GREETINGS FROM RISHIKESH

Rishikesh claims itself as the yoga capital of the world and that might be true , seeing the amount of yoga centres and ashrams pratiscing yoga. The city is completely sitting on the bank of Ganga , which lost here already is wild nature, but is still very impressive with a milky opaque but still very clean appearance, inviting for a bath and is preparing to enter into the flat area. There are numereous of temples and a crowd of shadus, but it is still a very quite and inspiring city , inviting for relaxation and meditation

THE DARK SIDE OF THE MILLENIUM CITY

The habitants of the so-called Millennium city are since years facing power cuts not only at day time (with high power consumption) but also at nighttime. Despite several announcement by the responsible Electrical Power Companies and addition of 4000 power distribution transformers, a new rural distribution system (that means the villagers have to suffer a little more than the citizen, and some trials to lower power theft nothing as changed.

Gurgaon has many other Indian cities is having a hard time with unannounced power cuts several times a day and not like Western may imagine for a couple of minutes, these power cuts can last for hour and hour. According to the residents 8 to 10 hours power cut is daily routine

“ These power cuts are getting larger in the city, it has been really horrible for us. There is absolutely no power in the morning and we are not abler to switch on our water pumps (of course there is no regular water supply either … but this is for one of the next post), the kids have to go to school without being washed”

There is a substantial gap between the demand and the supply of power to the city. Additionally the power distribution is mal-organized and the power plants maintenance is insufficient.

ALL THIS BY TOTAL INCOMPETENT AND IRRESPONSABLE PLANNING FROM HARYANA STATE, GURGAON CITY INCLUDING DLF.

How is it possible to build a city for 3- 4 Million people without taking care that there are the most elemental conditions for a regular live as electrical power, water, sewage and public transport. And what is the most amazing for me the Gurgaon citizens accept all this without any loud protest.

THE RICHEST & THE POOREST

Despite Indian’s surprising ongoing and very real economic growth and sustainability, there is a serious problem that cannot be overlooked. A SENSEX of 20.000, a growth of the stockholders by a factor of 5 in the last 3 years is hardly in line with the very growing real line of poverty.
Let us look at the latest figures:
Indian rank on the Global Hunger Index 2007 is 94’Th out of 118 countries listed. India is behind China ranking 47’Th and Pakistan ranked 88’Th
40% of the world underweight children live in India
Indian scores last from all countries as far as improvement of poverty is concerned if compared tom 1990.
Governmental figures reveal that 863 Mio people corresponding to 77 % of the population lives on 20 Rps per day that correspond 0.36 euro or 36 eurocent!!!
Millions of Indians go to bed hungry. !

The major reason is the lagging of economical growth in the agricultural sector, where other sectors are booming small farmers or farmers without land are so desperate that the amount of suicides is tremendous.

But also the religious incapability to reduce the amount of kids in the poor families, hardly able to nourish them, is a big part of the problem. I some parts of India the male family members eat first and the woman have to survive with the leftovers, resulting in children of undernourished and anemic mothers with high risk of being born underweighted. More woman die in India during childbirth than anywhere else in the world. Of the calculated value of 526,000 women who died during pregnancy or after childbirth in 2005 globally, Indian contributed with 117,000 followed by Nigeria with 59,000 and Congo with 32,000. The probability that that a girl will die from a complication during her pregnancy and childbirth is 1/70 in India.

Almost one in four woman who gave birth in the last 8 years

received no antenatal care. With Bihar (66 % with no care) has the worst case. Only 4% of the mothers was giving a deworming cure during pregnancy, something which might seems for western not necessary, but seeing the penible hygienic conditions of the water in India, ought to be a must in India.

GURGAON I

The splendor of the hall of Ambi Island mall is only one of the facets of Gurgaon. Less than 1 km from pure luxury, deep misery will be find.

In the backyard of the millenium City Gurgaon .... no comment

INDIAN LOVE VIII

In an average it will take 4.2 years before Indian Women of the Delhi aerea will go to police for a complaint about domestic violence, endure torture or sexual abuse.
78% of these victims are confrontated with physically aggressive behaviour in front of and by in-laws, children and in public.
60% took support from their children after facing violent behaviour. Nearly 17% said that children became human shields to protect them. 23% women found their parents supportive after being thrown out by their husbands or their families. These facts came to light in a five-year study conducted between 2002 and 2007 on 1,805 victims seeking help from Delhi Police’s Crime Against Women Cell for help and were referred for counselling to a team of clinical psychologists from the NGO Swanchetan. On an average, the counselling lasted an hour with about three sessions per couple. Psychologists concluded that 1,531 of the women faced constant domestic abuse while only 274 cases were overstated. "The situation could be much worse in north India’s smaller towns where police often treat domestic violence as a family matter, where the social dice is loaded against women lodging a protest and where support services such as short-stay homes or women’s organisations are either rare or absent," says Ranjana Kumari, director, Centre for Social Research. The study shows that dowry remains a major reason for marital discord and often leads to violence. A huge 54% of the victims said that the dowry demands began with sudden violence.

