No room for Humour

Are we a nation of humourless people? Or our politicians are just humourless hypocrats?This question popped up in my mind while reading the controversy over external affairs minister of state Shashi Tharoor’s comment on twitter. He tweeted that he would travel in cattle class to sympathise with the holy cows concerning the austerity gestures of govt. But politicians made a big issue out of this harmless joke.
The reaction of politicians shows their hypocrisy and how they take themselves so seriously. Besides our politicians definitely lack wisdom and maturity so that they make issue out of nothing. Shashi Tharoor is probably an odd man there, but I feel we are desperately in need of a wise and mature politician like him. Atleast Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is wise enough to see the humour in it. It would be better if politicians concentrate on good governance rather than waste time on mean things. Please, let us grow up.

Racism is in our mind

In the wake of recent attack on Indians in Australia, people back home cry about Racism. Are we really not racist to point finger at others? Here light skinned Indians look down upon black Indians, rich look down upon the poor. It is a fact that Indians like many Asians are so obsessed with white skin. India is good market for fairness cream and if you glanze through the matrimonial classifieds in newspapers, you would surprise to see the love for fair skin. Racism is a universal evil and no country is perfect in this regard.

It is in our nature to portray all the attacks or remarks as racist. We still shoulder the colonial baggage of inferiority complex. Probably this attacks does have nothing to do with the skin colour of Indians. Criminal elements are there everywhere. Envy, greed and blind nationalism or regionalism is present in other places as well. We have seen the attacks in Mumbai against poor north Indians though nobody was ‘shocked’ then. Those north Indians have gone to Mumbai as they don’t have any other option. But those students in Australia is there by paying a huge fees often for a fake certificate. Yet political parties took their cause and protested. But no one was their for those poor north Indians.
Besides Indian must learn to behave in a civilized society. Most of the time we are the most noisy and undisciplined people on the planet. We are famous for littering and flaunting wealth in public. We must be more open to other cultures and societies. Our medias too sensationalise this news and add racist tone to every attacks.
So it is better to make our home livable and better, before pointing finger at other countries.

Happy Laos

Laos? When I told some of my compatriots that I am going to Laos, they looked at me with a question in their eyes, ‘is that a country?’. Laos is hardly heard, but I was so surprised to see the amount of tourists in this land locked country. I had cherished pleasant feeling thinking that it might be a primitive country having virgin forests. Yes it is blessed with 70% forest -land but tourist friendly and much modern. And Laos is one of the less populated country in Asia.

After much unrest and civil war communism took over in 1975, and rule the country with a one party system. But that hasn’t affected their Buddhist way of life, though initially they were discouraged to become monks. In today’s Laos both Communism and Buddhism live together. One can see party flags and prayer flags, or monasteries exit side by side. Even today the prayers at certain monasteries are done in Pali language(language in which Buddha gave his teachings) When I befriended a monk there he invited me to offer prayers, thinking that as an Indian I would understand the language. Though I accepted the invitation, I conveyed my illiteracy in Pali language.
Pha Lak Pha Lam, or the Indian version of Ramayana is the most popular classic literature.

People of Laos are laid back and friendly and add flavour of fun even at work as they consider stressing too much is unhealthy for both the mind and body. Lao beer is the national drink and considered as pride of nation. As not an industrialized country, they have to depend heavily on neighbouring countries as Thailand, China and Vietnam for trade and consumer products. Capital Vientiane is a small town but clean and orderly that would slip into slumber after 9pm. Though not ‘modern’ in the strict sense of the term, you will get all the cuisines of world over there. I had some delicious Indian food from a restaurant own by a Bangladeshi. Lao cuisine lack the depth and delicacy of Thai food, but I tried some soup and sticky rice. Surprisingly life in Laos is costlier than in Thailand.

Luang Prabhang, the ancient capital is a mountainous place blanketed with lush greenery. It is on the banks of Mekong river, which adds charm to the city. Unesco listed it in the world heritage list. As a former French colony, the elegant wooden buildings bear the mark of French architecture. This sleepy town extends its calmly elegance to tourists lavishly. A ride around the outskirts of city is quite refreshing with its green landscapes and perfumes of frangipanis, which is a symbol of Laos.

The malls that mushroom in Laos are flooded with cheap Chinese products. They have imitations of almost all the big brands in the world. The huge jewellery market, mostly sell imitation of gold and other jewelleries. Though considered poor country, I
havn't seen any beggars on the road. People seem quite content with their simple way of life.


Laos culture and way of living is slightly similar to Thailand. Women seem free and run many business at least in cities. Unlike in Thailand where girls are in western robes, I have seen many girls wearing their traditional dress. It was so lovely to see the girls in their traditional dress.
Though not a road less traveled, Laos still reminds me of a lost land in the mountains, which I would like to explore again.

