Tuesday, 9 August 2011
Unreached Territory
The immaculate serene beauty of the north east India is incomparable. Away from the corporate world, competition, crowd, traffic, pollution and complexities of life, people in this part of India live a simple basic life.
This is the north east India. They are surrounded by miles of dense forest on all sides which boasts of its rich flora and fauna. The numerous hill stations are like unexplored hamlets and not as commercialised as the rest of India. It attracts more travellers and explorers than tourists.
The Problems
But, beyond the beautiful serenity lie numerous issues which need immediate address.
Connected to rest of India through a tiny strip of land called the Silliguri corridor with Nepal on one side and Bangladesh on the other, just one railway line serves this vast region and even that merely goes as far as the end of Assam. There is no railway service beyond Assam. Though it is connected by road and air, the bad condition of these roads and dense forests en route makes travelling difficult and most people in this region can’t afford air travel. Apart from poor connectivity, this region is very sensitive due to terrorist activities and insurgencies by rebel groups like ULFA who want to establish a sovereign state separate from India. Illegal migration from neighboring countries is another major problem faced by the authority.
Connected to rest of India through a tiny strip of land called the Silliguri corridor with Nepal on one side and Bangladesh on the other, just one railway line serves this vast region and even that merely goes as far as the end of Assam. There is no railway service beyond Assam. Though it is connected by road and air, the bad condition of these roads and dense forests en route makes travelling difficult and most people in this region can’t afford air travel. Apart from poor connectivity, this region is very sensitive due to terrorist activities and insurgencies by rebel groups like ULFA who want to establish a sovereign state separate from India. Illegal migration from neighboring countries is another major problem faced by the authority.
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| For more pictures, go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/worldaroundricha/ |
Poverty, Illiteracy, Diseases and Superstition
Being cut from rest of the mainland, this region is underdeveloped and issues like poverty, illiteracy and poor health facilities are major concerns. Most of the population lives in remote rural clusters distant from even the basic amenities. Lack of clean drinking water is the biggest problem faced by these people which also leads to several diseases like diarrhoea, worm infestation, malaria and jaundice. Due to lack of health facilities these infectious diseases go untreated and spread rapidly and result in loss of life of many people who are affected.
Hospitals and health centres are limited to cities while the poor villagers depend on local quacks and witch doctors (ojha). Poverty, illiteracy and poor government infrastructure have incorporated various myths and superstition among the villagers. Since there is no immediate medical facility for these villagers, they turn to witch doctors who does all sorts of so called magic on the patients to remove bad spirit from the body. Mostly, such activities make the patient’s condition worse and sometimes even result in death.
One such village is Balunala basti near Lumding township of Nagaon district. in the state of Assam. Poor inhabitants of this village are deprived of basic minimum amenities. Unhygienic surroundings in and around these dwellings increase their suffering manifold. They hardly have any access to the developments and progress in this difficult geographical area. They earn their livelihood from local cultivation of seasonal vegetables, sugarcane and paddy. Per capita income of these people is extremely low as compared to the country's average.
One such village is Balunala basti near Lumding township of Nagaon district. in the state of Assam. Poor inhabitants of this village are deprived of basic minimum amenities. Unhygienic surroundings in and around these dwellings increase their suffering manifold. They hardly have any access to the developments and progress in this difficult geographical area. They earn their livelihood from local cultivation of seasonal vegetables, sugarcane and paddy. Per capita income of these people is extremely low as compared to the country's average.
A Cry for Help
The north east India are highly neglected and backward. While rest of the country seem united and flourishing, this particular area seems cut off and forgotten. The simple people in this remote part of the world need help. They need basic infrastructural development. They need clean drinking water, sanitation, hospitals, schools and roads. They need basic human amenities. They need to be connected.
Tuesday, 28 December 2010
Drug trade continues to flourish
Disturbing new research reveals that around four million people use illegal drugs each year in the United Kingdom.
Whether we accept it or not, it is happeneng right in front of our eyes. It raises many questions like, how do so many people access the illegal drugs? Who is making it possible? What are the implications? I did a research to find these answers. Here's what I found-
Home delivery
A bunch of under graduate students is frequently trying to call somebody on the cell phone- no response. After 5 minutes they get a call from a private number-
Boy- hello! Who’s this?
Man’s voice- where you calling on my other number a while ago?
