just in case Feb 2011 final

8/7/2019 just in case Feb 2011 final

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2 Just In Case

Editors column

t is high time that we learn to appreciate the small things in life which, wepresume to be too insignificant, but which are really worth appreciating.

There are so many things happening around us which may not make us

noticeably happy (coz we are selfish cynics who fail to see the brighter side

f things) but the absence of which will really make us miss them. When

was the last time you appreciated your mom for the tasty food that she

ooks for you every day? The problem here lies in your very nature. You

ake your mom for granted. But, come on people, shes your mom, not a

ook. If you are still not getting my point, think of it this way, what if you

have no one to serve you that simple but tasty food after you come homerom a tiring day at college or work. Now it seems painful, doesnt it? Try

ppreciating her recipes one day. Look at the smile she will throw at you.

Thats the least you can do for that beautiful lady.

t doesnt take anything off your pride or ego to appreciate someone for

what they really deserve. Some may take it for mockery but some will really take it as a compliment & relish it.

Now, the main problem here rests in the hugely inflated egos of the common masses. The main question that

will haunt their minds is Wouldnt it look stupid if I thank my dabba-walla? Many people may take this up to

be a rhetorical question & never rack their brains to actually find an answer. But people, as a matter of fact,

here is an answer; in fact a question Wouldnt it look arrogant if you never thank the man who ensures thatyou get your dabba on time? But, still I know people. They will prefer looking arrogant but never stupid.

As William Arthur rightly says, Flatter me, and I may not believe you. Criticize me, and I may not like you.

gnore me, and I may not forgive you. Encourage me, and I may not forget you.

Appreciation can very well be described as a leverage which will not only give an impetus to your work but will

lso help catapult you to success (Now success here is a notional term & it doesnt mean absolute successIt

will help you achieve the small steps of success on your way to glory)

Now, I have also seen many people who are very cynical. Those pessimistic low lives just dont have it in themo appreciate anything. They crib and they criticize. They criticize, but they themselves never step forward to

hange anything that bothers them. All they do is just criticize. Mind you people, such people ultimately dig

heir own graves (not literally but figuratively)

Dontbe a critic always. Learn to appreciate. When you appreciate someone, not only do you yourself feel

happy but you also win appreciation from others and it does really help in the long run.

o, my message to all my readers here is;Appreciate & be appreciated.

Learn to appreciate thingssays Sam Thorat


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3 Just In Case

When people say thatIlive in the moment Iunderstand the concept and can recognize the value. But I secretly

wonder, How on earth do you really do that?

Yesterday, I spent some time on the beach with a dear friend. We were basking in the final rays of the afternoonsun when the conversation turned to his single status. He shared with me that an old girlfriend, currently

married was potentially about to be single again. Knowing he had a thing for this woman in the past, and a

desire to be in a relationship now, I was all over the potential that they may yet end up together.

Sensing his obvious lack of enthusiasm over my colorfully painted vision of his future, I asked him what is up to

you; to which he replied, I dont live in the past or the future, I live in the moment.

Live in the moment? What the heck does that mean? How do you do that? I replied angrily, with plenty ofexcitement in my voice.

He told me he didnt know how he did it, he just did.

As afternoon faded into evening his response stayed with me. I began wondering why I so automatically move out of

the present and into the future. I put myself in his shoes and imagined how I might deal with the same situation.

I discovered that I leave the present and go into the future to protect myself. If I run all the possible scenarios

through my mind, good or bad, and preparemyself for what might be, I will live happily? Right?

Well, maybe not.

Now, let this be said, Im not saying plannings a bad thing, or dreaming for that matter.But it doesnt escape my notice that a lot of the future projecting I do isnt peaceful.

I realized the supremacy of the present. Focus on something positive or beautiful right here and right now and

breathe it in.

Let yourself fully feel it. Then, be willing to let go of that too and move on to the next moment.

After our refreshing conversation my friend and I walked to the waters edge to experience the sea.

We both gasped when the coolness of the water hit our bare feet. We laughed and looked at each other and both

expressed the joy of being able to share the moment.

Its your lifeimagine the possibilities.

An incident from my lifeshares Rakshit Shah


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Whats inthe index we call it the 10ws

What matters 6

Animal welfareThis column is reserved for

causes; concerning things

which are really important but

are not given the attention

which they deserve by the

common man.

Whats the spirit 12

Mumbai Wall GraffitiThis column enumerates

the spirit of Mumbai city.

The things which we tend

to overlook, but which

give Mumbai that

Bumbaiya feel

Whats happiness 1

Anger Management

This column speaks of

philosophical way to

lifeLive life better.

Whats calling 22

Yeoor Village

This column is dedicated to

travellingWe will be

exploring some soothing &

remote places near the city

which can serve as a verygood weekend escape

Whats the fiesta 27

Kala Ghoda Art festival

This column speaks of festivals &

events happening in town.

Whats around 33

This column has been allotted to

give a brief bulletin of the current

affairs along with our views &

our takes on these issues.


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What say? 36

This column has been reserved for

interactive debates wherein our readers

will be participating & giving their views

on the issues that we select for thedebate.

What rhymes 39

Ill be there for you

This space is reserved for

poetry. There will be a fresh

poem in every issue.There will be poems of different

types & different genres

bringing forth some heavy &

emotive message.

Whats the fable 41

The puppets of statecraft

This space is dedicated to

storytelling. We will be having

different stories of common

people dealing with differenttypes of complexities in life

Whats new 45

This column is reserved for reviews of new

movies & games. We will be reviewing new

releases (not allonly the ones which are worth

reviewing).

We have this unique style of reviewing movies

wherein we believe that its notappropriate to

reveal the story line of the movie in a review. We

will only be reviewing the work of art as awhole


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6 Just In Case

Now, when it comes to wildlife, it is a common sight for

people living in the villages & mountains, but for city

sleekers its a rare treat. A zoo is a very essential placewhere people get to learn about different species of

animals and the habitat that favors them. Its the only link

between man & wild. People can learn things here and

use them to conserve our wildlife in a better manner. But,the problem here is, we have Cinema Halls, Hookah

parlors & Gaming zones on every other turning, but when

it comes to zoos, we only have the poor & modest Jijamata

Udyan (a.k.a Byculla zoo or Rani Baugh), currently ownedby BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). The Zoo

has seen a lot of controversy surrounding its ill-treated

animals. I thought of seeing the truth from my very eyes.

When I went on to purchase tickets to enter the zoo, I was

amazed by the price of the tickets.5 bucks! Why is it that

today people are ready to spend 200 bucks to watch a

masala bollywood flick, but no one cares about our poor

zoo?

Does it mean that a double apple hookah is worth more

than a beautiful sambar? ( a type of deer)

Obviously not, people. We definitely need more zoos in

the city. But, this cannot be done without the cooperatio

of the people. People should start taking active interest izoos.

You can visibly judge the poor condition of the zoo is

owing to the poor maintenance. There is lush greeneryeverywhere, as small lawns have been prepared for the

people to sit, relax and also XXX; but when it comes to th

animal cages, they have not at all been well maintained.Almost all enclosures are unsafe for animals as well as

people; anybody can feed the animals anything easily.

What mattersSpeak up, people

There was a time when India

used to be famous for its dens

forests & rich wildlife. Timeles

classics like Rudyard Kiplings

The Jungle Book have beenset in these forests. But, sadly

today the forests are being

taken over by a concrete jungl

meant to reside civilized

animals, which are far worsethan the wild. The modern day

Mowgli is far too well equippe

with weapons to face todaysSherkhan, who has chickened

out of his very existence.

In these circumstances, all wecan do is try to learn more &

more about our wildlife so tha

we can protect it, nurture it.

We need to educate the young

about our rich wildlife. Now, a

city geeks only exposure to

wildlife is a zoo.


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As I entered the zoo and made my way to the Lions cage, Iwas amazed to see the completely dry water trench in the

cage.

A lioness lay there taking a

short nap just having had her

meal. I browsed through the

cage in search of a Lion but,

wasnt able to find one.

I called one of the care takers& asked him whether they

have a Lion or just a Lioness,

to which he replied, Lion

nahi aahe, ek hota pan toh

mela.(There was a lion, but he died).

Dry water trench inside lions cage

Animals devoid of their natural habitat

Now, isnt that a wonderful picture! But,theressomething amiss, isnt it? What is it?

There is no grass in the deer cage! This is a catastrophe.

