Moral Police alert near Delhi

Here's a warning for any of you that want to take your girlfriends for a walk in the park or a mall in Ghaziabad, near Delhi. The moral police, led by Special Officer Alka Pandey (probably a cousin of Robin Hood Chulbul Pandey from Dabaang) is out to get you.

Under 'Operation Majnu,'  Alka's band of merry policemen (and policewomen) will come and get you, if are in the act of being intimate with a member of the opposite sex. As for the guys who walk hand-in-hand with other guys, fear not, Pandey's band will not harm you. You see, this is an attempt from the moral police of Ulta Pradesh, ahem Uttar Pradesh to ensure that the population explosion in the state is put in check. So gay people of the National Capital Region, have no fear at all. You will not be subject to punishments that include sit-ups and getting slapped by the police.

Super-cop Pandey tells the Times of India, "Our actions flow from instructions received from the administration to provide maximum security for women. There are a lot of eve-teasers and they stand outside girls' schools and colleges to trap unwitting girls." So the administration wants to protect teenage girls from their own boyfriends...The super-cop isn't looking to stop marital rape or spouse-abuse just as yet.

She adds, "Parks are places where we come for mental peace.  अगर लड़का-लड़की  कुछ  गलत  करे, तोह   वोह  सुन्दरता कहाँ  रहेगी? छोटी-छोटी  लड़कियों  को  यह लोग फस लेते  है (If couples indulge in bad activities, they spoil the beauty of the place. Men trap young girls)," said Pandey.

With this wonderful and useful action, Delhi, the National Capital Region and UP will be much safer! Now let's make a sequel of Dabaang with Madam Alka Pandey!

27-year old killed in 'Paratha' murder in Delhi

As cold Himalayan winds descend on Delhi, the testosterone levels of men keeping going up, fuelling anger and passions. I have seen a few ugly conversations on the metro over the past few days, of which the tone and the aggression were scary even for by-standers. So, I wasn't surprised to hear of a murder in Govindpuri. In a macho city like Delhi, everyone seems to be ready for a fight, especially when the temperatures plummet.

In the wee hours of Monday morning, a 27-year old lost his life in Southeast Delhi after a brawl in a paratha shop. Ajay Chaudhary, Additional Commissioner of Police, South East district told The Pioneer, “Preliminary investigations have revealed that Sailaj (the deceased) and Siddharth had gone to buy paratha from the eatery in a black Hyundai Santro car. Chetan and Vijay were already inside the eatery. An argument ensued between two groups after Chetan curtly asked Sailaj why he was staring at him like that. After a heated argument, Chetan and Vijay left the eatery to return after some time.”

“The argument initiated for the second time. This time it turned violent. Chetan and Vijay picked up bamboo sticks lying near the eatery and began to thrash Sailaj and Siddharth. They attacked their heads and other parts of their bodies. After both of them collapsed, Chetan and Vijay escaped from the spot.”

Read more here:

http://www.dailypioneer.com/city/23984-spat-outside-govindpuri-eatery-leads-to-engineers-death-two-arrested.html/

Other versions of the story indicate that the 2 pairs were fighting over who had the right to buy parathas first.

Delhi Half Marathon 2011: Nice run on a cold morning

When I had to wait in a long queue outside the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Delhi to collect my bib and timing chip, I thought Procam was going to make a mess of the half marathon once again. The company did have a dubious record in Delhi. But this year, they managed the event extremely well. There were far more runners this year compared to the previous edition, but the start was smooth and the organisers ensured that the snack arrangements and the finishers’ medals distribution were orderly. Procam also made sure that the 7K run started much later so that the 21k runners could finish smoothly.

The half-marathon followed a new route this year and started and ended at the Nehru Stadium. On a foggy and cold Delhi morning, quite a few locals turned up to cheer the runners. I liked this new route as there were no flyovers to climb and it was smooth for the most part. The cold weather helped me record my best timing in a 21k. The highlight of the run was running on Rajpath and not being able to see the India Gate, until I was actually up close. So thick was the fog!!

It’s a pleasure to run in Delhi, with its broad tree-lined avenues, ancient monuments and the wonderful set of buildings designed by Lutyens. It is wonderful to know that a running culture is developing in this city. Well done to all!!

Delhi Half-Marathon 2011 course one of the best, say "experts"

Last year's Airtel Delhi Half Marathon (http://ajayinbombay.blogspot.com/2010/11/airtel-delhi-half-marathon-absolute.html) was a disgrace. Airtel and Procam made a mockery of the event. But it looks like the organisers are trying to do a better job this year.

