Bloodbath in Peshawar

 In Childhood I had heard-‘Brave die once, Cowards die everyday’.

Consequent upon hearing, seeing and sensing the uncalled for tragedy on T.V. concerning brutal and inhuman killing of 141 persons including 132 innocent children ,I suppose, either my faith in what I heard will be further deepened or I will be too shocked to react. In either of the situations, one will  have to zero down to blaming the most recent or emerging kind of suicide ,that is ,the fearsome cult of suicide bombing(S.B.) ,This has relegated to the background, the earlier lethal threat of small arms. So far, one knew from Emile Dukheim, the Father of Sociology only three types of unnatural acts leading to self killing-Egoistic, Altruistic and Animistic.

Why I wish to flag or underline S.B. because, of the six terrorist 'martyrs' involved in lynching 141 Persons and injuring over 200 in an Army School in Peshawar, majority may have taken a vow, once upon a time, to give up their lives for the sake of the so called Jehad. In Peshawar scenario, to my limited understanding ,it was not Jehad espoused for over 35 years or so, rather, it was supposedly an act of reprisal or revenge against the same brethren, led once by Maj.Gen.Nasirullah, who gave birth to the dreaded Talibans in Afghanistan. Z.A.Bhutto was the P.M. of Pakistan at that turning point of history.

As per available indications, upgraded and more focussed operations by Pak Army against the Taliban elements in Pakistan launched on 15th June 2014 seem to have led to this unthinkable brutality. Talibans, on their part are reported to have claimed displacement of more than 15 Lakh persons triggered by the most modern weapons, including indiscriminate use of Drones and F-16 planes.

When one learns about wards of Army officers getting separated in Peshawar prior to being butchered, it unfortunately reminds one of some parellels in our own country, when Sikh terrorism was at its peak and foundations were being laid systematically and religiously for the renewed terror attacks in the name of 'liberation' in the State of J&K.

What a time to choose? It has happened within a few hours of terror attack in Sydney and less than a week of Malala of Pakistan and Kailash Satyarthi of India being conferred with Nobel Peace Prize jointly. The duo, incidentally fought for the child rights. Malala, in particular, may have more burden on her feeble shoulders now in view of the fact that she herself had escaped narrowly another dastardly Taliban attack in the past. No wonder, within a few hours of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claiming the responsibility of eight explosions leading to deaths, Malala called it senseless and cold-blooded.

The TTP, an umbrella organisation of 13 Islamist militant groups led by Maulana Fazlullah is based in north-west part of Pakistan. It has a sizeable following along the Afghan border in Pakistan. They  indulge in anti –Pak Government activities, insist on their own interpretation of the Sharia and do not fail in carrying out activities against the NATO led forces in Afghanistan. Allegedly it has close ties with Al-Qaeda going to the extent of sharing money and bomb makers with the latter, apart from training and planning together.

  Is it a case of being paid by one's own coins? Or will such unfortunate episodes unite once again the like-minded individuals all over the world to take an unbiased resolve to suppress this kind of drug inspired or instigated terrorism all over the Globe.?

One should not be saying but it is a felt, recorded and well documented fact that when innocent persons were targeted for years by the same very religious fanatics in India (and threat persists in some form or the other) ,educated and so-called sophisticated folks in other parts of world would not go beyond expressing a few routine words of sympathy or condemnation. Now that known and unknown places in the developed world and our own neighbourhood are falling prey to such a senseless violence every now and then, the World at large, seems to be waking up.

  

Our friends in the neighbourhood, despite facing recurrent threats, do not refrain from following double standards, nonetheless. While Talibans in Pakistan are being shown their worth lately, people like Hafiz Saeed, having hand in numerous terror attacks including infamous 26/11 attacks in Mumbai, are also being sheltered ,encouraged and possibly worshiped. Same is not happening at the time of a spineless Government. It has been the part and parcel of their unquestioned national policy for decades. In order to hide your failures on the Human Development front (say widespread Polio), is it 'wise' to take recourse to primordial loyalties and perpetuate further, the ills of the system?.

In USA, some of the top liberal Security experts have even gone on record to confess that they are more alarmed and concerned after 9/11 tragedy, Needless to say, it led to more serious debates and pre-emptive steps in the name of Homeland Security. It is high time, we had at last a well coordinated sharing of information in an electronic form ,bound by a signed UN Protocol and followed up by an unbiased action against the cult of terror, rather than only eliminating a handful of illiterates and heavily indoctrinated youngsters or their elderly guides and Think-Tanks.

Better late than Never. Perhaps one can wind up on this candid and optimistic note.

