Desicritics Author: Rajen Nair

The Bandra Skywalk - Skywalking to Stay Fit and Healthy

Rajen Nair — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 02:24:19 EDT

When I first heard the news of the completion of the Bandra skywalk project linking Bandra station to Bandra –kurla complex (BKC), I had a longing to walk on it. The opportunity came up this week, a month after it was open to the pedestrians.

The Bandra Skywalk is the first project to have been completed among the many such skywalk projects coming up all over Mumbai. It was built by the MMRDA (Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority) at an estimated cost of Rs 13.63 crore. The Bandra Skywalk is built 6 metres above ground level and is 4 metres wide. It is a 1.3 Km long stretch running parallel to the Slums near Bandra station, the Indian oil office and above the Western Express highway.

The entry and exit point is the Bandra station and BKC.

The idea of building skywalks is for quick thinning out of commuters from congested places like Railway stations, Bus stops, Taxi stands and shopping areas and off the roads which would help decongest the crowded areas.

In the past, people had to depend on the State-owned BEST buses for going from Bandra station to BKC. The long serpentine line at the bus stand for boarding the bus was a sheer waste of time. The Rickshaws had absolute monopoly on this route, taking one for a ride, choosing longer routes and fleecing the passengers. Now that the skywalk is in place, the commuters would be largely benefited.

The good news is that MMRDA is undertaking 50 such Skywalk projects in and round Mumbai at an estimated cost of Rs 600 crore.

I am a tireless walker who covers a minimum of 2 to 3 Km daily stretch on the Mumbai footpath. I avoid boarding the BEST bus by skipping 3 to 5 bus stops. Whenever I visit my bank at Dadar, I walk up to Matunga which is about 2.5 km. Being at Matunga, not having hot filter coffee at the Udipi Hotel is akin to a religious person missing a visit to the local temple. When I visit the town, I cover the whole stretch from VT to Colaba by foot, I know it is daunting task and at the end of the day it drains you of whatever energy is left but the sheer exhilarating experience of walking is too tempting for me.

As a photographer, walking on the streets gives me more photo-opportunities. The positive side of walking is that it helps keeps me fit and healthy and avoid falling sick thus I save on medical bills which is a costly affair in city of Mumbai.

I avoid taking my vehicle except for going long distances with my family. When I look at people, especially the car owners and motorists using vehicles even if they have to walk to the next door grocery shop, I think they are doing a disservice to their health. Sadly we have not cultivated the habit of walking to the next-gen. I see many of the college-going guys reluctant to walk. There is no substitute to walking as one of the best antidote to stay fit and healthy.

The Skywalk has many advantage in terms of saving time and money. At the same time, in today’s bustling life of Mumbai it would give an opportunity to many who has no time to exercise and can sky walk. With many more such skywalks being built in Mumbai, I hope urban people would imbibe the culture of walking, like in the villages. The next time you skywalk think of the therapeutic services it does to your health in making you stay fit and healthy.

Happy Walking!

Amit Singh, 7/11 Bomb Blasts Victim

Rajen Nair — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 14:34:39 EDT

Elevenths July, 2008, marked the second anniversary of the serial bomb blast triggered by the terrorist on the Mumbai’s Suburban Western Railway Trains two years back. 186 innocent lives perished and more than 500 people were injured. Amit Singh who was travelling in one of the ill-fated train on that day became a victim of the blast and is languishing in a hospital in Mumbai in a semi-comatose from past two years.

Amit a final year student of the commerce stream was on a visit to his uncle’s place in Mira road. He boarded the Virar train from Andheri after he collected admission form for doing post graduation from one of the institution in Vile Parle.

At about 6.30 Amit lying on the footbridge of Mira road station completely soaked with blood called up his dad from a stranger’s cell phone and said that he was hit by some impact and that he is injured on his head and bleeding profusely. He added that in this condition he won’t be able to visit his uncle’s home. His dad told him that he would be reaching him at once.