How can deer be kept on a barren land without any grass

or vegetation around? A deer is an animal that ishabituated to residing in grass shrubs with plenty of

vegetation to absorb the summer heat. But, here its a

different story altogether.

As I moved ahead I came across an enclosure labeled as

Elephant. It was a huge enclosure and I started strainin

my eyes to find the majestic elephant. To my surprise, it

wasnt visible anywhere. Now, an elephant isnt as small

as to be not visible with the bare eyes.

Finally my eyes fell on a small brick cage in the centre of

the huge enclosure. To my surprise, the majestic beast

had been cramped inside that cage and was barely able t

make any movement (see picture below). The sight ofsuch a majestic beasts helplessness really upset me. But

Alas!!! ; We are just the spectators.

Again, I found the natural habitat of an elephant

completely absent. There had been a fair attempt to

maintain the enclosure as was evident by the plenty of

grass. Elephants like to bath in mud & water. There was

huge water trench in the middle of the enclosure but

sadly, it was empty.

Note: In the past, two

elephants were gifted to

Japan by this zoo.

As I moved ahead, I came

across an Emu cage.Now, here, about 5-6 of t

birds had been cramped

a small cage. Now, the

specialty of the national b

(picture below) of Austr

is, it likes to stretch its le

and run for miles. It runsa speed of up to 45 km/h

But, here the enclosure w

too small for them to run at even half the speed.

Next was the Crocodile enclosure.

There was a swamp with a bit of earth in the middle whe

the two crocodiles lay lazily trying to digest their meal.


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But the swamp was all dried up with barely a foot of water.

The water was too stagnant and not cleaned from ages. I

hope the zoo authorities know about the fact that a

crocodile is an amphibious reptile (considering they

understand the meaning of those last two words). It needs

more water to survive. It cant even submerge itself

properly into the shallow swap. We also found couple of

gutkha pouches thrown into the water.

Less than a foot deep water inside crocodile enclosure

Lastly, another sight that infuriated me was the monkeycage. There were only three monkeys in the cage.

The monkey cage was a huge enclosure but did not have

anything for the monkeys to swing on (refer picture

below). There were no trees or branches inside the cage.

Obviously, it is difficult to have actual huge trees inside

the cage, but they could have placed some artificial

poles, branches, ropes or anything for the monkeys to

swing and play on.

A lone monkey sits in a corner with a look of misery

As I was done with most of the cages, I sat down on one

of the benches in the park, to have some rest. As I was

sitting on one of the benches and reviewing the

photographs that I had clicked along, I suddenly noticed

a couple sitting on a bench beside me. Immersed in their

blossoming romance, it hardly mattered to them that

they were being watched by so many other people

nearby.

Other thing that is disturbing to see inside the zoo is theinteraction of people with the animals. They shout, clap,

and whistle scaring the shit out of the animals. The distin

sounds confuse and scare them.

People shouting at the monkeys

If there is anything to marvel at in Mumbai's

Byculla zoo, it is human behavior.

I still havent understood our countrys

unusual influence towards public display of

affection. Such cheap Romeos & Juliets have

already messed up beaches, forts, gardens &

such other public places, but now a zoo?

Such behavior of the public destroys the verypurpose of a zoo. This is not a honeymoonsuite fellows, this is a zoo. Wait, the show

isnt over yet

Fully grown people bang at the glass and

concrete boxes that detain cobras and throw

pebbles at the bear through the rusted bars

of its cage. In another cell at the other side of

the park children wait eagerly for the lone

hyena to come out of its dark corner and grab

the raw meat rotting on the ground.

Parents who do not want to see themdisappointed, call out to the hyena trying toprovoke it out of inaction. They want the

animals to do tricks. They want a circus.


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Where is our National Animal & Bird?

I was immensely pissed to see the animals kept in such a

bad shape. But, my frustration reached its epitome when

I realized that pretty much the only zoo in the city

doesnt have our national animal & our national bird.

The zoo didnt have even a single peacock, the most

beautiful bird! Our National animal, the tiger is by far

the most beautiful cat ever found. It is pretty much on

the verge of extinction. There are just about 1400 tigersleft in the country (now, even thats an old statistic) and

all we can do is just join groups on Facebook which say

Save the TigerNow how is that going to help in any

way? In fact on a more serious note, how is even my

writing this going to help in any way? It isnt going to

help unless me and you people collectively decide to

promote the cause. We intend to publish this cause in

our magazine once we are done with the legal

formalities and then we intend to start a campaign and a

fund which will be contributed to NGOs who will put

forth a helping hand. If we start a fund which can be

contributed to the maintenance of the zoos and thewelfare of the animals in there, we will be in a positionto ask for transparency in the management of our funds

and it will definitely help to restore the beauty of the

zoo.

Well, a thought, but just in case

We always hear of king hearted people adopting

orphans. The rich animal lover kinds usually adopt dogs.Some of the rich spend exorbitant prices to get the best

breed of some dog. Now, this may seem a bit impractical

but why cant they adopt tigers and other endangered

wild species. They can definitely adopt such wild

animals by funding all their maintenance expenses in

the zoo. Adoption here neednt mean keeping the animal

at your home. If you can spend such a large booty in

pampering your dogs and cats, you can definitely spend

that amount in providing basic needs to our endangered

species. That definitely will be more appreciative and no

doubt, thankful.I dont think our people and especially our governmentis so open minded as to implement such changes at this

very moment, but this set up can definitely be given a

thought.Other shocking facts

Recent death of animals at zoo, or

should I say, the negligence on the par

of authorities

In 2010

A seven-year-old female hippopotamus namedJassi died on 8th Dec due to lung failure.

Bittu Sahgal, editor ofSanctuary Asia magazine

said, The unfortunate hippo was large and so h

death did not escape our attention. No one

knows how many smaller animals die at Jijama

Udyan. The zoo is one of the worst-run in the

world. It should have long ago been convertedinto a nature interpretation centre and botanic

garden.

Shiva, a 30-year-old rhinoceros, died after hefailed to find a mate in the zoo.

Laxmi, a 20-year-old leopard also died in the zo

And hence, the zoo lost its only leopard.

In 2009

Shakti, 5 year old hippopotamus died on April

24. Anuradha Sawhney, chief functionary, PeTAsaid, "Shakti was too young to die. The BMC isn

giving details, as it is scared of receiving flakfrom the people because of its careless attitude

towards animals.

The Zoo has no lion, no tiger, and no leopard

the three big and famous members of the cat

family. And they still call it a zoo!

There was only one hyena

No water found in python cages

Water level in pound was low; ducklings were not able to swim

People were banging the glass cases of the snake enclosures and literally teasing snakes.


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The big promise, but unfortunately, its still a promise

The makeover plan The Central Zoo Authority (CZA) on March 2008 had approved Rs. 433 crore Byculla zo

makeover plan. And the plan contained: The new Veermata Jijabai Prani Sangrahalaya, better known as Rani

Baug, will house more than 90 animal species from three continents - Asia, Africa and Australia - in its 53-ac

premises. The master plan, drawn up by Bangkok-based HKS Designers & Consultants International Co Ltd a

US-based landscape designers Portico Group, proposes to replicate the animals' natural habitats. On the line

of international zoos, the new zoo will also have a 3-D theatre, a theme park, night safaris, animal rides, carpark, gift shop and restaurants among other facilities. The makeover proposes to house 273 mammals of 43

species, 183 birds of 24 species and 96 reptiles and amphibians of 26 species with an open zoo concept

enabling people to watch animals from passageways.

Just imagine, people. Its been almost 4 years and I cannotsee a single penny utilized in any way.

People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) had appealed to the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) to close

down the zoo in Byculla area, as a tourist attraction, as the authorities have failed to maintain it properly.In 2005, PETA had filed a case against the Mumbai Zoo for failing to provide even the most basic care for its

animals

There has been no proper implementation of the High Court's order. It has been four years and still there is n

improvement," Sawhney said, PETA chief functionary

Up in the airstill waiting

Times of India in its issue on June 19, 2009 reported Mumbai zoo will don new look by 2012

Hindustan times in its issue on March 09, 2010 reported Byculla zoo begins makeover

The Rs 433-crore makeover is stuck at the permission stage as the heritage committee is not happy with the

current plan.

Moving the animals the most precise & only solution

A very recentorderfrom the central zoo authority, directing the transfer of these elephants to a wild life

sanctuary or a tiger reserve, has ensured that these animals will find more breathing space. The Borivali

National Park on the outskirts of Mumbai would be a perfect place to begin. I am sure tiger conservation

efforts could also use the cash. In any case, we learn more about animals if we can observe them in their

natural environments.