IN THE NAME OF ROAD SAFETY

Road Safety as a crucial emerging challenge is gaining momentum with the entry of several automobile giants in the huge Indian market facilitated by the rapid growth of the domestic economy. Connectivity is an important factor for which one needs well developed transport network. Unless the roads are sufficiently wide with proper drainage, support and enforcement system, growth of this sector will always come with a price, i.e. frequent instances of accidents, injuries and deaths. Thanks to loans on easy terms and avid desire on the part of young men and young couples to own an automobile, exponential growth in the vehicle population is being seen. Same, however, does not match with the required length and width of the road or for that matter, earmarked halting and parking places. To add to the mess, there is no thinking even in the metros to provide dedicated lanes for the cyclists and the pedestrians.  Majority of the vehicle owners, neither wish to pay for parking nor they have an intent to respect traffic rules. Motor vehicle licences are also issued fairly liberally without the applicant having bare knowledge of the theoretical or practical sides of driving.  To add insult to injury, courts order release of accident vehicles and errant drivers rather easily.

Pre-requisite & Pillars of Road Safety

All the three essential “E’s”, i.e. engine, engineering and enforcement, perhaps, could be blamed for the present dismal scenario. There is scant regard for the five pillars of road safety, namely, road safety management, safe road infrastructure, safer vehicles, better behavior on the part of road users and improvement in post-accident response & services. In hilly terrains, better road upkeep assumes more importance as reliance on it is total for undertaking and sustaining various development initiatives. Many countries by the virtue of negativities, have been in a position to bring down the number of accidents and some of them have successfully carried out de-congestion initiatives by amending and enforcing the existing laws. If they can do it, why not we, especially at a time when the U.N. has declared the decade of 2010-2020 as the ‘Decade of action for the road safety’ ?

Physical Space Not the Sole Parameter

The road space can not and should not be the sole parameter. Basic civic sense, habits and behavior patterns imbibed from a cultural pattern also matter a great deal. Other than Delhi, most of the metros or the emerging metros do lag behind in this regard. While in Delhi, 21 %of the space is available for roads, it is definitely inadequate in Kolkata (12%),Mumbai (10%) and Hyderabad (9%) vis a vis their large population. Even then, Delhi reports more road rage, accidents, injuries and deaths. In addition, Mumbai and Bangalore, on account of their obvious and attractive commercial and educational opportunities have already gone much beyond their carrying capacities. Moreover, these cities being linear, can not be expanded further.

Contributing Factors

If we attempt to find out the reasons of unpleasant and unwanted happenings on the road, speed, bad state of roads, continued use of defective vehicles, drunken & rash driving, fatigue and carelessness or no use of helmets and seatbelts immediately come to notice. One fatal accident occurs every 3.7 minutes in our vast country and trucks and two wheelers alone contribute to 40% of these accidents. Several sets of measures ranging from those aimed at individuals to engineering to enforcement to upgraded surveillance have been adopted and emphasized time and again but unfortunately the numbers keep on multiplying.

Dismal National Scenario

 A look at the national scenario would reveal that India’s vehicle population is growing at present at the rate of 15% every year. Same logically has a bearing on the persons getting temporarily injured, permanently disabled and dying altogether. On an average,1,42,000 persons are crushed to death in the road accidents and nearly 5,60,000 are reported injured, majority of them being in the age group of 15 to 45 years.  Setback to such a productive age group is a great loss to nation.  According to UN projections if road safety measures do not lead to minimizing the risk factor, road accidents would become third most prominent reason for death by 2020 after heart attack and depression.

Pain & Agony

Some injuries are so severe that the family has to suffer for no fault of theirs for several years, apart from unimaginable pain and agony on the part of the person concerned. The suffering is better felt rather than measured or assessed in monetary terms. Who cares, where is the monitoring mechanism, often asks the victim in the dingy clusters of economically weaker sections. In absence of dedicated accident courts, normal courts take a long time in deciding the cases and at the end of it, high and mighty get away easily. All of us have heard of the BMW case of Delhi and two cases of Mumbai, in which workers sleeping on pavement were either crushed to death or grievous injuries were inflicted on them. One popular Film Star has not been convicted even after a decade or so despite solid evidence available against him. This is happening at a time when both Judiciary and the Media are very active and vigilant and the RTI ensures better and easier access to information to the common man.

