Whose road is it anyway??

Recently, I joined the bandwagon and took to owning a vehicle and even driving it myself. This is one of the most perilous decisions I've taken. Why? Simple, in our country the onus of the pedestrian safety lies on the vehicle driver. Check the recent and significant judgement, the Bombay High Court has held that in case of an accident even if a pedestrian is negligent while crossing road, the driver of the vehicle is liable to pay the compensation to him or his family members.

Fraught with the fear and burden of being responsible for some strangers lives apart from the co-passengers whom I put under great duress. I drive only in the first or maximum second gear. Now this maybe civil in a crowded area which constitutes most parts of the city. It also makes me realise that pedestrians walk alongside my car and maybe move faster ahead.Maybe it is because they are carefree and even if they bump into strangers, at best they would apologise and move on. But if my car bumps into another car there will be an ugly spat,abuses will be hurled,etc. That's still a very acceptable situation god forbid if I slightly brush against a human I'd could even get beaten up,I would be asked to pay an unreasonable compensation even if it wasn't my fault and people were almost climbing on top of my car to get ahead.

One would reason that in crowded areas, narrow alleyways there are no pedestrian pathways. Why blame people when they are also subjected to risking their life and taking to the roads. All right, I cannot blame pedestrians here. Afterall I've been there not too long ago. Between the perennial construction work in Mumbai, hawkers and innumerable rickshawallas elbowing each other and other vehicles the poor pedestrian finds a place and squeezes himself/ herself to continue moving ahead.

But then what about wider roads, national highways, traffic signals etc. Do pedestrians follow the signals that have been made for their safety? Not always, many times even after the signal has turned green people continue to run like lunatics to cross the road.On national highways it is common to see people jumping from nowhere onto the highway to cross over. In a free country like ours, Jaywalking is not just restricted to humans. One could even encounter a herd of cows, a stray dog, maybe even an elephant who hogs the road ambling away at it's own pace(which is better than the elephant running amok anyways)...

So do we accept that Jaywalkers are here to stay or is this going to change? Well the good news is that there are awareness drives that the traffic cops have conducted one of them was outside CST where people who were crossing the road outside CST station, unmindful of traffic rules and were penalised for it. More such awareness drives need to be conducted across India, especially with the vehicular traffic growing faster than the infrastructure itself. I for one vouch for such a drive because until I took to the wheel I pretty much was clueless that such a word "Jaywalking" even existed. To make these drives successful there could be a PPP (Public Private Partnership) where the Traffic police jointly with auto companies create an awareness building campaign. This could be a great Branding initiative under the Corporate Social Responsibility angle. Are any Auto companies listening??
A few other things include signages which markout the vehicular traffic area from pedestrian walkways.Going forward one could also consider implementing a law that would compel people to follow the rules for their own safety and that of the vehicle driver.


Sources:http://www.zeenews.com/news566854.html
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/35-jaywalkers-end-up-in-fine-trouble-outside-CST/articleshow/4979622.cms

From a roar to a meow

The latest CSR based ad campaign by a new teleco caught my attention...More so because I am an animal lover and the campaign highlights the alarming decline of our beloved national animal- The Tiger. From 40,000 to just 1411 that is an almost 100% percent decline. The fall has beaten the stock market crash across the world. In India there seems to be a wave of optimism and some industry experts are hopeful that the sensex will gradually & eventually move northward, especially with the stimulus and corrective measures taken by the finance ministries. But I don't feel the same optimism when it comes to the tiger population, especially given there seems to be more lip service than actual action. I love tigers..so what if I've never been fortunate enough or rather have been fortunate enough to not have a rendezvous with one.I still feel strongly for this specie, especially because my first love was a tiger's cub, whose picture I had seen in one of the animal magazines in my childhood days.Pray, with the way things are going, future generations might well have to resort to movies and books to look at this magnificent creature. But don't get me wrong my love for tigers has nothing to do with my background, as in my community identity. My fondness is restricted to the stripped four legged man-eater and not to any individual whose considered the human equal of it.The only dissimilarity and a striking one that too remains that one is a national animal & the other one would rather want to be viewed as a regional member. Interestingly though, it appears that somehow their fates seems to be entwined.Both seem to be losing their battles to control territory and fight extinction...

The Flight for survival

Mumbai is an overcrowded city, but not just because of it’s people. It plays host to other thriving species that spans its skies, scooter seats, offices windows, residential buildings etc. Here I refer to crows and pigeons & in the minority & conitnously diminshing are our sparrow friends. Mumbai’s skyline is more often than not dotted with our black feathered friends and they seem to be the only birds one imagines to exist in this cemented jungle, apart from the pigeons which seem to blend into the buildings. Sparrows seem to have relocated altogether.