There is an astonishing variety of plant life here evident immediately at its entrance. Various birds and even

bats and butterflies are naturally drawn to the trees. But environmentalists fear that plans to revamp the zoo

will happen at the expense of this immense plant life.

This can be avoided if Rani Baugh, which at present feels like a well-gardened penal complex, is converted in

the beautiful park it has the potential to be.

Furthermore, it would cost the animals less anguish and the government less money (for a surprise) tomaintain Rani Baugh as a park. No one can deny that Mumbai could use more open green spaces. Well, mayb

just in case
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/Elephants-to-be-banished-from-all-zoos/articleshow/5221159.cmshttp://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/Elephants-to-be-banished-from-all-zoos/articleshow/5221159.cmshttp://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/Elephants-to-be-banished-from-all-zoos/articleshow/5221159.cmshttp://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/Elephants-to-be-banished-from-all-zoos/articleshow/5221159.cms


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Learn something from the Mysore Zoo (a.k.a Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Garden)

Youre greeted by the sight of giraffes just as you enter A white tiger relaxing in its sprawling green area

Polo, Indias only gorilla in captivity at Mysore Zoo Enormous & friendly enclosures for elephants.

A lion playing with his cub Zebra, a rare sight in India, and especially in a Zoo


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12 Just In Case

Mumbai Graffiti and its background

In this issue we decided to cover the Mumbai Graffiti.

Now, graffiti in Mumbai has been an old culture. Traditiona

what started off as young college rebels technique ofportraying their impatient thoughts, later on assumed reall

artistic forms

Often, graffiti was made on the walls portraying the faces ofGods & Goddesses to urge people who defecate on the publi

walls to do otherwise.

But, today the graffiti in Mumbai portrays the vivid imagina

of the painters who paint their messages on the walls in an

artistic manner.

As we were going through our previous

issue, we found something amiss. Something

just didnt seem correct. Something was

definitely missing. After thinking days on

end, we realized that we didnt have a full

fledged column which would display the

Spirit of Mumbai City despite of this being amagazine targeted at Mumbais readers.

Whats next? We started spending long

hours doing research on stuff that we wouldlike to show you people, which you people

often overlook but which give Mumbai that

Bumbaiya feel

Whats the s iritLets explore the other side of Mumbai!


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Where can you find it in Mumbai?Well, this wall graffiti is an essence of central Mumbai and

slowly spreading further to the suburbs. You can find

ads & loads of graffiti on the walls opposite Charni Road

Marine lines railway stations along the Maharashi Karve

oad. Most of the graffiti here aims at spreading the

essage of peace among cross cultures with messages

ke, Drop beats, not bombs

s we further move towards the heart of the city, we comecross another wall filled with such graffiti atLower Parel,

ulsi Pipe Road. This wall is directly opposite the Phoenix

ills Compound. The graffiti here has a much fresh appeal

it with a great variety of messages.

he masterpiece that an artist creates with the subtlertistic strokes from his brush of imagination on a rough

all canvas is amazing.

here is no better way of letting out your talent to the

ntire world.

A graffiti conveying the message of peace

Save the Mumbai Graffiti

With the attitude of the youth of today I certainly see suc

wonderful attempts of making our city beautiful, going

waste. All that people care for today, are the extremely fi

sea fronts or the drastically over crowded shopping mall

Who cares to look at the creative art portrayed on those

walls when just 100 meters away you can treat your eye

with an art created by God (am referring to bird watchin

Grow up people.

Mumbai has been ranked as the filthiest city among metr

in India. Whats more, iteven falls below cities likeAurangabad & Kanpur. Now, this graffiti on the walls

definitely helps to improve the mannerisms of people aspeople choose to avoid such walls to defecate or spit.

A graffiti discouraging people to defecate at public places.

It even says you can pee at phoenix (best part)

Our corporation spends huge sums of tax payers

money under the name of beautification of our ci

which I certainly see going down the drain. A city

doesnt get beautiful by erecting statues of iconic

leaders & marble fountains in the centre of cross

roads. True beauty of our city lies in natural, pure

and serene things like these. A few years back I

remember how filthy that wall at Tulsi Pipe Roadused to be. One could never think of using that

footpath; that bad was the stench. But, today thatfilthy wall has given way for something so creativ

& artistic, that it surprises me sometimes, Is this

really the same wall!!!


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Just In Case

s a culture

s more than a wall painting. Its a culture. We need toreserve it. It should be encouraged more by people

king more active interest and visiting such places

earing the graffiti. Come on people, the one at Lowerarel is just across the street from High Street Phoenix.

ou can definitely pay a visit there for 15-20 minutes, if

ot more. Also, this art needs to be encouraged and it has

spread. Especially, to the parks & sea fronts which areonsistently bearing the brunt of our bad mannered

opulation.

A casual one (or maybe I didnt think

deep enough)

Bring the change, after all,yeh hai Mumbai meri jaan

Imagine in a few years majority of the walls in the city

bearing different types of graffiti. WooDefinitely outdoo

people like me will relish the visual treat. City sleekers ar

more tuned to staying indoors not concerned of what is

happening around them but there still are some people le

who like to roam, explore, live the spirit.

So, come on people if you really feel you got it within youstep forward and contact such institutions like The WallProject. Others like me can always observe, relish & learn

But, the most important thing is, keep the spirit alive.

A graffiti encouraging people to get outside their air-

conditioned homes & live the life of an explorer

The Wall Project

The Wall Projectis one such body

which encourages this type of

graffiti. They have collaborated

with Rachna Sansad College,

Allianz Franchise and such other

institutions in search of fresh,

budding talent.To get more details of this

initiative you may follow the

below address:

http://www.thewallproject.com/

Take inspiration from ChennaiA couple of months back I was touring Chennai for some official work. Its

a quiet & cultured city; Mumbaikars just dont feel comfortable though, its

far too cultured for them. But, something really connected with me at that

juncture and gave me a warm feeling. Most of the walls in the main city of

Chennai are painted with different forms of graffiti. So wide is the varietyand so widely spread out they are that if you want to make a detailed

study, you will have to plan a four day stay at least. Naturally, owing to the

graffiti, the walls are extremely clean and you do not get to see random

spits & poops here & there. Another thing that I noticed out there was the

walls bearing the graffiti were very well maintained, with the algae & straysprouts being cleaned periodically, something thats noticeably missing

out here.
http://www.thewallproject.com/http://www.thewallproject.com/


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ere are some select photos of interesting graffiti

found along the way

Thats really spiritually awakening

A dreamers image

Llklklkl Hahahathis one is hilariousdiscourages jilted lovers

from scribbling their flop stories on the walls.

Environmental awareness


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A brief window into the spirit of Mumbai

A glimpse of the continuous war between the common man and the system


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17 Just In Case

You must have come across a situation where your facebecomes red, and your shoulders slightly rise upwards.

The nostrils burn and the eyebrows lean down towards

your eyes. Well, this is the default facial expression or

hould I say the body language, while expressing your

nger. And theres a sudden impulse to pick up anything

in most cases, the cellphone) and throw with a strong

potency towards any direction.What did just happen? You think the end achieved

hrough such action was worth? The problem is yet the

ame; it hasnt diminished by seeing your ways to dealwith anger. Instead, now you regret throwing yourellphone. Understand this folks you are not the only

ne with a problem. I reckon we probably all have anger

problems. Heck it, we are going to be greeted by problems

s long as we live in this world. And I believe a life without

problems is like a computer without an operating system.

You may think of yourself as not an angry person but

doesnt your blood pour out when your boss fails to give

you the recognition for the overtime and hard work?

Dont you get frustrated while being stuck in the traffic

am on your way to office while you keep banging the

horn continuously to let outyour frustration? Dont youget frustrated when the person you trusted the most has

tarted betraying you and the only thing you can think of

s revenge. Even when the dabba-walla is little late in

delivering the lunch, we are always ready with words of

nger without knowing the fact that it was the train that

was late and not the dabba-walla. Frustration is a sign of

nger.

t seems we are always on the edge of getting angry.

Anger is like volcano; like lava that has already been

created in our mind and is eagerly waiting for eruption

may still not be sure with other emotions, but anger is

unfortunately becoming part of our lives. I mean there

hasnt been a single day where anger is not there to se

us, to greet us. Something wrong happens and all of a

sudden the lava inside you pops out.

