in the south, the hundreds of bars and nightclubs in Greenwich Village are favorite destinations for the city’s nocturnal beings. More than 20 percent of Greenwich Village area has residences on top of commercial property, according to the City Planning Department. Therefore, one would expect complaints about noise, drugs and other ‘undesirable activities’ against these night clubs to be higher in this neighbourhood than in many others.

But numbers suggest otherwise. In fact, according to New York City’s Information and Telecommunications department website, only fifty four 311 noise complaints have been registered this year in this neighbourhood. However, under the new law, if any six of those complaints were against the same bar or nightclub, the liquor license could be revoked.

“In the past 7 months that I have worked here, I have had two complaints,” says Jerad, the manager of Jekyll and Hyde, a bar on 7th Avenue, who doesn’t use a last name. Judy Wessler, a resident on Bleecker Street for the past 20 years, says she has not heard of any complaints against bars, nor can she think of anyone who has.

Even the police say they don’t get a lot of complaints. Community Affairs Officer of the 6th Precinct, James Alberici points at the phone and says, “You don’t see it ringing all the time, do you?”

“When there is an occasional complaint we send our ‘cabaret team’ to the troubled spot and try and speak to the bar owners,” Alberici says with a smile, “We have very good relations with the bar owners, they are rarely unreasonable.” Cabaret teams are special teams that work from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. around the neighbourhood.

Despite all the talk of the police not having trouble with the bar owners, what brings this law into specific focus in the Village is the ongoing Chi Chiz case. In March this year, NYPD conducted an undercover operation and its legal department filed a suit against Chi Chiz, a bar on Christopher Street, after undercover officers in the Manhattan South Narcotics Division said they made three drug buys in the bar from the same person. The Christopher Street Block Association also supports this claim.

Over the past six years, the police say they had been getting a lot of complaints about drug trade in Chi Chiz that calls itself the only black gay bar in the city.

However, in September, a judge put off hearing part of that case until November, and told the bar to move forward with its own lawsuit that charges the city of being motivated by racial and anti-gay biases when the city sought to close the bar.

The law can therefore be a double edged sword. It can help those residents that are troubled by ‘problem spots’. It can also be cause complications in cases like that of Chi Chiz where the court ruled the suit to be racial and anti-gay.

“So a neighbor that doesn’t want a bar on their block can make a couple calls and then get a couple of other neighbors to call – complain about noise or a drunken patron. Then it gets shut down?” writes an angry resident on New York magazine’s website about the new law.

The few complaints that do come in, vary with the location of the house and of the bar. Most bars in Union Square face less complaints as most of the residents are New York University students who are also those frequent the bars.

“I have never faced a problem while at a bar,” says Elizabeth Webb, student of City Planning, New York University. ”There signs saying ‘be courteous to neighbours’ in most night clubs, people respect it.”

Away from the University, on the west edge of the neighborhood, the number of complaints are comparatively higher.

Another reason that residents don’t complain could be because many houses in the Village have windows that have two layers of glass, to keep the noise levels down, say residents of the Village. “Only sometimes during the summer, if we open our windows, do we hear some noise,” says Henry Strauss, who lives right across a pub on Jane Street.

While 44.9 percent of Greenwich Village residents are between the age of 25 and 44, the number of people who are older than 44 is also a sizable 31 percent. “There is an 80-year-old woman who lives across the street, she is the only one who complains against us,” says Kimi Pat a waitress at Garage bar on 7th Avenue.

“A women would call at least 3-4 times a week and complain about noise,” says Marisol de la Rosa who worked as a waitress for 6 years in Florent, the first 24-hour bar in the Meat Packing District. “But then, what did she expect?! She lived right above a 24-hour bar!”

NYC on 9/11: A journalist’s perspective

2010-09-12T15:28:00.000-07:00

Few times in the past has the journalist in me yearned to be in a place of interest and managed to get here within minutes. When I woke up on Saturday, I was weirdly conscious of the fact that nine years ago, this day, 19 people who I never knew, affected my life in unthinkable ways. I wanted to be at the place where history was altered, spectacularly.

My ride on the underground subway was just like it would be on any other weekend. At 11 AM it was quiet, not crowded and people didn’t seem to know what was going at ground level above them. But, when you stepped out of the subway station at Park Place, you stepped into a different planet. There were thousands of people in four different rallies noisily voicing various view points. I saw many banners, pamphlets, information literature. I had a camera and audio equipment, which made me an object of specific interest. Everyone wanted to tell me what they felt, how they felt and why they were right.

I patiently listened to as many people as I could (yes, even to those who said Koran should be burnt and that Christ was the only God) and collected literature that they gave me. I was trying to understand each of their points of view. After all, many people there had very little to gain by gathering in Downtown New York on a sunny Saturday and scream out slogans. Many were not representing political parties or any religoius places. (However, many were from NGOs and let’s not get into the complications of how the NGO industry works). The point I am trying to make is that I met many ordinary New Yorkers who felt passionately about their cause. For instance, a group called ‘Raging Grannies’ had a bunch of 70-year-old women who were spreading the message of peace. Another man who believed in Christianity decided to come to Ground Zero and started giving speeches about his view of the religion to a small group that had gathered around him.

The obvious question is do they have to wait for a day like 9/11 to speak up? Well, let us face it. The media also looks for an event like this to give their voices some ears. Imagine going to Ground Zero on 9/11 and not finding anyone talking about issues of September 11th 2001?

Groud Zero itself looked quite unaffected by the chaos around it. The construction at the site was stalled as it was a weekend. But, the tall cranes at the construction site gave a look of condescension. As if to say that they are above all of this. The American flag hoisted across the street from Ground Zero was also unaffected by all of it. It just fluttered away depending on what direction the wind blew towards. In front of the Chambers Street subway station, across Ground Zero, an elderly gentleman was playing a flute melodiously. I saw a girl of not more than 3 years of age approach him. They then enjoyed a nice musical moment together while the world around them shouted and screamed slogans.

Wading through tonnes and tonnes of police barricades, I had finally walked all the way from Ground Zero through the City Park to the Brooklyn Bridge. It is here that the East River calls out to you, if you are looking for a moment of peace.

While returning home, I couldn’t help but salute the democratic sprit of the US, where a protestor can call the US a ‘police state’ standing right in front of a policeman who is out there to provide protection. My country has a similar democratic system, which is abusive at times, ruthless at times, intolerant at times and blatantly insensitive other at times. But, aren’t we all? And what is democracy but a reflection of us?

Raksha Kumar

When You Are Your Country

2010-08-30T20:44:00.000-07:00

The heat can make you tremendously sleepy! The heat, added to the cradle-like rocking of the subway, is just the setting for a nap amidst all of New York’s crowd. Just when my eyes were shutting down, a lean girl with a broad smile asked me if I was from the Journalism School, Columbia University. Sleepily, I said yes. Just to be polite I reciprocated by asking her the same question. She jumped and said that she was studying at the Sociology School, Columbia University. Her energy on that hot, fatigued afternoon amazed me.

She went on. She spoke a bit about where she lived. I half listened, and half slept. But, then something caught my attention. She said she was from Palestine. I sat up, attentive. I had met people from Israel and from Jerusalem. But had met no one who claimed they were from Palestine. Because, on the international map, there is no Palestine anymore.

I looked at her closely for the first time. She had a long face, pointed chin and deep-set brown eyes. She didn’t look typically Arab. When asked about it, she explained, she had Dutch ancestry.

We spent quite-an-hour discussing the troubled geo politics of the Middle East. I asked her what the Middle East looked like before 1948 (that was the year when Israel was formed and all the ‘Jewish lands’ were assimilated into one country). She started fiddling with the gold chain that was around her neck and held up a gold pendant. That, she said unemotionally, was how Middle East looked before 1948. The map included what is now Israel, Palestine, Gaza Strip and West Bank.

That was a very powerful moment. People wear pendants of their names, their loved ones or something as impersonal as a butterfly or a rose. She felt such deep affection for her country, she held it as close to her as possible.
Then she passionately scribbled a map of how the Middle East looks now on a piece of paper. She said that would help me better understand it.

She said that she has to go through a check post for almost everything in her country – a mall, a store, a library. She also gave a graphic account of how there are ghettos and segregation – there are Arab buses and Israeli buses in the same towns, Arab schools and Israeli schools and of course, separate neighbourhoods.
She told me she was working with children’s theatre in Jerusalem for two years. Her family is in a small village of Palestine. They speak Dutch and Arabic at home. And, that her sister is a law student.

Then it suddenly struck me, that I knew everything about her but her name! The conversation was so engaging that I forgot to ask Dina Zbidat her name and even she forgot to tell me!

Made me wonder how her nationality was more of her identity than her own name! Made me wonder how we take our nationality for granted. Made me wonder how it becomes so important to ‘belong’ somewhere.

For the first time, Shakespeare made absolute sense to me when he said ‘what is in a name’.

Raksha Kumar

An Author In Transition

2010-08-29T16:43:00.000-07:00

Shifting his weight from one foot to the other, he speaks to me on the subway platform in NYC. Muhammad Bilal Lakhani is not tense or anxious about anything it is just the way he is all the time – restless, energetic. That is perhaps why Bilal became a published author at age 19. Bilal is now a 23-year-old graduate student at the Journalism School, Columbia University.

Bilal’s first book, his only book, is titled ‘Real life lessons from the Holy Quran for the 21st Century Muslim’. He finished writing this book when he was 17 years old. “The book was meant for me, as a handbook. So that I didn’t make the mistakes I had made before,” he says. But, how many mistakes could a 17-year-old have made anyway! Later, Bilal went ahead and decided to share his book with others.

However, getting a book published on religion by a young, non-established writer was, in his own words, “a fight”. He persistently got back to the publisher for two years and finally managed to see his thoughts in print in 2006.
With a mischievous smile on his face, Bilal says he doesn’t put into practice much of what he had written back then in his life now. “The tough part is following what is in the book, not writing it,” he says.

The book has a contract that one signs with oneself and pledges to God that he will follow the ‘righteous’ path. When asked about the contract, Bilal laughs and explains that while some in his family still find it practical and enjoyable, others think it is immature.

Bilal himself thinks that the book is an immature attempt. “However”, speaking in a mild voice, he says, “it is an important part of who I am. There is still a conflict, an identity crisis.” Thus, he gave the book to his fiancé when he first met her.

Bilal’s granduncle reads a page from this book every night before he goes to bed. ‘I am learning something about religion from my grandnephew’, he once said to Bilal. Bilal says that this was the most touching thing he had heard about his book. Bilal’s emotions and gratitude are hidden below his beard covered face, but his eyes say it all.

Bilal’s home country is Pakistan. He plans to write a second book back there, which will not be limited to religion but will take a broader look at life.
This young writer in transition is perhaps voicing the conflict and crisis that most young Muslim men face in this rapidly changing world.

Raksha Kumar

A visit to a gay bar.

2010-08-20T21:28:00.000-07:00

I know a lot of you were asking me to write about my experiences in the US, I refrained from it for a lot of reasons. Today’s experience, however, was just screaming out to be written about and shared.

For our class assignment at the J-school, Columbia University, we were to choose a place and profile it. In my zealous addiction to History and a mad drive to do something different, I decided to profile Stonewall Inn.

Stonewall Inn is a bar whose history with gay rights dates back to 1967. It is the site of Stonewall Riots, which many believe was the visible start of the gay rights movement in the US. So, my project was looking at how things have changed in these 40-odd years, if at all.

With a lot of vigour and enthusiasm about the new assignment, I stepped into Stonewall. While I was mentally prepared to see some rather explicit ‘performances’, my mind was still not communicating with my senses. I must have given a slight squeak, and my eyes must have popped open when I walked in. Being the professional that I am, I quickly regained my composure and strode in.

Once inside, I actually marvelled at the various couples sitting there - an African American man with a man from the Far East, two White women and an Asian man with two White men. And within minutes, I was feeling comfortable sitting in my cosy corner.
I began speaking to the bar tender who was a very pleasant lesbian woman. She tried her very best to find people who I could interview. But with little avail. So, I hung around hoping someone might want to face the mike. I felt it impolite to not order for a drink, so, I asked her to fetch me a beer. For the record, I hate beers! I looked at it as a professional hazard. Well, my profession seems to be quite hazardous, as I later found out! The beer cost me $6 and as tips are a must in the US, with the heaviest heart, I slipped in two one dollar bills. That is how much I would spend on one lavish meal! And remember, I still had no story. No one was willing to be interviewed yet!

