Memories from Lahore - Umra Anees

This piece is an impromptu conversation between me and Umra, a colleague at work. I was totally amazed by her memoir of Lahore and the journey of a young Indian girl to Pakistan all by herself. What particularly intrigued me was the fact that, unlike popular beliefs her experiences were completely opposite the stereotypical portray of Lahore by the media. I have always wanted to go there and she has built the curiosity even more.

Aditya: How is Lahore?

Umra: Lahore is a little cleaner than Delhi and the traffic is much less. It is full of Sardars and there are at least 3 markets completely run by Sikhs. There are many pretty Gurudwaras as well. There is a masjid named after my grandfather and my Chacha ji still lives in the same gali, where we stay when we visit Lahore.

The markets are pretty much like Chandni Chowk with dedicated streets selling specialized goods however, it is much better. The rush is pretty similar with handcarts trying maneuvering the narrow lanes. There is a lot to shop there (also because we find it cheaper as our currency is stronger than their currency).

There is a zoo there but it just has a lion worth seeing and sadly it was sleeping the entire time and just didn’t move. I once went to a McDonalds outlet there and to my surprise I couldn’t find anything vegetarian. So vegetarians should just not go to Lahore. Lol. I wanted to have a normal burger but couldn’t find it. There is absolutely no concept of vegetarian food there. I was fed up after a week and wanted to come back. I went alone and came back alone too.

Aditya: You went alone? All the way from here? How do you go to Lahore from here?

Umra: Yes. I went alone! I went alone as my parents went a couple of days before me as I did not want to miss my classes. People go by train but I prefer to travel by bus. First you have to take a visa from Pakistan High Commission. Then you take a bus from Asaf Ali Road near Turkman Gate. You gotta reach at 5 am and bus starts at 6 am. Monday, Wednesday and Friday it departs from Delhi and the Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday it comes back. They ask you for seat preferences and allocate seats very wisely they make men sit with men and women sit with women). I usually take a front window seat. I was seated with a newly married Bengali lady whose husband stayed in Lahore while she stayed in Delhi. I even met her husband once I got there.

It feels really cool to be in that bus escorted by convoys and the police van changes as you enter each state. There is a lot of checking involved as well, at Wagah Border and Lahore entrance, they check all your baggage and also frisk you. The place we stop in India for lunch is also very pretty along a river with a very cute hotel by it. We also get refreshment at Lahore baggage checking point. We never get any traffic on the way as there is a police convoy with the bus. We only got a little traffic in Lahore. We are really tired by the time you reach as we have already got our baggage checked twice or thrice. My parents had already told the security officials that our daughter will be travelling in a few days so please take care of her. So that personnel was there to help me out when I reached. There is a list with which passengers are screened and asked for our purpose of visit and other details.

My parents are always late so as usual they weren’t on time. So when I landed there no one was there to pick me and all our telephone networks do not work there. The guards did not let me go outside the gate unaccompanied. So I had to borrow a phone from someone to call them up. They were stuck in traffic and my father and brother came after a while as I waited near the bus stand office.

Aditya: Interesting. How are you connected to that place?

Umra: My dad’s father went to Lahore just before partition when everyone was moving back and all his brothers resided there. Dad’s mother was stayed back in Delhi and grandfather used to visit once a year or once in two years. That is why my chacha ji and all have impeccable Punjabi. My dad has a lot of relatives there who hold property and everything.

My cousin chacha ji is our closest acquaintance there. They are two brothers who live together with four sons and five daughters respectively. They do export business and mainly export different kinds of perfumes and oils to Middle East. It’s a thriving business and as we use a lot of itr, its part of our culture. All the itr in my house is from Lahore.

Aditya: Your grandmother is quite a character. How come she never moved?

Umra: I still can’t understand why my grandmother did not move. May be she did not move or may be her parents were here and she did not want to move leaving them behind. My dad also stayed in Lahore for quite some time but came back after a while as his mother was here. My dad’s real brother and sister are all here and no one left.

Aditya: How is the feeling of being there and how is life in general in Lahore?

Umra: My cousins go to college and girls can move around freely contrary to belief. My family is liberal that ways but I am not sure if that is true for other parts of the country as I haven’t been anywhere else. Once my cousin even took me out shopping and it was a lot of fun as she knew everything and we bought a lot of ladies suits. We had a car and driver so we did not have to bother about anything. We visited a lot of distant relatives. There is a neighbor who is close to my mother and makes amazing fish and cakes. She even sent a box of muffins when I was coming back. She loved cooking and cooking was her life. I got bored of food at chachu’s house as they made non veg and dal everyday and I got really bored having it every day for lunch and dinner. I went in winters so most of the discussion topics revolved around the season and similarities and dissimilarities between India and Pakistan. 

Aditya: Okay, so what are the must visit places or items to buy there?

Umra: Shalimar Bagh, Minar e Pakistan, Jallo Park are interesting apart from the other popular Mughal structures. Oil, ittar, suits (clothing) are a must buy!

