tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305561042024-02-19T13:09:43.759+05:30I, Me, MyselfSidhusaaheb's world viewSidhusaahebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08428201823375343016noreply@blogger.comBlogger208125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30556104.post-66987863970139379102023-11-20T06:25:00.006+05:302023-11-20T07:47:06.698+05:30The Cricket World Cup in 'New India'<p>I will remember the latest edition of the Cricket World Cup tournament for some non-cricketing stuff, mainly because of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Naya Bharat' (New India) and Jay Shah's leadership of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).</p><p>Firstly, no match was arranged at excellent venues like the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium in Mohali, and the final was at Ahmedabad, where the cricket was not very entertaining as not many big shots were hit because of the 'slow' pitch. Allegedly, it was all because of political considerations. For the uninitiated, Mohali is in Punjab, a state ruled by the Aam Aadmi Party, an arch-rival of Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).</p><p>Second, 'Naya Bharat' appeared again when Indian spectators at the stadium named after the current prime minister tried to bully Pakistani players walking back to the pavilion by shouting "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jai_Shri_Ram#:~:text=The%20expression%20was%20used%20by,it%20as%20a%20battle%20cry." target="_blank">Jai Shree Ram</a>" slogans. During another match at a different venue, such spectators tore up a stuffed toy (in the form of a tiger) carried by Bangladeshi fans and tried to verbally intimidate them. 'Naya Bharat' was also in evidence when a policeman at a match in Bangalore tried to prevent Pakistani fans from cheering their team with "Pakistan Zindabad" slogans. Also, in 'Naya Bharat', the Ahmedabad crowd did not cheer when the Aussies played good shots or even when an Australian batsman scored a century during the final match, and it seemed as if the game was being played in an empty stadium.</p><p>Third, there were the allegations, though unsubstantiated, of the BCCI trying to give the Indian team an unfair advantage by giving them balls that swung more and changing pitches literally at the last moment to favour the team.</p><p>Last but not least, Kapil Dev, who led the Indian team to victory in the World Cup for the first time in 1983, was not invited to watch the final game apparently because he had spoken in favour of the women wrestlers protesting recently against sexual harassment by the BJP's member of parliament leading the wrestling federation.</p>Sidhusaahebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08428201823375343016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30556104.post-81804925639961077582023-11-15T06:56:00.000+05:302023-11-15T06:56:59.348+05:30A Baby Monkey and I<p>I almost made friends with a baby monkey a couple of days ago.</p><p>I alighted from a train at a Metro station in Delhi and was on my way out. As I descended a staircase, I saw a female monkey and her little one seated on the railing a little distance apart.</p><p>As I passed them, I looked at the little one, smiled and said, "Hello, how are you doing?" He hopped down from his perch and started following me downstairs without me realising it. </p><p>When I happened to glance over my shoulder after a while, I saw him right behind me. When I stopped, he did, too, and sat up attentively. So, without moving a finger, I told him, "I have nothing for you to eat."</p><p>He seemed to understand perfectly what I had said, turned around, and returned to where his mother was.</p><p>I spoke to him in Punjabi, my mother tongue, both times, but he seemed to grasp my intent, and language was never a barrier between us.</p><p>Later, I wished I had sat on my haunches without making any sudden movements, and perhaps he would have shaken hands with me before he left.</p>Sidhusaahebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08428201823375343016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30556104.post-44938000605335485822023-06-23T13:14:00.006+05:302023-09-30T12:05:24.160+05:30Religion, Character and Brainwashing<p>Here is a real-life story about organised "religion" and how it can affect people's lives that you might find interesting. </p><p>When I was working at Chandigarh about 8-10 years ago, I came to know a young American white woman. She was brought into the company as an intern, but the owner/CEO soon made her the head of content marketing. Before I was fired within about 8 months of joining because the owner thought I was not a good writer, she had been made the Chief Marketing Officer. After a few years, she and I connected on social media, and I learnt that she had also left the company shortly after I left and returned to America. Apparently, she could not find the kind of job she was looking for there and freelanced for many years. Although she did not tell me as much, I gathered that she did not do well in her freelance work during the Covid period and then took up a job at a company, which she has kept since then.</p><p class="selectable-text copyable-text iq0m558w" dir="ltr">Anyway, the above was about her professional life. Now, I would like to tell you something about her personal life. When I met her in Chandigarh, she was a happy-go-lucky person who loved adventure sports like trekking and paragliding. She also liked to travel and travelled extensively over India when she was here.</p><p class="selectable-text copyable-text iq0m558w" dir="ltr">I do not know what exactly happened after she returned to the US, but she turned to religion massively over the past few years and became a born-again Christian. Many of her social media posts were about how she had been "saved" and how Jesus was not just the son of God but God personified, etc. She also posted videos about passages from the Bible that she had read and her interpretation of those passages. She did not go completely crazy, though, and remained the ardent animal lover she always had been (She still has a dog, whom she loves dearly.). She also retained some fundamental liberal views from before, such as how it is essential to ensure free speech for everyone. She also remained affectionate towards friends and said she and her church group would pray for me when I developed a brain issue last December. She continued to ask about my well-being periodically after that and to pray for me until I got well.</p><p class="selectable-text copyable-text iq0m558w" dir="ltr"><span class="selectable-text copyable-text">However, during a discussion sometime last year, she told me that she was committed to marrying a Christian man only after she had been "saved" since it was important for a husband and wife to be "equally yoked". Later, I found out through her social media posts that she had gotten engaged, apparently to a "Christian" man. Yesterday, she told me that she broke off the engagement in February because she found out just before she began to "book different wedding things" that the "Christian" man had been "deceptive" towards her for several months. I am sure that the blindfold of "religion" remains firmly in place over her eyes, though, and she will be looking for another "Christian" man! </span></p>Sidhusaahebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08428201823375343016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30556104.post-53161481972928950152023-04-02T18:16:00.000+05:302023-04-02T18:16:16.312+05:30The Monkeys of Kasauli<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYXUkBpcv_tg6A3-Xk7L6lCi92tj02zvyUFJESkfZ0gpNCV88KheJ9Y9ZC9pxIWjgwqEHQTw8eXjuRyAsPRq4zikEPBn36ZtDtqi1hMoMk35-R08BZFQGye6ZT_T4QQ4DrGC4kcVDrnnhWcUf4uQATWOvWWGjiWbmW7vd73GKp98sxkA7rcmM/s1280/IMG-20220625-WA0018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYXUkBpcv_tg6A3-Xk7L6lCi92tj02zvyUFJESkfZ0gpNCV88KheJ9Y9ZC9pxIWjgwqEHQTw8eXjuRyAsPRq4zikEPBn36ZtDtqi1hMoMk35-R08BZFQGye6ZT_T4QQ4DrGC4kcVDrnnhWcUf4uQATWOvWWGjiWbmW7vd73GKp98sxkA7rcmM/s320/IMG-20220625-WA0018.