In the meanwhile, a girl who was darting her eyes over me now and then, walked over to me. It got me slightly worried. I was not sure what to say, how to react. She wanted to know more about my T-shirt. I relaxed. But suddenly, she said, ‘I like the way you hold your beer’. Oh! This is what I dreaded! By the time one reaches my age, one gets used to boys hitting on you almost every day. You know how to politely reject their advances, or just tell them to back-off at times. But I had never been hit on by a woman before. I tried doing what I would do if a boy had used that rather horrible pick up line. I asked her if she would like to be interviewed. It worked! She rejected the offer and said ‘yeah, you look the kinds men would like. I am sure a lot of men fall for you’. Smiled, and left.

I was left introspecting, ashamed at my awkward behaviour.

But, as my interviewee later said, the gay and lesbian community probably need their own islands of seclusion, where they can be themselves, unhindered. I finally interviewed a man who insisted on putting his sexuality as his primary identity, over nationality. He has been visiting the Stonewall Inn for the past 23 years.

The experience that evening was a unique and a very educating one. And, I managed to get a good story! It was a true journalism experience.

Raksha Kumar

More Than Just A Bath

2010-08-16T13:47:00.000-07:00

We were hoping we’d get a clear day. But when has rain left England alone? England’s love story with Zeus, the Greek God of rain, is probably the most tumultuous. However, this time, a beautiful drizzle only added to the pleasure of enjoying Bath on foot. A little rain, a slight chill interspersed with an occasional warmth of the sun was the perfect setting for stories of a Roman city spa, an abbey of the medieval times and modern day architectural wonders.

Since we had ridden on a train from the smoky and noisy London, the first thing that we noticed in the quieter, fresher Bath was the jugalbandi of the blowing breeze and the singing larks. Bath is less than two hours away from London. This 18th Century town is known all over the world for two things – the great Roman bath spa and legendary laureate Jane Austen. I shall talk about both in sometime.

Our expedition, however, began by walking the length of a beautiful canal that leads up to the Bath Market. Something about Bath that is noticeable even to the blind eye is the limestone constructions. The yellow limestone is unique to Bath and practically every building is constructed with it. While one might assume that this gives a monotonous feel to the town, the varied architecture present here gives the town a face-lift.

We first walked over to see the comparatively recent architecture. The Circus and the Crescent are brilliant examples of beauty and efficient town planning. The Circus is a circular building which is built for housing purposes around a circular piece of green land. The Crescent, on the other hand, is a series of handsomely standing linear houses. It overlooks the green-yellow Avon valley. I couldn’t help wondering how magnificent and majestic it would be to live in one of these buildings and see river Avon and the Thames valley every morn.

As the water in Bath had always been known for its medicinal capacities since the medieval times, the sick from all over England thronged to Bath and it became the unofficial infirmary of the country. Therefore, it is not unusual to find, even to this day, buildings that housed the sick and ailing.

Interestingly, though, the patients who arrived in a hospital in Bath were given a small amount of money from the City Council. This money was enough to pay for their joyful journey back home when they recovered. Else, the money was used for their funerals! As, even death comes at a price!

However, there is no room for such depressing thoughts amidst some overwhelmingly beautiful nature and some incredibly romantic weather. I decided to lunch in the only building that still retains some Roman walls. A cosy vegetarian restaurant called ‘DeMuth’s –positively vegetarian’ occupies that building. A glance at their menu threw me off balance. To put it politely, it was experimental in the truest sense. To give you a peak into its menu – tomato upma with baked pinnaple! Talk about a confluence of the East and the West! Nevertheless, after a very painful lunch, I proceeded to see the Roman Bath.

This public bath was drowned after a ferocious flood hit the town in the medieval times. It was only accidentally discovered by some archaeologists in the early 19th Century which is why the Roman Bath is at a lower level than the rest of the town.
The Romans, during their attempts to occupy England stumbled upon three hot water springs in what is now Bath. Even today, a hot water bath is welcomed with open arms at any time in England. When the Romans saw a possibility of making a recreation centre of the hot water available there, I can imagine how they’d have pounced on the idea.

Gradually, the bath must have gone from being just a recreation, social centre to a place with slightly spiritual leanings. There are many well-preserved messages to Roman Goddess Minerva written on thin metal sheets. These sheets were thrown into the bath, with the belief that the Goddess would be able to pay heed to their problems. The pleas range from a request to find lost silverware to locating stolen slaves! From a betrayed lover asking for revenge to administrative injustices!! It is fascinating to read the translations of these messages that are found in the Bath museum. These give us a sense of how the human race has had similar problems all the while and will only continue to. All the talk of the race progressing or regressing begins to sound superficial.

After exiting the museum, I visited the Abbey. It is a beautiful Gothic construction, as many in England are. The abbey’s claim to fame is that the coronation of the first ‘fake’ and relatively unknown king of England was held there. It is, at the most, a wasteful piece of tit-bit.
Bath would like to take credit and make the most of Jane Austen’s name, but it turns out that she lived in the city for not more than six years and hated her time there!

After having roamed the streets of Bath to my heart’s content in the rain, we decided to make a return. Another sweet little rail ride in the Thames valley brought me to London and back to the land of the present day.

Raksha Kumar

So near, yet, so far!

2010-07-26T08:39:00.000-07:00

In the hide and seek game between the sun and the clouds that evening, the rain won. But, fortunately, I had already set sail on the Snaefell from Liverpool to Douglas on the Isle of Man. Incidentally, this was my first ferry ride on the high seas. In an age where flights and, for nearer distances, trains have dominated the transport routes, travel by water to reach another country was an amusing change.

Snaefell is a reasonably comfortable ferry with a bar (a quintessential English hangout), games arcade and a cafe. My favourite part of the Snaefell, though, was its upper deck from where the vast sea and the relatively small city towards the end of it could be enjoyed.

The ferry moves to the rhythm of the splashing waves, the gushing of its own engines and the unruly wind. The scenery is astounding! Far away mountains turn away their faces, as if in irk. The windmills relentlessly turn in the backdrop of the blue-grey skies and the larks fly in glee. The only person I would have missed in this terribly romantic set-up, had he not been there, would have been Mehdi Hassan. Thank god for iPods! Only later did I realise that I had spent more than three hours listening to his ghazals and enjoying the nature. The journey on the Snaefell is supposed to be for 3 hours. It turns out that the Snaefell rarely keeps to its schedule. That is not a matter of regret, I suppose.

The Isle of Man is an independent country to the north west of England. As the name suggests it is an island nation in the Irish Sea. The United Kingdom has been endowed with immense amounts of natural beauty and the Isle of Man has its fair share to boast of. However, what is interesting to know is that this island of about 80,000 has the oldest continuously existing parliamentary democracy.

The lonely planet gives a rather true perspective of the Isle. It says “the number one industry (on the Isle) is tax avoidance- wealthy Brits can shelter their loot here without having to move to Monte Carlo or the Cayman islands”. The Isle’s proximity to Britain is probably its biggest boon and its worst curse. Its economy is run pretty much by the weathy Brits, but its culture is almost dead under the close influence of the English and Scottish cultures.

Kevin, was pleasant enough to agree to go to the Manx museum with me the following day. The Isle of Man is simply known as Mann and has its own almost extinct language called Manx. The museum, however, has an audio sample in Manx for one to hear. It also, interestingly, has a few Manx proverbs. Reading those, I was wondering if all languages have the same things to say in their proverbs. I have certainly heard ‘Help poor, help God’ in Hindi, Kannada and even English. Most of them reflected ideas that proverbs in any language would.

The highlight of my stay in Mann, though, was the first ever facial of my life! Kevin’s wife, Seana, a delightful lady, happens to be a beautician who runs a beauty clinic. The immensely sweet and hospitable, Kevin and Seana invited me to a complimentary facial. And after making some noises of polite rejection, I finally braced myself to lie down on a masseuse’s table. Travelling, I told myself, should involve new experiences, what is the point if it didn’t?

Anne, was a charming Slovakian who readied herself with oils and other products that were meant for my face. Anne and I began to speak, while she was busy at her work. She was curious to know if I were 17 or 18 years in age. I, no doubt felt thrilled at her wrong presumption, but felt compelled to correct her instantly. Seana was right, the facial felt great. Very relaxing and very fresh. I thank her for introducing me to a nice experience, I hope to repeat in the future.

After a quick lunch, driving on the lovely roads amidst beautiful greenery, we reached Castletown. The country is not more than 24 kilometers in breath and only about 48 kilometers in its length. So, reaching another town took us about 15 minutes. Our destination was Castle Rushen which housed all the kings of Mann. The view from atop the castle is quite scenic. The Calf of Man, the southern tip of the island nation is visible from here.

When it was time to leave the island, I casually checked the boarding pass of the ferry. I clearly remembered having spelt out my name at the ticket counter when I bought my tickets. But the name on the boarding pass was printed – REKSHE! I wonder if this is because of the ‘f-u-ni-ny’ Irish pronunciations where ‘A’s possibly become ‘E’s .

Anyway, another uneventful three hours on the Snaefell brought me to Liverpool. England is a different world altogher. Mann is so close to it, yet, so far.

Raksha Kumar

York View

2010-07-16T13:39:00.000-07:00

Dedicated to Ashim and Sindhu.

Climbing the York Minister Tower, I kept thinking why not our education system be redone in such a way that a major part of it involved travelling? After all, that is the best way to combine education with fun. In the past three hours that I had arrived in York, I had perhaps, enjoyed myself more than Columbus had when he first set foot on the American soil. And, I had learnt about stone coffins in the Roman period, box pews in chapels and ‘Shambles’ that was house to 24 butcher shops!

York is a small historical town in the north of Britain. History oozes out of every corner of York. Every street, every building has a story to tell. Like Paul said, the building that now houses a Pizza Hut was where George Cadbury (whose name is synonymous with chocolates all over the world) learnt how to make chocolates!

Paul, a very delightful Englishman of about sixty or so, was the guide of the walking tour we took from the Exhibition Square. He belongs to the Association of Voluntary Guides, a bunch of spirited individuals who conduct walking tours across the town because they are very proud of his history and heritage. Makes me wonder how, we Indians, view our history. Sadly, our pride is more often than not, jingoistic or nonexistent.

The tour begins with a visit to a part of the City Walls where there are reusable stone coffins dating back to the Roman period. A short distance from there is St Mary’s Abbey that was plundered by Henry the VIII. It was a 50 acre Abbey that was unceremoniously brought down.

York has narrow streets that suit commuters by foot or bicycles. Walking on one such narrow street Paul, the group and I reached the 1st house in York to be constructed by brick. The design is very Dutch, said Paul. Houses, before that, were constructed with wood.

The ‘Shambles’ are an intricate set of extremely narrow roads, not very far off from the Minster. These can be a shopaholic’s delight. However, since I am not one, I took some photographs of enthusiastic shoppers and walked away. At this point, the group disbanded and I headed to the Minster.

An overpowering structure, the York Minster can leave you spellbound for a long time. I must have spent a few moments just gaping at the gigantic structure. Once inside, I decided to first climb the 275 steps of the York Minster Tower. I have had this strange fascination for steps, which has been made fun of by many-a-friend. But, I guess, stairs to me mean moving ahead in life, reaching the heights. At the same time, you are reminded that you have to climb them down at some point. Notwithstanding my fascination towards steps, the York Minster Tower is a fascinating climb. Anyone familiar with the Tere Ghar Ke Saamne song ‘Dil ka bhanwar’ cannot miss the obvious resemblance to it. Except, the flight of stairs of the York Tower is so narrow that it can accommodate only one person at a time. So, perhaps, Dev Anand and Nutan would have found it tough to sing a romantic song climbing down this tower hand-in-hand.

At the top of the tower, chilly winds cut through my jacket. But the view of the entire town was worth the climb and the chill. After a view from the top of the Minster, I visited the basement where the crypts and the Treasury House give a detailed view of the Minster’s history.

Talking of detailing history, the Castle Museum in York is one of the most excellent museums ever. It gives a chronological detail of the common man of York through the ages. Right in front of the museum is Clifford’s Tower, beautifully perched on a very small hill.

The one thing I had planned to do in York and was looking forward to, was to walk on the City Walls. Crossing the Ouse bridge, I reached the City Walls. Talk about coincidence, as I began to walk on the City Walls, the song on my iPod changed to, ‘Kya mausam hai, ae deewane dil, chal kahin door nikal jaaye...’! I don’t remember a happier moment in the recent past. It was a perfect date with myself.

