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Thursday, March 12, 2015

Probably, This Is Life....


I was sent this picture by a friend on Facebook, and I instantly liked it...
The boy and his dog look so peaceful gazing into the horizon. 
Perhaps they planned to get here, perhaps they didn't...
It is certain that life doesn't always do according to plan, it hasn't for me certainly. 
But whenever it went off track, life has indeed surprised me, though it may have taken a bit of time...
And that reminds me... 
I need to be patient, a surprise is just around the corner!

Saturday, March 7, 2015

Nirbhaya Lives...

A few days back, I passed by the Novena Medical Center in Singapore - this is where our Nirbhaya, India's daughter, was brought for treatment and sadly she passed away... Seeing the hospital again, the second time after August 2014 brought harrowing memories of the incident of December 2012.


And then when I heard about the BBC documentary on India's daughter, Nirbhaya, I was flabbergasted... How the hell could we give so much importance to the depraved perpetrator of the crime? How the hell could we tolerate the propagation of the wicked mentality the defence lawyers seem to be having?
I fully supported the government when it came to the ban on the screening of the documentary in the country. Twitter and Facebook were awash with statistics on rapes and crimes against women in the West, particularly, New York City, the United Kingdom, yet we were being shown in a poor light... Why? Why? Why?
Last morning, I came across a website that has somehow escaped the internet filters and carried the documentary in full. That's when I realised, we probably need to be brave enough to deal with it...
Indeed, the documentary showed India in a poor light. It was gut-wrenching and I watched it with tears in my eyes... At a certain moment, it was too much for me to take and I had to walk out...
But these are the harsh realities of life, the realities that we have to face and overcome, if we are to grow as an economy.
The mentality of the rapists and their lawyers hit me hard, but that is the way some men are, not only in India but the world over.
But today what concerns me is that all this is happening in my country. This is the land that venerates the devi, the mother goddess. This is the society that treks up 13 kilometers to Vaishno Devi's cave, this is the society that celebrates the victory of Maa Durga over evil. This is the nation that produced women like Razia Sultana and Jhansi ki Rani. 
This is the nation that produced one of the world's finest women statesman, Indira Gandhi, who led India to its moment of glory in military history in the 1971 war and was later venerated as the modern Durga in parliament by none other than Atal Behari Vajpayeeji...
So it two Indias we have today?
One that sees women as partners and the other that sees women as objects, to be used and thrown...
Perhaps, yes, this is the reality - we have two societies..., two Indias...
There is no disputing the fact that depraved perpetrators (the juvenile included) of the Nirbhaya rape deserve an exemplary punishment, chemical castration followed by an execution, there is a need to ensure that the "other" India is lifted up....
And I see no way that can happen without two necessary conditions - secular economic growth and wholesome education...
A secular economic growth that spans at least two to three decades will lift the entire society. The feeling of economic well-being would being about a sense of positivity and well being that would reduce gender differences as such...
Secondly, but, more importantly, our menfolk, our male children need to be educated to respect. It all begins at home - when the boys see their parents treating their sisters as equals they too will grow up to be positive individuals. They will learn to respect and love women as equals... And we need to inspire our little girls to be ambitious, to have their individuality and a unique identity. The symbolism that was on display at the Republic Day celebrations is a softer way in which the Modi administration is nudging India towards gender equality... and this is indeed admirable.
That doesn't take away the need to make our women strong and independent. We need to make the girl in every home a Durga, a Jhansi ki Rani, an Indira Gandhi, a Kiran Bedi and our parents are responsible for that...
The press too plays a vital part. Instead of sensationalising stuff, we need positive news coming around of how women are succeeding and fighting back. Recently, I read this article in Singapore's Straits Times on how girls in Delhi are fighting it out. Perhaps our press needs to reflect on their style of reporting too..


Nirbhaya may have died, but the flame of her struggle is indeed strong enough to light up over a billion candles that will make India a brighter place, for all, including 50% of its population...

Monday, March 2, 2015

Goodbye Singapore!

Another great trip is now coming to an end. The last couple of days, travelling across the length of the Malay peninsula - from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur to Penang Island and back to Singapore have been absolutely thrilling. 
We got an opportunity to meet interesting people, make new friends, have new experiences and obviously sample great food. And we carry back an excess baggage of pleasant memories that we will cherish for the rest of our lives...


After a night of partying at Clarke Quay and swaying to the timeless beats of the 1980s, we were a bit hungover from lack of sleep, And we needed a great breakfast. The place to head to was undoubtedly the Balestier food market...


For me it was the classic Indo-Singaporean roti-prata with a spicy curry made with meat stock...


For Neeti, it was a masala dosa - you bet she freaks out on South Indian cuisine...

We spent the afternoon roaming around the city, meeting friends and shopping for souvenirs in Bugis. And then Neeti said she had a surprise. She guided me to VivoCity Mall on the Keppel Viaduct from where one can have a clear view of Sentosa Island...


It was quite a cloudy evening yesterday...


There is Sentosa...


The quay of Keppel cargo terminal...


There goes the Sentosa cable car...


Scenes from VivoCity...



An interesting guide on how to use the restrooms...



Being our last night in Singapore, we headed to Lau Pa Sat. Incidentally I had my first meal in Singapore during this trip here...


Mmmmm, Slurp, Slurp...
I love the traditional laksa...

After a lazy morning, we spent an hour or so packing our stuff, we headed to Changi Airport to catch our flight back home to Mumbai.


Browsing through the bookstores in Changi - I need to buy this book!


And I am going nuts over the Char Kway Teow...
This classic Singaporean stir-fry noodle dish is cooked in lard with lots of vegetables and pork...
And liberally spiced with chilli and soya...
Who wouldn't fall over in love after eating Char Kway Teow?


And Neeti is freaking out on authentic South Indian cuisine - here she goes with Adai, a lentil dosa...
She had the Adai on my recommendation, as I had thoroughly enjoyed it at Ezham Suvai, in Trichy in February 2013!


And we finally take off from Singapore onboard the Airbus A380, upper deck!



It was far too cloudy!




And as we set course for Mumbai, I sign off with a Singapore Sling! Hic!