aditya kumar's weblog

On World Environment Day, I start up a series of articles that focus at the need of the hour — Conserve our home, this planet. Here’s the first.

5 ways we can help our planet

Its not much difficult, trust me. I am not claiming that this is all you will ever need to save the planet but if you want to make a difference this is the easiest way out. It does not take much. I know because I practice most of these.

1. Stop using plastic — at least try to avoid using it as much as possible. Take a cloth/jute bag to shopping. Say NO when the shopkeeper gives you a polythene bag. You could be met with a hard stare when you do that because most people ask for polythene. Stop using disposable spoons, plates etc which are commonly served in most office canteens.

2. Do Carpooling/Bikepooling — Many big global organizations encourage this by forming carpool “clubs”. When I goto work everyday, I see rows of cars stuck in traffic jams and more than 70% of these cars have the driver as the only occupant. If there were three people more in the car, that would reduce 3 similar cars from the crowd. You’ve got to adjust some timetables accordingly to make way for carpooling but most of the time, this is a concept that works.

3. Be careful with electricity — Not just because it gives you an electric shock but because its difficult to generate it. Use CFL bulbs, not the regular bulbs. Instead of the CRT monitors, use TFTs. TFTs take 1/3rd of the power CRTs take up. Turn the monitor off when not in use. Unplugged isn’t the flavor of the season anymore so switch off your appliances “from the plug” when not in use.

4. Use Public transport — Try to use it whenever you can. I say this despite having an idea of the state of public transport in most cities of the country. For distances less than a kilometer or two, walk!

5. Take care with the AC and similar appliances — Don’t keep the AC temperature too low. Keep it just a few degrees lower than the temperature outside. Similarly, don’t put hot food material inside the refrigerator. In both the cases, the appliance works overtime to maintain the inside temperature and that means much more power consumption than the usual.

As I said, you won’t have to go out of your way to accommodate the above mentioned points in your lifestyle. If you have something to add,, comments, as always, are welcome. Keep in mind though — time is running out. And fast.

A few days back, were some murmurs about a certain “Goa Regional Plan, 2011”. Since I was too far away from online reading and research, it missed my attention but now that I have learnt about it, I think its imperative that I mention it here on my website.

The Goa Regional Plan, 2011 (We’ll call it “GRP”) is a plan that aims (actually, aimed) to industralize Goa by opening up land for sale (Land in forest cover) and open up industries in the state (again, at the cost of land in forest cover).

Converting the green state into a concrete jungle while claiming to industralize it, was how it was planned. There is a strong link here — the one among politicians and the land mafia. I quote a post from Goa Blog here:

Viswajit Rane, (the son of Chief Minister Pratapsinh Rane), on paper, is Congress general secretary but they claim he is using his influence to make a huge bid for a piece of Goa’s real estate action.

Documents show how between March and August 2006 in just five months 14 real estate companies have been floated, many of them in the name of Viswajit’s wife Divya Viswajit Rane.

The haste with which the companies were floated is evident in their registration numbers that run successively.

The suspicion is that Viswajit used his influence to convert forest or farmland which the companies bought at throwaway prices and then sold to builders at inflated prices.

And that could be just the tip of the iceberg. These builders belong to the land mafia of Mumbai and Delhi, who plan to build multi-storeys there, along the coast.

In fact, an article calims that the deals have already been done. The GRP was just a show to cover it all up. It was expected to be well received, a well scripted plan that would be appreciated all over — just like how it would have been celebrated in cities like Bangalore, Mumbai or Delhi. Greenery, Forest land and environment protection are terms which hold no meaning in our society. It will continue to be so until India’s exemption from the requirements of the Kyoto Protocol comes to an end.

Except of course, the residents of Goa, the strong willed they are, made sure that The GRP didn’t materialise. They came up with “Goa Bachao Abhiyaan (Save Goa Campaign)”, (website, www.savegoa.com), a campaign particularly aimed at demolishing The GRP. This was serious, even Pop Star Remo Fernandes voiced his support for it. As the agitation grew and the public anger apparent, the Government had to scrap the plan.

