ON THE RECORD

Delhi Gets Kinky?

Posted In: . By Journalism student


Story By
Reema Behl

Mr Arjun (name changed) was not a wee bit startled when a young girl of seventeen came to his shop in a posh colony in South Delhi and asked for a pair of handcuffs laced with pink fur. Reason? He owns a one of its kind shop in the area that sells kinky stuff that has garnered immense popularity in the pre-wedding bachelor and bachelorette parties.

"Usually people confuse all this with porn and think that I am selling pornographic DVDs and will probably give them the contact number and details of a stripper that they can call for their parties. My shop is selling things for party decorations and to tease your friends by gifting them such things. The idea is to have fun with it," Mr Arjun claims.

Well, fun it is that the young Indians are having. Since the idea of organizing a pre-wedding bachelors party is restricted to the upper echelons of the society, many others might not even be aware of it.

Ms Sonika (name changed) is a salesperson at a popular lingerie and cosmetic store in the GK1 M block market of south Delhi. She reveals that once a revered godman from the neighbouring state of Haryana visited their store. It was ordered to be closed for the duration that he remained in the shop."He purchased a lot of things that I cannot even think of telling you," Sonika says.

At the rear end of the shop a lot of merchandize including edible thongs, chocolate spreads for the intimate parts, playing cards with nude pictures etc are kept hidden from the public eye. But the regular customers know where to head to. According to Sonika, people get to know about the shop generally from their friends. “But this is something that is kept under wraps," she adds.
When asked why, Sonika claims apologetically," All this is essentially the excess surplus from Bangkok and by blatantly displaying it; one can jeopardize the name that the store holds in the market."

The reason for these apprehensions may be probably due to the fact that the Indian law is not exactly on the shop’s side. Chetna Aggarwal, (B.S.L.-LL.B.), former Associate at Lakshmi Kumaran and Sridharan, states, “The sale of sex toys is banned in India. Under Section 292 of the Indian Penal Code, sale of products considered ‘obscene’ is a punishable offence but the intention of the legislature must be understood here. While the use of such toys to corrupt minds is wrong but its use inside one’s bedroom is something personal. The law is not against that.The definition just varies on a case to case basis.”

Surprisingly the fact that sex toys are banned in India has not really acted as a deterrent and the industry is thriving, surreptitiously at some places and overtly at others. Sonika claims that most of the clients demanding such erotic and kinky products are middle aged men and women while Mr Arjun says that most of his clients are young boys and girls.


If not such shops, then there are innumerable sites on the internet where access to these 'naughty things’ is just a click away. 

Up?

Going the organic way

Posted In: . By Journalism student


Story By 
Salma Rehman

“I had a huge space on the terrace of my flat and I was clueless how to use it but now I am happy after I see it flourish before my eyes. The greenery is really soothing,” says Charul Chaudhary, an urban gardener from Gurgaon.

After all the hue and cry raised on the use of pesticides and fertilizers in farming, ‘Urban Gardening’ could be a safer and  more convenient option to ensure that whatever one eats is at least healthier and free of toxins.

Urban gardens have started blooming in the cities like Bengaluru and Mumbai and the concept has recently picked up pace in Delhi where a lot of people out of awareness are practising Urban gardening.

“The concept in itself is not very nascent but the focus of the cultivation has shifted more towards organic farming as people are becoming more and more aware about the presence of harmful toxins in the food that ultimately results from the excessive use of pesticides and fertilizers,” says Ritu Malhotra, head, Upvaan; a group of urban gardeners in Delhi who work for promoting urban organic farming.

“People have started with small cultivations in their gardens, backyards, balconies and terraces and such practices have been extended to ‘community gardens’ where people from various localities have started maintaining such organic gardens on a larger scale,” says Ritu. One such garden is in Bengaluru where a section from the park for senior citizen has been converted into an Urban garden by the local residents.

“Pestcides- free cultivation is a significant aspect which is associated with Urban gardening and we are trying to promote it as it is ecologically very important for cities,” says Kavitha Kunnayati, convenor, Alliance for Sustainable & Holistic Agriculture (ASHA). Recently ASHA organised organic food melas in Delhi and Bengaluru where the major focus was on bringing people’s attention towards safer farming techniques.“We placed demonstrations for promoting urban farming where we had demos of cultivation techniques and organic manure usage,” says Kavitha.“Interested people got themselves registered with us and were provided with seeds and manure samples.”

Kiran from Lajpatnagar has been an urban gardener for the past five years and she explains how difficult was it in the beginning.“When I planned to go the organic way, the availability of vermin-compost was a major problem. The local agricultural outlets generally sold the chemical farming products but now organic manure is available at such outlets,” says Kiran. She also says that one needs to be really patient when starting up with an Urban garden as the results are not visible in the beginning. It takes a long time to obtain adequate yield but then it’s worth waiting as the food is free of harmful elements, she says.

