Even in the undignified, lowly act of begging, the beggars in Mumbai bring in the dignified act of applying thought. They constantly invent creative strategies to maximize earnings. Some of them are pure artists. And when a tactic completely loses impact they re-invent.
In the matter of giving alms, I am like almost everyone else. I sometime bother to dig into my coin pouch and pull out a coin to place in their bowl or hand. I don't bother at other times. It is totally random. I think it depends on my moods. When i am irritated, I nod my head. When I am in a good mood, I become generous. There are times when I am really hoping for something good to happen, then too I get generous - hoping, that in some cosmic way, my generosity to the beggar would convert into a generosity towards me by the forces.
One school of thought says that giving money to beggars encourages begging and that it prevents these people from looking for jobs. I never got that honestly. I don't think beggars choose begging as a career option. The people who actually partake in the act of begging are doing it out of compulsion. The compulsion of circumstances or the compulsion put on them by mafia (who have made a career out of making others beg money for them)
So, why am I thinking of beggars and begging today? Well, an unusual incident that happened to me this morning at Bandra station is the culprit. As my autorikshaw halted in front of Bandra station, a respectable looking but frail, old lady came up to the auto.She was about 5 foot tall. Thin. Her head was framed by a thick mop of grey hair parted in the center. She had a longish face and greying eyes. She had a good set of teeth. There was a quiver in her voice, the kind that comes into your voice when you have crossed a a certain age. The auto-driver looked at her and pointed to an empty auto nearby and asked her to take that one as he did not want to accept any passengers at the moment. But, it turned out, she was not really interested in boarding an auto. She was actually interested in me. She caught my eye and said "beta, thode paison se meri madad kar denge..ek chai peene ke liye paison se meri madad karengi?" (see translation below)
Don't ask me why but I wanted to give her Rs.10. even though a cup of tea on the street costs only Rs.2. But I did not have a Rs.10 note. So, I gave her a Rs. 5 coin. She took it closer to her eyes to look at the coin when I began to walk away. As I walked away, I had flashes of curiosity about who she was and if this was just a fantastic begging strategy. In any case, I couldn't help feeling an unbearable pang of feeling sorry for her state, especially considering how much she had aged. I turned to look at her. She stood there blessing me. Even as I walked away she spent some time to shower blessings on me.
It made me think why do beggars who are not children, always shower blessings on you when you give them something? Whether you are looking for it or not, they make it a point to shower blessings on you. It is because that is all they can give you in return for the money. It shows that even if you don't expect anything in return, they do want to pay you back.
Translation: daugther, (well, its common in India, to refer to strangers by a relationship that suits the age difference) could you please help me with a bit of money? could you help me with some money so that i could have a cup of tea?)
Friday, December 9, 2011
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Temporary Insanity
The Mumbai local train ticket-checkers have a very clever method of operation. I can't think of a better name for the method other than 'randomness'. On no, don't get fooled by the simplicity of the term. This is actually a very clever method. By ensuring that they don't fall into any pattern, they make it impossible for passengers to predict with enough accuracy whether or not there will be a ticket-check at a given time at a given station or in a given train bogey etc.
There is only one certainty that I have arrived at. The ticket checkers don't check during peak hours. Standing in the way of the ocean of people moving chaotically at a micro level but at a macro level, synchronously in one great mass, could be life-endangering. Now, that wouldn't be worth the fine collections. (pun intended)
So, often when regular passengers see that they have not been asked for tickets in like weeks, to save time rather than money, some choose to travel ticketless. It is these people who get caught when there is a ticket-check.