Unreliable Statistics

An analysis of the accident statistics would show that the figures collected are not always reliable as many deaths or injuries remain unreported in the rural and sub-urban areas or the small cities. According to one study, under reporting in India can be to the extent of 100%.  Railway has about 1,25,00 unmanned crossings all over the country and this alone could be a major contributor to the accidents. Poor quality of roads, non use of helmets & seat-belts and lack of adequate awareness about safety issues generally result into high rate of accidents in the remote areas.  Protection ensured to chest, heart, lungs and all the vital organs in stomach region by the seat belts is still unknown even in large cities.  Further, according to some experts, due to mushroomed growth of private clinics and hospitals as also growing culture of making claims, accident victims from the lower strata of society are invariably compelled to bear heavy expenditure, for no fault of theirs.

Post Accident Situation

Coming to post accident scene, it may not be known to many of us that the first hour after the accident is very crucial for saving the life or for reducing the impact of the injury.  One out of six persons are reported dead on the way either due to congestion on the road or the long distance to the health facility. All requisite steps, therefore, have to be taken by all the stakeholders and enforcement authorities.  Proper handling of injured persons by the trained Policemen, voluntary agency personnel etc. has to be ensured before specialized treatment begins in a Trauma Centre or hospital.  Panic, which may be natural, should be avoided.

Remedial Measures

Apart from having a comprehensive legislation for ensuring or improving road safety and restrictions on use of or higher taxes on older cars, there has to be adequate awareness on the part of every citizen for which he/she has to be suitably sensitized at the school and college levels. Drastic reduction in the use of crackers over the years goes on to prove the efficacy of the message conveyed through the school children. In Sikkim context, wherein the number of registered vehicles has doubled in just 8 years and the number of deaths and injuries(72 and 399 respectively in 231 accidents in 2013) in road accidents has also risen sharply, one can and one must create awareness about road safety through NGOs, Self Help Groups and Punchayats also, in view of their being pro-active and vibrant.

Minimum safety standards for the vehicles, roads and road users will have to be prescribed, apart from improvement in the city and highway traffic management system through CCTV or ITS, as the case may be.  In Sikkim situation, one can think of creating more No Traffic Zones on the lines of similar ones in Gangtok, Namchi and Jorethang. Many European cities have gained immensely from such an experiment due to its positive impact on the incidence of accidents and overall pollution level. Side by side, there is also a need to come down heavily on rash drivers and other traffic offenders besides raising the amount of fines and penalties.  Resorting to punching of licence in the event of proving of a traffic offence could also make a beginning in India. 

 Accidents have been drastically reduced in a vast and populous country like China in a matter of just five years, (between 2005 and 2010). Can’t we follow the suit in India or in the smaller and manageable setting of Sikkim?

To sum up, road is supposed to ensure and enhance connectivity. It should not become a medium to disconnect mankind from the world. 

CELL PHONE: BLESSING OR A CURSE ?

Though the technology of Cell phone was developed in the Forties of last Century, it was not until the mid-Eighties that they became easily available.  Early devices/instruments were not only heavier; they had the propensity to consume more power.  The available network also could take the load of only a few selected conversations.  Bell Labs was credited to inaugurate the first mobile service in USA on 17.06.1946.  Soon AT&T followed suit.  Calls were set up manually by an operator and the user had to press a button on the handset to talk.  He/she had to release the button to listen.  To begin with, the equipment would weigh 36 kgs and the coverage area too was restricted.  Now it is small enough to carry in a purse or pocket and use anywhere. 

The introduction of cellular technology allowing reuse of frequencies many times in a cluster kind of situation covered by low powered transmitters made widespread adoption of cell phones economically viable. Prior to 1973, mobile technology was limited to phones installed in cars and other vehicles.  Motorola was the first company to produce a hand held mobile phone.  With the passage of time, advance mobile phone system (AMPS) was commercially introduced in USA in October 1983, followed by Israel in 1986 and Australia in 1987. 

Thereafter it was the turn of the 2G system and prepaid mobile phones in the early Nineties.  In 1993, IBM Simon is supposed to have introduced the world’s first smart phone having features, such as, mobile phone, pager, fax, calendar, address book, clock, calculator and a touch screen.

The first internet service through mobile phones was introduced by NTT DoCoMo of Japan in 1999.  The same company went on to launch 3G system in October 2001.

THE INDIAN SCENE

Cell phone came to India with a bang by 1998-99. Underlying, if not all pervasive idea was to facilitate communication when one was away from home or office. The handy, portable and tiny object was expected to free us from any taste or preference. Due to high costs involved (when even incoming calls were charged) in the beginning, it took time to gather momentum. Initially, therefore, it was restricted to a few selected cities catering to the high and mighty. In no time, it began spreading like a virus. AND now we are among the top five nations when it comes to fiddling with the numbers or ‘touching the screen’.