The train’s bogey in which Amit was travelling was ripped by the bomb blasts set off by the terrorists. By the time his dad reached the incident site in Mira Road Station there was no sign of Amit anywhere. On enquiry, he was told that most of the dead and injured were taken to the nearby hospital. Meanwhile, the news of serial bomb blasts and the images of injured lying blood soaked on the railway platform were beamed live in Televisions. Mumbai was in utter chaos with cell phones and landlines jammed and the roads caught up in long traffic snarls. There were scene of panic and confusion among the people as they were unable to call up their dear ones finding out about their safety.

After combing each and every hospital on Mira road at the crack of dawn, Amit's father could finally locate his son lying unconscious in a hospital bed. A stranger sitting next to Amit was claiming that Amit was his brother. Amit’s wallet was found in his trouser and the identity card in it helped the father claim his son.
Later Amit was admitted to the well-known Jaslok hospital in the city. Amit suffered a deep wound on the side of his head from the bomb blast impact. His brain developed swelling and pus oozed out from the stitches on his head. As a result, he had to undergo number of surgeries. The doctors have not been able to bring back Amit from his comatose condition.

For the past two years he remains in a same vegetative state, with little sign of recovery. In fact the doctors have given up any hope on Amit’s recovery. His parents are perplexed that if just after the injury Amit could talk to them on phone then how could he come to such a grave state of lying unconscious from past two years. They try to call him, cajole and shake him up but Amit remains unresponsive and motionless.

The railway has borne all the expense so far running to 40 lacs. Amit needs personal care and nursing around the clock. From the past two years Amit father, mother and his elder brother take turns remaining near their beloved Amit. They stay at a far off distant place in Virar and daily have to undertake one and half hours of grueling train journey facing the commuters shove and push during peak hours to reach the hospital. So far they have received a petty amount of Rs 50,000 as compensation from the government. Amit’s parent hail from middle class family and has little resource to bear his expense of his medicines and then hiring a nurse if he is shifted home.

In the face of this grave tragedy that has befallen Amit parents they are putting up a brave face hoping against hope, keeping faith in God that one day Amit would wake up from his sleep and call out to them.

Book Review: The Art of Black and White Photography

Rajen Nair — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 13:15:13 EDT

Torsten Andress Hoffman‘s book The Art of Black and White Photography is a well-documented book covering the whole gamut of black and white photography. The book is a sort of tutorial described in simple terms with a lot of pictorial details thrown in.

The author shares his vast experience in the field of photography — a treasure trove of information and revelation to any photographer doing black and white photography. Though the book is primarily meant for those photographers specializing in B & W, there are many useful tips for photographers in general. What is unique about the book is that besides touching on professional levels of photography there are many useful tips for the amateurs.

Apart from dwelling on B & W photography, the author also focuses on image composition and capture, and on the digital workflow. He clears the misconception that analog cameras are better suited to shoot B & W by disclosing that recent cameras in the market based on high-end technology offering 12 to 22 megapixels are good enough for excellent B & W photography. Though the latest cameras have features to shoot in B & W, the author recommends shooting images in color and then converting them to B & W in digital workflow by using the grayscale mode or the channel mix in Adobe Photoshop.

He explains the importance of shooting in RAW mode for bring out the grey tones in B & W images and the advantage of allowing you to saving as TIFF files instead of JPEG. In analog photography, a photographer has to use color filters to get dramatic B & W images. Now with digital SLR cameras backed by advanced software such as Adobe Photoshop CS3, one can manipulate the images to get equally good results. The author also touches on other topics such as how to overcome clichéd photos, capture moods, create unusual perspectives, pictorial tension between elements, the play of forms, B & W from color and new features of Photoshop CS3.

The book is also useful in the sense that it caters to different applications of photography such as architecture, street photography, portraiture, surreal photography with stunning B & W photography. The book illustrates the elements of photographic language differentiating creative photography from random shooting. In the last part the author highlights the role of post-processing techniques using Photoshop CS2 and CS3.

In the final analysis, it must be said the book is able to deliver what it set out to achieve, so I would recommend this book to any serious photographer as a must read book.

Photo Essay: Thrissur Pooram

Rajen Nair — Fri, 2 May 2008 10:48:16 EDT

Thrissur Pooram is one of the biggest and most spectacular festivals in God's own country Kerala. For the people of Thrissur, Pooram is the most important event and holds a place of pride in their hearts.

