Women join elite 'black cat' force

Monday, October 17, 2005 (Manesar):
Over a dozen women have joined the army of the elite National Security Guards, commonly known as the black cats, responsible for fighting terrorism and providing security to VIPs.Usha Bose, one of the trainees, is convinced that she has what it takes to protect VIPs in the highest Z+ category."We were asked to use weapons we have never used before. We went through very hard exercises," she said.Expectations to fulfillThe question is whether Bose and 15 other women commandos like her can live up to expectations.They have been pooled in from para-military forces like the Central Reserve Police Force and Central Industrial Security Force.And the National Security Guard chief believes they will be put to test when they take on their assignments "We have two ladies to protect. Jayalalithaa is one of them. Being a lady, it becomes a bit convenient for them to have lady guards around. As a trial measure, we are also deputing them with Mayawati," said A K Mitra, DGP, NSG.Questions raisedFrom combatting terrorism to providing security to VIPs, the NSG commandoes have come a long way in their 21 years of existence.But with newly included women guards to be deployed to provide security to Mayawati and Jayalalitha, many questions are being raised on the role of NSG commandoes.The most important one is whether they are being reduced to just a security providing agency. The problem is that often the elite black cat commandoes have been seen as status symbols. The government insists a leaner and meaner force will see all that change."If this is happening, it is wrong. It should be used for the reasons that it came into existence for," said Shivraj Patil, Home Minister.So for Usha Bose and her colleagues, these are challenging times as they all line up to assume the mantle of being India's first women commandoes.

ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN

Sanket Upadhyay

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"…It is a fantastic experience to come here. These guards are a symbol of valour, strength and commitment…"


Sunday, December 4, 2005 (New Delhi):

It was a special Saturday evening for President A P J Abdul Kalam's bodyguards.

After ceremoniously receiving a silver trumpet and a trumpet banner from the President on Friday, they had the privilege to dine with the first citizen of the country.

The Bada Khaana was like a wish come true, especially for children of these men, who guard the country's first citizen.

"I had three wishes. First was to be a pilot, second was to be a good citizen and the third was to meet the President. My third wish has come true," said Mudit, a student.

For President Kalam, it was a time to relax with the teacher inside him taking over for the evening.

"It is a fantastic experience to come here. These guards are a symbol of valour, strength and commitment. These are three very important points required for nation building," said Dr Kalam.

The President's Bodyguards as it is known today was set up in 1773 in Benaras by Governor General Warren Hastings. It was known as the Governor General's Bodyguards then.

What started with a strength of 50 troops has turned into a 2,000-strong force with 72 well-bred horses.

The President's Bodyguards' Bada Khaana was a treat for Kalam. But more than him, it was a treat for the hundreds of children gathered for the occasion.

Fan Ordeal – SMS Hospital orders mass repair

Sanket Upadhyay
These days at the Sawai Man Singh Hospital, its not only the ceiling fans but also the inspection squads of electricians and repairmen who are doing the rounds. After ceiling fans started taking the fall, the authorities at the state’s premier hospital fanned out tenders for mass repairs and inspection squads to prevent more from falling!
Last Wednesday, an old ceiling fan (they weigh as much as 30 kgs) fell down in the Medical Jurist Department – almost squashing under it the head of Doctor Nand Lal Disania. Fanning bonhomie, another fan called it in the State Secretariat building on Friday. The 50-year-old fan’s fall injured one.
“We constituted four squads, each comprising of an electrician, engineer and fireman, to take rounds in all the 48 wards of the hospital and other units like the Emergency, OPD and cottage wards to check for trouble-giving fans. Attendants in the respective wards were asked to identify problematic fans so that they could immediately be repaired,” SMS Hospital Medical Superintendent PPS Mathur told the Hindustan Times.
Though there is no fan census at the hospital, Hospital authorities have also given out contracts to private parties to undertake repair work of hundreds of fans following outside the SMS Hospital premises – the hostels and other quarters. That there hasn’t been any sincere effort to check these fans regularly in the past can be proved by the fact that private contractors pulled down many fans for the first time in 50-60 years – the first time since they were incepted.
“They are being opened, overhauled and repaired for the first time. Their look dictates that they are archaic, weigh around 20-30 kgs – probably installed during the Maharaja’s time – and being taken out for the first time. It is virtually impossible to find spare parts of many of these fans. The ones that have conked out would have to be dismantled and replaced with new ones,” a private contractor Babu Lal Sharma said.
Is it only when fans come chopping down on someone’s head when officials swing into action? “Incidents like these are rare. Electricians do take up individual complaints but this time, we have made a mission out of it,” Mathur asserted.

Dance, music, temples and Oriyas

Sanket Upadhyay
Knowing that conditions are deplorable but still being proud of the motherland is something most of us Indians are expert at. The expatriates from Orissa are no exceptions. Not many have settled in Rajasthan but those who have are, quite obviously and like others, proud of their home state. The state ails from improper sanitation, poverty, illiteracy and the presence of many backward tribes. But when people of the land of temples, Orissa, come to talk about their own state, they are proud about the rich history they are armed with.
Even in a parched state like Jaipur, you would hear instances of being washed by the blue waters of the Bay of Bengal – Puri beaches that is.
The state is sandwiched between the sea, the state of Jharkhand from its north, West Bengal in the North East, Andhra Pradesh in the south and Madhya Pradesh towards its west – a clear meaning that there is a cross-cultural existence. So are the people, even though they have crossed the physical boundaries.
Many in Jaipur are still in the habit of saying “taka” in place of Rupee while purchasing something from shops. “Mostly people from Mayurbhanj and Baleshwar refer to a Rupee as taka. It is the Bengal influence,” Ratan Misra, an expatriate student from Orissa, studying in a city institute, says. For others, there is an Oriya incarnation – “tanka” for a Rupee.
Some are troubled with Jaipur and its people. “Coming from Bhubhaneshwar, one feels like hell in Jaipur. The city back home is way more planned and organised than this place,” maintains Misra.
Here’s a nasty one on Rajasthan. The expats feel that thousands of temples including Konark, Jagannath Puri and Lingraj temple, a Nandan Kanan sanctuary, Chilka lake, Similipal National Park and a long coastline come as a natural attraction to thousands of tourists. “The government in Rajasthan goes out of its way to promote its tourism industry. For Orissa, its culture, tradition, tourist spots and dances have a magnetic charm over people,” an Oriya expat Pradosh Choudhary, who works with a newspaper for 4 years, says.
He adds that Rajasthan may have to struggle a little to attract industries, but the tribal state, considered backward is already on the fast lane of industrial development. “Orissa has vast mineral, marine and forest resources for setting up large, medium and small scale industries. An industrial boom, especially in the steel sector shall take place in the next five years,” he says.

Children of Heaven

HT Live Correspondent

When was the last time you lost your sister’s shoes? Or probably the last time when you gifted her a pen to keep her from telling parents? The last time you participated aiming not the first, not the second, but the “third” rank – just to win a pair of shoes for her? The last time…last time…last…

The special screening of an Iranian movie “Children of Heaven”, part of an Iranian film festival organised at the Rangayan JKK, would have forced even the last man out of the auditorium to think about it.

The movie, Director Majid Majidi’s finest works, was well received by the audience of about 150-200.

The heart-warming film is the story of brother Ali who loses his sister Zahra's school shoes. The young pair cuts out a plan to keep away trouble. They share Ali’s sneakers and keep it secret. Good at academics and sports, Ali even gets scolded by his principal for delay – apparently due to the shoe-exchanging practice. Also then comes to now about a race where the second runner-up gets a pair of sneakers. Even though he is first in the race, he cries – for he wanted to come third. This brother-sister love story was also nominated as one of the entries in the Best Foreign Film category in the 2000 edition of the Academy Awards (Oscars). Besides other awards, it won the prize for the best picture at the Montreal Film Festival in 1997.