Here is a likely scenario. Imagine a vehicle hit by anoth

vehicle. Now no one is really sure whose fault it is (or

even if one is, he wont accept) buteither the drivers othe car owners will start thrashing each other. And

hundreds of people will gather around just to witness

accident-turning-into-street fight sight (who saysMumbai is a busy city!). And after 2-3 rounds of fightin

eventually both will get tired and resume the day by

getting in to the same damaged car. Now even if the

thrashing part might have overcome the frustration the car anyway stands damaged or broken. Then what

was the point of doing the Sunny Deol thing! Instead,

would have been better if one of them had accepted hi

fault or both of them had arrived at an honest solutionwhile refraining from the physical assault path. But as

said, anger is waiting to come out; it just takes a little p

and there you go. Come on people, we all have days wh

things dont turn out to be the way we want, eventuallwaking up the angry young man within us. But when

things can be worked out by practicing compassion, w

to adopt the anger path! Or else its better to keep youaggression with yourself rather than distribute it. I

understand that its difficult to control or change the

situation when being angry but at least we can control

reaction to that situation in dealing with anger.

Hold that temper

How often we get angry on the smallest ofthings, sometimes to the extent where it ruins

everything and you later realize the scenario

you just created is helpless & its impossible to

find a way out and gain back the last few

seconds or minutes.

Whats ha inessgive your life a new meaning


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Just In Case

Practically speaking, we are always greeted with different

motions in our everyday lives; emotions which affect our

purposes and decisions. I am proposing something

different here. Rather than giving importance to the

decisions, we need to take control of our emotions first.

Because, it is the emotion at the very moment, which will

ffect our decision and not vice versa. Some emotions can

make us avoid something or some can force us to reach

or it. When we are happy and excited (the feel good

motions) we tend to feel stress free and the vibes we

btain are positive. But what it is about anger? Why thehell is it so difficult to control? How do we deal with it?

suggest that at the time when you are angry, it is

mperative to understand the situation as well as the

haracter. Understand that anger is just another emotion.

When things go awry, dontjust transport yourself into a

tate of violence, instead, remain calm and learn to takeontrol of your mind, because it is the mind that will start

reating images of resentment and youll end up doing

omething or saying something which you will always

egret. As Ambrose Bierce said, Speak when you arengry and you will make the best speech you will ever

egret.Now I come to the situation part. Do you really think

urning your face into red and throwing an electronic

device can help you find the way out? What are you trying

o prove by removing the frustration onto a thing that

wont attack back! In fact, it shows that you are helpless

nd have already accepted defeat with yourself. Rather

han avoiding the situation, learn to deal with it. Take the

nger in and gulp it down. Agreed, you may not be able to

hange the situation, but you can control or train yourmind to respond to things or problems in a systematic and

ensitive way by implementing some constructive

echniques (Ill come to this later on). But first, let me tell

you my experience:

The other night I was having an off day. I had a deadline

o complete my office work which I failed to meet. Now

bviously this didnt sound good to my boss. Now the

words I received in response didnt sound good to me too.

And all of a sudden the anger inside me started

ssembling. I had a feeling of frustration that was

nduring inside me that I couldnt seem to control.Thoughts of throwing all the documents and papers right

n my bosss face crossed my mind. I even threw the said

ffice file in disgust. I dont know what was happening tome? Slowly, the anger started to spread like virus. It was

ffecting my interactions with family and friends. I

ealized I was no good to anyone. After some time,

plashing some water hard on my face a couple of times, I

tared at the mirror. I realized it had not been me for the

ast few hours; it was the anger inside me. If I had

ontrolled that anger by remaining calm, I could have

ome up with a solution to my problem, and also my

interaction with family and friends would have remain

unaffected. But the wild animal within me spoiled

everything.

Were human, we get angry sometimes. The important

thing however, is knowing that you need to take a

moment to control your mind and remain calm, before

you turn in to a wild animal and end up doing things

which you may regret later.

Read the following if youre aggressive in nature

The above story very rightly tells us the consequences

drawbacks of being angry on loved and closed ones.However big the problem may be, never allow your mi

empower you. Sometimes were caught up with so mathings happening in our mind that we are not able to

control it and our desired acts ruins everything, as the

say, anger is one letter short of danger.

A man came out of his home to admire his new truck

To his puzzlement, his 3 year-old son was happily

hammering dents into the shiny paint. The man ran t

his son, knocked him away, and hammered the littleboy's hands into a pulp as punishment.

When the father calmed down, he rushed his son to

the hospital.

Although the doctor tried desperately to save the

crushed bones, he finally had to amputate the fingers

from both the boy's hands. When the boy woke up

from the surgery and saw his bandaged stubs, heinnocently said, "Daddy, I'm sorry about your truck."

Then he asked, "but when are my fingers going to

grow back?" The father went home and committed

suicide.

Think about the story the next time you see someone

spill milk at a dinner table or hear a baby cry. Thinkfirst before you lose your patience and become angry

with someone you love.

Trucks can be repaired. Broken bones and hurt

feelings often cannot. Too often we fail to recognizethe difference between the person and the

performance. People make mistakes. We are allowed

to make mistakes. But the actions we take while in a

rage will haunt us forever. Pause and ponder. Think

before you act. Be patient.

Source: Sikhphilosophy network


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Just In Case

Constructive wayshow to deal with anger

Understanding anger:

The first step is to understand that youre angry or

rustrated, and why. Dont just get into a state where yourmind gives up; where it creates negative emotions into

you. The problem here is; if you fail to understand the

ituation, you wont get the whole picture. And without

ven thinking of anything, the mind will start acting on its

ways to accomplish its desire. Ask yourself, does it mattero me if I get angry? What will I benefit from it? The

ituation is anyway going to remain the same. Only what

will change is your outlook towards the situation. And

nce youve realized the didnt matter and no benefit

actor, thats the stage where youve understood anger,

precisely, understood yourself to deal with anger.

Pause & Ponder:

Wait, wait, why so hasty, friend?

Shall leave you with a catastrophic end

Before getting into the act of picking up anything and

mashing anything just to satisfy your frustration, pause

yourself for a moment and think. What good are you doing

o yourself by getting involved in such an act? Throwing

hings in anger is what your subconscious mind tells you.

t shows you cannot control yourself. Rather close your

yes and start breathing deeply. The breathing process

will comfort your mind and will enable you to think more

learly. I know it sounds little awkward (as if youre

meditating) but it is one of the best ways to deal with

rustration. Breathing deeply will lighten you from the

heavy burden and provide you a better approach to the

problem youre facing.

Walk yourself to a quiet place:

ts my best way to deal with anger.

f youre holding onto the anger sensation throughout the

day, its better to go somewhere alone, may be to a beach

r garden or anywhere. Park yourself wherever you feel

omfortable and then ponder over your problem. As weird

s it may sound but a quiet ambience has its effects. For

me, nature has always been the best remedy.

Talking it out:

All of us have this urge of sharing our emotions with closenes. You happy about something, you share. You sad

bout something, you share. The next time youre

rustrated, talk it out with your close buddies. Not only

will they provide you with honest solutions but sharing it

will lighten you form that heavy kilos of your problemwhich is making you angry.

Go and play some sport:

This one is more acceptable to men than women. Spor

I say, is a stress-buster. Remove your anger on to a gam

rather than keeping it within yourself. At least for the t

youre into that game, I assure you that youll be free fr

your problem and forget about your anger. A sport ste

your bad mood and introduces its own excitement.

Scream out loudly:

If you arentcomfortable with any of the above ways arather wish to keep the anger with yourself, then this i

the best and quickest remedy. I know it wont help to

change the situation but at least youve removed yourfrustration for the time being.

Walk yourself to a quiet place. It will comfyou and lighten your anger.

Remove your frustration by shouting

loudly rather than throwing away thin


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Think before you act. Look back at the last time when you

angry. Did any good come out of it? Understand the root

cause and then ask yourself: What will I gain from it? Onc

you realize that youre only affecting yourself while the

situation remaining unaffected, you have taken control ov

yourself, and thats the most important thing. Remember

time when a traffic police officer caught you while breaki

the signal and you somehow settled the issue with him bytalking kindly and controlling your anger for the moment

Because you knew removing your anger at that moment w

lead you to trouble. So the next time when you get angry

(may be, just in case), you know what to do.