Suggestions to improve odd-even car policy and enhancing air quality in Delhi

Shri Arvind Kejriwal

Chief Minister of Delhi

3^rd Level, Delhi Secretariat,

IP Estate, New Delhi - 110002

Date: 11 December, 2015

Subject: Measures to improve odd-even car policy and enhancing air quality in Delhi

Dear Kejriwal ji,

I would first of all like to take this opportunity to congratulate your government for the consciousness it has shown in addressing the issue of rising air pollution in the country. The quality of air is degrading everyday and something must be done pro-actively to bring the situation under control. I firmly believe that our decisions today will determine our tomorrow.

As your government is planning to initiate the odd-even policy, introduction of 3000 new buses in three months, using school buses as cluster buses temporarily, pushing the time for trucks entering Delhi from 9 pm to 11 pm, etc., we must also look into the other ancillary steps to support these policies. This becomes important as we have observed in the past that many policies have failed because we have not completely thought about and worked on the ancillary framework and interventions required to augment the new policy. For this purpose, I would like to give few suggestions that I feel could be looked into for enhancing the air quality of our beautiful city.

Measures to improve odd-even car policy

1.    Improved road infrastructure

An improved road infrastructure is a pre-requisite for any transport related reforms. Smoothly tarred roads with use of recycled material integrated with all line services must be in place. We do not want the road to be constructed first and drain enhancement after two months, and internet lines to be laid four months later which leads to repaving again and again. Duct system with mechanism to easily remove top layer and embed additional lines could reduce inconvenience to commuters during installation. We need to bring all stakeholders to a common platform and implement it in a phased manner using Project Management techniques. Improved roads following all the safety norms will help in reducing accidents and ensure a smooth flow of traffic. 

2.    Up-gradation of public transportation system

As part of augmentation of public transportation system, we must further enhance the working of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation. This would require bilateral discussions between DMRC and Delhi Government to increase the number of metro trains, enhance the number of coaches and frequency of metro based on analysis of past trends of passenger movements on specific days and timings. The metro rush in peak hours is a major deterrent for people to shift from private mode to public transit. 

Apart from the metro, bus transit also needs major transformation. DTC is the common mans most frequented transit source. DIMTS and DTC must work in coordination to identify areas which require augmentation. DTC requires a major facelift even in terms of its appearance, running, technology used, bus terminals, etc. The option of having double-decker buses on particular stretches could be explored as it would also save space on streets. Buses running on a fixed time schedule with a board placed on each bus stop indicating the time of arrival of bus can help users to plan their travel. Bus passes must be more accessible and cheaper to encourage usage. Smart card concept should be implemented which can be used in different modes for seamless movement. We must make traveling by public transport a matter of pride than a matter of need.

 Dedicated bus lanes as initiated by your government is a good move as this will make public transport users reach their destinations faster than private vehicle users. We must encourage buses are VIPs and make way for them like we make way for ambulances and other emergency vehicles. Along with this emphasis on lane driving and dedicated lanes for two-wheelers in prime locations can dissuade motorists to ply a zig-zag manner and on footpaths during rush hour. 

3.    Branding and promoting local train system

We already have a local train system in place along with infrastructure for ring rail, but more than half of our population is not aware of this facility. We need to market it and promote it as a viable option which could be used at times. The USP of this mode is that it is extremely cheap. This also needs to be connected with major nodes so that it is easily accessible in case of need. 

4.    Last mile connectivity

We need a very efficient last mile connectivity network because unless a person is able to comfortably reach a bus stop/ metro station/ railway station from his house/ work place/ market, he or she would not like to shift to public mode. We must promote e-rickshaws, shared autos, grameen sewa, rickshaws, etc. If we can introduce new systems like two-wheeler pillion rides or shuttle buses, then it could help in promoting public transport systems. 

5.    Promoting non-motorized transport (NMT)

Promoting all modes of transport which do not require fuel is a great idea to enhance air-quality. People purchasing cars/ two-wheelers/ e-rickshaws could be given incentives in the form of tax waivers, reduced parking charges, reduced electricity charges, etc. Government sponsored charging points for electric vehicles in each municipal ward at subsidized prices could also help in promoting NMT. 

6.    Ease in use of auto-rickshaws and taxis  

The ‘pooch-o’ app is a step in the right direction, however more such applications and operators in the market are required to ensure a competitive market. However, the government must pull up auto-drivers/ taxi-drivers for not plying on meter and to the destination where people want to travel. This hassle in commute is a big deterrent in shifting from private modes. This hassle also creates a negative impact on the productivity at work. Periodic checking of auto/ taxi meters must be ensured. These meters must be linked with a central server where details of each trip must be recorded. 

The autorickshaws and taxis must come up with the drivers details along with a QR code placed outside and inside the auto (if there are multiple drivers then multiple plates must be placed). The ‘pooch-o’ app must incorporate a QR code reading device through which once we scan the driver’s QR code, the application must be able to trace our location. This will improve safety of passengers and malpractice of overcharging of passenger by taking them off road by drivers. QR code can then also be used for filing complaints against drivers for not plying on meter or refusal to ply to a certain destination. 

7.    Shuttle services

Innovative route planning and prior booking could make shuttle services run effectively. Before banning white line services in Delhi, there were many passengers who took those buses for travelling long distances which ran at a defined time and had set clientele. This could be reintroduced after proper driver and owner verification. To further enhance the safety, we can install CCTVs and enable GPS on these shuttle buses. 