Following the increasing trend of Urban gardening many initiatives have been launched by Non-government organisations(NGO’s) across the cities in the past few years which  have been promoting the idea of urban gardening by providing adequate knowledge and inputs to the people. One such intiative was launched by Vividhara, a Delhi-based NGO for promoting urban gardening in the winters of 2011. The derive called “Winter spring”, encouraged people to grow winter vegetables in the available spaces at their homes.

“We provided carefully chosen range of winter vegetable, crops, herbs and condiments seeds are mostly from the Himalayas and some from the flood banks of the Ganga near Allahabad. They are high in natural nutrients and many have medicinal attributes as well,” says Ajay Mahajan, head, Vividhara.

Ajay says that through their blogs and frequent exhibitions they have been trying to highlight the need for organic food cultivation under which a lot of people have shown keen interest in Urban gardening specially in Delhi.“Around 1000 people including schools and educational institutions have registered themselves under the ‘winter spring’ initiative till now and after looking at the overwhelming response we plan to organise more exhibitions across Delhi in the coming
months,” informs Ajay.

After all the reports on the use of hazardous fertilizers and pesticides which are there in the public domain, ‘Urban gardening’ seems like a relief for the people in urban areas where they can ensure that whatever they are growing is free of toxins. Also with the concept strengthening its roots in metros there is a great possibility that it can produce a significant effect on the ecological balance and safer food intake.

Up?

For want of bookshops…

Posted In: . By Journalism student




Story By
Akhlas Ahmad

Even though Jamia Millia Islamia attracts a large number of students every year, they usually complain of absence of basic facilities. Lack of bookshops remains one of the major concerns among students. On the contrary, other central University students at Jawaharlal Nehru University and DU have easy accessibility of books. JNU students go to Munirka while  students of Delhi University visit Kamla Nagar and Patel Chest to buy the books.


Kamran Ansari, a student of MA Conflict Analysis and Peace Building at JMI, says “Books recommended in our syllabus are not available at book shops in Jamia Nagar. so we have to go to Jama Masjid or ITO where  it is easier to get books at a reasonable cost”.

However,Saghar Hussain, who sits at the bookshop situated next to the Maktaba Jamia Limited, says “We easily meet the demands of all except some professional courses and Civil Services aspirants”.When contacted, Simi Malhotra, Media Coordinator, JMI said, “We have not received any complaint so far about the lack of books in the bookstore here.We will immediately act in case students register a complaint”.

Though there are some bookshops around Jamia Nagar,  they hardly offer anything beyond school books. Bookstores like Shamsi Book Depot, Chaudhry Book Depot, Al Kitaab International in Batla House are some of the very few shops in Jamia Nagar that people go to buy books. Munazir Arshad, a Civil Services aspirant says, “Bookshops beyond  Jamia Nagar, offer at least some amount of discount on books. Bookshops in this area  do not offer any discount on the books.”

Kafeel Ahmad, a former student of JMI, points out that though many Biryani shops and eateries have opened in the area, nobody thinks of opening a book shop.

Up?

Drinking water costs Jamia Nagar dearly

Posted In: . By Journalism student


Story By
M Basit 
“Look at all this dirty water surrounding the hand pump, it percolates and contaminates the ground water below. It is the only hand pump for people living in this area, we are left with no choice but to buy water for cooking and drinking”, says Ganesh a labourer living near Bees Footta road in Jamia Nagar, Delhi.

Prime Minister of India urged the Ministry of Urban Employment and Poverty Alleviation to ensure provision of basic services to the urban poor in his speech while launching Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) in 2005.
However  access to safe drinking water still eludes many urban localities and  urban poor are the worst affected. Jamia Nagar is one such area where for many reasons basic amenities are still not reaching the people from low income groups.

Comparing the public facilities of the area with other parts of the Delhi , Rukhsana a maid servant living in Jamia Nagar says, “The low income households surrounding the ‘kothis’ (bungalows) of Hazrat Nizamuddin area, where I work, have easily accessible water taps which people there use for cooking and drinking.”

Provision of Basic Services to Urban Poor, a mandatory urban poverty reform for all local bodies supported under JNNURM mandates all local bodies to provide basic services (including water supply and sanitation) to all poor but the public water works department have little to contribute in the issue. “We have a few tube wells operating in the area, we are not supplying water tankers in the Jamia Nagar because it is a congested area,” said Delhi Jal Board official who does not wished to be named

In the absence of public drinking water facilities a number of water treatment plants have come up in the locality. They work on the principle of economy of scale and draws large volume of water from bore wells. Water is then sanitized in treatment plant and packed in plastic cans. The vendors supply these cans on cycle carts to the various users in the locality at varying rate of Rupees 10 to 15 per can.