This morning there was a ticket-check at lower-parel station. I was witnessing one after a good 3 weeks or so. Thankfully i have taken a quarterly pass which is always there in my wallet, so I was safe. This ticker-checker was a short, frail man with a gaping, bandaged wound on one side of his forehead. He also had a very feeble voice. It sounded like the croak of a cricket. Something like that. Yes, I think its a fair description. Imagine a cricket saying "maam ticket please". Nobody really heard him. But from his gesture, we understood that he was a ticket checker. He kept stopping people by physically moving right to left and left to right to catch their attention. One woman missed him as she was busy on her mobile phone and passed by in a hurry. Now our ticket-checker smelled a rat. In one swift move he intercepted her movement just as she was a few steps beyond him. It was at this time I realized he had an unfortunate voice. He could not raise it. Maybe that's why he also nudged her elbow to ensure he got her attention and came back to his original position (where I stood with my pass waiting for him to see it so I could proceed). Now, this is when the fun began.
This woman turned around and spoke in a loud booming voice, "haath nahin lagane ka!". (don't you touch me!) I heard him say "cricket" i mean "ticket". I don't know if she heard him but she was on a full swing offensive now. "how dare you touch me?" followed by, "you only check women?" insinuating that he was a pervert. It was true that at the moment he had indeed only stopped a bunch of women. But then, there were only women passing by him that instant. We had all got off the ladies compartment and were heading out of the station in the same rhythmic haste to get to office on time. He looked at my ticket and gestured for me to carry on. While she dug into her bag for her ticket, that I surely hoped she had after the scene she was creating, she went on accusing him of touching her (elbow) and asking only women for tickets. I found it funny how he didn't offer any explanation. He just quietly carried on looking at the tickets of the various people whose attention he had caught.
I felt sorry for him. I thought she was casually misusing the rather serious issue of "sexual-harassment" to intimidate a frail, little man with a bandaged head and cricket voice. Maybe she had a fight with her husband in the morning. Maybe her rival in office had got a promotion. Maybe she really thought the ticket-checker was a pervert in need of being taught a lesson. Maybe she didn't have a ticket. Much as I was curious, I thought it would be impolite of me to stay and watch if she did produce a valid ticket. So, I left the scene lost in my own thoughts about the scene.
Something had made her angry and she started to act without convincing logic or reason. Her reaction was a little disproportionate. Anger indeed is temporary insanity.
There is only one certainty that I have arrived at. The ticket checkers don't check during peak hours. Standing in the way of the ocean of people moving chaotically at a micro level but at a macro level, synchronously in one great mass, could be life-endangering. Now, that wouldn't be worth the fine collections. (pun intended)
So, often when regular passengers see that they have not been asked for tickets in like weeks, to save time rather than money, some choose to travel ticketless. It is these people who get caught when there is a ticket-check.
This morning there was a ticket-check at lower-parel station. I was witnessing one after a good 3 weeks or so. Thankfully i have taken a quarterly pass which is always there in my wallet, so I was safe. This ticker-checker was a short, frail man with a gaping, bandaged wound on one side of his forehead. He also had a very feeble voice. It sounded like the croak of a cricket. Something like that. Yes, I think its a fair description. Imagine a cricket saying "maam ticket please". Nobody really heard him. But from his gesture, we understood that he was a ticket checker. He kept stopping people by physically moving right to left and left to right to catch their attention. One woman missed him as she was busy on her mobile phone and passed by in a hurry. Now our ticket-checker smelled a rat. In one swift move he intercepted her movement just as she was a few steps beyond him. It was at this time I realized he had an unfortunate voice. He could not raise it. Maybe that's why he also nudged her elbow to ensure he got her attention and came back to his original position (where I stood with my pass waiting for him to see it so I could proceed). Now, this is when the fun began.
This woman turned around and spoke in a loud booming voice, "haath nahin lagane ka!". (don't you touch me!) I heard him say "cricket" i mean "ticket". I don't know if she heard him but she was on a full swing offensive now. "how dare you touch me?" followed by, "you only check women?" insinuating that he was a pervert. It was true that at the moment he had indeed only stopped a bunch of women. But then, there were only women passing by him that instant. We had all got off the ladies compartment and were heading out of the station in the same rhythmic haste to get to office on time. He looked at my ticket and gestured for me to carry on. While she dug into her bag for her ticket, that I surely hoped she had after the scene she was creating, she went on accusing him of touching her (elbow) and asking only women for tickets. I found it funny how he didn't offer any explanation. He just quietly carried on looking at the tickets of the various people whose attention he had caught.
