Jan
13
2010

Indian Hockey needs to rise like a Phoenix

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Legendary hockey player Dhyan Chand’s dominance over the game of hockey was all pervasive at the Berlin Olympics. On being told that he was an ordinary Subedar in the Indian Army, German dictator Hitler told him that had you been in the German army, I would have made you a Field Marshal. When Indian team scored some 500 goals in about 40-odd matches on their tour to Australia, the legendary batsman Sir Don Bradman famously commented, “It appears as if Indian hockey players score goals like cricket runs.” During the heydays of Indian hockey, the national team called the shots in major sporting events, annihilating opponents with utter disdain. But gradually things took a turn for the worse with the Indian team failing to keep pace with vastly improving European rivals. Those were the days that were.

And, alas, with a drop of an eyelid Indian hockey fell from grace and Cricket was catapulted to the throne of Sport King. Where and how the magical curved stick broke in the razzle dazzle of sport fairs is a moot point? A game that had a past is being kicked to a pathetic future. Did we banish this game of masses into oblivion ? Will we ever be able to resurrect the glorious past of hockey? It seems unlikely given the current state of affairs where Indian players are not even being given their salaries and required infrastructure and training.

Let us compare the fortunes of cricket and hockey players. Each cricketer makes Rs 1,60,000 / ODI and Rs 2,50,000 / Test. A hockey player earns Rs 25,000 / tournament + a small daily allowance.
As a dispassionate observer of the ever growing craze of Cricket among people few thoughts come to my mind. What exactly is there in this game that make Cricket so interesting to watch ? Why people are so crazy about it ?
Looking into retrospect, we find only few names in sport firmament of pre-independence India. Dhyan Chand in hockey and Gama in wrestling. I would be grateful if the readers could add more names other than the cricket stars like Lala Amarnath and Senior Nawab Patoudi and Co. I will give full credit to shooters, billiard, tennis, badminton players and wrestlers who have registered their presence in recent Olympics. As for as the hockey history we had even failed to qualify for the Olympic.

The only game where we are considered somewhat at par with other sporting nations is Cricket. For us we find our ideals in our cricket team. When the team wins we win and when the team losses the whole nation take it as a national catastrophe. Cricketers are our role models. The sorry state of other Indians sports such as Hockey & Football assure us that Cricket will be the only source of role models for Indians in many many years to come.

Secondly, cricket is a sport which gives the opportunity to individual players to become national hero in minutes. A batsman who hits six on the last ball of the innings and win the match for its team becomes a national hero overnight. Indians have not forgotten the last ball Six of Javed Miyandad (of Pakistan) which shattered our dreams of winning the Sharjah Cup in 1985. In Cricket just one player can change the fortune of his team. The element of unpredictability till last over pushes the adrenaline of the masses. This might be one reason as to why Cricket has such a mad following in India. In hockey last minute surprises such as a save by a goalkeeper or a winning penalty shot are rare and don’t happen regularly.

Cricket has become a commercial game and its huge popularity in India is encashed by big companies and satellite channels. It provides a unique opportunity of small breaks. After every Over for a short period of 20-40 seconds the bowling end of the pitch is changed and commercial adds find their entry. Unlike other sports like Hockey & Football which provide the opportunity of Commercial break only during the half time, a single One-Day match of cricket gives the opportunity of showing commercial advertisement more than 100 times.
To conclude, I don’t believe that there is any step motherly treatment to hockey. Its simply a phenomenon of demand and supply.

Public loves cricket. Instead of cursing their fate and fighting at every front, the players of other sports must accept this reality. Changing times and commercialism are the factors which have pushed the cricket to the top of the games. Unless they show some unique achievements that would catch the imagination and satisfy the Indian youth there is no more lollipops in other games. It is simply the taste of the public that keep the bat reining.

Naim Naqvi

Naim Naqvi

Did his graduation in Science discipline from AMU in 1972-73. He was Secretary of University Ali Society in 1970 and M.M. Hall Literary Society in early 70 's and member of Tayyabji Literary Society. Did his Diploma in Bakery Administration from HTT College Oxford Street London in 1987. Worked with National Herald - Delhi, Blitz - Bombay as Trainee Journalist and in Production Department with 'Naya Sansar Pictures' of Khwaja Ahmed Abbas at Bombay in early 70's. Traveled for study and training purposes to Germany, U.K., Switzerland, France, Dubai, Oman, AbuDhabi, Bahrain and Philepines.