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>There are a lot of monkeys in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kasauli" target="_blank">Kasauli</a>. That is what I discovered when I visited the quaint little hill town last summer along with my father. Whenever you walk the streets, you can be sure of encountering a monkey every few minutes. In some areas, they are nearly a permanent presence. </p><p>Along with the most common species of monkeys found in India (the Rhesus macaque), there is the grey langur to be found in Kasauli. For some reason, these species do not cohabit, and there are almost no monkeys to be found in areas where there are langurs. That is the case in Kasauli as well, with the langurs occupying the centre of the town and the Rhesus monkeys in the outer areas.</p><p>Both species have adapted well not only to living in close proximity to humans but also to obtaining food and drink from humans.</p><p>When my father and I visited, it was peak tourist season and a lot of people carrying snacks and soft drinks out and about. The monkeys obviously knew what they wanted and had devised ingenious ways of attaining their objectives.</p><p>While in the main <i>bazaar</i> one afternoon, I saw half a dozen langurs lounging about on a couple of benches by the roadside. When a group of tourists walked by, one of the langurs approached from behind. He tapped a lady, who was carrying ice cream, lightly on her back with one of his hands, obviously requesting her to share the treat with him. Unfortunately for him, she screamed in fear but held on to the ice cream, even as a shopkeeper carrying a stick approached quickly and shooed him away. He returned dejectedly to rejoin his mates and wait for another quarry. I silently wished him better luck for the next time and moved on.</p><p>The next day, while returning from a long walk down Upper Mall Road, my father and I decided to rest for a while on another roadside bench. I spied a couple of Rhesus monkeys sitting in a tree nearby. The female carried a baby that clung to her chest. As soon as a few people carrying food and drink came along, the monkeys climbed down and ran towards them. One of the visitors panicked and dropped a soft drink bottle before hurrying along. The male monkey grabbed it quickly and both monkeys ran back. They sat down to enjoy the cola under the tree. The male bit into the plastic bottle to make two neat little holes. Then, he put the bottle down sideways to let the liquid flow and form a puddle on the ground. They took turns drinking from the puddle. </p><p>I suppose the monkeys love the sweet taste of soft drinks and ice cream but wonder what the added sugar does to their health.</p>Sidhusaahebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08428201823375343016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30556104.post-38295682692126516772023-03-01T19:24:00.002+05:302023-09-03T01:19:48.426+05:30The Religion Conundrum<p>The founders of many major religions claimed that they communicated directly with God, who dictated to them the scriptures they wrote. Others claimed to be God himself, born in human form and, therefore, the authors of God's word. However, if there is only one God (and there has to be only one God; otherwise, the followers of different religions would have different DNA and other building blocks of the human body), why would he give different messages to followers of different religions? </p><p>Think about it.</p>Sidhusaahebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08428201823375343016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30556104.post-5419379039942869572015-12-19T22:47:00.001+05:302015-12-19T22:47:39.259+05:30The New Love in My Life<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjomyWdaaOnRQkcg0vWKvmmK6PnBkonwzbcFfBUkmLd1GPF8gxNCutopTf_is7I-DGuPRyVt_htADZ-tvn6ka5z8FIJISd-B7tMep3fte94sitcPzcDK_wReFs5DiCRSKkkSVYhzQ/s1600/20151216_102743.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjomyWdaaOnRQkcg0vWKvmmK6PnBkonwzbcFfBUkmLd1GPF8gxNCutopTf_is7I-DGuPRyVt_htADZ-tvn6ka5z8FIJISd-B7tMep3fte94sitcPzcDK_wReFs5DiCRSKkkSVYhzQ/s320/20151216_102743.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Sidhusaahebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08428201823375343016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30556104.post-62774144380667458072015-04-12T01:24:00.001+05:302021-08-20T22:09:47.120+05:30Dera Sacha Sauda and IThis post had been reverted to a 'draft' by Blogger because some one filed a bogus copyright claim against it. I am re-publishing it since all the contents are original. The post was first published in May 2007.<br />
------------------------------------------------------- <br />
<br />
As I keep track of the coverage, in newspapers and on television, of the Dera Sacha Sauda controversy, there are a few things that strike me as strange.<br />
<br />
Firstly, the Dera has been described as a 'Sikh sect' in certain sections of the news media, whereas it has nothing to do with Sikhism (or any other religious faith, as for that matter).<br />
<br />
Secondly, something that has been part of conversations in urban drawing-rooms and rural <i>baithhaks</i> in Punjab i.e. the Dera head issued an edict to his followers to vote for Congress (I) in the recent state assembly elections, only because that party offered to help 'dispose of' the criminal cases filed against the <i>Baba</i> and his followers (the charges include murder and sexual abuse), in case it was able to form the government, does not appear to have been mentioned in any newspaper or on any television channel.<br />
<br />
Thirdly, most media reports seem to imply that the Sikhs have been outraged merely by the fact that the <i>Baba</i> appeared dressed like Guru Gobind Singh, whereas, the truth is that he not only dressed like the Guru, but also attempted to replicate, to a large extent, what the Guru did on the day of the foundation of the Khalsa (in spite of the counter-claims made in the latest press statement put out by the Dera). He tried to do a 'role play', in which he put himself in the place of the Tenth Master.<br />
<br />
I have had an inkling that the <i>Baba</i> harboured such ambitions, for a long time. For several years now, the Dera has been publishing calenders with photographs of his, in which he can be seen on a white horse or in other poses imitating the way, in which Guru Gobind Singh has often been depicted in paintings. Perhaps others, too, have noticed all that and at least some of what has happened over the past few days has been the culmination of events that have taken place over the past few years.<br />
<br />
I think, however, that the media is right about the Shromani Akali Dal (the ruling party) versus Congress (I) angle to the violence. The <i>hukam-naama</i> calling for complete boycott of the Dera and its followers, in my opinion, would have put the message across clearly enough and the violence was unnecessary. Incidentally, though, the violence began when the Dera's supporters attacked a bunch of peaceful Akali protestors on May 14.<br />