Apart from successive reviews by the Union Government and lowering of rates by the Cell companies with a gigantic market in mind, mobile became a mass product. Its potential to be a golden goose to generate revenue was realised very soon. While cells were instrumental in reducing mental and physical distance, a new breed of white liars, if not the strategic ones, too began emerging on the horizon. False assurances became order of the day apart from encroaching upon one's valuable time as well as privacy. The other person simply does not know most of the time as to when is the right time to converse or disturb. Self interest only matters. If our job is done, we mostly ignore or switch off the set or divert the call, much to the discomfort of the caller at the other end. The tendency not to pick up unknown or unsaved numbers is also picking up rapidly. The impact of the waves emanating from the little wonder on the brain, hand or heart is still a subject matter of research. Interim findings keep surfacing.

 POSITIVE VS.NEGATIVE

No doubt cells help a great deal in emergencies, knowing welfare, giving a quick reaction or in breaking the time and distance barrier. Having vast memory and camera facility in hand is a remarkable asset. The fact, however, remains that at least in India we do not know how to talk less, forget about display of proper manners or etiquettes in a public place. Sometimes, public display of emotions (PDE) also takes place, often leading to noise pollution and unwanted disturbance. As compared to the Landline (as if cell is always off ground) cell also breeds restlessness and creates unnecessary confusions, frictions and rifts.  Use of cell for sending SMSs than resorting to verbal conversations in public places in Japan could be thought of emulation in Indian situation.

The combination of call through cell and short message service, coupled with e-mail is simply unbeatable but the purpose should be and has to be positive. Every now and then their negative uses or connotations hit the headlines, be it bank frauds, kidnappings, smuglings, terrorism or any Cyber crime.

It goes without saying that mobile phones have already had a certain impact on our day to day lives.  It has broken all caste, creed and class barriers.  Who does not have cell, either for personal or business purpose or for the good of the community?.Those who cannot afford otherwise, such as, beggars in Mumbai, too take a recourse to it to avoid harassment by Police and toughies.

Use of the facility by the vegetables sellers, farmers or petty shop keepers for getting acquainted with comparative prices is a welcome trend. A priest also using the facility for keeping in touch with his patrons amuses.  Whereas, the house wives making use of it for adding value to their regular exchange of experiences and gossip cannot and should not be avoided or ignored.

NEED TO EXERCISE CONTROL

The cell phones also having negative impact on close and durable relationships cannot possibly be ruled out. The phenomenon of doubt multiplies and there is no cure for same in Medical Science. Some of the more dangerous uses could be while driving two/four wheelers or crossing road or railway lines. A number of individuals keep losing their lives in this manner. In the same way, recording conversations on cells without the knowledge of the other person is another emerging negative development. In some instances, it is facilitating suicides and other forms of unnatural deaths. The Internet addiction through Cell too adds to the misery, thanks to the easy availability factor. 

Too much of expectation, courtesy this easy to grab facility results into quick dissatisfaction and a breeding ground for possible jealousy and hatred.  Trust becomes the casualty. Dissemination of negative information or rumour mongering is also at a fast pace vis-a-vis letters or books, if some incidents of recent past are to be taken note of.

OWNER HOLDS THE KEY

The whole thing boils down to the person behind the machine. How one uses, or intends to use. Both desires and wishes need to be controlled. In the non-mobile era also things were happening, rather they were happening in a better and decisive way, perhaps, with less ambition, jealousy and animosity. Let us, therefore, use the facility for easing a process and try to avoid useless chats. Inculcation of a positive attitude should matter in the ultimate analysis.

Passage To Darjeeling

It is always desirable to have some perspective on connectivity in a hill area prior to undertaking a journey. With this factor in mind, if one sees the concrete bridge at Teesta Bazar(55 kms from Siliguri), one gets only partial information relating to breaking of the vital links of Gangtok and Kalimpong more than once with the rest of the country. Januki Chettri, a knowledgeable, affectionate and talkative tea shop owner at the old Teesta Bazar since 1962 had some experiences to share on the region as also life per se. Before I begin gulping fresh vegetable Momos made by her followed by a cup of milkless and sugar free leaf tea, I am informed that upto 1968, an attractive concrete bridge in the genre of the present Coronation bridge at Sevoke was in existence till the devastating floods swept the same away.  Some portions of same could be still seen near the beautiful river bed on the Kalimpong side of the river.