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Jan
11
2010

The outburst of Mr. Dev Gowda Ex. P.M. of India

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Dev Gowda

Dev Gowda

Ex Prime Minister Mr. Gowda’s vituperative language against the Chief Minister just reflects how low we as a society have fallen. That Gowda was an expert sleeper when the nation faced serious problems is a well known fact. However, I did’t know that he has developed the mastery over the street language.I’m not worried about the C.M. but about my childern. What I’m going to answer when they would question tomorrow about the moral standard of my generation? Mr. Gowda, you have brought shame to yourself, your state, your profession, your generation and your country. No apologies would do any damage control now. Simply retire and hide in AGHYATWAS. There is no option left for you ! Good or bad, your inning is over.

Naim Naqvi

Naim Naqvi

Did his graduation in Science discipline from AMU in 1972-73. He was Secretary of University Ali Society in 1970 and M.M. Hall Literary Society in early 70 's and member of Tayyabji Literary Society. Did his Diploma in Bakery Administration from HTT College Oxford Street London in 1987. Worked with National Herald - Delhi, Blitz - Bombay as Trainee Journalist and in Production Department with 'Naya Sansar Pictures' of Khwaja Ahmed Abbas at Bombay in early 70's. Traveled for study and training purposes to Germany, U.K., Switzerland, France, Dubai, Oman, AbuDhabi, Bahrain and Philepines.

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Jan
11
2010

King Fisher Calendar Girl 2010

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There was a time when the picture with mere cleavage was a sensation. In the present day free-for-all media these kind of calanders make little appeal. Drinks relates more to asthetics and poetic values. Pictures of ‘madhushala’, ‘maikada’ ‘Jam’ and ‘saqi’ in covered and appeling dresses could have made more sense. Let me remind the readers about the beautiful diaries once published by Mohan Meakins.

Naim Naqvi

Naim Naqvi

Did his graduation in Science discipline from AMU in 1972-73. He was Secretary of University Ali Society in 1970 and M.M. Hall Literary Society in early 70 's and member of Tayyabji Literary Society. Did his Diploma in Bakery Administration from HTT College Oxford Street London in 1987. Worked with National Herald - Delhi, Blitz - Bombay as Trainee Journalist and in Production Department with 'Naya Sansar Pictures' of Khwaja Ahmed Abbas at Bombay in early 70's. Traveled for study and training purposes to Germany, U.K., Switzerland, France, Dubai, Oman, AbuDhabi, Bahrain and Philepines.

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Jan
10
2010

Copenhagen – the price of failure

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In the finest moments of gentility and noble thoughts the leaders of the World had joined heads and decided to save the planet earth. They reached upon an Accord in the city of Kyoto. The Kyoto Protocol U.N. Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC or FCCC), was aimed at combating global warming. Its a treaty with the goal of achieving “stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system.” The Protocol was initially adopted on 11 December 1997 in Kyoto, Japan and entered into force on 16 February 2005. 187 states have signed and ratified the protocol.

The Kyoto Accord is an international treaty whereby countries agree to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases they emit if their neighbors do likewise. It is a very complex agreement that allows trading pollution credits. If it is cheaper to reduce emissions in country A, then country B can buy the pollution credits, and have them count toward its own quota of reductions. Ironically, the global atmosphere does not care where the greenhouse gas reductions come from. Doesn’t the following sound funny:
“Kyoto Accord calls for a greenhouse gas emission reduction of 6% in Canada and 5% in the USA“.

Millions of years before the Industrial Revolution the level of pollutant gases in atmosphere was in harmony with life upon earth. As a result of the industry growth the pollutant gases took charge of skies and caused the ‘greenhouse effect’ – the harmful gas levels, particularly CO2. It started to climb rapidly. They are now astronomically higher than what they had been in 20 million years. The evolution process is neither gradual nor natural. To generate energy we are burning the oil, coal, forests and every resource which could give us energy. The gases – by product of the process are trapped in the atmosphere and generate heat. This heating is called global warming.