Sawateeka (welcome) to Thailand

Thailand is considered the land of smiles. True people are easy going and welcome you with a warm smile. They never forget to say ‘kopun krab(Thank you)’ in return of even a slightest gesture from you. Bangkok is very touristic, yet it won’t disappoint you. You can easily melt into the crowd and become one among themselves. They hardly bother you with stares or personal questions. People are generally polite and courteous. I feel it is a strange combo of sky scrappers, sky train and smiles.


It is a paradise of food. If you walk around the street, you will get tempted by those varieties of food on the display. It seems street food is an inevitable part of their life. I enjoy Thai food and some dishes remind me of Kerala food as they too use coconut. I had a delicious banana flower salad made with coconut milk and different dishes made of rice noodle from a vegetarian restaurant run by few women ambassadors of vegetarianism. People are quite health conscious despite their love for food. I have hardly seen any overweight people there.

It is quite a modern and well- planned city though the traffic- jam at peak hours reminded me of Indian cities. Chao praya river, flows through the heart of Bangkok is the life line of the city. A boat trip around the river, watching those sky scrappers on the both sides is amazingly romantic. A shopper’s delight it is. You will get everything that satisfies your luxurious taste. Besides it is a land of orchids as well. The lovely variety of orchids in the flower market was a real feast to my eyes.
But our visit to floating market was disappointing. It was an area for tourists and seemed everything was ‘arranged’ for tourists, all goods are very pricy as well. I feel this artificial ‘make up’ is a bad aspect of tourism.
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Buddhism is the major religion, besides there are Muslims and Christians as well. It is believed that Buddhism reached there from Srilanka. There are many monasteries that mark the strong presence of religion, in Bangkok. I learned that they worship Lord Ganesh as well, for them it is ‘papi Ganesh’. And like Indian epic ‘Ramayana’, they have their own Ramayana, but it is slightly different from Indian version.

As in many Buddhist countries women are free as the society is much open. Thailand gave me an impression that the society is run by women. You can see the presence of women in all aspects of life especially in service industry and area of food is more or less controlled by them. I don’t know exactly about the status of women there, but Thailand impressed me as a country of women, unlike my strictly male dominated country. Thai king is the father figure of the nation. Everyday during the song that hails king, even those who walk on the road will stop to pay respect to him.
Our train journey from Bangkok to boarder of Laos was quite interesting. The train is quite clean and the sleeper berth was very comfortable.

There is sex market in Bangkok where you can see half naked girls dancing to the delight of tourists. But this is an ugly face of commercial tourism in modern era and Thailand is not an exception. The difference is that it is pretty open there.

The hosts at the guest house (Samsen 5 lodge) where we were staying, made us feel at home. They were so polite and generous. They feed us on delicious Thai food for breakfast. I left Bangkok with fond memories about the land of smiles.

Demographic Dividend and India

Demographic Dividend is the new term founded to show the population rise in a positive light. IT entrepreneur Nandan Nilekani’s book ‘Imagining India’ celebrates our population growth. The youth of India is an attractive investment in the future, he reasons. He says India’s population contributes to global economy as workers and consumers. But I fail to understand how an uneducated and unskilled youth can be an investment of future India. Our literacy rate is around 65% and population increases mostly among BIMARU(Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajastan, Uttar Pradesh) states which are most backward in India.

I feel the corporate czars are kind of arm- chair writers as they don’t see the real India. India’s growing population can be a worrying factor in the future. During my travels I have befriended poor workers from many parts of India. Many confessed to me about the humiliation they have to face. I have seen in Goa, how young boys working at restaurants are treated as lesser humans. But they don’t have any option as they are trapped in poverty. Nobody treats them as human beings, let alone with respect. Whether this youth, having no self- respect or education will fit in the demographic dividend?

Foreigners often get shocked seeing women work on construction sites and on roads. Many ask me ‘How can they do that kind of work?’
But this is a common sight in India, of which nobody bothers about. Often this women seem to work with little kids their beside. They are under paid and not even aware of their rights. This is an irony in a country where women goddess are worshipped and motherhood is celebrated. How those hapless women can be considered an asset in the Demographic Dividend?
Corporate houses, elite class, politicians and Bollywud industry, probably benefit from the population explosion. Many big Corporate houses employ boys on contract basis for a monthly wage as less as Rs-2000/- they can be out of job any time. Rich often find this uneducated poor as walking machines.

Ignorance is the main cause of population explosion. I often wonder why the authorities turn a blind eye towards it when I see many kids begging on street. As poor have more children, its impossible to control population without female education. The case of Kerala is a good example in this regard where family planning is implemented successfully. Because there every woman is educated.