<br />
On a more personal note, the whole episode brought back memories of my own connection with the Dera.<br />
<br />
Even as news media have been reporting that the Dera's followers comprise Sikhs mainly from the so-called backward castes (I believe they are among some of the most privileged people in Punjab today, but that is another story altogether.), there are some who are Jatt Sikhs also, as in the case of one such unfortunate example from my family. My paternal great-grandfather had five brothers, the youngest of whom became an ardent follower of the Dera Sacha Sauda. A few years later, the elder of his two sons followed in his footsteps. He, in fact, went a few steps farther than his father in terms of his devotion to the cult and got involved with its management and administration. Hard-working and honest as he was, he soon rose among the ranks and was widely billed as a likely candidate for a high-ranking position in the Dera hierarchy (Some of my elders tell me that he was expected to be made the head of the Dera, although I am not absolutely sure about this.).<br />
<br />
Then, one day, while he was at the Dera premises, he was poisoned and his corpse delivered home in a tractor-trolley on the next. The father, the devout follower that he was, refused to file a case of murder with the police and also forbade the rest of the family from doing so.<br />
<br />
This happened many years ago (in the early 1980's), much before <i>Baba</i> Gurmeet Ram Rahim took over as chief, but has been proof enough, at least for me, that sleaze has always been an integral part of this cult.<br />
<br />
I wonder if there have been other cases, as well, when unnatural deaths at the Dera have gone unreported.Sidhusaahebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08428201823375343016noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30556104.post-83553620963448750562012-09-10T15:35:00.000+05:302012-09-10T15:35:00.736+05:30Monsoon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggTbJynRmve8jR50q35rGftcntUHsQs6umzmJp0G28O91lcteowCPbZwb8YTWVtPAOALxQ-s_W1e5OBIFpbmPtZRiNHA4afS57h3zqAz_5yHrLVkEGZHuj4K60QByvSqsMCHGAGQ/s1600/2012-08-27+17.31.15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggTbJynRmve8jR50q35rGftcntUHsQs6umzmJp0G28O91lcteowCPbZwb8YTWVtPAOALxQ-s_W1e5OBIFpbmPtZRiNHA4afS57h3zqAz_5yHrLVkEGZHuj4K60QByvSqsMCHGAGQ/s320/2012-08-27+17.31.15.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />Sidhusaahebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08428201823375343016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30556104.post-82886848631821614512012-08-16T14:53:00.001+05:302012-08-16T14:53:38.686+05:30Ramzaan and II was introduced to the holy month of Ramzaan rather early in life.<br />
<br />
I was 11-12 years old when I met Uncle Nafeez. He was a short, stocky man and was a carpenter by trade. My father had engaged his services as a few items of furniture in the household had to be repaired and a few new ones made. He arrived early every morning and worked diligently until sunset for the two weeks or so that it took him to finish his work. The only break he would take was to ride off on his bicycle to pray at a nearby mosque late in the afternoon. Ramzaan coincided with June (usually the hottest month in North India) that year and, being the pious Muslim that he was, he was fasting. All that we could do to help was to ensure that he always worked in the shade and not in the hot sun.<br />
<br />
By the time he completed his assignment and left, he had become very friendly with my younger brother, who was 3-4 years of age then, and even gifted him a little replica of a dining chair carved out of a left-over block of wood. My parents were also quite impressed with the quality of his work. We lost touch with him, however, after we left town because of my father having changed jobs.<br />
<br />
Many years later, I saw three of my batch-mates at the post-graduate programme in management that I pursued also observe <i>roza</i> religiously, even during the semester examinations, while they studied as well as any of the other students and neither demanded nor got any special concessions from the college authorities. All of them, like me and many others, were boarders and yet fasted regularly for the whole month. They used to put aside some food at dinner time and re-heat and eat it early in the morning for <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suhoor">sehri</a></i>.<br />
<br />
Subsequently, I had two colleagues who were just as fastidious about the whole exercise, without letting their work schedules suffer in any way. It has been long since we stopped working together, but I remain in touch with one of them, though not so often as before.<br />
<br />
All of the six men that I have mentioned above may not be described as perfect human beings for each had his own faults, including, in at least two cases, egotism, and a tendency to succumb to the charms of women with malicious intentions (such as to use their womanhood to hide their incompetencies at work and to further their careers) in one. Five out of the six were (and, presumably, are) smokers, though none consumed alchohol or other intoxicants.<br />
<br />
A commonality that I noticed, though, was that all were respectful towards adherents of religious faiths other than Islam and tolerant of others' religious practices and beliefs, in addition to, obviously, going about following their own without much fanfare.Sidhusaahebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08428201823375343016noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30556104.post-38218043114835816862012-06-07T22:18:00.001+05:302012-06-07T22:29:46.692+05:30A Coup That Was Not?The controversy caused by <a href="http://www.indianexpress.com/news/the-january-night-raisina-hill-was-spooked-two-key-army-units-moved-towards-delhi-without-notifying-govt/932328/0">The Indian Express' report on the movement of two key army units towards the capital city of Delhi</a> on the intervening night of January 16-17 (without notification to the central government and the panic reaction triggered as a result) has nearly died down. It had to, for not only did the mass media side, almost en bloc, with those who dismissed the report as 'baseless', but also raised questions regarding the logic of the insinuation that such movement might have been aimed at achieving a coup d'etat, instead of looking for answers for the questions raised in the report. The reasons, perhaps, are not far to seek in a country where any unfavourable comparisons with a certain neighbouring state, where civilian governments have been toppled by the army more than once, can often lead to mass hysteria.<br />
<br />
Let us examine, first, one of the questions raised by the report, i.e., why did the paratrooper unit choose to drive through the traffic jams of Delhi (compounded by severe fog) to reach Hindon, instead of crossing the Yamuna river at Agra itself and driving through Uttar Pradesh, parallel to the Grand Trunk Road, in addition to the mechanised infantry unit driving all the way to the outskirts of the national capital to check its preparedness?<br />
<br />