I can tell you, among all the people that I have come across, the people of Goa have always had a strong resentment against “Indian” politicians. I think some of it comes when they compare their times, not so long ago, with the Portugese. Besides, our politicans are a good for nothing lot. So, I’d say this is the biggest jan-andolan of our times. The verdict of the Junta. It’s an example of what education can accomplish, for Goa has one of the highest literacy rates in the country.

This plan would have been a disaster for the state. Being against this plan is not being against industralization but its being against over-industralization. For once, if I believe that there was not even a single culprit politician involved in it, I’d still say the administration’s greedy. Goa does not need an IT Park. There is ample employment in the state, enough revenue already (and increasing) through tourism. It seems a perfect script, a great place that has been well maintained by the residents and the Government, fishing and tourism being the major revenue earners. People are visiting the place more and more, the focus should be to preserve what we already have, instead of destroying it.

Now that I have travelled to all the four metros of the country (and lived for 10 years in two of them), I hereby proclaim that Kolkata is the most metropolitan city of all.

You could be surprised but that is what I feel. Of course, like always, you may or may not agree with me.

Let’s go at the beginning. Let’s just ask ourselves, and this is a tricky one, what exactly is a metropolitan city? Is it high rise buildings? Is it the big roads and the transportation that makes a city a metro? Is it the food? Is it the dressing style of the people? Is it People?

I think in the acceptability of various cultures lies the real essence of any metropolitan city. High rise buildings are only a few decades old.

When I went to Kolkata, I had to look at it as a metro. I had expectations but looking at this city, I wanted to go back and check out the meaning of the word “Metropolitan”. I needed to evaluate the city but I was forced to re-evaluate the benchmarks first. Because I feel, over the years, the definition of a Metropolitan city has been messed up with.

In Kolkata, there is a certain openness to everything. Because when a guy from Bangalore walks on chowringhee road, they don’t call him a madrasi like they do in Delhi. Because there they start off their first sentence in Bengali and by noticing your bewildered look, they smile and say it again in Hindi. Because there the UP wallahs and the Biharis are considered partners at work, rather than being treated as outsiders as they put up with the cheap rhetoric of Shiv Sena in Mumbai. In Kolkata, you can have tea for Re.1.50 and then you can have it for Rs.10 as well.

At the same time, I know, Mumbai has a big heart. But Kolkata isn’t that bad too.

Coming to another aspect, and an important one, you can almost feel the pain of Ganguly’s 10 month exile in every man’s heart. I was made to feel a sinner when I confessed that I had almost forgotten Chappell’s obscene gesture to the crowd at the Eden Gardens. It’s fresh in the minds here as if it was yesterday. They have not forgiven the coach over that. They never will, I can tell you that.

The cook who prepared the fine meals for me in the mess I stayed in, never looked much of a talkative guy. Until, while he served me a bowl of rosogollas, I asked if he had ever been to the Eden Gardens. He gave me a look, as if I had asked him one of the stupidiest questions. Well, maybe I just had. Kolkata resident not been to Eden! And then a sudden smile, a glitter in the eyes and the tone of his voice revealed that I had set him off. Eden Gardens, many times! How can you come up with that? Right, stupid me. A gentle loosener to start up with, so to say. Hit for a six alright.

Then on to Saurav Ganguly. Has he ever seen him play? Oh yes sir, sure, he has played near our guest house. A day before the news was confirmed, about Ganguly’s inclusion in the test team. So what did he had to say about the Maharaja being out of the team for such a long time?


“No, the cry is not because a Bengali player was axed from the team. The problem is with the way it happened. Bengali or not, he deserved better”.

No doubt, he did deserve better and maybe he will get to that. I often heard Pradeep Vijaykar on radio. He always said that the people of Kolkata have an immense knowledge of the game. That is just so true — You can almost feel it here. They live for it. They think about it when they walk. They have cups of tea, discussing what went wrong the other day as if they could have changed the way it all went. An average Kolkata resident will be able to match his wits against the best of commentators on ESPN, that is the level of their matured opinions. To call Cricket “just a game” will be dishonoring their respect, knowledge and above all the love for the game.

