THE PEDESTRIAN IN INDIA - A CATASTROPHE- WELCOME TO ALL INNOCENT TOURIST

Long time ago a wrote already a post about the unbelievable situation of the sidewalks in India, but now I did find a more neutral publication from

Indrajit Hazra , Hindustan Times
I may have to manoeuvre myself through tributaries of urine and rows of shacks and stalls — and, on so many occasions, walk through people’s ramshackle living rooms — in Calcutta. But even with its village’s cape, Calcutta still makes it as a city because a person is able to walk from (almost) any point to any other if he wants to do so.
In Mumbai, walking is not confined to strolling in parks or along the sea front to stay fit. People walk there also to simply move — aimlessly or with a purpose — thus making even that grizzly leaking beast of a city such an attractive conglomeration of spots for bipeds.
Delhi is to pedestrians what garlic is to vampires. Even if the urbane middle-class Delhiite deigns to get down from his E-class or rigged-meter auto-rickshaw, there is no place to walk across vast stretches of the capital city of India. Without the safety and the vantage point of footpaths, we, middle-class residents of India’s only truly cosmopolitan city, are denied the choice available to all modern citizens: walking through one’s own city.
With no mainstream walking culture possible, some of us end up singing dohas to cracklingly crowded and grubby lanes and bylanes in Old Delhi and Chandni Chowk. In other words, Delhi revels in its underbelly without having a belly. Which is why Delhiites opt for Footpath Walking Lite: walking around (mostly in circles) the shopping areas of Connaught Place, Khan Market, South Extension and all those pretend boulevards inside malls that hope to satisfy a bit of our primal metropolitan urge to walk in public spaces amid fellow, anonymous citizens.
The urban phenomenon of footpaths (villages don’t need them) first appeared in Paris with the mushrooming of shopping arcades between the 1780s and 1860s. People started walking away from the dangerous streets with its speeding traffic and mud and mounds into the safety and ‘public privacy’ of the boulevards and sidewalks lined against or near these shops. Thus, an urban activity was born: strolling.
This, in turn, brought about streetlights and public transportation (both of these abundantly in short supply in Delhi 2010). It also gave birth to the urban sophisticate who literally used the city for his pleasures. Charles Baudelaire wrote in the 1890s about the flaneur, the leisurely stroller of cities: “The crowd is his domain, as the air is that of the bird or the sea of the fish. His passion and creed is to wed the crowd.” Not everyone, though, was pleased about footpaths and the new breed of citizens they spawned. Sounding like a future South Dilliwalla, a character in a 1866 French play whined: “Nowadays, for the least excursions, there are miles to go! An eternal sidewalk going on and on forever! This isn’t Athens any more, it’s Babylon!”
But before we get all poetic about the joys that footpaths can bring us, there’s the more prosaic matter of the proposed amendment to the Delhi Police Act, 1978. Jaywalking, defined as the act of a pedestrian illegally or recklessly crossing roads, is something that Delhiites engage in without having a choice on a regular basis. The penalty for jaywalkers is, on paper, Rs 20. The new law, if and when it’s passed, plans to up the fine to Rs 1,000. A bit rich, don’t you think, considering that it’s like punishing a ravenous vegetarian for eating meat when there’s only chicken on the menu?
But then, the proposed law brings hope. If walking along Delhi’s roads really becomes illegal, the authorities will be forced to provide us with proper footpaths. Who knows? The city may get universal streetlights and public transportation too. So thank god for foreigners from Commonwealth countries descending on Delhi in October. They’ll want to walk about town and not only along the grimy bits. And that’s how we’ll wrangle our own footpaths. Hurrah!

ihazra@hindustantimes.com

DEAR TOURIST PLEASE PAY YOUR HOSPITAL BILLS IN DELHI

From Dwaipayan Ghosh | TNN


According to police, Dr B P Singh of orthopaedic surgeon and owner of Prayag Hospital in Sector 41 in Noida ( is a satellite city of Delhi with only 3 Mio habitants), had attempted to kill journalist Mahesh Vats because the latter had failed to pay his hospital bills.
Vats, who had reportedly paid a part of his Rs 32,000 bill to the hospital, had claimed that the treatment at the hospital was inadequate. Vats was admitted at the hospital a few years ago after he met with an accident. Matters got complicated in June 2007 when Dr Singh moved a city court to recover the remaining dues, about Rs 25,447, and the court directed the journalist to pay up. Vats then filed an application under RTI Act seeking information from Noida Authority over the alleged ‘‘illegal’’ construction in Prayag Hospital. Vats had even dragged the hospital to the consumer court and a local civil court.
On August 16, 2007, a speeding Alto car hit Vats, who was on his scooter near Sector 71. The driver of the car ‘‘fled’’, but eyewitnesses claimed that three men got out of the car after Vats fell on the road and started beating him up. ‘‘The unidentified assailants then admitted Vats in Prayag Hospital and left the place. When policemen went to the
hospital, they found the victim being treated in the general ward. It was only after the policemen intervened that Vats was admitted in the intensive care unit (ICU),’’ said an investigating officer.
The critically injured journalist was later shifted to Metro Hospital where he was placed under life support system. ‘‘The journalist had suffered severe head injuries and he succumbed to his injuries three days later,’’ added the officer.
Based on a FIR lodged by one of Vats friend — U K Bharadwaj, a property dealer — police registered a case of abduction against the doctor and arrested him.
Noida police sources admitted that they had received several letters from the journalist in which he had said that four men had tried to barge into his
house around 2am on August 11, 2007 — five days before he met with the accident. In the letters, the journalist had alleged that the unwanted visitors were policemen from Sector 58 police station. The scribe had also claimed he was threatened on July 18 and August 1, in 2007.