8.    Promoting pedestrianization

Just like Central government’s promotion of Yoga, we must market walking as one of the best ways to stay fit. People walk so much abroad while we have a tendency of taking out our bikes and cars to even buy milk from our neighbouring convenience store. 800 m is considered to very easily walkable and services must be planned at neighbourhood and cluster level based on this principle. We should promote and encourage more events like Raahgiri and mini-marathons. Innovative street-scaping guided by the existing guidelines (UTTIPEC) will encourage more pedestrians to walk. A conducive environment to walk will encourage more users for which streetscaping must include better lighting, shade, wall paintings, innovative paving designs, seating, water points, etc. Women friendly and child friendly elements must also be introduced into streetscaping. Paving material plays a big role in human behaviour to walk/ cycle/ drive. As a pilot, we could pave inner circle road of Connaught Place with perforated tiles and observe the change in vehicular movement supported with additional parking spaces around Connaught Place.  

9.    Occupancy based challans

Just like odd-even policy, we could also think of challans based on occupancy. A car with only one person plying during peak hours must be challaned as they hamper ease of vehicular movement. This can help in taking off considerable number of cars. At least an awareness campaign on this issue will help in building consciousness among people. 

10.  Parking areas

We must not endlessly increase parking space at all locations as this will encourage more private vehicles. On the other hand, increase in parking spaces means that we are reducing land which could be otherwise used for better things. Wherever possible, existing parking areas must be reorganized and the extra space created must be put to creative use. It is also observed than vehicles are being parked on road sides which reduce the carriageway width and creates bottlenecks. Using GIS, a map must be created clearly demarcating roads on which vehicles could be parked and on which parking is prohibited. This could be indicated by the colour of the kerb stone or lane separator. People must also realize that a park is not meant for parking and if they do not have space to park their vehicles, they must not purchase vehicles. 

11.  Shifting ISBTs to outskirts

So many roadways buses ply inside Delhi which must be strictly restricted. There is absolutely no need for other state buses to ply in inner city roads. We could shift our ISBTs to the periphery and link it with other modes of travel. Anand Vihar is a good example which is in the periphery and connected with Metro and Rail transit. Other similar models need to be worked upon. 

12.  Strategies beyond Delhi

Traffic management in Delhi has to be looked at from a regional perspective as well. A plan for regional transport already exists drafted by NCR Planning Board (NCRPB), however, no or very little work has been initiated as it requires regional cooperation. Delhi must take lead in initiating deliberations to enforce the plan so that traffic could be diverted through the outskirts of Delhi.  

Dedicated freeways from Delhi to NOIDA/ Gurgaon/ Ghaziabad which are the three main home-work corridors connected to Delhi must be created for ease of movement. This also requires cooperation of Haryana and UP government. Seamless traffic would reduce emissions and hence, help in improving air quality. However, in developed countries the concept of freeways is diminishing as they are now using alternate modes of transport and want to discourage people from using cars. 

13.  Monetary disincentives

The insurance money on cars could be raised as a deterrent to purchase more cars. There could also be employee pay cuts for people coming to office in private vehicles for more than three days if they are driving alone to work. In case of monthly holidays, wherever possible an option of work from home could be given which will be based on daily target which the person has to achieve while working from home. This has to be decided at an organizational level. 

14.  Staggered office timings

Staggered office timings in identified clusters with large number of offices and other institutions could very effectively help in traffic management. We observe that most of office timings are similar, if at a block level (lets imagine an area like ITO) all the different offices come together and decide their start and end timings and stagger them at 15 minute intervals then the movement pattern of pedestrians and vehicles will change and it will be become easier as everyone will not come out at the same time. 

15.  Promoting women drivers

As you have allowed women to be exempted from the odd-even policy which in my opinion is a great move for empowering women, we could further build on this exemption. There could be women driver skill development program and this sector which was essentially a male dominated arena could now be taken over by women. This will also be a livelihood generating opportunity for women. 

16.  Exemptions

Just like women drivers, exemptions must also be extended to senior citizens and cars carrying differently abled persons. 

17.  Capping of vehicle registrations

Number of vehicle registrations must be restricted to a fixed number each day to discourage use of private vehicles. However, introducing special windows for non – fuel based vehicles will encourage such modes. 

18.  Emergency – challan system – pardon

In case of emergency there should be a system of challan where the person who is caught driving during restricted slots is pardoned with a notice (booking the license without penalty) once a year based on the situation.  

19.  Scraping of old unused cars

Almost in all government offices have unused cars lying in their premises, these must be immediately audited and scraped off through metal scrap dealers. This will automatically enhance parking space in the city. In addition to these, old cars running on old engines must be checked for emissions and if required scraped or upgraded to present standards. 

20.  Awareness and Behaviour change communication

We must keep reiterating the fact that air quality in Delhi is the worst in the world at all platforms and forums so that impact on air quality becomes one of the guiding parameters for implementation of any new program. We must design specific interventions to target children and make them understand the situation as they are going to bear the brunt of our actions of yesterday. Behaviour change is a slow process and one must be persistent to reach the end goal. Programs must be dynamic and interventions must keep changing/ upgrading periodically based on the ground evidence to ensure that air quality is enhanced in future. There are many colleges which are associated with transport planning and engineering in Delhi. Student works based in neighbourhoods and their suggestions could be looked into and viable proposals could be taken up for implementation.

