Ranchi..Jharkhand's Summer Capital No More...

Phew... the sweltering heat makes me reach for the a/c control panel once again.. What has Ranchi come too. There was a time when my relatives would come down for "casual" visits every summer when temperatures in Jamshedpur and Kolkata soared too high... Now that Sooraj Devta has decided to show Ranchiites His might, seems we have to find a safer haven to run to.

When I look around, I understand at least some reasons why Ranchi has changed. At the first crossing after my apartment, there used to be a huge gulmohar tree. I remember it clearly because of the colours of the flowers matched the colours of my grandmother's saree.(For those of you who find this statement cheesy, may I say I am a greenhorn when it comes to horticulture..... I know almost nothing about plants)

The gulmohar tree was one of the many trees cut down to make way for wider roads and urban infrastructure.6 years later, all i see are more cars,more pollution and no trees to mitigate the effect. I believe the year on year budget surplus that the government makes cud thus be put to much better use than purchasing choppers for the CM or providing security  to celebrity cricketer(s).

Why this scenario seems more appalling is coz of my experience in Bangalore.I wouldn;t know much but I do know that in Bangalore, they don't cut the trees but make their homes around them,sometimes even keeping space for the tree to grow through their terrace.I know it doen't seem viable to do so for public roads..But at least we could plant more trees in and around the city. The only vegetation I see these days is confined to a few neighbourhoods in Ranchi...MECON,HEC etc.

The point is, in the name of infrastructural development , the authorities have turned our beloved Ranchi into a concrete jungle. Will somebody tell them that infrastructure includes well maintained public parks and gardens....!! TO add to that, I read an article in the local paper today which mentioned that the avg water level of Ranchi has dropped to 40 feet, which is alarming... I aim to use the RTI to understand exactly what steps the govt wishes to take to solve this problem.I wish others would do the same. Till then, my sympathies for the heat strokes....

Peace...(sigh!!)

Insomnia

The time is 2.28 a.m & I do not have the slightest inclination to hit the hay.. Is it my sudden change in lifestyle or a general apathy towards discipline puts me in suc awkward positions.My parents obviously are appalled at the thought of their son staying up late and for no plausible reason.I don't blame them.

Okay I think I figured out what it is...I've been busy helping out my aunt who just got an operation done at the local hospital.I hate the hospital now but i guess I might reserve that for another post.Anyway, so the two days I saw my buaji in the hospital ward,I had a number of revelations.Just next to her room, an elderly man was admitted the very same day. Apparently he had his leg operated upon for soem infection.Now to be honest I was not so much concerned for his general well being as for the  discomfort his prescence might cause to my aunt. (They were to share the same washroom for the night) So through some general conversation with the gentleman's family, I reminded them of the potential problem.

The night went by peacefully, barring his constant screaming and coughing that kept my aunt awake most of the night. Naturally I was irritated thenext and couldn't wait to get my aunt checked out of the hospital.As we checked out, I was the last one to go, collecting all the medicines and knick knacks left behind.While I was about to leave, I snapped at the man's family, blaming them for my aunt's lack of sleep. There was a third lady today accompanying the gentleman.The answer she gave me will probably remain with me for the rest of my life.

The man was a farmer from Khunti, one of the suburbs of Ranchi.He had come to the city to get medicines and apply for a routine check-up for his wife.At the OPD center he had met this lady who needed a bone marrow donor for her 5 yr old daughter. Since nobody was willing to help her out, she approached the CGHS centre at the hospital.they too at best offered her a subsidised operating fee from the doctor's side.But that still left her without a donor.Desperate she somehow appealed to this man for help.And he obliged, even though he knew nothing about except the reason why she needed the bone marrow.

This man a farmer, who was probably the only bread-winner for his family agreed to an operation that may possibly render his right leg weak,or worse...And why?? For a  stranger??

In a country where literate people kill each other for petty reasons, here was the greatest irony of them all- An illiterate man risking it all to save the life of a "stranger's" child.All I could do at that point was apologize. As I came up to the car,my father kept akiing what took me so long. What could  I tell him? I had no answer.

"Truth is stranger than fiction" Every word from this oh-so cliched proverb makes sense to me right now. And yet even as I lie awake in my room, typing away, I cannot help but wonder about how our life is built upon the choices we make. I wonder what is going on in the minds of the man's family..In some strange way,I believe it is God's will that I stay and ponder on the events of the day. And suddenly, insomnia doesn't feel weird anymore.......

I guess I got carried away a bit.But its been an emotional 5 hrs for me after that conversation.I hoped to narrate this incident to the world, for those who care.I hope I did justice to the same.

Peace.

Jaago Re

Elections are like a 5 yr festival in India. And you can see it all around you...whether you want to or not. I for one used to be  apolitical towards the entire concept what with the common populace's general attitude towards politicians. In effect I started appreciating the whole concept with the appointment of Atal Bihari Vajpayee as our Prime Minister beginning 1998.I mean c'mon, he is one of the few gentlemen that Indian politics can boast of. Without him, I don't know how BJP can charm a multi-cultural economy like India on the basis of a unicultural ideology.

As far as the Congress is concerned, there is a certain lack of panache in the upper end of the hierarchy. I agree Rahul Gandhi has a certain charm that he carries with elan. But whether it is enough to woo the common man,remains to be seen. 

Anyway coming back to my own experiences, I can see my household erupt with political debates..(most of which I am now involved in nowadays, thanx to Pathak :))And surprisingly,or not, everyone I know still has faith in the Indian National Congress. According to them, "Advani does not have the same panache as his predecessor and is still seen as a hardliner.To add to that, the BJP seems to have gone a few steps back with the impassioned and highly politically incorrect speech by Varun Gandhi.The less said about the Left, the better it is. A party that seems to have lost its bedrock of ideals is now a mere pawn at the mercy of the bigger parties. Even George Fernandes,an erstwhile firebrand leader is considered a toothless tiger now"

Although such issues are always open to debate, something that I personally found encouraging and timely was the "jaago re" ad by Tata Tea. Excellent theme, well scripted. May I also add that the protagonists deserve a gentle applause for their eye-catching statements. I for one am a fan of the Great Indian Democracy now.....

Peace.  

Homecoming

Wow what an overdose of nostalgia... Its been two days since I'm back and already I miss my foster city. It seems I left a lot behind..family, friends, some memories-good and bad.It might sound cliched but I actually want to go back.Hell, I wish I was....  Not only did I get to meet some of the most memorable and genuine people at the "City of Gardens"(I wish I'd gone to one at least,but thats a different story altogether :))

On a serious note, essentially just wanted to use this post to convey a big "Thank You" to all those responsible for making my stay a happy one, in their own little way.You all know who you are.. :) 

Also I wish to describe, in my own irritating way, why I rate Bangalore so high among all the cities I've stayed in....

1. I met some of the funniest characters in Bangalore..unfortunately some of them won't be available in India for quite some time now. :)

2. Andhra food(30/- a plate unlimited ghee :)) that I ate like a glutton is the most delicious cholestrol-enhancer I've had in a long time.

3. Fan support is one thing, but seeing ppl practically worshipping movie stars who look like they've boycotted all the barbers in their city is a sight to be seen.

4. The autowallah's will not co-operate if you do not know who ganesh is... can you believe that??? :)

5. The city has some amazing pubs, all closed by 11.00 but nevertheless worth it.

6. I now have a great family in Bangalore. :)

7. I've made friends for life .....

and finally.... Kannada Gothilla but Bengaluru mein jasti enjoy madi......(Please forgive me guys :))

Peace