Indian Parliament ..

The Indian Parliament turns sixty .. So what are the reflections as this is significant institution that stands for our democracy reaches at an important juncture !! With its warts and corns the Indian democracy is still a hope for the large struggling middle class , the underprivileged – the laypeople who can exercise their right to select a government of their choice .But those choices are getting less bright by the day . Politics has such a powerful influence in our lives – both directly and indirectly . Instead of saying that politics mirrors society it is society that mirrors the politics !! Such is the great Indian democracy

Drought in Maharashtra

 

There is a terrible drought in Maharashtra ..Some places where the situation is terrible   are not more than 50Km away from Mumbai . There is lot of study , tours etc happening . But are the  impacted people finding any real relief …even as they reel with pain and misery ..

The drought also reflects the drought of human values and speedy action and where there is plenty of apathy .

International Women's Day (IWD )

International Women's Day (IWD )was celebrated on March 8th and it marked the 102nd anniversary of IWD worldwide . In our office though and in most other offices we celebrated it on 7th March as 8th was a public holiday .India and especially Maharashtra has a long legacy of pioneering women – namely Savitribai Phule , Ramabai Ranande , Lakshmibai Tilak etc . But how have fared in these 102 years – here's a small poem to mark that occasion :
On 101 years of International Women's Day and 125 years of Savitribai Phule's birth


It is 125 years and the struggle is still on
The walk that started
Is still on
Reached some milestones but the goals kept on stretching
Some fellow travelers helped
During the rough patches
Some didn't
In the heady whirlpools and uninvited hurricanes
The walk just got longer

Though in our office we used a generous sprinkling of Maya Angelou-Phenomenal Woman and Subhadra Kumari Chauhan – her famous Rani Jhansi poem
The spirit of IWD continues ....

Travels...

January and February took me twice to Pune and the new property that has come up there – Ishta ( which is actually a branch of the famed Ananda resort and spa ) was quite nice for a weary business traveler . The food spread is huge and the spa ( though a bit expensive ) offers lot of good services and facilities – reflexology oriented massage , use of ancient ayurvedic treatment like shirodhara etc .

Then March it was Kuala Lumpur at a glance . Petronas towers , China town market , malls etc are the usual suspects where any Indian goes - but as part of our meet we were taken to Songtek -a quaint restaurant where there was a cultural show . The show displayed influences of all cultures in Malaysia(no wonder they call it truly Asia )- Chinese, Indian , Malay .

One note of caution though which any hardcore Indian vegetarian has to pay attention is that the food served to you actually has only vegetarian elements !!

Oh Singapore !!

With its smartly managed construction and busy moving traffic Singapore almost reminds you of a military parade- everything in perfect precision . Wish we had more and more of that kind of discipline and the ensuing comfort that comes along with it !!! At . least we in Mumbai can learn a lesson or two from there .

The Chijmes area in Singapore where I went today is a foodies delight with multiple cuisines served under one roof. A particular Brazilian restaurant servies tons and tons of meat . The premise being that you are given a card once you want any meat preparation the red side of the card should be up. Once you have had your fill the green side should be shown by any individual patron . There were some Brazilian attractions like fire dancing etc !!

But there is flurry of constructions activities in Singapore and my sense is that all small quaint structures will not be visible in times to come . The space crunch and increasing needs due to commercial expansion is the inevitable cause .

Cookery shows on television

Even children these days seem to like cookery shows. The chatty nature of the program coupled with the fact that pleasant things like food are shown and discussed with no reference to the daily stresses of life - so generously used in Indian sitcoms and daily serial shows to get those adult viewers addicted . Children at the end of the day even seem to get bored of cartoons and don’t mind watching the cookery shows . These food shows have also enhanced our vocabulary related to varied cuisines and we are most open to experimenting with new dishes , different additives in our day to day food . So keep the good working going !!!

The Balance

The Team Anna crusade continues in some way or the other . There could be lots of debates and arguments related to the movement but at least a germ of an idea is sown and it will flourish going ahead .
Talking about ideas in a fast city like Mumbai there is no time to think – where will the new things , concepts to grow , progress come from !! Along with the speed , race and movement we also need time to reflect , introspect and grow !! Both speed and stillness go hand in hand if we have to strike that balance !!