Global warming has already reduced the depth of the winter polar ice cap since the 1970s by 40%. Polar bears will become extinct if the ice retreat continues. 90% of all glaciers on the planet have retreated significantly in the last 50 years. As the white reflective snow melts, it leaves behind the darker earth which is even more efficient at absorbing solar energy. This causes an acceleration of the heating effect.

And now see how its effecting or going to effect if fail in Copenhagen:
The see level would rise all over the globe and it would be the beginning the disappearance of all coastal habitats irrespective of power and pelf of a country. Large parts of Florida, and much of the eastern US seaboard will be at risk if the Greenland icecap and the west Antarctic icecap melt.
As there would be more heat in the atmosphere than needed to balance the ecosystem, we will have more turbulent weather, more tornadoes, hurricanes and super hurricanes. We have already seen the damage to life and property from tropical storms and no one could predict the extent of damage that could wreck the life if the situation is allowed to go worse.

More heat would play havoc with the patterns of rain. We are now seeing freakish storms all over the world that dump many feet of water in a single day where previously even an inch would have been considered a major downpour. Floods in Jeddah seem interesting and welcoming but these are the premonitions of things to come. The changing patterns of rain would cause inundations in some areas and droughts in places that previously had abundant rainfall.

It would be interesting to remind that there have been two mass extinctions in earth history, the ‘Permian‘, 230 million years ago, was the worst. 70% of all species were lost. It was caused by natural global warming when volcanoes released greenhouse gases. The other more familiar to most people was the more recent ‘KT Cretaceous-Tertiary Mass Extinction’ event, 65 million years ago. It was caused when an asteroid plunged into the earth at Chicxulub Mexico wiping out the dinosaurs and half of earth’s species.
We are re-experiencing the same global warming conditions that triggered the more devastating Permian extinction, only this time it is man made.

Let us now see how we are destroying ourselves. When it gets too hot, plants die. When it gets too hot and dry, massive fires ravage huge areas. When plants die, insects and herbivores die. When insects die, even heat-resistant plant’s don’t get pollinated and die. Birds die without insects to eat. Carnivores die without herbivores to eat, all triggered by what seems so innocuous — heat. Similarly, in the oceans, when they get just a few degrees too warm, corals expel their symbiotic algae and die soon thereafter. When coral reefs die, the fish that live on them die, triggering extinction chains.
What are we waiting for?

Naim Naqvi

Naim Naqvi

Did his graduation in Science discipline from AMU in 1972-73. He was Secretary of University Ali Society in 1970 and M.M. Hall Literary Society in early 70 's and member of Tayyabji Literary Society. Did his Diploma in Bakery Administration from HTT College Oxford Street London in 1987. Worked with National Herald - Delhi, Blitz - Bombay as Trainee Journalist and in Production Department with 'Naya Sansar Pictures' of Khwaja Ahmed Abbas at Bombay in early 70's. Traveled for study and training purposes to Germany, U.K., Switzerland, France, Dubai, Oman, AbuDhabi, Bahrain and Philepines.

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Jan
10
2010

The Sacred Heart School

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A very fundamental question: Why do we need teachers or colleges? Because deep within us, is a in-built desire to better ourselves. So we look up to what we feel is better. What emanates from the teacher are teachings for us to follow. The teachings might be simple, it might not be unique but when we venerate a teacher, everything that he / she teaches becomes special. The teachers help us grow mentally, spiritually or emotionally. They are the catalysts of change within us. What this school has done is the negation of those sacred values and thoughts. Their deliberate act of expulsion of hapless Ruchika to appease a vagabond officer is a stigma for all the sacred hearts and as you have rightly said: they broke the deepest contract between school and student.