It was nice to see the black & white snaps of all the three bridges along with scenic spots of the bygone era, including of the snowfall in Kalimpong in 1920, displayed prominently in Januki’s shop. The request to be taken note of was-‘photography of the photographs was not permitted’.  The Foot Suspension Bridge (FSB), according to Januki, served the purpose as late as 22^nd 

June, 1996.The FSB was, nevertheless, hard pressed due to its being narrow and weak. The perpetual landslides in the Lekhobir region in the late Eighties and early Nineties would add to its burden. The relocation of bridge had adversely affected the business of the petty shop keepers initially according to her but lately with the rise in tourist inflow to Kalimpong and Darjeeling, same had been compensated to a considerable extent. Left to herself, she had no desire to supplement her income as she was not only getting old day by day but was destined to leave this world some day. It was the turn of her off-springs, therefore, to further improve upon and build her business. A Sapoot (good boy/girl) would be always positive and pro-active, while a Kapoot (bad child) would prove to be a liability , she adds as I prepare to hit the road again to resume my journey up for Darjeeling through Jorebungla.

The narrow, steep road through the lush green forest reminds me of the Jorethang-Zoom road in Sikkim. One gets a panoramic view of the blue captivating colour of the Teesta river. After barely 3 kms, though we had not planned, we have a brief halt at the –“Lovers Point”. One is blessed with a ravishing view of the confluence point of Teesta and Rangeet, two major rivers figuring in the local folk-lore time and again. Though the scenario is somewhat hazy, there is no harm in capturing the beauty, as a number of soft-wares are available nowadays to edit and improve upon the snaps.

Following a steep drive of 8 kms, one sees the first Tea Garden next to a school with bright yellow sunflowers of medium size giving company. Less of constructions over here as compared to Sikkim looks more pleasing. After all, it could be good for preserving the environment in the ultimate analysis. It is a bright, sunny day and definitely less colder than my abode in Pine dominated locale of Gangtok. While the gradient rises, less of water is seen flowing on the sides. Now the attractive Marigolds are there to dominate the scenario on both the sides. A couple of small and clean hamlets appear every now and then. While the women are seen enjoying the sunshine, children are noticed rushing to schools in their clean dresses. Tiny Chortens too appear on the fringes reminding one of the Buddhist impact. Soon we notice red flowers on the highway against the backdrop of another tea garden. A photo opportunity was not to be missed here.

By the time it is 9 am and barely half of distance was found covered, we decide to hurry up or else we would be late for the 10.50 am Diamond Jubilee Function of the HMI. The milestone displays that Jorebungla was still 18 kms. Another tiny village surfaces. Nice and clean tea shops and convenient & eco friendly Ekra houses having lovely flower pots on their windows and balconies convey a different tale than what one sees in the plains. No apparent struggle for life is visible. Populace in general looks contented and satisfied.

Another halt point comes near a steep gradient. One never knew that Lopchu, famous for its Peda and tea by the same name had come. A bunch of pink flowers, may or may not be orchid, was simply stealing the show in the close vicinity of a newly constructed Nepal style temple and a carved house under construction. All said and done, very few houses were found added compared to my last visit in 2006. Appearance of tourist vehicles and way side amenities would point out that tourism was booming further.

When the watch shows 9.25 am, nice, tall pine trees together with Utish appear on both the sides of the steep and isolated highway. Sunlight in a filtered form impresses. Soon the gradient improves. Though the visibility is better on this side, in neighbouring Sikkim nothing can be seen. A big blue gate put up by GREF welcomes us to Lamahatta, a quiet but soothing tourist point having tea joints, pay toilets and home stays. A number of Ekra houses dot the line again and there is no visible or felt sign of pollution. The boys wearing maroon sweaters are seen going to their nearby schools. Two boards put up by the State PWD make a loud and wanted statement-Don’t use mobile while driving and Don’t play with the life of a passenger. Ferns and Marigolds begin appearing on the sides as we move forward. Number of vehicles coming back from Darjeeling now rises. Road too gains in width. It is nice to spot monkeys at this height, playing and running after each other.

At Tukdah (6^th Mile), a Safai Abhiyan presumably initiated by the Forest Dept. is in full swing. Participation of the villagers is prominent. Soon the vegetation changes. It is a sign of getting closer to our destination. At 8 km point, a resting place for the tourists is discovered. We too halt for a while and complete the breakfast. The bottled water tastes cold due to rise in altitude. We pick up momentum and manage to reach Simkuna Bazar or the 3rd Mile. Jorbangla is now 4 kms. away. Next a sleepy hamlet and a township emerge from fog and cloud. Despite greenery all around, it is painful to see water being collected and taken to the main town in tankers. In the meanwhile, road becomes bumpy but the parapets are nicely white-washed. When we are 1 km short of Jorebangla, lovely houses appear on the other side of the hillock. There is no congestion, however.