The festival continues till May 7 at JKK.

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Of Birhas, Babuas and Bhaiyas of UP

Of Birhas, Babuas and Bhaiyas of UP

Sanket Upadhyay

It’s hard to give Uttar Pradesh expatriates an identity – the state is vast and the culture, tradition, language and style of living changes completely from East to West border. Emotionally speaking, I shouldn’t even dare to typecast people from the state – I myself am from Faizabad district, UP.

But any slow paced individual with shoddy dressing, and a paan-filled mouth trying its best at shayari in Awadhi is enough to describe a large number of UP expatriates anywhere.

The state’s denizens may not be as flamboyant as the Punjabis and colourful as the Rajasthanis, but their sing-along accents and snappy one-liners on everything existing is unique.

The migration is recent. Mostly first generation expats here, Rajasthanis have greeted them in two separate ways over the years. The rich or the influential people, who come on deputation and field postings in the state, are respected (they better be). On the other hand, the rickshaw pullers, daily wageworkers and a fleet of helpless poor, who land in thousands every month, are greeted with scepticism.

“They think anyone who comes from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar is a criminal and would kill people, steal things around and disturb law and order. That is not true. Not all are bad. Some may want to genuinely work here,” 44-year-old rickshaw puller Radheshyam narrates his tale.

Ten years ago, when he started rickshaw pulling in the city, he says, he was often ignored and isolated. The belief of Rajasthnais, he says, got embossed further when a few UP emigrants were found involved in criminal activities. But later, with time and more rickshaw pullers from UP, this gap was bridged. The much sought after query, “Aap UP mein kahan se belaang (belong) karte hain?), still manages to keep relationships healthy among fellow state citizens as well as people from Bihar.

Connoisseurs of art and music, many people are actively involved in theatrical and educational work here also. “We made a film on the plight of the poor, their problems and challenges they face,” says Pink City Cycle Rickshaw Puller Union President Vipin Tiwari. He came to Jaipur in 1982 from Devaria district.

Recently, the Uttar Pradesh-Bihar Sanyukt Samaj organised a cultural evening with a gathering of about 5,000 people from UP. Unforgettably, four alliances for a future marriage within the community were also worked out here. Bhojpuri Birhas, popular in districts of eastern UP were sung here, bringing to life a village-like experience for many.

Folklore is still innate. Chanda mamas, halwa puris and gudiya ranis haven’t faded away in the homes. Also, the straightforward people have always had an edge over the “conservative”, “maintenance of double-standards” and a “subdued” common Rajasthani in arguments.

Many also complain that the new age Rajasthanis are more reserved and want to be left isolated. “They don’t want to mix with other cultures and communities at grass root level,” Tiwari says. Still, there’s a feeling that staying in Rajasthan is much more comfortable. With UP way ahead in crime than this state, life automatically becomes easy here.

Coming to food, expatriate tongues get a homely treat here. The quest for food got a Lucknow food festival to be organised in a city hotel. It was well received by many.

But above all, there’s one Unified Bonding Factor and Unique Selling Proposition (USP) that keeps them together here and everywhere – their want, desire and liking for “Paan”.

All top bureaucrats, Superintendents of Police, Collectors are from UP. All have a liking for paan. Most of the “good” paan sellers are also from UP. “The one close to Ganpati Plaza makes amazing paan – the best indeed,” says Rohit Kumar Singh, Project Director of the Rajasthan Urban Infrastructure Development Project (RUIDP) and importantly, a Varanasi expat in this city since 1992. “I have been selling paan in this city for almost 10 years now. Many people recognise me from my accented Hindi. They feel very nice,” Rajan, a paan waala in Gandhi Nagar says.

As more UP ka bhaiyas migrate into the pink city, it would only increase the expatriate population base here. Whether it means more cultural bonhomie or more friction between traditions, the bhaiyas are here to stay.

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Karnik for “sustainability” of IT growth

Karnik for “sustainability” of IT growth

Sanket Upadhyay

It is nice to pat our backs for what we have already achieved in Information Technology (IT). What’s important from here on is the sustainability of the present standard and its future growth.

President NASSCOM Kiran Karnik, who was in Jaipur on the inauguration ceremony of the Laxmi Niwas Mittal Institute of Information Technology (LNMIIT) on Sunday, said that “sustainability” of growth, was India’s challenge ahead.

Karnik welcomed the change in world perception towards an Indian IT mind terming it as “pleasant”. “Earlier, the world thought of India as a cheap market – in terms of money as well as quality. It is not the case now,” he said adding that Indian standards are now a benchmark of quality – a sizable achievement over a decade of IT boom.

He emphasised on a planned way to sustain this growth. “We have to maintain edge on skills. Government’s decision-making mechanism should be fast. This is where China scores ahead as they have capitalised well here. Quality of education should be better than the best,” he said.

He said the ultimate goal would be “innovative thinking and fresh ideas” terming it as India’s USP. “IT will achieve more respect in concrete terms. India is already the gold standard.

Karnik defended the BPO sector saying that the units here are equally important. “It’s a great industry. It provides job opportunities to so many young unemployed.” He however added that Indians had to take IT “forward” from here.

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Reality approaches destination dream

Reality approaches destination dream

HT Correspondent

A distant dream seems inching closer to reality. Pakistani Minister of State for Railways, Ishaq Khan Khakwani said that their government has a provision of around Rs 150 crores for developing the Khokhrapar - Monabao rail tracks on the Pakistani side, adding that arrangements would be ready in a few months. He was in Jaipur on Wednesday.

“Pakistan railways is also making arrangements for restoring stations, coaches and facilities required for formally opening the rail link within the next six months,” he said. Speaking to mediapersons here in Jaipur, he said that the budgetary allocation is likely to be provided in the Pakistani budget to be tabled in May this year. He added that the government is on its way studying the links in detail - including basic requirements like water and electricity.

Pakistan’s premier newspaper, The Daily star also quoted Khakwani as saying: “It is our principled decision to get it opened as early as possible and we are on right path to get the task accomplished."

He said that so far, there is no immediate plan to convert the present metre gauge track on the Pakistani side. “Khokrapar still has almost 120 kilometres of stretch on the Metre Gauge. Conversion into broad gauge would require more time and money,” he said. He also pressed upon the feasibility of the any conversion that may take place, adding that the present section had very less passenger frequency ever since tracks were uprooted almost 40 years ago.

At the Indian side, the tracks have already been converted to broad gauge in April 2004 – connecting the last Indian station of Munabao to the rest of the Indian rail network, which is mostly on the big line. Locals and the Indian Army are using the track at present.

Khakwani expressed interest in the link adding that it’ll be a historic development. “ It will be a big event and would be generously popularised,” he said. After the 1965 war with Pakistan, the rail link was uprooted on both the sides.

Khakwani added that the rail link would be very important for trade. “It will open a new avenue for trade between the two countries. Trade with Iran and Afghanistan shall also benefit,” he said. He however added that the entire initiative would have “no relevance” if the visa norms were not relaxed.

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Oye Bubbly! This is Jaipur – Punjabi style (FEATURE)

Oye Bubbly! This is Jaipur – Punjabi style (FEATURE)

Sanket Upadhyay

A smart Marks and Spencer’s tie flutters in the air as he tries to slide a few strands of hair inside his turban. Wearing the latest Gillette perfume he bought from Gaurav Tower, his hands dash to the pocket to grab the latest Motorola phone he bought only yesterday – it has an MP3 player too.