I felt sorry for him. I thought she was casually misusing the rather serious issue of "sexual-harassment" to intimidate a frail, little man with a bandaged head and cricket voice. Maybe she had a fight with her husband in the morning. Maybe her rival in office had got a promotion. Maybe she really thought the ticket-checker was a pervert in need of being taught a lesson. Maybe she didn't have a ticket. Much as I was curious, I thought it would be impolite of me to stay and watch if she did produce a valid ticket. So, I left the scene lost in my own thoughts about the scene.
Something had made her angry and she started to act without convincing logic or reason. Her reaction was a little disproportionate. Anger indeed is temporary insanity.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Dil ek Shukriya
Life comes with its sets of ups and downs. For example I am listening to sexy Cohen (Dance me to the end of love) right now. But, for some reason, the left ear of my head phone is defective. So I am hearing the serenade through just one ear and its diluting the experience a bit. See? Ups and down to the same situation right there! (and in case you are worried...my left ear is fine. I checked. It IS the headphone thats defective)
So, the learning that's working for me these days is that you need to always celebrate your blessings while accepting your share of the 'downs' gracefully. And also that you must not get carried away by either happiness or sorrow. Because they follow each other in an eternal cycle. Nothing is forever except this circle.
I just look at every situation under the "control" lens. (An old friend told me about this many years ago, but I am truely being able to put it in practice only now) Either things are in your control or they are not. If they are in your control then go ahead and do what you feel you must. But, if its not something you can control, then accept that and let go.
My truth is that life is a combination of what you make of it and what circumstances throw at you. You will try to control what is potentially controllable and you will accept as your destiny what is not in your control. The trick lies in the ability to make this distinction and act accordingly.
This new learning has taught me to be thankful.
Title acknowledgement: Thank you Meraj Hasan for letting me borrow from your scribblings.
Title translation: My heart is a big Thankyou.
So, the learning that's working for me these days is that you need to always celebrate your blessings while accepting your share of the 'downs' gracefully. And also that you must not get carried away by either happiness or sorrow. Because they follow each other in an eternal cycle. Nothing is forever except this circle.
I just look at every situation under the "control" lens. (An old friend told me about this many years ago, but I am truely being able to put it in practice only now) Either things are in your control or they are not. If they are in your control then go ahead and do what you feel you must. But, if its not something you can control, then accept that and let go.
My truth is that life is a combination of what you make of it and what circumstances throw at you. You will try to control what is potentially controllable and you will accept as your destiny what is not in your control. The trick lies in the ability to make this distinction and act accordingly.
This new learning has taught me to be thankful.
Title acknowledgement: Thank you Meraj Hasan for letting me borrow from your scribblings.
Title translation: My heart is a big Thankyou.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Poetry and geography
In India, we ape the west and refer to people we love as "sunshine".
Even though in reality we hate the sun. The sun is harsh in India. It causes our skin to brown more than it already is. We don't find a tan gorgeous. We find whiteness attractive - the whiter the better!! (i am talking of India as a community - not necessarily reflecting on personal preference here) The sun is not a reason for rejoicing. Sunrise - yes as it symbolizes the light after a period of darkness. But, the sun in the sky is hardly a cause of happiness and good cheer.
This explains why no regional poetry derives its inspiration from the sun - when it wants to describe a positive feeling. In fact some English songs we love to hum will not quite make the same sense in Indian languages. Let me list out a few:
1) Here comes the sun. tu ru ru ru ru - The Beatles
2) "the sun is shining everyday, clouds never get in the way for you and me"- "i love you", Martina Mcride (OST Runaway Bride)
3)You are the sunshine of my life - Stevie Wonder
Indian poetry, on the contrary has repeated reference of rain and shade to describe happiness, love, and sensuality. Believe it or not, in India we feel elated when we see grey clouds cover the skies.