As Oscar Wilde says, ‘I suppose society is wonderfully delightful. To be in it is merely a bore. But to be out of it is simply a tragedy.’

Good TV, Bad Journalism

2008-12-02T08:01:00.000-08:00

This past Thursday, I was convinced I was a journalist.

I have always debated about whether Television is the right medium for news. Can television news persons be called journalists or are they entertainers?

On the day of the Mumbai terror attack, I was convinced that TV can be a good medium for news, TV news personnel can be journalists. They choose not to be.

It was 4 Am and I was in the Production Control Room of NDTV studios. At 9:15 Pm, the previous night terror had been unleashed across Mumbai. Such an attack was, clearly, unprecedented. For a news person, it was an (as insensitive as it might sound) extremely exciting time. In this excitement, we overstepped.

The TV news person in me will see the past four days as a valuable experience that will stay in the memory for a long time. The journalist, though, will feel it prick her conscience forever.

It is a basic rule of reporting from a war (read conflict, tension) zone that the reportage should not disrupt the security forces at work or harm them in any way. When a slew of cameras stood outside Taj, Trident and Nariman House to give us minute to minute account of the commandos' operations, we were disclosing the strategy of our security forces live, in real time!

What were we thinking? That the terrorists inside the 5-star hotels had no access to TV sets? That they had no access to Internet or phones? Would they not be better equipped now that their television friends have told them what their enemies are upto?

When we chose good television over good journalism and aired footage of the NSG commandos being airdropped on Nariman House (for instance), we might have caused unimaginable damage to the lives of those security personnel and/or hostages. Would it then not sound contradictory and utterly superficial that we ran stylised montages of the security personnel and paid homage to them? For all we know, we could have saved those very lives that we later mourned.

We could have done many things to become responsible journalists. I have always believed that the media should be self-regulatory. We should have aired all news and footage of the operations with a gap of about four-five hours since its actual occurrence. Surely, the shock factor for the viewer would remain the same if all TV channels came together and decided to break news that happened at 9 PM four hours later. This would ensure that we are not airing the operations in real time. When we can organise ourselves to speak out for/against say, Foreign Direct Investment in broadcast, we can surely come together to take collective decisions on matters of such grave importance.

Not everything is meant for live television. We necessarily have to make a distinction between a cricket match and a terrorist encounter. While one needs live footage and commentary, the other does not.

One might argue that even if TV channels would show restraint, in the age of the Internet, can we really hold back information for long? Well, we might not stop information flow but we can surely reduce the impact, the intensity and the reach.

Sometimes our facade of being serious journalists profoundly disturbs me. We have our conscience to answer.

Raksha Kumar

The Changing Face Of Hindi

2008-10-11T11:59:00.000-07:00

It is always facinating to see the change in the dominant language to understand the changes that the larger society is going through. In a sense language mirrors the trends in the society. When I landed in Delhi 4 years ago, one thing that struck me as being very strange was the expression of combining 'aap' with 'ho'. 'Kya aap free ho?' 'kya aap aa rahe ho?' 'aap ise kar loge please?' (as opposed to 'Kya aap free hai?' 'kya aap aa rahe hain?' 'kya aap ise karlenge please?') I guess, 30 years ago, an expression like that would have raised eyeballs. Today these expressions are commonplace. A friend who teaches languages in the university of Delhi explained to me that it was the influence of Punjabi on the Hindi that we speak in Delhi, and therefore the useage. Though I believed him then, I think I have my own explaination for the phenomenon.

Hindi, today, is clearly one of the most widely understood languages in India. Such an expression, which is clearly ungramatical is very popular in commercial Hindi films as well. Today, it is accepted as the norm everywhere. I travelled extensively in Utter Pradesh, a bastion of 'classical' Hindi. And I found that such an expression is commonplace in small towns there. One language that has wider reach and influence in all parts of the country is English. There is no distinction between an 'aap', 'tum' and 'tu' in English (as in Punjabi). So, how would you translate 'how are you?' into Hindi? 'Aap kaise hain?' 'tum kaise ho?' 'tu kaisa hai?' or 'aap kaise ho?' Thus, I think it is English that influences Hindi and therefore, it is the English (western, read American) culture that has a lot of influence on our society.

However, another phenomnenon that is not so obvious is the cultural confusion that today's youth face. It is pan-Indian to address everyone older as 'aap'. Our work environments are increasingly getting informal, be it classrooms or offices. Transactions are on a first name basis. Therefore, does one address his collogue as 'tum' while he is actually older in age? Most people find the mid-way. 'Aap pasad karlo ma'am' or ' wahan jaana aap'. This is the same dilemma faced when doesn't feel comfortable addressing an elderly genetleman as 'chacha', or 'mama'. Perhaps it is not considered appropriate anymore.

As someone who is traditional and orthodox when it comes to language, this trend clearly does not appeal to me. However, I think we have to live with more such trends in the future and prepare ourselves for it.

Raksha Kumar

Life Of Live Television

2008-09-13T03:47:00.000-07:00

Sometimes the work I do can be very frustrating. Like most things 'Indian', we in Television also rarely question what we do. For instance, we at NDTV (like the rest of the the lot) showed the DD feed of Vijender Kumar's boxing bouts live on our channel.

Question: If I were interested in Olympics, why would I watch NDTV and not DD, that is as easily available? And if I wanted news and was watching NDTV, would I not be irritated to see the same thing that was on DD?

Many similar (quite mindless) 'cut to another channel' happens everyday. We cut to the parliamentarians' speeches when it is in session. I thought people avoided Lok Sabha Channel because it was boring! They just want us to give them the operative bits of the speeches, don't they?

I have three observations to make on this emerging trend: First, I think the logic of private channels going live to olympic events that are on DD is because most people want to watch that event as opposed to news. Fair enough. However, I guess, news channels must realise that they cannot have a share in every pie. The expertise of a news channel is to package events into intelligent news stories and give news (and analysis) about such events through out the day. Showing the entire event that we can catch anyway on another channel, is beyond my comprehension.
Second, I think, somewhere this stems from the principle of American journalism of presenting facts and only facts without adding any editorial judgement to news. Therefore, you show the entire speech of the PM so that the viewer decides what bit is important. I think, this is stretching it a bit too much. Every title (or 'super' as we call it) we give to a story shows our editorial bias. The bit of the speech we decide to take in our news packages later shows our editorial stance. After all, the viewer still trusts the journalist sitting in the newsroom (thankfully). So, I think, we should not think of it as 'being objective'.
Third, if we do cut live to a regional TV channel (show a regional channel live) or a foreign channel, it makes sense as a majority of the people would not have access to it.
However, this is now extended to DD or worse our own sister channel! NDTV profit, for instance, is just a button away. So, why will a viewer tune into NDTV 24X7 to watch NDTV Profit? If people want to know the markets, they would tune into a business channel. As a news channel we would have to simplify stock markets to our viewers, if we fail to do it, then we should at least not show our sister channel live on ours!

I understand that the TV industry is young and will mature in time. But, sometimes, really... wake up guys!

Raksha Kumar

Learning To Leave Behind

2008-03-19T19:53:00.000-07:00

It was time to leave. Finally. Just as everything in this world, her stint with the advertising agency also came to an end. So did certain other things in her life. A year seemed like it had just begun... a film that came to an end even before it began, an interesting book that saw its last page before the first was read, a dream...from which one was woken up, perhaps, for no reason. Or perhaps, that was how it had always meant to be.

She had always known that her work in Mumbai will come to an end, and so will her relationship with him. She would have to leave. That is how it was supposed to be. Ever since. But it is stupid how we all sometimes want to, willingly, live in a dream world. Perhaps we just want to run away from reality for sometime, or forever. Rarely do we realise that when we come back into the real world, we are troubled and hurt. It is all our doing, isn't it? That is just what she did. She met Praveen. And met him again. And again.

Rahul would come to pick her up at the Delhi airport. She had been married to Rahul for four years now. They had always been the ideal couple. She had met Rahul in college and had fallen in love. And since then they were truly committed to each other. When there was talk of her moving to Mumbai for a year, he had showed his disappointment in all ways possible. But at the end, had relented, because he realised how important her career had always been for her. "When you come back, we'll make up for the time we could not spend together", he had said.

She was now sitting on her couch in her four bed-room apartment in Mumbai, recounting all the nights she had spent with Praveen. It was the last night she would spend there. The couch was soft, cozy and had a particular feel to it, just like him, she thought. He had a particular feel to him. What attracted her to him? His callousness? His brash replies? His insensitivity? His self centeredness? Or his display of affection? His genuine concern? His simply lovable self? She had asked herself this many times before. Clearly, there were no easy answers. There were NO answers.

Just as she never knew why she thought Rahul is the perfect match for her. But he was, she was convinced of it. But leaving Praveen behind, was, by far the toughest emotional decision she had ever taken. She felt unsure of herself, for the first time. There was pain, yet no pain.. there was disappointment, yet none to feel...

She looked around. It seemed like everything in her apartment was screaming out to her to not go. The flowers on the curtains, the photographs on the side table, the couch that had a particular feel to it, everything. Everything, except Praveen.

"No one is indispensable", Praveen had said, "now that you mention, it might feel strange to not have you around. But what the hell?! We all get over it". What did it mean? She knew not. She had never been sure of his feelings towards her, but was more than confident of her feelings towards him.

She shut her eyes. She knew she would love him in the time to come. She would not let her feelings for him be governed by what he feels for her.

But now she had to leave. And leave she would.

Raksha Kumar

In The Right Spirit

2008-01-22T06:02:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, NDTV’s Ahmedabad office was attacked by a few right-wing groups. NDTV India (Hindi news channel) had conducted a poll on who the viewers of NDTV think should be awarded the Bharat Ratna, and one of the contenders was M F Hussain, who is a Musilm. Therefore, this attack.

I was sitting in the Production Control Room of the NDTV Delhi office trying to control the inflow of this news as and when it broke. The PCR is where the bulletins are rolled out from, we were trying to do telephone interviews with various people who can give us information and put the incident in perspective. In this chaos, there was a heart-warming experience.

In this day and age of competition, where news channels are out there to get others, CNN-IBN exhibited the best possible journalistic spirit. Within minutes of our taking on our ‘Breaking News’ flashes IBN had their Breaking News on, which said ‘NDTV office attacked’. As an Output Editor sitting in the rival channel’s PCR, it filled me with immense pleasure and satisfaction as a journalist.

The gesture was not small at all. For various reasons. One: we seldom remain journalists are they are defined in the text books. We are not out there to help the needy, not there to lend a voice to the voiceless, not there to support the just. We are there to roll out news as it is convenient to us, if someone is helped in the process; it is just an unintended benefit. Our considerations are time, logistics and our mood. Apart from, of course, certain ‘outside pressures’. Under these circumstances, it is quite a bit for an Output Editor (Rundown Editor) of a channel to come out in support and show his solidarity for a cause.

Two: imagine the amount of publicity you are giving to your rival channel! A viewer watching IBN will immediately switch over to NDTV to see what has happened. This, when viewership is what drives the economics of a channel. Loss of viewership for a show or for a few hours can mean a lot of money that the channel can lose on the whole. It was only fair that we at NDTV played it up, not just because we were the aggrieved party but also because it was an act of sheer intolerance. But for IBN to have given it so much weightage is commendable.

Three: It is a possibility that IBN did it as it was a low news day. But they needn’t have mentioned NDTV at all. We all flash news of how ‘a certain’ channel was attacked.

As a journalist, it gave me immense pleasure to see the solidarity within the community and sincerely hope we can keep this going.

Raksha Kumar

2007-12-09T14:27:00.000-08:00

Is this the end of imagination?

2007-03-30T23:50:00.000-07:00

For those of us who read and write about topical issues on a regular basis, the two recurring problems are the lack of different things to read and write about.
When I sit with my computer and think about what to write, I rarely come up with something novel. Even if the idea is not novel, the execution should be. But I rarely come up with either. I wonder how many of you feel the same way…

Therefore, I think that unless future writers are innovative and intelligent, writing, and hence reading, will lose their importance. How many stories have we read on the issue of reservations, for example? How many gave you any new angle to the debate? I remember reading one by Amit Sen Gupta three months ago that had new ideas about why reservations should exist. But other than that I just skim through the articles on reservations because all are repetitive.

Similarly, many issues today are done to death and hence our worldview is limited to only these issues. Only a few people can think about new, creative ideas to express. This is true of all forms of expression/communication. We see similar films, similar TV programmes and similar plays.