Soon after proposing a treat to his friends at Pizza Hut, he walks towards the parking stand, digs out a jazzy key ring and summons the Autocop beeper to unlock his brand new Scoda Octavia. “Peup Peup”, goes the car as he slides himself in, grabs the steering, switches on his Blaupunkt 5 CD changer music system and whizzes past many campy smiles coming from scooter, auto and cycle riders in Jaipur.

Welcome to the world of Divyajyoti Singh. Also, the world of some Punjabis (Sikhs also), who have around them a galaxy of appeal and charm – often criticised to be synthetic - but there. Singh is a second generation Sikh born in Jaipur. Though he ought be a Jaipurite – his key ring says everything about his Punjabipan – “If you have it, flaunt it!”

Many may think that the cult of suave and swanky sardars and Punjabis, the complete antonym of the conservative Rajasthani, may face a cultural shock (or give others one). But those settled in Jaipur - proudly preserving their Punjabi soul - call themselves Rajasthanis before anything else. Of course why won’t they sprinkle their soul essence around? They’re Punjabis after all.

A recent instance was the Baisakhi celebrations by the Punjabi Mahasabha. Arun Bakshi, the famous Hindi and Punjabi playback singer, was also in town. Clad in lehenga-choli, saris and gawdy make up, women bopped and hopped on anything Punjabi. Women of this community, they say, are branded beauties. “Jo sohni so Sikhni, Jo jhalla so Sikh,” goes the very famous saying among this community.

The state’s food palette also acknowledges Punjabi delicacies. Mouth-watering dishes of Hadoti, Dundhari, Brij and Punjab were featured in the recently concluded Rajasthan Diwas Samaroh from March 20 to 30.

“We are a mix of Rajasthanis and Punjabis. So we celebrate festivals symbolic to both cultures. The feeling is very good though,” 26-year-old Savita Singh, who is third generation Punjabi settled in the state, says.

But why have Punjabis settled in pockets like Raja Park and Adarsh Nagar? “During partition, many Punjabi refugees came in Jaipur from Pakistan. They were all settled and given land by the government in these places,” IP Singh, owner of the Mohan group of Restaurants and Hotels, tells Hindustan Times. He is the second generation in Jaipur. His grandfather settled in the city in 1947.

Also, a sizable number, which embrace the city for professional reasons, settle in these areas only. “When one learns that there is an entire colony of like minded people from the same community, one tends to settle down for the place,” adds Gurdeep Singh Sanotra, who came to Jaipur from Hoshiarpur in Punjab. He has settled in Raja Park.
What upset a few Punjabis in this peace loving state was a state government ban on Punjabis from buying land in the state. The National Commission for Minorities (NCM) said that it would approach the Rajasthan Government for lifting this ban on residents of Punjab. Many in Punjab said that they were interested buying agricultural land in the state but alleged that it was not being allotted to them in bordering areas as part of a discriminatory practice.
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After cricket, diplomacy over Polo…

Sanket Upadhyay

After diplomacy over cricket, Pakistan and India might just enter into patronising yet another sport for diplomacy – the heritage game of Polo. Pakistan’s Minister of State for Railways, Ishaq Khan Khakwani, who is also the President of the Lahore Polo Club, said: “Why only Polo, all sports should have the ability to initiate cross border diplomacy.”

Khakwani, who was in Jaipur on Wednesday, is part of the delegation that came to India along with Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf last Saturday. He said that both the countries should look forward to relax visa norms if polo is intended for diplomacy.

“Players are already playing across the border but this is on an individual level. They have to face a lot of problems, as visa norms are stringent. Big matches can be organised only if there is some relaxation,” he said. Khakwani reiterated that ferrying horses, a basic requirement for the game, faces problems due to strict visa norms.

However, he expressed hope that cross border Polo games become more frequent. “It is a heritage game. We have teams visiting each side. We would want the number of teams to increase,” he said.

President of the Rajasthan Polo Club, Colonel KS Garcha expressed his confidence in the game, saying that it had potential to initiate cross border diplomacy. “Polo is essentially a game which involves the influential class of the society. It stands a greater chance of influencing the mindsets of people,” he said.

The horseback diplomacy showed its signs in December 2003 only. The Indian contingent that went to Lahore saw supporters including Gayatri Devi crossing the Wagah border. California based Pakistan Polo coach, Podger el Effendi had then said that the “game could serve as one of the finest confidence building measures.

“Sports, especially polo, should not be restricted as a sport between two rival nations. When the Indians played in Lahore last year, there was tremendous support for them,” he said.

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Jaipur: The French connection

Sanket Upadhyay

Former mayor Sheel Dabhai and newly elected mayor Ashok Parnami want to see Jaipur as Lyon and Paris respectively. Wanting is very different from reality, as the city has been showing its sorry face of bad municipal management for years now.

“The Jaipur Municipal Corporation (JMC) would show everyone that Jaipur is Paris of India,” Mayor Parnami, speaking at a function of the Nagrik Parishad Jawahar Nagar, Jaipur ward 30, said. He said that the present JMC workforce would put its eye and tooth together to achieve the goals of a clean city by better garbage disposal techniques, production of power through garbage and making the city pig and dog free.

“Forget Paris, let Pink city remain pink city. At least stop it from becoming a stink city,” President Jawahar Nagar Nagrik Parishad, Satnarayan Singh told the Hindustan Times. Singh, who was apparently present at function where these announcements were being made, lambasted the mayor’s proposals terming them as mere “assurances” and “promises”.

“People use any stone for construction in the walled city. This defaces the heritage look. There are no properly implemented guidelines, which prevent people from tampering the architectural structure. There is no guideline identifying the genuine pink colour of the city. High-tension wires dangling, heavy vehicular pollution and no type design are areas which need to be looked into,” he said.

He pressed upon the need of building up a model market place or a model colony in Jaipur. “To start with, they can at least improve conditions in one area of the city,” he said.

The foreign dream isn’t new to the city. In September 2004, Mayor Park Youn Koke of the South Korean city Pocheon-si declared Jaipur to be its sister city. “Jaipur is the land of heritage and is known for its tourism which our city would like to associate with,” Koke offered explanation on his choice. Before this, the city had already received international connections with the cities of Lyon in France and Calgary in Canada. In October the same year, the then Mayor Sheel Dabhai talked about her “dream” to see Jaipur grow on the lines of Lyon city. Referring to a basement-parking project at Badi Choupar, she said: “I wish the project had taken off under my wings.” With her ouster, her basement-parking dream still remains her dream.

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Controversy uncalled for on Bose

Sanket Upadhyay

Script writer of the film on freedom fighter Subhash Chandra Bose “Bose: The Forgotten Hero,” Atul Tiwari said in Jaipur that the entire controversy on the movie was “uncalled for.” In rather explicit remarks, he compared the allegations and irritations from the movie to “mad men bickering on the streets.” The world premiere of the film was staged in a city cinema hall on Tuesday.

Activists in West Bengal led by the communist All-India Forward Bloc objected to the depiction of the leader's death, marital status and the title of the movie. Owing to these the controversy, Director Shyam Benegal has earlier cancelled the plans to hold his planned “largest movie premiere ever” for his film on Bose.

Bose: The Forgotten Hero portrays a leader seen as the antonym to the father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi – for his agreement to use violent means for freedom. He allies with Germany, Italy and Japan, the axis powers to stomp down the British in the country through the formation of the Indian National Army.

“There is nothing in the movie which can be called controversial. The script has been prepared after thorough research from a two-dozen books. We have facts to support what we have shown,” Tiwari said.

He added that the “somebody” raising an issue over the film “should have facts to support their point.” “It is like a mad man walking on the street wearing tattered clothes calling himself a traffic policeman,” Tiwari said. He called the controversy as nothing but “notion” adding that somebody had “notions about the truth.”