Purchase of a car and going by car has a great aspirational value among Indians and hence, people will be very reluctant about the idea of the government restricting the use of cars. However, in the catastrophe that we are in right, we have to take these hard steps to improve our quality of life in the long run. Purchase of cars can also be linked to family planning, ‘ya toh bachha ya car’ (either a child or a car). Too many restrictions leads to frustration among people and revolting mentality hence, care must be taken to introduce and strategize before initiating any policy. Unless and until the augmenting and supporting framework is not as strong as the policy itself, it will be very hard to function.

I wish you all the best and admire what you are doing for my city. I would like to offer my assistance in clarifying or further working on any point mentioned above if given a chance.

Thank you.

Your faithfully,

Aditya Ajith

Urban Planner

62/2D, Sector II,

Kali Bari Marg,

New Delhi – 110001

Cc:

(i) Sh. Gopal Rai, Transport Minister, A-wing, 7^th level, Delhi Secretariat, IP Estate, New Delhi – 110002

(ii) Sh. Manish Sisodia, Dy. Chief Minister, A-wing, 6^th level, Delhi Secretariat, IP Estate, New Delhi - 110002

I would also like to acknowledge the contributions made by Mr. Prakhar Nigar, Urban Planner, Ms. Tahmeena Tariq, Architect, Mr. Varun Gautam, Urban Planner and Architect; Ms. Saneera Dev, Student, School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi; Mr. Sriharsha Chowdary Cheekati, Transport Planner and Civil Engineer; Mr. Tryambakesh Kumar Shukla, Urban Planner; Mr. Ujjwal Garg, Physical Planner; Mr. Vasu Dhobal, Invoicing Head (India), TMF Group; and Mr. Pankaj Ranjan, Regional Planner and Architect.

Celebrity Interview - Anuradha Vellat

Here's the second of the celebrity interviews. I thought of beginning this celebrity interview in a big way but it just got lost in the humdrum. I plan to revive this now and stick with it, so you guys be ready!!

Introducing someone who actually needs no introduction. Anuradha Vellat. Anuradha did her graduation and post - graduation in English from Delhi University and had a brief stint with Deccan Herald, Bangalore as a Reporter (fancy!!!!). At present she is hackling with autowallahs in Delhi and trying to make her mark in Delhi.

"If I had my way, I would go up to heaven and kiss the feet of the person who invented Butter Chicken"

So let's begin the interview now with my favourite opening question. 

What are your earliest/fondest memories of childhood?

My grandfather used to own a couple of paddy fields in Palakkad, Kerala, when I was 5-6. So whenever it was the harvest season, after all the harvest was done, the straw was left to dry on the road in front of our house. It would turn really spongy and the 5 of us (my cousins) would just roll over the straw. It would get really itchy with parents worrying over us.

We always celebrated Onam (Mallu harvest festival) and Vishu (Mallu new year) together, so for 3-4 years consecutively we would burst crackers early in the morning at 4-5 am and it used to be a lot of fun. We would get pocket money, sometimes 10 rs, 50 rs or 100 rs on extremely lucky days. I used to give it my mom who was my virtual and literal bank.

What's the one feeling that has always been constant with you?

I am scared of ghosts. Extremely scared. It has something to do with the fact that I was brought up by an extremely over protective mother. It was very late when I realized that I was too overgrown to sleep next to her and too scared to sleep alone. The feeling is being frightened that has always remained. It's very easy to scare me. That is basically the reason why I am anxious and nervous even with the silliest of things.

So what is the silliest thing you have done?

I have done a lot of silly things. I have done so many silly things that I don't think they are silly anymore. It's all a part of growing up. Oh! I did recently set my room on fire. That's the most recent silly thing I did.

What's the best prank that you have been involved in?

I have never really been a big part of pranks. I think I have really serious friends in my life.

Let me just ask you my favourite questions. Where all have you traveled till now? 

I have been to Kochi and a lot of Kerala, Udupi, Kudachadri, Mangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Bombay, Goa, Jaipur, Pushkar, Agra, Lansdowne, and of course Delhi.

So which among these is your favourite?

Delhi by all means. Home is where the heart is.

And apart from Delhi and why?

Bangalore because the city has offered me a lot. My first job. First struggle. But if you ask me a travel destination I would say Lansdowne. There was this beautiful valley, it was the  most beautiful valley I have ever seen. and down south it is Kudachadri, no phones or gadgets, no network, just a lot of mountains and clouds and you.

Tell me one memory while traveling that you can never forget. Something nice, related to someone you met/ interacted with.

When I was in Goa, I was there with two of my friends from Sikkim with Mongolian appearances and the person who was waiting our table was from Nepal. So this guy automatically took me to be someone from North East and started conversing with me in Nepali. I really felt nice about it and I tried to to reply to him in whatever Nepali I knew and started stammering. My friends had to intervene and tell him that I wasn't Nepali.

Which friend or hum-umar of yours has been most influential in your life?