Moreover, people believe in either speaking for or against the given issue, few see the grayer shades of the picture. So if you read blogs regularly you will find that there are thousand different people saying the same things in the same boring manner. Perhaps even I am one of them sometimes. If you read a few of the previous posts on this blog you will know what I mean. I sometimes wonder why we insist on limiting our writing to the set framework of ideas and execution? I have no convincing answers. I tried for a long time to write about things differently or about different things. But it is an effort to do so.

Have you experienced the feeling of happiness when you read a novel piece of writng? It is truly fulfilling. I genuinely hope that there will be a time when we get to read more of them.

I believe that human capability is immense.

Raksha Kumar

Why everyone needs to know NEWS…

2007-03-26T01:21:00.000-07:00

It's a Sunday. We are in the newsroom trying to tackle the overwhelming flow of news in this Information Age. This is how: we start by staring at each other's faces (perhaps trying to see if anyone has a clue about what can be news), we are desperately looking at all the news agencies for scraps of news, we drink cups and cups of tea hoping that something will happen somewhere in the world.

Newspersons are like vultures, a collogue said. True. You can feel their eyes prying at everything that they believe is potentially newsworthy. And the moment it happens (sometimes, even before it happens) they pounce on their prey and tear it into pieces.

Therefore, a typical newsroom is like the calm before the storm. It is quiet. Calm. We are all working in peace, punching information into the computer, completely oblivious to the world outside. And suddenly, a phone rings. In seconds, we are all screaming, staring at the other channels and looking at all the wires (news agencies) and literally running around in the newsroom. Only few know what they are doing, though.

This process slows down further on Sundays. Why, we say. Why does nothing happen on Sundays? The whole world seems to be on a holiday. Except for the newspersons. Trying to wait for the news that does not seem to be happening.

It's crazy, this news business. We insist on giving news 24 hours, irrespective of whether there are takers for it. We insist on giving news all day, irrespective of whether there is so much news or not. And we insist on sticking to our definitions of news, irrespective of how narrow the definitions are. This defeats all the classical principles of economics. There is supply without much concern about the demand, there is production without much concern about the supply and there refuses to be any market expansion.

Are you bowled over by all the economics? Well, most people in the news business are also like that. However, ironically, they constantly give you news about the stock markets and financial securities.

Similarly, most people here are adept at telling the public what they themselves know little about. Perhaps, that is the reason why if they do not understand anything they do not consider it newsworthy.

Do you think I’m rambling? Well, you must know that I’m in the news business as well. If, by the end of this, you feel that I have said nothing in these 10 paragraphs, then I’m surely cut out for the job!!!!

Raksha Kumar

The story of the sting

2007-02-22T20:32:00.000-08:00

(Sting operations in India)

There are no half-truths.

There are only bits and pieces of truth, depending on how one chooses to see it. No issue must be looked at in isolation, but must be placed in a context. I, therefore, present my arguments before coming to a conclusion on the issue of sting operations (in India).

At the onset, let me distinguish between investigative journalism and sting operations.
A sting operation is an operation designed to catch a person committing a crime by means of deception or exposing a wrong deed by a hidden camera. Sting operations are just one of the tools of investigative journalism.

Sting operations are a matter of contention because there are myriad questions of ethics, which are very subjective. Traditionally, the role of the media has been that of a ‘watchdog’. With the coming of the TV, that role has begun to change-infotainment is a necessity. The media saw sting operations as a news strategy that would fulfill their role of a ‘watchdog’ at the same time provide a sense of entertainment. Sting operations make people sit up and watch. The problem is that, somewhere the distinction between exposing a wrongdoing and sensationalizing it is lost. Stings have been a part of UK’s tabloid culture for a long time now. But in India, it is difficult to distinguish between serious and tabloid journalism, thus the situation is dangerous.

Another common contention is that sting operations are an invasion of an individual’s privacy. The problem is compounded by the lack of a commonly accepted definition of privacy. Right to privacy in India is derived both from the common law and the constitutional law (Article 21). But when we discuss Right to Freedom of Speech and Expression of the media in the same length as the privacy of an individual, we reach a deadlock. In that, there cannot be a rule to place one above the other at all times.

Therefore, the next question will be, if we accept that the sting operations uphold the freedom of speech, is it for our common good? Who decides what is common good or ‘public interest’? The media have time and again proved convincingly that they are capable of sensationalizing issues in the name of ‘public interest’.
On the other hand, our democracy has come to such a pass, that people take its evils as a given, and you need the media to use newer, innovative methods to induce the public into action. For instance, corruption in the Army/ Defense Ministry was public knowledge but the Tehelka investigation made people react to it because it was a visual document.

There is always a danger of the public taking these sting operations for granted, if they are too many in number. There are weekly TV shows full of stories obtained from hidden camera investigations like parda fash or sansani. These are, beyond doubt, sensational, and are a gimmick to draw more eyeballs.

Sting journalism in today’s time is considered to be nothing more than ‘entrapment journalism’. The media induce people to commit a crime and then cry foul. One school of thought believes that this is unethical because it could be assumed that the crime would not have been committed if there had been no ‘deception’ or ‘entrapment’.
But this argument is on shaky grounds because of two reasons. First: that the crime was committed is enough to justify that the person is guilty (assuming that the sting was authentic). Second: it is only an assumption that the crime would not be committed had there not been an entrapment. However, an expose would be on sounder ethical grounds than ‘entrapment’. Also, those who mount an entrapment story themselves commit offenses of impersonation, criminal trespass under false pretenses et al.

Sting operations break two classic journalistic traditions/ practices. One: the distinction between ‘off-the-record’ and ‘ on-the-record’ briefing is blurred. This typically happens in the case of an expose. A journalist’s responsibility towards her source is questioned here (again ‘public interest’ becomes the parameter to judge whether the story must be done or not). Second: with the coming of sting operations, not all ‘breaking news’ is topical- they are constructed and created. How many times have we seen ‘breaking news’ which are hidden camera exposes by the channels? All this makes us wonder if stings are merely sensational, done in the interests of the commercial media.

Due to the technological advancement authenticity of the hidden camera exposes are questioned. You don’t need a technologically savvy person to concoct tapes. In most cases, proving the authenticity of the tapes takes up a lot of valuable time and the public would have lost interest in the case by the time the report comes out.
The easy availability of technology has brought about the phenomenon of ‘citizen journalism’. Exposes by individuals could be another gray area. The photograph of Shahid and Kareena taken from a camera phone by a by stander was a clear case of invasion of privacy. Especially in the area of sting journalism if the lines between a journalist and a common man is blurred, it could be dangerous. However, the channels have to take utmost care while accepting tapes from citizens and check its authenticity.

To a great extent, sting operations have contributed to the change in the media-government relations. When the state tries to gag the media freedom it shows the success of the media. Hidden camera investigations have kept the politicians on their feet. This was clear when the present government tried to regulate sting operations immediately after the cash-for-questions scandal.
While politicians have been the targets of the stings very often, corporate firms, big MNCs have rarely/never come under the scanner. This tells us something about the media. They cannot take on the corporates, who form the major source of their revenue.

It wouldn’t be wrong to say that sting operations have the potential to affect a social change. But today’s journalism is fast paced. Follow-ups are not vigourous. Thus perhaps, stings end up being isolated events and have a limited impact.
Having gone over the pros and cons of sting operations, I have a few conclusions to draw. If we have to choose between the people in power and the media then, like Thomas Jefferson did, I would choose the media because Indian media is very diverse and can accommodate many viewpoints. However, the day is not far when the media is in the danger of losing this trust.
Despite all the shortcomings sting operations are a powerful tool in the hands of the media, they are justified as long as they are used responsibly.

Raksha Kumar

Waves of Life

2007-01-18T20:51:00.000-08:00

A Short Story

The more she saw them the familiar they seemed. Those waves were like her life- Undecided. They would approach the land eagerly and quickly retreat into the deep sea like they had never wanted to come out of it.

She loved staring at the sea, that is all she had done twenty-one years of her life at Mangalore.

Mangalore - the land of her ajji (grandmother), meenu (fish) and her shale (school).
Her parents ensured that she got the best education, she was considered to be intelligent by all she knew and was very hard working. Hence, she grew more and more ambitious over the years. Her ambition to ‘succeed’ brought her to Delhi.

Delhi - the land of her kaam (work), kamyabi (success) and…Kunal.
In her three years at Delhi, she had risen considerably in the hierarchy of the firm she was working in. She had grown used to admiration and appreciation she received everywhere. And she had also met Kunal, whom she thought was a ‘perfect march’ for her.

But Mangalore and Delhi were two parallel worlds that she was trying to hold together. Much like the waves that were desperately trying to feel at ease both on the land and in the deep sea.

She loved her family unconditionally. Though she visited them often, she longed to be a part of their smallest of joys and sorrows. She wanted to help her father mow the lawns, knit that blue-grey sweater with her mother, solve her sister’s maths problems and take those long walks with her grandmother.

The house was all sunshine with her around. And she knew, though they didn’t tell her, that her absence saddened them all. Immensely.

Her work in Delhi was also dear to her. She enjoyed her fame. Money. Success. And then there was Kunal…
She felt like the waves that leave the land barren when they go to the sea; and the sea would lose its meaning without the waves.

To make her two worlds meet was the biggest challenge in her life. Especially now.

Her father had telephoned, “ your ajji’s condition is critical. She might not live longer. She would never say it herself, but she needs you to be with her.”

She listened silently, not knowing how to react.

She thought of all those days when her ajji had put her to bed; when she taught her the secrets of life; and when, in those difficult times, ajji had lent a shoulder for her to cry on. Like the unpredictable waves that insisted on disturbing the calm waters, one news after another disturbed her.

Kunal had called her, just before her father had, to say that he would not give her anymore time to think about their marriage as he had already done it enough. “You’ve got to choose between Delhi and Mangalore,” he had said “and I know you love Delhi.” He had hung up.
‘I love Delhi…perhaps,’ she had muttered into the phone after he had hung up.

Now, she sat on the beach in her hometown, staring at the familiar waves.

Raksha Kumar

Destiny- up close and personal

2006-11-29T21:51:00.000-08:00

This is a rare interview with Destiny. We caught him in an unusually conversational mood.

Me: Please familiarise yourself to the readers…
Destiny: I’m the one who is angrily thought of when things go wrong and is given no credit when life is smooth sailing.

Me: How are you related to Life?
Destiny: Life is my wife. Despite our differences, we are peaceful together, because I usually get my way.

Me: How do you feel when people talk of ‘defeating destiny’?
Destiny: I quietly smile at myself. It is nice to see brave and daring people. But I’m hard to defeat.

Me: Aren’t you being arrogant?
Destiny: If at any point you become as powerful as I, you would realise that arrogance is the alter ego of power.

Me: Why is it so difficult to understand you?
Destiny: Perhaps because I do my own thing. My job is to be judgemental. I’m very proud of my unpredictability. Trust me, I don’t intend to harm anyone.

Me: Why do things that happen, happen?
Destiny: This is one question I ask Life and she asks me. Both of us seem to have answers and yet don’t.

Me: There are people who doubt your existence…
Destiny: Wait until the next time they say ‘what a luck!’

Me: Some claim that you are especially cruel to them…
Destiny: Every single person seems to think so. Believe me, I do not discriminate.

Me: What would happen in your absence?
Destiny: Life would become lonely. We enjoy each other’s company. I’m sure even you do.

Raksha Kumar

A mockery of love and marriage--KANK review

2006-10-29T22:25:00.000-08:00

Contrary to popular claims, I believe, Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna was a typical Karan Johar film. It was not bad but was would not be counted in the league of the best movies in the history of Bollywood.

For those of you who haven’t caught the film, this is a gist of the plot: Dev Saran (Shah Rukh Khan) and Rhea Saran (Priety Zinta) are married for 5 years. Rishi (Abhishiek Bachchan) and Maya (Rani Mukherjee) are also wed after a comtemplating for three years.
Both marriages turn out to be a failure because Dev and Maya are (I think) fools who do not recognize the love that their partners give them. They find "love" in each other and decide after much deliberation to break up with their respective spouses. In the end, they 'live happily together'.
The film has a few good performances and a few very good ones. Notably, Junior B (notwithstanding the immense fascination I have for him) has given a fantastic performance. The treatment of a few scenes is also commendable. And since Johar works with big budgets, the locations are also mind blowing. Given a chance, this is the Album I would love to own. It has awesome sound tracks.

But I think the film is all about the concept of marriage and love. It is this that I want to delve into. I would like to point out a few discrepancies and contradictions in the concept the film deals with.

