PostIndia

The beginning...

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 17 Oct 2016 06:51:00 +0000

PostIndia is a book we wish to write that would delve into the Indian psyche and find the common threads the runs through the diversity of this magnificent nation. It seeks to tell the story of our great nation, its bustling cities, its myriad by lanes and of the people that inhabit it. A lot has been written about India, and a lot more will be, but we wish to explore what it means for you to be part of this country and some place you call home. Tell us about the place you come from, the place you go to work and the experiences that you have along the way. In a place as diverse as ours one could not help but be daubed with colors, black and white, saffron and green, and a multitude of colors along the way.

There is an India that exists in us, a very personal India that exists only in our hearts and minds. One that no one would talk about normally. PostIndia is a project to unravel that India.
Do write back with your views, experiences, photographs and grandmother tales.

You can send in your entries to:

Email: writetopostindia@gmail.com

To publicize this project we have come up with a PostIndia logo. Please cut and paste the following piece of code in the links section if you believe in this project and want to promote it on your site.

She lived lively!

noreply@blogger.com (Ankita) — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 06:25:00 +0000

Contributed by: Arushi Shukla, Rajasthan

I don’t have her photo, so couldn't share it.

I don’t even know her name, but we used to call her “budhiyaa masi”, as she belongs to the same
village as mother of my grandmother (quite long relation). Lack of communication technology was the
cause of that sheer happiness that could be found in even extremely extended relations back then.

She is one of those snap-shots, which come to my mind while reviving my childhood days back there (my
native village).

I don’t know what she used to look like in her younger days, all I remember about her is a small,
thin, dark colored woman with a fascinating smile between lots of wrinkles on her face. She was
bent around her waist due to old age.

“buiiiiii- bhaag eehaan se babuaa” [Run away kiddo] she used to say if anyone tried to interrupt in her work and the missing teeth in her upper side teeth gallery used to get revealed.

She worshiped her work! Not anything in particular, but everything she did. Budhiyaa Masi was also the fastest women in the village and an informer too.

In our traditional-village, barbers are on high demand, especially during occasions. Budhiya Masi also came from that caste. She used to be a very busy personality as I remember.

Her workaholism was not just limited to special occasions. Even in the month of June, in the peak heat of summer, when everybody tries to get some sleep in the shade, she used to run on the burning black road bare foot. My little brother and I, bored of relaxation and with nothing left to entertain us, used to peek out of the window, to watch the empty road. But she was always there.

“eeee….masiii-budhiyaa” we used to shout and in reply she showed us her hand in slapping style with the teeth-gap-revealing smile.

I don’t know about her husband, she was a widow as I remember. People said that her husband was a
renowned barber there. But as I saw, she was an abandoned by her children.

My grandma had very good relations with her. She used to say that Masi is very lucky as she is
all fit and fine in such an old age. However, because of her age, people used to avoid giving her any work. But one could never know how she could easily find work in one's home.

“This should be done in this way beti”, “It is not at right place” “oh! It isn’t done yet” There were plenty
of reasons and you couldn't deny them, a minute more and she would find some work for herself to keep herself engaged.

Although she was a babbler and fast speaker too, she used to speak in a funny style. It was hard to
catch every single word of her sentences. She used to carry a small dirty bag with herself. While eating any food she used to put some of it in her bag. Later we came to know that she had a favorite grandson, and she used to store the food for him. Her son once yelled at her for giving those things to his child. But she kept doing that.

Then, for a few days she disappeared. We got to know that she was suffering from fever.

“She is not going to recover this time, she is getting weaker. Time beats everyone” a women was telling
my grandma about Masi's condition. “She is luckier than all of us, she lived a good life, full of
energy”, grandma replied.

But Masi recovered, not back to her usual, fully-charged self, but she did try to live the same way.

But time did beat her…..

While crossing a road one day, she fractured her left leg and right arm.

She survived that accident too, but she became incapacitated and she couldn't survive that.

She kept fighting for six months of misery, and after that she died.

But all the years she lived, she indeed lived lively!

Jamshedpur

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 05:05:00 +0000

A post I wrote long back, revived at the request of Kanu.