I don't wanna answer this because I want that person to keep influencing me in whatever way he/she is, I would rather call it an inspiration rather than a mere influence and if I reveal the name then it might become too awkward for everyone around us.

Which friend or hum-umar of yours do you find the sexiest?

Sevali Hukku and she knows why!!!!!

Which friend or hum-umar of yours do you find the most fashionable?

Diana. I think she has a very distinct sense of style and is extremely creative.

What about your creativity? What stimulates you?

I am a very lazy person when it comes to creativity. Even though I realize that I could be capable of being creative but lifting myself often feels like a big task. I am working on it and you will know when it happens. As far as my stimulant goes, I don't think anything can stimulate me except for a very consistent regime, I think it's common for a lot of people.

This is a rather honest interview, most people would just try to hide stuff and be diplomatic about such stuff. I like that. The last set of questions. What's your:

Favourite cuisine: Punjabi! If I had my way I would go up to heaven and kiss the feet of the person who invented Butter Chicken or Shahi Paneer for that matter. I just feel sad for the vegetarians as I get to eat their favourite food but they can't eat mine.

Favourite dish: Chicken Biriyani

Favourite attire: Saree baby saree

Most stylish person you know (celeb): Deepika Padukone and Jennifer Aniston

Favourite music genre: I don't really have a genre but if you look at my playlist you won't find many party songs, it saddens me somehow.

Favourite musician: I think Amit Trivedi is insanely creative and John Mayer too.

Thank you so much for your time. 

There is a Celebrity in each one of us. Embrace yourself. Pamper yourself.

P.S. Don't forget to click on reactions.

Congratulations Germany #WorldCup2014

I was never much of a Football fan, coming from a country like India which is crazy about Cricket, I was also imbibed into that culture quite naturally. And quite frankly I love cricket. It is my favourite sport. But this time around I religiously watched FIFA World Cup and it was truly a joyful experience (except the part where you are sleepy and groggy at office every day). Nonetheless, the passion and vigour with which players and crowd at the stadium showed keeps you awake to watch the matches. 

I supported Germany from the beginning (sitting in office in my maroon and red  horizontal stripes t-shirt) but liked other teams like Argentina (just for Messi but now I know few other players like Higuain, Mascherano and Aguera), Belgium (hailed as the dark horse and I liked Eden Hazard among them) and Netherlands (for the legendary Van Persie, Sneijder and Robben). Wow, never knew that I know so many names. All because of World Cup. I think Germans really showed their class. I mean why not, with players like Muller, the aging Klose, Ozil, Bastian Schweinsteiger (very tough name), Khedira, Lahm, etc., it was truly the team to beat from the beginning. The 7-1 drub of Brazil will not be forgotten for a long long time. It was the humiliation of humiliations. I mean people might just equate the worse humiliations with that match perhaps from now on. 

Congratulations to Germany! And Goetze the man of the moment.

Tweet to Goetze

This apart my favourite goal of the tournament was Sneijder's ultimate power kick into the goal post against Mexico. People might say there was no skill in it or whatever but that was so stylish and so powerful. No one moved an inch, if the goal keeper or defender had touched it, I am sure it would have broken their limbs. Apart from that I liked Colombian wonder boy James Rodrigez's goal that hit the goal post and went inside. Seriously, I have no clue why Messi got the Golden Ball though. I mean I love him but a. His heroics did not win the world cup. b. There were people who hit more goals than him. May be because he was the playmaker or whatever but when it mattered like in the knock out games he didn't hit even one goal and especially in the final, his performance was nothing close to even good let alone great. 

Also, if I don't say this it won't be complete. The ladies in the crowd. Ahhhhhhh. Was there some condition that only models would be allowed to sit in stadiums. Every one of them so pretty. How I wish Indian stadiums had such a crowd with such an enthusiasm. I wish I have enough money to watch a match in Moscow next time and be a part of such a wonderful crowd. So long!

Celebrity Interview - Ishika Gupta

I have always believed that lives all around us are very interesting and each one of us perceives, experiences and explored life in a unique way. Doesn''t it happen so that we randomly meet someone and start talking about their experiences and wonder, "wow! what a remarkable experience"? For you my story is fascinating, for me its yours. With such a realization, I have taken this initiative to document stories and experiences of ordinary people (with extraordinary stories). 

First up in this series is Ms. Ishika Gupta. She is working with International Rice Research Institute as a Consultant has done her Bachelors in Economics from Hans Raj, Delhi University followed by a Masters in Economics from Madras School of Economics. 

"In the train there was a person, from some European country and he started talking to us and I remember he said that he was a butcher, and he worked 6 months and then saved and traveled for the other 6 months, alone. That really fascinated me, I was 16, quite impressionable".

So let's beginning from your childhood. What are your fondest memories from your childhood?

Fondest memories would be back in Calcutta where I grew up in a joint family. There are many instances but to name a few, I can never forget having dinner on an 8-seater table, me, my brother, cousins, papa and papa's older brother. Once I got slapped by my dad on the table (the only time he has raised a hand on me), I must have been 7 or 8. He slapped me because I wasted food everyday. I kept on yapping on the table and sab khana khatam karke uth jaate the and end mein mai khana chhod deti thi. Toh he lost his patience one day! 