Jorebangla town looks cramped up, does not inspire, though we did not have time to feel and roam around, either. Jalpahar Cantt. is also located here. The historic Himalayan Railway making a foray from Kurseong takes a sharp turn here to move towards Darjeeling, barely 9 kms away. My memories of the legendary movies-Jhuk Gaya Aasman, Aradhana, Parineeta etc. are refreshed when I see the toy railway criss crossing the now narrow highway.

Approaching the Ghoom Railway Station at 8000' was quite a delight. Built in 1861 it was the highest station in the World till 2006.Its heritage structure deserves better maintenance. The Batasia Loop attracts a large number of tourists. One can see the Ghoom Monastery and some places in West and South Sikkim from a viewpoint. The golden statue of Guru Padmasambhava at Namchi is also visible by a binocular in the clear weather.

While we drive down for Darjeeling, people are seen walking for work but the shops are yet to roll up their shutters. The railway line changes sides every now and then. Weather is also not very clear to pep up enthusiasm. The British era houses are seen blending well with the new constructions. The famous tea companies-Margret Hope, Goodriche, Golden Tips, Nathmulls, Orange Valley, all are seen now competing with each other through impressive hoardings. For Margret Hope of Kurseong, it is a moment of tremendous joy, as this biggest tea garden of the area is on the verge of celebrating its 150th anniversary. 

Margaret Hope, once called Bara Ringtone was reported to be linked to a tragedy concerning its manager's daughter at the onset of 20th Century. Margaret, the daughter, having come from Britain, fell in love with the beauty of these slopes so much so that she decided to settle down here for good. But she had to return with her mother. Luck was not on her side when she was indisposed during her four month long journey and ultimately expired aboard. Mr. Bangdon, her father while walking through the tea estate would remember how Margaret had 'hoped', she would live, therein. It is supposed to have inspired him to rechristen the estate "Margaret's Hope".  One further learns that as a polite gesture and recognition for hard work with low wages (four Annas to Rs 7/-a day), rendered by 98 year old Purney Subba, the company has decided to honour his contribution by naming a variety of tea after him. Do we say -'Slow and steady wins the race'?

Being engrossed in tea tale, we miss a part of first few significant views of the vast hill station of Darjeeling. A large Monastery complex is not to be missed, rather we pass next to it after some time on the famous Hill Cart Road. More tourist taxis are seen now. Hoardings and buses of the famous Darjeeling schools too are occupying the limited space on the highway. More and more of traffic means slow movement of vehicles. As a result, we are supposedly behind schedule. The place feels colder than Gangtok, maybe, being about 1200 feet higher. While one feels happy again on seeing the Safai Abhiyan here as well, nothing brings more joy than the sight of the Darjeeling Railway Station. Imagine hearing Chuk Chuk at this height.I am reminded of my last visit in 2006 when Ankoor was still alive and kicking.

One passes through the Planters Club roundabout, Hotel Elgin, Hotel Mayfair, Raj Bhawan and Padmaja Naidu Zoo to reach HMI 30 minutes ahead of schedule. Mountaineers, trekkers, trainers, officers, staff and the immaculately dressed Sherpa community members (reduced to 55,000 in the Dist) add another feather to the cap of the famous institution, which was a brainchild of Jawaharlal Nehru.

Delay caused in the arrival of the chief guest did not kill the bonhomie, nor it dampened the high spirits of the organisers. On my part, in addition to rubbing shoulders with old pals, it was good to see the Suite number 1 at Dzongrila, once occupied by Mrs.Indira Gandhi, as P.M. and President of the HMI.I too had used it with my family in 2006.Apart from being given the opportunity to present my books on Sikkim Tourism and the Biodiversity of Sikkim to the HMI library with a view to disseminate knowledge, I had the pleasure and privilege to be declared as the Special Guest during the impressive cultural evening. The Pre-Dinner Camp Fire too cannot be forgotten easily. The show begun on 13th November 1954 had to move ahead with more vigour and vitality and the trainees had to climb peak after peak by remembering the tough struggles of the legendary Tenzing Norgay Sherpa. 

Barber Needs To Be Taken Care Of

Barber is an indispensable service provider. He is needed on a day today basis mostly for hair-cut. Till recently one would go to him for shave as well. In good old days, when life was simple and distances were short, he would pay a visit to a house to undertake shave and offer a head & neck massage on the one hand and back & feet on the other. While for a 'cut', a visit to a Barber's shop is a must, shaving has become a self performed activity and for any pain or ache, one takes recourse to the pain killers, prescribed or self-medicated.