Sometime ago I was reading a book on Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata that was written about 80 years ago. It gave me an inkling of the foundations that makes the Tata Group what it is today. Companies like TISCO and TELCO transformed the landscape of a predominantely tribal region in the the Chota Nagpur region. Unlike the IT industry of today which touches the lives of the educated elite, these pillars of modern India also transformed the lives of the uneducated, underpriviledged sections of society. Tatas do only make steel or machines but they transform the lives of thousands of people who work with them. These industries have not only made profits but have also altered the landscape of this region, making it one of the most evolved regions in the country. I believe India needs more corporates like the Tatas who not only contibute enormously to the economy of the country but do it fairly too. For me the Tatas represent the pinnacle of industrial rigous and social responsibility. Will write more on this later...

Here is a talk that L.N. Mittal delivered when he visited Jamshedpur this year.

"I visited Jamshedpur over the weekend to see for myself an India that is fast disappearing despite all the wolf-cries of people like Narayanamurthy and his ilk. It is one thing to talk and quite another to do and I am delighted to tell you that Ratan Tata has kept alive the legacy of perhaps Indias finest industrialist J.N. Tata. Something that some people doubted when Ratan took over the House of the Tatas but in hindsight, the best thing to have happened to the Tatas is unquestionably Ratan. I was amazed to see the extent of corporate philanthropy and this is no exaggeration.

For the breed that talks about corporate social responsibility and talksabout the role of corporate India, a visit to Jamshedpur is a must. Go there and see the amount of money they pump into keeping the town going; see the smiling faces of workers in a region known for industrial unrest; see the standard of living in a city that is almost isolated from the mess in the
rest of the country.

This is not meant to be a puff piece. I have nothing to do with Tata Steel, but I strongly believe the message of hope and the message of goodness that they are spreading is worth sharing. The fact that you do have companies in India which look at workers as human beings and who do not blow their software trumpet of having changed lives. In fact, I asked Mr Muthurman, the managing director, as to why he was so quiet about all they had done and all he could offer in return was a smile wrapped in humility, which said it all. They have done so much more since I last visited Jamshedpur, which was in1992. The town has obviously got busier but the values thankfully haven't changed. The food is still as amazing as it always was and I gorged, as I would normally do. I visited the plant and the last time I did that was with Russi Mody.

But the plant this time was gleaming and far from what it used to be. Greener and cleaner and a tribute to environment management. You could have been in the mountains. Such was the quality of air I inhaled! There was no belching smoke; no tired faces and so many more women workers, even on the shop floor. This is true gender equality and not the kind that is often espoused at seminars organised by angry activists. I met so many old friends. Most of them have aged but not grown old. There was a spring in the air which came from a certain calmness which has always been the hallmark of Jamshedpur and something I savoured for a full two days in between receiving messages of how boring and decrepit the Lacklustre Fashion Week was.

It is at times such as this that our city lives seem so meaningless. Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata had created an edifice that is today a robust company and it is not about profits and about valuation. It is not about who becomes a millionaire and who doesnt'. It is about getting the job done with dignity and respect keeping the age-old values intact and this is what I learnt.

I jokingly asked someone as to whether they ever thought of joining an Infosys or a Wipro and pat came the reply: "We are not interested in becoming crorepatis but in making others crorepatis."

Which is exactly what the Tatas have done for years in and around Jamshedpur. Very few people know that Jamshedpur has been selected as a UN Global Compact City, edging out the other nominee from India, Bangalore and only city of India and 2nd in Asia who has got ISO 14001, Selected because of the quality of life, because of the conditions of sanitation and roads and welfare. If this is not a tribute to industrial India, then what is? Today, Indian needs several Jamshedpurs but it also needs this Jamshedpur to be given its fair due, its recognition. I am tired of campus visits being publicised to the Infosys and the Wipros of the world. Modern India is being built in Jamshedpur as we speak. An India built on the strength of core convictions and nothing was more apparent about that than the experiment with truth and reality that Tata Steel is conducting at Pipla.

Forty-eight tribal girls (yes, tribal girls who these corrupt and evil politicians only talk about but do nothing for) are being educated through a residential program over nine months. I went to visit them and I spoke to them in a language that they have just learnt: Bengali. Eight weeks ago, they could only speak in Sainthali, their local dialect. But today, they are brimming with a confidence that will bring tears to your eyes. It did to mine.

One of them has just been selected to represent Jharkand in the state archery competition. They have their own womens football team and whats more they are now fond of education. It is a passion and not a burden. This was possible because I guess people like Ratan Tata and Muthurman havent sold their souls to some business management drivel, which tells us that we must only do business and nothing else. The fact that not one Tata executive has been touched by the Naxalites in that area talks about the social respect that the Tatas have earned.