The founding member of the Indian National Army, Bose, is believed to have fought British rule of India during World War II. The controversial subject is that many Indians dispute he died in a plane crash in Taiwan in August 1945.

Bose, according to protestors, was not married. He was shown in the movie to be in love and married with full Hindu rituals with an Austrian woman, Emilie Shekl, who lived in Germany. The two have also been shown to have a daughter, Anita Piaff.

“Everything is researched and it is in the books,” Tiwari presses. There were apprehensions to the name of the movie “Bose: The Forgotten Hero”. In West Bengal, his home state, Bose is hailed as an unmarried freedom fighter who was willing to challenge British colonialism through force.
Film hero, who has played Bose, Sachin Khedekar, says that the controversy is “more or less resolved.” “It is sad to learn that not many people know about Bose and his struggle,” Khedekar said. Director Shyam Benegal in an interview given to a national newspaper earlier said that the title was given as the leader is little known outside the state of West Bengal.
While the release of the movie is still awaited, the world premiere here in Jaipur was well received. With a budget of Rs 220-million, the movie is Indian film industry’s first serious attempt to depict Bose and his struggle. “The film is a three year effort involving a lot of research and shooting in locales in Berlin, Ladakh, Uzbekistan and Myanmar,” Khedekar said.

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Gangaur celebrations

Dodging the heavy traffic, travelling endlessly for an hour to Badi Chaupar, hearing the incessant honking, rubbing against agitated human bodies and bailing oneself out from the heavy police patrolling in the walled city. May sound like a lot of trouble but the bait, the festivity of Gangaur, was good enough.

Just a mere glimpse of the colourful extravagance in the form of a procession in the walled city was enough to make one forget about all of that. From trees to rooftops, car bonnets to motorcycle seats, the festivity raised everyone.

Gangaur is one of the most important festivals in Rajasthan, which is held each spring in honour of Gauri, the goddess of purity - considered to be the patron of unmarried girls.

“We read in the lonely planet about this festival. We learnt that the celebrations would be noisy and colourful - especially from the women. We came here to see that,” said Jonathan Taylor, an Australian tourist who is in the Pink city with his wife. The colourfully decorated idol of Gauri, standing atop an equally decorated buggy, had to pass through streets blazing with festivity. Jea Band’s musical perseverance was well acknowledged by the gathering - tunes including Manna Dey’s “Ajahun na aye balma.”

“The procession is taken out with fanfare. The preparations for this festival start two days after Holi. Poojas are done for 16 days. The unmarried young girls pray to goddess Gauri for a suitable match,” maker of the Jaipur panchang, Pundit Bansidhar Sharma said.

Local residents narrated tales on how traditionally, the youth considered this an opportunity of meeting each other freely - some even selecting partners and marrying. ”In Hindu mythology, Gauri is the unmarried goddess Parvati, before she married Lord Shiva. She performed this Pooja in order to marry the austere and emotionally invulnerable Lord Shiva,” Sharma said.

Though Gangaur festivities are associated with the entire state, celebrations in Jaipur, Udaipur, Bikaner, Jodhpur, Nathdwara and Jaisalmer are considered festive.

Indoor Pollution 10 times higher than outside air

By Sanket Upadhyay

Indo-Asian News Service10-19-2

NEW DELHI (IANS) -- Do you realise that you are 10 times more vulnerable to pollution at home than in a busy street outside?

A Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) survey released here says the presence of 10 times more harmful pollutants coming out of heat convectors and non-combustible fuel in our kitchens than found in the air outside.

"Recently, the main indoor pollutant affecting health in urban areas is the extensive use of heat convectors that emit radiation harmful to our skin," says Sudha Maheshwari, who has lived in London.

Emission of harmful diesel fuel, along with the noise, from generators in residential areas is another major pollutant in urban homes, she adds.

Furthermore, rampant use of traditional fuels like wood, cow dung and charcoal is also known to cause pollution in Indian homes.

"Indoor pollution is not just confined to Delhi but can be found across the country. People hardly use fully-combustible eco-friendly fuel in our country," says H.K Chabra from the Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute in the capital.

He says that the use of fuels that are not fully combustible like cow dung, charcoal wood and coal emits harmful smoke that is inhaled during cooking.

"Women are more vulnerable to indoor pollution than men."

Alka Naik, medical practitioner, explaining harmful effects of Indian traditional cooking, says: "Earlier, cooking was done in an open space unlike the present-day cooking in closed homes where the smoke circulates inside the house, entering our lungs and causing respiratory and cardiac ailments."

The CPCB survey with the help of its nine pollution monitoring stations in the national capital also warns about a steep rise in Delhi's suspended particulate matter this year due to the late monsoon and frequent dust storms.

The figure recorded near Najafgarh in Delhi was 600 micro gram per cubic metre, much above the safe level of 140 micro gram per cubic metre.

Amongst the new heath hazards, Chabra points out, is that caused by ozone pollution, known to damage the skin.

The CPCB survey said: "Ozone is formed when oxides of nitrogen fuse with sunlight. In Delhi, we have enough sunlight and nitrogen oxides emitting from vehicles."

Handicraft emporium plans outlet at Goa, Jaipur

Handicraft emporium plans outlet at Goa, Jaipur

By Sanket Upadhyay,

Indo-Asian News Service

New Delhi, July 10, 2002 (IANS) The premier state-owned handicraft and handloomemporium, Central Cottage Industries Corporation (CCIC), is set to openbranches at Goa and at Jaipur, two of the top Indian destinations fortourists.It is also mulling offers from the U.S., Britain, Germany and France tolaunch its outlets overseas, CCIC managing director Durgesh Shankar saidWednesday.While the Goa outlet would start in October, the one at Jaipur would belaunched at a later date, he told reporters here at a press conference."We aim to increase our sales by contracting franchisees to run our outletsin every major Indian city," Shankar said.The multi-storeyed building in New Delhi's central shopping district ofConnaught Place housing the CCIC, India's single largest super mart forethnic crafts, is already a landmark for tourists, both Indian and foreign.The emporium, which had annual sales of Rs. 570 million last year, currentlyhas branches at Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata and Chennai. The new outlets arebeing given out to franchisees.Although last September's terror strikes on U.S. cities, the December attackon the Indian Parliament and border tensions with Pakistan have affectedtourist inflow, the CCIC hopes to improve its annual sales to Rs. 650million this year.The CCI, which began as a tiny sales depot in 1948, has a reputation forselling authentic ethnic handicrafts from across the country. Many credit itwith popularising traditional art forms that were earlier dying for want ofmarkets.Its merchandise includes pottery and marble ware, art objects, metal ware,carpets, furniture, jewellery and among others.The CCIC received the Jawaharlal Nehru award for exports in 2000.- --Indo-Asian News Service

