Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Hard Truth


Walking into my parlour this week were two kids.

One about fourteen and the other twelve.

Their father, a watchman, had lost his job some time ago

They came to ask me to help them stay in school.
They're Nepali kids. Brahmins, not dalits. their father made the mistake of dreaming too high. He got his elder daughter an education in Notre Dame Academy, where he himself was the watchman.
In 2005, just as his daughter was about to sit for her Class nine finals, the man, victim of undue harrassment by the principal, was forced to appeal to the labour court for justice. At the first opportunity - and that came when the school fees were delayed - the girl was brutally beaten by the principal, the late Sister Jayshree, and kicked out of school. Even though there was gross violation of norms by the principal, the poor man could not get his case heard, even though a doctor had certified that the bruises were because of the beating. the reason was that the District magistrate at that time, had a daughter studying in the school. The local Tv stations brokethe story in 2005, when the man went to appeal for justice to the Chief minister. By the time the order to reinstate the child was put into motion, but never actually delivered to the school, it was too late... anyhow, the girl has appeared through open CBSE. The case is now in the labour courts.
The reality is this. The father is still without a regular job, trying his best to make two ends meet.
School fees haven't been paid since March this year, the boys are in Loyola School.
I wrote to the Principal of Loyola school, asking him to keep the boys on till October, by which time, i'd try to scrape up some money and get sponsors for the kids.
Right now, the bill is about rs 6,000.
The boys' fees will come to rs 450 each per month.
I'd be happy to have some help with this.
Is there anyone out there who can help?

Sunday, July 08, 2007

EATING OUT

HAVE YOU EATEN OUT LATELY?

Patna, the Bihar Capital has a selection of newly opened Restaurants and food courts for our spanking new middle class that has emerged out of the cracks since 2005.
Raj Rasoi is a good choice, and so is Yo! China near Bandar Bagicha. The Big Mac is on its way soon.
In the meanwhile, several new eating places have opened up for the labourers who are so busy building Patna’s new infrastructure, it’s going-nowhere storm drains, it’s broader-by-two-feet roads.

These great snackbars serve 'sattu' roasted gram flour, chappaties- coarse pan bread, and a selection of exotic salads: mainly chilli, onion, and salt

Saturday, July 07, 2007

Dustman

He comes on his rounds every morning.
Shoeless.

Clueless.

Merrily swinging in through the gate.
Charging up the stairs.
Punching the call-bell.
Bring out the garbage.

Eighteen
Handsome
Illiterate, well- almost

Picking up teh garbage
Working with an NGO
A thousand bucks a month.

But what of the future?
when it comes, it comes
Sunshine
and rain
I'm healthy, that's all, he says....




VISIT THIS LINK

07-07-07 musings


The seventh day of the seventh month of the seventh year of the twentyfirst century.


The sound of music flows from nine locations across the world reminding us that our world is melting, and we'll all be down the tube unless we do something about it.


A dam wall collapses in Rajasthan inundating 60 villages


And in Gangtok: the voices are getting stronger: stop that damn dam!


The Sikkim Lharipa Association extended its support to the Affected Citizens of Teesta (ACT) in its on-going Satyagraha.


Pemdup Tshering Lepcha, President, SLA, has said in a press statement that the issues and concerns raised by ACT are for “the propagation and preservation of the rich cultural heritage of North Sikkim and Sikkim on the whole.”


“If the existing customary laws and way of life is disturbed then the very identity of the Lepchas and the Sikkimese people will be compromised,” the SLA has said.


The SLA has congratulated the “brave youths of Dzongu for having the courage, sincerity and sense of sacrifice to protect their native land and the people.”


“We will extend all possible support to ACT in this just struggle. We request the Government of Sikkim to take the issue very seriously and resolve the grievances of the people at the earliest,” Mr. Lepcha said .


Will the Government of Sikkim seriously consider the issue, or will it be a puppet in the hands of the Union Government?

The Morning After

It's the Morning After the Great Music concert and the declaration of the 7 New Wonders of the World.

The Taj Mahal is one of the ‘new’ wonders of the world.
So is the Great Wall of China.
But the pyramids of Egypt or the Sphynx didn’t make it.
It’s the ‘American Idol’ of Contests. Anyway, I suppose it’s time to celebrate a great deal of nothing?

Meanwhile kids still sleep, homeless on pushcarts in Patna, Bihar India.

While on that note, Bihar, here’s a charming blog called ‘A canvas full of dreams’ which you must visit. A charming place to visit. Here’s a sampling:

I have spent more than a month in Muzaffarpur. It has been a different experience from all that I’ve had so far. Every town has its own story and I guess it’s important to know the stories of a town to understand the uniqueness of the smaller towns in this country.

A canvas full of dreams.

An interesting insight into the world of India’s Adivasi population. Rajesh Toppo, a Tribal from Orissa has a blog which should be accessed by all who are interested in tribal affairs whether in Jharkhand, Bihar, Orissa or Bengal

Sundargarh tribals

Friday, July 06, 2007

Travelling film south Asia

Gangtok will play host to some outstanding South Asian documentaries for the first time ever in Sikkim.
The Travelling Film South Asia 2007 Documentary Film Festival will be held here July 6- July 15, brought to you by Rachna Books here in Gangtok.
The "Travelling Film South Asia" was started by the reputed Himal Association from Nepal which has been offering a platform for documentary filmmakers and their audience to meet under a common roof since 1997.
Over the years, the Travelling Film South Asia has come to be a tradition that is reckoned the world over for the outstanding films it showcases.
I was privileged to host the show in 1997, in Patna Women's College courtesy filmmaker Sriprakash from Jharkhand who brought the show over.
BTW, it's strange how the google search isn't picking up news about the Sikkim Hunger strike! It's time for budding film makers from Sikkim to get that docunetary started.

Sikkim Saga


Finally, CNN IBM starts a story... Thanks to Shwetank from TV 18 who received my e-mail five days ago and who probably moved the news up the chain....
Meanwhile Fragmented Rainbows 2 has a 'posting' problem.
Click n the photograph link for updates about the latest developments.
More bloggers are joning the fray

Monday, July 02, 2007

Silence from Sikkim!

No news on the Sikkim Lepcha agitation over the past 48 hours.
The Lepchas have traditionally been a very peaceful, non marital race.
This Hunger strike is perhaps out of character.
Did the Sikkim government, in the hands of Pawan Chamling, really think this one through?
Or was it a case of the Nepalese majority bureaucrats feeling that Lepcha land wouldn't matter?
Or is it actually the Indian Central Government twisting Sikkim's arms?
Nar bahadur Bhandari always spoke of the fcat that if something accepts any Sikkimese, regardless of ethnicity or religion, it affected each one of us.