The only conclusion that a possible answer lends itself to, besides the one that the army's top brass and most of the mass media would perhaps not want us to draw, points towards gross incompetence on the part of the commanders. As the then chief of the U. S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Leon Panetta, had said about the Pakistani authorities after Osama Bin Laden was found in Pakistan by the CIA and killed by American troops, they were either "complicit or incompetent". Despite that, however, no one seems to be asking how such men have managed to reach such high positions in Indian army's command structure, if we assume that they have been incompetent and not complicit, and why they have been allowed to remain there, especially in view of the likely consequences of that in a war-like situation.<br />
<br />
Then, let us look at a query raised by the 'other side', i.e., why would a general who wished to stage a coup (if he did indeed have such intentions) bother to bring in troops from outside when sufficient numbers of them already were present in the Delhi cantonment?<br />
<br />
Although we do not know whether a coup was meant to be staged and perhaps never will, there are certain aspects that may be attributed only to co-incidence but make the whole episode very curious. For instance, if I were a general intent on taking over Raisina Hill, a unit each of paratroopers and mechanised infantry would be my first choice to accomplish the task. That would be because the only resistance expected, if at all, would be from police or paramilitary personnel equipped with small firearms and the light armour of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armoured_personnel_carrier">armoured personnel carriers</a>, along with the machine guns mounted atop these, of the mechanised infantry unit would be sufficient to overcome that and carry out an 'area domination exercise' within a fairly short period of time (before even Delhi cantonment could get a whiff of the plot) with few or no casualties among the soldiers. Subsequently, the paratroopers, trained to be 'dropped' into an unfamiliar area (even behind enemy lines) and secure it quickly, could move into the buildings and compounds and 'secure' those as well as their occupants.<br />
<br />
Apparently, the Delhi cantonment has an infantry brigade and an artillery brigade stationed in it, of which the soldiers on foot would be far slower and exposed to small-arms fire, as against the mechanised infantry, and the artillery, with its large and heavy guns, would not really be required, in my opinion.<br />
<br />
As for the number of troops needed, the 500-700 which would form the combined strength of the two units should be sufficient to take over the 25 square-kilometres or so that form the seat of Indian government.<br />
<br />
Secrecy would obviously be paramount for such an operation, in order to retain the advantage of surprise, and I, for one, would not mind bringing in troops from outside, provided I could trust the commanders completely. It might be useful to mention here that <a href="http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-04-05/india/31293753_1_defence-ministry-age-row-general-vk-singh">the two senior officers controlling the movement of troops on the night between January 16 and 17 have been reported to be "staunch allies of the chief"</a>, although their actions could very well have arisen, as mentioned before, from incompetence.<br />
<br />
Last, but not the least, is the question of support from the the army's six 'regional commanders'. Could a coup have been successful without unstinting support from these officers?<br />
<br />
If I were the leader of such a coup attempt, I would inform the regional commanders only after taking over Raisina Hill in one swift stroke and taking the prime minister and his council of ministers, as well as the president, into 'protective custody'. Not being aware of whether any of the other five were on board, I would expect each of them to be too dazed to react or, at least, react fast enough. The cynicism prevalent among the public regarding the political class in general could only add to their reluctance to stick their respective necks out and whole-heartedly oppose a coup attempt.<br />
<br />
Additionally, the factional feuds among the senior commanders, which have been played out rather publicly in the recent past, would form another impediment in the way of their coming together against a military take-over of the country.<br />
<br />
Although, obviously, nothing can be stated with absolute certainty, with many of the generals hankering for longer tenures, by hook or by crook, one is inclined to think that it might have been possible to 'persuade' some to pledge their support in return for a few more years in office and/or promotions. For instance, <a href="http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-01-13/india/30623355_1_top-army-commander-physical-fitness-parade-today">the Western army commander then, who had secured a medical disability status that would have fetched him higher pension, was quick to reverse it when he discovered that he could be in the running for the top job in the army if the army chief was to resign well before the date of his retirement</a>. He is supposed to have recovered from arthritis almost overnight. Unless he discovered a miracle cure, he can only be described as a man of doubtful integrity and, therefore, as far as I can see, likely to be a good candidate for 'persuasion'. Incidentally, the Delhi cantonment also forms part of the Western command and he would have been the regional commander most closely placed and, therefore, in the best position to either act quickly against a coup attempt or to contribute to its success.<br />
<br />
Having considered all of the above, I am of the opinion that the civilian administration's reaction that resulted in slowing down the troop movement and, ultimately, in bringing it to a halt at Delhi's outskirts, was neither unwarranted nor ill-advised, regardless of whether or not the movement was meant to be part of an actual coup attempt.<br />
<br />
<i>Note: This post, as all others on this weblog, is based on publicly available information and the author's personal views/opinions.</i>Sidhusaahebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08428201823375343016noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30556104.post-77576178284376903882012-02-07T22:46:00.000+05:302012-02-07T22:46:44.045+05:30A Misplaced Sense of CharityNot far from where I live, is a place of worship. Every Thursday, the reigning deity grants special audience, apparently, and the long line of devotees inside is matched by one of beggars outside. The faithful stop to distribute alms before leaving the place, either out of a sense of charity or to curry greater favour with the deity, whom they expect to grant their wishes or, at least, wash away their sins.<br />
<br />
More often than not, the distribution of largesse is far in excess of the beggars' basic needs and they end up throwing away some of the food, much to the delight of stray cows and dogs, and spending some of the money on luxuries such as alchohol and tobacco. Clothes received, apart from those which can be worn or carried along, are generally sold off cheaply.<br />
<br />
