Author: The Metrognome

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Enough said

Where basic questions go unanswered

This election will hinge on big issues and bigger controversies, but what about the small questions that need immediate answers?
by Humra Quraishi

The election scene is hotting up in the capital city. Of course, no concrete plans or discussions on future policies have been touched upon yet – there is a lot of silly posturing and even sillier allegations being levelled against opponents. The Government could not give us enough bijli-paani and the Opposition claims that it did, the Government didn’t erect this or that building, while the other side laid out the entire Games Village.

And so on.

Delhi smogAnd yet, no politician is even remotely addressing a basic problem we’re seeing her for the last few days. Nobody’s talking of the smog that is enveloping this city, nor of the mess on the ground. The smog is causing every fifth person to cough or get a viral infection. Compounding this situation are piles of dirt all over the city, dogs foraging around in them, and roads and lanes in a severely pitiable condition.

Our dear politicians don’t care about these things, because they don’t have to walk on the roads or travel by foot or public transport. Their airconditioned cars have so far insulated them from the harsh realities of the lives of us mere mortals. The only party seemingly removed from this usual style of rule in our country is Arvind Kejriwal’s AAP; of course, this could be because they want to keep their aam aadmi profile very much alive.

However, there are doubts about this party cropping up – with allegations of foreign funding. I am however, more disappointed that Arvind KejriwalKejriwal too has not spoken about some basic issues – why are more private hospitals-medical centres coming up in the capital city? Why are we constantly coughing and falling ill? Why are so many getting bitten by dogs? Why are street urchins treated worse than animals? Why is the place a mosquito capital – is dengue being used as a measure of population control?

And why are so many of us being deprived of the joys of a solitary walk without the fear of being molested or chased by stray dogs or being bitten to the bones by mosquitoes? Of what use is our freedom if we can’t enjoy small joys?

Humra Quraishi is a senior political journalist based in Gurgaon. She is the author of Kashmir: The Untold Story and co-author of Simply Khushwant.

(Pictures courtesy www.livemint.com, www.thehindu.com, www.indiatvnews.com)

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Event

Mumbai to go on a flamingo ‘fotothon’

This event will combine photography with a desire to conserve the coastal environment for the welfare and protection of flamingos.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

This month on, the coastline of Mumbai is going to play host to flamingos. The pink beauties visit the city just as the weather dips in the last months of the year. However, rising pollution in our seas and the fact that these beautiful birds are being increasingly poached each year, has lessened their numbers somewhat.

But shutterbugs in the city are going to do their bit to conserve the ecology for flamingos and have some photographic fun doing so – they are going to arm themselves with their cameras and head to Maharashtra Nature Park for a 24-hour live photo-marathon that will go a long way in helping to conserve flamingos and the ecology that sustains them. It’s simple: the photo-marathon is a 24-hour race that tests your photography skills and creativity, as also your passion for nature. Every participating photographer gets a span of 24 hours to ‘shoot and submit’ their work.

fotothonThe ‘Friends of Flamingos’ is a year-long initiative conceived by Fotothon, which is a unique 24-hour live photography challenge held annually in Mumbai and which is supported by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB). The two-day campaign will flag off on Saturday, November 16, 2013 at 10 am.

Paresh Pimpale, Director for Fotothon said, “Through Fotothon, we aim to encourage photographers to use their cameras for conservation. This year, we are using Fotothon to spread awareness about these beautiful birds that arrive in huge numbers in Mumbai but due to extensive pollution and also poaching, they have become vulnerable here.”

Pimpale added that through the campaign, FOF will have series of lectures, photowalks, and photo exhibition at several locations of Mumbai so that people understand how fortunate the city is to play host to flamingos every year. The campaign will start from tomorrow. Said Avinash Kubal, deputy director, MNP and Honorary Chief Patron for Fotothon, “Photographers love flamingos as they get beautiful images, and hence we want them to also stand for conserving these birds. We will have a signature petition of hundreds of photographers from Mumbai to save the mudflats from pollution and dumping.”Kubal added that the conservation of these pink beauties includes conserving their habitat, which is our coastal ecology. “Saving the sea coasts from pollution is therefore a prime need. Mumbaikars therefore need to monitor effluents so that they do not enter into our coastal waters. Also, we must see that we protect their habitat areas from encroachment and also from noise pollution, as these birds are extremely sensitive towards any man-made or man-induced noises”.