Naim Naqvi

Naim Naqvi

Did his graduation in Science discipline from AMU in 1972-73. He was Secretary of University Ali Society in 1970 and M.M. Hall Literary Society in early 70 's and member of Tayyabji Literary Society. Did his Diploma in Bakery Administration from HTT College Oxford Street London in 1987. Worked with National Herald - Delhi, Blitz - Bombay as Trainee Journalist and in Production Department with 'Naya Sansar Pictures' of Khwaja Ahmed Abbas at Bombay in early 70's. Traveled for study and training purposes to Germany, U.K., Switzerland, France, Dubai, Oman, AbuDhabi, Bahrain and Philepines.

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Jan
10
2010

Amitabh Bachchan: From Allahabad to Ahmedabad

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Amitabh Bachchan

Amitabh Bachchan

Amitabh Bachchan might be one of the greatest cine idol of this country but he is an opportunist par excellence; and there can’t be two views on this. His recent showers of praise at the Gujrat state and its history-sheeted chief minister is an absolute proof of my statement. Today I felt sorry for my prayers when he had met an accident while shooting for the film “Coolie”.

I couldn’t believe my eyes and ears when Big B told mediapersons, “There are lots of good things in Gujarat which should be promoted. I am ready to give my voice and face for the promotion of Gujarat tourism.” On the day Samajwadi Party’s national general secretary Amar Singh resigned from all party posts, Bachchan, who is his friend and Uttar Pradesh’s former brand ambassador, said he was not aware of Singh’s resignation. Earlier, Bachchan gifted Modi a copy of ‘Madhushala’ (A tavern), a collection of quatrains by his late father Harivansh Rai Bachchan. Modi thanked Bachchan for his offer to promote Gujarat tourism and said Hindi films were a major influence on Indian society. Calling Bachchan the “Mahanayak” of this phenomenon, Modi said, “I myself am influenced by Bachchan, after all I am a common man”. Big B, clad in black Jodhpuris, was very diplomatic when media asked him, “Do you think Modi is Big B of politics?” He said, “I can’t compare myself with Modi. Inke baare main kya bolu. (what can I say about this man )” which left Modi blushing. “He is doing a good job as a chief minister in Gujarat. His efforts are commendable,” he said.

His cowardice turnaround and betrayal to Hindi Bhashis in Mumbai and the nation when caught in the claws of MNS is still fresh in public memory.
Do I need to remind what Atal Bihari Vajpaye had advised to Modi when he had visited Gujrat? Did he hear about the book ‘The Clash Within” written by Prof Martha C. Nussbaum. She teaches philosophy and law at the University of Chicago. Her most recent book is Hiding from Humanity: Disgust, Shame, and the Law. What did she write about Modi and his governement would put to shame to our whole civilized society.

That he is a thankless man is obvious from the fact that he had rarely ever mentioned his greatest benefactor Khwaja Ahemd Abbas who gave him the first break in ‘Saat Hindustani’. What did he do for Comedian Mehmood when he was down at his luck in his last days? Mehmood was the one who gave him a commercial break in ‘Bombay to Goa’.
He encashed the public support for the political benefit of Amar Singh and Mulayam Singh. Their reign was one of the most undemocratic, parochial, casteist, corrupt in the state history. They pushed his wife up and she became the Member of Parliament. His whole family got the highest cultural award from the UP government. Many even today laugh at the award to his son.

Amitabh did great injustice to his state by promoting a product (SP the political party) . It was a disservice to his motherland by befooling gullible public. The product of Amitabh was based on failure of law and order, belief in creating social friction, promotion of crude casteism.
Some may say that the closeness of Amitabh with Samajwadi Party which was politically powerful at that time in U.P. as compared to Congress was an attempt to give a befitting reply to Sonia Gandhi. Sonia on the other hand has been able to maintain her dignity in the whole controversy.

Today he is offering to support and sell Modi who had never ever shed one tear or expressed his sympathy for the hapless victims of Gujrat riots who were also innocent Indians. Whom Amitabh thinks he would fool ?

Naim Naqvi

Naim Naqvi

Did his graduation in Science discipline from AMU in 1972-73. He was Secretary of University Ali Society in 1970 and M.M. Hall Literary Society in early 70 's and member of Tayyabji Literary Society. Did his Diploma in Bakery Administration from HTT College Oxford Street London in 1987. Worked with National Herald - Delhi, Blitz - Bombay as Trainee Journalist and in Production Department with 'Naya Sansar Pictures' of Khwaja Ahmed Abbas at Bombay in early 70's. Traveled for study and training purposes to Germany, U.K., Switzerland, France, Dubai, Oman, AbuDhabi, Bahrain and Philepines.