THE END OF THE INDIAN LIONS BY STUBBORN POLITICIAN

Amidst growing concern over depleting tiger population in India, Gujarat stoutly opposed in the Supreme Court, the Centre's proposal to shift some of the Gir Asiatic lions sanctuary to Kuno tiger reserve in Madhya Pradesh.

The Narendra Modi government warned that partial relocating the lions from the Gir sanctuary in Gujarat was fraught with "irreparable damage to the sociology of lions" and asserted that Madhya Pradesh cannot manage the relocation as it had failed to protect its own tiger sanctuary.

"Already, their (Madhya Pradesh's) tigers are dying. It would be highly improper to shift the lions to Kuno reserve," senior counsel Mukul Rohtagi appearing for Gujarat told a bench of Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan, Justices B S Chauhan and Chandramouli Prasad.

The Modi government further argued that the people of the state take pride in the lions sanctuary and any attempt to translocate the animals to the Kuna reserve "against the will of people of Gujarat will cause irreparable damage to their conservation and cultural ethos."

The Union Ministry for Environment and the Wildlife Board had come out with the partial relocation

Fact is that if all Indian lions are located in one lion santuary than inbreeding or a disease will kill them. The reason Gujarat don't want the partial split is just for profit reasons wanting to have all the tourist for themself.

Under these circumstances the it is only a question of time until the Indian lion is gone

ELEPHANT ATTACKS BJP MEETING IN MEERUT

An elephant ( the symbol of BJP)invited to be admired on the occasion of a BJP- rally got mad and attacked for several hours everything what was around the Delhi-Dehradun road in Meerut. At least 30 cars were destroyed including a police car. The elephant could not be tranqiluised ( killing is not possible in India, because of the believe in Ghanes, the elephant like deity) because police was not in the position of the rifle and the syringe. It took 4 hours to get the tusker calmed down. Actualy there is no video available, but I could see the havoc on one of the Indian TV channels to have an idea what can happen if an male elephant is in must please look at



or use this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVaVp12WI0A
I assume videos about the rampage in Meerut will soon be available on you tube

COMMONWEATLH GAMES IN DELHI- WILL ENGLAND PARTICIPATE ?

The Telegraph reported on Wednesday that a senior Whitehall source said there was "virtually no chance" an England team would be sent to India following security concerns over the Delhi event.
It would be a big debacle for Delhi, since now more than 2 years spending money urgently needed for suitable infrastructure for their own population to sport stadions for sports never applied in India. Making beautifications on parts of the city which might be visited by supporters from abroad, therefore leaving other parts in the same mess as they were before or even worse.
Meanwhile, the Hockey World Cup in New Delhi in February and March is emerging as a key staging post in the decision-making process. The world's top 12 hockey teams are confirmed starters at the World Cup, which will be held at Delhi's 20,000-capacity Dhyan Chand Stadium.
The England team, on the up after winning the European Cup earlier this year, confirmed that they had no plans to withdraw from either the World Cup or the Commonwealth Games, although their performance director, David Faulkner, said they reserved the right to withdraw at any time should circumstances change radically.
"That is an option if we feel the safety of our athletes is seriously compromised, but that is not a point we have reached or, to be honest, expect to reach," said Faulkner, who has spent much of the last three months fine-tuning detailed security arrangements for his team.
"It is way too early to make a decision for the Commonwealth Games and as for the World Hockey Cup, it is all systems go.
"We have gone into great depth about this and we have laid down very strict protocols and chains of command with the Indian authorities.
"For example, we will not travel in our team bus – to matches, training or anywhere – unless we are accompanied by an armoured vehicle front and rear. We simply won't travel or play unless that is in place.
"We will have our own security officer around the clock and although he will not be part of the Indian chain of command, he can advise us at all times.
"We are very mindful of the situation and are keeping all our playing squad informed. As of now, we haven't had one player who has expressed any wish not to play."