There are allegations about bribes and complicity of officials. Ameeqe Jamaei joint secretary of All India Youth Federation Delhi state council alleges, “The elected representatives have let down the very people who got them elected. There are nearly 150 water treatment plant operators in Shaheen Bagh area alone. Each plant operator is paying nearly 10,000 rupees in bribes to MCD officials, police and councillors in the Jamia Nagar area to keep their business running”.

The spending on the most basic facility like drinking water affects the financial health of the low income group families and individuals. Abdul Rehman, a rickshaw puller earns 200 Rupees and 25 Rupees equals to 5 to 10 percent of his household income and other people like him. Residents in the locality find other options like portable water cleaners and packaged drinking water expensive and they rely on water supplied by the operators. “The water from the bore wells in many areas is not fit for human consumption and we are left with no option but to use can water as we cannot afford expensive measures like Reverse Osmosis (RO) Filters and branded bottled water”, says Sultan Khan a resident of Johri Farm area in Jamia Nagar. In the 65th year of  Indian independence, Jamia Nagar still waits for the fulfilment of promises made to them.

.

Up?

Striking notes on scrap

Posted In: . By Journalism student



Story By Janu Narayan 
Photo: Vinu Janardhanan

An electric ‘veena’ with a base made from an old jar of a mixer grinder, an electric guitar made from wooden waste, a ‘tampuru’ that has got an earthen pot as its lower base - the list is exhaustive. They are not just showpieces. They could be played just like the  original instruments. The creator behind these innovations is an 82 year old musician Gangadharan Nair, who resides in Trivandrum, the capital city of Kerala.
Nair is a popular figure among the ‘Bhajan’circles and music teachers group in the city. He can be found at major temple festivals or Bhajan sessions, switching between vocal music and his dilapidated harmonium. The musician could not even remember when he took to creating musical instruments. He plays nearly seven instruments including harmonium, flute and percussion instruments like mridangam and gottu vadyam. Mr.Nair’s long association with music must have have evoked and inspired the creative genius in him.  He hires a carpenter and sits down with him to cut the materials into pieces and shape it up. The notes of all the instruments are made and fine tuned by him.
There are  many interesting pieces in his collection. A polished coconut shell attached to a piece of wood with a long nail makes a smaller percussion instrument. He has made a ‘sarod’ with fragments joined together which were once the damaged parts of some old home appliance. He even posses a self-made version of ‘Bulbul Thara’ (classical music instrument with both keys on a board and strings like a guitar). The musician says that the instruments made by him could be used in musical concerts, without any obstruction. But one has to use an amplifier here, connected to the instruments. This is because the sound is not that loud as produced by the original instruments.
The musical instruments he makes are from cheaper objects, in fact from discarded materials. This makes it light on the pocket. Thus, Gangadharan Nair’s passion has  a green side to it as well. Since the original instruments are made from wood and animal skin, such recycled replacements are worth considering. But the musician makes it clear that he does not want to commercialize his instrument making skills.
This music academy drop-out (Swathy Thirunal Music academy, Trivandrum) is interestingly the first Guru to many of the musical prodigies in the city. Gangadharan is always engaged in experimenting with something or the other in music and making new musical instruments. He still gives music lessons to the children nearby.
This man of few words  does not complain about or makes a self-introspection on why he failed to convert his talent into quick bucks. In the twilight years of his life, finally he received an honour. The Kerala State Sangeetha Nataka Academy honored him with the prestigious ‘Guruvandanam’ (tribute to Guru).

Up?