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Jan
10
2010

The wintry death at Pusa Road, New Delhi

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I’m sorry I am a little too late in realizing that a new year has already dawned! Like always, my priorities had been wrong. In the hallucinations and deliriums of real life, I began to celebrate the 26th of January before 1st at Pusa Road, New Delhi. Did you ever come across the word ‘Raynbasera’? No? It’s not a word from outer-space or from any melody of Indian film. It’s a symblolic great gesture of humanity, a solid three-dimensional proof that as a society we are not insensitive and irresponsible to the plight of our unlucky fellow citizens.

It is a night shelter that the Government of Delhi offers to those who have nowhere to go during icy winds when you and me sleep in the cozy warmth of heated houses. It doesn’t matter that despite these facilities not a wintry night passes when a few dreamers and their dreams consign to their logical end, while some lucky cadavers find their photographs in the local newspapers under the heading of “unclaimed bodies.” We have just celebrated one of the most loud and boisterous New Year with “Jai Ho.”

Logic tells us that we have every right to celebrate when we have earned to squander by dint of our labour. I’m a God fearing man and my brain is conditioned by my parents to believe that all misfortunes and troubles are ordained and pre-destined for some mysterious purpose of an all-wise Providence.

I don’t think that city fathers would also be averse to my trumpeted thoughts of piety. Naturally, the myrmidons of law have more faith in the auto-corrections of nature. So they felt it fit to pull down the night shelter at Pusa Road for the future beautification of the capital few days before New Year. These officers of MCD had firm faith in God, Bhagwan, Allah, Ram, Wahe Guru and Jesus and knew that Mighty Power would arrange automatically some new cozy refuge for the 250 living beings, who were rendered homeless from that Raynbasera.
When the stars were shining in the sky, a balloon-seller Bhima failed in his struggle to live. He was one of the uprooted displaced occupants of Raynbasera and could not brave the intense cold. Crying inconsolably, his mother Saru, and grandmother Girija pointed to a thin blanket that Bhima has wrapped himself up to beat the cold. Bhima had his food and went off to sleep. However, just as an hour or two later when Girija tried to wake him up, she found he was dead.

“He had returned a happy man on the night of December 31 earning over Rs 300 by selling balloons but he didn’t wake up to see the dawn of a New Year,” said Saru. Her unsold balloons had burst by Friday afternoon and hopelessly clung to the branches of a tree. His uncle, Hanumanta, told the reporter: “Woh itna khush tha ke sath wale hotel se aa rahi gane ki awaz par nach raha tha. (He was so happy that he was dancing to the tunes of a song being played in a nearby hotel.) He wanted to give some money to his mother and grandmother.”

On Friday morning, they cremated Bhima’s body. Now please don’t ask or tell these innocent MCD officers or city fathers about this incident because it might spoil their breakfast as it had done for me or you. They might suggest, “Please ask God why did He allow the Raynbasera at Pusa Road to be demolished without any alternate arrangement?” As for Bhima and his family, it was their lot! Jai Ho!

Naim Naqvi

Naim Naqvi

Did his graduation in Science discipline from AMU in 1972-73. He was Secretary of University Ali Society in 1970 and M.M. Hall Literary Society in early 70 's and member of Tayyabji Literary Society. Did his Diploma in Bakery Administration from HTT College Oxford Street London in 1987. Worked with National Herald - Delhi, Blitz - Bombay as Trainee Journalist and in Production Department with 'Naya Sansar Pictures' of Khwaja Ahmed Abbas at Bombay in early 70's. Traveled for study and training purposes to Germany, U.K., Switzerland, France, Dubai, Oman, AbuDhabi, Bahrain and Philepines.

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Jan
09
2010

Policeman dies crying for help as politicians look on

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The common perception of politicians is that they are heartless and without a conscience. They take no trouble to break out of the stereotype. A new, unprecedented show of inhumanity unfolded on a road in Tami Nadu.

