Yes, we all want to see India do well, especially those of us who stay in India and are brought up here. And yes, we have inherited a great culture as we like to say, 5000 years old say some. But when I look around me, either we are blinded by this great culture we have inherited or we are plain shitting on it – this applies literally as well. Remember Indonesia, Malaysia, Egypt and many others are developing nations like India, but we have a unique reputation globally, of defecating on the streets. And I cannot ignore this. A nation that “allows” people to defecate on its streets on a regular basis, creating tons of organic waste left outside to rot, reflects an inner state within the cultural fabric of its soul. It communicates very simply – we don’t care, say what you like, when I want to shit, I will just defecate right there in front of you – that, is the inner feeling. Of course, the solution is not in having more public toilets (that is one of the outer effects of an inner change) , the solution is in changing our mindset first – both parties, the ones who shit and the ones who do not – need to care about the country. But do we really?
Continue reading “My India – Potentially Flawed?”Category: Politics & India
IPL After Parties: A Concocted Show
Many people, especially Indians are very quick to criticize say someone like the Singapore government, for putting on directed and concocted shows. But what about these new IPL “after parties”? They seem like a miserable drill the cricketers follow, night after night after night. Not only does the show seem completely put on (at least to this author), women are invited, celebrities perhaps flown in and the cricketers seem like they have to “keep up” with this new party culture; and all-in-all it looks like a sad and forced regimen for everyone. To top it all you have VJ’s and some others, pouncing around in over-excited tones, acting like it’s the greatest party on earth. Unfortunately, most of the visuals indicate to the contrary. The cricketers look jaded and tired, the VJ’s over-the-top, the invited mini skirt women flashing false smiles and celebrities who look like they would rather quickly get to their hotel room to get a good nights sleep. But its a free country and so people are free to celebrate and do as they please, but I would caution readers to be mindful before consuming boring visuals of a “put-on” party, weather on TV, in print or on radio. True celebration comes from the inside, through a solid understanding of your own inner being…no wonder you never find Sachin Tendulkar at any of these concoctions. Great example.
Matheran – Hillstation or Horseshit?
Matheran is a small hill station tucked away on a mountain, about a 2 hours drive from Mumbai. It is symptomatic of all hill stations in Maharashtra, that have fallen by the wayside and become a nuisance to travelers. There is a complete nexus of people trying to rip you off, whether it be the car park (there are no cars allowed in Matheran, you need to park a few kilometers away and then either walk or use horseback…more on that later), the horse rides, the hotels which are overpriced and give you abysmal service in return, to even the medical tablets you may buy over there. The tourist who visit Matheran (and this applies to all hill stations in Maharashtra) are not seen as people contributing to the economy or to the livelihood of the people living there, but more as people who can be cheated, twisted and robbed. It is fairly obvious the local people have a complete nexus and are hand-in-glove with local officials to perpetuate this scenario.
Most people talk about how Matheran is beautiful because its one place where cars are not allowed. Now while this is great, I do not believe this is due to any eco-sensitivity of the local people or officials; its more that the horse owners “mafia” have a strong hold on the place to perpetuate and force you to use their horseback services at rates and prices that are set arbitrarily, altered based on what background you come from and which car you drive into the car park.
No wonder tourism in Maharashtra has fallen so low, and India itself cannot up its tourism profile. Even a small country like Singapore attracts 4-8 times the number of tourists that the vast land of India attracts. Unless we respect and appreciate tourists, are kind and polite, make places tourist friendly (at the same time preserving local sensibilities and culture), not much will change. While we believe we are a culture based on “Athithi Devo Bhav” (The Guest is Like God), in practice we are culture which practices “Chor Devo Bhav” (We are Robbers, So Rob the Guest First).
Are you over doing It?
Often people are “overdoing” it. What I mean is people get obsessive about their jobs, careers or businesses. They act like that is what defines them. They go out of balance trying to prove to their bosses, stakeholders, partners how hard they are working, by putting in uncalled for and unreasonable hours pretending to “work”. They ignore their families, friends, the rest of their soul – hobbies, music, nature, mountains, meditation, poetry, art and silence. Then when its gone…the job, business etc., they are sitting at pubs drinking, mopping and feeling sad for themselves, utterly lost, as if that is who they are.
A better solution would be to: Continue reading “Are you over doing It?”
Dennis Taraporewala 