Let me list out a few songs:
1) Kale megha (oh! grey clouds!!) - OST Lagaan
2) tumko dekha to yeh khayaal aaya, zindagi dhoop, tu ghana saaya (when i see you, the thought comes to my mind that this world is the sun and you are my shade) - OST Saath Saath
3)tip tip tip tip baarish ka yeh mausam shuru ho gaya (tiptiptiptip the rainy season has begun) - OST Afsaana Pyaar Ka
4)Boondon se baatein (talking to rain-drops) - OST Takshak
Okay, the list is pretty endless. You get the general idea. Having said this, let me point out that there do exist some exceptions:
1) Singing in the rain - is an English song and movie which celebrates well, singing in the rain
2) Tu dhoop hai, chan se bikhar (you are the sun, splash your rays out) - OST Taare Zameen Par. Here too however, the sun is being used as a metaphor for 'energy and light' rather than happiness or love.
Do share examples of songs of rain, sun and shade that come to your mind. Would love to re-visit/know about them.
Even though in reality we hate the sun. The sun is harsh in India. It causes our skin to brown more than it already is. We don't find a tan gorgeous. We find whiteness attractive - the whiter the better!! (i am talking of India as a community - not necessarily reflecting on personal preference here) The sun is not a reason for rejoicing. Sunrise - yes as it symbolizes the light after a period of darkness. But, the sun in the sky is hardly a cause of happiness and good cheer.
This explains why no regional poetry derives its inspiration from the sun - when it wants to describe a positive feeling. In fact some English songs we love to hum will not quite make the same sense in Indian languages. Let me list out a few:
1) Here comes the sun. tu ru ru ru ru - The Beatles
2) "the sun is shining everyday, clouds never get in the way for you and me"- "i love you", Martina Mcride (OST Runaway Bride)
3)You are the sunshine of my life - Stevie Wonder
Indian poetry, on the contrary has repeated reference of rain and shade to describe happiness, love, and sensuality. Believe it or not, in India we feel elated when we see grey clouds cover the skies.
Let me list out a few songs:
1) Kale megha (oh! grey clouds!!) - OST Lagaan
2) tumko dekha to yeh khayaal aaya, zindagi dhoop, tu ghana saaya (when i see you, the thought comes to my mind that this world is the sun and you are my shade) - OST Saath Saath
3)tip tip tip tip baarish ka yeh mausam shuru ho gaya (tiptiptiptip the rainy season has begun) - OST Afsaana Pyaar Ka
4)Boondon se baatein (talking to rain-drops) - OST Takshak
Okay, the list is pretty endless. You get the general idea. Having said this, let me point out that there do exist some exceptions:
1) Singing in the rain - is an English song and movie which celebrates well, singing in the rain
2) Tu dhoop hai, chan se bikhar (you are the sun, splash your rays out) - OST Taare Zameen Par. Here too however, the sun is being used as a metaphor for 'energy and light' rather than happiness or love.
Do share examples of songs of rain, sun and shade that come to your mind. Would love to re-visit/know about them.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Taking that first step
Theater had been trying to seduce me since ever but I was afraid. I was afraid of making a fool of myself. I was afraid that when i would be asked to perform, i would just freeze and not be able to move a toe also. Something like that. My mind is capable of being really counter-productive sometimes.
Somewhere in August last year, it occurred to me, like a flash of lightening that the only thing that was stopping me from following my dreams was...wait for it... me. (yes i am a sitcom junkie) I was my only obstacle. My fear of the embarrassment of rejection/failure was all that was stopping me.
I told myself, "if you do get rejected, you would at least have the satisfaction of knowing for a fact that you did what you could" Also, in this new-found clarity of thought, I was able to see that all i really wanted was to act. Recognition for it would only be a bonus. Just to be immersed in the world of theater alone would make me really happy. This made me think of wholesome happiness. A subject I shall save for a different post.