FORTY FOUR year old policeman R Vetrivel was attacked with home made bombs and his legs were brutally hacked by gangsters in Tamil Nadu. He was then left bleeding to death and crying for help on the road. The convoy of two state ministers M. R. K. Panneerselvam and Thiru T. P. M. Mohideen Khan holding the health and sports portfolios respectively came and passed by the site. What passed in the next few minutes poses serious questions up on our civilization and the judgment of the common man.

A few people from the convoy came out of their cars but none reached out to comfort the brutalized man. It took eight minutes for bureaucrat M Jayaraman, who was in the convoy to get out of his car and call for an ambulance. They waited another twenty minutes for the ambulance to arrive. It didn’t Finally the dying sub inspector was put in one of the cars. He died enroute the hospital. All this while the ministers did not get out of their cars at all. Now the health minister is on the defensive, saying they did all they could.

Senior bureaucrat, VK Sunburaj, who was also in the convoy, says there’s nothing wrong with what transpired. “We did our best possible in that situation. It takes twenty minutes for ambulance to come…Police did a good job,”
Hello India! Did you hear? All is fine.

There wil be a lot of explanations and clarifications to the family of the deceased cop, who are face the darkest that life has to offer right now.

They probably have watched the same footage the whole nation did, of how their father, son, brother, bled to death while so many big shots looked on and failed to help. His cries for help will haunt every viewer who has even a remotely sympathetic heart.

Yes, it is actually true that human beings are cruel to other human beings because they are biologically programmed to do so. Fortunately, we are not entirely dependent upon these instincts for our motivation. We also have minds that are able to recognize alternative response options that are superior to our instinctive urges which can produce more desirable outcomes. When we have instincts that encourage us to kill those who infuriate us we choose not to heed them. We are civilized ultimately because our minds are able to recognize that we would be better off if we did not follow our basic instincts. But what about those who refuse to help in this situation? What broke in them? Politics, power and wealth have killed in them all the last traces of humanity. Are we living in a society of cannibals? After all politicians in power are our society’s representatives. So finally are these the kind of people we want to be our leaders?

The legs of a policeman, R Vetrivel age 44, in Tamil Nadu were chopped off today by the gangsters and he lied on the road begging for help. A chopper the instrument of bestiality, drenched with his blood, is also thrown near him as warning of the consequences. A government convoy passes by this part of Tirunelvelli. It includes twoTamil Nadu’s big guns namely M. R. K. Panneerselvam and Thiru T. P. M. Mohideen Khan holding the health and sports portfolios respectively.

The passing government convoy casually stops. The blood from the body of butchered cop drains off. Neither of the ministers step out of their cars. With them are bureaucrats – a Collector and a Health Secretary.

No it not the script of any Tamil or Hindi Film.

Next scene:

The Collector, M Jayaraman, finally gets out of his car after dithering for eight minutes. Nobody offers to take the wounded inspector to hospital. Ministers are wondering at this gory drama from inside the car. None of them wants to get their cars soiled with the blood of the amputated cop. Finally, the Collector phones for an ambulance. It doesn’t arrive.

Twenty minutes later, the cop is placed in one of the cars.
Now the reality show enters the final phase:
The ambulance drives away, the Health Minister finally gets out of his car.
(the ministers still don’t offer theirs).

Climax:
“The policeman dies en route the hospital.”

And now the crocodile tears:

There would be lot of explanations and clarifications and the family of the cop would face the darkest of what life has to offerfrom now.

He cried on the road and any one who hears that cry on T.V. would remember till the end of his life. Yes, it is actually true that human beings are cruel to other human beings because they are biologically programmed to do so. Fortunately, we are not entirely dependent upon these instincts for our motivation. We also have Minds that are able to recognize alternative response options that are superior to our instinctive urges which can produce more desirable outcomes. When we have instincts that encourage us to kill those who have infuriated us we choose not to yield to our instinctive urges. It is ultimately because our Minds are able to recognize that we would be better off if we did not follow the ‘recommendations’ of the urge that’s pulling on us. The killers suppress those instincts for ever to win what they had already lost.