So much has been spoken and written on Pooram that those who had witness to this colorful event say it is an experience of a life time; hence, my visit to Kerala during the time when the Pooram was to be held on April 16 provided me a godsend opportunity to realize my dream of witnessing Thrissur Pooram.

Pooram means meeting; hence, it is believed to be the coming together of gods and goddesses to celebrate the occasion. The festival falls during the Malayalam month of Medam (April-May) each year. There are many myths and legends behind the origination of Thrissur Pooram. It was introduced by the Sakthan Thampuran, the Maharaja of Kochi state (part of Kerala) during 1775-1790.

The highlight of the festival is the procession of caparisoned elephants with men standing on the animal's backs displaying colorful parasols. Accompanying the procession are several groups of drum (chandas) beaters and the blowing of long-winded trumpets played by the Pandi melam.

The procession is led by two rivals groups, one from the Thiruvambadi belonging to Lord Krishna temple and the Paremekkavu of the Devi group. They compete with each other in leading a procession of a maximum of the best 15 caparisoned elephants accompanied by artistic displaying of colorful parasols.

The selection of elephants and parasols is kept a secret to excel over the rival group. After the wonderful display of caparisoned elephants and parasols throughout the day, the climax of the event ends in both the Thiruvambadi and Paremekkavu group facing each other at the Thekkinkadu grounds for the final display of colorful parasols. Each group vies with each other in showing off their best parasols. Separating the two groups is an ocean of people braving the heat and the deafening noise to witness the event.

Amid the background of beating of drums the event begins with the Thiruvambadi group displaying their parasols by artists seated atop the elephants and later to be followed by their rivals the Paremekkavu group displaying their sets of parasols. Whenever the changeover of the parasols takes place by each group one after another, there is a deafening roar from the crowd.

I was fortunate to have with me a local friend, Balachandran, with whose help I was able to have closer access to all the events and gain a vantage point to shoot images. Without him I think I would have been crushed between the jostling of the most animated crowds.

Besides witnessing colorful parasols, the other important event is the drummer group belonging to the Pandi melam. Thousands of animated crowds converge around the drummers, enthusiastically waving their hands in the air in appreciation of the beat.

Later in the night until the wee hours of morning there is a wonderful display of fireworks. At the end of the event, one is left spell bound with the spectacle of such a magnitude. Witnessing Thrissur Pooram for me will go down in memory as one of the greatest events I have seen.

To view more images visit www.rajennair.com

Mumbai - Inclusive Or Exclusive?

Rajen Nair — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 12:58:07 EDT

Mumbai is a melting pot for people who come from all corners of India in search of greener pastures. But lately the city has been rocked by violent attacks on migrant workers, seemingly incited by the zero-tolerance stance of a fringe political party. These local politicians bemoan the influx of newcomers in Mumbai, claiming that there is not the infrastructure to support them. It is an emotive issue the politicians want to exploit with an eye to the vote bank.

Last month the migrants belonging to North Indian states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar were targeted by a political party. Television cameras rolled in with live scenes of poor migrants being beaten up in the streets of Mumbai by political goons. The political party's leader achieved his objective of gaining 15 minutes of fame, increasing his support base among the local Marathi population and boosting the sagging morale of party workers.

I am a product of migrant parents who came to Mumbai from the southern state of Kerala in search of greener pastures. I can lay claim to this city as being born and bred here. As a teen staying in an area inhabited by the locals I was witness to large-scale violence directed toward south Indians migrants.

The perpetrators of the violence then belonged to a regional political party. As part of their political agenda to garner support among the local population, it had espoused the cause of a "son of the soil" policy; now, after gap of many years, the same issue is rearing its ugly head again, raised this time by a breakaway political party.

Fortunately, our forefathers, bearing in mind the multi-ethnic and multi-religious makeup of India, had the vision to frame the constitution in a way that allowed any Indian to move and work freely in any part of the country.

During the sixties and seventies, the first post-Independence migrants flocked to the city of Mumbai. It was largely southern Indians backed by proper education that came down to Mumbai to seeking white-collar jobs as clerks and typists or other office work. Due to their sheer hard work and dedication, they came to be known as the rising middle class of the seventies and eighties.