Barber or Thakur or Hajjam has been and will be an integral part of the birth, Upanayan (sacred thread ritual), marriage and death ceremonies in a religious minded and tradition bound Hindu family set up. Apart from playing second fiddle to the more respect commanding Brahmin priest, he tries to cajole the head of a family to provide him additional 'tips' vis-a-vis his usual ‘entitlement’. He also expects to receive patronage if the basic tenets of age old Jajmani system are to be invoked in letter and spirit.

While the priests confine themselves to their own households and temples, a Barber, on an average, is in a position to set up his own shop or sit on foot-path to earn his livelihood. When we were still predominantly rural economy, they would move from house to house to perform various rituals. In the changed circumstances, they are mostly in a position to supplement their normal income by doing facials and dyeing of hair. It goes without saying that a Barber's place is synonymous with gossip and rumour mongering.

A Beauty Parlour perhaps could be termed as the latest, rather the upgraded version of a Barber's shop. Two differences, however, are noticeable-both men and women avail of services and there is no longer a caste bar on the person holding a scissor. An individual of any caste or class could be trained and perform functions of a beautician and the bar or taboo on women to have a hair-cut, facial, eye-brow make-up, pedicure or manicure is no longer there.

Coming to the experiences of the self, my visits to a Barber's shop are once in three months. That too merely for a cut of the grey hair that has managed to survive. Years ago when hair was dense and jet black, one would que up for a cut once in one and a half or two months. One did not have any fancy for a particular style as such. When multi-star movies began dominating the spectrum in the Seventies, one would not mind having long hair of Amitabh Bachchan, Rajesh Khanna, Sanjeev Kumar or Sunil Dutt kind. For women, Sadhna cut will always be in fashion or style.

Jai Jawan,Jai Kisan Saloon in a prominent street of Main Road ,Ranchi had an 'expert' hair cutter cum dresser by the name of Ranjit. He would also pursue his Graduate studies, side by side. Being a student himself, he would easily strike a chord with the young generation and earn a sizeable sum for his family. One had all the time in the world to wait for two to three hours in order to have a 'crowning glory' of choice, courtesy him.

Two of my recent visits to a Barber's shop have prompted me to pen these lines. The first was in Bagdogra in West Bengal when I needed to shave my long beard after a gap of 11 days during the Shradh or Pitripaksh period. Ramprasad, the old, unassuming man in his late fifties offered me three kinds of services-Rs. 10/- for shave by soap, Rs.15/- by ordinary cream and Rs.20/- by the best cream at his disposal. Not to take any risk on the health front, I settled for the last one. He spared full twenty minutes and did his job nicely. I was having a shave in a shop after a long time and it was worth it. While the act was on, he did not pose any questions. However, my own queries revealed that with his meagre income of Rs.13,000/- a month, he had to support a large family. Being a resident of a suburban area, he of course had to pay relatively a low rent but 'business' per se, too was not lucrative all the time. Usual tale of irresponsible sons and duty bound & educated daughters were heard. Only career option for the latter was to 'push' them unwillingly into marriage at a relatively young age.

My last interface at a Barber's shop was perhaps more interesting. I visited Md.Mohsin at Tibet Road, Gangtok for the second time in four months. When I had visited last, I had faint memories of having got my first haircut of Gangtok at his very shop way back in September,1986. He confirmed during the course of congenial conversation that he was running his business at the same place for 40 years or so. From a modest rent of Rs.300/- per month, he was now required to cough up Rs.5,000/-. Apart from the sharp rise ,he appeared concerned about having no fixed periodicity for an enhancement. Mostly nowadays, same would happen once a year or at an interval of 18 months. Another issue according to him was lack of legal support to the petty tenants like him as compared to his brethren in West Bengal or Bihar, wherein they could not be evicted easily.

On the family front, he had married off his two daughters, while his eldest son not trained as a Barber but as a Welder in Delhi, was waiting at Mumbai to grab a high income job opportunity in the lucrative pockets of the Middle East. His other two sons were in the 9th and 6th Class respectively at a village in Muzaffarpur Dist. of Bihar. It is a common practice in all such families that the head earns a hard living away from home while the wife keeps the home fire burning by looking  after the children and the sub-divided and fragmented pieces of agricultural land, all alone.

My being born in Muzaffarpur led Mohsin to perform his act with more care and interest. In a package of Rs.50/-, as compared to Rs. 30/- at Bagdogra, he trimmed my moustache in addition to the hair-cut, Nonetheless, I decided to pay him additionally for the latter, having discovered a separate rate.