What about those who refuse to help ?

What broke in them ? Politics, power and wealth have killed in them all instincts of humanity that Providence had endowed to them. Are we living in a society of cannibals. How deeper could we fall ? As one politician once said – “Politics often is a game played with bitches or whores.” I believe it was worst than that.

Naim Naqvi

Naim Naqvi

Did his graduation in Science discipline from AMU in 1972-73. He was Secretary of University Ali Society in 1970 and M.M. Hall Literary Society in early 70 's and member of Tayyabji Literary Society. Did his Diploma in Bakery Administration from HTT College Oxford Street London in 1987. Worked with National Herald - Delhi, Blitz - Bombay as Trainee Journalist and in Production Department with 'Naya Sansar Pictures' of Khwaja Ahmed Abbas at Bombay in early 70's. Traveled for study and training purposes to Germany, U.K., Switzerland, France, Dubai, Oman, AbuDhabi, Bahrain and Philepines.

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Jan
02
2010

A balloon seller’s story

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When the stars were shining in the sky, a balloon-seller Bhima failed in his struggle to live. He was one of the uprooted and displaced occupants of Raynbasera and could not brave the intense cold.

I AM sorry I am a little late in realising that a new year has already arrived! Like always my priorities were wrong. In the hallucinations and deliriums I began to celebrate the 26th of January before 1st January at Pusa Road, New Delhi.

Did you ever come across the word ‘Raenbasera’? No? It’s not a word from outer-space or from any melody of Indian film. It’s a great gesture of humanity, a solid three dimensional proof that as a society we are not insensitive and irresponsible to the plight of our unlucky fellow creatures. It is a night shelter that the government of Delhi offers to those who have nowhere to go during icy winds when you and me sleep in the cozy warmth of heated houses. It doesn’t matter that despite these facilities not a wintry night passes when a few dreamers and their dreams consign to their logical end while some lucky cadavers find their photographs in the local newspapers under the heading of “unclaimed bodies.”

We have just celebrated one of the most loud and boisterous New Year with “Jai Ho.” Logic tells us that we have every right to celebrate when we have earned to squander by dint of our labour.

I’m a God fearing man and my brain is conditioned by my parents to believe that all misfortunes and troubles are ordained and pre-destined for some mysterious purpose of an all-wise Providence. I don’t think that city fathers would also be averse to my trumpeted thoughts of piety. Naturally, the myrmidons of law have more faith in the auto-corrections of nature. So they felt it fit to pull down the night shelter at Pusa Road for the future beautification of the capital few days before New Year. These officers of MCD had firm faith in God, Bhagwan, Allah, Ram, Wahe Guru and Jesus and knew that Mighty Power would arrange automatically some new cozy refuge for the 250 living beings, who were rendered homeless from that Raynbasera.

When the stars were shining in the sky, a balloon-seller Bhima failed in his struggle to live. He was one of the uprooted displaced occupants of Raynbasera and could not brave the intense cold.

Crying inconsolably, his mother Saru, and grandmother Girija pointed to a thin blanket that Bhima has wrapped himself up to beat the cold. Bhima had his food and went off to sleep.

However, just as an hour or two later when Girija tried to wake him up, she found he was dead. “He had returned a happy man on the night of December 31 earning over Rs 300 by selling balloons but he didn’t wake up to see the dawn of a New Year,” said Saru. Her unsold balloons had burst by Friday afternoon and hopelessly clung to the branches of a tree. His uncle, Hanumanta, told the reporter: “Who itna khush tha ke sath wale hotel se aa rahi gane ki awaz par nach raha tha. (He was so happy that he was dancing to the tunes of a song being played in a nearby hotel.) He wanted to give some money to his mother and grandmother.” On Friday morning, they cremated Bhima’s body.

Now please don’t ask or tell these innocent MCD officers or city fathers about this incident because it might spoil their breakfast as it had done for me or you. Please ask God why did He allow the Raynbasera at Pusa Road to be demolished without any alternate arrangement? As for Bhima and his family, it was their lot! Jai Ho!