The Tatas do not need this piece to be praised and lauded. My intent is to share the larger picture that we so often miss in the haze of the slime and sleaze that politics imparts. My submission to those who use phrases such as "feel-good" and "India Shining" is first visit Jamshedpur to understand what it all means. See Tata Steel in action to know what companies can do if they wish to. And what corporate India needs to do. Murli Manohar Joshi would be better off seeing what Tata Steel has done by creating the Xavier Institute of Tribal Education rather than by proffering excuses for the imbroglio in the IIMs. This is where the Advanis and Vajpayees need to pay homage. Not to all the Sai Babas and the Hugging saints that they are so busy with. India is changing inspite of them and they need to realise that.

I couldn't have spent a more humane and wonderful weekend. Jamshedpur is an eye-opener and a role model, which should be made mandatory for replication.I saw corporate India actually participate in basic nation-building, for when these tribal girls go back to their villages, they will return with knowledge that will truly be life-altering.

Corporate India can do it but most of the time is willing to shy away. For those corporate leaders who are happier winning awards and being interviewed on their choice of clothes, my advise is visit Tata Steel, spend some days at Jamshedpur and see a nation's transformation. That is true service and true nationalism.

Tata Steel will celebrate 100 years of existence in 2007. It won't be just a milestone in this company's history. It will be a milestone, to my mind of corporate transparency and generosity in this country. It is indeed fitting that Ratan Tata today heads a group which has people who are committed to nation-building than just building influence and power. JRD must be smiling
wherever he is. And so must Jamsetji Nusserwanji. These people today, have literally climbed every last blue mountain. And continue to do so with vigour and passion. Thank god for the Tatas!

daulat-ki-chaat

noreply@blogger.com (sudip bhattacharya) — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 04:07:00 +0000

One of the good things of delhi winters is delhi's very own daulat-ki-chaat. though not too sure whether it originates from delhi or not nonetheless delhi has it's own version.
as the name suggests Dualat: Riches this is no ordinary road side food but rich and creamy local dessert which can be bought on the purani dilli streets near kinari bazaar only in the peak winters. it's said that the cream is set to stay in the open in the cold wintery night and let dew drops make a thin foamy layer on it. this layer is carefully picked away and mixed with a bit a local sugar or jaggery and served to the connoisseur. the way the mixing of sugar is done is very much like the way a chaat will be prepared, probably that's why it's called daulat-ki-chaat.

Well for me what matters most is not how it is prepared but how it tastes. this creamy thing is actually unlike all other creamy stuff, mildly sweet and light like cotton, it just dissolves in your mouth leaving a nice flavour behind. it does not have the heaviness of the typical cream products.

where: kinari bazaar area, chandni chowk, delhi, new delhi
when: peak winters only
price: Rs 20/- (two plates person is good enough. have some parathas at parathewaali gali followed by daulat-ki-chaat outside)

a matter of shame for the youth of india

noreply@blogger.com (sudip bhattacharya) — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 02:17:00 +0000

this sunday i read an article in the newspaper the title goes like this
"AGE NO BAR TO INDEPENDENCE: This 101-yr-old woman is an NREGS worker"

the story had been hounding me since. hats off to the lady. in the entire country there will be a very few who could make it to this age or rather across the world. and to top it all she is still working for her lively hood. this must be a matter of great pride for the lady. but isn't it shameful that the society which is letting her do it or rather creating a situation where she has to go to work for probably daily wages as a labour. what is the youth of the country doing, in this case a 60 years old is also youth in my mind. what a plight in the same country we see beggars in there twenties and thirties.

isn't there one of us who could just take pledge of taking care of her needs. isn't there anyone who could make sure she gets food and other amenities without toiling in the sun for the same. is it that expensive a deal. probably one night at a bar will cost much more than her supplies for a month.

let's think twice. let's look around, and make sure that this is a one of it's kind.
and i hope someone sitting in madurai reads this post and look around for her and say "amma tu ghar chal main khaana laya hun".

Humara Bajaj

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 06:18:00 +0000

Bajaj Scooters have been synonymous will transportation in India. One of my early memories are of the Bajaj ads with a Saradarji riding the scooter with his kids. I feel extreme nostalgia after hearing the news that Bajaj motors would stop production of scooters. I remember being a pillion rider on many variants of the Bajaj scooters, Super, Chetak and what not. I never actually rode one, because before I was above legal driving scooters went out of vogue but just thinking about them brings back fond memories. Those rides with the wind in the hair and a light in my spirit.