THE FREEDOM FIGHT IN MANIPUR CONTINUES

The Indian army says it has killed nine separatist rebels in three separate encounters in the country's troubled north-eastern state of Manipur.

Army officials said the rebels belonged to two different groups.

Six of those belonged to the Peoples Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (Prepak) and three were members of the Kanglei Yana Kan Lup (KYKL).

Manipur is home to nearly a dozen rebel groups - some fighting for the state's independence from India.


Others are fighting for tribal homeland they want carved out of the state.

Officials said the army raided two Prepak hideouts near the remote villages of Singheu and Laiboldung in Manipur's eastern Chandel district .

"After encircling the Prepak hideouts late at night, the army attacked at first light. The rebels were taken by surprised and many were killed," military spokesman RK Palta said.

He said another military platoon launched a similar attack on a Kykl base at Chirikhunao in the state's central district of Thoubal .

The army says that troops have now fanned out around these bases to hunt down other rebels who fled after the encounters, leaving their dead comrades behind.

Mr Palta said that some weapons and large quantity of ammunitions and explosives were recovered from the sites of the encounters.

TELANGANA'S FREEDOM FIGHTERS WON - TURMOIL STILL CONTINUES

The opening day of a two-day strike by the supporters of a new state has brought violence to parts of India's southern Andhra Pradesh state.
Over 100 buses were burnt, and shops and businesses attacked overnight.
The strike was called after the federal government said the demand for a Telangana state would be considered after consultation with all parties.
Earlier the government had announced that it would allow the creation of Telangana irrespective of opposition.
An estimated 35 million people will live in the new state.

The latest uproar and strike call followed federal Home Minister P. Chidambaram's statement on Wednesday evening that all political parties should be consulted before deciding on a new state.

Mr Chidambaran explained the government's change in stance by saying that the situation in Andhra Pradesh had "altered" since he had made an announcement earlier this month on the formation of a Telangana state.
"However, after the statement, the situation in Andhra Pradesh has altered. A large number of political parties are divided on the issue," Mr Chidambaram added.
"There is need to hold wide-ranging consultations with all political parties and groups in the state," he added.
Politicians from Telangana reacted sharply to Mr Chidambaram's statement, saying that the government had put the demand in "cold storage".
Investors fear the protests will hurt Hyderabad, an IT hub of southern India and home to firms like Microsoft, Google and Dell.
Telangana region is spread over 10 northern districts of Andhra Pradesh.
Campaigners say Telangana's economic development has been neglected in favour of the richer and more powerful Andhra region - and that a new state is the only solution.
The last three new states in India were formed in 2000: Chhattisgarh was created out of eastern Madhya Pradesh; Uttarakhand was created out of the hilly areas of northern Uttar Pradesh, and Jharkhand was carved from Bihar's southern districts.
India currently has 28 states.

CASTE & MARRIAGE

HC to decide woman’s caste abuse case against hubby



Shibu Thomas | TNN



Mumbai: Can a woman born into, what is called a ‘‘lower caste’’, and who marries an upper caste man file a case against her husband and inlaws under Special Atrocities Act? A full bench of Bombay high court will now decide on the vexed issue.
The matter was placed before a larger bench following conflicting views of two benches of HC. The case concerned a complaint filed by a woman
belonging to Scheduled Caste, who married Rajendra Shrivastava (a Kayastha, an upper caste) in 1991.
She filed a case against her husband and in-laws last year at Nehru Nagar police station under Atrocities Act for treating her cruelly. She alleged her husband and inlaws ‘‘from time to time, abused her in filthy language in the name of her caste’’.
The Shrivastavas moved the high court seeking anticipatory bail. One bench of the court granted anticipatory bail to Shirvastava’s brother and sister ruling that the provisions of the special law could not be applied.
But, another bench of Justice Dilip Bhosale disagreed and the matter was referred to the full bench.

GREENHOUSE GAS REDUCTION- INDIA HAS THE SOLUTION !

Most countries plan to reduce emission intensity; it’s just that no one wants it to be legally binding

CHINA
6.8 bn tonnes annually, 5.5 tonnes per capita
What it’s giving
China says it will cut its carbon intensity by 40-45% by 2020, compared with 2005
What it wants
Developed nations’ targets to reduce GHG emissions not deep enough. It expects average cuts of at least 40% from 1990 levels by 2020 & wants a promise of more aid and technology
US
6.4 bn tonnes annually, 21 tonnes per capita
What it’s giving
The US has promised to cut 2005 emissions by 17%by 2020. It will extend cuts to 30% below 2005 levels by 2025, and 83% by 2050. Will work toward a goal of jointly mobilizing $100bn a year by 2020. Has pledged $1bn towards slowing deforestation
What it wants
An accord that covers all issues and has ‘immediate operational effect’
EU
5.03 bn tonnes annually, 5.5 tonnes per capita
What it’s giving
EU leaders agreed in Dec ’08 to cut emissions by 20% below 1990 levels by 2020 & by 30% if other developed nations follow suit. EU leaders have agreed that developing nations will need about $147 bn a year by 2020 to adapt to climate change
What it wants
EU wants developing nations to curb the rise of emissions by 15-30% by 2020