For starters, they seem to have a better route and the race starts from near a metro station. The Times of India quotes race director Hugh Jones as saying: "The road surface is very good and it is mainly because of huge roads built ahead of the Commonwealth Games. The course is very smooth,"

The paper also quotes an Australian race director as saying that "This is one of the best courses around the world for Half Marathon."

We'll just wait and watch how Sunday's run is conducted. I hope to God that I can speed up in the last 3 kilometres and not have to push my way through the clowns and flag-bearers on the 7K.

Desire and Need

From The Secret Scrolls

"To desire something is in proper accordance with the law. You attract what you desire. To need something is misuse of the law. You cannot attract what you need if you feel you need it urgently or desperately, because that emotion contains fear. That kind of "needing" keeps things away.


Desire everything. Need nothing."

- Rhonda Byrne

Neeta's Dilemma

Neeta is not of those village hicks who came to Mumbai with the Bollywood dream. Blessed with a great body and looks that could kill, she was raised in a high-class family in some place in India.

She wanted the best of everything: a sexy Mediterranean man, a large flat with a sea view, the finest alcohol, the most fashionable clothes. For a time it was happening, Mr Right was in the pocket, as were invites to the most exclusive "page 3" parties. Work wasn't stable but there was a man ready to maintain the high-maintenance beauty.

So what happens when Mr Right turns out to be a jerk, who was cheating on you without even a slight prick on his conscience? What happens when you are forced out of that plus South Bombay flat and forced to pool rent to share a mediocre apartment in a mediocre locality?

Men still wanted Neeta. She was eye-candy for the guys; she was nice to be seen with in public. Something like a flavour of ice-cream that tasted good for a few weeks, until a better variety popped up. They all turned out to be jerks, but at least, they were exactly the kind of men that Dad would not approve of. It gave Neeta a thrill to consciously hang out with troublesome men. The patterns stayed the same. Disloyal jerks, more alcohol and hangovers that would last through the afternoon heat

Alcohol, drugs and cigarettes take their toll on the best of God-given looks. Mumbai offers freedom, she believed. Freedom to be, but with the bills mounting up, getting by tended to be a problem. The solution lies in the west, Europe, Chicago... somewhere else! Life isn't fair... Why shouldn't Neeta have it all for nothing like some other page 3 women?

Images from Bali

The Indonesian Ministry of Culture and Tourism was kind enough to invite me to visit Bali last week. Here are some images from one of the most beautiful places on earth.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7444188@N05/sets/72157628057523825/

Lack of humanity

The more time I spend away from my isolated cocoon in Andheri, the more I realise how much people lack basic courtesy and a sense of humanity in this city. A few days ago, I saw a blind girl walking to platform number 3 in Andheri station and she had a tough time navigating the busy area and no one seemed ready to help her to walk down the stairs. (God only knows where the hell everybody is in a hurry to get to).  Some people even seemed to "get angry" as they got bumped by the blind girl!! As I walked towards her to help her, a young woman helped her down the steps. Guess there is at least 1 other decent human being left in Bombay!

The same evening, when I was heading north on a local train, I was seated comfortably in a 1st class compartment. At Marine Lines, a young, desperate man comes in to "reserve" his place by standing near the seating area. A few stops later, I see a man well into his 70s, standing and none of the young jerks were ready to offer him a seat. Come on people! What harm would standing for 20 minutes in a not-so-crowded train do?

I offered the old man my seat, only to get a dirty look and sarcastic comment from the guy who got in from Marine Lines! I told him that if more people respected elders, India would be a better and more civlized country. The old man profusely thanked me and called me a "real gentleman". I guess gentlemen are in short supply in this city.

My Articles on Vladivostok for the Russia & India Report

A spectacular setting of hills and peninsulas, bays and outlying islands, a thriving student life, combined with buzzing oriental markets and a distinctly European feel in an Asian landmass make Vladivostok one of the greatest cities in Russia.

http://indrus.in/articles/2011/11/15/vladivostok_lording_over_the_east_13249.html

The drudgery of Sakhalin Island in late-April with its snow storms and winter weather was one major reason that I would take the first flight in May out of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk to Vladivostok. ‘Vladik’ in early-May is warm, beautiful and romantic, with the sun setting into the Amur Bay well past 9:30 pm. It’s also the first real opportunity for a Sakhaliner to walk out on the streets without wearing 4 layers of clothing.

http://indrus.in/articles/2011/11/15/being_indian_in_vladivostok_13250.html

Images from Udaipur

I spent a wonderful few days in the magical city of Udaipur in fabled Rajasthan. Here are some pictures.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7444188@N05/sets/72157627947484605/

How dirty are Mumbai's suburban railway commuters?