Fotothon is supported by Maharashtra Pollution Control Board, Maharashtra Nature Park Society, Royal Photographic Society (RPS) UK, and Photographic Society of India. For details, call 9224765619/ 9967620103. 

(Pictures courtesy fotothonian.blogspot.com, www.fantom-xp.com) 

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Learn

99acres goes all out after ‘No Muslims’ ad furore

After the controversy, website is working with the National Commission for Minorities against religious prejudice in the real estate sector.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

It was a seemingly innocuous ad posted on the real estate site www.99acres.com, for a flat in an upmarket, “cosmopolitan” locality. However, two words inserted by the broker who posted the ad – Jacintha Estates – caused a furore all over Mumbai and outside, too – the ad stated that “No Muslims” would be allowed to purchase the flat.

A flurry of official statements from 99acres sought to lighten the controversy, but the damage was done. The social media erupted after the ad was discovered, and though the offending words were removed from the ad almost immediately, newspapers and other media were quick to highlight the issue. In Mumbai, the issue of apartments not being rented or sold to members of the Muslim community is an old one; however, the blatant refusal to entertain queries from Muslims shocked and angered the public.

And now…

The company and Shehzad Poonawalla (founder, AIMA) are now set to work together with the National Commission for Minorities against religious prejudice in the real estate sector. “Based on Shri Poonawalla’s suggestions for specific action points during the discussion and 99acres.com’s own commitment to the plural values of India, both parties jointly met up with Wajahat Habibullah, Chairman, National Commission for Minorities today in Delhi where they agreed to work with the National Commission for Minorities to develop policy recommendations against practices in the real estate sector that discriminate on religious/ethnic grounds,” a press release from 99acres said.

As per the points agreed on during the meeting, 99acres will “evolve a good practices advertising code for the real estate sector vis-a-vis religious prejudice and submit it to the Minorities Commission for consideration. This code would include a glossary of terms to be avoided when advertising real estate online,” the release said. It added, “99acres will also spread awareness among the real estate broker community and educate them to avoid discriminatory practices in the real estate sector. Towards this end, 99acres would carry appropriate messages and banners on its site and also reach out to real estate brokers and disseminate information about avoiding discrimination.

“After this unfortunate incident, 99acres is also introducing a software check where if a listing carries the name of any religion, caste or community it will be flagged to the 99acres.com content team for review. We have examined all the other listings on 99acres and have sanitised any (either deleted or edited) that was felt to be either clearly discriminatory or could be interpreted to be discriminatory.”

Poonawalla had earlier petitioned the National Commission for Minorities against the practice of barring certain communities on the basis of religion from the real estate. He had also vocally campaigned on social media and in the print and TV media against such practices and had suggested the gathering of all stakeholders of the industry to create a Fair Housing Policy that prohibits discrimination not just against Muslims but all other communities.

After the meeting, Habibullah said, “I am glad that a positive action has resulted from this controversy.”

Poonawalla said, “Such discriminatory practices have no place in today’s India. We must work against the root cause and not the symptom of the disease. It is the ghettoisation of the mind that leads to such discrimination. We are one society and we must learn to live together. I hope that other portals that carry such offensive advertisements will follow the example set by 99acres. I also believe that this is a first move towards evolving a Fair Housing Policy will ensure that discrimination against all communities and not just Muslims can be brought to an end.”

(Picture courtesy www.mangaloretoday.com)

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Guest writer

Why I’ve wanted Sachin Tendulkar to retire

A cricket fan explains her love for the man in Jersey No 10 and why he should have retired earlier.
by Ritika Bhandari Parekh

I was a cricket fan first and then a girl. When we cousins played together, I got three chances to be called ‘out’ completely and still prefer that arrangement. Sachin Tendulkar is my hero. He is the sole reason for me to watch cricket, enjoy it and understand too.

When I was seven years old, an India-Australia match was being telecast live. It was dinner time for my dad and he liked eating in front of the TV. It was a Saturday and since 3 pm that day, while my mom was watching Swabhimaan on DD, I’d wished the match would start soon. Now it was 9 pm and I was completing my Maths homework.