Watch this film (AngerManagement) starring

Adam Sandler & Jack

Nicholson to enjoy the

humor surrounding ang

management therapy.

What Buddha said:

An angry person is ugly & sleeps poorly. Gaining a profit, he turns it into a loss, having done

damage with word & deed. A person overwhelmed with anger destroys his wealth.

Maddened with anger, he destroys his status. Relatives, friends, & colleagues avoid him.

Anger brings loss. Anger inflames the mind. He doesn't realize that his danger is born from

within. An angry person doesn't know his own benefit. An angry person doesn't see the

Dharma. A man conquered by anger is in a mass of darkness. He takes pleasure in baddeeds as if they were good, but later, when his anger is gone, he suffers as if burned with

fire. He is spoiled, blotted out, like fire enveloped in smoke. When anger spreads, when a

man becomes angry, he has no shame, no fear of evil, is not respectful in speech. For a

person overcome with anger, nothing gives light.

Religious perspective

In Catholicism:Anger in Catholicism is counted as one of the

seven deadly sins

In Hinduism:

InHinduism, anger is equated with sorrow as

a form of unrequited desire. The objects ofanger are perceived as a hindrance to the

gratification of the desires of the angry

person.Alternatively if one thinks one is

superior, the result is grief. Anger is

considered to be packed with more evilpower than desire. In the Bhagavad Gita

Krishna regards greed, anger, and lust assigns of ignorance which lead to perpetual

bondage

In Islam:The Qur'an, the central religious textofIslam,

attributes anger to prophets and believersand Muhammad's enemies.

A proximate saying of Prophet Muhammad

instructs that a judge should not pass a

judgment between any two parties when he is

in a state of anger.

Source: Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dharma_%28Buddhism%29http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinduismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinduismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhagavad_Gitahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krishnahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_texthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_texthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krishnahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhagavad_Gitahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinduismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dharma_%28Buddhism%29


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What they said

For every minute you are angry, you lose sixty seconds of happinessAnonymous.

He who angers you conquers youElizabeth Kenny.

When you are offended at any man's fault, turn to yourself and study your own failings. Then you will forget

your anger Epictetus.

If you are patient in one moment of anger, you will escape a hundred days of sorrow. A Chinese proverb.

Anger, if not restrained, is frequently more hurtful to us than the injury that provokes it Seneca

The best answer to anger is silence.Anonymous.

Anger dwells only in the bosom of fools.Albert Einstein.

When anger rises, think of the consequencesConfucius.

Well, even they said soha-ha-ha

Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at

omeone else; you are the one who gets burned.Buddha

Never strike your wife even with a flower. Hindu proverb.

You should make a woman angry if you wish her to love. Publilius Syrus.

In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people angry and been widely regarded as

bad move. Douglas Adams.

Resentment is like taking a poison and waiting for the other person to die. Malachy McCourt.
http://thinkexist.com/quotation/when_you_are_offended_at_any_man-s_fault-turn_to/205425.htmlhttp://thinkexist.com/quotation/when_you_are_offended_at_any_man-s_fault-turn_to/205425.htmlhttp://thinkexist.com/quotation/if_you_are_patient_in_one_moment_of_anger-you/7550.htmlhttp://thinkexist.com/quotation/if_you_are_patient_in_one_moment_of_anger-you/7550.htmlhttp://thinkexist.com/quotation/anger-if_not_restrained-is_frequently_more/167369.htmlhttp://thinkexist.com/quotation/anger-if_not_restrained-is_frequently_more/167369.htmlhttp://thinkexist.com/quotation/the_best_answer_to_answer_to_anger_is_silence/7362.htmlhttp://thinkexist.com/quotation/the_best_answer_to_answer_to_anger_is_silence/7362.htmlhttp://thinkexist.com/quotation/anger_dwells_only_in_the_bosom_of_fools/221427.htmlhttp://thinkexist.com/quotation/anger_dwells_only_in_the_bosom_of_fools/221427.htmlhttp://thinkexist.com/quotation/when_anger_rises-think_of_the/181251.htmlhttp://thinkexist.com/quotation/when_anger_rises-think_of_the/181251.htmlhttp://thinkexist.com/quotation/holding_on_to_anger_is_like_grasping_a_hot_coal/12958.htmlhttp://thinkexist.com/quotation/holding_on_to_anger_is_like_grasping_a_hot_coal/12958.htmlhttp://thinkexist.com/quotation/holding_on_to_anger_is_like_grasping_a_hot_coal/12958.htmlhttp://thinkexist.com/quotation/holding_on_to_anger_is_like_grasping_a_hot_coal/12958.htmlhttp://thinkexist.com/quotation/holding_on_to_anger_is_like_grasping_a_hot_coal/12958.htmlhttp://thinkexist.com/quotation/when_anger_rises-think_of_the/181251.htmlhttp://thinkexist.com/quotation/anger_dwells_only_in_the_bosom_of_fools/221427.htmlhttp://thinkexist.com/quotation/the_best_answer_to_answer_to_anger_is_silence/7362.htmlhttp://thinkexist.com/quotation/anger-if_not_restrained-is_frequently_more/167369.htmlhttp://thinkexist.com/quotation/if_you_are_patient_in_one_moment_of_anger-you/7550.htmlhttp://thinkexist.com/quotation/when_you_are_offended_at_any_man-s_fault-turn_to/205425.htmlhttp://thinkexist.com/quotation/when_you_are_offended_at_any_man-s_fault-turn_to/205425.html


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22 Just In Case

Well, Yeoor Hills are a couple of hills in the Yeoor

village located at Thane. The village is located in th

interiors of the Thane district and hosts a couple o

scenic landscapes. The Yeoor village also has anentrance to the Sanjay Gandhi National Park fromback side. The national park entirely as such is a h

jungle but the rear entrance from the village is a c

& serene spot and can be termed as an adventurer

paradise.

Whats calling

Lets add some memories to your life

Have you ever given a thought to exploring natural &

serene places on weekends? Busted!!! Your favorite pass

time is flipping through the channels on the idiot box or

shopping for useless things or maybe more of window

shopping when it comes to the fairer sex.Well, its not much of your mistake though. There are very

few places near the city which can serve as good weekend

getaways. But, speaking of within the city, there are none!

At least thats what I felt till a couple of days back when I

was searching for a nice weekend getaway to spend some

time outdoor exploring nature on the No TV Day, it being aSaturday. It was around this time that I came across this

place named Yeoor hills, pretty much within the city limits.


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The journey

aturday morning, we, a group of five friends and

olleagues were all ready and geared up to confront the

and of adventure that lay ahead. We began our journey

t about 7.00 a.m. We purposely wanted to keep this trip

low budget affair since it may not be possible for some

f our young readers to spend too lavishly on weekend

getaways. Our main goal here was to gather a minimum

equired amount of resources & relish the adventure

Dense foliage

As we reached the place, (details of modes of transport &

ocation mentioned ahead) we decided to trek our way

hrough the picturesque landscape in search of some nice

pictures which I could probably think of framing or

putting in the magazine. Now, the bus that leads you hereakes aghatwhich leads to the Yeoor village. Now, it is

dvised for nature lovers to get down at the stop

mmediately after theghat. There are a couple of hills &

ll of them are not located at one point. They are at some

distance from each other but taking a stroll across the

distance is much better than waiting for the bus which

urns up in an hour.

We got off as soon as the bus stopped after the ghat. The

village was about a mile from that point. We started

descending the ghat on foot, about halfway to inspect the

cenic beauty. It was about 10.30 am by the time we weredone exploring the hill. We were tired and it was time to

reshen up with some nice chai. There were no shops in

he vicinity, so we decided to make our way to the Yeoor

village.

On the way to the village, much of the land bordering theoad is private property, but there are some gaps and

paces in between which are not yet sold and give a nice

view of the valley.

As we made our way to the bazaar in the village, we

came across an Airforce Station (Restricted Area) on t

lower slopes of the Kannheri Hills.

There were someAdivasi locals in the area carrying

branches of wood to the Airforce station. We asked a

chap for some directions and asked him about the pla

to be seen in the vicinity.

The village bazaar as such is a small place and there is

much around to explore. Usually small town bazaars a

pretty interesting, but this one doesnt have anything

special apart from a few basic shops & tea stalls. By n

it was 11.00 am and the tea was a nice mental kick forto carry on all day long. The tea they make on those

stoves has a very peculiar taste to itthat rusty feel.