ADB extends US$ 150 million for improving Rail Freight Services

Posted In: . By Journalism student





Story By
Devang Chaturvedi

Indian Railways is expected to get a huge increment of US$150 million from the Asian Development Bank to improve its Freight and Passenger route services. The assistance comes under the aegis of the Railway Sector Investment Program and the implementing agency is the Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL).
The program is aimed at improving rail freight and passenger services along some of India’s busiest freight carriage routes which include the Golden Quadrilateral linking the four major metropolitan cities of New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai.
Being at the core of the mass Indian freight and passenger transport network the Indian Railways would look at this development with eagerness. With an estimated total of 969.78 million tonnes of freight carriage in the Fiscal year 2011-2012, the Indian Railways has re-asserted its position as the country’s premier transport service provider in the commercial sector.
The program is intended to make optimum usage of the existing physical railway infrastructure in the country through electrification of 640 kilometres of rail tracks and doubling of 840 kilometres of them. Also with installation of modern signalling systems, the delay that the trains face would be reduced. This would propel timely deliverability of freight thus impacting the economic generation in the country in a huge manner.  With financial efficiency through accounting reforms also in the pipeline, railway freight services users can expect lower transport and logistics cost.The Railway Vision 2020 underlines the need to remove infrastructure glitches, design and deliver market driven services, reliable operations and build capacity.
Hiroaki Yamaguchi, ADB Principal Transport Specialist says, “This program has the capacity to deliver more energy efficient, safe, reliable, and environmentally friendly rail services along key high density routes,” He further adds, “This in turn will result in the creation of cost-effective opportunities for about 21 million people who will benefit from all aspects of the Railway Sector Investment Program.”
Jaskeerat Singh Arora, a Delhi based transporter sounds apprehensive about the shift of goods services from road to rail due to improved rail freight services. He agrees that unlike the railways, they do not carry a majority of the strategically important cargo like minerals and natural resources, but they do carry a minority of them.
Indian Railways which boasts of the fourth largest Railways network in the world is also in need of constant infrastructural development. D R Sharma, Accounts Manager, RVNL explains it further, “It is entirely the prerogative of the Rail Vikas Nigam Limited to decide whether or not the Indian Railways is in need of financial assistance for infrastructural reforms. Since we are a subsidiary company of the Railways our basic task is to widen infrastructure and once completed it becomes part of the railways.”
He further adds, “Loans like the one extended by the Asian Development Bank are purely for capacity building of the Indian Railways and are principal and interest free. If they involve any kind of repayments, they are taken care by the Indian Railways. Government of India also provides us funds and for this project it has extended us, US$ 644.6 million. Together with ADB’s assistance of US$ 500 million, the project cost is US$ 1,144.6 million.”
The expected completion date of the project is December 2018.

Up?

Maruti strike ends, no separate union in Manesar

Posted In: , . By Journalism student

By


Esha Paul & Suchita Maheshwari

The 14 day strike in Maruti Suzuki’s biggest plant in Manesar, Haryana resolved on 21st October. A mutual discussion between the Maruti Workers and Management led to an agreement on reinstating 64 permanent workers and 1200 contractual workers.

The whole issue came to the surface on 24th July when workers demanded recognition of a separate union in Manesar. Maruti management recognizes only one union which is at the Gurgaon plant of Maruti Suzuki. “There are four production plants in Haryana. Workers of all the plants were members of the Gurgaon union. The leaders were controlled by the management itself. The workers couldn’t have their say. So, all the workers decided to form a separate union here in Manesar plant” says Shiv Kumar, General Secretary on Maruti Suzuki Employees Union (MSEU). But the Maruti Management refused to recognize this union in Manesar.

The strike started on 7th October. Workers stopped production and announced a ‘tool down’ in the IMT Manesar plant, Haryana. They were allegedly forced to sign a document and faced violence from management. Parvesh was one of those who faced these atrocities.

On 14th October High court ordered workers to move out of Maruti Suzuki plant. They organized a mass rally on 17th October in which more then 8,000 workers participated. Complete halt on production brought Maruti’s profit down in October by 59.8%.

After this, in a meeting between members of management and workers Maruti management agreed to reinstate 64 workers, but another 30 workers, against whom there were serious legal allegations of violence, were refused reinstatement.

This whole strike began with the demand of formation of separate union in the IMT Manesar plant. Though the strike has been resolved, their demand of separate union remains unfulfilled.


Up?

Foreign universities: A panacea for ailing higher education?

Posted In: , . By Journalism student

By

Brahm Prakash Chaturvedi & Taha Siddiqui

India and United States have initiated a dialogue on collaboration in higher education. With this the debate about the feasibility of foreign universities setting up campuses in India has gained momentum once again.

On October 13, Human resource development minister Kapil Sibal and Secretary of state Hilary Clinton met in Washington DC to discuss the possibilities of cooperation in the higher education sector.

Before this initiative HRD ministry had set up a committee in 2008 in the chairmanship of Prof. Yashpal to advice on renovation and rejuvenation of higher education. In its report in 2009 the committee categorically said that quality universities grow in organic connection with cultural soil and cannot be transplanted mechanically.

Government has also tabled “The Foreign Educational Institution (Regulation of Entry and Operation) Bill, 2010 in the parliament which proposes to allow foreign education providers set up campuses in India and offer degrees.

On the other hand, experts are of the opinion that setting up of foreign universities wouldn’t improve the quality of higher education in India

“Setting up foreign universities in India is just the first step to attract the FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) but improving the quality, the courses and the standard of teaching is far more crucial, says Dr Apoorvaanand, of Delhi University.

We don’t have to make small islands of excellence but create an indigenous education system that takes care of the large student population, he adds.