Naim Naqvi

Naim Naqvi

Did his graduation in Science discipline from AMU in 1972-73. He was Secretary of University Ali Society in 1970 and M.M. Hall Literary Society in early 70 's and member of Tayyabji Literary Society. Did his Diploma in Bakery Administration from HTT College Oxford Street London in 1987. Worked with National Herald - Delhi, Blitz - Bombay as Trainee Journalist and in Production Department with 'Naya Sansar Pictures' of Khwaja Ahmed Abbas at Bombay in early 70's. Traveled for study and training purposes to Germany, U.K., Switzerland, France, Dubai, Oman, AbuDhabi, Bahrain and Philepines.

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Jan
01
2010

2009: A year that was too long

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We the Indians love fiction and poverty provides the best stories. It is entirely a different matter if we talk about those hapless beings who are below the poverty line. We can talk and think about them before the next general elections.

A FEW years back, near the underground toilet of Hyde Park, a white beggar with a guitar was singing:

“The rich is rich and poor is poor and the twin shall never meet. So what? I am a bathroom singer.” Before visiting that part of globe I had always dreamed of West as El Dorado. My illusions disappeared in the mist when I saw the helpless homeless poor East Enders covering themselves with discarded ply-boards on the sidewalks in the morning to protect from the treacherous snow and chill at Piccadilly Circus. I wonder how ignorant are those who consider that only we Indians are poor while our government and governing party is doing everything possible under the sun to ameliorate the suffering and improve the lot of those who are out at elbows and down at heels. Why can’t these poor go to London and see for themselves the sufferings of West?

Any way, the year 2009 seemed to stretch endlessly as blood-pressures of house-wives were going sky high after every visit to empty kitchens. Every rack is empty like the pocket of a beggar. The year that is gone presented an absolute proof of Murphy’s Law that if any thing has to fail it would fail at worst of the moment. I realised it today when my ‘better half’ refused to part with even ten rupee note to bring a New Year gift or anything for my kids that could still be fetched in ten rupees. But, as a second thought – why to worry about these sad stories that the lowest-middle-classes like myself keep churning out to spoil the show? Of course, being one of them I know them well.

These throngs are the habitual victim of mental sickness named impecuniousness. They are not willing to believe that our lady of sacrifices- Sonia Ji and the embodiment of honesty and gentility-Manmohan Singh and their team is leaving no stone unturned to bring the prices of commodities down to affordable level so that these lowest-middle classes could put at least dry bread on the table when their kids go to school. We the Indians love fiction and poverty provides the best stories. It is entirely a different matter if we talk about those hapless beings who are below the poverty line. We can talk and think about them before the next general elections. Why to worry about them so early? Now to bring colour at your faces and catch some regale of the new year, I am submitting a stale table to demonstrate how all this talk of poverty is sheer non-sense.

India is the 12th richest country in the world. Lakshmi Mittal is worth 25 billion USD; Mukesh Ambani14; Azim Premji 12.7; Sunil Mittal 12.5; Hinduja 12.4; Ruias 12; Ramesh Chandra 11.6; Birla 11; and the poor amongst the richest ten are Tulsi Tanti 10 and Anil Ambani 10 billion USD.

Right now I am in the company of rich and I don’t feel like talking about those poor whose worth is below 10 billion USD.

Someone was telling yesterday that a Big Boss cornered with 125 crore rupees for scripting a show which most of the people believe was fake. Few beautiful damsels are going to charge few crores for few thumkas on the eve of New Year. I have never been to a five star hotel and I don’t know what they do over there.

Naim Naqvi

Naim Naqvi

Did his graduation in Science discipline from AMU in 1972-73. He was Secretary of University Ali Society in 1970 and M.M. Hall Literary Society in early 70 's and member of Tayyabji Literary Society. Did his Diploma in Bakery Administration from HTT College Oxford Street London in 1987. Worked with National Herald - Delhi, Blitz - Bombay as Trainee Journalist and in Production Department with 'Naya Sansar Pictures' of Khwaja Ahmed Abbas at Bombay in early 70's. Traveled for study and training purposes to Germany, U.K., Switzerland, France, Dubai, Oman, AbuDhabi, Bahrain and Philepines.

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