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Done with the tea, we made our way to the Sanjay Gandhi

National Park (from the back side). The back side entry is

bout two miles from the village and you may ask for a

andmark named Last Stop if you get stuck. Some part of

his national park falls within Yeoor, so we decided to

xplore the woods.

The national park from the front entry (Borivali) is a

rowded place as many people come there and access it

rom the front entrance but the back entrance form the

Yeoor side is deserted, calm and serene. Though from

what we found out, the place gets risky once the sun

tarts setting. So, it is advisable to go to this place in thefternoon.

There is a kachha path made up of stones which leads

you deeper & deeper into the woods. The forest here is

dense and you actually wont feel that you are within the

ity limits. This is a perfect place if you love trekking and

you are a nature enthusiast. There are two hills on this

ide of the jungle which we trekked for some distance.

adly the maps on our cell phones stopped working

beyond a certain point owing to low connectivity and

hence we decided to turn back. This place is so dense &

emote that you need to have a cellphone with a GPS

racker and you need to follow the kachha path. Failingny of these, you will end up spending the rest of your

ife, circling the woods trying to find a way out. Also, itsnot ideal for groups of just 2 or 3 people to come here

without any food or water. This place should be explored

nly in larger groups of 5 people and above. You need to

be well equipped with water, food & first aid before

ntering the woods.

We met a few people on the way and they instructed u

to a point where there is a waterfall. We went thereonly to be disappointed. Owing to the heat the waterf

has lost its vigor and its barely like a small stream or

rivulet. Though, some people told us that the place wa

a great attraction during the monsoon.

By now, it was almost 2pm and our stomach started

making its presence felt. Also, we had exhausted most

of our water resources and so tired, exhausted and

hungry, we made our way out of the national park and

back to the Yeoor village.Now, there are very few restaurants or eateries in the

village. After a long search, we found a dhaba named

Shamiyana, in the village. The signboard prominently

displays the name and its difficult to miss it.

We went inside to hog & freshen up for the rest of the

journey.

As we went through the menu,

trying to decide suitable food

to fulfill our appetite whilst not

making us lazy, I came acrossanother section in the menu,

specially reserved for

hookahs!!!


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Now, this was like an icing on the cake. A nice peach mint

hookah would be a great way to relax and unwind after

having walked miles on end.

The hookah was classy and soothing. But, sadly I may not

be able to use any of these adjectives for the food since it

was pretty disappointing. It lacked taste and a particular

quality that we expected. But, this being the only choice,

we dug in.

By the time we were done, it was about 3pm. Our next

destination was the foothills of Kannheri. Now, these

Kannheri hills are extremely beautiful but they have anAirforce station on the top and so most of it is a restricted

rea. Despite of this, we didnt lose heart and made thebest of what was available.

The foothills of Kannheri are beautiful with dense forest

& lush greenery around. Also, it is a nice trekking slope

or Amateur trekkers. We saw groups of people sitting

under the trees and enjoying booze. No wonder such

ecluded places are written off as encouraging anti-social

lements. Come on people, you can booze in some dhaba;

his is not a bloody place to booze!!!

One of the goons drunk beyond his senses even offered

us a drink.

You are not going to put our photos in newspaper na?ne of the fools asked.

You see, nowadays media people are doing so many

ting operations that I feel scared, added another one.

We camped at a point in the hills and played cards for

ome time. We began with our return journey by about

4.30pm, since the hills get risky during the evening.

nakes, leopards & other wildlife.

We caught the bus from the Yeoor village bus stop

which took us straight to the Thane station.

How do you get thereAs I mentioned earlier, I wanted to keep this trip a low

budget affair since some of our young readers are not

a position to spend too lavishly on weekend getaways

So, we used the public means of transport; and guess

what, we got done in 40 bucks per head including the

return fare.Directions to get there:

Board a train from the Central line of Mumbai Suburb

Railway heading towards Thane. Get down at the Tha

station on the Western side. There you will come acros

fly over cum sky walk which sports a bus stop in the

middle. Take the TMT Bus No. 11 labeled as Yeoor villaPurchase a ticket for Yeoor village & get down

immediately after you climb the ghat. For the Sanjay

Gandhi National Park back side entrance ask for a

landmark named Last Stop. For the Kannheri hills as

for a landmark named Golden Swan Country Club.

The light distortion through the leaves caught my eye

Fellows before you leave for a trip here; youneed to understand that this is no amusement

park or beach. Its a forest. You need to be wellgeared with lots of water, some food & first aid.

Carry a cellphone having GPS facility; it is a

must. Also, plan the trip with a group of a

minimum of five members. If you are wellprepared it will be a nice trekking adventure


26/47

Just In Case

Pictures speak louder than words


27/47

27 Just In Case

We decided to visit the festival on the very first day. Now, the venue for thisfestival is the Kala Ghoda area in South Mumbai. You can reach there by

boarding a Churchgate bound local train from the Western line or by boardin

CST bound local train from the Central/Harbor line. The venue is at a distanc

about two miles from these stations. Later, you may board a cab or walk it up

(closer from CST).

As we made our way to the Rampart row street we came across the finest &choicest forms of art on display. Now, none of us being experts in that partic

field, we were not in a position to actually comment on the quality or

technicalities of the art forms; but nonetheless, we decided to open our lens

capture the beautiful creations on our tape. Some of the art forms displayed

the street were very beautiful, artistic & simple giving out simple messages.

at the same time, there were few which were as difficult to interpret and

understand, making you wonder what exactly was going through the mind o

the artist while creating it. Thankfully for people like me who are a bit ignorabout this field, placards have been placed near the art explaining the details

interpretations of the art form.

Whats the fiesta

the Mumbai (m ) wa of celebratin

The months of January &

February were jam packedwith festivals. But, we

wanted to give our readers,

something which is fresh &

currently taking place.Subsequently, we decided to

cover The Kala Ghoda festivalin this months issue.

The Kala Ghoda festival is an

art festival held in the South

Mumbai area of Kala Ghoda.

Its an annual festival & isheld for about 8-10 days in

January or February. The

festival was first held in 1999

& since then it has been a

huge success among the art

lovers. Huge crowds young &old alike (including

foreigners) turn up for thisevent which is one of the

largest art festivals in the

financial capital. The KalaGhoda area plays host to a

couple of art institutions like

the Jahangir Art Gallery & the

Bombay Natural History

Society. This festival is held

on the Rampart Row Street.

The festival includes Art in

the form of fine art,literature, street display of

art, etc.


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Just In Case

The Bollywood cowwas a cow shaped statue with vibra

& colorful faces of Bollywood stars on it. Though it ma

me wonder, why Lord Hanumans face in between the

glam sham? Did you notice?

As the sun started setting and the twilight became more

pparent, the lights and decoration on these art forms

were turned on, making them look even more vibrant and

ffective, just like the Kala Ghoda to your right.

As we moved on from one art form to another, trying tonterpret the artists mind set, we came across differentrt forms carrying real worthy messages & promoting

mportant causes. Just like the save the tigers initiative

pic to your right).

The round ball (pic to your left) created from bambooscane symbolizes our mother earth, and the junk filled

inside, represents the increasing hazardous plastic was

that is damaging the ecology and destroying our mothe

earth.


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Just In Case

An interactive art form wherein you can poke the replica o

common man, bandaged and suffocating, slept over an MRI

bed; to let out your resentment and feel better.

The placard explaining the art form had a very nice short

poem attached to itIll poke you because its fun,

Ill poke you till you are numb,

Ill poke you to make you fit into my beliefs,

And poke and poke till you are just like me

Ill poke you

Thats a replica of the famous chocolate boy super hero

Spiderman. The replica doesnt at all look extraordinaryill you actually notice the fine details of the structure &

keenly observe what its actually made up of.The entire thing has been made up of mechanized motor

parts. Spares of motors have been meticulously arranged

nd bound together to bring to existence the superhero.

The statue looks nice and rusty, and has a metallic and

obust feel to it

Now, this was another similar type of a statue, this time

rather having a steering wheel in the place of a head. We

now thats symbolic for a brain as per my interpretation

Your brain does actually act like a steering helping you t

determine the direction in which you flow (figuratively)

As we moved along the street, there were some superb a

forms that grabbed my attention and made their way on

my cameras lens


30/47

Just In Case

The haphazards of noise pollution on the common man

That one symbolizes a rat race to the ultimate perish (my interpretation)


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Just In Case

This was a superb art form which really won my heart. The placa

displayed beside the art had a precise explanation helping you to

understand the artists point of view. In a card game, the Kings &

the Queens are the celebrities who steal all the limelight. The Jok

is a poor loner who is neutral but nonetheless powerful enough t

help save the game for the person who holds him. Now, this joker is related to the common man who is never in the

limelight, but is the most important & powerful card in the card

game called lifeThe Kings & Queens are the politicians that hechoosesHe is the ultimate power

The art leaves you with a question, as to who you really want to b

the powerful yet uncertain King or the common but nonetheless

powerful Joker?