Stigma adds to cancer's bite in India

By Sanket Upadhyay, Indo-Asian News Service New Delhi, Mar 2 (IANS) Ignorance and consequent social stigma are adding to cancer's deadly bite in India, say top oncologists. "The disease cancer is less harmful than the social stigma attached with accepting it in public," said Delhi Medical Association (DMA) president S.C.L. Gupta. At an oncologists' meet here, Gupta said that while patients were scared to admit they suffered from the disease for fear of social stigma, people around them often had grave misconceptions about cancer. "Many patients ask me whether they could sit with others or not after detection of cancer cells. This is the biggest myth in the minds of people," said Gupta, emphasising that cancer was not communicable. After road accidents and heart diseases, cancer is the leading cause of mortality in India in the age group of 15-45, with almost 700,000 new cases reported every year. But doctors fear that thousands more cases go unreported. "Cancer is curable. It by no means spells the end of life for any individual," said Gupta, announcing that an oncologists' seminar would be held here on March 23. But doctors said curing cancer was easier if its was detected in its first or second stage. Said Sameer Kaul, a cancer surgeon at Apollo Hospital: "Around 80 percent of victims seek treatment only at the third or fourth stage. By this time, it becomes hard to control the cancer cells and little can be done." He said by creating an informed and educated society, people could help themselves by getting a thorough check-up if they suspected there was something wrong. If such a test was done in time, cancer could be detected early and cured. "The primary symptoms of development of cancer cells are coughing for more than a week and blood with a person's excreta. The patient should immediately visit a medical practitioner for thorough diagnosis," said Kaul. While oral and lung cancer are rampant among men, primarily because of smoking and tobacco chewing, breast cancer in women is on the rise, especially in the urban areas, said the specialists. Doctors also admitted that in a poor country like India, people often could not afford expensive treatment for cancer. Sadhna Sharma, 43, a cured cancer patient, narrated how she battled ill health and pessimism to escape death. "Everyone had lost hope. Doctors said only a miracle could save me. Even my family had given up. But I didn't quiver. I believe that at such a moment, will power in an individual can help," said Sharma, who at one point was told she had only six months to live. "Patients must not forget that doctors are human beings. It is just that they know more about the disease. They should have the basic grooming to ensure the well-being of a patient rather than simply giving up." --Indo-Asian News Service

Blame people, not plastics for degrading environment

How's this for a whitewash of plastics? FNBlame people, not plastic, for damage to environmentBy Sanket Upadhyay, Indo-Asian News ServiceNew Delhi, May 4 (IANS) Claiming plastic was unjustly demonised, a leadingIndian proponent of the synthetic substance says it is people disposing ofplastic carelessly who are to blame for damage to the environment."We need to make people realise that once a plastic product has served itspurpose, it should not be disposed of at places where it is likely to causeproblems, like rivers, drains and pipes," said K.G. Ramanathan, president,governing council, Indian Centre for Plastics in the Environment (ICPE)."Plastic can be recycled and used in many different ways," he pointed out.ICPE last week released a book called "Plastics for Environment andSustainable Development" in the capital to highlight the many uses ofplastic and its importance to society."We truly live in a plastic age. How can we say no to it?" asked Ramanathan,claiming that environmentalists who advocate a ban on plastic shouldconsider its importance to ordinary people."The main argument today is that because most plastic products are notbiodegradable, they have a toxic effect on the environment. The challengethough is better waste management."If disposed in a dump safely, plastic can be segregated and then recycled.People should realise that the more plastic products they use, the more theyare protecting natural resources."Use of plastic furniture, doors, flooring would save many trees, whichwould help reduce pollution."K.P. Nanavaty, a member of the ICPE governing council, said plastics werealso widely used to make military hardware."Plastics are used in defence and national security applications. Riflebutts and pistol grips, anti-mine casings and boots, artillery guns andbullets, helmets and armours, rockets and propellants are all made frompolymeric composite materials," said Nanavaty.--Indo-Asian News Service

Exit Premchand, enter BJP leader in Class 12 textbooks

Exit Premchand, enter BJP leader in Class 12 textbooks

By Sanket Upadhyay, Indo-Asian News Service

New Delhi, May 4 (IANS) Legendary Hindi writer Munshi Premchand has been
banished from the Hindi course curriculum of Class 12 and replaced by
Mridula Sinha, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and novelist.

Excerpts from Premchand's celebrated novel 'Nirmala' have been replaced by
Sinha's "Jyon Mehndi Ko Rang". Sinha, a former president of BJP's Mahila
Morcha (Women Front), is presently president of the Central Social Welfare
Board.

Scholars are aghast and calling the move politically motivated and brazen.

"I consider the removal of Premchand from school curriculum a criminal act,"
thundered Asghar Wajahat, a novelist and professor at the Jamia Millia
Islamia university here.

"Premchand is the epitome of Indian literature world over and his
contribution is unparalleled.

"Premchand has already been removed from courses at graduation and post
graduation level. And his removal at the school level should be considered a
national tragedy." added Wajahat.

Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Director G. Balasubramanian
justified the decision: "Changing of course curriculum is a common practice.
Premchand was being taught for 15 years in Class 12 and the syllabus needed
revision.

"The change in the curriculum is done after a decision made by a panel.
Whatever the panel finalises is taught."

The argument did not cut ice with noted Hindi writer Ashok Vajpeyi: "I can
understand that students might have got bored studying Premchand, and I can
also understand that the course needed to be revised.

"But what comes as a big insult to Hindi literature is that Premchand is
being replaced by an ordinary writer."

He added that if Premchand had to be replaced, well-known Hindi writers like
Jainendra Kumar, Bhishma Sahni, Krishna Sobti and Vishnu Prabhakar could
have been better options.

He said the inclusion of Mridula Sinha's novel could convey an impression
that she was the in Hindi literature and good enough to take the place of
Premchand.

Wajahat argued passionately to retain Premchand.

"By reading his masterpieces one can understand the ethos and problems of
the Indian society. I feel this is an attempt to drift the attention of
people from the problems of the society to less concrete issues," remarked
Wajahat.

Mridula Sinha said she herself respects and reads the works of Premchand.

She asked: "Why are people dragging me into this? I have just written a
novel. Some people are making films on it, some are enacting plays. What is
my fault if CBSE decided to include my novel? I wasn't a part of the
selection committee."

Political analyst N. Bhaskar Rao told IANS: "It is clearly a political
decision and not an academic one. The ruling party has made an attempt to
tamper with the educational system."

--Indo-Asian News Service

Columbia Tristar to distribute Bengali film

Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE), the Indian distribution arm of Columbia Tristar, has tied up with the producers Planman Life to distribute the Bengali film ‘Saanjhbaatir Roopkathara,’ or ‘Strokes and Silhouettes.’
The tie-up has been described as “historic,” as this is the first time an international banner has ventured into regional films.
“Bengal is known for its rich and prolific film history, with great talents coming from there,” said Columbia Tristar managing director Uday Singh in a press statement.
“We are delighted with this tie-up as it gives us an excellent opportunity to interact with the enormous creativity that India has.”
The film, starring Soumitra Chatterjee and Indrani Haldar, revolves around a sensitive father-daughter relationship. It will first be distributed in the Bengali speaking parts of the country before an all-India release is considered. The film is expected to hit the theaters next month. Based on a novel by Joy Goswami, the film has been directed by Anjan Das and produced by Sandeep Sen of Deep Films and Arindam Chaudhari of Planman Life.
The Rs. 5 million ($106,382) venture explores how a girl’s beliefs are tested when she steps out of her sheltered life under her painter-father’s eye. The girl finds her outlook wavering, but realizes the sublime beauty of creation and how the petty patchwork of human life fades into insignificance.

Biotechnology: answer to agricultural pollution

The vegetables, fruits and other food items we consume everyday are often tested of having pesticides. Pesticides also cause heavy ground and water pollution. But what if we were to replace pesticides with something equally effective and non-polluting? The answer is biotechnology with the alternatives it offers – bio pesticides and bio fertilizers.

“Bio pesticides are made out of genetically modified micro organisms which naturally eat up pests without damaging the crop. There is no question of pollution as there is no polluting element present,” professor (Biotechnology) KB Roy of the Institute of Integrated Learning and Management (IILM) said.

Advisor to the Ministry of Agriculture on organic farming, Mukesh Gupta said: “The main contents of Bio pesticides are bacteria and fungus. Some bacterial elements that harm the crops are eaten by the bacterial composition present in these bio fertilizers, which protects the crop.”

