Safarring in a Mumbai local

I waited for the local train at Andheri. It was 7:30 PM, just two minutes since the last local had gone by, and the station was three-quarters full already!! Well, I thought, let me try the front coach, where lesser people were likely. I waded through the noisy crowd and reached the position where the first second class compartment was expected. The train finally came, and when I saw it near, with crowds protruding from doors on both sides, a sense of fear built up within me. I prayed. God, help me get inside, and reach Goregaon unscathed.

It slowed down. Already, people were being pushed out of the train and shouts of chalo, chalo were heard. I took my position in the crowd waiting to enter the coach. My 'lesser people at the front' theory, was of course, wrong. How stupid of me to make such an assumption. The train stopped. People who were waiting to alight, were forced out in under two seconds. Then came the time for boarding. Most of those waiting to board pushed, shoved and managed to get in. I did the same as well; and I was at the rear of the crowd and barely made it. I was hanging outside with just the two vertical bars on either side for support, when the train started moving. Oh my god, please help.

I was lucky. Others who got in later, pushed me in. I stood there, without any support. After all, you did not need one in Mumbai's locals. Each one of them supports, and is supported by everyone else. Then came Jogeshwari, with very few who alighted/boarded.

Once the train left Jogeshwari, a mob gathered near the door.

Each one reassured himself by asking the one in front - 'Aap Goregaon mein uthar rahe kya?'

'haan'

Those who replied 'nahin' were rudely ordered to go back and leave space. Then came Goregaon and I prepared for the worst. The familiar 'chalo, chalo' , the pushing, the shoving and I was relieved when at last I could get a fresh breadth of air.

It had been just 5 min, but was some experience which I can never forget. There is something in this that I do enjoy as well - the excitement and the challenge that I face everytime I take a trip in the Mumbai local.

Cheap vote bank politics

THE BRAINCHILD of HRD minister Arjun Singh, the proposed quota for OBCs in central institutions was frought with problems right from the outset. First he was rapped by the EC for announcing the move during an election campaign. Later came the protests from the doctors in Delhi with their counterparts in Mumbai joining them. Expectedly, the govt and police rushed quell the protests, with the police resorting to lathicharge. Termination orders were sent to the striking medicos.

As a damage-control measure, a GoM was constitued to find a 'solution' to the issue. It has sent its recommendation, favouring the govt's stand of introducing 27% quota for OBCs alongwith a rise in the no. of seats for the general category. Of course, that the GoM would not have recommended otherwise, was obvious.

The govt seems bent on having its way in the reservation issue. It has now asked military doctors to take charge of govt hospitals if the striking medicos do not return to work by Monday.

Why is the govt bent on introducing reservation based on caste? Wouldnt income-based reservation serve the nation better? That way, the poverty ratio would come down and rural areas would develop as well. This move exposes the govt in bad light, as a dictator, taking decisions without consultations with the communities concerned. Just for votes.

It smells of Godhra at Vadodara

ON MONDAY, 1st of May,insensitive civic officials brought down a durgah, believed to be more than 200 years old, at Fatehpura, on the pretext of widening a road. That triggered angry protests from the Muslim-dominated Vadodara.

Later, on the evining of 2nd, four people were killed in communal clashes. A curfew was later clamped in Vadodara and adjoining areas. Then, on that night itself, an employee of Gujarat Refineries, Rafiq Vohra, was burnt alive in his car while returning from his workplace, by an organised mob of VHP and Bajrang Dal activists. The situation seems to be developing into one that is strikingly similar to the post-Godhra situation that prevailed. Eye-witnesses have also claimed that the police did not respond, even when they were repeatedly called. Both the state officials and the police have kept mum on the incident.

I wonder what the officials were thinking when they brought down the durgah. Knowing quite well that the area was pretty sensitive and would easily fall prey to clashes, how can they explain their act? Shouldnt they have held consulatations with the communities involved before they acted?

Fortunately, the centre has warned Gujrat and asked it to keep the situation under control. Central troops have been sent to the area. Right now, Modi is at Vadodara. Let us hope that something is done to curb the violence and that Modi would act sensibly this time around.

(P)Rice Wars!!

Its election season here in Tamil Nadu. With the absence of any major agenda, Karunanidhi of the DMK caught the people's attention by promising rice at Rs.2/kg, if voted to power. Jaya (AIADMK) responded, crying foul at K's promises, complaining that it was unimplementable due to an excessive financial burden that it would place on the state.

But rice is a pretty sensitive issue with the masses here. J's political managers must have realised that and advised her. She did a complete volte-face within two days and announced 10 kg of free rice per month.

Anyway, assuming safely that either J or K comes to power, it remains to be seen whether the respective promises would be kept. Thats pretty remote, given the losses that would be incurred by the exchequer.

Witchy vichu!!

There's this guy Vishwanath in our wing.. This cheruby guy visits every room in the wing and shows all his teeth all the time, looking so innocent.

But few people know this.. he's got a scanner in his brain recording all that's going on around him.. people's mannerisms and their responses.. very cunning!! And then one fine day .. We(our wing mates) would get a mail from him saying he had posted up an article in his blog.. whats it about?