Camouflage Harvest

Now, this one did look as if based on an interesting

oncept with the placard stating that it depicts the

ommon working man caught in between religion &

politics, but I was not rather able to interpret

nything from this one (blame it on my poor art)

The festival also includes the art of literature. There

re several workshops organized in the nearby

ahangir Gallery & the BNHS. We attended the

nteractive Story-telling Workshop. This work shop

irst had some famous story writers brief us about

he art of story writing. After that the audiences

were encouraged to participate in interactive

discussions carried out in the workshop. Another

workshop we attended was based on the art of

poetry writing, Catching a Poem.

There were also a lot of literature based workshops

or children basically to discard the fear of poetry &

ther forms of literature quite naturally present

mongst children.

n the middle of the crescent shaped street anmphitheatre has been set up to host several cultural

hows & dance performances which take place after

hort time intervals of fifteen minutes starting from

6pm right up to 9pm.


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On the street, there are some stalls bearing artists who

prepare their art spontaneously. There are sketch artists,

who prepare actual sketches of peoples faces. There are

omic sketch artists as well. There is this one stall where,

potter prepares pots for you on the spot & even you may

end you hand, if you wish toAmazing experience

eally

As we moved on, we came across this huge dinner table set

up covered with a white cloth on which you may scribble

your own message.

Our messagea moment for yourself; to relive,to cherish

The whole experience as such was a fantastic one. I

wish to see and attend more such art festivals which

re not hardcore art fests but which even the common

man like me can enjoy.

The festival overall is a nice experience and a must

visit for art lovers and all youngsters for that matter;ts within the city andyou donteven need to pay any

ntry fee.

The festival goes on till 13th February. You

may get a complete schedule of events by

following the below web addresses.

www.kalaghoda.timesofindia.indiatimes.com

www.kalaghodaassociation.com
http://www.kalaghoda.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/http://www.kalaghoda.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/


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33 Just In Case

Reshuffling Renovating the same old furniture

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday, January 19, 2010 reshuffled some of the ministers from

their post by dropping few of them and adding more. Prime Minister also announced that he would have

another reshuffle after the budget (likely on 28th February). The makeover is partial, even half-hearted withministers shifted from one portfolio to another. Those shown the yellow cards will be handed the red card

if they continue sitting on their hands, said an official. Yet, the reshuffle throws up more questions than

answers, eventually leaving many people dissatisfied.

The new MANMOHAN ARMY Know your ministers (a.k.a villains)

Jaipal Reddy, 69 Minister for Petroleum & Natural gas.

I say:Its a different story that this will lead to a further rise in petrol prices, and eventually it did.Kapil Sibal, 62 Retains communications & IT and Human Resources Development as cabinet minister.

I say: Did I just hear retained as communications & IT minister? And still we see no progress in the 2G spectrum scamapart from CBI nailing A Raja recently. But then A Raja is just a face, behind him many politicians and corporate

tycoons are involved. Well, lets just leave the issue to the minister himself.

Sharad Pawar, 70Retains cabinet rank as agriculture minister.

I say: Now hes the big player. Hes also the president of the ICC. I still wonder why him? But as an agriculture

minister, why did he fail to prevent the prices from going through the roof? More and more farmers are finding

agriculture a loss-making venture. Though our foodgrain production has gone up, the onion price rise fiasco proves

once again that we need to reform our agriculture sector. But who the hell cares for my opinion. Lets just leave the

issue to the minister himself.

Salman Khursheed, 57 Elevated to water resources & minority affairs ministry.

Praful Patel, 53 Cabinet rank for heavy industries & public enterprises. Previously minister of civil aviation

Vilasrao Deshmukh, 65 Gets ministry of rural development & panchayati raj.

I say: In spite of his name figuring in Adarsh housing society scam, he still gets a ministry! Again I still wonder why?CP Joshi, 60 Gets ministry of road transport & highways.

I say: And Im still paying the toll to the more than 20 year old Vashi Bridge.

Kamal Nath, 64 Gets ministry of urban development.

I say: Keep dreaming. Shanghai is anyway 100 years ahead of Mumbai.

Murli Deora, 74 Gets ministry of corporate affairs.

SK Sahay, 59 Gets ministry for tourism.

Ajay Maken, 47 Gets ministry for youth affairs & sports.

I say: Aaahhhfinally a 50 under minister.

How these ministers will perform in the boards after the budget session is anybodys guess. It has become

increasingly clear that the government and the party are in a self-destructive mode. It is also difficult to believe thatanother reshuffle may actually take place in the life of this government, given its track record of indecision.

So, the glass may be half full, but its still half empty. And I always wonder why?

Whats aroundan outlook of the current affairs


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The Oil Mafia makes its presence felt

The month of Jan 2011 saw a shocking expose of the deadly oil Mafia in the country. The existence of an Oil

Mafia was always known but their existence had always been under the wraps. However, a shocking event i

Jan 2011 brought to light the illegal crimes committed by these oil hoarders.

Oil mafia unveiled

Additional Collector of Malegaon, Yashwant Sonawane was brutally murdered on 25th January 2011 by the oil mafia.

He was allegedly burnt alive at Manmad near Nasik when he tried to alert government officials about oil thefts which

were being carried out regularly by the Oil Mafia. He even had taped video evidence of the oil thefts taking place whicwere later procured by the police.

How it happened

Sonawne was on his way to Nandgaon for some meeting when he spotted some trucks parked suspiciously near the o

depots of HPCL & BPCL. Sonawne didnt have any police cover at this time & he didnt bother to inform the policeeither. He directly went ahead to inspect the trucks when some of the notorious smugglers headed by Popat Shinde

attacked him & set him ablaze. During this incident, Yashwant Soanwne allegedly held on to Popat Shinde who also go

burnt & later succumbed to the burn injuries at the Malegaon Civil Hospital. Yashwant Sonawne was declared dead on

admission.

Death of democracy

This can very well be seen as death of democracy. There are stories of Sonawnes alleged link ups with the Oil mafia in

the past but so far no substantial evidence has been procured. But, nonetheless murdering a high level government

official with such ease, its definitely a mockery of our democracy. The worst part of the story is, still the investigation

havent reached to the level of the actual goons involved. Arresting & prosecuting henchmen is not in any way going thelp in this case. This is a far too serious crime with the oil prices soaring to an all time high & the oil mafia keen on

hoarding maximum oil to further inflate the prices & adulterate the quality.

Repercussions of the fire

The fire that was set up to burn alive Yashwant Sonawne may have killed him but now the fire is definitely going to

spread further & burn the Oil Mafia too. Within a week of this ghastly incident, the government carried out more than

200 raids within the state of Maharashtra to check the illegal hoarding & adulteration of oil by the Oil Mafia. This

incident has had serious repercussions on small time oil related businesses.


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A political satire (inspired by Manas Chakravarty, Loose Cannon)

Mr. Singh, will you please look into the matter?

The prime minister watched wearily as the Opposition continued with the uproar in the House (Parliament

His eyebrows leaning towards his eyes while his face as usual showing the calm expression.

Where is she (Sonia Gandhi)? he wonders.

Hey MS, I m right here, next to you, the table to your left, she (Sonia Gandhi) signals him.

Aaahhhfor a moment it occurred to me that I was lost, his eyes spoke the expression. But now, his eyeswere cold and hard as the opposition was not stopping. He shouted, Enough is enough.

Why are they shouting so much? asked Kapil Sibal

Theyre still demanding JPC (Joint Parliamentary Probe) into 2G scam. said the PM.

But now that A Raja is in his hometown, whats the matter with the opposition? asked Kapil Sibal.

Hometown? You mean the Jail? PM sounded curious.

No, I mean Chennai, replied Sibal.

Anyway, theyre the opposition party, even if theres no matter, they will still shout. said PM.

Onion prices are finally stable, said the party spokesperson.

Then I must congratulate Mr. Pawar for this, PM said.