Boy- oh yes! Are u Rajiv (name changed)?
Man’s voice- yes I am. What do you want?
Boy- I want some green (cannabis) and coke (cocaine) to be delivered at university of xyz at around 8 pm tonight. Can you get it for me?
Man’s voice- sure! I’ll see you sharp at 8:15 outside the university campus. Look for a black Mercedes. I’ll charge £80.
Beep...beep...Call cuts
It’s so easy to get drugs in this country that even the college kids have access to it. Moreover, you don’t need to go to any shady place to get it. It can be delivered anywhere anytime.
The boy who ordered the drugs over the phone later said, “I always get stuff like this. It’s so easy and exiting. And Rajiv looks so cool. He looks like a manager or something. And his car is so cool...I got his number from my friends. Everyone has it and we keep passing around his number. There are many other dealers also who do this kind of delivery. But, Rajiv gives the best stuff and at a very good price.
How the chain works
During the 1970s, when the government started to make laws to prohibit illegal drug trade, the addicts started to look for a new supply and a small black market developed around Piccadilly Circus and Leicester square in London. Almost every drug could be easily brought from this place from the peddlers. In search of funds to buy those drugs many of those addicts started selling to friends and their friends and the chain kept growing and the black market kept expanding.
Strikingly, even today, almost anyone can get hold of these drugs pretty easily at these places in London.
A personal encounter
One evening, I was walking around Leicester square in London. Suddenly, a guy starts walking next to me and whispers, “want some coke?” I say yes. The guy asks me to follow him. He asks me to wait outside a restaurant in the corner of the street. He goes to get the drug from his partner while I am waiting. Suddenly, a police officer comes and starts interrogating me. I freak out. I want to run away. But the drug guy comes back and shakes hand with the officer. They both whisper something to each other and laugh. The guy offers me the drug right in front of the officer. I am in shock....
From the above narration it’s quite obvious that even the protectors of law are involved in flourishing this evil trade. Several investigative reports on drug related police corruption suggest that a large number of on duty police officers engage in serious criminal activities like protecting drug operation on a regular basis.
The Peddler
I managed to talk to one such peddler in detail about the whole business. Here is a summary of what he told me...
“I started smoking cannabis when I was 12...today I need at least one joint every hour, I can’t walk without it. I need a dose of coke every night or I won’t get sleep...I started selling them around 10 years ago because my parents would not give me money, I had no money to buy these drugs for myself...I need it to survive, it’s my air, water and food...it’s a very safe business as long as you have good terms with the police. I give them one third of my profit to keep my business running. They are very nice people. They save us. Today, I sell cocaine, heroin, poppy, cannabis..all of them..you just name it and I’ll get whatever amount you want...”
The Police
When I tried to get a comment on this issue from the metropolitan police, a superintendent Joseph Meguire(name changed) said, “according to our investigation, there is not a single drug dealer operating in Piccadilly or Leicester area. Constant patrolling is conducted round the clock and no police officer is involved in such trade. Your claims are baseless and they are wrong and I would not make any further comment on that.”
Clearly the police do not want to accept their wrong doings. They claim they never got any such report.
They are crippling and killing us
Cocaine, heroin, cannabis etc. can be easily obtained from these peddlers who stroll around all over the city. These drugs are highly addictive and deadly. It cripples its victims physically, mentally and emotionally. It is the black market and not the drug itself that is responsible for the sufferings of its users. Black market drugs are dangerous and poisonous because the peddlers adulterate it with other substances for increasing their profit. The addicts involved in the black market overdose because they don’t have the knowledge about the purity of the drug. These addicts are thin and sick because all their money goes to the drug dealers and they are left with nothing to eat. They steal and commit several crimes for money to fund their addiction. These addicts start using a particular drug and think that they can control their habit. But, over a period of time the continued use makes a person physically, emotionally and mentally dependent on that drug.
Governments all over the world spend millions to stop drug trade and on numerous awareness programmes. Millions are arrested every year for drug related crimes. But all the effort goes in vain when corruption takes over. Even though the sale, possession or consumption of weed is illegal in the UK, this trade seems to be flourishing right under the nose of the caretakers of law and order. Today, drugs are more easily available. It is purer and cheaper.
