Rain rain go away but do not forget to come again

I dont recall Mumbaiites every being scared of the rains but 26/7 changed all of that. In that sense it was an equivalent of a 9/11 for us. Suddenly every downpour was looked upon with suspicion as if every shower would wreak havoc in our lives. Guess its true, "Once bitten twice shy".

What gives me nightmares about the monsoon in Mumbai is the traffic jams, the flooding which causes vehicles to breakdown, getting to work soaked in acid rain, being cramped up in a bus or train-wet bodies sticking to each other, somehow hoping to get home and rush into the shower.

Unfortunately rains in Mumbai has lost it romanticism for me and I no longer even look forward to getting a holiday because I know that I'd have to work an extra day to compensate for it. And what pisses me off is when people sitting in their homes write status updates on Facebook saying how they love it when it rains and how wonderful it is. I wonder how these people would feel wading through knee deep mucky waters and walking a mile to get any kind of transport to take them home.

Of course the monsoon is a God sent especially after 3-4 months of gruelling summer. Not to mention the water cuts. But wish it could have been less painful to put up with the monsoon. Or wish that after years of facing the same problems the Municipal authorities would do something permanently to get rid of it. But that is a utopian fantasy and it'll never come true. Anyways this post is not about the pathetic situation of the civic amenities coz enough is said about that.

What amuses me is the reaction that non-Mumbaiites have to the rains. I have a colleague who's experienced her first ever rains in Mumbai and spent all of a couple of months in the city. Poor girl had to go through a lot of trouble yesterday and she's bracing herself for more of such situations. Suddenly it makes you feel proud that you've been putting up with this shit for many years now and although you hate it you've gotten used to it so its no big deal.

Finally I just have to quote a friend's tweet: "blocked drains, traffic jams, garbage, sewage, overflowing drains, craters & pollution. Yet 1 crore is the min that anyone needs for a flat in Mumbai."

The tragedy so far!

Jun12, 1:15 pm: Former CJI Ahmadi has said that he doesn’t want to be drawn in to a blame game now.

Jun12, 1:09 pm: Law Minister Veerappa Moily blames the judiciary in the Bhopal Gas Tragedy case.

Jun12, 12:30 pm: The U.S. has offered to “carefully evaluate” India’s request on Warren Anderson’sextradition. In the meantime, Anderson’s wife Lillian Anderson has also broken her silence on the issue.

Jun12, 12:00 pm: In the latest fallout of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy verdict, reports suggest that the central government at that time headed by Rajiv Gandhi may be responsible for Anderson’s release. The Congress in turn is trying to defend its position and is looking at legal options to reopen the case.

Jun12, 11:30 pm: Facing severe criticism for the 1996 Bhopal Gas Tragedy verdict, Justice Ahmadi has offered his resignation.

Jun8,12.08p.m: The US today ruled out a probe against Union Carbide for the Bhopal gas tragedy, but hopes the judgement will not affect its ties with India.

The Bhopal Gas Tragedy verdict is out. It took 25 years to convict eight persons, with a possible jail sentence of a maximum of just two years. In the judgement delivered by Chief Judicial Magistrate Mohan P Tiwari, pronounced the verdict in a packed court room convicting 85-year-old Mahindra, the non-executive former Chairman of UCIL, and seven others including Vijay Gokhle, the then Managing Director of UCIL, Kishore Kamdar, the then Vice President, J N Mukund, the then Works Manager, S P Choudhary, the then Production Manager, K V Shetty, the then Plant Superintendent and S I Quereshi, the then Production Assistant.

They were held guilty under Sections 304-A (causing death by negligence), 304-II (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 336, 337 and 338 (gross negligence) of the Indian Penal Code. Former Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan who just took over as the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) believes the verdict on the Bhopal gas tragedy has “come late“.

Here’s UCIL’s statement on the court decision.

On December 3, 1984, the extremely toxic methyl isocyanate started leaking from the Union Carbide plant in Bhopal, from the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. Close to 800,000 people were exposed to the deadly gas with Union Carbide saying that 3,800 people died and thousands other became disabled, with many dying thereafter.

The Bhopal gas leak is one of the worst industrial disasters in history. It demonstrates what can happen when safety measures are overlooked. The prime accused, the Union Carbide Corporation CEO Warren Anderson has however not been convicted and named an absconder. Warren was arrested in 1984 after the tragedy but bailed himself out and fled the country. There has been no effort to extradite him. Here’s what the Attorney general of India, Soli Sorabjee had to say on Warren’s extradition. Reports now say the former CBI officer BR Lall got a letter from the government asking him not to pursue Warren.