(Sharad Pawar seemed expressionless)

Hey Pawar, where were you lost? PM asked.Oh Sir, I was figuring about the sponsorship and telecasting deal for the upcoming World Cup, replied Paw

Oh yeahfax me the time table later, but didnt you hear, onion prices are finally stable. Good job, Pawar.

Why thank me? Pawar questioned.

Youre the agriculture minister. Thats your department, right? PM asked

But didnt they tell you thats my side business. Ive have a much bigger liabilityoh sorry, responsibility

now, Pawar said.But are the ICCs board of members happy with your performance, PM asked.

Sir, I dont know about that, but they are happy of the BCCI funding them.

Ye achi baat nahi hai,a sound came from nowhere.

Oh teri PM jumped in excitement.What happened, are you alright? enquired, Pranab.

Ya, I am fine. Its just that sometimes I feel Atalji is somewhere near, PM said.

So Pranab, hows the budget preparation going on? PM asked.

In full-swing, sir. Ive renamed the Budget 2010 folder with the budget 2011, Pranab answered.

Very Goodand what about the black money account holders issue? Are you following up with Switzerland

bank officials or the government? PM asked.

At the stroke ofour midnight hour, when Switzerland is having lunch, well have a tryst with destiny, Pran

said with a tough look on his face.

HurrayChalo Delhi, then, PM said in excitement.

Sir, we are already in Delhi, Pranab corrected him.

Oh terisorry, I was drawn in to the 1947 days, PM said.

(In between the session, the PMs phone rang)

Sir, the oil prices are going up, well have to increase the subsidy.

HmmmIll look into the matter, PM said.


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36 Just In Case

The views we got were a few but very well explained and well

justified.

Here, Mitika Mavaniis of the opinion that the answer to thedebatable question depends upon the situation.

Honestly speaking, views aboutbeing ignorant or not depend

upon what it really is.She explains, Giving our attention to that which makes us feel

bad, such as the false media, is not doing any good and will not

help anyone!! In fact, giving our attention to the bad will only

continue the problems and create more bad to look at, just asgiving our attention to that which makes us feel good, living in

harmony, will improve our physiological and emotional health

and will help produce more good to look at in the world.She went as far as to highlight & show acceptance to our editor

Rakshits quote-Life is more than just living for ourselves.

What say?Lets look at your point of view

When it came to the debate section, we

were really in a fix. We really didnt

know what type of topic would interestyou & drive you to put your views.

Last months debate topic was pretty

much of a common issue & an easy one

to debate. But, we wanted something

more influential, something which

characterizes the basic things within an

individual. We wanted people to reflect

their personalities while debating & so

we zeroed in on this issue

A couple of months ago when the hearing for

the Ayodhya case was underway, I was just

going through one of the newspapers when I h

across an article wherein a news reporter aske

a guy in his late teens, "Tomorrow probably thcourt is going to give its final verdict. What are

your expectations? What concerns you?"

The answer was out of the world...

"Ayodhya? Who cares...I don't even know wha

the case exactly is...What concerns me is, if

there is any commotion tomorrow owing to th

verdict, I won't be able to reach my class test o

time...As for expectations, I care not aboutAyodhya...I want to see a 10/10 on my answer

sheet."Now, this answer really left me dumbstruck fo

a moment.

My initial reaction was,

'How can the youth of today be so damn

irresponsible as to be so indifferent about such

basic general knowledge? Shouldn't they be

aware of what is going on in their country?

Shouldn't they have a point of view?'

But, as I was thinking about it, another thoughcrept into my mind...

'Isn't it good that all that the youth care abouttoday are their own personal lives...Isn't it goo

that they do not care to educate themselves

about such controversies involving religion?Isn't it true that somewhere at the back of the

mind a person who has up to date knowledge

about such things subconsciously starts

forming an opinion or bias?'

What say people?

Ignorance is bad or Ignorance is bliss?


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36 Just In Case

A similar view was expressed by

Mohammed Dahodwala, who believes that,

Ignorance is bad as well as bliss.......

Ignorance concerning religious outbursts is bliss

Ignorance concerning politicalviews and opinions is bad...He believes that its not possible to draw the attention of

youth to important news coz they are too caught up in the

very competition for survival

Ii feel people today have no time to think beyond theircareers...all they want is to earn money...& Idont see any

harm in that...in todays cut throat competition people need

to be fierce in their respective careers....everyone wants to

be on the top...with so much of corruption a single person

cannot bring justice...the whole country needs to stand

up...but none wants to take the initiative...people are just

waiting for the things to happen on their own.....

There was another interesting take on this issue, a one by

Paunil Shah,

IGNORANCE IS BAD....how can u just ignore the problems or issues concerning

our country just because you have other worries orproblems in life...!

He meticulously segregates the problems & says that we

dont have a right to criticize the people running the

country for us, if we ourselves are not aware of what is

going on around us

ACCEPTED...that we can never handle issues which are

highly complicated and need high experience and courage

to deal with...ACCEPTED...!!! that we have so many other chores to finish

and so many other situations and problems to tackle on

daily basis...but of course we can keep a track of the current affairs...we

can have a view about it...be it wrong or right...

and COME ON...!!! without knowing the current affairs or

conditions and issues which our country is facing we can

never criticize our country or the people who are running it

AND become part of the decision taken by them...and nor

can we call ourselves the part of our country because by

ignoring such issues we indirectly switch off our connection

with the outside world...the real world...

Though we can never have a minute by minute track of

everything due to our busy schedule...but we can certainly

take some time out...to gain knowledge about currentaffairs through various media available...and can at least

conclude an opinion....

it never makes anybody

right/wrong...pessimists/optimistic...racists/secular to

confide an opinion about anything....

SO I WOULD DEFINITELY SAY.... IGNORANCE IS BAD....

Going by the comments there was a majority who was

the opinion thatIgnorance is bad. But, I was waiting for

someone who would contradict this point of view & giv

reasonable explanation to support their take

My expectation was first fulfilled by Debanjan Saha. H

has a very sarcastic take on the issue

Are we really ignorant or are we just so cramped up wit

work that we just dont give a damn....!Yes, Ayodhya is the birth place of Lord Ram, but does he

invite me to his birthday party...not in my lifetime, howevthe price rise issue does affect me, the verdict does affect

my future coz if I miss a train or bus thanks to our moral

police, they wont have the face, guts (or any part of the

body for that matter) to take responsibility of it!

So, unless Lord Ram is inviting me to his birthday party oone of our politicians are doing a hanuman Sanjeevani a

for the poor people dying on the roads coz of a traffic jam

(caused by our representatives nonetheless) I really don

care...!!!What he says here, is that there are still people who can

differentiate between right or wrong & then the questi

of ignorance becomes irrelevant

The history is dead let it RIP if ignorance be the tool tha

doing it, so be it

coz there r always the smart people out there who know

identify the right from the wrong and they will do what i

needed

what u both have put up Sam & Rakshit is what has com

across our past president APJ ABDUL KALAM years

ago...We are a country of a billion but think with the min

of only thousands....

MY take as long as peace prevails so be it!

Anisha Raju toohas an interesting take on the issue,wherein she believes that sometimes ignorance helps y

to be stronger

Ignorance many a times is bliss! Knowing too much ofanything may prove disadvantageous.....now for example

a little child happens to crawl up to a lion...The child

doesnt realize that the lion could kill him and eat him

up...he would not face any tension/stress whatsoever. On

the contrary had any of us been in that position we woul

have peed in the pants. For me ignorance mainly reduces

momentary tension, anxiety and stress. My above examp

may not entirely justify what I am trying to say but the

bottom line remains the same. I would rather choose not

be informed about the happenings around us... All I can

hear is rape cases, abductions, terrorist activities, global

warming, violent killings and corruption. Reading up on

this doesnt pacify me in any way. I would ideally not like

be informed about all the anti-social elements (which is

course not 100% possible but yeah to an extent) andthink that I am living in an ideal world and have tempor


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peace of mind instead of worrying 24x7. Today 80% of all

illnesses are caused as a result of mental stress and worry.

So why not have a blissful state of mind however short the

time period may be And I totally agree with Sam on his

point that ignorance towards religion, race, and creed does

wellto mankind.

Now, thats a valid point of debate & really stands out.

Ignorance towards religion is a really good thing. If we

are to follow religious aspects keenly, we certainly tendto form a bias unknowingly

Another view that rea

Documents

just in case Feb 2011 final