A 1998 report by the General Accounting Office notes that on-duty police officers involved in drug-related corruption engage in serious criminal activities such as (1) conducting unconstitutional searches and seizures; (2) stealing money and/or drugs from drug dealers; (3) selling stolen drugs; (4) protecting drug operations; (5) providing false testimony; and (6) submitting false crime reports.
In the 16-29 age group, 50% had tried drugs in their lifetime, 25% in the last year and 16% in the last month. Cannabis was the most commonly used drug: over a fifth of young people aged 16-29 reported using it on a regular basis. (Source: Home Affairs Committee Third Report - "The Government's Drug Policy: Is it working?")
There were considerable regional variations in prevalence for particular drugs. London had consistently higher rates than other regions for Class A drugs, cocaine and ecstasy.
Whether we accept it or not, it is happeneng right in front of our eyes. It raises many questions like, how do so many people access the illegal drugs? Who is making it possible? What are the implications? I did a research to find these answers. Here's what I found-
Home delivery
A bunch of under graduate students is frequently trying to call somebody on the cell phone- no response. After 5 minutes they get a call from a private number-
Boy- hello! Who’s this?
Man’s voice- where you calling on my other number a while ago?
Boy- oh yes! Are u Rajiv (name changed)?
Man’s voice- yes I am. What do you want?
Boy- I want some green (cannabis) and coke (cocaine) to be delivered at university of xyz at around 8 pm tonight. Can you get it for me?
Man’s voice- sure! I’ll see you sharp at 8:15 outside the university campus. Look for a black Mercedes. I’ll charge £80.
Beep...beep...Call cuts
It’s so easy to get drugs in this country that even the college kids have access to it. Moreover, you don’t need to go to any shady place to get it. It can be delivered anywhere anytime.
The boy who ordered the drugs over the phone later said, “I always get stuff like this. It’s so easy and exiting. And Rajiv looks so cool. He looks like a manager or something. And his car is so cool...I got his number from my friends. Everyone has it and we keep passing around his number. There are many other dealers also who do this kind of delivery. But, Rajiv gives the best stuff and at a very good price.
How the chain works
During the 1970s, when the government started to make laws to prohibit illegal drug trade, the addicts started to look for a new supply and a small black market developed around Piccadilly Circus and Leicester square in London. Almost every drug could be easily brought from this place from the peddlers. In search of funds to buy those drugs many of those addicts started selling to friends and their friends and the chain kept growing and the black market kept expanding.
Strikingly, even today, almost anyone can get hold of these drugs pretty easily at these places in London.
A personal encounter
One evening, I was walking around Leicester square in London. Suddenly, a guy starts walking next to me and whispers, “want some coke?” I say yes. The guy asks me to follow him. He asks me to wait outside a restaurant in the corner of the street. He goes to get the drug from his partner while I am waiting. Suddenly, a police officer comes and starts interrogating me. I freak out. I want to run away. But the drug guy comes back and shakes hand with the officer. They both whisper something to each other and laugh. The guy offers me the drug right in front of the officer. I am in shock....
From the above narration it’s quite obvious that even the protectors of law are involved in flourishing this evil trade. Several investigative reports on drug related police corruption suggest that a large number of on duty police officers engage in serious criminal activities like protecting drug operation on a regular basis.
The Peddler
I managed to talk to one such peddler in detail about the whole business. Here is a summary of what he told me...
“I started smoking cannabis when I was 12...today I need at least one joint every hour, I can’t walk without it. I need a dose of coke every night or I won’t get sleep...I started selling them around 10 years ago because my parents would not give me money, I had no money to buy these drugs for myself...I need it to survive, it’s my air, water and food...it’s a very safe business as long as you have good terms with the police. I give them one third of my profit to keep my business running. They are very nice people. They save us. Today, I sell cocaine, heroin, poppy, cannabis..all of them..you just name it and I’ll get whatever amount you want...”
The Police
When I tried to get a comment on this issue from the metropolitan police, a superintendent Joseph Meguire(name changed) said, “according to our investigation, there is not a single drug dealer operating in Piccadilly or Leicester area. Constant patrolling is conducted round the clock and no police officer is involved in such trade. Your claims are baseless and they are wrong and I would not make any further comment on that.”
Clearly the police do not want to accept their wrong doings. They claim they never got any such report.