Education and awareness is important any country to progress. Growing population in India will contribute more violence, unemployment, environmental disaster, if not controlled. And if not invested heavily on educating the poor, our population will be a real problem in the future. Family planning and education must be our top priority.
Demographic Dividend is a new term founded to put the population rise on

Maoist Threat

By perpetuating violence throughout India, Maoist again proved that they can’t be ignored. If Terrorism can be blamed on external factors, Naxalism( this name derived from Naxalbari in West Bengal-the place where this movement begun) is more or less a home grown outfit, though certain external help can’t be ruled out. Maoism is an old wine in new bottlI don’t really know if it is something to do with Mao except the love of red among all those revolutionaries. But feel Maoist can’t be treated on par with terrorists even though I am not at all an admirer of Mao.

India’s poor states are the fertile soil for Maoists. Some areas are virtually under their control. Many are forced to obey their diktats out of fear. I think Indian political system contributed to a great extend to this menace. Tribals and poor are deprived of their fundamental rights for years. Political and bureaucratic apathy made this people vulnerable and desperate. Self -serving political class in India treat ‘aam admi’ as vote bank, except paying lip service during elections.

Financial situation is one reason though not the only, to the rising influence of Maoism. Most of the poor in India live on the margins of the society and don’t benefit from the economic boom of India. This exclusive growth is not something that can be proud of as we are made to believe. Prosperous states as Punjab, Gujarat, Hariyana, Kerala and Tamil Nadu have hardly any presence of Maoism. But these state’s progress has nothing to do with politicians. Particular social situation and hard works of certain people made this possible.
Naxalism was very active in Kerala during 70’s and early 80’s. Even many educated and privileged youth were got attracted to it. Unlike Maoists, murder the rich and distribute money among the poor was the method adopted by them then. But they couldn’t even win the hearts of poor, instead left scary image of violence and bloodshed in the minds of people. Later Gulf money and the unique social system, made the journey of Naxalites very hard. Few Naxal leaders even turned to spirituality.

Today India is forced to fight her made- in India brand of violence and imported violence as well. Whatever the reason I don’t agree the method use by Maoists to achieve their means. Infact they don’t achieve anything in this way rather than garner bad publicity. Besides one can’t win hearts by violence, even though won, it may not be real. But before fighting Maoism, we must treat the root cause of it. I hope new govt. will handle Maoist threat more sensitively.

Forgotten Natives

World celebrates Barrack Hussain Obama. True it is a great moment in the history that a black man is elected as President of USA. But I gave a second thought to it when my Italian friend asked ‘why a native Indian can’t be President?’ It is true world seems forgot about the plight of native Americans, about a a culture being wiped out from the history. It reminds me what Oscar Wilde told to his American host at a party, ‘You Americans are philistines who’ve invaded a sacred temple of art’. Native Americans never believed in possessing the earth as private property instead they worshiped the nature. They never exploited nature for material gain which begun with the invasion of Europeans. The ‘sophisticated whites’ considered native’s way of life and culture as primitive and uncivilized.
The real American culture and history is that of Native Indians. They are the original people of north America. But they are removed from the pages of American history. I learned in school that ‘Columbus discovered America’. We children repeated that on and off during my school days. Later I thought how Columbus can discover America that is already there. Now I view it as a cruel joke. Unfortunately history is that of ‘winners’, losers are forgotten foreve So today’s America is that of Europeans, Africans and Asians. Probbly Native Americans are a closed chapter there.

On being single

Being single is not very interesting in India. You have to answer even to strangers ‘why you are not getting married’? I don’t like somebody asking personal questions, but this is the way we are. Indians, probably everybody in the sub continent, are curious to know about you. If you are a single woman and travel alone, you have to deal with lot of silly questions. They don’t mean anything bad, but they are not used to women traveling alone. And of course marriage is considered a sacred institution in India. We are supposed to move through a track that is drawn by society. Indians don’t generally accept rebels ,or they don’t feel the need for privacy. It is quite usual , people to interfere in your affairs.
I am not against marriage, but against getting married just for the sake of it. I often wonder how people get marry to a person who is a stranger as it happens in the arranged marriages here. I am pretty choosy about a life partner. I think one needs to have certain compatibility with the person who would be your life partner. Besides I feel it is absolutely an individual choice whether to get marry or not to. But this kind of ‘individualism’ doesn’t exist here. And you have no choice or power to decide on your life in the conservative social system. Perhaps I think too much about every little thing. However I find myself quite unfit in this way of life.

People will start find their own reason if you don’t give them reason for your single status. At least they will warn you of the consequences of being single. I must say that I enjoy my single status though it can be boring sometimes. I crave for a company while traveling, particularly to help me with my luggage and other stuff. But being single is better than being in an unhappy marriage.