When I was leaving his shop after feeling fresh and relieved, it had turned dark and cold. Street was no longer abuzz with activity. While exchanging Bye Bye and Thank You, Mohsin did ask about my off-springs, When he heard that the only one which I had ,was already lost 3.5 years ago, he felt a pain deep in his heart. Expressing his fatherly instincts subsequent to a silence of few seconds, he uttered- "Whatever the Maalik (God) gives, we have to accept". I could not possibly disagree with him.

Crane and Crows

North Block, Delhi (24-10-14)

Yes, I Can Stand On My Own and Get Noticed

Magic of Diyas and Candles

Deepawali, 2014

A Small Earthen Lamp has all the power

Burning bright in darkness (Diwali, 2014)

Diwali on Terrace

Bapa Nagar N. Delhi (23-10-14)

What a view from roof top?

B1, Vidhayak Awas, Gangtok

5:35 A.M. Pleasure

VIP Colony Gangtok

Mt. Kanchendzonga - view at Dawn

VIP Colony, Gangtok (27th October 2014)

None Of The Above (NOTA): Will it succeed?

Considerable Work seems to have been done over the last two decades in the crucial area of electoral reforms.  Like any other field of activity touching the interest of the common man, many initiatives were not liked to begin with but with the passage of time the stake holders in question had no choice but to accept and tolerate, more so, in view of rising awareness attributable to rapid rise of satellite television, judicial activism and more recently, RTI.

Of all the measures, EVM has been the real mile stone or game changer, side by side with substantial control over muscle power and sizeable suppression of liquor power.  Despite all this, some unfair means still go on, whether it is the phenomena of silent booth capturing or someone else helping an illiterate woman right on the EVM without any objection from the Presiding Officer or agent of a candidate.  Also showing might at the entrance of a centre or a booth with a view to deter the poor and socially disadvantaged, continues.  It would be impossible to have a complete fair play situation even under the changed circumstances.  But as long as vote percentage multiplies and order is maintained, that should help.

The latest landmark or measure has been the availability of NOTA (None of the Above) option with the voter.  It is being implemented following a path breaking ruling of the Apex Court dated 27^th September 2013 in Writ Petition (C) No. 161 of 2004. ECI was directed to make necessary provisions in the ballot papers/EVM’s for NOTA option so that electors who do not wish to vote for any of the candidates can exercise their right not to vote for any candidate without violation of the secrecy of their decision.  Thus the Supreme Court upheld the right of voters to reject all the contesting candidates, saying it would go a long way in cleansing the political system of the country. 

Before the NOTA became a reality, voters casting negative votes were required to enter their names in a register and cast their vote on a separate paper ballot.  Altogether eleven countries including Bangladesh already have allowed NOTA.  Hence, it is not peculiar to the Indian system. 

As it does not require involvement of the Presiding Officer, it should serve the intended purpose and not block or postpone a decision.  Rather, it is expected to work for facilitation of same.

During the elections to the Assemblies of MP, Chattisgarh, Rajasthan, Mizoram and Delhi held in 2013, more than fifteen lakh or 1.5% of the total voters used the NOTA option for the first time.  Similarly, in the course of recently concluded elections to the Assembly of Maharashtra, 0.9% or 4, 82, 574 voters exercised this option, while in respect of Haryana, merely 0.4% or 53, 608 opted for it.  In Maharashtra, tribals used it most, reportedly to express their dissatisfaction with Government policy.  The voters who preferred it were more than the votes cast for the established parties, such as, CPI (M), S.P., Swambhimani Paksha etc.  NOTA, in addition, was found to be more prominent in Marathwada area.   

The trend of NOTA in respect of two constituencies of Haryana (89 & 90 A.C.) during the Assembly elections was also gone through and analysed.  In the first constituency, NOTA had fifth position in a nine cornered contest.  The average preference for NOTA per round was 74 out of an average count of 8584 votes in one round in 89 AC while these figures were 72 and 10654 respectively in 90 AC having twelve contestants.  The first constituency, incidentally was completely urban.  

NOTA goes on to show disenchantment and dislike for the candidates put up by the major State and national parties on the one hand and a general apathy or lack of interest for asserting one’s rights for bringing change.  If the emerging trend continues, it may lead to notification for polls yet again in some constituencies, resulting into more expenditure, law and order complications and confusion.  However, it would be too early to seek a review of the decision.  One will have to wait and watch by giving adequate strength to the feeling that the gamut of politics badly needs good, educated and experienced persons, who have to work with as also to take work from the public servants, many of whom being shirkers.