In an average it will take 4.2 years before Indian Women of the Delhi aerea will go to police for a complaint about domestic violence, endure torture or sexual abuse.
78% of these victims are confrontated with physically aggressive behaviour in front of and by in-laws, children and in public.
60% took support from their children after facing violent behaviour. Nearly 17% said that children became human shields to protect them. 23% women found their parents supportive after being thrown out by their husbands or their families. These facts came to light in a five-year study conducted between 2002 and 2007 on 1,805 victims seeking help from Delhi Police’s Crime Against Women Cell for help and were referred for counselling to a team of clinical psychologists from the NGO Swanchetan. On an average, the counselling lasted an hour with about three sessions per couple. Psychologists concluded that 1,531 of the women faced constant domestic abuse while only 274 cases were overstated. "The situation could be much worse in north India’s smaller towns where police often treat domestic violence as a family matter, where the social dice is loaded against women lodging a protest and where support services such as short-stay homes or women’s organisations are either rare or absent," says Ranjana Kumari, director, Centre for Social Research. The study shows that dowry remains a major reason for marital discord and often leads to violence. A huge 54% of the victims said that the dowry demands began with sudden violence.

DUSSHERA DISTRACTIONS

DUSSHERA CELEBRATIONS

Dusshera is one of the most popular Indian festivals. The festival is marked by the worship of the Goddess Durga (the incarnation of Shakti, the cosmic energy. The goddess is worshipped in

ten different forms for each day of the 10-day festival. Durga Puja is performed in the various parts of India in different forms but the common theme is the triumph of good over evil.
Ram Lila is a part of the Durga Puja in North India. The theme of the celebrations is the victory of Lord Rama over the demon king Ravana.
Especially in Delhi processions from all over the city gather at the famous Rama Lila grounds to burn cracker and the effigies of raven.

During the ten days, people meet with friends and relatives, play garba and exchange Durga Puja gifts. Some of the most popular traditions are to send sweet and gifts to friends.

Today is the day of the triumph celebrating the spirit of the winning of positives over evil. The effigies of Ravana will be burnt everywhere over the city, evil will be doused everywhere.
A big impression on me made the Neptune Raas in Delhi, where amateurs in traditional Gujarat folklore dressed, dances for hours in a very special indescribable way.

IDYLLIC CREECK

Idyllic creeck in the middle of a small village in the South-East of the capital Delhi

SUMMER SPOTS

Indians living close to the railway tracks will be provided with summer spots for another 3year. 'Green toilets' toilets, will be introduced in all 40,000 trains with a delay from 3 years.
Many people find it disgusting to stand on the platform at the railway stations because of the stench. But nobody asked the villagers getting the spray of the excrements, as a result of a speeding train and humans’ contribution. With the completion of the “green toilet” project. Due to the endorsement of the generous railway minister Lalu Prasad the project could be finalized in 3 years. It is not easy to understand, why the name “green toilet” project was selected. What is green? The toilets, the chemicals used. Preventing that nature gets natural finely dispersed dungeon, can hardly be called green, it is the reverse. Taking the chemicals into account I would have called it the blue project. Now please tourists don’t get desperate. All those who would like to drive with a traditional Indian Train ... On the left side the European style toilet (to be used not later than 1 h after start, while Indian gentleman dislike to rise the toilet seat before peeing during staying upright) and on the other side the classical Indian hole in the flour of the train, giving an intensive view of the conditions of the track…..3 Indian years can easily go up to 6 regular years, giving you enough time to plan your trip and see the summer spotted Indians along the railway tracks.
For the fanatics of figures: the manufacturing of a green toilet will be rs 60,000,correspobding to approx 1.000 €. An astonishing price, since only 6 months ago I bought a chemical, blue toilet in Portugal, for reasons I fail to understand now.... of coarse not meeting the harsh conditions as on Indian transport for 85 €, inclusive the chemicals for 6 months occasional use. So the Indian train toilet must be a special green technology product especialy developed for the intensive Indian use under most severe conditions and green was always a little more expensive than blue
Other figures:Installing the toilette in 40,000 trains would make 160,000 toilettes conform to Indian Times. But being a little familiar with Indian trains, each train has at least 20 coaches, if each coach as 4 toilets, this than makes not 160,000 toilettes but 3.2 mio. Under these circumstances, the summer spotted Indian along the track may prevail not for another 3 years but for another 60 years. Prost Mahlzeit.