The spectacle takes on an entirely new dimension during winters, however, since the vagabonds as well as their benefactors are in attendance every day of the week. Word spreads far and wide that blankets are being distributed, in addition to food and money, and the throngs are to be seen to be believed. The woollens received each evening have to be disposed of by the next, in order to receive more. So, prices are negotiated accordingly. Those who are more enterprising even rent rooms in nearby localities to store the booty, so as to be able to maximise their earnings. Liberal use of intoxicants helps them brave the cold late into the night, since some donors arrive only after having finished the day's business.<br />
<br />
Others among the homeless, such as rickshaw pullers or construction workers, who are often unable to afford shelter or clothing warm enough to help them survive the coldest months of the year and who may actually be poorer than the beggars in material terms, are not given any blankets. That, as far as I can see, is because such acts of charity may not be noticed by the reigning deity because of lack of proximity to the temple and, therefore, may not lead to wish fulfilment. Whether his field of vision is actually so narrow or is only perceived as such by his followers is a moot point.Sidhusaahebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08428201823375343016noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30556104.post-8713840675346597852012-01-08T23:10:00.000+05:302012-01-08T23:10:27.563+05:30The Thirsty Crow and Other Tales of WisdomSoon after we moved into the house we live in at present, my mother put out a wide, shallow earthen bowl in the yard, to provide the birds in the vicinity with fresh water to drink. She also began to provide them with a regular supply of <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearl_millet">bajra</a></i> seeds, along with left-over pieces of <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chapati">chapatti</a></i>. The seeds had to be replenished every day, while the pieces of bread often did not have to be.<br />
<br />
One day, I saw a crow pick up a rather dry piece of <i>chapatti</i> in its beak. However, instead of flying away with it thereafter, it hopped over to the bowl of water and dropped the piece in. After having turned it around in the water for a while, so as to soak it well, the crow took off. By the time it returned, the <i>chapatti</i> appeared to have softened quite a bit and the bird proceeded to consume it.<br />
<br />
Since then, I have become quite convinced that the story about a <a href="http://www.moralstories.org/the-thirsty-crow/">thirsty crow</a> must have been based more on fact than fiction.<br />
<br />
By the by, the bird in question has become great friends with my mother and she now sets an entire <i>chapatti</i> aside for it every day, while preparing lunch for the family. If she forgets, the crow spots her whenever she steps outside, perches itself on an electrical wire overhead and protests loudly until fed. At times, it even sits on the boundary wall, facing the house, and crows until its daily quota of the unleavened bread is served. In fact, the menu has now been expanded to include biscuits, fruits, and <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pakora">pakoras</a></i>.<br />
<br />
Once, when it was raising such a ruckus, I stepped out to ask what was wrong, since there already was some 'food on the table'. The crow picked up each piece, one by one, and threw it down as if to say, "Do you think I am going to eat this? Hurry along now and get us some fresh ones!"<br />
<br />
Its sense of 'ownership' has become so strong that it admonishes us strongly if we try to feed a stray cow or dog, regardless of whether or not it has had lunch.Sidhusaahebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08428201823375343016noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30556104.post-84103405249317122092011-12-20T18:31:00.003+05:302012-01-01T18:15:03.412+05:30A Satiated Python?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy6S2ctie9Z_rxqeDF0n0pNTulGq2eHK8YMHcre2A4ucSnopNI2GaPfvwq8E7rdUbmI7hoxAmFJYM4sSwZ-phznmhSHukgAcuX2bk6MFahBVbMg02ULjYODcFaopwMimEjYr1dXA/s1600/Photo-0152.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy6S2ctie9Z_rxqeDF0n0pNTulGq2eHK8YMHcre2A4ucSnopNI2GaPfvwq8E7rdUbmI7hoxAmFJYM4sSwZ-phznmhSHukgAcuX2bk6MFahBVbMg02ULjYODcFaopwMimEjYr1dXA/s320/Photo-0152.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg43ZbeAEwpg8WohrMXszUnbgmLPv34_NDMXXxkBrfXa8H_w_kgxcLbGaHH4Q3m9C6kM-4EylV1kQUfsZfxm_dpdUdYT6GKxXeeyz4TbYXbxIQitY7Ctf0ouedSAYexXsNw7AymyA/s1600/Photo-0165.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg43ZbeAEwpg8WohrMXszUnbgmLPv34_NDMXXxkBrfXa8H_w_kgxcLbGaHH4Q3m9C6kM-4EylV1kQUfsZfxm_dpdUdYT6GKxXeeyz4TbYXbxIQitY7Ctf0ouedSAYexXsNw7AymyA/s320/Photo-0165.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The question, however, is whether it is a python at all or any other kind of snake, as for that matter.</div>Sidhusaahebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08428201823375343016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30556104.post-40480352359321056832011-11-16T16:48:00.000+05:302011-11-16T16:48:46.233+05:30Reflections - II<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg57HD1wsfC83_32k0cMoD612HIzhczKMaXyTHxT6bceV0vMPrK-9ydgkRFE6ISJMXU1QcLmNN7tiaWn2PK9HZgL9neOgBmqryo1cHAkUPDHwVuLGue5NtcZtoX0ooaZ1kjSLbSsA/s1600/Photo-0144.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg57HD1wsfC83_32k0cMoD612HIzhczKMaXyTHxT6bceV0vMPrK-9ydgkRFE6ISJMXU1QcLmNN7tiaWn2PK9HZgL9neOgBmqryo1cHAkUPDHwVuLGue5NtcZtoX0ooaZ1kjSLbSsA/s320/Photo-0144.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Gurdwara Bangla Sahib, New Delhi, photographed by yours truly on November 6. I had published <a href="http://sidhusaaheb.blogspot.com/2008/11/reflections.html">another photograph</a> earlier.</div>Sidhusaahebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08428201823375343016noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30556104.post-52589937823063188232011-09-11T12:49:00.002+05:302011-09-11T13:05:26.825+05:30Lax Security at Chandigarh Railway StationI had to catch the Kalka Shatabdi at 6:23 p.m. that evening and arrived about an hour earlier at the entrance on the side of the station facing Panchkula, since that was where I had been staying with a friend. He also accompanied me as he hoped to travel on the same train up to Ambala. Each of us carried a shoulder bag spacious enough to contain a bomb as large as any used in recent incidents of terrorist violence (or an assault rifle with a foldable butt and a few hundred rounds of live ammunition) and yet got in without any security checks, simply because the police seemed to have decided that any one with malicious intent would never come that way. So, we reached the platform unmolested.<br />
<br />
We could very well have boarded the train without having to go through any sort of security procedure, but for the fact that my friend had to purchase a ticket. For that reason, we had to step out briefly and return through the entrance on the side facing Chandigarh and this time we did have to pass through a metal detector. However, the police man posted there appeared more interested in the newspaper he was reading than us and I suppose we could have smuggled in improvised explosive devices sans metal parts or shrapnel.<br />
<br />
Later, as the two of us waited at the platform, a pair of sniffer dogs were brought in and traversed the entire length of the platform, even though neither came within three meters of where we stood, at any point of time. Whether the canines could still have detected explosives, had we been carrying any, remains debatable.<br />
<br />