If it’s your lucky day you could spot a flock of parrot and maybe a mayna or two but that’s how far it goes. Most times you have to wake up to the cooing of a pigeon, and if your unlucky like me, a dozen pigeons. Normally the Mumbai skyline offers an overhang of pollution, an entanglement of wires, the bright lights of hoardings, a flight of our feathered friends and sometimes even a beautiful sunset that makes you feel hopeful about the next day is what keeps us going.

But today im not here to tell you’ll what you all already know. What I want to talk about is how Mumbai’s politics isn’t restricted to just it’s people. The fight for calling Mumbai home isn’t just an issue with us humans, even our feathered friends fight over it tooth and nail or should I say feathers and beaks.

It was well known that Mumbai had many visiting birds of different variety. Then suddenly with the turn of time crows grew and came to power. Their population itself made them daunting enemies that little sparrows were forced to keep a low profile. The power equation seems to be increasingly in favor of the new entrants & now permamnent residents- Crows. Yes, blasphemous according to the city's political environment. They are the new owners of the skyline and my guess is that their sheer size and might has made them fight the incumbents.

Everyday I’ve been noticing them in becoming more and more bolder as compared to other birds. This crow mafia fears nobody & they have aligned themselves to the national agenda of becoming the country with the higesht population. The drama it seems to be unfolding right here in front of us…

All the 'BEST'

The best part of Mumbai city, apart from it's multicultural mix of people, is the excellent transport system without which this nagariya would go down the dagariya. The lifeline of the city as many call it, just got another shot in the arm. BEST, Bombay Electrical State Transport has re-introduced AC buses which ferry Mumbaikars across the length & breadth of the city. A much needed respite for Mumbaikars who hang for dear life till they reach their destination. All this while exchanging bodily odors that unify this populace into a noisome lot of working class irrespective of the background of the individuals.

I was thrilled with this new upgradation but what really got me hooked on to it was the Rs.1000/- pass. One had to make a monthly payment of Rs.1000/- and then Mumbai was waiting to be discovered. I could travel in this AC bus to the farther corners of Mumbai without paying a penny. To get this pass I had to go to a depot with a photo, Rs. 1000 plus some additional 10 or 20 rupees and register. Post that I got a GO Smart card, something which looked like a swipe card alongwith a photo identity card. My happiness knew no bounds, I went bus hopping changing my routes whenever I felt I had to beat the traffic. I never ever took a rickshaw even for the smallest of distances. This was unbelievable, totally world class. It made me feel proud as I had experienced something similar in London with an Oyestar card. I gave ample PR to BEST went about propagating this new card system to all and sundry. Until one day, my wallet got stolen and I lost my card.

I still had a ray of hope as the photo identity was still with me and it could've been matched to my cell phone number which was taken while registering. I was hopeful.Maybe just maybe they would issue me a new card. Of course, charging me for the card itself.But none of this happened. My trip to the depot close to my house was a major let down. I was asked to buy another pass all for Rs. 1000/- plus some 10 or 20 rupees additionally. They couldn't help it if I lost my pass, so what if that meant I would have to spend double that month for traveling. They issued me a pass and I should guard it with my life. So big deal if I have a photo identity card which proves I am the rightful owner of that card. So what if they have issued me an electronic bill which can easily track my payment as a verification. I should've been more responsible.

So for all those who've taken this Go smart card or are planning to take it. Please do take the benefit of this scheme, but make sure you guard it like you would your life because if you lose it ain't going to get it back...

Heart of the matter: The spirit of Mumbai has come back to haunt us...

Heart of the matter: The spirit of Mumbai has come back to haunt us...

Reflections of the days after 26/11 ‘08 & before 26/11 ‘09

The alarm goes off at 7 a.m., morning ablutions completed, time for a quick breakfast, catch my bus at 8.55 a.m. This is a work week, struggle to get into an overcrowded bus, step on peoples toes, neck craned, hoping to get a seat to rest my derriere before I reach my destination. Newspaper in one hand, reading it while continuing to furiously glance over my shoulder for that one seat before I get off.

Suddenly I notice a black contraption at the top of the entrance of the bus. Oh it’s a camera. I relax a bit. Honk, Honk, Honk, Honk, Screech… bus comes to a sudden halt and I am propelled closer towards the exist. Phew! I survived the almost fatal halt even today… I get off at the next stop; I’ve finally reached office having stood throughout the 1 hour journey

At the office entrance there is a security check. Bags are screened, employee ID’s to be swiped & in you go. It’s 8 p.m. still inside the office. The only window to the outside world is ironically the worldwide web. Checking news portals for news. Everything seems normal Naxalites attack police camp; abduct four , kill three policemen, inflation touches 5.64 pc,no respite as prices rise, farmer suicides on the rise, Chat with Saif & Kareena on their love making scenes in Kurbaan.