They are crippling and killing us
Cocaine, heroin, cannabis etc. can be easily obtained from these peddlers who stroll around all over the city. These drugs are highly addictive and deadly. It cripples its victims physically, mentally and emotionally. It is the black market and not the drug itself that is responsible for the sufferings of its users. Black market drugs are dangerous and poisonous because the peddlers adulterate it with other substances for increasing their profit. The addicts involved in the black market overdose because they don’t have the knowledge about the purity of the drug. These addicts are thin and sick because all their money goes to the drug dealers and they are left with nothing to eat. They steal and commit several crimes for money to fund their addiction. These addicts start using a particular drug and think that they can control their habit. But, over a period of time the continued use makes a person physically, emotionally and mentally dependent on that drug.
Governments all over the world spend millions to stop drug trade and on numerous awareness programmes. Millions are arrested every year for drug related crimes. But all the effort goes in vain when corruption takes over. Even though the sale, possession or consumption of weed is illegal in the UK, this trade seems to be flourishing right under the nose of the caretakers of law and order. Today, drugs are more easily available. It is purer and cheaper.
A 1998 report by the General Accounting Office notes that on-duty police officers involved in drug-related corruption engage in serious criminal activities such as (1) conducting unconstitutional searches and seizures; (2) stealing money and/or drugs from drug dealers; (3) selling stolen drugs; (4) protecting drug operations; (5) providing false testimony; and (6) submitting false crime reports.
In the 16-29 age group, 50% had tried drugs in their lifetime, 25% in the last year and 16% in the last month. Cannabis was the most commonly used drug: over a fifth of young people aged 16-29 reported using it on a regular basis. (Source: Home Affairs Committee Third Report - "The Government's Drug Policy: Is it working?")
There were considerable regional variations in prevalence for particular drugs. London had consistently higher rates than other regions for Class A drugs, cocaine and ecstasy.
Can we survive if the Irish go down in debt?
Britain has offered monetary help to Ireland. The first question that arises in my mind is, what about repayment? The question is whether Ireland will be able to clear all it's debt and what if their economy sinks even after all the help from the world? Can Irish situation sink the british aswell? After all, we are on the same boat.
The UK government has offered a £7bn. loan to Ireland. In addition to that, Ireland is seeking an internationl rescue loan worth£77bn. Well, that is a huge sum of money which comes with a huge debt on Ireland. The Interest rates are high and repaying such a huge loan can be a nightmare and if Ireland can manage that, it will be a boon for UK in the long run. It's not just about helping Ireland, it's about safeguarding our own future.
Is this the right step for UK?
Irish crisis can have devastating effects on british economy. Ireland is one of the biggest trading partner for Britain. Crisis in there means crisis here. According to Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR), "We have to participate in Irish bailout because we cannot afford to have such a major market collapse on us".
Other concerns
Britain itself is not in a sound economic state. We are still recovering from the 2007 recession. Tougher immigration laws, and spending cut reviews, job crisis are just few of the mountain of problems we are already facing.
Its clear that the government feels it is capable of taking this risk. May be I am wrong even in terming it as a risk. If we are really so sound, why are we torturing people with reviewing child benefit cuts, spending reviews and tougher immigration laws.
Its time to strengthen our own economy
Whatever the officials and the statistics say, my greatest concern as well as people's is how will we cope if things don't work out as expected? Our economy is not in a sound condition to take such huge risks.
The UK government has offered a £7bn. loan to Ireland. In addition to that, Ireland is seeking an internationl rescue loan worth£77bn. Well, that is a huge sum of money which comes with a huge debt on Ireland. The Interest rates are high and repaying such a huge loan can be a nightmare and if Ireland can manage that, it will be a boon for UK in the long run. It's not just about helping Ireland, it's about safeguarding our own future.
Is this the right step for UK?
Irish crisis can have devastating effects on british economy. Ireland is one of the biggest trading partner for Britain. Crisis in there means crisis here. According to Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR), "We have to participate in Irish bailout because we cannot afford to have such a major market collapse on us".
Other concerns
Britain itself is not in a sound economic state. We are still recovering from the 2007 recession. Tougher immigration laws, and spending cut reviews, job crisis are just few of the mountain of problems we are already facing.
Its clear that the government feels it is capable of taking this risk. May be I am wrong even in terming it as a risk. If we are really so sound, why are we torturing people with reviewing child benefit cuts, spending reviews and tougher immigration laws.