This city has seen it all, from the idli/vada sambhar culture introduced by the Udipi of the south to the bhel puri and pani puri from the migrant bhaiyyas belonging to north India. The vada pav (Indian snacks) introduced by the locals is today eaten by one and all.

Migrants belonging to north India work as Dhobhies (washermen), newspaper vendors, milk suppliers and carpenters. Lately, the taxi and auto drivers are largely from north India. They are all here to make a living, largely made possible by the space given them by the locals, who were more or less reluctant to take up such menial work.

The original inhabitants of Mumbai are the Kolis, the fishing community. Post-independence, it was the Parsis, Bhatias, Pathare Prabhus, East Indians and Muslims who formed the bulk of the population. In fact, the local Marathi community is made up of migrants from Maharashtra who came to work in the textile mills.

One common thing among this multi-cultural community of Mumbai is that they have all contributed immensely to the city's growth -- not to mention the great contribution made by the big industrial houses of Ambanis and Tatas.

Mumbai's international fame was due to the contribution of the Bollywood industry and the stars of yesteryear, such as Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand, Meena Kumari and Madhubala, and those of today, such as Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan. The famous lyric, Yeh hai Mumbai meri jaan, is still etched in our memory.

In the context of migrant’s controversy I decided to visit Mumbai’s washer man’s colony known as Dhobi Ghat located near Mahalaxmi railway station. Dhobi Ghat is manned by the migrants belonging to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar of North India and also Andhra Pradesh of the south.

Dhobi Ghat is unique for the washing of garments is still being carried out in a primitive way of flogging and cleaning manually. It is 150 years old built by the British to take care of the washing of their viceroys during British rule. All the washing is carried out in a cubicle wash pen with a stone ( pathar) slab placed in the centre beside a water pool. There are in all 507 wash pen and some 10,000 workers are employed. Garments from export manufacture and laundry comes here for a wash. The place is huge tourist attraction and one of the VIP to visit this place was President Clinton.

Dhobi Ghat is the living proof of the hard work, dedication and perseverance of Mumbai’s north Indian migrant’s. More images on Dhobi Ghat visit- www.rajennair.com

A Blind Pomeranian

Rajen Nair — Sun, 2 Mar 2008 08:05:10 EST

One day our otherwise quiet neighborhood was rocked with a dog's whining and barking. Curiosity grew better of me and I ventured out to investigate. No sooner had I done so than our neighbor opened her door and I was greeted with the deafening sound of a dog barking. I looked around, following the barking, and found a cute Pomeranian dog curled up underneath a lounge.

The sudden thought of my getting a dog bite, and the painful needle treatment that would follow, gave me goose bumps. Taking precaution I moved safely behind my neighbor.

The Pomeranian actually belonged to her friend. Her friend was traveling and had left it in her care. Then she broke the tragic news that dog was blind. It sounded unbelievable. I had a close look at the dog's eyes and could see that the pupils were covered with a white layer. I felt repulsed with anger and sadness at nature's cruelty.

It brought back memories of my father who in later life lost his eyesight from glaucoma and lead the life of a blind man. I could imagine what the dog could be going through having seen closely my father's suffering. We always associate blindness with human beings. That an animal such as this cute Pomeranian dog could be a victim of blindness never crossed my mind.

I dug out the story of this dog and wanted to share her tragic tale with the world.

This cute blind dog's name is Roshi. She is perhaps at her last stage of life having completed 13 years. Roshi's parents, Vicki and Venus, long dead, had belonged to the circus. They were adopted by our neighbor when they were small. Roshi's grandparents were great circus performers and would entertain and regale the audience with their acrobatic jumping through a ring.

I had the opportunity to play with Roshi's parents. Both Vicki and Venus were great entertainers, exhibiting the same skills as their ancestors. I am told Roshi in her heyday was equally acrobatic. It runs in the family. Roshi has her mother Venus' handsome looks of fine curly silky hair and cute muzzle.

Three years back Roshi was diagnosed as suffering from cataracts. The veterinary doctor who treated her suspect that Roshi had diabetes. Subsequently she completely lost her eyesight. Due to old age she also has a slight limp when she moves around.