Green grass, our men in a light blue jerseys, a few of them had moustaches and there was Shane Warne. He was bowling to the man whom today we refer to as ‘God’. His greatness was recognised by the likes of Donald Bradman, another legend. Despite the commentary, something about the noise on the field made me stop scribbling my homework and watch. Or maybe it was my mother’s “I hope aisa ek six maare Sachin ke inki vaat lag jaye.” It was a tense over, followed by a cool Pepsi ad.

“Why are people crazy about cricket, Papa?” I asked.

“Just watch the game,” he said.

sachin tendulkarSo I did. Every time there was a ball hit for four runs, I felt happy. Sachin’s quick two runs made my heart skip beats. And slowly, I was able to identify that there were 11 players in total on one country’s team. India lost the game for a few runs that day. But I was very proud to be able to talk cricket now. My favourite player had to be Sachin Tendulkar.

As I became a teenager, a few glances were cast over Ganguly as he and Sachin made some awesome opening batsmen entries. But only humble Sachin in all the wonderful ads, especially the ‘Roz khaao ande’ one took my heart away. I remember how he later partnered with Sehwag and went on to form new alliances.

Better still, his jubilance on taking five wickets in a match with Nayan Mongia as the wicket keeper is still etched in my memory. From his recent wins, the T20 match that bashed Shoaib Akhtar and finally, picking up the World Cup is fresh in my mind. But the Master Blaster doesn’t hold the charm he held once.

The media waited for his 100th hundred in ODIs, with every match India played reduced to just the man with Jersey No. 10. It stopped being about winning matches, it just became about how Sachin was always so close, yet so far. It was unfair to blame Sachin, as he never proclaimed his own greatness or thought he was God. But diehard Sachin fan that I was, I still felt that he was a legendary senior player and the youth did deserve a chance to show their caliber. As a fan, I thought he should retire. Would his retirement guarantee more wins? Maybe not. But the cynics would stop blaming him for our losses.

I wanted him to retire gracefully, to at least bid goodbye to the one-day matches. I was still a fan, a fan who never put up any Sachin Tendulkar posters, who still does not remember his runs accurately or even the Series he won his best plays in. Yet I am a fan, because I can’t watch cricket if Sachin is not playing. I do not seem to care where he is playing, but more on how.

And now that it’s time…

Dinner table conversations with a cricket match on, will never be the same again. Sachin’s decision to retire has sent a ripple of relief mixed with shock amongst his fans and naysayers. This November 14 will not be just another Children’s Day in India, it will be a day when the legend will say goodbye.

Mumbai’s Wankhede stadium will witness an atmosphere of euphoria like never before. How can we predict that? Days before Sachin’s last test match, every billboard is saluting the Master Blaster. If music is your constant companion, then tune in to any FM channel and the RJ will regale you with Sachin trivia. Are you in front of the idiot box? Shows like Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashma have a ‘We will miss you Sachin’ theme for the storyline.

It is hard and a bit impossible to not know that the God of Indian cricket is bidding adieu. And for the iPhone generation, there cannot be a better chance to be a part of history in the making. Everyone wants to grab a ticket.

And there is a sinking feeling that no one can ever again make me watch a cricket match. My reason to experience a match in the stadium has vanished with Sachin’s retirement announcement. I was seven years old when I first saw him play. His humility and smile still make me swoon like a teenager.

Sachin Tendulkar – one man who was born great, achieved greatness and had greatness thrust on him by a nation of cricket fanatics. And yet, so little has been heard from him. Of him and for him, a bevy of celebrities, athletes and sporting stars from other fields have given their sound bytes. But it is the curly haired man’s thin and delicate voice that will boom this Thursday. It’s time to paint the town with the awesome and humbling effect called Sachin Tendulkar.

Ritika Bhandari Parekh is a closet writer, who hopes you stumble by her writings. Currently she is exploring the bylanes of Lalbaug, searching for a thin crust pizza base, preferably whole wheat.

 (Pictures courtesy www.cricketdawn.com, www.mirror.co.uk)

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Event

Arty Thursday: ‘Representations of Power’

SA artist Maximo Gonzales will discuss the ethos of his work and the values that shape it, at Fort today.