He said that breeding certain bio-organisms like the nitrate-producing bacteria could serve as the best replacement for chemical fertilizers.

Added Madhur B Hans, assistant professor, IILM who was also present in the conference: ” The production of bio fertilizers initially requires a lot of investment when the bio-organisms are genetically modified. Once the process starts, they keep multiplying on their own, saving money in production.”

But Roy felt that many more developments to increase the popularity of these methods should be made. “Most of the research and development, the most important aspect of biotechnology is done abroad because of which methods and technologies have to be either imported or primarily because of lack of funds, people resort to old means.”

“More institutes should be opened for research in this field because it definitely has a bright future in an agrarian economy like ours,” said Roy.

Though popularity is significant.

According to National Fertilizers Limited (NFL) estimates the production of bio fertilizers increased from 23 metric tones in 1995-96 to 177 metric tones in 1998-99, and the figure is continuously rising.

Opined Mukesh Gupta: “The production and demand in Rajasthan state alone has risen to 30 metric tones during the last decade. Infact, companies that manufactured chemical fertilizers are actively promoting bio fertilizers for which they have also earned a lot of credibility.”

But biotechnology has more to contribute to farming, feels Gupta: “Developing hybrid varieties of seeds, healthy edible oil with increased nutritive value, medicinal plants, flowers, aromatic herbs, coffee, tea, mushrooms as well as mangoes are just a few ways biotechnology can help. It also helps in increasing productivity for meeting the food demands of the ever increasing population of our country.”

He added that if organic milk, organic animal husbandry, organic oil seeds, organic serials and pulses and organic herbals are produced in Rajasthan, an additional Rs. 25,000 crores worth stock can be added to the existing production capacity.

Experts said that biotechnology could be used in many different spheres of life.

“If we are talking about the future, then information technology and biotechnology are complimentary to each other. While genetically facilitating things would be the responsibility of biotechnology, information technology can help spreading the word around,” professor KB Roy said.

E-Vivaha has not many takers in Rajasthan

Marriage at the click of a mouse doesn’t quite click with Rajasthani’s. The entire country might be adopting the concept of getting introduced and then tying the nupital knot through web portals but Rajasthan seems cosy and comfortable with its traditional methods.

Statistics with most marriage web portals show that registrations from Rajasthan state are negligible. Probably people here still trust the good old mediators in Indian homes, or the mighty matrimonial advertisement in any Sunday newspaper.

According to a US based portal www.suitablematch.com, the state with 57 million people has registered just 180 members. Not surprisingly, none of these successful web portals including www.shaadi.com or www.bharatmatrimony.com have a regional centre here.

Conservativeness and prevalence of traditional methods for hailing a suitable match in Rajasthan, like rest of Northern India, is there because there is not much of a computer boom here. In south Indian cities and other metros, e-marriages are picking up and are also considered a successful business proposition, Soniya Mathur, an executive with a web portal www.e-vivah.com told Hindustan Times.

However, she maintained that the idea of web portals venturing into marriages was to gel the traditional requirements of people with modern technology, making it easy for most to accept the trend. “These portals offer a wider choice for people, even if they want someone in their own community,” she said.

An official of www.shaadi.com believes that computer consciousness will automatically increase the popularity of such form of arrangements in the state. “The state might automatically see a rise in this trend when more emphasis is given to computer literacy and when better Internet connectivity is provided in smaller towns also,” opines the optimistic official.

Jaiprurian Gyan Prakash Shukla, who took the e route to marry a girl from Madhya Pradesh, said that his parents and friends were surprised to learn about the mode of marriage, with a few declaring it null and void.

If marriages are made in heaven, these web portals are certainly messengers of god for the modern world. And sooner or later, seeing the increasing popularity of these portals elsewhere, Rajasthani’s might have to consider revising their attitude. After all, marriages for many still remain a one-time affair. And we all want the best to chose from.

A documentary on Bade Miyan - Chotey Miyan?

A documentary on Bade Miyan - Chotey Miyan?

Sanket Upadhyay

The two track veterans, a metre gauge and a broad gauge steam loco pulled trains, chugged past each other enticing thousands on board. And now, the North Western Railway (NWR) plans to make a documentary film on the event that they termed as “undone by any railway zone in the world”.

Railway sources said that the entire event, that took place on October 1 this year to mark the first anniversary of North Western Railway Zone, was shot using about five digital cameras.

“We have more than 10 hours of raw video footage with us. Now, we are planning to do some editing ourselves and scale it down to a 30 minute documentary with some of the best shots,” said a senior railwayman.

He added that the scripting and narration, tentatively in English language would be mostly an in house affair. “We have chopped down the film to a few hours. After the final half an hour movie is ready, we would be putting a voice over.”

Senior Deputy General Manager NWR, SB Gandhi, confirming the documentation of the event told Hindustan Times: “We would primarily be screening the film to our staff members, bureaucrats and ministers.” However, he denied in house rumours that the film might be aired on Discovery Channel.

The railways may capture the event on tape and show it to parties propagating the excitement the event carried, but they themselves admit that the film would be socks compared to the memories of those who are still lingering in the aura of the race.

Small Denizens: Big Concern

Sep 10, 2003


Talk about little people with big concerns and it came true Wednesday morning near Statue Circle as 120 children from a play school dressed up as lion, tiger, deer and trees and bushes crying out just one message – save environment, save wildlife.

“Hi! Save our earth, plant more trees, save wildlife,” 4-year-old Pulkit shouted out to the traffic.

Around 30 children each stood at four different intersections of Statue Circle in their bright costumes and carrying banners and placards in their hand that read “Save Environment” and “Save Wildlife”. While some motorists stopped to read what the kids had, others paused for a while and smiled.

“This is a very cute way of telling people like us who are engrossed in our lives that we should conserve the greenery around,” said a motorist Ambika Pandit who also picked up a “neem” sapling promising the children that she would plant it at home.

Young Neha, who dressed up like a tree told Hindustan Times: “ I am feeling very good here. I am having fun with my friends. I am also giving a badge to everyone in which it is written that we will all protect our Earth.”

These children, from Bright Horizon play school, were campaigners for a voluntary organisation called Wing Of Research in Local Development (WORLD). ”The idea to involve children is because children directly effect the thinking and mentality of people around them including their parents,” said WORLD Director Manish Saxena.

Saxena added that in collaboration with the Rajasthan Government, a help line (3091919) to conserve wildlife has been commissioned. “After receiving information on this help line, our team backed by government’s wild life officials would visit the particular place and try to solve the problem,” said Saxena.

BOX STORY - - Wild Life Helpline number - 3091919

If you see any animal in dire circumstances or trees being chopped of in any area of Rajasthan, a Wild Life Help Line no. 3091919 has been commissioned. A team comprising of government officials as well as other voluntary organisations will reach on the spot.

UK is learning from Jaipur: Jowell (INTERVIEW)

UK is learning from Jaipur: Jowell (INTERVIEW)

Sanket Upadhyay

Garlanded heavily as she visited a restored Haveli in Amer and met the Chief Minister of Rajasthan, United Kingdom secretary for culture, Media and Sports, Tessa Jowell believes that Jaipur gives a lesson that has and would further be taken back home.

On her daylong visit to Jaipur, Jowell spoke to Hindustan Times explaining how Jaipur plays a role model. “All the small towns and cities in the UK are now being regenerated keeping in mind what they originally had for local residents.” This, Jowell says, is a lesson from Jaipur.

Cherishing the art and craft and their artistes is what Jowell believes, is Jaipur’s speciality. “There is a lot of talent in the local artistes, the local people and of their interests are kept in mind while regenerating or restoring some place, it would be better than merely doing it for tourism purposes,” Jowell mused.