I have heard they are more passionate about Football. I didn’t get to that. And trust me, I can’t imagine that.

Orissa may be the land of temples and The Holy city of Puri may as well be its “Temple capital”, but my stay there was a terrible story in itself.

According to the Hindu mythology, we are living in the Kalyuga — The material age and the one in which mankind will be the farthest away from God. Ironically, the house of God has not been spared and that is what you get to see in this land of temples.

A kind of place where any conversation with a stranger often leads to some kind of “payment” from your side. Priests eye your wallets and object if you do not “donate” enough in the temples. I had a row with a couple of them, for a few moments I wanted to leave the place there and then. But I asked God, what had gone wrong there, why was this holy land transformed into a “wholesale market” of Gods. Religion, a big and probably, the only, enterprise here.

The only saving grace being the wonderful architecture of the temples. The remenants of a wonderful age, a truly holy past — now in ruins.

This was written a couple of weeks ago, posted now

The family of four with whom I share my bay with, in the train, are strange, irritating people.

The two boys are noisy. They could be aged 3 and 5 years. I mean you expect kids to be noisy, it’s understandable for kids to be noisy but this noisy?

Then of course, there are the parents. Every now and then their mother, shouts at them to be quiet. In hindi, sometimes in English. Be quiet, be still, she insists albeit with little effect. Little effect for the kids that is, but her command carries a lot of effect since while shouting, she is louder than the kids. Its 10:30 in the night and if the kids fail to wake up the few sleeping passengers, she, with her “be quiet” and “chup raho” guarantees to leave a mark.

I get a feeling, these people always need to be in the midst of their comfort zone, no matter where they are. There are special clothes to be put on for sleeping, special sandals to be used while in the train. Special food, home made, of course. All this for a 12 hour journey. Dinner is served at 9:30 and it cannot be shifted an hour plus minus, so what if the train starts at 9pm.

The husband of the lady (alarmingly, it seems he is the head of the family), is another character. He needs to get into his “comfy” night clothes (bottoms, actually). What else could be ideal, than to wrap a bathing towel around oneself and change it right there, in the middle of half a dozen strangers? Why go all the way to the bathroom for that? He insists that the kid do the same. The kid, ashamed, resists but papa is always right says mom and bingo.

Morning time, the gentleman in his 60s, sleeping above me turns out to be an early riser. At 7am, he slams down and wakes me up. Sooraj aa gaya hai bhai, kab tak sona hai? One of those guys who are the preachy kinds and get some kind of pleasure in commanding others while being rude, especially to the younger lot. Something in me wants me to get up and bash this man up. Similar emotions were not evoked when last night he insisted to sleep at 10-30 while I was not ready for bed and yet I had obliged. This time too, I wake up and close the middle berth so that he can sit at the cost of my sleep. I need to show some resistance from now on.

The kids wake up too, much to the dismay of their mother who’s still snoring. The elder kid has an obsession for counting parallel rail tracks seen out of the window. The numbers increase and then decrease as tracks merge with each other, as if automatically and in motion, as seen from the window of a fast moving train. Hunger strikes and subsequently the kids are fed with potato chips and all the junk food that their parents, now awake, carry with them. Coffee cups, water bottles, empty snack packets – the place is littered in no time. I am trying to read my book but I really want to put it down, slam it on the small table and tell their father, that this is the time. That this is the age when you teach your children some manners because if you don’t, they will grow up to be bad citizens of this country, with no civic sense — just like their parents.

But I stare out of the window and I see two boys playing a game with ping pong bats and a badminton shuttle. Almost like badminton with ping-pong bats…It could be called Pong-inton…

Then the kid throws a bottle of water on the table, there is noise and then an even louder “STOP IT” scream and I am back at where I was…

In Delhi’s posh Vasant Kunj area, a few months back, had a conversation with my uncle who while parking his car, after much efforts, summoned a water-tanker wala to fill the water tank, as the municipal water supply had not been sufficient and dear uncle was expecting guests later that day. As the orders were accepted, so was a Rs. 100 Note, which quietly went into the pocket of the assistant of the water-tanker guy.