He would have blasted one guy with the very sort of behaviour he had observed, albeit very humourously.. At that poor victim's expense, we would all laugh.. The victim would obviously be red-faced, but others dont mind as long as they get their share of comedy..

His scope extends to his classes and profs as well.. Take a look at his blog if u would like.. http://my-newsense1.blogspot.com

Humiliation

Humiliation is what women who speak out in my state, Tamil Nadu, face.


The Khusboo issue

The famous actress Khusboo had said that 'Men cannot expect their brides to be virgins' and advocated safe sex for women.. a pretty strong statement that she made, no doubt.. But looking at the context where she said it, (at a HIV AIDS conference) it sounded pretty ok.

The reaction that the statement generated was unbelievable and immense throughout the state.. Right from every tamil newspaper to political bigwigs this became an issue.. They claimed that tamil women were 'insulted' .. That Khushboo was wrong.. Women(political members and others as well) came out into streets and protested with their brooms. even outside the actresses' house..

Every jobless Tom, Dick and Harry started filing cases right from the subordinate courts to the High Court, against the actress with the same 'culture' bullshit excuse.. Images of the actress running around from court to court in every district made me feel ashamed of my state. Those who supported her(another actress Suhasini) were targeted as well.

The biggest irony was that, the CM being a woman(Jayalalithaa) refused to utter a word in support of Khushboo fearing erosion of her vote bank. It finally took a stay from the High Court on all cases against her in the state to bring the issue to rest.

But the damage had been done.. Khushboo even cried publicly and apologised if she had said anything wrong.. This incident serves as a grim remainder of a norm that women in TN should shut up and keep quiet.. And those who defy the norm will be rapped on their heads.. What a sad state given the state's rapid progress.. Girls should be taught to become independent individuals..




Moral Policing

Surprisingly the press here is involved in 'moral policing' apart from the police. There was this photo on a popular tamil daily where a women at a bar in Chennai was shown with a glass having some drink. The paper went on to say how the 'culture' in Tamil Nadu had 'deteriorated' to such an extent when women drink. Why cant women drink when their male counterparts here drink all day and go on the rampage at nights, beating up their wives and children?

Who authorized them to protect the so-called 'culture'? Where did this 'culture' vanish when almost every heroine dances in disgusting item numbers in tamil movies, showing off whatever they have?

If such moral policing continues, Chennai cannot become a software and manufacturing hub that the govt wants it to be. It has to become cosmopolitan and the govt should make sure all the policing bullshit stops.


Films

Even films are not spared.. The hero right from MGR to today's Vijay advise heroines what to wear.. As a particular example, Vijay tells Asin in a film to dress up decently when she comes in a 'provocative and indecent' dress..

And guess what happens!! Asin immediately obeys and the next day comes decked up in a saree, just to impress the hero!! No wonder such films run to packed houses! It shows us that the heroine is really dumb having absolutely no brains at all. Why cant she choose what to wear!! But unfortunately this is what is being fed into our people who lap it up gladly without a single protest.


'Good' girls

There's this view that girls here 'should be good'.. they should do all household chores, be obedient, should not talk against men, and foremost of all, worship their husbands. Every girl is brought up with such norms screwed into her head and only if she abides them is she considered to be 'good' by her suitors. And the duty of the girl child's family is to ensure that the girl pleases the family of the groom-to-be.

This has not changed much in all rural and some urban pockets..In other states, the situation might be better but the improvement shown in this state is painstakingly slow.

Sense prevails at last

Finally the King in Nepal sensibly agreed to the demands of the Seven-Party Alliance and gave up his hold. I wonder how naive he could have been when he thought that he could rule Nepal when he seized power in 2005.

That brings us to one basic question.. Can monarchs run countries as efficiently as an elected democracy?

This is my opinion.. pure monarchy nowadays has no place in any country.. at best it can exist only to satisfy the monarchs and their heirs of a title.. They really cant run a country until they shake off their authoritarian attitude and respect the people of their country and ensure development.. which I feel is out of the question in most cases since a monarch is not a representative of the people, like an assembly is.. Monarchs have absolute control, hence no fear.. It takes a revolution of the sort that happened in Nepal to bring fear..

A discussion?

My third exam got over jus now and am sitting at the net lab, with over a day for the next one, thinking what to post on my jus-born blog.

Pardon me for being political, but this concerns the future of our country.. The ruling party, am afraid, is working only at the top level, with the grassroots workers doing nothing but basking under the glory of their leaders and quite happy with the family rule going on.. and looking forward to Rahul getting responsibility, irrespective of his age and maturity in politics..

The govt too is unable to push through its reforms, thanks to the Left.

On the other hand, the BJP is getting more and more communalised after the exit of Advani and Vajpayee. A hardliner is its president and Modi and those 'of his kind' are given preferences.
In such a situation, whoever comes to power, would only lead to chaos and non-development. What does the future hold for our country?

Any response?

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My first ever try

... At blogging.. I am not quite sure what i might write but here goes..
I have been harvesting this desire quite some time.. that of creating a blog.. and putting in something.. something .. and try coming out with things.. and this is my chance..

this may sound cliched, but i bet i can come out with better things in the future..

I am Krishnan, a student of engg.. am doing my Btech third year comp.sci... right now am in the middle of my sems..