The objective, she feels, is that people should enjoy their heritage. Roused by the beauty of a restored Chanwar Palki Walon Ki Haveli in Amer, which she visited on Wednesday, Jowell cited that the example to conserve and help people identify with something “original” has been set. “Restoration work needs to be identified and taken up by other Haveli’s in the state,” Jowell added.

Describing her meet with Rajasthan Chief Minster Vasundhara Raje earlier in the day, Jowell said that principals of conversation topped the discussions. “We would be remaining in contact to compare our experiences in conservation processes.

Jowell also admitted that the process of conserving heritage and its relation to the locals would be helpful for tourism. “People can relate themselves to the conservation process which would help in preserving it in future,” she said.

After the visit of Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales on November 1 last year, Jowell is the second senior figure from Britain to be visiting Amer. At Amer, Jowell also observed the restoration process of Panna Meena Ka Kund.

Prior to this, Jowell visited the Amer fort. She also interacted with office bearers of Amer Vyapar Mandal, senior artiste and Padmashree awardee blue pottery expert Kripal Singh Shekhawat and sculptor Satyanarayan Nahta.


Background on Tessa Jowell

Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
Tessa Jowell has been the MP for Dulwich and West Norwood since 1992. She was born in London and was educated at St Margaret's School in Aberdeen and the universities of Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Goldsmith's, London. She is a visiting fellow at Nuffield College, Oxford.
Tessa's previous Ministerial appointments were Minister of State for Employment, Welfare to Work and Equal Opportunities at the Department for Education and Employment (1999-2001) and Minister of State for Public Health at the Department of Health (1997-1999). She became a Privy Counsellor in 1998.
Before the 1997 General Election, Tessa was the Spokesperson on Health (1997-1999 and 1994-1995); Opposition Spokesperson for Women (1995-1996); and Opposition Whip (1994-1995).
Before her election to Parliament in 1992, Tessa had a career in psychiatric social work, social policy and public sector management.

Bade Miyan Chotey Miyan

On October 1, 2003, a race was organised by the North Western Railway (NWR) of India. The race, called Bade Miyan Chotey Miyan was held between a metre gauge and a broad gauge train running parallel. With destination as Jaipur, the trains were flagged off from Jobner (50 kms south of Jaipur). What made it special was the fact that both these trains were run by steam engines, dating back to the 1960s. I was there, flinging my excited body from one train to another.

Bade gave up midway

Sanket Upadhyay

After a 45-minute halt near Babos, the driver sent a wireless message to a senior engineer. “Saahab! Bade ko diesel engine ki zarurat hai. (Boss. Bade needs the help of a diesel engine.)” The 1965 model, wearing dandy make up, won the hearts of many, but could not win the race.

Many who had boarded the broad gauge beauty confirmed a victory in their mind. Though all enjoyed the event till the end, the sorrow of not winning was evident.

“I talked to the driver and he said Bade’s engine is more powerful. We knew that it would win. I pushed my entire family into this train. All were interested in travelling by the other. But it’s ok. At least we had good fun,” Ram Kishan Meena said as he consoled and apologised to his grandchild for being persistent.

The bigger steam machine was not producing enough steam to run till Jaipur. It covered less than half the distance to finally cry help.

Seven-year-old Sakshi Mathur, explaining the reason for the halt told Hindustan Times that Bade Miyan had more bogies and was carrying more passengers. She accused Chotey of cheating, as it did not stop when Bade got stuck. Though Bade had stopped when there were some glitches in Chotey’s engine earlier in the race.

These veteran celebrities were flagged off one after the other, Chotey being first, from the Phulera Junction. The race finally started near Jobner when the two chugged past each other simultaneously as metre and broad gauge tracks run parallel till Jaipur.

The competition was close in its first half. Within fractions, one train overtook the other and that not only made children but also men and woman aboard shout out from both trains: “We will win!”

The bogies from outside could catch a blind’s eye with a picturesque depiction of the entire state. Instead of the usual S1, S2 or S3’s, these bogies carried different names. While the metre gauge carried names of places like Nahargargh and Mehragargh, its counterpart carried names like Ghumar, Jodhana, Mumal, Dhola Maru.

While some of them carried handmade paintings on the wall, others offered a mobile exhibition featuring information about old steam engines.

A relaxed railway department enjoyed the excitement built by the event. “It gives me immense pleasure to see such an overwhelming response from people here. They have lifted our spirits high,” said North Western Railway’s (NWR) general manager Rakesh Mohan Aggarwal after he finished dancing to a Rajasthani folk number being played by various artists.

He urged that Rajasthan Tourism or some Private party should take interest in organising this rail event to make it a regular feature.

Veteran commentator, who was on board Bade Miyan, described the ride as Rajasthan on wheels. “The dances and songs performed by these artists depict what the state has for all of us. Both trains reflect the nomenclature of the entire state,” he said.

The race began at 3.40 pm and ended at 7.30 pm when Chotey reached Jaipur junction. Bade arrived half an hour after the latters arrival.

Water on wheels quenches their thirst

Sanket Upadhyay in Naraina, Jaipur

After keeping all his empty water containers meticulously in place, Babu Lal Singh, 30, sleeps tight. He has to wake up the next morning to fill up “good and sweet water”.
Almost all residents of this small town Naraina, 70 kilometres away from the state capital, do the same as they wait for the water train, the whistle of which indicates relief in the summer months.
Gasping relief, about 20,000 people here were for long, victims of thirst due to the lowering water level. And whatever little water was available was high in salinity and contained high fluoride sediments, which made these denizens prone to various diseases.
“It’s a huge relief not only for us but also for all nearby villages where this train water is delivered,” Singh narrates to HT as he fills up the water from the train that had arrived in the morning at 5.30 am.
Everyday, with the help of trains, about 10 tankers ferrying 3 lakh litres of water is unloaded in a big pit in Naraina from where water is filled in an overhead tank and 80 tractor pulled tankers ferry water to nearby villages and dhanis.
This train, one amongst the three trains, fills up water from Naseerabad near Ajmer and terminates at Phulera, about 50 kilometres short of Jaipur. Carrying a total of 25 tankers, the rest of the 15 are dropped at Peepli ka Baas in Phulera. The other two trains run between various destinations between Bhilwara and Udaipur from Naseerabad.
Locals said that due to irregular water special train timings, the areas water demand got problematic but they prefered to remain low key on the matter depicting their satisfaction with whatever they are getting. Some questions have also sprouted the train journey to the area.
Would the area, once these summer water trains stop after monsoons, be again forced to rely on the four hand pumps and the same number of tube wells?
Is the decent amount of supply of water in the region at present a political gimmick before the elections?
“Kuch to aa re che. Theek che, (Something is better than nothing),” mused fifty two year old resident of Naraina, Kumer Singh Charan, who reserved his satisfaction with many in the area.

Fluoride has made them walk on four

Sanket Upadhyay in Gundidhada, Jaipur

Imagine if you are 20, look 40 and may even have to walk using your two hands apart from the feet. Thanks to high fluoride content in the water of Gundidadha, a remote village in Jaipur district, people, even children, have developed serious deformities of similar nature.

Almost all members in the 40 families, constituting a population of around 300, suffer from serious disorders caused by this water consumption. Twenty four year old Prahlad, who has a hump in his back, stoops down so much that he walks with his hands touching the ground.

“I used to graze the cattle till the past two years. Now, all our cattle have died. I have also developed terrible pain in walking. I usually stay home now as I cannot do anything for a living,” Prahlad tells HT.