So, equipped with this great new realization, I browsed the net, searched for theater workshops/classes etc. One thing led to another and I found myself safe and happy in the arms of my beloved. Somethings are just meant to be.
PS: I can't think of a nice enough title to this love story. Suggestions welcome.
PPS: Title acknowledgement: I'd like to thank Suchitra Ghosh for suggesting this lovely title.
Somewhere in August last year, it occurred to me, like a flash of lightening that the only thing that was stopping me from following my dreams was...wait for it... me. (yes i am a sitcom junkie) I was my only obstacle. My fear of the embarrassment of rejection/failure was all that was stopping me.
I told myself, "if you do get rejected, you would at least have the satisfaction of knowing for a fact that you did what you could" Also, in this new-found clarity of thought, I was able to see that all i really wanted was to act. Recognition for it would only be a bonus. Just to be immersed in the world of theater alone would make me really happy. This made me think of wholesome happiness. A subject I shall save for a different post.
So, equipped with this great new realization, I browsed the net, searched for theater workshops/classes etc. One thing led to another and I found myself safe and happy in the arms of my beloved. Somethings are just meant to be.
PS: I can't think of a nice enough title to this love story. Suggestions welcome.
PPS: Title acknowledgement: I'd like to thank Suchitra Ghosh for suggesting this lovely title.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
N.M Joshi Marg
Mumbai. You can live a 100 years in this city but it will still not cease to surprise you.
Have those of you, who are from Mumbai ever been to N.M Joshi Marg in Lower Parel? If you have, you too like every one else would have grumbled at having landed on that crammed little lane and probably made a mental note to avoid this lane in future. But, if you looked closely, you would have seen that this was not just another crowded Mumbai lane. Had you stopped to smell the flowers, or in this case the fish and the country liquor, you would have noticed that there is something special about N.M Joshi Marg.
I visit N.M Joshi Marg everyday. The entrance to my office compound is on this road. I am fortunate to have noticed something about this road. This stretch of about 1KM distance has everything. Really. EVERYTHING.
There are little saree shops, shoe shops, a tailor, medical clinics, pharmacies, groceries, a flour mill, a kabbadi vyayamshala(exercise place for Kabbadi players), residential complexes, commercial complexes, entrance exam coaching classes, fish market, country fowl market, deshi daru bar (country liquor bar), flower shops, cobblers, a school, an astrology shop, xerox booth, a PCO booth, a pest management shop, a temple, a jeweller, a local railway train station, street vendors selling sundry items like combs and twine thread and safety pins, vegetable vendors, cats, dogs, crows, kids playing toy cricket, men and women rushing to and from office, students mugging up for exams, little school children enthusiastically bidding each other farewell until the next day, retired gentlemen just lounging about, taxi stand, parking lot, tea booth, a restaurant....i am still certain I am missing out on somethings...
N.M Joshi Marg is truely one of a kind.
It is one of those roads that represents the heart of India. And the best part is nobody sees this. 1000's of people trot down or drive down this road every day, treating it like it is just another jam-packed Mumbai lane.
Have those of you, who are from Mumbai ever been to N.M Joshi Marg in Lower Parel? If you have, you too like every one else would have grumbled at having landed on that crammed little lane and probably made a mental note to avoid this lane in future. But, if you looked closely, you would have seen that this was not just another crowded Mumbai lane. Had you stopped to smell the flowers, or in this case the fish and the country liquor, you would have noticed that there is something special about N.M Joshi Marg.
I visit N.M Joshi Marg everyday. The entrance to my office compound is on this road. I am fortunate to have noticed something about this road. This stretch of about 1KM distance has everything. Really. EVERYTHING.