For generations, people referred to scooters as Bajaj. At its peak they were the symbol of ultimate acquisition. People would wait 6 months to an year for a Bajaj scooter, sometimes paying twice the market price to jump the queue. More often than not, prospective In-laws would ask the bride's family for a "Bajaj" in dowry. Many a girls would have fallen to the charms of the Oh-so-handsome guy who rode the Bajaj. They provided the perfect means of transportation for an average family, 2 adults and 3 minors. Men cared more about their Bajaj scooters than they care about their shiny cars. Learning how to ride them granted boys passage into manhood, and of course the title of the random errand guy around the house.

A wait so long...

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:11:00 +0000

Apeksha Malviya is fed at her home in Bhopal, India on November 22, 2009. A quarter century after the disaster, many of those who were exposed to the gas have given birth to physically and mentally disabled children. (AP Photo/Saurabh Das) #

8 year old Annan is carried by Nafiza Bee, coordinator of the Chingari Trust clinic on November 27, 2009 in Bhopal, India. Twenty-five years after an explosion causing a mass gas leak killed thousands, toxic material from the biggest industrial disaster in history continues to affect Bhopalis. Annan suffers from cerebral palsy and receives vital rehabilitative support and care at the Chingari Trust Clinic. (Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images) #

25 years the Bhopal gas tragedy, the victims continue to wait and suffer while the Indian Government and Dow Chemical turn an apathetic eye towards those affected. Isn't 25 years time enough to put something right that was so blatantly wrong. Doesn't Dow Chemical have enough means to clean up Bhopal? The answer is most definitely yes, but the total disregard of human life and suffering is appalling.

I wonder why haven't the local constituents pushed for sufficient relief and sanitation of the affected areas? Are all our politicians so corrupt? And if so why are the citizens of this country so blatantly overlook the miseries affecting their brothers? While growing up, the Bhopal gas tragedy was one of the most recurring themes of discussion inside class and out of it. It's been a long time since I left school and the situation has barely changed.

It's a matter of SHAME. For ALL OF US !!

a city so beautiful.

noreply@blogger.com (sudip bhattacharya) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:27:00 +0000

around 300years back a beautiful city was born. born somewhere in the northern part of india. people from far places in europe and asia would come to see the manifestation of luxury in form of a city.

people should not confuse luxury with richness over here, there would have been much richer places in hindoostan at that point but lucknow was luxury.

luxury reflected from lucknow's architecture, lucknow's music, lucknow's cuisine, poetry, dance, air, water, lifestyle, fashion everything.

the city fell victim to it's own beauty. the warm welcoming city with its youth and energy kept attracting people of talent and skill to be a part of its own skin. the process never stopped. not yet.

one may still see the remnant of the nawabi attitude as the old man smokes his hukka in a dilapidated house which would have been a once been a mansion. just that over the years the mansion had been divided and sub-divided into smaller and much smaller housing units. outside it still reminds one of it's days of glory. inside lies reality. and the old man is far away from reality in his fantasy he still lives the life of the his forefathers.

standing on the rooftop of the house of my childhood i could see so much being stuffed under the skin of the city. so many people, so many houses, so many rickshaws, so many cars... it seems to create an ugly texture on the skin of once such a beautiful city. it seems there are lumps in the skin which are about to burst and some greyish fluid will ooze out.

i just hope one day the warts burst and all the ugly things flow away with the flowing water of the ever flowing gomti. and leaves behind the flawless luxurious lucknow. lucknow of my childhood.

Dance dance

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 04:07:00 +0000

Happy Diwali

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 05:32:00 +0000

"Let your light shine. Shine within you so that it can shine on someone else. Let your light shine."

The festival of lights stands for the victory of the good over the evil, but I believe it should be celebrated as a festival of sharing and compassion. Until the unfortunate of this world are helped, the world will remain shackled by the devil. This diwali and ever after lend a helping hand, and then the victory of good over evil will be complete.

Some trivia about diwali:

Bhagwan Mahavir, the Jain prophet, attained Nirvana on this day.
Kerela is probably the only Indian state where even Hindus do not celebrate Diwali.
Lord Krishna discarded his body on Diwali day.
Diwali is also celebrated in Gkyena, Thailand, Trinidad, Siam, Malaya and Singapore.
Sivakasi. a small town in Tamil Nadu, is the biggest home to the fireworks industry in India. And almost all workers in Sivakasi are below employable age.

In the seventh heaven

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 04:37:00 +0000

Income disparity in India

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 21:35:00 +0000

Its interesting how the income disparity in India has shown a sharp increase since 1990. Incidently that was around the same time India opened up to globalization. Another interesting observation is that the income disparity actually decreases from a period of 1960-1990 indicative of the socialistic nature of government.