On the water tanker was written that the service was free of charge, courtesy Delhi Government. Then why was it that he was paid? And why does it happen every second day?

Simple. Here too, the demand of the state supplied water tanker water exceeds supply. The water goes to people who pay the guy. So in effect, it’s a bit like auctioning water. Whoever pays more, gets the water.

Of course, on paper this water is supplied free of cost to the residents of our national capital. This “on record” fact is very important because this shall make it’s way to the list of achievements of the present day State Government when Delhi votes again.

Somini Sengupta, in a riveting report for The New York Times here (requires registration), reveals that a good 25 to 40 percent of water leaks out of Delhi’s pipe supply system. Yamuna, the only river that runs through the city (if you still call it a river that is), provides Delhi with 229 million gallons of water everyday. And then, the city dumps about 950 million gallons of sewage into the same river, each day. Approximately 45 percent of Delhi’s population is not even connected to the public sewage system. This is the state of the Nations capital.

Michael Crichton, in his last novel, “State of Fear“, explained how developing countries tend to ‘jump’ development cycles. An underlying network/infrastructure to support the new development cycle is, almost always, practically absent. We could be opening shopping malls and broadband internet may be making inroads into the Indian home but the state has failed to provide clean drinking water, a proper sewage system and electricity to the most urban of areas in the country. Worse still, what we have is not distributed in an optimized manner. Water leakages and electricity theft are problems that are in no way related to their respective supplies. And I have not even mentioned the villages.

International pollution norms are relaxed for developing countries. Once India is asked to comply with the rules set on emissions by International Standards (and I hope that happens soon), the Centre will wake up to a mess which would be hard to come out of.

In Vidarbha, on an average, 2 farmers commit suicide everyday.

Forget the Economic reforms, the growth rate and forget the FDI and the theories associated with it. I am sorry to say this, but India is not shining.

105 farmers committed suicide in Vidarbha in the month of August. These figures have more significance since they come to you just a month after the PM announced a relief package for the ill-fated region. It is clear how much this scheme has benefited the farmers. Or maybe it is not clear.

Don’t you see what is happening? You — the media, the administration. You — you and me? Not one CM went to the region in three years. The Minister for Food and Agriculture says, on prime time TV, that “Farmer suicide is a normal thing.”

P.Sainath, Dilip D’Souza, Sonia Faleiro, Jaideep Hardikar are a few names who have seen something wrong in all this. They have travelled to these regions, the 6 districts in the state of Maharashtra and they have their own stories to tell. One such story, by Sonia Faleiro is here.

Clearly, the media is not doing enough. Says P.Sainath, “You had India Fashion Week in Bombay, over 500 accredited journalists covered the Fashion Week. Less than 6 journalists from outside Vidarbha were in Vidarbha in that same week.”

Full Interview here. [Link via Sonia Faleiro]

I think I see a trend here. The media is targeting that segment of the population which is benefiting the most from the economic boom. The urban middle class. People like me, and in all probabilities, people like you. The fashion shows and the automobile exhibition stories are given precedence over something like the plight of the Indian farmer. Of what I have seen, I have lost my interest and maybe even faith, in the traditional channels of Indian journalism.

But to be fair to the media, even if the media machinery works to the optimum, one should not expect it to do what the babus and netas up there should.

Fact is, the economy boom has not touched the Indian farmer. Fact is, the Indian economy’s boom has more to do with the market driven forces, the private sector than with the Indian Government. Fact is, The Government has done absolutely nothing to improve the status of the farmers affected in regions like Vidarbha.

And it is not just Vidarbha. It is Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and it is Kerala too.

It was said that the last Government at the center fell for its indifferent attitude towards the Indian farmer. Isn’t it ironical, the Government that follows does it in a more evident fashion?