The physical appearance of his friend and fellow resident of the village Sultan narrates the same story. Lying on his bed, 32-year-old Sultan needs the assistance of his wife Lali Begum for even eating. As his wife adjusts his pillow so that he can sit straight and speak, Sultan says: “I was a farmer and also worked as labourer. My hands and legs are completely dysfunctional for the past five years now.”

He said that his family, which comprises of his wife and two children, have already spent all their savings in his treatment at the SMS Hospital. “After so much medication and treatment, I am still unwell,” he informs with much pain.

The situation has not even spared children. Five-year-old Kalyan has already started limping as he complaints of pain in his bones. When this scribe personally drank ground water from a pit in the area, it was so saline that it had to be spitted out.

Though the people of the village these days are heaving a sigh of relief due to the tractor tanker that ferries “sweet” water brought in tot eh region by a water train, but they say that once the train stops coming in the region, they would again be victims to the same problem. The area, according to local estimates has about 14 ppm content of fluoride in water while the permissible limit is 3 ppm.

Resident of the village complain that bringing the matter to the notice of the authorities has been, so far, like feeding oats to a dead horse. “We have written so many tomes bit no action has been taken. God knows who’ll save us,” says a resident with dismal belief that things would, someday, improve.

Jhalawar: A road that leads to hope…for Kanjars

A road that leads to hope…

Sanket Upadhyay
(Jhalrapatan) Jhalawar, March 19

Pappu cannot walk. He crawls to the highway nearby to beg and feed his two elder brothers. “I don’t want to do this,” he repents. But adds with glee: “I want to be a teacher.” Despite disapproval from his brothers, he has started going to school.

Member of the Kanjar tribe in Jhalawar, which is considered abandoned by all the nearby villages, could not pursue education so far. While Murduliya didn’t have any school, children here weren’t allowed to attend school elsewhere.

But a recently set up, thatched one room school called “Gurukul” in his village keeps alive his hope of helping the younger generation of his community. Sunita, Kavita and Babu have also volunteered to assist Pappu with his desire.

“These people are unapproachable. It took us a year to convince them that we don’t mean harm,” said Ranjeet Sinha, a programme coordinator of an NGO Lokrang working in the area for these tribals.

Kanjars belong to a tribe dating back to centuries. They are identified in the region as a group of thieves who also produce and consume their own liquor. Police claims that senior members of this tribe, for want of money, steal trucks and kill people to feed their families. Police have either arrested many male members or declared them as “Wanted” – the ones not arrested are absconding. “We are homeless. My father hasn’t come home since ages,” says Gopi, a 10-year-old from Chandiakhedi village. A somewhat similar condition has left many young ones in 20 such villages oblivious of an earning member.

The woman head of village Mulduriya, Geeta Patelan said that villagers who were drowned in poverty and could not send their children to city schools. “We have approached the district administration on several occasions to set up a school here but to no avail,” she said.

A recent UNICEF funded Shiksha Caravan called Teetri, which hit the village to show a movie on problems of the poor, helped many in realising this dream. The film shows a girl called Teetri, who helps many young and old realize their dreams. “We want to be like Teetri,” a woman said. Convenor of the project, Vipin Tiwari said that caravan would be taken to remote areas that have so far remained untouched by any government reforms.

Jhalawar: The irony of Kanjars

Sanket Upadhyay
Jhalrapatan, Jhalawar

Anyone who comes to know about these 20 women-governed villages in the Chief Minister’s own constituency might consider Jhalawar as a women emancipated district. One of the most backward districts of the state, Jhalawar has many such villages where a woman called “Patelan” runs the show – her word being the final verdict – even for men. But these very villages in Patan area of this district are those where women and children as less as 3-5 years of age are disposed off for monetary considerations.
Considered abandoned by society, members of this nomadic tribe called “Kanjars” claim that they have their own reasons for doing so. Member of village Mulduriya, Sunita says: “Police harasses us. For any theft in the region, they blame our men. We are abandoned by nearby villages and don’t get work. We were helpless and get Rs 15,000–20,000 by giving a daughter to a person in the Kanjar community members in Bundi.” She said that Police arrested their husbands and demanded hefty sums from them in return. “I was helpless and had to send my daughter off,” she said.
Drowned in poverty, this mother Kailash of village Chandiakhedi sent off her children for money: “I got Rs 15,000 by marrying off my five year old daughter in a Kanjar community of Bundi. I had no option because we are very poor and Police sent my husband to jail. My six sons are in nearby villages as employers took them away for work (bonded labour) for about Rs 3,000 for a year.”
The woman head of village Mulduriya, Geeta Ji Patelan said that villagers were helpless as the state government snapped off all their efforts to be self-dependent. “We produce good brewed liquor using Mahua (local produce). It is very popular among nearby villages. Police and excise officials get our men arrested for illegal production. Give us permission to sell liquor or buy liquor from us so that our financial condition improves,” she said. Kanjars are an infamous tribe from the Maharaja era. They were identified as a group of thieves who were always high on self made liquor. Members of this tribe pelt stones or raise alarm at anything alien that approaches them.
Though the government presses that rehabilitation efforts have been made, the villagers declare them useless. “They gave us 2 bigha land on top of a mountain. How’s that supposed to help?” questioned Het Ram of one such village. Superintendent of Police (SP) Jhalawar, Govardhan Lal Meena said that any Kanjar was free to come up and complain in individual capacity against Policemen who demanded money from them. He said that a departmental inquiry would be ordered against erring officials. Police said marrying off daughters as young as 5 years was an age-old ritual among the Kanjars. On Police’s efforts to stop this, they have received brickbats from the community. Officials added that action would be taken on complaint. Police has identified 14 areas as Kanjar dominated and has declared them as “highly notorious.”

Jhalawar: The irony of Kanjars

Where women steal the show

Jhalrapatan, Jhalawar

Just imagine: the next time you feel hungry, you squeak. Or if you’re thirsty, you sound like a tiger on the prowl and the desire of a light snack may make you sound like an owl in the night sky. Eating food – animal’s style – may be an unfriendly thought for us but for the notorious tribes of Jhalawar, this is the way to combat hunger.

Kanjars, an infamous tribe dating back to centuries, are identified in the region as a group of thieves who are always high on self-made liquor. Members of this tribe steal trucks and kill people to feed their families. Quite obviously, for all this disrepute, Police have either arrested many male members or declared them as “Wanted”. The one’s that haven’t fallen prey to the Police are all absconding and underground, away from their homes.

Every male member of the tribe has worked out a coding with his wife. So, whenever hunger strikes, out comes the sound of an animal. This code is easily identifiable by the woman who, according to cries, gets food for their husbands.

“We hide in the wells. Then, we replicate the cries of animals. (Squeak Squeak),” says Het Ram, of one such village called called Mulduriya. He added that the coding was done to fool the Police in the region.

And this practice is a blessing in disguise for some of the women in the region. One of the most backward districts of the state, The Chief Ministers’ own constituency is witness to women emancipation in disguise. A woman called “Patelan” (head of the village) runs the show – her word being the final verdict – even for men.

“Even I cannot speak in front of her,” the Patelan’s husband quips. The Patelan of the region, Geeta Ji Patelan is an active woman who manages everything – from the market a list of vegetables to the district SP Head Quarters with the list of the village’s problems.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Jhalawar Govardhan Lal Meena however said that their tricks are all well understood by the authorities now. “These people are very notorious and have taken the entire district for ransom. They pelt stones at Police, raise alarm at anything that approaches them. They stop trucks on MP highway, Aklera highway and Jaipur highway in the night and either kill the driver or loot away the truck.”

With the Police now identifying 14 areas as Kanjar dominated, declaring them as “highly notorious” and setting off a heavy Police patrolling in the region, the sounds of the tribes might soon be over.