JAPAN
1.4 bn tonnes annually, 11 tonnes per capita
What it’s giving
Japan will cut emissions by 25% below 1990 levels by 2020. PM Hatoyama said Tokyo would also step up aid
AFRICA
Negligible emissions
Where they’re willing to compromise
African group scaled back demands for aid from rich countries, meeting offers made by developed nations
What it’s giving
Want developed nations to cut emissions by 45% below 1990 levels by 2020
INDIA
1.4 bn tonnes annually, 1.2 tonnes per capita
What it’s giving
Aims to cut carbon intensity by between 20-25% by 2020, from ’05 levels
What it wants
Like China, India wants rich nations to cut emissions by at least 40% by 2020 Additionally INDIA wants that each develped country introduces power cuts and loadsharing as usual in India. Having 4 hour of power cut each day the WEST would be able to save a lot more in green hous gases. As an additional step water rations should be introduced as e.g. 4 hours of tap water availability per day as usual in some Delhi districts.

SPITTING & THE INDIAN GENOME

J U G U L A R V E I N
Thoo be it
From Jug Suraiya



Yaark-thoo! Hey, watch it! Bloody hell. You almost got me. Sorry, where was i? Ah, yes. The decoding of the Indian genome. A team of CSIR scientists has, for the first time, unravelled the secrets that lie with the desi genome, using a sample taken from a 52-year-old DNA donor. A genome is like a map that helps us to chart our genetic karma – who and what we are, and what makes us tick and why. By studying the genetic sequences in the genome, scientists will be able to figure out why Indians are predisposed to diabetes, for instance, or coronary disease. Important as these revelations about blood sugar and dicky hearts undoubtedly will be, i’m hoping that the decoded genome will explain something seemingly far more fundamental to our inner being than a propensity to insulin deficiency and cardiac problems, something that identifies us Indians as Indians, whether we are in India or anywhere else on the face of the planet, North and South Poles, the Amazon basin, and the top of Mt Everest not excluded. What’s that something? Spitting.
Indians spit. Caste, creed and sex no bar. The frequent and energetic ejection of saliva – despite the cautionary notices put up in our post offices, ‘Do not affix stamp with sputum’ – spitting is not just a national pastime; it is a national passion. More than kabaddi, or kho-kho, or IPL, spitting is our true desi sport. And we practise it assiduously wherever we happen to be: on the streets, in bazaars, on railway platforms and bus addas and airports, in offices and schools and factories and restaurants and shops and… Yaark-thoo! Godalmighty! That’s the second time someone’s almost got me in the space of a single column.
How do we do it? Where does it all come from? The spit. The saliva. The sputum. The product of the salivary glands. What is it about our biological make-up that enables us to produce so much of the stuff that we seem to be forever having to get rid of it, expel it from our systems, lest through excess of it, surfeiting, our appetite for it would sicken and die.
Gutka helps. So do paans and paan masala. The scarlet and red and crimson splotches and splashes and streaks that our public buildings and streets are decorated with – as though they were a form of folk art, like the ancient cave paintings in Bhimbhetka and other places – bear witness to their efficacy as salivary stimulants, the Viagras of sputum. But though gutka and paans contribute to the phenomenon, they cannot explain it in its enigmatic entirety.
By and large – or rather, by and small – we Indians are not big people. True, the richer among us tend to be overweight. But for every XL Indian there are thousands, hundreds of thousands, of scrawny Indians. So, being small and skinny for the most part, how is it that we generate so much spit, the only natural resource which we seem to be in no danger of running out of? Where do we get it from, and where’s it stored? Do we possess a natural receptacle, like a kangaroo’s pouch, except inside rather than outside, where the stuff is tucked away till we thook! it out?
The decoded genome should tell us all this, and more. Or maybe not. Maybe our desi habit of spitting has got nothing to do with our genes. Maybe our spitting is not so much a genetic consequence as a social and political comment. Read a newspaper. Or watch the news on TV. Or just look around you.
Scams. Swindles. Satyam. Koda. Hawala. Telangana riots. Anti-Telangana riots. Anti-anti-Telangana riots. Political corruption. Bureaucratic corruption. Judicial corruption. Corruption corruption, where you have to bribe someone to accept a bribe.
Leave a bad taste in the mouth? So how do you get rid of it? That’s right, Yaark-thoo!
Can’t beat ’em, join ’em.