As it is, govt. has allowed 100 % FDI in education sector since 2000 but according to experts it has not yielded great results in improving the quality of teaching.

Students are also apprehensive that if foreign universities are established in India it might make higher education more expensive. They would rather prefer an Indian university with quality teachers and good infrastructure than a mediocre foreign university.

“ I don’t think I will apply for a foreign university because the budget would be very high, and if am getting good education in my government run college, in my own country then why would I apply in foreign university which is just mediocre in nature, says Sneha, a student of jamia Milia Islamia.

However, some students believe that it would make higher education more competitive. “ I think setting up foreign campuses here would bring world class faculty”, says Siddhanth Manocha of Pearl Academy of fashion. He thinks that the exposure will rise the standard of education in India.

With millions of students ready to enroll in colleges every year, India is still struggling to improve the quality of higher education. Amidst these disparate voices and opinions, one thing is clear that a long consensus building exercise is necessary with the passing of the bill in the parliament.


Up?

Lifeline for City Lakes

Posted In: , . By Journalism student

By

Sushovan Sircar and Zeyad Masroor Khan

Rahul Sabharwal, a marketing manager, has been a regular visitor of Sanjay Lake for years. The lake , he feels is “different from the chaos and noise of the city”. However , Sabharwal , like many others is disappointed by the government’s apathy towards the lakes and its repeated failure to keep them pollution free.

Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has once again taken an initiative to revive three of Delhi’s largest lakes – Hauz Khas Lake , Sanjay Lake and Bhalaswa Lake.

DDA previously had an MoU with INTACH [Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage] for the maintenance of Hauz Khas Lake which expired in 2007. Noting the deteriorating conditions of the lakes , it has once again turned to the heritage body for the revival of the water bodies. A new MoU for five years has been signed with INTACH for their technical expertise in this field.

“What happens in urban lakes is that pollution level is so high, that the natural water system loses its ability to self cleanse it. We will introduce a consortium of bacteria, which can replicate this natural cleansing process”, says Ritu Singh of INTACH.

Environmentalists though feel that the simply treating the lakes is not enough. A more sensitive approach towards the issue needs to be adopted. However , at a time when the Yamuna itself is so dangerously polluted , lakes often end up as a soft target for pollutants. Sunny Verma of SWECHHA an NGO which works for the revival of Yamuna says ,“ Open spaces need to be kept open and encroachment along the lakes must stop”. Moreover , “the groundwater must be retained and conserved” he adds.

Experts at INTACH ,however , say that having previously attempted to pump groundwater for the Hauz Khas Lake they realized it was neither cost effective nor a solution. “ The only effective method is to ecologically treat water from the sewage treatment plants and introduce them in the lakes” says Ritu Singh.

Both Sanjay and Bhalaswa Lakes have been cut off from the Yamuna due to construction of embankments. Hence they tend to dry up during summer. A treated supply of water from nearby Kondli sewage plants should keep water levels intact throughout the year , says Singh.

Lakes , which attract thousands of visitors everyday are often polluted by the visitors themselves. Navneet Singh , a resident of Mayur Vihar who visits the nearby Sanjay Lake daily for a walk says that people tend to discard garbage in the lakes which spawns mosquitoes and other insects.

“ If the massive Sanjay Lake in Mayur Vihar is properly rejuvenated , the water problems of the entire East Delhi region can be solved to a great extent” says Verma of SWECHHA. “The lakes need to protected as they are crucial not just for humans but all other life forms as well”, he added.


Up?

A Foolproof Aadhar?

Posted In: , . By Journalism student

By
Nishtha Arora

Two crore national unique identity numbers have been issued by the Unique Identification Authority (UID) in the month of October alone. It is said that UID aims to roll out Aadhaar-based applications for improved service delivery that will ensure that the poor benefits from welfare schemes.

“UIDAI has generated 59.6 million crore Aadhaar numbers within a little more than a year, and more than 100 million citizens have been enrolled in the system across the country”, says the latest official statement from the UID authority. But if recent reports of the UID data being misused are to be believed, these cards run the risk of breaching individual privacy.

As recent media report cites the first of its kind complaint received against the misuse of address proof in UID, anti UID campaigners and researchers are vary of its ‘safety’. “It is like a version of homeland security. We are no longer safe with our data being available on the net. The state can use anybody’s fingerprints and make us look like we committed the crime. You know how easy it is to lift anyone’s fingerprints these days”? rues Usha Ramanathan, an independent law researcher and the main voice behind ‘Say no to UID’ campaign. Gopal Krishna, of The International South Asia Forum (INSAF), has other apprehensions. “Wikileaks has shown that no data is digitally secure over the internet, then how can they claim that this UID data stored would not be hacked”? , he asks.