There are little saree shops, shoe shops, a tailor, medical clinics, pharmacies, groceries, a flour mill, a kabbadi vyayamshala(exercise place for Kabbadi players), residential complexes, commercial complexes, entrance exam coaching classes, fish market, country fowl market, deshi daru bar (country liquor bar), flower shops, cobblers, a school, an astrology shop, xerox booth, a PCO booth, a pest management shop, a temple, a jeweller, a local railway train station, street vendors selling sundry items like combs and twine thread and safety pins, vegetable vendors, cats, dogs, crows, kids playing toy cricket, men and women rushing to and from office, students mugging up for exams, little school children enthusiastically bidding each other farewell until the next day, retired gentlemen just lounging about, taxi stand, parking lot, tea booth, a restaurant....i am still certain I am missing out on somethings...
N.M Joshi Marg is truely one of a kind.
It is one of those roads that represents the heart of India. And the best part is nobody sees this. 1000's of people trot down or drive down this road every day, treating it like it is just another jam-packed Mumbai lane.
Friday, October 1, 2010
My verdict on the verdict
I find the reaction of people around me rather interesting. Amusing even. Yesterday, when we were all worried about possible riots/violence on the streets, this one guy in my office went on saying to me "i am manase..so i am safe" (It took me a few moments to figure out ma-na-se is hindi/marathi for MNS - Maharashtra Navnirman Sena) His remarks made me realize that many people have ceased to (or never did) think about the right or wrong of things. They are only concerned about their own well-being basically. Understandable - it's the basic animal instinct in all of us.
I find others who are comparatively more human - those that prefer anything to avoid riots. If placating those that had assumed a ready-to-pounce position is the way to avoid violence and destruction, then so be it. Again they care little about the concept of justice and things.
Lastly, there are the thinking humans who fully understand the right and wrong of things. They feel miserable. Helplessly wishing they could change things.
There is also a fourth kind. These guys convert their feelings into action. But I haven't come across these people yet.
Anway, my point is that those of us Hindus who actually believe that the demolish was carried out to protect our sentiments are getting gravely fooled. I mean the mosque had been standing there for 500 years! Over 5 generations of Hindu's had been deriving satisfactory spiritualism/peace of mind/divinity from our Guruvayur,Vaishnodevi,Shabarimalas and Tirupati etc. The same number of generations had been placing their faith in Babri Masjid.
This whole demolish tamasha carried out to "safeguard" our sentiments! They must think we are really stupid! Come to think of it - we are!
And now, 18 years later, when the verdict comes out, I keep reading the phrase "the Ayodhya movement legitimized" in newspapers and it fills me up with an unpleasant feeling. By this logic, Buddhists must ambush and demolish all the temples that are built over their viharas. Right?
Wrong.
Found this article that appeared in The Hindu interesting
Also, here's an insightful blogpost on the subject and the CWG
P.S Let the brickbats begin..:)
I find others who are comparatively more human - those that prefer anything to avoid riots. If placating those that had assumed a ready-to-pounce position is the way to avoid violence and destruction, then so be it. Again they care little about the concept of justice and things.
Lastly, there are the thinking humans who fully understand the right and wrong of things. They feel miserable. Helplessly wishing they could change things.
There is also a fourth kind. These guys convert their feelings into action. But I haven't come across these people yet.
Anway, my point is that those of us Hindus who actually believe that the demolish was carried out to protect our sentiments are getting gravely fooled. I mean the mosque had been standing there for 500 years! Over 5 generations of Hindu's had been deriving satisfactory spiritualism/peace of mind/divinity from our Guruvayur,Vaishnodevi,Shabarimalas and Tirupati etc. The same number of generations had been placing their faith in Babri Masjid.
This whole demolish tamasha carried out to "safeguard" our sentiments! They must think we are really stupid! Come to think of it - we are!
And now, 18 years later, when the verdict comes out, I keep reading the phrase "the Ayodhya movement legitimized" in newspapers and it fills me up with an unpleasant feeling. By this logic, Buddhists must ambush and demolish all the temples that are built over their viharas. Right?
Wrong.
Found this article that appeared in The Hindu interesting
Also, here's an insightful blogpost on the subject and the CWG
P.S Let the brickbats begin..:)
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