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/