First: The moot question is, why do you love a person? I feel, for his/ her qualities, ethics, attitude, habits and to whatever extent, looks. Then this concept of love-has-no-reasons is ridiculous. Why would anybody who has as good a husband as Rishi, want to find love elsewhere especially in a person who is eternally irritated and frustrated with everything under the sun? The film talks about love having no logic. Any thing illogical is beyond my comprehension.

Second: Rhea is a sensible, hard-working, rational person. Then why did she marry an annoying being such as Dev in the first place? (The film says that it is how Dev had always been, not that he had become irritable because of ups and downs in his married life.)

Third: (Sexy) Sam, who loves his late wife dearly, is seen with every other teenager in New York City. This is also contradictory to the claim that love is eternal.

Fourth: There is a scene when Maya says that physical relationship with a person is not as important as sharing one’s woes and happiness. Then why does she not keep her relationship with Dev to just sharing her ‘joys and sorrows’?
It is here that there is the master of contradictions: Both Dev and Maya knew that they were in love with each other and not their respective spouses. Then why were they jealous of each other’s independent sex life? Intellectual compatibility was present was the most important thing. So, is loving a person all about a physical relationship? If not, why do they make it sound like one?

Bottom line: if you have nothing to do on a Saturday afternoon, this is not a bad film to watch.

On a lighter note, I’d say that Rishi is the Perfect Husband. What do you say?

Raksha Kumar

Too much ado about nothing?

2006-10-26T23:21:00.000-07:00

I heard Jaspal Bhatti, a well known comedian, say that Diwali is the ‘festival of corruption’. The officials are bribed in the garb of Diwali gifts, he says.
I say Diwali is more injurious than just that. It creates problems of air and sound pollution, contributes to child labour, makes life hell for the birds, brings economic class differences blatantly out in the open and most importantly acts as a perfect pretext for the businesses to create hype and sell their products.
You would be forgiven for thinking that I’m a spoilt sport who does not enjoy the festival that the media claim is being enjoyed by the whole nation. Well, you might be right. At the same time I shall stick to my stand Diwali is unnecessarily over done.

You must have guessed by now that I’m not very religious. Therefore, as I understand it, festivals are occasions to get together and spend some memorable time with your loved ones, which you are otherwise denied of in this busy world. So why would you want to spend it in a din with anxiety about the safety of the people you care for?

Let’s look at the objections one by one. Pollution: it needs very little explanation. My mother is an asthma patient and I know how many precautions she’s got to take in the run up to the festival. Most researchers, today, talk in one voice about the dangers of global warming and depleting ozone layer. Why would anyone want to contribute to it?
Even on a normal day, our cities are a din, and it would not be wrong if I said that people have not understood the real danger of noise pollution yet.

Commuting on the days of the festival is a nightmare. What about the people in hospitals or have to go to one? Birds have become a rare sight in the cities due to their changing architecture and lifestyle. Diwali literally is a death call for millions of our avian friends.

Most of you might think I’m overreacting. But my main objection is that it has become a classic example of what might happen if the media join hands with commercial interests that are- business, trade and commerce. It could be a fatal combination. The media tell you what to buy, how much to spend et al.
For instance, Cadbury Celebrations pack makes your diwali complete. For most people it is a battle between the aspiration and the inability to buy products.
You might say that this is true of most festivals these days. Point taken. I think it comes out starkly in the festival of goddess Laxmi.

Most middle class families end up saving money in the run up to the festival and usually spend more than they have saved. The figures prove that there is an increase in the loan rates during the festive season. Sweets, dry fruits, clothing and, not to forget, the firecrackers are the essentials on every person’s shopping list. Sometimes it is uncalled for.

Well, I will not be surprised if I get some extreme reactions to my extreme thoughts!

Raksha Kumar

CAN YOU SUGGEST A TITLE?

2006-09-05T01:08:00.000-07:00

This is my first attempt at story writing. Read on.

She liked him. He used to visit her often. Everyday, actually. She had grown used to his presence. At twelve, Sana only thought of him as a solace from the gloom around. There was nothing that could bring colour to her mundane life. Except for him, perhaps.

He was very close to the family, thus his frequent visits failed to raise eyebrows. Moreover, he was in his early twenties, a dozen years older than her.

He miraculously seemed to understand her every mood, her every emotion. At that age, what mattered most to Sana was that he never forgot her birthday, brought her gifts (mostly cuddly items from Archies), greeting cards and posters.

Usually secretive, Sana was very ‘open’ with him. They seemed to connect perfectly well with each other.
It all changed. Suddenly.

He had finished his MBA and had to be married. He saw less of her. She was also too busy growing into a young woman, introspecting.

He found a match that she thought was perfect for him. A few months after his wedding, she realised she was spending a lot of time reliving their moments together.She looked back at those times like she never had.

She thought of the greeting card signed, “need me anytime, anywhere…i’m there.”

She thought of the poster that said “be mine, forever”.

She thought of the teddy bear, which had “you are too sweet…” written on it.

She thought of the thousand times he’d said, “Sana, you look simply beautiful.”
How foolish of her to not have noticed this before!

Was she his adolescent love? First crush. Teenage love. The very thought of which brings a smile on your face, something that’s true yet untrue, something whose uncertainty is the only certainty. It is momentary, but stays with you all your life.

But now, Sana realized, that perhaps he meant much more to her than she had to him.

The realisation came too late. Things had changed. He was a married man full of responsibilities. No more phones on her birthday. No more gifts. No more laughing together.

They had been ‘special’ people to each other. When he understood this, she didn’t. And when she began to understand it, the wheels of time had turned, irreversibly.

Sana still hopes they can be ‘special’ in each other’s lives. Again. What’s wrong in that, she asks herself. But she knows that their lives don’t intertwine anymore.

They are changed people now.
Perhaps. Perhaps not.

Raksha Kumar.

Pachpan khambe, Lal Deeware (55 pillars, red walls)

2006-09-05T01:03:00.000-07:00

The Prime Minister of this nation visited our college last week. Once again Lady Shri Ram College, New Delhi proved it has brilliant organisational skills. Once again, LSR proved that it was a (fully?) ‘stage-managed’ college.

If the show goes well, it is to the credit of the stage-managers and the actors. But if the show sees a glitch, it is most definitely the fault of the actors.
Never in my life had I thought I’d put up an act. But that’s what I did in the first two years of my college life- without my knowledge of it.

Don’t get me wrong. I realise how fortunate I am to be a part of such a good institution when a majority of my peers don’t have access to higher education at all.
However, just as any democratic institution, our college would do well if it took criticism and worked on its drawbacks.

If there is a discontentment and you can’t voice it, it is a failure of a democratic institution. Take my word for it, there are many – teachers and students alike- who suppress their discontentment with the college.

There are many reasons for my being disillusioned. But not all of it can be explained and not all of it will be understood by those who have not had a close contact with the college.

However, I shall mention three arguments to substantiate my point.

First: the PM visited our college to mark the grand finale of our golden jubilee celebrations. Four speeches were made out of which one was by the PM. The other three – by Mr. Arun Bharat Ram, grandson of the founder Lala Shri Ram, Mr. Dilip Paintal, Vice Chancellor, Delhi University and Dr. Meenakshi Gopinath, Principal, LSR- were almost identical. They all spoke about LSR’s illustrious past, about the (unsurpassable?) achievements of LSR and about LSR’s glorious future.

I have always felt that milestones are not only occasions to thump your back but also to introspect. In his 1997 50th Independence Day speech, Atal Bihari Vajpayee also, spoke about what India should do to be one of the best nations of the world.
If anyone who’d seen the college at close quarters had heard the speeches, they’d know how superficial they were.

Second: one issue that bothers me endlessly is that the college has two monopolistic business entities on campus- the Café (in common Indian parlance, the canteen) and the College Bookstore.

Both are highly over-priced. I wouldn’t blame them. They are, after all, catering to the 60% (my estimate) of LSR’s student community who can afford to buy their products. The other 40% can only fight between the desire and the inability to own these products.

If it is well known that it is an ‘elite college’, then why should the not-so-elite send their kids there? Because the college is also being run on UGC (university grants commission) grants, a semi-government college, if you like. Anyone who has the requisite marks is free to apply, irrespective of her financial background.

(Never mind the skewed system of examination marks that favours the students of the public schools, it is the topic of another debate).

Third: There is so much ‘social work’ everywhere. AIDS, condom usage, orphanages, old age homes, RTI, public policy and homosexuality are just a few issues I hear all around the college, everyday.

There are students who don’t even understand the issues fully. To me, they look like the bright future of the ‘NGO industry’.
Just ask how many of them are against MNCs ‘robbing’ India of its economic and cultural wealth. And ask how many can live without Benitton, Mc Donald’s, Levis and Reebok. You’d know what I am talking about.

LSR is still the beautiful place I walked into two years ago. To be fair to the institution, I learnt to read between the lines and see things differently from this very college.
When you teach students to criticise, you can’t expect them to keep you outside the scanner. It is easy to criticise and easier still to teach how to criticise. To be able to accept it shows one’s true strength.

Raksha Kumar

Ramp modelling a viable career option

2006-08-31T23:48:00.000-07:00

The following is a news story I did for a news agency I'm working for.

By Raksha Kumar, Indo-Asian News Service

New Delhi, Aug 30 (IANS): As India's fashion industry races to catch up with the rest of the world, ramp modelling is fast becoming a viable option for young women.

It's also a sign of the changing times that large sections of Indian society that not too long ago looked down on modelling as a profession are coming around to accept it as a career that holds promise.

"People have become more broad minded; the designers have grown and become more experimental," contended Monikangkana Dutta, who will be walking the ramp for the third time at the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WIFW) that opened here Wednesday."Globalisation has helped as it has served to expand peoples' minds," said Shruthi Agrawal, who does so for the first time at the Aug 30-Sep 3 fashion week.

Even so, it wasn't easy for Shruthi, whose parents insisted she first focus on her studies."My parents wanted me to give priority to my studies so I did my post graduation," she said.Being a Muslim, Sanea Sheikh, also a fashion week first-timer, had a slightly different problem - of changing mindsets."It was difficult. It took time to convince my parents."

But then, as Monikangkana pointed out, young women wanting to become models have invariably faced parental roadblocks."Four to five years ago, 70 percent of the models rebelled against their families to become models. Today their numbers are much lower."

To that extent, Garima Parnami was rather lucky."My parents are very open minded, they trust me," said Garima, who will walk the ramp at the fashion week and hopes it will be the gateway to a rewarding career.

Seema Gupta, mother of model Nandita Gupta, cited growing professionalism as the reason for modelling being accepted as a profession."There are agencies that take complete responsibility for the grooming of the youngsters," she stated.

The jury, however, is out on that one.According to Garima, "agencies only serve cooked food; they don't teach you how to cook. You have to eat what they serve". Monikangkana agreed, saying the agencies were not the least helpful. "Most agencies are only money making machines," she maintained.

Even so, the sheer number of agencies that exist are a pointer to the fact that they do serve a purpose.In sum, few will dispute the fact that urban India's acceptance of modelling as a career has phenomenally increased in the past few years.

Indo-Asian News Service

Different Colours of Journalism

2006-08-26T02:41:00.000-07:00

"JOURNALISTS ARE NOT LIARS… they are factually challenged."
-a (wise) man.
In this age of 24*7 journalism, the profession is one of the most spoken about, criticized, yet, interestingly the most sought after.

The people in the profession rarely realize their invaluable contribution to the ever expanding database of jokes when they frame headlines like, ‘Teenage Girls Often Have Babies Fathered By Men’.

But you would forgive them for such minor errors, because they work under tremendous pressures. They have to beat the competition! Their rivals in the field would write a headline reading, ‘Tomatoes Come In Big, Little And Small Sizes’ (The Daily Progress, March 30, 1995). I wonder if there were any more sizes he could have mentioned.
No wonder they say that ‘Professional Journalism’ is an oxymoron!

Why are we picking on the small scribes? After all, how many of us have seen the ‘big’ ones in in action make such blunders? Perhaps a few here or there. On the second of November the Los Angeles Times carried a headline ‘Larger Kangaroos Leap Farther, Researchers Find’. I see, what a research that should have been! Twenty days after this The New York Times said ‘Our Survey Finds Dirtier Subways After Cleaning Jobs Were Cut’. Elementary, my dear Watson, why would you want a survey to tell you that!

Now I know the true meaning of competition.