Twenty five years on, this lethal disaster still sees protests, even with people pouring into Delhi on hunger strikes but with no one to help them; after all, these are people with no real power. Despite the years having passed by and the convictions, Bhopal still remains a continuing tragedy. Recent soil and groundwater samples taken near the Union Carbide India Limited site and in the surrounding areas still show a plethora of poison. In fact, the then repository of chemical sludge from the pesticide plant is now a pond where slum children play and dogs swim on hot afternoons.

Two photographers, Pablo Bartholomew and Raghu Rai were present and took photos of this disaster; including one where someone was burying their loved one that went on to win the 1984 World Press Photoof the Year. Narrating the incident, Aziza Sultan, a Bhopal resident remembers the following “At about 12.30 am I woke to the sound of Ruby coughing badly. The room was not dark, there was a street light nearby. In the half light I saw that the room was filled with a white cloud. I heard a great noise of people shouting. They were yelling ‘bhaago, bhaago’ (run, run). Mohsin started coughing too and then I started coughing with each breath seeming as if we were breathing in fire…”

The harrowing and grim stories of survivors and activists have been told across the world, even as the government and industry continue to fight over who the onus lies on, how much was enough compensation and how the same would be disbursed. The victims continued to suffer and have not been duly compensated for till date. Demands for rehabilitation and medical care have also fallen on deaf ears as dida review of their problems.

The Bhopal gas tragedy has turned out to be a study in contrast between humanity and human rights. Here’s what’s happened till date:

June 7, 2010: The verdict: Eight persons comprising the Indian management of UCIL convicted; Warren Anderson not named.

June 7, 2010: After more than 25 years, the judgement against the nine accused in the Bhopal gas tragedy is due.

2004: Supreme Court orders government to pay out rest of $ 470 million paid by Union Carbide as compensation.

2001: Union Carbide refuses to take responsibility for former Indian arm’s liabilities.

1992: Part of $ 470 million disbursed among victims. Anderson declared fugitive from law for ignoring court summons.

1989: Indian government and Union Carbide strike out-of-court deal, Union Carbide gives $ 470 million.

1985: India claims $3.3 billion from Union Carbide in an American court.

Dec 4, 1984: A case is registered against Union Carbide. The chairman Warren Anderson is arrested but later released on bail by the Madhya Pradesh police.

Dec 3, 1984: Union Carbide India Ltd’s (UCIL) pesticide plant in Bhopal releases Methyl isocyanate. Around 800, 000 people exposed to the gas. According to government estimates, 15000 people died. Others passed on the harmful effects of the gas, genetically.

A more detailed timeline here.

Many books, including Five Past Midnight in Bhopal have been written about this tragedy; there are severalreports and studies on it; events being undertaken like this bus tour to focus attention on the magnitude of suffering and even a film featuring Mischa Barton, Kal Penn and Martin Sheen who plays the role of the ex-CEO of the Union Carbide plant, Warren Anderson. But the question is, has Indian learnt any lessons? And does the verdict do any justice to the ill-fated victims, those nameless and voiceless thousands, who are no more? These and several other frequently asked questions.

Source:

http://in.yfittopostblog.com/2010/06/07/the-big-story-bhopal-tragedy-verdict/

The Reluctant Politician

Much has been said about Raajneeti and how it is comparable to the Mahabharata and the Godfather; the performances, the dialogues and the screenplay have all been critically reviewed. But what stayed with me was how Ranbir’s character Samar Pratap Singh, the reluctant politician, actually becomes the kingmaker.

I can’t but think of the parallels with the Gandhi family, first Rajiv Gandhi and then more specifically Sonia Gandhi, who stayed away from the limelight for years. I have asked myself many a time, what finally made Sonia Gandhi take the plunge into mainstream politics?

For years, the Italian wife remained in the shadows of Rajiv Gandhi, a commercial pilot by profession, who reluctantly joined politics after younger brother Sanjay Gandhi’s death and was propelled into the forefront after Indira Gandhi’s assassination.

After Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination in 1991, Sonia’s decision to stay away from politics in an attempt to protect her children Rahul and Priyanka was understandable. Honestly, Sonia, the Italian widow didn’t quite seem to fit the image of a politician ready to take on the reigns of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty.

What came as a shocker for most of us was her decision to assume the controls of the Congress party in 1998. Sonia was constantly criticized by the opposition for being Italian-born, of speaking Hindi with a foreign accent and having nothing but the Gandhi name going for her. And yet, she steered the Congress-led UPA to a thumping victory in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections.