Also, I can never forget playing 'kitchen-kitchen' with leftover peels that my grandmother gave me from the day's vegetables that she cut. She saved all the peels for me and my sister (tauji's daughter) and we pretended we were cooking! And playing carrom, scrabble with my tauji and my brother and cousins.

I slept with my grandmother after I reached a certain age, and then I used to bug her every night to tell me stories about her childhood, how she grew up, her school, what kind of clothes they wore etc.! I used to find find it fascinating to imagine her as a young girl. Finally, this was when i slept with my parents. I did not go to sleep unless my dad kept his hand on me. I made him do that even by waking him up in the middle of the night, in case his hand had slipped. Basically all the fun with cousins and uncles, getting teased by everyone! I had a fun childhood, and I wish we still had joint families.

How would you define yourself as a teenager? Were you a rebel child?

No, not a rebel at all. I was a good girl. I did my homework and listened to my parents. Basically, I never rebelled, I still have not. I settled into school and then college happened and now I am working. My parents have never really been worried about me. I was always the one they were least worried about.

So do you think that's what teenagers are meant to do (be a good girl)?

No, not necessarily. I think I am a very risk averse person. I tend to confirm to established practices. I hate when things don't go as planned.

You have moved from Kolkata to Delhi. How are both the cities different? Is there any similarity between the two?

I moved when I was very young, 10 or 11. Since I grew up in Delhi, my formative years were spent here. Delhi has influenced me and molded me in both good and bad ways. I will not want to compare Delhi with Calcutta because I will be biased towards Delhi for obvious reasons.

Calcutta for me is a place where I went for my summer vacations, ate a lot and played with my numerous cousins, listened to stories. I guess I still see Calcutta like that, like a holiday home and Delhi is my home.

You are quite a traveler, where all have you been and which is by far the best place you have visited? Also, share some moments during that trip.

Umm, not quite a traveler. I wish I remembered going to Shillong. I went there with my parents when I was 4 or 5 and sadly I remember nothing at all (a fact which makes my dad roll his eyes, because he says he remembers things way back when he was 3). I wish I remembered that trip because the photos look magical. And i look strange *chuckles*

From the ones I remember, I guess the toy train ride from Kalka to Shimla was the most memorable one. I was mesmerized by the beauty. I had just given my 10th boards and we went during the summer break. In the train there was a person, from some European country and he started talking to us and I remember he said that he was a butcher, and he worked 6 months and then saved and traveled for the other 6 months, alone. That really fascinated me, I was 16, quite impressionable. His life seemed very adventurous and I wondered, and still do, if I ever be able to travel alone to a foreign country, given that I always yearn for company and get bored very easily.

Which is the best place you have visited in Delhi till now? Why?

CP!!! I love CP. Period. I don't know why but I feel at home when I am in CP. I can go there everyday (which I do after office) to the same place (usually Wenger's) and not get bored. I think by now I have mastered all the blocks. And I like colonial architecture, even though CP has been renovated. And then I have people like you who have told me awesome things about what CP used to be and is now. Bas, i love CP!

What is the one thing you feel has changed drastically in Delhi in the last 10-15 years?

Since I came in 2000, infrastructure wise, Delhi Metro. But Delhi needs to calm down and be more welcoming. People tell me they find Delhi-ites rude and I agree, people lose their cool at the slightest of things and its getting worse i think.

How do you think you can contribute to the progress of our country/city (with your skills and capabilities)? 

Country? That's a very heavy question. I will say I used to be one of the people who littered before but since the past year or two I have stopped doing so and try to make my friends do the same. So yes, stop littering.

I guess in my capacity as a researcher and the kind of job I am in right now, if i do it well enough I will be able to affect maybe the life of a few farmers if not more. But it would need a combined effort.

Favourite cuisine: Continental

Favourite dish: Ye mushkil hai bahut. A fat juicy steak, good pasta, biryani from Calcutta and, anything that has bacon, phuchka and roll (both from Calcutta) aur bahut hai, I had a tough time narrowing these.  

Favourite attire: A cotton kurta with the silver jhumkas and salwar of course. hahaha.

Most stylish person you know: Okay Srishti, she is my friend from school. I love the way she dresses and mixes things up. She has real talent! And Sumedha! For the same reason, I get most of my ideas about stitching my clothes from her. No Celebrities. 

Favourite sport: Tennis

Favourite sportperson: Roger Federer

Favourite music genre: I grew up on Bollywood, so that. But I love listening to folk and classical as well.

Favourite musician: Yaar it changes, Right now I am listening to old songs. I love Geeta Dutt! But there are many.

Thank you so much for your time. 

There is a Celebrity in each one of us. Embrace yourself. Pamper yourself.

P.S. Don't forget to click on reactions.

Apology Letter to Maria Sharapova

Dear Sharapova,

I sincerely apologize for the wayward posts and comments buzzing on social media these days about the fact that you don't know about Sachin Tendulkar or from where I belong to, THE SACHIN TENDULKAR. Don't get me wrong here I am not anti-Sachin or a hater. I adore him and love him to the core but I am sure that even Sachin wouldn't promote any bullshit like this ever.