These incidents have forced 'experts' to say that journalism is literature in hurry. Veterans in this field are God’s gift to mankind. Therefore a wise man once remarked, ‘that old reporters never die they just get de-pressed, and old photographers never die they just stop developing’.
‘Who needs comedians? Journalists are much more laughable,’ such compliments are showered on the journalists who can remark ‘War Dims Hope For Peace’ (fantastic!) or even better, ‘Panda Mating Fails, Senior Veterinarian Takes Over.’

I won’t be surprised if we started watching news channels for our daily dose of entertainment. Much has been written about intelligent journalists asking people in flood affected areas whether they are comfortable and cozy!

As a prospective journalist it is my duty to give you both sides of the picture. And the not-so-bad news is that not all of journalism is as bad. There is hope and I wish things change for the better in the future.

Raksha Kumar.

Women choose neo-look salwar-kameez as office wear

2006-08-19T00:16:00.000-07:00

This is a story I did for a news agency I'm working for.

Salwar kameez, the three-piece traditional Indian garment considered the second skin of the unfashionable brigade, is now being flaunted as corporate wear.

The neo-look salwar-kameez bears little resemblance to the dress that the women of Punjab have been wearing for years. The stylish cuts, the colour schemes and the smart motifs lend this Indian garment a truly global look.

Kameez is a knee-length tunic worn over a salwar, a trouser. A duppatta is a long flowing piece of cloth that completes the ensemble.

Unlike before there are hundreds of designs to choose from. But the range of fusion wear - a mix of ethnic and western designs - continues to be a hit with the young and the not-so-young.

The new designs, which can easily pass off as western attire, are doing well both in India and abroad. In fact the garments are being cleverly marketed as "Indo-western" wear.

Company executive Sadhana Mehta, who wears salwar-kameez to work, told IANS: "Some years ago I would never wear a salwar-kameez to work. The women wore corporate western suits to look smart like their male colleagues. Not anymore."

Apart from the neo-look, it is the comfort factor which makes the garment so popular.

"Comfort levels are high. It fits all body types. You can play around with designs which make you look fat, thin, tall, short," says Priya Pradhan, who owns a boutique in Bangalore.

A salesman at Westside, a retail clothes outlet, says, "Fusion fashion has given the salwar suit a new lease of life. We can see its presence in the West, where the salwar is seen as being 'cool'."

There are hundreds of online sites that sell only salwar-kameez. A spokesperson for a design house in New Delhi says, "Because of their graceful feminine elegance salwar-kameez fill the void created by western attire."

Even students love wearing the modern avatar of the salwar-kameez to the campus. Twenty-one-year old Maya, a Delhi University student, wears short kurtas which can pass off as spaghetti tops, over a salwar which can pass off as a trouser. She often wears a short kurta over a pair of jeans and tops it off with a stole (a dupatta).

But old-timers are not too happy with the neo-look. "The purpose of the dupatta is lost," rues 56-year-old Kuljeet Kaur, a housewife.

Vinoo Tripathi, a sociologist, has the last word. "The story of the salwar is another classic example of India's limited influence on the West and the complete westernisation of Indian tradition."

Raksha Kumar

Is SMS killing creativity?

2006-08-19T00:14:00.000-07:00

This is a story I did for a news agency I'm working for.

Text messages and short message service (SMS) have become an easy mode of communication for everyone. But sceptics argue that they are killing the creative side of people.

Madhu Gupta, 47, feels low-cost services like SMS (short message service) are doing away with creativity among the youngsters as her daughter wished her for her birthday by forwarding an SMS.

"We used to spend hours decorating a card for parents during their birthdays; today I just get an SMS from my daughter. I feel as if someone else is wishing me on her behalf," Gupta told IANS.

However, Shalini, a university student disagrees with Gupta. "Well someone must have framed the initial message, how can it then kill creativity."

Argues 23-year-old Anupama, "It is a quick way of keeping in touch with near and dear ones. It is the best way out when you have nothing to say."

"The readymade SMSs stops us from thinking, they make us believe that we are not good communicators," says a Delhi-based psychology teacher.

"However, there are no official data to prove that SMS forwards hinder creativity levels," says the teacher.

The markets today are flooded with books having readymade text messages, available for Rs.10, and according to a vendor who is earning considerably well by selling them, his primary customers are youngsters.

A Bangalore-based psychologist, told IANS, "Due to physical distances day by day, there is a greater need for people to be in touch."

"And not everyone has been good at expression and will never be. But we can exercise the right side of our brain a bit more, which is what we need in this technology-dominated world."

Raksha Kumar

To call or not to call?

2006-07-04T00:45:00.000-07:00

It has been written about a lot. Because of a lot of adverse media attention, I had developed a particular perception of the sales promotion calls you get on your phone. I usually give a stern response and hang up, later regretting a little for having done so. There was one phone call that made me change my perception.
“Am I speaking with Ms. Raksha Kumar?”, came a husky voice with a strong Punjabi accent.
“Who’s this?”, asked I.
“I’m calling from *** bank, may I take some of your time?” she asked politely. Clearly, the lines were well rehearsed.
“Well….I was in the middle of something important” I wasn’t completely lying.
Sensing my hesitation, she nearly broke down, “ma’am, I have called 20 people since morning, with no positive responses. I have three brothers and two sisters. Please let me speak to you.”
Without knowing how to react, I said, “sure….go ahead.” The least I could do was to listen to her. For the next five minutes, she explained a new scheme her bank was launching. “…aap ka faida hi faida hai” she concluded. She seemed satisfied with her efforts.

After politely declining her offer, I hung up. Later that evening I thought of the difficulties faced by the poor sales people. There are kilometers and kilometers of newsprint devoted to tell us what a nuisance these people are and how their calls disturb us at all times, without much consideration about our needs and time…

I thought about what competition has done and how people would have to strive to live in this globalized world. What would the lady do to feed her brothers and sisters? Why do we have to be so preoccupied with our own worries? Surely we can listen to what they have to say if we are not into something important? But these thoughts didn’t last long.

The next morning I received another call. “May I talk to Ms. Raksha Kumar?”, said another well rehearsed voice. “Yes…that’s me?”, my manner was a lot more relaxed.
“Ma’am, I’m calling from ### bank and want to inform you about our new scheme.” , said he.
“Yes…”, said I, trying to infuse enthusiasm into my voice. Perhaps I was guilty about what I had done to the lady the previous day.
This time I counted. He took four and a half minutes. When I declined the offer, he said “aap ek aurat hai…please mera dard samajye.” And went on to narrate his dard, problems.

Now I was guarded. I sensed that he was trying to work me into buying his ‘new scheme’. Again it was time for me to think. Though I can’t be completely sure about how untrue the stories were, I realized that people may do anything to sell. Just anything.

I have vowed to be guarded since.

Raksha Kumar.

Tough decisions

2006-07-04T00:44:00.000-07:00

There were eighteen young guests at home that Sunday evening. All of them from a charitable residential school run by a trust. Excited, my aunt was encouraging them to come forward and show their talents to the little gathering. For the next two hours they sang and danced and kept us entertained. One thing was certain: they housed vast talent pools. Whether their school is doing a good job of nurturing their talents, is yet to be judged.

These are children from weaker economic backgrounds. They are given many facilities, good education and a strict set of values. It need not be emphasized that values are subjective by nature. The young impressionable minds are preached ‘Hindu values’. They are encouraged to denounce western culture, dresses, food and ‘non-Hindu’ influences.

While such a stream of thought has a rightful claim to existence in the Indian society which swears by free speech, the question is should philanthropy function under certain conditions?
Is it right to preach certain ‘sectarian’ values to a group of children from various backgrounds, casts, sects and religions? The trust is doing a great service to the society by helping to raise 18 of its unfortunate kids. But the values inflicted on them need not be the ones they would learn if they were fortunate enough to live with their parents.

There are no easy answers to this. One way of answering it is by conceding that the charitable institute should be the sole decider of what its students should learn. After all, many schools are run by funds of temples and other religious organizations. Some might do it to spread awareness about their religion, but not all.

When the above argument is accepted, we are considering philanthropy to be a favor to the society. But when all the privileged in the society consider it their duty to help the less-fortunate, philanthropy acquires a new meaning. It will then be accountable to the society. We could point fingers at those not doing justice to their duties. Otherwise we will be happy with a school preaching, what are widely considered, divisive values. A verdict (not in black and white terms) will be needed soon.

In the wake of Bill Gates’s announcement that he’d quit Microsoft in two years and pledge his time to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Warren Buffet (currently the second richest man in the world) pledging 85% of his assets to the same foundation, we could perhaps assume that even the market-driven western world considers philanthropy an integral part of the society.

The incident that made me think about this debate that Sunday evening, also left me with sweet memories of those kids and their dance to the tune of ‘koi kahe kheta rahe…hum logo ki tokar mein hai yeh jamana…kis liye hichkichana……gayenge hum apne dilo ka fasana.”

Raksha Kumar

Perceiving misperceptions.

2006-07-04T00:41:00.000-07:00

I was walking into the premises. “Do you study here?”, I heard someone call out to me. The voice was tense and slightly anxious. When enquired further, the lady said that her daughter had applied in the prestigious Delhi University (DU) College we were standing in front of. A few seconds later a frail looking girl stepped out of the shadows. After about half hour of chatting with the two, I gathered the following facts: the girl had aced her class 12 marks after grueling 14-hour days for the whole year; had lost more than 25kgs! Her only aim: admission into the ‘best’ college.

Until this time I had thought that such students were focused and knew what they wanted from life. But that girl made me realize that she had worked hard, with dedication only to secure admissions in a college that would make her close circle of friends gasp and admire her. She had no idea of what course she wanted or what the course would have in store for her.
This brought my attention to perhaps another less-talked-of flaw in our education system.

By giving a divine status to some colleges, we are exerting unwanted pressure on our students.
Since I study in one of the widely acclaimed colleges, I agree that there are certain facilities that may put us in a privileged position. But my objection is to how education has become something that could be flaunted.

It is almost indisputable that education, in the right sense, gives us humility. It is ironic that students from the ‘best’ colleges are arrogant about their alma-maters. This creates invisible barriers among the student community. From my experience I could conclude that those arrogant will have an air of superiority around them (ultimately to their detriment), and this would make the others underestimate their capabilities. Surely, this is uncalled for.

Once, in a debate competition a student from a less-sought –after DU college had remarked that on the judges’ score sheet his college would start from a minus five where as I would start from a plus five, thanks to the name of my college. Whether that was true or not, the fact is that there is clear segregation and distinct grouping in the minds of people.

Part of the blame should also rest on the media which are bent on creating perceptions for us.

There are so many problems plaguing our education system which are an interconnected mess and they need immediate attention. In the beginning of a new academic year, we have got to realize that, we could do without creating more problems by fueling our egos and nurturing false notions.

Raksha Kumar

Am I asking for too much?

2006-04-12T03:34:00.000-07:00

Moving Towards An Inclusive Society

Shoba(name changed) is not any other 20-year old. She lacks the two things that make people ‘normal’ in our society. She is not gifted with eyesight. To add to it, she lacks the financial resources. She is studying in a reputed college in Delhi (makes her one of the ‘lucky’, I learnt!). But she has one thing that not all of us can claim to have- the habit of not complaining. This, I’ve always felt, is imbibed in her socialization. Shoba, rarely, if ever, asks for things even meant for her.

The reason for this, according to me, is the nature of politics in India. Unfortunately the differently abled population- which form, according to 2001 census, 2-3% of our population and unofficial figures are said to be 60-70million- is not considered to be a vibrant vote bank, as a result successive governments have done little for the amelioration of this section.

People with special abilities are made to believe that they are fortunate to have gotten what ever they have! Of course, I say. Why not! Two out of 7000 Delhi Transport Corporation buses are disable friendly, to find buildings with ramps (to help the physically challenged) would be an achievement in itself. Not even government buildings have these facilities. Education and employment levels, of this chunk of population, are abysmally low. The psychological trauma they undergo is another heartrending issue all together.
The differently abled people contribute to just 0.52% of the total number of people employed in government jobs, infrastructure facilities are very hostile for them hence mobility becomes a problem. This certainly adds a feather to the government’s cap, doesn’t it?

While it is fair to criticize the government, it must be considered that the private sector has done little to help those with disabilities. In the Private sector mere 0.28% of its total employed is disabled. Worse, it is only 0.05% in MNCs. The ‘growth’ of the economy is doing little for those who live in the peripheries.