Tsongo Lake

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 05:43:00 +0000

Tsongo lake, is one of the most sacred lakes in Sikkim. It is fed by the melting snow during summer and stays frozen during the winter. According to local folklore, polluting the pristine lake would be catastrophic for the world at large.

Ye hai Mumbai Meri jaan!!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 17:18:00 +0000

Only local train passengers in Bombay will know how helpful commuters try to be....... Last week, a hapless victim fell prey to the over enthusiastic Bombay 's local train commuters.

Our hero, a man from Pune, wanted to go to Matunga, but as luck and Trains would have it, boarded a fast train not halting at his destination. He panicked on realizing his mistake but by then the local had started moving. On seeing his plight, a sympathetic co-passenger decided to come to his rescue.

It seemed that he had been commuting by that particular train (6:03 pm Kasara Fast) for the past 6 years and had noticed that the train always slowed down just before Matunga station and crawled at a snail's pace while passing through it. He told the man to jump out of the running train as it slowed down and that with a little bit of fleet-footedness, he would make it safely on terra firma. However, knowing the man's inexperience, he added some words of caution:

"Keep running the moment you jump or you'll fall. Just keep running." He stressed the word "running" lest the man not know the laws of motion. The train d id slow down just before Matunga station and at the prompting of His mentor, our hero jumped out of the train and started running as if all Hell had broken loose.

What he didn't realize, of course, was that he was running parallel to the train instead of running away from it. Meanwhile, the train slowed down further, so that the man was running faster than the train. In the process, he reached the door of the next compartment and the foot board commuters there pulled him in thinking he was trying to board the train!

To his agony, the train picked up speed and sped past Matunga and his new co-passengers started to congratulate him on how lucky he had been, until he told them that they had actually undone what he had done with great difficulty.

Those standing at the door of his "ex-compartment" had witnessed the whole drama and just couldn't stop laughing at the poor man's situation, while he grinned sheepishly!!!

I had such a good laugh, cause I kept imagining this guy running.

Source: Mumbaikar.com

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 06:16:00 +0000

I am frankly shocked to hear about this. Don't these people have a better way of fighting back?

Taliban in India

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 23:32:00 +0000

Every citizen in India enjoys the right to chose his way of life. This is one of the fundamental rights provided by the Constitution of India. Any person or group of persons that goes against this right and tries to enforce "morality" of any kind is performing an act thats illegal by the law of India. What puzzles me is then how can some ministers in Bangalore can get away with dictating how people staying in that state should behave and conduct their lives. What's even more disturbing that the Supreme Court does nothing to prevent such a gross violation of the individual liberty that is granted in a democracy.
Why are people not thronging the streets and holding protests against this Talibanization of India? We have time to oppose the racial slur on Shilpa Shetty but are indifferent to events that would almost surely lead to the vaporization of personal choice and freedom. I hope the citizens of this country act before our lives are determined by Taliban style terrorist clad in saffron.

Republic Day

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 20:34:00 +0000

Everywhere I look in India, I see apathy in the youngsters about their country. I guess this needs to change soon if India has to become a major power in the world. Something that almost everyone knew when we were growing up as kids was the preamble to the Constitution. Today, I don't think children know what the preamble is or why is Republic day even celebrated.

WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC and to secure to all its citizens:

JUSTICE, social, economic and political;
LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship;
EQUALITY of status and of opportunity;
and to promote among them all
FRATERNITY assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation;

IN OUR CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY this twenty-sixth day of November, 1949, do HEREBY ADOPT, ENACT AND GIVE TO OURSELVES THIS CONSTITUTION.

I want to get a hard copy version of the Constitution but can't find an offline/online bookstore that allows me to do that. If you have some information about this please let me know. Thanks and Jai Hind.

The state of FEAR

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 03:36:00 +0000

How safe is India as a place to live in or visit? A lot of my friends and colleagues here ask me that question and I assure them that all is well. Infact a week before the Mumbai attacks happened a professor I TA for made the most striking comment. He said that he feels India is "THE" safest place to travel to in the developing world. I still agree that India is probably safe for foreign tourists, the worst that can happen to you if you are not stupid is that you will get robbed. But whats the state of the people who live in Mumbai or any other metropolitan city for that matter?