Once we were on board, we stacked our bags on the overhead racks provided for the purpose and since the railway police personnel who came to question passengers about ownership of various luggage items appeared well after the train had gone past Ambala, my friend could easily have left his behind, possibly with a bomb in it. On the other hand, if I had been a suicide bomber, I could have accomplished my grisly task without further ado as I was only asked to point my bag out, like every one else, before a "checked" sticker was affixed to it.<br />
<br />
One can only hope that all loopholes in the security shall be plugged before a real terrorist chooses to take advantage of the situation.Sidhusaahebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08428201823375343016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30556104.post-66139549469754611562011-08-28T14:59:00.000+05:302011-08-28T14:59:23.310+05:30Corruption in India and Laws against ItLet us consider the following instances:<br />
<br />
1. As my father and I await our turn to pay for our purchases at a local Mother Dairy outlet, a man arrives on a motorcycle and buys a few litres of milk. He proceeds to empty it into a number of canisters attached to his vehicle and then asks for a bucket full of water to dilute the milk with. He, apparently, is a milkman, off to his daily rounds to supply the liquid to several households, probably telling them tall tales of cows that he rears in a pen at home for good measure.<br />
<br />
2. When my mother visits a friend's house, the lady's young grand-daughter runs up to greet her, gives her a tight hug and enquires whether she has brought along any sweets. Upon finding out that she has not, the child's facial expression immediately changes to a rather rude one and she turns around and leaves. The same sequence is repeated on several subsequent occasions, until my mother relents and does take along some toffees.<br />
<br />
3. The cashier at a local pathology lab tells me that she does not have the exact amount of change and tells me to collect the balance the next day, along with the report of the medical test for which I have just submitted a sample. When I do, she looks crestfallen, even though she does return the money. The same sequence is repeated a few months later.<br />
<br />
4. As it continues to rain incessantly for several hours, a group of children from a nearby slum block the drains on the road that runs beside our house. Then, they offer to push any car that gets stalled due to water entering the exhaust pipe or another part, for a suitable fee. They do roaring 'business' until my mother realises what they are up to and decides to shoo them away. They are back a few days later, when it rains again.<br />
<br />
5. A puncture repair-man scatters a pack of iron nails at a crossing, about a kilometre from where he has set up shop, to help bring in more clients.<br />
<br />
6. A neighbour keeps his house centrally air-conditioned using free electricity supply obtained through greasing the palms of a few officials of the distribution company, which, incidentally, was privatised a few years ago.<br />
<br />
I am sure that most Indians come across many such examples almost every day, i.e., when they are not the examples themselves, of course. The question that arises then, at least in my mind, is whether a <a href="http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-08-18/india/29900237_1_lokpal-bill-ombudsman-corruption-in-public-life">Lokpal Bill</a> or any other such piece of legislation can help eliminate corruption in a country where it is so deeply engrained in the culture now.Sidhusaahebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08428201823375343016noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30556104.post-26881082576739114352011-08-14T13:24:00.000+05:302011-08-14T13:24:10.242+05:30What about the others?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5lcjWAZEJiySmQAXYbVLfi39dVnygoOQCYl-V7GH-4GaSir9h3AfBd38UEZapdoRda-O39aZbExb-Tsu70rlEeeJD6hiD4hR5F3opB8nR7Byc3yE_Epq8VAGMYXB4lr86IxlkUg/s1600/Photo-0133.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5lcjWAZEJiySmQAXYbVLfi39dVnygoOQCYl-V7GH-4GaSir9h3AfBd38UEZapdoRda-O39aZbExb-Tsu70rlEeeJD6hiD4hR5F3opB8nR7Byc3yE_Epq8VAGMYXB4lr86IxlkUg/s320/Photo-0133.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Sidhusaahebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08428201823375343016noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30556104.post-51760935473998671292011-05-01T18:36:00.029+05:302012-03-25T15:07:09.399+05:30Real Gender Equality: Women Storm A Few More Male BastionsWith Ms. <a href="http://www.telegraphindia.com/1110426/jsp/frontpage/story_13903428.jsp">Kanimozhi</a> being charged for the 2G spectrum scam (mobile telephony service providers given access to spectrum at subsidised rates, causing loss to the exchequer), it has been confirmed that Indian women have successfully stormed another male bastion, i.e., of large-scale corruption. Although she is being credited only with having siphoned off about Rs. 200 crore (1 crore = 10 million) by the Central Bureau of Investigation at present, it is widely believed that she has made several times that amount (running into thousands of crores) <a href="http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-04-26/india/29474650_1_kalaignar-tv-radia-tapes-niira-radia">through ex-telecommunications minister A. Raja</a>, who shared the spoils with her in return for ensuring that he retained his position in the union cabinet. Therefore, Ms. Kanimozhi seems to have broken through the 'glass ceiling' that appears to have existed for women 'scamsters' earlier, with the highest scorer previously being Ms. Mayawati, the chief minister of the state of Uttar Pradesh, who is said to have 'earned' about Rs. 150 crore from the Taj corridor scam.<br />
<br />
Ms. Kanimozhi is reported to have achieved the feat with the help of Ms. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radia_tapes_controversy">Niira Radia</a>, a corporate lobbyist who seems to have given male 'fixers' of 'deals' between politicians and businessmen a run for their money. So, that is another field in which women have made their mark in this country and the day does not appear to be far when more of them will claim their rightful place in the world of high-profile and high-volume graft.<br />
<br />
Also, Indian young women have not only been marching shoulder to shoulder with their male colleagues, but, in many instances, seem to be ahead, when it comes to the procurement of fake commercial pilot's licences. In fact, the distinction of being the first such pilot to have come into the limelight belongs to a woman, <a href="http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-02-27/india/28638395_1_nose-wheel-dgca-atpl">Parminder Kaur Gulati</a>. She had almost perfected the technique of landing an aircraft on its nose wheel, instead of on the rear wheels as most other pilots (even fake ones) do. Unfortunately for her, the wheel assembly got jammed following one such landing and unsympathetic officials grounded her, besides instituting an enquiry. Apparently, no one at the airline that employed her thought of promoting flying with her as a form of adventure sport quite akin to skydiving, albeit more dangerous. Even the National Commission for Women has not recognised her talent and stepped in on her behalf so far.<br />
<br />
