yet again ... getting lost ... then enjoying self-discovery ...

Pleased to share a piece by me in Hindu Sunday Magazine: Golf the Guzzler. Link to the edited version here . Few days ago, flipping the pages of a recent issue of Sanctuary Asia I read of how despite opposition the power brokers managed to turn the Salim Ali National Park into a Golf Course. Further reading brought forth that 4,000 odd trees were cut in what was once home to bears and hanguls, besides other species. We may never adequately understand the ecological and economic impacts of destroying not only a unique habitat for wildlife but also a catchment for Dal Lake. All this for a miniscule proportion of our population and that too when Gulmarg already had a Golf Course. Commons meant for use by many, destroyed so that few could indulge in what G K Chesterton referred to as ‘an expensive way to play marbles’. Intrigued, I delved deeper and realized that neither was the Golf Course in Jammu and Kashmir an exception nor was the issue a recent one. Besides, the Golf Cou...

Some images make you react Like this stunner by Dharmendra Khandal I launch off  – bringing in my love for trains – Rail banake mirchi chali apni pyaas bujane . . Nange pahad ki mitti khaake teekha pan bhagaane . . रेल बनाके मिर्ची चली अपनी प्यास बुजाने . . नंगे पहाड़ की मिट्टी ख़ाके तीखापन भगाने . . And promptly he gets back Mein hoon teekhi, mein hoon tej, mein hoon surkh Hasina, Kyon khaon main pahad ki mitti, jab main aai hoon sab ko dhool chatane, Mein pyasi hoon janam janam ki, mein hoon surkh Hasina, Main jaongi rail banke sab gaon gali chobare, aur bolongi aai hoon ‘sab ko dhool chatane’ Janam janam ki pyasi hoon mein, aur pyasa mujhe hai marna में हूँ तीखी , में हूँ तेज , में हूँ सुर्ख हसीना , क्यों खाऊं मैं पहाड़ की मिट्टी , जब मैं आई हूँ सब को धूल   चटाने , में प्यासी हूँ जनम जनम की , में हूँ सुर्ख हसीना , मैं जाऊंगी रेल बनके सब गाओं गली चॉबारे , और ...

This piece appears in the Assam Tribune on 16 th February 2016. Many thanks to Assam Tribune and Narayan Sharma. The wildlife human conflict occupied a significant chunk of time during a recent meeting called to put in place a conservation plan for a priority landscape. Agreements and disagreements over the topic spilled over from the sessions into tea-time and late evening discussions. While these deliberations did not provide answers they helped set off a stream of questions; most of which remained unanswered. The paragraphs that follow carry some of these discussions. Unanswered questions, as Colin Wright said, “ aren't threats; they're challenges and catalysts ”. One would like to begin with Dampa Tiger Reserve in Mizoram. The major issue today, in the landscape, is land-use change; jhum ( shifting cultivation ) is being replaced by cash crops like oil-palm. As a corollary conflict has turned from being primarily ‘seasonal’ into a ‘round the year’ phenomenon. I...

This piece finds place in the Deccan Herald on 16 th February 2016. Link to the edited version on Deccan Herald site here . Many thanks to Deccan Herald, Anitha and Dharmendra. Memories of days in Garo Hills ( Meghalaya ) came forth; learning of elephants, coming across elephant dung at places one never thought they could go to, of talking with people who lived amongst elephants and more. Meghalya is one of the 16 elephant bearing states and the Garo Hills population stands at approximately 1,700.  India today has approximately 30,000 elephants; and as we lose wildlife habitats the species move to newer lands. Elephant human conflict today is increasing both in intensity and spread. Every once in a few months news of elephants run over by a train or electrocuted remind us of this! I was at a 2 day meet on Asian Elephants, focusing on Assam and neighbouring states, to discuss the concerns and chalk out a way ahead. Deliberations helped raised multiple questions. ...

It does not happen in our kind of societies and families used to be a favourite line with aunties as one grew up. I was reminded of these when during the past 3 months came across a line as many times. That caste based discrimination is not a part of lives of our generation; in other words it does not exist. Some years back I moved from Vadodara in Gujarat to a village in Sheopur in Madhya Pradesh. It took a few months to understand why the village had 3 tea-stalls and why some colleagues washed their glasses and plates while others did not. As I moved around the landscape – some months later – in course of a project to learn of tribe that was amongst the de-notified tribes I continued to be surprised. In Shivpuri I was told how some of them could not wear dhotis that went below their knees, how their children at schools were regularly beaten by other children. The upper caste male would sleep with the lower caste lady but otherwise would not allow her in the house! There was ...

The 10 th floor window offered a Dickensque view along the river. To the left a series of yellow lights reflected in the ‘full just till the need’ river and the clean and empty path along side. To the right lay darkness of an unmanaged river – as if somewhere far, very far. I was staring at the barrage on Sabarmati in Amdavad on an early winter morning. It was the River Front that lay to the left; a place the city and state prides on and which has hosted heads of states. Michael Snyder in his article ‘The Wealth of Nations’ in Caravan refers to it as “ probably the most ambitious urban planning project from an Indian city in the new century ”.  Water which reflected the yellow lights came from the Narmada. Water which would well have been in Narmada or a water deficient village! Later that morning a friend called and asked “ Have you seen the biggest plumbing project of your state? ” The manner in which he put it brought forth our craving to control, to tame. There was amp...

rail gadi . . rail gadi . . aage aage engine bhage . . piche piche gadi . . dhuen udati . . desh dikhati . . chai pilati . . patte khilati . . purani  yaadein phir le aati . . anjano ko dost banati . . dhalte sooraj ki kirne paas laati . . sarson ke khush rango ko beech se kaatti . . nadi pe thar tharte awaaz sunati . waise apni hi dhun pe who gaati . . itna vishaal desh yeh mera . . bus yehi usko samaj paati . . rail gadi . . rail gadi . . Earlier posts on trains Phir se Trains Trains From the rolling tracks Moving on rails Railway musings