Its time to strengthen our own economy
Whatever the officials and the statistics say, my greatest concern as well as people's is how will we cope if things don't work out as expected? Our economy is not in a sound condition to take such huge risks.
Basking in the Brighton sun!
It is one of the most visited beach cities in Britain since the Britons crave for sun all the time and Brighton is considered the sunniest beach in Britain.
The beach has no trace of sand at all. It has pebbles all around which shine like burnt copper in the basking warm sun. Though the weather in Brighton is unpredictable like the rest of England, during summer months it’s really a wonderful escape. It is a vibrant, colourful, creative and relaxed city which makes it stand out from rest of England. There are relaxed and happy faces everywhere; there is no rush for anything yet everyone is doing their job. When there is need to take a break, walk down to the beach. There are numerous restaurants, pubs and nightclubs along the beach.
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| Brighton sky just after sunset |
What you may dislike
Over all Brighton is an interesting place for a short trip or to hang out. One little thing that I dislike about Brighton is the stony pebble beach. The pebbles hit really bad in the water as they move with the waves and God help you if the waves are too strong. Even walking along the beach on the pebbles feels uncomfortable. Though many people prefer pebbles to sand as it doesn’t settle on the scalp and cloths.
Getting here:
By rail, Brighton is just an hour away from London and it is well connected by road also. One can take a direct rail link form the Eurostar at St. Pancreas in London or a National express train from London Bridge or Victoria. Coach Service is available from Victoria coach station, Gatwick airport and Heathrow airport. The next summer holiday to Brighton may well 'brighten' your year.
Monday, 15 November 2010
A day out in Greenwich
Getting here:
Though the best time to visit Greenwich is summer, I feel any sunny day can be a good day for it. Greenwich is just 6 miles away from London and is well connected by water, road and rail. The best way to get here is by public transport. One can take a ferry or boat from Westminster Bridge or Millennium Bridge in central London to Greenwich Pier. You can also use the Dockland Light Railway, Rail and Tube services to reach Greenwich. Another good option is taking the Greenwich foot tunnel. It is a pedestrian tunnel under the river Thames between Greenwich and London. The northern entrance (London side) to the tunnel is close to Island gardens train station (DLR).
Getting around:
Greenwich is home to beautiful architecture and rich history. Maritime Greenwich is a world heritage site and it includes places like Greenwich Park, The Royal Observatory, the National Maritime Museum, and The Royal Naval College etc. They are all beautiful and quite popular among tourists. Greenwich Park is on a hilly land and the view from the top is mesmerising. One has to visit this place to understand its beauty.
Apart from sightseeing, this place also has several markets which specialise in the products on offer. Look for the flea market as it is easy to miss and the antiques market. They have lots of interesting tiny shops which sell funky cloths, junk jewellery, antiques and good food.
Saturday, 13 November 2010
Indian festival of chhath winds up
The rituals
The rituals are rigorous, strict and continue for four days. Day 1: On the first day, the devotees take bath in the river and prepare sweets at home for offering. They cook in new utensils and use cow dung cakes for fire. The whole house is cleaned and decorated.
Day 2: The devotees observe fast for whole day which is broken in the evening with a feast of rice pudding, puris (wheat flour puffs), fruits and sweets.
Day 3: On the third day the devotees go on strict fast for more than 36 hours during which they don’t even drink water. Whole day at home, they prepare food and sweets for offering. In the evening, they go to the river where they take bath and stand in the water with half body in water for a long time offering prayers to the setting Sun.
Day 4: This is the final and grand festival day. The devotees again go to the river bank to pray and make offerings to the rising sun, this time. Chhath is celebrated at the crack of dawn on the river bank. It is a mesmerising and magical scene. Thousands of devotees with their families and friends gather on the banks of the river. They play folk music and burst crackers on this occasion. The devotees break their fast at the end of the celebration and sweets and offerings are given away to friends and family.
The atmosphere during chhath seems like a carnival full of joy and colour. Loud folk music is played everywhere. Everyone wears new colourful cloths on this occasion. Huge crowds of dancing and singing people together go to the banks of the river. The banks are cleaned and decorated for the festival. The streets are decorated with lights and flowers. All kinds of socio- economin differences and barriers are forgotten during this time and people from every strata of society come together to celebrate Chhath.
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