Another, Rashmi Sharan, studied for her pilot's licence at a flying school that had no aircraft or classroom (and closed down soon after she had completed her course) and had a <a href="http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-04-24/india/29468804_1_cpl-exams-cpl-subjects-dgca">'special' examination</a> conducted for herself by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (where her father was employed as Joint Director at that time), when she could not, unfortunately, clear the regular ones despite several attempts; an achievement that no male 'pilot' is known to have been able to emulate so far.<br />
<br />
One wonders why the tremendous success achieved by these women towards the attainment of gender equality is not being hailed as such in mass media, as is often the case otherwise.<br />
<br />
<b>Update</b>: March 25, 2012. While Ms. Gulati is a pioneer of the technique of landing an aircraft on its nose wheel, another female pilot has recently achieved the distinction of <a href="http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-03-13/india/31159368_1_woman-pilot-dgca-capt-m-ranganathan">landing an Airbus A319 not on any of its wheels, but, rather, on its tail</a>. According to an air-safety expert, "It is close to impossible to do a tail strike on aircraft like A319 and [Boeing] B737-600 because of the short fuselage length." Apparently, unlike other aircraft such as the Airbus A321 or the Boeing B737-800, an A319 is comparatively shorter and, consequently, its nose has to be heavily pitched up for its tail to strike the ground.<br />
<br />
Also, Ms. Mayawati has stormed yet another male bastion by becoming one of the richest politicians in India. She has achieved the tremendous feat of having <a href="http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-03-14/india/31164447_1_mayawati-assets-delhi-worth-rs-legislative-council">doubled her self-declared personal assets during her latest stint as chief minister</a> of Uttar Pradesh.Sidhusaahebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08428201823375343016noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30556104.post-21161140219934250182011-04-10T18:22:00.000+05:302011-04-10T18:22:07.539+05:30Discovery Channel, LiveI see a squirrel dart across to the other side of the road. Just as I begin to wonder why the poor beast would risk getting squished under the wheels of a speeding vehicle, I see a cat in hot pursuit. Both animals narrowly miss oncoming cars and motorcycles, as the squirrel manages to stay ahead and to climb a tree, out of the feline's reach.<br />
<br />
As the cat stands under the tree, as if trying to find a way to reach the squirrel, a dog spies it from afar and rushes towards it. Before the canine can get there, however, the cat runs to the wall of a nearby compound and jumps over before the dog can see where it is going. The dog picks up the scent of its quarry and follows it along the ground up to the spot where the cat jumped on to the wall and then appears lost. A minute or two later, it gives up the chase and walks away.<br />
<br />
Discovery channel, live, for any one who cares to watch.Sidhusaahebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08428201823375343016noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30556104.post-13313581382604781312011-04-02T23:00:00.004+05:302011-04-02T23:01:17.973+05:30A Trend or a One-Off?<a href="http://www.hindu.com/mag/2011/03/27/stories/2011032750160300.htm">Harsh Mander has expounded on in 'The Hindu' about the aftermath of pogroms, as experienced by the communities victimised, in addition to the benefits, largely electoral, reaped by the supposed perpetrators</a>.<br />
<br />
I have written, earlier, about many of the issues touched upon in the article, on this blog as well as in the form of comments on others. However, I never expected any of that to appear in mainstream news media, at least in India (especially the part about those accused of organising the murders of thousands of members of minority religious communities having been rewarded through huge electoral victories by members of the religious majority), until I read Mr. Mander's article. Now, I wonder whether this is some kind of a new trend that has begun and more of the ugly, communal underbelly of this country is going to be exposed in a similar manner or whether this is going to prove to be the proverbial flash in the pan.Sidhusaahebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08428201823375343016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30556104.post-60378398733137390862011-02-20T22:41:00.002+05:302011-02-20T22:41:22.785+05:30A War Hero I Once KnewI knew him as a friend of my maternal grandfather, at whose house he would often drop by during his evening walk, an ornate stick in hand. Every time, he would be dressed in a formal pair of trousers and an open-necked shirt, with a cravat around his neck and well-polished shoes that I could clearly see my face in, when I bent down to touch his feet (which is a customary way to show respect towards elders in India). During winters, a warm coat or jacket would become a part of the ensemble.<br />
<br />
His beard, which had more grey hair than black, ever since I knew him, was perfectly fixed, with not a strand out of place, and his moustaches twisted to have perfectly pointed tips. His turban was always smartly done.<br />
<br />
He never developed a paunch, unlike many Indian army officers nowadays, serving or retired, and never trimmed his beard, unlike many present-day 'mechanised Sikh' soldiers. Personal transport for him comprised a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Premier_Padmini">Premier Padmini</a> and, in his later years, a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maruti_800">Maruti 800</a>. His house was somewhat more modest than my grandparents'.<br />
<br />
As I would listen intently to their conversations, my grandfather and he would discuss matters all and sundry, but not any of his military experiences. Being the shy child that I was, I never picked up the courage to ask. I might have, if I had known the nature or extent of his exploits.<br />
<br />
With the passage of time, however, the number of such meetings dwindled, and, after my grandfather passed away, stopped completely, except for one last time, when I ran into him at my school, where he had come to visit some one. He was dressed impeccably, as usual, in a crisply ironed suit and starched shirt. Despite his age, he held himself erect, although he no longer had the soldier's gait and walked a lot more slowly. I bent down to touch his feet and found that his shoes shone as brightly as ever. I have no recollection now of who broke the news of his having passed away to me, a few years later.<br />
<br />
Afterwards, I did realise that he must have been a fine soldier and even better commander to have risen to the rank of Major General in an army where 80% officers retired by the time they became Colonels and in which, especially, there was some kind of a 'glass ceiling' for Sikh officers. However, until very recently, I did not know that he had also been a war hero and winner of India's second-highest gallantry award, i.e., the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maha_Vir_Chakra">Maha Vir Chakra</a>.<br />
<br />