There is no denying the fact that the UID plan could make it simple for people to access various services such as banking and government subsidies through Aadhaar by merely swiping the cards. However, vulnerability of personal data does raise questions in the mind of the people. Is the digitally saved data in these smart cards secure enough?

Meanwhile advocates of the Unique Identification Authority are confident about the security of data at various levels of collection. “It’s based on biometrics and retina scan etc and this personal information of a resident is digitally safe in the regional centres databases. Also, there is an option the form that asks for the resident to share the information with other authorities and they are free to accept or decline that option. It is just a yes or no option…then where does this question of digital data being misused or leaked out arise? When we are not sharing anyone’s details then how can you say that the police or the state can misuse this data?” questions Sujata Chaturvedi, Deputy Director General (DDG) of UID.

Currently, UIDAI plans to issue 60 crore UID cards by the year 2014. The million dollar questions that needs to be answered at the moment is: Would the UID authority be able to keep up the promise of making functioning easy from the governance perspective and also secure our biometric information digitally safe always?


Up?

Man with the ‘Box Camera’

Posted In: , . By Journalism student

By Gaurav Shukla, Gaingongmei Gangmei
Tikam Chand is no ordinary photgrapher, his camera makes him distinct from others.
Riding on his rusty bicycle, he navigates past a group of pedestrians in chaos of old Jaipur and finally reaches his open air studio near City Palace. Immediately after arriving, he unties his prized possession a 20-kg ‘Box Camera’ that took its first photograph sometime around 1865. Ever since then, the camera has obediently followed the orders of its subsequent owners, first Tikam Chand’s grandfather, then his father and now himself.

As he talks to us, his first customer has arrived. 45-year-old Jatin Kumar, a daily wage laborer needs a passport size photograph for some court work. He will pay only Rs 50 to get his four B&W photographs clicked and printed in just 5 minutes.

“Technology has made us lazy, taking photographs used to be an art. Now the thinking has disappeared and all they do is click,” 42-year-old photographer explains. “Digital cameras can never give you such joy,” he adds.Clicking a photograph with this ancient camera looks so interesting you can just stand there and watch him as he starts his work. How he adjusts the camera’s focus by sliding the ancient Carl Zeiss lens back and forth along a track before ducking beneath a large piece of cloth at the back to slide the photo paper behind a glass plate.



The shutter release button has been an integral part of camera for long is nowhere to be seen here. Tikam Chand just removes the lens cap for one or two seconds to expose the photo paper to make an image. Then he comes back under the coverings, sticking his hand in tubes made of a blue jeans leg to shift the paper from developing chemicals into the fixer, then into a plastic bucket to rinse off the chemicals.

The image made after all this will dampen you spirits, its just a negative image and he will have to shoot this negative to make it positive by going over the same process once again.
His clientele includes locals as well as tourists from Russia and Thailand. He’s out here every day, shouting, calling tourists to get their photos clicked. On a bad day he’ll earn nothing, on a good day it’s up to Rs 500.

The story of this box camera and how his family got it has almost become a part of the forgotten past now. All he knows is that, his grandfather somehow received the camera as a gift from the royal family. For the last three decades, this camera has been the sole bread earner for him, his wife and two sons.Will either of his sons, aged 6 and 11, go into this business? “They only like the new stuff, cell phones and computer games etc.” he says. “I guess it will probably end with me.”

Up?

A city losing its identity

Posted In: . By Journalism student

bu Gaurav Shukla

It was not so long ago that the most revered member of Rajasthan’s aristocracy late Rajmata Gayatri Devi left her mansion to sit on a stretch of pavement to protest against the real estate developers who are aiming to change the skyline of this historic pink city Jaipur.



Her actions were only symbolic, but they clearly echoed the increasing anger amongst the conservationists at the damage being caused by rapid construction in one of the most popular tourist destinations of the country.

With the economic boom, the new explosion in building construction has altered the city’s character. Pink city is losing its distinction from other cities, as new Jaipur looks like any other city in India with similar architecture, with malls and multistory buildings covering its skyline.






Founded in 1727, Jaipur is known for its richness of palaces, forts, walled city area and the medieval maze of bazaars. Although major monuments have been benefited from restoration work, conservation experts are concerned that the rest of the historic city is drowning beneath new, often illegal, construction work.
The famous walled city of Jaipur has also not been left behind with this entire construction spree. Radical alterations are being made to the ancient buildings of old Jaipur without realizing the loss of its original architecture.

With each passing year, Jaipur is in less of gain and more of loss from urban modernization. The question of the peak hour is whether constructions done in a wide scale will leave Jaipur with its own identity which makes it memorable and popular as the Royal Pink City.

Up?