This one’s for art students and art lovers. Today, November 14, 2013, Jnanapravaha will play host to artist South American Maximo Gonzales (in picture above) as he talks about his work and his philosophies in a lecture titled ‘Representations of Power’.

representations of powerMaximo Gonzalez’s elaborate installations are rooted in craft; however the manifest issues pertain to political process, social values and economy. His projects address ‘material’ at a symbolic level, playing with the origin and the context where such materials are normally found, transforming them, often through poetic language games to slant their symbolic impact. Examples include tapestries made out of the discarded margins of Mexican pesos, massive archways made of inflatable globes, nets made from school-kids’ notebooks, and military costumes made of sequins and dried chillies. His broad oeuvre is always rooted in social concerns and ethical paradigms of the globalised world.

Born in Argentina and living in Mexico City for over a decade, Maximo Gonzales has exhibited around the world in a range institutions. His solo shows include ‘Magnificent Warning at the Rubin Centre’, ‘El Paso’ (Texas), Playful at CAFAM, Los Angeles and Walk among worlds at the Fowler Museum, UCLA and Casa America, Madrid.

Entry is free but seating is limited so make sure you reach early. Head to Jnanapravaha, Queen’s Mansion, 3rd floor, Ghanshyam Talwatkar Marg, beside Cathedral Middle School, Fort. Tea will be served at 6 pm and the lecture begins at 6.30 pm. Call 022 2207 2974/75 or look up www.jp-india.org for details.

(Compiled by Medha Kulkarni. Picture courtesy facebook.com/JnanapravahaAtMumbai and www.artbusiness.com)

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Event

Massive diabetes awareness drive in Mumbai today

BMC and CII join hands for ‘Drive against diabetes’ across city; want to screen 2,00,000 Mumbaikars across the city today.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

With World Diabetes Day around the corner, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) launched a  ‘Drive against Diabetes’ campaign yesterday. The public private partnership model hopes to mobilise people to join the fight against diabetes – they are aiming to screen at least 2,00,000 people across the city today.

Corporates like Apollo Hospitals, Apollo Munich, OneTouch, Abbott, SANOFI and several others have come forward to support the initiative. Screening centres will be marked by blue balloons – citizens must simply walk in and ask to be screened.

Prabhu said, “Today, diabetes is one of the major conditions affecting people’s health and lifestyle. It is estimated that by 2030, the diabetic population will be around 10 crore. Out of which 6.2 per cent are expected to be suffering from diabetes and 15 per cent from blood pressure. Within India, Mumbai is leading this race to the top – the city experiences a hectic work culture, high levels of stress and fewer sleeping hours. During the drive, we expect that even if 10,000 to 12,000 people are tested positive for diabetes, we will incorporate that in the MCGM’s database and an SMS alert will be sent to them after three months suggesting the next level of detailed diagnostics. The testing of 2,00,000 people in a single drive is a record in itself, but I will be happy if 5,00,000 people are tested in the next drive and fewer are diagnosed positive for diabetes.”

The BMC had started a drive against diabetes in 2011, when 21,700 people were diagnosed with diabetes at the dispensary level. Currently, there are more than 86,000 diabetics on the BMC database. “Of these, 15 per cent who are at the initial stage [of the disease] are being suggested lifestyle modifications and 61 per cent and 22 per cent detected with controlled and uncontrolled diabetes respectively are under the MCGM medical care programme,” says Manisha Patankar-Mhaiskar, Additional Municipal Commissioner (Western suburbs). “But the ambition is to create awareness of diabetes and not to focus on numbers,” she adds.

Over 500 screening centres will be set up today across the BMC’s ward offices and in over 40 member companies of CII (Reliance, Larsen & Toubro, ICICI, Star Indian, Mahindra, Bajaj, Blue Dart, etc.), chemists, pharmacists and public places in Mumbai that will target to screen over 2,00,000 individuals reaching out to the workforce as well as the larger community. Blue balloons will identify these centres. Over 700 paramedics will also be mobilised across Mumbai to test individuals across industries. The private sector has come forward to provide screening kits including glucometers, strips, swabs, lancets, information booklets and questionnaires alongside training and capacity building for the paramedics.

“This drive will generate significant data which will help understand the incidence and prevalence of diabetes,” Patankar-Mhaiskar says. “It will be analysed to generate a final report on the state of diabetes prevalence in Mumbai, generic recommendations on the way forward as well as lessons learnt during this massive community led drive. Such a report will be useful to policy makers, programme officers, healthcare providers as well as other agencies working in the area of diabetes.”

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