Leave for home, need to run or I’ll miss the 8.20 train. Friend calls up. Lets catch a movie. Ajab Gazaab is my choice. We head to a nearby mall. At the entrance of the mall the car also has to undergo screening. They use a long metal rod which has a mirror at one end. They also check what’s in the back seat. There are two boxes, we aren’t questioned. Perplexed about what we were put through we asked the guard what he was doing with the stick with an attached mirror. He said “ Pata nahin, humko aisa karney ko bola hai” We smirk and move on. Car parked we get into the mall. There is a metal framed box that I cross to get inside. There is a beeping sound. I don’t know if that’s good or bad. I stand waiting for my bag to get checked. The lady yawns and opens the zip of my purse hands it back to me. I rush towards the screens; I don’t want to miss even the ads. Movie over I head back home ready to hit the bed.

Next day is another chapter in my life. The routine hasn’t changed and so also some other things. USA is still asking Pakistan to bring the perpetrators who attacked Mumbai on 26/11 to task. The Mumbai Police still manages civil protection with a lathi, there are lots of committees that are devising security upping measures, victims still seek justice and in some cases the monetary compensation as was promised to them.

But amidst all this there are something’s that have changed & changed for the better. To begin with people power toppled the top government officials who were seen as lackadaisical and inefficient. Though there hasn’t been an overhaul in the security systems one cannot ignore the increase in the number of surveillance cameras set-up in stations, buses etc. The most important change and a noticeable one is that people have become more vigilant. Today’s Mumbaikar doesn’t point fingers at the police but has joined hands with them.

जय हिंद

Thol Sanctuary is located 40 kms northwest of Ahmedabad, in Mehsana District. Thol lake, created in 1912, covers 7 sq. kms of mostly open water. There are small marshes at the edges and some scrub forest on the sides of the high embankments.

Birds: Thol is well known for wintering Great White Pelicans, Flamingos, a variety of waterfowl including Mallards and good numbers of Greylag Geese, Sarus Cranes, the odd Spotted Flycatcher and waders which include Eurasian Curlews. Highly recommended if you are traveling through the area.

Tips to enjoy the trip better:
1. Go armed with a good SLR
2. Leave before Sun rise. Watching it is worth getting up at an earthly hour. Besides it's far more pleasant
3. A pair of Binoculars
4. Carry Food & water for noisy tummies. If you feel hungry you will have to go all the way out.
5. Wear three fourths/ shorts - Marshy land and tiny islands can be reached only you need to wade through water
6. Natures call literally! We couldn't find a bathroom. The security guard at the gate said that there was one inside but insisted we steer clear of it as theres nobody to clean it
7. Go through a book on birds if your as unapprised about these feathered friends as we all were. The only ones we could recognise were crows.



The Sun Temple, Modhera (Gujarat) was built in 1026 AD by King Bhimdev of the Solanki dynasty and is dedicated to Lord Surya, the Sun God of Hinduism. It is akin to the Konark Temple of Orissa. One more sun temple is at Martand in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Modhera sun temple is situated on the bank of the river Pushpavati, 25 km from Mehsana and 102 km from Ahmedabad.

According to the Skanda Purana and Brahma Purana, the areas near Modhera were known during ancient days as Dharmaranya (literally meaning the forest of righteousness). According to these Puranas, Lord Rama ,after defeating Ravana, asked sage Vasistha to show him a place of pilgrimage where he could go and purify himself from the sin of Brahma-hatya (the sin of killing a Brahmin, because ravan was a Brahmin by birth). Sage Vasistha showed him Dharmaranya, which was near the modern town of Modhera. In the Dharmaranya, he settled at a village Modherak and performed a yagna there. Thereafter he established a village and named it Sitapur. This village is about 8 km from Becharaji Modherak village and it subsequently came to be known as Modhera.

The Sun Temple was built by Raja Bhimdev I of Solanki Dynasty in AD 1026. This was the time when Somnath and the adjoining area was plundered by Mahmud Ghazni and reeled under the effects of his invasion. The Solankis, however, regained much of their lost power and splendour. Anahilvad Patan, the Solanki capital, was restored to glory. Royalty and traders jointly contributed to build grand temples.
Solankis were considered to be Suryavanshis, or descendants of Sun god. The temple was so designed that the first rays of the sun fell on the image of Surya, the Sun God, at the time equinoxes.