A work of Art in the age of Mechanical Production

Posted In: . By Journalism student

by Niha Masih

Sanganer is a small, dusty settlement just off the airport road on the outskirts of Jaipur. However the many lanes and by lanes of this neighbourhood throb with life and machinery continuously. One narrow road leads to the renowned blue pottery workshop and another houses textile mills. All open spaces are lined with cardboard drying in the sultry sun. Vigorous screen printing on bedsheets is going on in dingy workspaces.

Originally it was an artisan village populated by the ‘kagazis’ or papermakers. They were the first settlers of Sanganer which interestingly is older than Jaipur. The handmade paper industry had its genesis due to an initiative by Maharaja Sawai Jaisingh II taken as long back as 1728. Over the years it has evolved into an industrial hub with many kinds of factories coming up, from textile to speaker parts. In this mechanized age most of the production in Sanganer’s handmade industry is manual, except for the electric motors used for pulping, calendaring and other peripheral activities.

Till a few years back the whole process of papermaking was manual. At house number 30, Masjid ke pass, Kagazi Colony, it still is.

It is Friday afternoon and Hussain Kagazi Saheb is readying for a bath before the Friday namaz. He does not want to be photographed as he is not wearing his usual pristine white Kurta. His eyes shine with pride and a vigour as he speaks of how he is the only one to have kept alive the art of papermaking in the entire Sanganer. Most of the others have either set up huge factories making close to 1000 sheets daily or have begun other more lucrative businesses. ‘Aisa mazboot kagaz ab kahan milega aapko’, says the 58 year old Kagazi Saheb while scrunching a sheet of paper in his hand. Not a wrinkle or tear.


The entire family works in tandem during the whole process. Kagazi Saheb creates the paper from pulp while his sons (standing extreme left and second from left) oversee the making of pulp and its cleanliness. The women of the house cook the starch and apply it over paper before finally putting it up for drying. His grandson (standing on extreme right) is still in school and is learning the ropes as yet.


Zakir Hussain, Kagazi Saheb’s elder son manages the post production aspects like selling and exporting the paper. He is happy being a small producer even though it does not pay as much because it is more satisfying.


The paper production at home was limited and the family got money from the Khadi Gramudyog a few years back to set up a small factory. Unlike most of the other paper making factories their paper is made using all the traditional material,l making it not only strong but also more lasting.


The Kagazis of Sanganer no longer only make paper. The considerable amount of work involving low returns has forced most to shut shop. Many continue to be in the paper business but are into the more lucrative cardboard or cartons business.


In a span of two hours Kagazi Saheb is able to make more than 200 sheets of paper. He says that the entire process is simple but the skill lies in making of the sheet from pulp. That is the secret of a well made paper from an ordinary one. He acquired it from his grandfather and the family now has a 400 year old legacy.

A government agency too approached him offering money to teach this art but he turned it down as he could not bear to ‘sell’ his art. His eyes screw up in hard concentration as he hauls up another sheet from the pulpy water. The flurry of activity around him does not affect his work as he stares deeply into the water. It is not just paper but a part of him in the making.
The handmade paper making process is an elaborate process involving many steps:


Handmade paper can be made from jute, textile or paper. The jute is first cleaned by picking out the fibre by hand.

The jute is then cut into small, neat bales using a sharp saw.

The bales are soaked in water and made into a pulp which is thoroughly cleaned twice over.

The pulp is put in a small enclosure and with the help of a mesh net made into a sheet of paste.

Then the sheet is carefully lifted with the help of a bamboo roll and put on a cloth piece of the same size.

After the sheets lose their moisture they are dried and plastered with starch to harden them, then hung to dry.

After the sheets dry they are cleaned with camel hoof to take out the grainy fibre and then polished with a stone to give it a shine.

Up?

Health Care for Jai-poor

Posted In: . By Journalism student

by Kriti Gupta


Dipu is a 1-year-old boy who lives in Katputli Nagar, Jaipur. He is underweight and has not yet received his vaccination shots. His father works full day at the factory and earns rupees 50 a day. His mother takes care of him and his 4 siblings. Sasuri, his grandmother is suffering from a disease that does not allow her to leave her bed. They do not have enough money to take her to a doctor and get a diagnosis on her ailment. His aunt (father’s sister) is a 28-year-old woman who has not yet hit puberty and still lives with them.

These are the problems faced by one single family in this Kachhi basti. This is an example of the lack of health care that is available for the poor. On the one hand, India races on with a 9% GDP growth. On the other hand, a study conducted by Oxford University shows that almost 70 percent of the population cannot afford specialized health care.

According to WHO statistics, half of the children in the country are underweight, while we have the second largest rate of maternal mortality in the world. India has one of the largest populations of people affected with TB, Polio, Cholera and HIV/AIDS. The reason behind this is the vicious circle of poverty-illiteracy-overpopulation.