Apparently, he had commanded a unit in the 1965 Indo-Pak war that had been responsible for the destruction of almost an entire armoured division of the Pakistani army. He and his men are said to have hidden their tanks and recoilless guns in the fields that had a standing sugar cane crop, in a horse-shoe formation, and let the enemy tanks drive into the trap. He had ordered strategic portions of the area to be watered using irrigation channels, a few hours earlier, which was unknown to the opposing army and many of its tanks got bogged down, thus becoming sitting ducks for the gunners in his unit.<br />
<br />
I have so many questions for him now, but he is no longer around to answer those. For example, did the Lieutenant General in charge of the Western Command at that time consult him before refusing to accept the Chief of Army Staff's 'suggestion' to withdraw up to the river Beas, in the face of the opposing army's superior fire-power and greater numbers and, if so, how did the conversation go? Where did he set up his command post? When (i.e., at what stage of the battle) and how did he come up with the strategy that finally carried the day? How did he and his men ensure the element of surprise? Where, according to him, did the enemy commander go wrong and what did he think of the enemy's strategy? Assuming that he joined service before independence, did he know of any of his former batch-mates on the other side and, if so, what went through his mind when he went to war against them?<br />
<br />
Had I known of his achievements earlier, I might have asked.Sidhusaahebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08428201823375343016noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30556104.post-74864507625507157582011-01-02T23:31:00.001+05:302011-01-02T23:35:15.366+05:30Public Transport in Faridabad and New Delhi<blockquote>"Passengers are requested to not sit on the floor."</blockquote><blockquote>- An announcement on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delhi_Metro">Delhi Metro</a>.</blockquote>That sums up, to a great extent, the dichotomy between the latest addition to public transport that runs on a pair of iron rails in India's national capital region and the older constituents, which, like the Metro, are <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_multiple_unit">electric multiple units</a> (commonly known as EMUs). It is not uncommon on the EMUs that travel between Faridabad and New Delhi or even beyond, for instance, for a group of passengers to spread a sheet of cloth on the floor of the carriage and sit down to play cards. Often, they also munch ground-nuts and leave the shells behind. On the Metro, on the other hand, consumption of food and/or drink is prohibited.<br />
<br />
Some of the regular commuters on the route have formed <i>bhajan mandli</i>s and recite their prayers loudly every morning and evening, to the accompaniment of musical instruments like the <i>dholak</i> and the <i>chimta</i>. The first member aboard usually unfurls a cloth banner outside the window, for the rest to know which coach to get into. The end of the session is marked by the distribution of <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prasad">prasaad</a></i>. On the Metro, however, passengers are not even allowed to play music on their mobile phones or iPods.<br />
<br />
It appears to me that Delhi Metro Rail Corporation need not have worried too much about any of the above, for most of the passengers on its trains seem to be from the upper middle class and less likely to indulge in such activities (since they tend to be rather conscious of their social status). That could have a lot to do with the fact that the fares for travelling on the Metro are 5-6 times higher than those for the older EMUs.<br />
<br />
Then, there are those who hardly ever purchase a ticket to travel on the trains plying between stations in Delhi and its satellite towns. They include ground-nut or poppadom sellers, beggars, and, at times, even performers. The entertainers are generally children with brightly painted cheeks and caps with long plaits attached (which they can spin with dramatic effect, through corresponding movements of their heads), who do a few somersaults on the floor of the train or pass themselves through iron rings, to the accompaniment of a song or two sung by an accomplice who often plays a <i>dholak </i>as well, before they pass the hat around. I suppose they are quite incapable of getting past the Metro's tight security arrangements. That should also apply to the milkmen who carry canisters full of milk, which they load and unload with amazing speed, to various parts of Delhi, every morning, from their villages on the peripheries of the city. They return with the empty vessels in the afternoon.<br />
<br />
Similarly, the small-time businessmen who transport consignments on the EMUs without paying for freight are unlikely to be able to do so on the Metro.<br />
<br />
So, there already appears to be a distinct class divide between those who travel on the Metro and those who travel on the other EMUs, although an intersection does appear likely in the form of students and others like me who may not make a distinction even when the Metro begins to serve the population of most parts of Delhi and its surrounding areas and both services are in more of a direct competition.Sidhusaahebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08428201823375343016noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30556104.post-14118601325032185982010-12-25T15:08:00.001+05:302010-12-25T15:56:34.226+05:30Merry Christmas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5JL29hTkX9KBZO7NwTHabOCGggtWHPNYwPr3pk1AA_47F2EW8BCZuJ4va6M0WjqlybEaUAc4KqyPckqLvzZbZLhgfKbfglZHj9d3pFbz631OvPURylL1nXpDK__UVP7g77x1pmw/s1600/Photo-0106.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5JL29hTkX9KBZO7NwTHabOCGggtWHPNYwPr3pk1AA_47F2EW8BCZuJ4va6M0WjqlybEaUAc4KqyPckqLvzZbZLhgfKbfglZHj9d3pFbz631OvPURylL1nXpDK__UVP7g77x1pmw/s320/Photo-0106.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Stray dogs catch up on sleep, outside a shop decorated for the holiday season, in Connaught Place, New Delhi.Sidhusaahebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08428201823375343016noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30556104.post-11368348556152315622010-12-20T18:22:00.000+05:302010-12-20T18:22:57.488+05:30Caption Contest<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkSLDWu02dKQ2JMMgOk5I_9nuO3a9agoEHLOq21AhqznJpZyABSLs-nOIpbonKSmEzosRWIH-hAMqaZJ001M17jDVOIfmZ9DwrAcAPP1uva3miZskponMxXSZdg7QUzXWjQ10iUg/s1600/Photo-0109a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkSLDWu02dKQ2JMMgOk5I_9nuO3a9agoEHLOq21AhqznJpZyABSLs-nOIpbonKSmEzosRWIH-hAMqaZJ001M17jDVOIfmZ9DwrAcAPP1uva3miZskponMxXSZdg7QUzXWjQ10iUg/s320/Photo-0109a.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Test your ingenuity. Suggest a caption for the photograph posted above. The winners shall, of course, not be awarded any prizes.Sidhusaahebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08428201823375343016noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30556104.post-65528386388843987672010-12-11T15:48:00.000+05:302010-12-11T15:48:08.808+05:30Out of Steam?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_gm6g4vU4OSL2e4iQNWGt6B6lxqht7uckK8aCeteWN48aA1cABCBBtRbCoTvuTMzCjL_glBQGIT79pFYtqlEstGKNKnBZYZt-NBqiCIBCcYQ8nFolrkLPTvbjfLMYd4ucen1Pzw/s1600/Photo-0098.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_gm6g4vU4OSL2e4iQNWGt6B6lxqht7uckK8aCeteWN48aA1cABCBBtRbCoTvuTMzCjL_glBQGIT79pFYtqlEstGKNKnBZYZt-NBqiCIBCcYQ8nFolrkLPTvbjfLMYd4ucen1Pzw/s320/Photo-0098.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Sidhusaahebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08428201823375343016noreply@blogger.com4