The once playful and cheerful Roshi has become subdued and quite. She whiles away her time seated in a corner with a melancholy appearance. The only time she springs into action is when she senses the presence of strangers. Her ears prick up and she breaks into barking. Despite her handicap Roshi gives her owners little trouble. She eats her food in a timely fashion without any fuss. Her food is simple, consisting of cooked rice, which has to be served with fish. She still follows the toilet training she is accustomed to, going to the toilet whenever the need arises with little help from others.

Roshi was parted from her sister and brother when they were adopted by other dog lovers. Nobody knows their whereabouts. Perhaps Roshi is the last of her lineage belonging to her illustrious ancestors of the circus world.

The Plight of Dharavi Potters

Rajen Nair — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 03:21:09 EST

In the heart of the metropolitan city of Mumbai lies Dharavi, one of Asia's largest slums. Spread over 535 acres the area is unique for housing about 4,500 industrial units. Some famous industries are located here, including tanneries, leather workers, potteries, garment makers and even chemical plants.

In June 2007, the government floated global tenders for the 90-billion-rupee Slum-free Dharavi Redevelopment Project (DRP). It has since run into rough weather.

The project envisages undertaking about 70 million square feet of construction. Some 30 million square feet of that will be for residential space and amenities, whereas the remaining 40 million square feet will be put up for sale.

About 4,500 industrial units will be rehabilitated in the designated commercial area. Polluting units, such as the leather industry, will be shifted elsewhere, and only non-polluting and non-hazardous units would be allowed to stay. Around 57,000 new houses with an area of 225 square feet will be built for the residents of Dharavi.

The people of Dharavi are opposed to the rehabilitation project. They have formed Dharavi Bachao Samiti (Save Dharavi) to voice their grievance to the government.

Locals feel that their livelihoods are threatened by the rehabilitation plan. The housing area allotted to them under the DRP -- 225 square feet -- is smaller than their existing houses, which are 500 to 1,000 square feet in area.

Recently, I visited the unique Prajapati Kumbhar, which is comprised of the community of potters located in the Kumbharwada area of Dharavi.

There are about 1,000 potters in Dharavi. They are migrants whose forefathers left their hometowns in Gujarat, in western India, during the 1930s, in search of better earnings and livelihoods in Mumbai city.

Pottery was once a thriving industry, but not anymore, according to Kanthilal (who asked that I not use his real name), a potter in his mid-thirties who lives with his wife, children, unmarried brothers and sisters, and aging parents in a dilapidated shanty about 600 square feet in area. Kanthilal says pottery is no longer a lucrative business as market demands for pots is fast diminishing. As this is the only trade Kanthilal has inherited from his father, he has no option but to carry on pottery despite the low return.

Basically, pots are made out of mud and clay and rolled and shaped by hand with the help of rotating wheels. Pottery making, which involves a certain deftness and craftsmanship, is considered an age-old traditional art in India.

In the past people stored drinking water in pots, which helped to cool it, but refrigerator water bottles have replaced pots. Tea is no longer served in pots on trains, having been replaced by disposable plastic cups. Even clay flowerpots are slowly being replaced by much lighter and unbreakable plastic ones.

The demand for pottery today is seasonal; for example, for festivals like Diwali, the festival of lights that takes place in October-November, when clay lamps are used to light houses.

Kanthilal said that most of the members of his community are opting out of pottery for other trades as it has become extremely difficult for them to survive on their meager earning of about $250 per month. Potters average around $2,500 a year in earnings. Kanthilal does not want his children to follow in his footsteps but to look for better opportunities after completing their educations.

Kanthilal is opposed to the controversial DRP. The smaller living area would be too small to accommodate his extended family and his pottery business.

The government seems determined to go ahead with the DRP. Thousands of potters like Kanthilal are bracing for a grim future. At stake are not only the age-old traditional of pottery making but the very existence of the kumbhar (potter) community.(For images visit my site- www.rajennair.com)

Movie Review: Om Shanti Om - A Time Pass Movie

Rajen Nair — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 05:03:01 EST

The hoop and hoopla that went with Farah Khan’s Om Shanti Om had no doubt raised expectations quite high. So on seeing the movie on the second week after its release, I came out of the theatre with rather mixed feelings.