I found these figures in a magazine..

• Amount of garbage thrown inside and outside local trains in Mumbai by 7 million commuters every day: 2,796 kilograms
• Rank of luggage and 2nd class LADIES among various compartments in garbage thrown inside local trains: 1 and 2.

Looks like women don't have more civic sense than men in Mumbai...

Railway Diaries: RAC and Chivalry

This is one of the banes of the great Indian railway system. When there is a shortage of berths on a train, the railways allot shared berths to people (called RAC or Reservation Against Cancellation). On the train to Udaipur, there was a retired Marwari bank officer travelling with his wife, daughter-in-law and grandchild. 3 adults were given 2 berths.

So what would you expect a son of the land of Rajputs, where the honour of women meant more than life? I would expect the man to either hand his wife the berth and share it with her. But this sorry excuse for a 60-year-old made his wife sleep on the floor. She laid down a thick blanket as a bed sheet. When the train crossed Ratlam, an aggressive ticket-checker asked the woman to get up and said this wasn't allowed in an air-conditioned wagon. The husband hurled some obscene words that would shock those in polite society. He said he "was in service for 40 years" and would not be spoken to like that.

The TC backed off and the poor lady slept on the floor till the train reached Chittorgarh, a city historically known for placing the honour of its women over anything else!!

Railway Diaries: Rich Marwaris and Policemen

I seemed to be the only non-Marwari in the entire compartment of the train to Udaipur. Amidst Marwari-bonding in the train, there was a candid sharing of stories among members of this community known for their business accumen.

A gold merchant spoke about how his employees, who take local trains in Bombay get stopped by cops around Marine Lines and Grant Road station. They first demand that the employees open their large bags so that they can be inspected. Then the police demand proof that the gold and jewellery aren't stolen. Of course, the harassment goes on till the employee parts away with some cash. The more experienced the employee, the less he pays the policeman.

So, basically these merchants are a cash cow for the police and some businessmen have a provision for  bribery. I have been taking local trains for years but have never been witness to these kinds of things. But I guess, living in a banana republic, I shouldn't be suprised with these stories.

This particular gold merchant said that it was impossible to get tickets on the Bombay-Ahmedabad Duranto Express because, the train runs non-stop from Bombay Central to Ahmedabad City. This makes it safer for those in the jewellery business to transport their valuables.

Railway Diaries: Of Computer Errors and Corruption

Udaipur, which in my opinion is the most beautiful city in Asia, isn't well connected on India's rail map. Most of the railway tracks leading to the city have been recently converted from meter gauge to narrow gauge and the conversion to broad gauge is taking some time. As a result, there is just 1 train that connects Bombay to Udaipur and it runs just thrice a week. So the scramble for tickets is understandable. I was fortunate enough to get a ticket under the emergency quota.

While on the journey to the fabled city, I was witness to an unusual drama. A family of 3 had a confirmed ticket to Udaipur from Bombay but because of some clerical error, the final railway chart showed them boarding from Surat. In the meantime, another family of 3 was sold the same seats from Bombay to Surat. So despite the first family having paid for and having gotten a confirmed ticket, the ticket checker refused to budge. He refused to accept the status shown on the first family's laptop. He first demanded a fine of Rs 1400 and promised a receipt later.

After pressure from other passengers on the train, the ticket checker gave the family back Rs 600 but decided to pocket the remaining money. A threat to expose the corrupt 'tc' in the media yielded no results. So, because of an error made by the railways, the family were lighter on the pocket! The family were just relieved to stay on the train and decided to write off the money!

More on the Amboli Murders

Reuben Fernandes has become the second victim of the barbarious thugs, who murdered Keenan Santos on October 20 in Amboli. I was shocked to read that the murderer has 2 other murder cases pending against him and that a Congress MLA is paying for his legal fees.

For more on the murders, take a look at this site:

http://aamjanata.com/keenan-santos-could-be-you/ 

There is also a Facebook group:

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=890465304#!/groups/131547346948361/

My views on the trouble at Kudankulam

Since the beginning of October, there has been a blockade of the plant by villagers, fishermen and so-called social workers in the area around Kudankulam. The blockade has been organised by the previously unheard of “People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy,” which claims that the plant is unsafe. Adding to the confusion is the fact that the local church, of which many fishermen are patrons, supports the blockade.

Read more here: http://indrus.in/articles/2011/10/31/rainy_days_for_kudankulam_13188.html