It is important to empower the poor by providing them with proper medical care. In Jaipur, there are various initiatives taken by the government and hospitals that attempt to do the same.

ANGANWADI

The word Anganwadi translates into “courtyard shelter”. This is a government scheme that attempts to provide mother-child care.

The idea stems from the notion that the poor cannot travel to a hospital to seek treatment. So the health care is provided in the courtyard. The government takes houses on rent in the village or urban slum. In these locations, an Anganwadi worker informs people about healthy ways of living. The Anganwadi worker is responsible for organizing day care and providing informal, pre-school education.



Dr. Alok Upadhyaya is a pediatrician who visits the camp at Jhalana Doongri, a kachhi basti, in Jaipur once a week to provide basic health care for children. He describes the situation at the basti, “The basic problem here is that people are ignorant. Mothers do not understand the importance of proper nutrition. But once we tell them, things tend to improve.”

Sitting in a single room with the sun as the only source of light, Dr Upadhyaya treats close to 40 patients a day. A nurse carries medicines and vaccinations. These are administered to children free of cost. Dr Upadhyaya continues, “It is a sad state of affairs. But initiatives like the Anganwadi offer a space where mothers can learn about health and children are given space to learn and grow.”


In Jaipur, the SMS Hospital is in charge of 25 camps while the SDM Hospital has adopted 15 sites as part of its outreach program. These are institutes with world-class facilities that are attempting to provide equitable health care to the poor.

AVEDNA ASHRAM
This is a care home that gives health care to terminally ill patients free of cost. It is generally inhabited by people who have cancer, leukemia or other incurable diseases. Since it is free of cost, most of the patients living in the hospice come from poor families.

Situated next to the Birla Temple in the heart of Jaipur, this Hospice focuses on palliation. Palliative care is the care given to reduce severity of diseases rather than attempt to halt or cure them. Since the patients are terminally ill, this is the best that can be done to ease their pain. The hospice has 100 beds. Additionally, regular health check ups are organized at Avedna Ashram for senior citizens. These are also conducted free of cost. The care home has wards for patients along with rooms for entertainment – to watch television, play chess, listen to the radio and so on.

The main nurse at the hospice is Sister Mary. She is affectionately called Mary Aunty by the staff. Mary Aunty takes care of the patients – giving them medicines, ensuring that diet is followed and so on. She talks about her work, “The patients may be severely unwell, but their spirit is strong. And despite the inevitable, I find strength and comfort here.”

It is a quiet and serene place; but also filled with sadness because the patients at Avedna Ashram do not live beyond a few months. It is a great initiative because it provides a space to live one’s last moments in peace. And that right belongs to everyone!

Dharamshala at SDM Hospital
Another problem that the poor face arises when the recovery period is long. If the patient needs to be in the hospital, then that is an expense. Additionally, the person accompanying the patient will also have to stay somewhere and that is an extra expense. This gets too much for a lot of people and so they refuse to get health care.


The SDM Hospital identified this problem and has built a Dharamshala within its grounds to provide for a solution. The rooms at the Dharamshala can be rented at the nominal rate of Rs 50 per night. Proximity to the hospital helps. The relatives can stay there for the night and get back to tending to the patient first thing in the morning.

Col. Badal Varma, Head of Administration, describes its purpose, “We follow our philosophy of “giving”. So it is important for us to help the poor. We want to provide everyone with equal opportunities to avail of proper health and medicinal facilities.”


The Dharamshala is a project undertaken by SDM Hospital to achieve just that. Rana Singh, a driver by profession, a resident of the Dharamshala wonders if his chacha could have gone to a hospital if it cost more, “Chachaji lost both his legs in a train accident. This trip has cost my family a lot. If I had to pay standard rates for a separate place, we may not have been able to afford it.”

The Dharamshala, therefore, is a step towards empowering the poor. It allows the poor to get good quality health care by making it more affordable.
—-
Such initiatives are remarkable as they provide equitable health care to the poor. In a country where 700 million people cannot afford specialized health care, it is heartening to see the government and hospitals involved with these causes.

The hope is that in the future, Dipu and his family will be able to get involved with such schemes and live healthy, happy lives.

Up?

Aqua Impura

Posted In: , , . By Journalism student

Yamuna, the main source of water to Delhi is not fit for drinking anymore. Millions of rupees spent for its uptake have literally gone down in drains. The fate of 600 plus smaller water bodies in and around the capital is no better due indiscriminate mining and water pumping. The silver line though is that people are gradually realizing the importance of maintaining bio diversity and are now keenly taking part in their revival.

Up?
Older Posts | Newer Posts