In all his promotional interviews, SRK has rightly emphasised that the movie is an outright entertainment and in that context that movie has to be judged. Here is where the disappointment sets in. The movie falls short of its attempt to fully entertain us. But then whatever flaws or short coming the movie throws up are compensated with SRK’s superlative performance. In spite of the vain attempts at humour, SRK demonstrates that he is equally at ease playing comic roles compared to his romantic or Devdas screen persona.

His mimicking of South Indian actors like Rajnikant and Kamala Hassan had the audience in splits. And the comical portrayal of the role of yesteryear heroes like Rajesh Khanna, Manoj Kumar and others is hilarious. It has raised some controversy too. The once forgotten actor Manoj Kumar is back in the lime light by taking strong objection on his spoof played in the movie. I didn’t find anything objectionable about it.

The problem is that we are not good in humour so sometime our display of humour has negative overtones and becomes objectionable to some. We have to first learn to laugh at ourselves if this nation has to develop any sense of humour.

OSO’s plot is an inspired take of an old hit Karz, the usual Hindi movie theme on rebirth. There are also traces of old haunting Hindi classic Madhumati in the ending part.

The first half of the movie is more enjoyable to watch taking you down the memory lane, bringing the old magical touch of the movies made in the seventies which was then not corrupted with the formula type of movies made at later in eighties onwards.

The first half was more true to its entertainment value till the plot took the serious turn of re-birth and revenge in the second half. What saved the movie from a drab second half is some scintillating dance songs, the Deewange songs wherein half of Bollywood was roped in, and not to mention SRK’s six packs display.

OSO revolves around SRK and he successfully carries the movie on his shoulders till the very end. Deepika Padukone comes as a refreshing face and rightly reminds you the dream girl of the seventies Hema Malini. Deepika has all the ingredient of becoming a successful star, a striking face and svelte body, a good dancer and also can act (those emotional scenes were good).

Shreyas Talpade proves that he is an immensely talented actor by ably supporting SRK. Hopefully we will see more of him after this movie. Kiron Kher really drives you mad with her portrayal of delirious and hysterical mother of SRK. What a waste of talent here. Arjun Rampal is dull in the first half as a couch casting producer but makes a good comeback in the second half with some ghoulish expressions as villain. The camera work is excellent with some scintillating shots. The costumes and sets of seventies depicted in the movie are near to perfection.

I reserve the last word for Farah khan. As a director she lacks in imagination and directorial skill because at times one is confused with the shooting takes and the reality. I was not impressed with Farah khan’s first movie, yet I think she was a tad better off in it than OSO. For die hard fans of SRK it is an outright entertainment movie and for other do not expect much but see it as a time pass movie.

India's Stake in Pakistan's Return to Democracy

Rajen Nair — Tue, 6 Nov 2007 00:33:31 EST

Pakistan has a long history of past military regimes declaring martial law whenever their power was threatened. President Gen. Pervez Musharraf was just following tradition by imposing a state of emergency when the legality of his re-election was to be heard in the apex court, which could have gone against him.

In one stroke, he demolished the judiciary by sacking Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhary and replacing him with his own crony. Chaudhary had spearheaded the lawyer's agitation against Musharraf this year for the return of democracy in Pakistan.

In the process, Musharraf also gave himself a reason to postpone January's much awaited elections, which if held, would at least have given Pakistan some semblance of democracy, even if Musharraf were re-elected.

The people of Pakistan have seen it all before -- the repressive regimes of times past and the present military regime. Pakistan's checkered history is that of a failed democratic state. They must now be regretting their silent support of Musharraf when he led a coup against the Nawaz Sharif government in 1999.

Until a couple of years ago, most of the people and the press went agog over his charismatic and media savvy personality, and going so far as to declare Musharraf the best thing ever to happen to Pakistan. However, the main credit for Musharraf's hold long hold on power must be given to U.S. President Bush.