To begin with, Sachin Tendulkar is a cricketer who served in the Indian Cricket team for 24 years and holds almost all prominent batting records. He is a 'Bharat Ratna' awardee which is the highest award conferred to any civilian in the country and the first sportsperson to receive such an honour in our great country of 1 billion plus population. For nearly 2 decades now he has been the sensation and the highest level of sportsmanship in the country with everyone from parents, teachers, roadside chachas (uncles/ acquaintances) calling children who aspire to play, "abey sachin banega kya??" (do you want to become Sachin). 

You would have loved it if you were born in India, people would have made big hoardings and banners of you and worshiped you by adoring garlands on your hoardings and pouring milk over it (religious custom). Sachin might just got bored of all this now since he has been accepting this love for years now. Actually, I take it back, that God you were born there otherwise you would have had to deal with drooling lechers from the moment you stepped out of your house and assholes who would pass wry and disgusting comments directed at your blonde hair to your long earrings to your prettiness, everything and anything, no one would have spared you even for a moment. 

On the record I would like to state that there would only be say 20% (or even lesser) who would know you, even lesser who would know Martina Navratilova and even lesser who would know Billie Jean King. For a fact I also know that if it wasn't Sachin and were other sports heroes like Vishwanath Anand or Jeev Milkha Singh or Leander Paes, there wouldn't have been any hue and cry. Hence, you not knowing THE SACHIN TENDULKAR is absolutely fine to me. For all  you should know is how to play the sport you love in the best possible way. There is no problem whatsover in not know who Sachin is. 

For how humble Sachin is he might just come to you and introduce himself by his own but such is his fan following here that they can't digest it. 

Your faithfully,

A Sachin Fan
An Ashamed Indian
A Sports Enthusiast.

P.S. Don't forget to tick on reaction once you read it.

The Romantic Side of Divye Khanna!

Here goes. Now that college is coming to a close and alcohol is taking its course. The feeling is finally coming in that college life is soon coming to end. All the laid back shit that was taken for granted is soon going to turn into monotony of sitting in front of a screen and bargaining with corrupt jerks!

This incident took place at my last Planner's night as a student where I discovered a new side of the usually calm and composed (at times wayward and stupid :P) Divye Khanna. The "emo" side. The dangerous one. From what I remember.

Divye: I don't know if you know the meaning of this word. My true state now is 'hapless'.

Now hapless is a very strong word. It's that insatiable feeling of not being in control. Letting things happen to you, while knowing that it's not actually good to yourself. Even when knowing it just standing there and taking it all just because at the back of your mind you want to be devastated by that feeling. I sure know quite a bit myself about self - destruction. Bhai there is nothing wrong in being hapless. People who are calculative and plan it are not passionate about anything. There are there just to survive. The whole point in committing to anything is being haplessly devoted to the cause, even a lost cause.

The second instance was the whole Eminem saga! However funny, it was shit deep to me. Having been a devout fan throughout, from having downloaded lyrics to rap (or rather read and cope up with his pace) to folding a magazine to hold up as a mic to buying baggy jeans and holding up your balls while "lipsyncing" with the songs. I've done it all. And trust me I know how you felt when you said it.

Divye: "You make me wanna stop listening to Eminem" (this of course is not to me, it's to his girl)

Whoever has ever heard even pieces of Eminem would know the kind of hatred and bashing that Eminem songs have. It is a sign of rebellion while going up against parents, the system, celebrities, people in power, everyone. To have someone say "you wanna make me forget about him or stop listening to him" is one of the cutest and most unconventional romantic lines ever!

PS - I won't stop listening to Eminem ever! (and neither should YOU)

Article Review: Governance Innovation and the Citizen: The Janus Face of Governance-beyond-the-State

This presentation and subsequent paper is made as a part of my Urban Governance module. (Sorry for the lack of citations, all hail Swyngedouw, Foucault, Harvey and Wikipedia)

Article Review

Governance Innovation and the Citizen: The Janus Face of Governance-beyond-the-State

Erik Swyngedouw[1]

Introduction

Swyngedouw in this paper focuses on political governance and the new developments around it. The author argues that over the past two decades there have been many innovations in governance leading to reformed (and in many cases new) institutional arrangements have emerged, but these new changes have created a scenario of governance beyond the control of the State or public sector. The author calls this form of governance beyond the state as Janus-faced.

Understanding key ideas discussed in paper

The title of the paper is in itself very interesting where the author describes the scenario of governance beyond the state as Janus faced. Janus is the God of beginnings and transitions in ancient Roman mythology. The month January is named after Janus. Janus presided over the beginning and ending of conflict, and hence war and peace. Comparison of transition from a State led governance model to a market/ capitalist induced changes in institutional arrangement with the symbolic of Janus marking a stage in time where the old, i.e., the State is now seen upon as redundant and the new market model as the way for the future. The author firmly criticizes the new model and states that such a shift leads to eroding the democratic character of the state led by market forces that set the ‘rules of the game’.

Firstly it needs to be understood what the author means by ‘Governance-beyond-the-state’. It refers to the emergence, proliferation and active encouragement (by the state and international bodies like the European Union or the World Bank) of institutional arrangements of ‘governing’ which give a much greater role in policy-making, administration and implementation to private economic actors on the one hand and to parts of civil society on the other in self-managing what until recently was provided or organised by the national or local state.