Indian political thamasha

Indian politics is a great thamasha. 'Mein prime minister banna chahtha huin’is the mantra of even chota political leaders. Everybody from Sharad Pawar to Mayavati and Deve Gowda to Jayalalita wants to become Prime Minister. Some flirt with other parties, even while stay ‘married’ with Congress or BJP. They joined in the third front formed at the behest of left parties, whose agenda is anti-BJP and Anti-congress govt. But the parties who joined with Left don’t even have a national vision, let alone a national agenda. An alliance with regional parties having too many Prime Minister aspirants is a vain exercise. NCP leader Sharad Pawar has already said that this time people want a Maharashtrian to be Prime Minister. I feel it is quite a narrow perspective and an Indian Prime Minister should be above regionalism as well religionalism.

Left is known for their ‘antism(read anti-America, Anti- development, anti-BJP )though blind at Chinese aggression. Besides left parties hardly have any impact in other states except Kerala and West Bengal. Some of their allies in the newly formed third front is infamous for non reliability and some face even corruption charges. I think this ‘love affair’ is not going to last.
What we lack here is a charismatic leader having devotion and sincerity. There is no way for sincere and intelligent people to enter into the political system. Only means to enter into politics is the primitive way of rallies and protests that is certainly not appealing. Hope this political thamasha won’t end with the election, but it is probably the beginning. This may result in marriage of convenience and divorces.

Mumbai meri Jan

Mumbai slum life is romanticized by Robert Gregory Davids in his book ‘Shantaram’. Now ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ adds glamour to its slums. But there is a Mumbai beyond its slums and poverty, beyond bollywood and sky scrappers. Glamour, penury, beauty, dirtiness, dreams, frustrations - all stay hand in hand here. But one must probably find that by oneself.

When I decided to move there, my friends discouraged me saying it a dustbin of Asia. They told me that you can’t cope with the fast life of the megalopolis. As someone from a small place in Kerala, life in Mumbai seemed quite scaring for me. Underworld rivalry, riots, bollywood, crowded local train - Mumbai was a mix of all in my imagination. Besides, I never lived in a big city before. Yet I thought better to explore by myself than seeing things through somebody’s eyes (I have a tendency to take decisions by myself eventhough I respect others advices).

But Mumbai changed my perception, my attitude and I found out myself in the faceless crowd. I found myself in a brave, confident and young Mumbai. I became a more confident person. I met bhayyas, bongs, mallus and Gujjus (local term used for people of different languages) there. In my office there might be a Bengali sitting one side, and a Parsi opposite (those who are from Persia). But there we are all ‘Mumbaikar’. This cultural mix was so appealing to me and an opportunity to learn. Mumbai opened the door of a new world before me.

There are prostitutes and bar girls who land in this city to make a quick buck. There are pimps around you in railway stations and at crowded places to trap those helpless girls who run away from home to evade violence or poverty. When I travelled in the crowded local train among smelling fisher women, I would regret for being there, when I saw people shitting on road I would chose to shut my eyes and nose against this city. When I saw beggars follow you like an illness I would curse our poverty.

Yet I would wake up with a new hope next morning, I would go to south Mumbai and buy an export quality dress at a cheap price, I would go to a road side book vendor to buy even the latest book at a lower rate. What not, there is drama, dance, music, painting to feed your mind and heart. If you are still hungry, you can relish on Mumbai Burger (Vada Pav). It won’t cost you much. Street food culture is very active in Mumbai. Besides Vada pav, there are Sev Puri, Pani Puri, Dahi Puri and different kinds of chatts to make you feel the taste of Mumbai. On sitting at the sea side near Gateway of India, you can dream of Taj. Mumbai is charming even in her dirtiness, She is like a bewitching woman who beckons to you even when ugly. She has a caring soul, and there is life in Mumbai.

Mumbai survived riots, terrorism, underworld blood bath. Many build up their business empire here from nothing. Many became rich and famous. Mumbai is the back born of Indian economy. Everything is possible in this city of opportunity. There is a local joke about Mumbai that ‘you can buy anything here except your parents’. Rich and poor alike pour in here insearch of a better future. Whether it is a fugitive from Australia or a beggar from a remote village of India; she receives all with an open arm. she reminds me the words of one small business man from UP that ‘In Mumbai nobody die of hunger’. They say Mumbai is blessed by Mumba devi(Goddess Mumba).

Many faces composes Mumbai: this is the city of ivory tower dwellers and slum dwellers alike. City of celebrities and road side vendors. City of those employees who ran faster than fast train. Here nobody asks you questions about your home, parents or religion. Nobody interfere in your affairs, even house maids maintain a dignity in dealing with you. It is a place where you can have your individual space in the crowd, and besides safer to women than any other Indian cities. I am happy I chose to come to Mumbai. I always love you Mumbai.