Following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Musharraf was seen as the United States' best bet for finding Osama Bin Laden and fighting the war terror. In the name of fighting terrorists, Musharraf has milked the USA of billions of dollars of uninterrupted aid -- aid that is likely to continue despite Musharraf's imposition of martial law.

For the people of India, Musharraf will always be seen as the architect of the Kargil War and as the leader of a proxy war against India through the unleashing of ISI-sponsored terrorism in India.

The recent spate of terror attacks in Pakistan shows, ironically, that Pakistan is becoming a victim of its own policy of encouraging cross-border terrorism in Kashmir and other parts of India. Pakistan has itself to blame for the mess it finds itself in today.

But the people of Pakistan must be feeling terribly let down by Musharraf, in who they once placed their faith. They must be feeling the same sense of betrayal Indians felt when Musharraf led the Kargil War against us. Although the general is using the fight against terrorism as just one more lame excuse for declaring his state of emergency, many inside and outside of Pakistan believe there is will be no let up in terrorist attacks in that country.

For the people of Pakistan it is going to be one long wait before the country returns to democracy. They will be looking at politicians like Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif to lead the fight against the general. They will also be looking to see how President Bush responds, but how far he can afford to go with U.S. elections not very far off is uncertain.

For India Musharraf's bid to retain power is an opportunity to earn the goodwill of the people of Pakistan by showing solidarity with them. The government of India must use all its resources to bring democracy back to Pakistan by refusing to deal with Musharraf.

India has a stake in Pakistan. If India is to fight cross-border terrorism successfully, then an elected democratic government is the need of the hour in Pakistan.

Nine Days of Festivals

Rajen Nair — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 09:18:21 EDT

In the city of Mumbai, during the last nine days of Navratri festival from 12th of this month, the nights reverberated with enchanting music and colorful dances. It is a festival that the city youth looks forward, as they spend the night out in the open ground where the dancing takes place. Both the males and females don the traditional Gujarati styled garb that comes in a spectrum of colorful flowing dresses covered with glittering mirror patches and holding in their hands two small sticks used in dancing.

As the music orchestra pelts out folk music, the Navratri revelers break into traditional Garba and Dandiya Raas dances. They swirls and move in circles while tapping the hand held dandiya (wood sticks) with their next in line partners. Where only the hands are used for tapping, it is called Garba.

Every night before the dancing begins, people collect in front of the portrait or clay statue of Goddess Durga and perform an aarti (worship) by chanting of religious hymns amid clinking of cymbals. In keeping with modern trends, most of the songs played are from latest hits taken from Hindi films. The dancing goes on till ten pm - the stipulated time fixed by the government and on weekends, permission is given to carry on the dancing till midnight.

The Navratri has grown in popularity with many private organizers stepping in to the foray of organizing the whole show and charges from each participants a hefty entry fee and tickets that are sold for Rs. 250-500. For the youth, these events are an excuse to freak the whole night out and for some, an opportunity to mingle with girls. The politicians also try to draw mileage by co-sponsoring the events.

This year, many private builders are said to have sponsored this event in middle class localities in order to win over the local populations. The builders are eying the old buildings these people reside in, so that they can later be taken for re-development by demolishing the old structures and building new ones. Commercial considerations are a visible factor that binds most religious festivals and in the process, the piousness and sanctity associated with these events is sadly missing.

The last five days of the events also coincides with the festival of Dussehra which was on the 20th of October. It is regarded as one of the most important festivals celebrated by Hindus in all parts of the nation. The deity of Goddess Durga is installed in a decorated Pandal (bamboo built structure). According to the Puranas, (the holy mythology) Goddess Durga defeated and killed the buffalo demon Mahishasura. Dussehra is also known as Vijaya Dasami as Lord Rama achieves victory over Ravana, the demon king of Lanka. Dussehra essentially symbolizes the victory of good over evil. Ram Lila depicting the famous epic story of Ramayana is performed in northern India. Also the effigy of Demon Ravana is set on fire.

The evening of Dussehra which marks the close of nine days of celebration also has a sort of anti-climatic as devotees bid adieu to Goddess Durga, which is taken in a procession amid music and dance and throwing of Gulal ( red powder) and finally the deity is immersed in the nearby rivers and seas.