We have a defunct goverment at the helm that cannot prevent the succession of events leading upto the Mumbai events. Given that there had been 6-7 terrorist attacks within a span of 1 year, I would assume that the security forces would be beefed up and ready to go in almost any major city. I still think its very easy to target any city in India and get away without too much collateral damage.

Then there are element like Raj Thakrey who are a law onto themselves. Why is he not behind bars, I guess if the autorities were interested they have enough evidence to incriminate him.

As always there have existed people that harass normal hardworking people like the local mafiaso, people out to cheat you like "most" of the Bangalore autowallahs and sexually frustated people who will pounce upon any girl that walks a deserted street.

And more than ever there is this impeding threat of Pakistan and China flexing their millitary muscles.

It appears from here that the terrorist/fundamentalists/Raj Thakrey/sexual perverts are free to do whatever takes their fancy and the people who should maintain and uphold the law are busy twidling their thumb and giving lame excuses on the national television.

In the last few days somethings have emerged clearly. The acute lack of strategic leadership and the abscence of a consitent foreign policy. As a high level the Indian government needs to work on these two aspects.

Meanwhile how do people in India feel about these state of affairs? Are they willing to go out and live their lives normally? A friend of mine told me that a lot of New Year parties were cancelled in Mumbai, so definitely people do not feel as safe. And though the spirit of Mumbai as it is called admirable, why arn't the people of Mumbai taking action against the nincompoop government of the city? How do people feel in cities like Jaipur, Jamshepur and Jabalpur? Has the last one year changed their lives or has it changed only in the minds of a distant observer? Are people are at least more cautious and aware of their surrounding or is has the chalta hai attitude made them so indifferent that they are not even worried about their own lives? Why are people suing Slumdog Millionaire when they have bigger things to be worried about?

Brotherhood

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 06:30:00 +0000

Let this new year start with a message of peace and brotherhood. A vow of protection for the innocent and a commitment to root out evil from this world. May the world be a safe place to live in once again.

Amen.

Chat with the man behind Story of India

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 18:28:00 +0000

I received a mail from Amy Baroch, the senior project manager for PBS working on a series called Engage and she pointed out an interesting set they are doing with Michael Wood: http://www.pbs.org/engage/blog/five-good-questions-michael-wood

I am writing to let you know that PBS Engage is featuring Story of India documentary filmmaker, Michael Wood, as part of the ongoing PBS Engage series called “Five Good Questions.”

The series features a PBS celebrity or insider and asks visitors to send in questions to be answered the following week. The blog series has been very successful and we are thrilled to have Michael Wood as our feature this week.

This is a chance for visitors to ask him about his 20+ years as a historian, traveler, author, and broadcaster as well as his latest project, Story of India which begins airing tonight on PBS.

I apologize for the tardiness in posting at this website, but you'll seem more activity soon. Keep sending in your articles and stories.

Have a very happy new year :-)

Folk Singers of Rajasthan

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 04 May 2008 17:55:00 +0000

India @ Night

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 03:11:00 +0000

A satellite image of India at night

A few days back I came across this recent aerial photograph depicting the night time imagery over India. This picture tells so many tales and you look deeper it shows more than it hides. You can see prominent blobs of lights around area where the major cities are located. Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Calcutta. Surprising the area around Delhi is heavily electrified maybe because of the complete electrification of the surrounding states like Punjab and Haryana.

But most of the country lays shrouded in darkness with no access to electricity. Most of such regions are the poorest in the country, Orissa, Bihar and of course the North East. Its impossible to imagine that the electrification of these places would come about in the recent future, especially when the metros are developing an insatiable desire for power. The solution is not building multi million dollar power plant but have these communities develop their own power using solar and wind energy. Thats the only solution that scalable in the short run.

On the longer time horizon only nuclear energy can quench the needs of this developing nation but for that we must wait.

-Vibhanshu

Hookah

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 01:26:00 +0000

@ Mocha's, Chennai

Free Tibet

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 18:55:00 +0000

I believe every person in this world should have a right to chose his beliefs and his religion. What irks me is not that the Chinese government is so repressive but a secular and powerful country like India is not condemning these brutalities. Whom does the Indian government want to be friends with? The same Chinese that try to infiltrate Indian borders at the first opportunity that they get?

India has long been a home to the Tibeteans in refuge and its time that the Indian government stands by these people who have become an integral part of the Indian diaspora. It would not only mean supporting a section of your society but above all a campaign for the most basic right, the right of individual freedom.

To a Free Tibet...

रंग birangi

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 02:30:00 +0000

At a shoe shop somewhere in Rajasthan