The author also draws fundamentally from Foucault’s notion of governmentality where these modes of governance have been depicted, that is ‘the conduct of conduct’[2] in which a particular rationality of governing is combined with new technologies, instruments and tactics of conducting the process of collective rule-setting, implementation and often including policing as well. At this juncture, Foucault’s idea of conduct-of-conduct shall also be made clear. In simple terms, it means that even though the government propagates free practice and liberty to all its citizens but at the same time they expect each citizen to follow some guidelines and sets some deliverables from each individual. So, in a way, they conduct the lives of these individuals in a manner that their power is not challenged.

Structure of the paper

The paper has been divided into five parts. In the first part, the concept of governance-beyond-the-state is explained in accordance with the present scenario. In the subsequent part, the contradiction of state–civil society relationship in the context of the emergence of the new governmentality associated with governance-beyond-the-state is explored. In the third part, the contradictory way in which new arrangements of governance have created new institutions and empowered new actors, while disempowering other is detailed out. The author concludes by suggesting that governance-beyond-the-state are fundamentally Janus-faced, particularly under conditions in which the democratic character is reduced by the over involvement of market forces which have become the new power.

Key points highlighted in the paper

The author points out how neoliberal forces have crept into policy and decision making and the emerging policies and trends are a resultant of that. New agencies and bodies are formed at piece-meal basis to suit short term accumulation motives. There are strong processes at work pointing in the direction of a greater autocratic governmentality. These socially innovative forms of governance are both actively encouraged and supported by agencies pursuing a neo-liberal agenda (like the IMF or the World Bank). This analysis is particularly pertinent as the inclusion of civil society organisations (like NGOs) in systems of (urban) governance, combined with a greater political and economic role of ‘local’ political and economic arrangements which is particularly seen as diluting the State’s stature.

The author highlights the emergence of new state like agencies like EU, and increasing role of agencies promoting the neoliberal agenda like IMF, World Bank and the boundary between organisations and public and private sectors has become permeable. The particular role of stakeholders is also highlighted and argued that the new form of governance lays emphasis on stakeholder led initiatives while ignoring the fact that all stakeholders are not equal and under such skewed power relationship, whose voice is going to be heard remains questioned. In the name of promoting stakeholders, there is scope for further marginalization induced by these new socially innovative measures of governance.

The emergence of ‘civil society’ into the political governance domain is also discussed. Antonio Gramsci, writing at the early days of the liberal-democratic Keynesian-welfarist state[3], civil society became viewed as one of the three components (the others being the state and the market) that define the content and structure of society. For him, civil society is the sum total of private actors (outside state and market) and constitutes the terrain of social struggle for hegemony. These civil society agents increasingly got involved in delivery of health, education, disciplining, socioeconomic well-being, etc. which are essentially State functions.

The ‘conduct of conduct’ shall be sustained, maintained and further improved and the changing nature of governance is a resultant of that, i.e., to keep the power relations intact and accumulation process continues and remains focussed in certain hands.

The reduced stature of democracy led by governance beyond the state is also highlighted in the paper under various parameters such as Entitlement and Status, the Structure of Representation, Accountability, Legitimacy, Scales of Governance and Order of Governance. The central argument here is that the shift from ‘government’ to ‘governance’ is associated with the consolidation of new technologies of government, on the one hand, and with profound restructuring of the parameters discussed of political democracy on the other, leading to a substantial democratic deficit.

Conclusion

The concluding section of the article sums up that in the scenario of governance-beyond-the-state, particularly within a market economy, the key decisions over resource allocation, use and transformation, are taken by private actors who operate within the constraining or enabling regulatory framework of systems of government. To the extent that over the past few decades there has been a tendency towards deregulation and re-regulation, and towards the devolution of state functions, the new forms of governance were either instrumental in shaping this transformation or else they became established as the regulatory framework for managing a beyond-the-state polity. This shift or “game” is essentially harmful for a democracy in the long run.

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[1] Erik Swyngedouw is Professor of Geography at the University of Manchester in its School of Environment and Development. Swyngedouw is committed to political economic analysis of contemporary capitalism, producing several major works on economic globalization, regional development, finance, and urbanization. completed a PhD entitled "The production of new spaces of production" under the supervision of the renowned Marxist geographer David Harvey.

For further details:

http://staffprofiles.humanities.manchester.ac.uk/Profile.aspx?Id=Erik.Swyngedouw&curTab=2

[2] Pam Christie, an Australian scholar at the University of Queensland wrote that Foucault refers to government as ‘the conduct of conduct’, or the power to act on the actions of others.  Conduct of conduct is the central problem of modern government. The very idea of liberal government involves a paradox: liberalism asserts the sovereignty of the free individual, yet government requires that individual behaviour be regulated and modified.

For further details: http://foucaultblog.wordpress.com/2007/05/15/key-term-conduct-of-conduct/

[3] Of or relating to the economic theories of John Maynard Keynes, especially those theories advocating government monetary and fiscal programs designed to increase employment and stimulate business activity.

For further details: http://www.ie.ufrj.br/eventos/seminarios/pesquisa/texto_02_12.pdf