Social activist Mr. Abidi alleged that Mc Donalds and other transnational companies, which are governed by strict laws, show double standards when they come to India. They have ramps and other facilities provided at their centers in the west, they happen to ignore the law when it comes to India. The indifference of these companies is questionable. The companies, however, argue that there is a case against philanthropy and that they look at each individual as a consumer. Well, a nice way of giving back to the society what you’ve got from it!
There are also complaints about the agenda of the disabled women being sidelined by feminist movements. Well, women are fighting for themselves!

I’ve personally been touched by a few accounts of the less fortunate. I have been writing exams for the visually challenged, every time I write, I’m saddened by lack of opportunities ‘they’ have, in terms of jobs or otherwise. Stories about these are all over the place.
Wonder where the media has been? I have no problems with their extensive coverage of all the ‘Page3 parties’ as they are called (there is a huge chunk of passive audience out there, who is being fed rubbish and they are taking it with relish!). But, until a few years ago, the media was the only institution with a conscience.

Most of the coverage that the media gives to this issue is around the 1st week of December, when the world disability day happens to be. How many ‘responsible’ newspapers or TV channels include stories on these issues on a regular basis? Only regular coverage can keep the issue alive. But why will the media bring up issues if the politicians do not want them in the fore? After all, it’s the world of give and take. And the specially abled have to take only what they are given!
There is only one TV sign language news bulletin per week by Prasar Bharti. Dissemination of information in formats accessible to people with sensory impairments is restricted.

Let’s for a moment introspect. There is an inadvertent attempt to alienate the less privileged, whether we want it or not. ‘They’ are looked at with sympathy by the rest of the population that almost vanishes the next moment due to an overload of preoccupations. It is sad, but what can we do about it?
The situation is different only when we encounter physically and mentally challenged people at close quarters- either a family member of a close friend.

The government, largely, depends on the voluntary sector for help (at least in India). Even the public consciousness and awareness campaigns by voluntary organizations can be called a ‘recent phenomenon’. We can at least talk of the employment of the employable physically disabled, the state of the unemployable and mentally challenged is worse due to lack of social security measures. Can these be a ray of hope? But wait. We have told the specially abled not to be hopeful at all.

The day we change our outlook towards this problem, we would truly be moving towards an inclusive society. I’m forced to ask, with great pain, is the idea of an inclusive society Utopian?

Raksha Kumar

Freedom from Shackles

2006-04-07T22:11:00.000-07:00

Freedom?

Often what is told to us is not the complete picture. In schools we are taught about the greatness of India’s political and economic freedom. We are taught about the kind of rights we possess and are often made to fell privileged as there are millions who are not half as free as we, Indians, are.
While trying not to be cynical, I’ll try to comment on this concept of “freedom in India.”

‘Who decides what freedom and liberty are?’ Is a clichéd question but a relevant one. If reduction of state control in our lives is the definition of freedom then we are freer in this country since 1991 than we were since 1947! I doubt if that is true. So, what is freedom?

If we earned freedom in 1947 then why is a huge chunk of the population still suffering from deprivation of the essentials? We acquired only political freedom from the British (few dispute this as well). And since 1947 we are being ruled by some men who do not recognize the ground realities or do not want to do anything to change it.

In the light of the above statements can we really say that we are a free nation with equal opportunities? Are these too many confusing questions? Consider this. Every woman in India has the right to live fearlessly, while all of us know that most women are bound to their homes after dark, they are exploited in their own homes and very few raise their voices. Importantly, few are given the freedom to voice their concerns.

Similarly, every child has a right to education. Very few children are aware of this right and fewer have the means to take advantage of this right.

At every step in life we face constraints imposed on us by those who promise freedom. Army’s atrocities in the north east and Kashmir are well documented. Ironically, they who promise free and secure lives resort to crimes.

The notion of freedom, it is said, began in the west –inner freedom- mainly as a revolt to the church. It was later strengthened due to the necessary revolt against colonialism-this was political freedom. The concept of freedom gained strength by the American values of individualism and a free society. This developed into a demand for economic freedom in the 1970s, which was put forth by neo-colonialist struggles.

In India we gave the concept of liberty (our adaptation of its meaning) equal rights as equality, justice and sovereign.
Our preamble reads “We the people of India ……..secure to all its citizens………..liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship.”
Deep rooted caste system, religious violence, religious segregation and vote gathering based on religion certainly negates this provision in our constitution.

It is disturbing that India has hid its inability to provide liberty to its people under the garb of democracy and constitutional law. It is questionable whether it is enough to have a written constitution and well laid down laws. The implementation of it in a diverse country becomes the key.

It is an evident contradiction that India tries to champion the cause of democracy all over the world and does not allow suitable conditions for the democratic rights to reach the people of India.
I say this keeping in mind that India houses an independent judiciary and an active press.

But, the questions within these spheres itself are also many. How will I fight for my rights if my case is fought in the courts for 10 years and why will I turn to the press if I know that all it wants is juicy stories and profit?
Forgive my blanket statements. Our democratic institutions are not fundamentally flawed. Certain radical policy decisions have to be taken in order to save us from this web of interconnected problems.
Society has not evolved overnight and hence it will take time to change, but change has to come from accepting the flaw.

Situation in our country, it must be admitted, is not grave.
Our country certainly knows how to accommodate dissenting voices and divergent views. But, time has come –after 58 years- to retain our virtues and tackle drawbacks which have invariably seeped into our polity.
At least questions of freedom, justice and, these days, even sovereignty, must be raised a lot more by the Indian media.

While it is true that man is a social being and cannot frame rules for himself and be completely “free”, we certainly have our constitutional rights on paper and thereby we can demand for it.

Raksha Kumar

Cricket for all.

2006-04-07T22:00:00.000-07:00

Commercialization of cricket

It’s no longer just the galleries, the stadium, the pitch and the players that are essential for a cricket match. Samsung, Pepsi, TATA Indicom and MRF are equally necessary –almost indispensable.
Some say, this crass commercialization is the reason for the game to be as popular as it is today. It would be no exaggeration if I say that especially in India you’d find sponsors for even a tennis ball match played on the streets.

But a deeper look into it might show different signs. How many players of yester years
endorsed products? Very few. Commercialization of this gentleman’s game is a relatively recent phenomenon. It started mainly because two important developments that took place in the 1980s and 90s in our country- introduction of colour TV and reduction of state control in the corporate sector. This is when big companies decided to take advantage of the situation.

India already had put cricket on a pedestal, thanks to the British legacy. Also, cricket is played at least for a day and is perfect for advertisers who would want to appear regularly on the screen, for better impact. They take extra interest as they want to succeed in a human resource rich country like ours. Thus money running into millions is poured into cricket. This consequently increased the media’s interest.

These days even a Kenya v/s Holland match will gain more coverage than the hockey world cup. However, last year by this time, Indian media announced the (re)emergence of new sports like Tennis and Racing –attributed to the successes of Sania Mirza and Narian Karthikeyan. Now they seem to be retreating and concentrating more on cricket due to the dawn of the new cricket season.

Its effects are many. At the grass root level, many cricket-training camps have sprung up which charge exorbitant sums and promises to make every BOY Sachin Tendulkar. These camps are clearly out of reach for kids whose parents don’t earn six-figure salaries.
Cricket has always been a gentleman’s game but for some time it seemed like women’s cricket did gain some support. Sadly, it didn’t last long. Excessive attention to men’s cricket has stolen focus from women’s cricket. Women’s world cup cricket does not get half the coverage an Irani trophy match would.

It is common knowledge that fans can enjoy seeing Saurav and Rahul on TV even when they are not playing cricket. Is it wrong to say that enormous sums of money the big stars gain out of endorsements, take away the incentive of giving their 100% on field? I don’t know. There have been controversies where players have put money over the game.

India’s failure in sports is usually attributed to substandard conditions our sports persons are provided with, even at the highest levels. Budget allocation towards sports is considered to be a waste by our leaders. Surely, sports that have enough cash inflow can do something. Consider the amount of money flowing in to cricket, the cricketing fraternity could have done a lot to encourage young sports persons (even those who cannot afford expensive camps). The few benefit matches and charity auctions apart, neither the board nor the fraternity are doing much.

Seldom is there a place on the cricket field and on the players where a brand is not advertised. Hence, the game has ceased to be what it was. Whether you can see the teams in the stadium or not the entire team will be present on one or the other cola ads.

Merchandising is another new concept that is gaining ground. This will ensure more money into the sport.
Only if this was spent efficiently….

Raksha kumar

Media Matters

2006-04-07T21:50:00.000-07:00

Is it time for the media to be a ‘public institution’?

Unlike a few other countries, Indian journalists do not enjoy any special professional rights apart from the rights they enjoy as the citizens of India.
The media, however, is expected to perform many important functions: it is the source of information, it forms a forum of discussion, it brings out ‘truth’ and it entertains. These functions automatically put the media on a pedestal; the media is required to work for the larger public good. While the duties are immense the rights are limited. This is like swimming in deep waters with hands tied.

Many public institutions demand additional rights to discharge their duties efficiently. The notable ones are the Judiciary with Contempt Laws, the Parliament claims certain privileges while it protects itself through the laws of secrecy (RTI will change this, but corruption largely remains). We allow the Police and tax officials to intrude the privacy of individuals on the claims of larger public good.

Why not give the media certain privileges?

A deeper look into the situation will show various complexities: when we say the media should get the rights enjoyed by other “public institutions”, is it because it’s expected of the media to work for the public good? Or is it important for the institution to be owned publicly, to be called a “public institution”?

Currently, the media is largely owned by a few private individuals. Therefore, many feel that if the media get privileges it would be like giving special rights to a few individuals just because they claim to do public good. Thus we should keep in mind the above argument and put certain checks in place and then talk of rights to the journalists.

Especially with the onset of electronic media in the last decade of the previous century, it is time the laws pertaining to the media were changed. Freedom should be coupled with mechanisms to ensure accountability. First of all, the Press Council of India should be brought to life and must be revamped to suit the changing times. It should be made autonomous in practice and its jurisdiction should extend to the electronic media.

Importantly, the audience should consciously reject the sleaze offered by some media in the name of “popular demand”.
If these and more regulations were put in place, it would be easier to ‘trust’ the media. Since journalism is becoming more professional by the day, time has come to reconsider the professional rights for journalists. This becomes twice as important in a world where communication technologies are easily available and accessible by all. The journalists should be given some separate rights from that of other citizens so that it can help in providing accurate and reliable information to counter the messages emanating from any source that may not always be true.

With rights come duties and responsibilities, hence the media should recognize the responsibilities.

Raksha Kumar

Is this how it is?

2006-04-07T21:12:00.000-07:00

A lifetime experience

Try and picture this: a tattered nine seater, with plastic sheets to cover its top. 23 souls packed into the jeep, travelling at great speeds.

I was one of them!!

As we ended our journey of the magnificent Fatehpur and Sikri we were in for a shock. “there are no more buses back to Agra,” we were told “ you’ll have to take a jeep.”

We were literally invited by the driver of the jeep. Apparently, another jeep wouldn’t be taken unless one is full and has departed.
We were shown a seat fit for a 4 year old and two fully grown adults had to fit into it! Five minutes into the journey and the kid next to me threw up( I presume it was because of the claustrophobic and suffocating set up).
Since I was brought up in a huge metropolitan and I’m currently living in another I’m just not familiar with such situations (which, I was told later, are very common occurrences). This got me wondering about how ignorant city dwellers could be about the daily problems of the rural India.

There were four people to the driver’s left and one to his right. The very sight of a person driving with people pushing him around was scary. The speedometer didn’t work but even a person who’d seen a jeep for the first time would know that the speed was well above 100kmph.
Thankfully, the road was in a reasonably good state, not a common sight in our country.
To add to my fears, it stared drizzling. To my utmost dismay, I realized that our jeep was without wipers!
Oh! God, why was I sitting in a could-be broken down-anytime jeep with almost two dozen people hanging onto all the rods the jeep had, moving fast without wipers and one light?
But a serious thought to the situation would throw up different questions. People there risk their lives every day, both the commuters and the drivers, to make ends meet. Is it fair for us to crib about car break downs or traffic jams?
A middle aged person in front of me was reading a book in that chaos. This is the kind of peace of mind they are able to attain which, I might say, is absent in the cities.

While I agree that the government should provide the basic necessities to all we should also realize that we are a lucky lot.
There are people who are less privileged than we are.
So the next time we don’t have a new dress for a party, lets spare a thought for those who don’t get new clothes for years. The next time we curse when there is a power failure lets think of millions of houses which have never seen electricity. And the next time we talk of larger numbers in the classroom let’s remember the hundreds of children who’ve never seen a school.
If not anything, this will bring us great comfort and satisfaction.