For a moment, it seemed that Sonia too had been seduced by the lure of power to move out of the shadow and step onto the political front. And yet again, despite being unanimously voted to lead the government, she unexpectedly declined the post of Prime Minister. On the eve of the inauguration, amidst intense insistence and persuasion, she said, “I request you to accept my decision and to recognize that I will not reverse it…. It is my inner voice, my conscience.”

What then was the motivation for someone like Sonia Gandhi, who by default had become intrinsically linked to politics, to take on such a daunting task of leading a party that was on such shaky ground?

In a country where everything is politicized, whether it is the Naxal attack or the Bhopal tragedy verdict, I wonder where she fits in. Ranbir in one of the final scenes in Raajneeti says that he always wanted to stay away from politics because it brought out the worst in someone, making them manipulative and scheming. Ranbir, the shrewd Arjun in Raajneeti, plots and plans till he avenges his father’s death. In the great Mahabharata of Indian politics, which character is Sonia Gandhi?

Source: http://in.yfittopostblog.com/2010/06/09/the-reluctant-politician/

The beautiful game is here!

Let me be frank; I'm not a big football fan who would wake up in the middle of the night to watch an EPL match. I would rather follow the results in the papers the next day. However, once every 4 years I become that obsessive fan who follows every match and discusses it the next day. I walk into office with blood shot eyes because I probably havent slept much thanks to an interesting match the previous night.

My love affair with the Football World Cup (and I hate calling it Soccer) started when I first saw
a match between Argentina & Cameroon (i think) during Italia'90. Since then two things happened. I'm became an ardent follower of the tournament and Argentina became my all time favourite team. Oh! And the third thing was that Maradona became my all time favourite football player. Incidently I'm very excited that my favourite player is the coach of my favourite team this time round. Lets hope this arrangement brings them success

The other reason for my enthusiasm was probably the fact that football was the only sport that I was kind of good at. You see I was (or am) terrible at sports. The kids in my society would cringe to include me in any sport be it cricket, volley ball or even hide& seek. But in footwall i was kind of an asset because i was a slightly larger in size for my age and that made me a good defender. So when the opposite striker would attack with the ball i would attack the player rather than the ball and most of the times save a possible goal. And once in a while i made a good goalkeeper too.

So as you can see I'm terribly excited at the prospect of another World Cup. Fortunately this time its in Africa and I believe the timings are not going to be all that bad. This means that starting 11th June my evenings are booked. Hate to break this news to my wife on my blog but that the truth honey!

Waka! Waka! This time for Africa!

Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) (The Official 2010 FIFA ...

Top 10 College dropouts

We might think they are just too darn lucky....but they have stuck their neck out and done something that they felt passionate about and were successful at it. How many of us can take up this challenge in our lives? I know I dont see myself quitting my job in near future to pursue something that I really wanted to do. Maybe someday!!

Sach ka Saamna!!

Baring your soul can always be a tricky situation even if its to your soulmate. But to do it on a television show with an audience of a few million watching you takes real guts. The new show on Star Plus, Sach ka Saamna, is an Indian version of the American show "Moment of Truth". Like the American show it puts the contestant in such a tight spot forcing the person to reveal some of the deepest darkest secrets in his/her life. Even while watching the American version of the show I used to always wonder as to what would the motivation be behind allowing your dirty linen to be washed in public and this case it would be practically the whole country. Is it just the money? Or is it the kick of being bold in front of a audience? Sometimes I used to wonder if those people actually came there to enforce a kind of catharsis or even worse put an end to certain relationships. It cant be just the money. Even for a million dollars-and i really mean a million dollars-you could never get me to go on such a show. If I do have something to say to my loved ones it would be like Chandler says on Friends "Thats what deathbeds are for".

The next issue is the "holier than thou" syndrome that most people feel they could not have too many skeletons in the closet because they feel they've lived a clean life...HA! These are exactly the hippocrates who should be put on the show just to prove the point that there is always something that we would not want even the closest people in our lives to know. Something that we would want to take to our grave. And we feel only celebrities have skeletons and dirty linen.

When i used to watch the American show I always told my folks that such a show would never come to India because although we may be as bad as the Americans we would still want to keep things behind closed doors. So I was really surprised that not only was the show launched here but it is as hard hitting as the American one. The really sad part was to see both contestants go home with zero money in their pockets. To put it crudely if you're going to drop your pants you might as well get paid for it :) although I dont think money can be the balm for the hurt cause to friends and family.