Raksha Kumar

We have to stop this from happening again.

2006-04-07T03:18:00.000-07:00

BHOPAL’ – BEYOND THE APPEARENCE

Would a child born in Delhi or any other part of the country be the same as a child born in Bhopal post1984? The answer is obvious, NO. He/she will face troubles socially, physically, mentally and psychologically. Thus it becomes important for us to look at the ’84 tragedy beyond the gas leak and the number of deaths.

In the wake of thousands of people marching from Bhopal to Delhi in protest, it is time for us to take another look at the issue. It raises questions about the government’s accountability to its people, transparency in government contracts, the social and psychological impacts of the leak on millions of people, at the national level. And the indifference shown by MultiNational Corporations (MNCs) towards the third world countries, the flaws in the environmental laws, and the unquestioned role of developed nations in environment degradation and so on at the international level.

I have tried to address a few of these questions in this write-up. As long as we see the Bhopal tragedy as an aberration, as an incident we lose out the larger picture of why it happened and what were the conditions leading to it. We will only be looking at that fateful night as ‘the gas leaked, engulfing the entire vicinity because water entered the tank where about 40 cubic meters of Methyl Isocynate(MIC) was stored. When water and MIC mixed an exothermic chemical reaction started, producing a lot of heat. As a result safety valve of the tank burst because of the increase in pressure.’ But the people of Bhopal are yet to get answers as to why the Union Carbide Corporation (UCC) set up an outdated plant in Bhopal when they had already developed an advanced computerized safety system for their West Virginia plant in the US. The refrigeration system was faulty; the valve lines and vent lines in the Bhopal plant were old and worn out. Parts that should have been replaced had not been changed for more than two years.

A similar plant to be set up in the US, for example, would require a lot of formalities and approvals, the company would have to abide by certain laws, safety etc. This is clear indication that in this globalizing world the third world is considered to be a dumping ground for all hazardous industries and toxic manufacturing: a place where MNCs/TNCs can get around with the laws and the political establishment.Since we do not see the world getting any less globalising and since people are out there to create more demand/profits, we can conclude that there are many more ‘Bhopals’ in our backyard.

In India, however, the union and state governments had no knowledge about the hazardous nature of MIC (or there were vested interests) and thus UCC was allowed to store large quantities of lethal chemicals where as the west Virginia plant did not store huge quantities of MIC. At the time of the leak, more than 30000 gallons of MIC had been stored. In contrast, the storage capacity in the West Virginia plant was no more than 5000 gallons. Few would disagree if we blame the callous nature of the government for the disaster and, since we have evidence of the government not having woken up, many more disasters are in the making.Transparency and accountability by the government are the foremost needs of the hour. Also, a lot depends upon the kind of economic decisions the establishments take for the country because that can determine the direction our economy will take. Populist measures of the government should not be encouraged.

In the municipal elections in Bhopal in 2004 there was not even a mention of gas leak by either of the two major political parties. After 20 years, the city has come in to terms with the devastation and so our ‘leaders’ have forgotten about it. This is not the case with Babri Masjid issue, though! On the other hand, the media in our country has also not lived up to the expectations. An American journalist, speaking about the Bhopal disaster, once said “had it been in the US, the media would have spoken about it for months together, mobilizing the people and forcing the government to act.” Despite what the media has done to bring Bhopal to the fore and keep it in focus, I think it should have done more. Two to three days around the second or third of December the media is reminded of Bhopal and there are series of reports on the victims of industrial hazards. But, what about the rest of the year? That the public memory is short, could be a good excuse. Unless the media is persistent, the government will not be on its feet. After all this is the job of the media, apart from, of course, expanding the existing multi-crore media industry. There should be regular reporting and exposes on companies/ factories that violate laws. The regional media should take on more responsibility in this respect.

In a democracy, the role of pressure groups becomes necessary to keep the government alert. Though many groups were founded after the disaster, a hand full of them has been effective. Most Non Government Organizations (NGOs) which get funds from outside the country have their own reservations about raising voices against MNCs. If they do so, raising resources becomes a problem for these organizations. Sub division and fragmentation can also be problems they face. In case a few organizations manage to make inroads or succeed, the government or other powerful groups snub them. Therefore it would not be wrong to say that if we were to see more ‘Bhopals’ tomorrow then media and the (relatively toothless) pressure groups will also have to share some of the responsibility. The magnitude of suffering of the Bhopal victims has alerted us, possibly for the first time in our history to the dangers of chemical pollution.

Yet, if another Bhopal were to happen today we may not respond any differently in spite of considerable information that we have gathered since then. In 2004 alone, there was an explosion in Shar complex of Sriharikota which killed 36 people; a toxic gas leak in a transport company in Delhi; in Eloor a fire at an endosulfan plant broke out; a leak in a chlorine plant near Mettur Dam near Tamil Nadu; a scrap factory exploded in Shahidabad,Uttar Pradesh killing 10. There are ticking bombs in various parts of India: Gujrat’s Valsad-Vapi region is considered to have disastrous environmental impact, the chemical industrial estates in Cuddolore which are regarded as the ‘smelliest parts of Tamil Nadu’, Jharkand’s Roro hills where asbestos wastes are left in the abandoned mines. Thus we urgently need a matrix of environmental governance laws which can internalize environmental considerations in the development strategy, which can provide a responsive legal system, also get industry to seek cleaner and well tested technologies and adopt best practices and also have well knit networks that ensure efficient dissemination of information right down to the last person. The MNCs and TNCs set up industries in the developing countries because of easy accessibility to cheap labour, relatively inefficient implementation of laws and set up costs are low.

Also, if you look beyond what is apparent, you find that there is a vested interest of the developed world to allow a certain amount of development in the third world. If poor countries do not show any signs of development, it will be difficult for the first world to dump its products in our markets. This is their policy of ‘expansion of markets’ and ‘world markets’. Thus if they set up industries they are ensured both short term and long term benefits. As long as it suits them they will set up industries and will show negligent conduct. They will be hence responsible for many more industrial hazards.

Ecological degradation is not a result of just development but a certain kind of development and it is no secret that ecological degradation will have adverse effects on human life. Modern day market dynamics compel us to use heavy technology, advanced machinery. The more man depends on mechanization the more he antagonizes nature. When Bhopal happened the impacts were instant. Millions of people killed, many more injured, 20 years later situation remains unchanged and so on. But, industries (both indigenous and foreign) are also killing people on an every day basis. The dumping of atomic and industrial waste on the coasts of Maharastra ,Gujrat and Orissa; tones of industrial waste being channalised into our rivers, which are our lifelines; ever increasing pollution of air; soil, which is the source of nutrients to our trees, being polluted and global warming. surely, this is slow poison but it has as disastrous effects as the gas leak in Bhopal. Such exploitation should not be tolerated. A few experts say an international law on environment will do a lot of damage control, while there are skeptics who say that the developed countries will find there way around as well. One of the other serious concerns of many is/ was the compensation for the Bhopal victims. Cot between UCC and the Indian government, are the victims who were hoping for rehabilitation twenty years later had to settle with meager compensation. This is blatant injustice. The victims should be rehabilitated and given suitable work that ensures stable income along with monetary compensation. Of the 800000 people living in Bhopal 2000 died immediately, during the gas leak, and 30000injured. 1000 animals killed and 7000 injured. The survivors are suffering from partial or complete blindness, gastrointestinal disorders, weak immune systems, post traumatic stress disorders and menstrual problem in women. A rise in spontaneous abortions, stillbirths and off spring with genetic defects was also noted.

One must remember that our country is not short of resources. Good governance and efficient implementation of rules and laws are lacking. It is very important for us to strengthen our democratic institutions. We can surely prevent another ‘Hiroshima of chemical industry’ from occurring. Calling all responsible institutions in the country and abroad.
Anyone listening?

Raksha Kumar

Ha that train ride!!

2006-04-07T03:09:00.000-07:00

On the tracks...

When I had to make a 2000 km long journey alone in a train-which many claim is unsafe- it raised many an eyebrow. But, my experience in the national carrier has always been pleasant.
You get a sense of India’s diversity when on a train-I learnt a lot about the kind of society we live in, more than I’d learnt in any classroom.
My journey began from New Delhi railway station and I was scheduled to reach Bangalore in a matter of less than two days.

I sat quite while the two people next to me struggled to start a conversation.
A gentleman with a strong Punjabi accent asked “aap kahan jaaoge?” to an elderly person next to him. The immediate reply was “kai?” (Marathi word for “what?”)
The TC, I thought, must know at least a hundred languages to converse with all the people he’d encounter. The lady next to me, clad in a traditional sari, was (I later learnt) a Gujarati brought up in Bangalore. The other two men in our compartment were students from DU but originally from Bhopal and Guntakal.

Even for someone like me, who is not unfamiliar with the composite culture, it was astonishing to see the ease with which the six of us got along – we dined together (despite the fact that two of us were vegetarians) and chatted away until late into the night.

The topics of discussion ranged from “Agre ka petha” to Indo-Pak Agra summit, from Sachin Tendulkar to speed breakers. It was evident that if something holds this country together, it is not the institutional structure or common history. It simply is politics, cricket and Bollywood.

However, there were hundreds of disruptions to our dialogue that spanned almost 20 hours - the tea vendors, the pantry staff, and the beggars (also picturing another reality of India). But the talk was too interesting to divert our attention.
There were disagreements on almost every issue, however, it all ended with somebody buying coffee for the rest. Trains provide an excellent platform for expression of one’s opinions. With long distances to travel and nothing to do it is natural for anybody to strike a conversation.

What ever the British did, railways are certainly a gift they gave us. Traveling by train doesn’t have an artificial sophistication. I can say this because at the end of the journey, none of us remembered each others’ names but were more than familiar with everybody’s views on politics, economics and sports.
I haven’t seen many countries to say that ‘it happens only in India’. But such peaceful co-existence despite vast diversity is certainly India’s specialty. It should be preserved.

Raksha Kumar

My experiments with TV!

2006-04-07T03:03:00.000-07:00

To be a Poonam Saxena…

It was a Sunday. Again. If I have to be a Poonam Saxena or a Shailaja Bajpai, the first thing I have to do is watch TV, I thought. Therefore I decided to spend the whole day watching TV! Armed with two bottles of water and some snacks, I positioned myself in front of the TV. Within 10 minutes I’d surfed the entire set of channels and had found nothing interesting. I wouldn’t give up. Not so early.

For the first time I realized that there were more than five full-time sports channels! Except that when I as watching three of them showed cricket. If you don’t like cricket….too bad…well, you could watch the music channels.
However, you need to like Indi-pop or the latest Bollywood music to watch them. The next ten minutes that I spent watching music channels, I found that only five to six songs were being repeated in all the channels. Thus, if you like any other form of music (jazz, classical, old songs) …again, bad luck, you should try out the ‘family’ channels.
They have only two options- either watch soap operas or reality shows. Since these get the highest TRPs, I thought, I should watch them for a while. Question: why are they called reality shows when, clearly, they are staged? I reminded myself to check the dictionary for ‘reality’. I was beginning to realize how difficult the job of the people who review television is.

Then, of course, my remote took me to ‘devotional’ channels. Everything, including the sets, looks the same. Saffron-clad men and women perched on a pedestal, some flowers around them and a few audiences from all ages (very important!). There is no point talking about what they said because I found it incomprehensible.
If religious and spiritual discourse is not your cup of tea…Hmm…try the news channels.

News channels. Now that sounds interesting, I thought. While surfing I lost count of how many there were. At first I wondered if all were owned by the same person or if it is the same channel with different anchors. Not only was the news item same but event the words used by the anchors were also similar (much like the newspapers that use agency copies).

After spending a few minutes expressing disgust over the anchors’ choice of clothes, I moved on. But where to? I’d pretty much exhausted all options on TV.

That Sunday morning I learnt one important lesson. The profile of an average urban TV viewer is of one who likes cricket (no matter how old the match is!), Himesh Reshamya, K-serials (as they are popularly called), staged reality shows and news channels with good looking anchors who have horrible dress sense.
If that is not what the average viewer is like than he’s forced to like it. There is no option.
One thing that was common to all the channels was advertisements. Millions of them.

In mere two hours, I’d come to the conclusion that TV viewing is a different ball game altogether. I would spend my Sundays as always: reading a book and lazing around.

Raksha Kumar.