Fishy tales about Bengali fish lovers

Bengalis love fish – it is immaterial whether the fish are tiny kucho chingri or huge rohu or katla meant for marriage celebrations. The fact is that the menu of Bengalis are incomplete unless there is at least one item related to fish in it. Given the scarcity of this all important food item and sky rocketing price of whatever is available, Bengalis have to not just innovate but also go in for economy measures to the extent possible.
Of course, when one hears about Ilish festivals and when the cooking reality shows on TV make it a point to showcase different preparations of this wonder fish called Ilish, one wonders how many Bengalis can really afford to go in for such luxurious food items – it was rumored that Ilish from Bangladesh was selling for up to Rs 1500 per Kg and the fish on show weighed at least 2-Kg which translates into Rs 3000 for one fish!!

Obviously, there are Bengalis who can afford such luxuries and that the cry about unemployment and poor Bengalis are far removed from reality.
I stay in Nashik and there are fish but, not the wide variety that is available in Bengal. I get rui, katla, pabda, tangra and, of course, prawns that come from the Arabian Sea. Of late, lobsters are also seen – these are being cultivated locally in the Gangapur Dam that supplies water to the city. Ilish does come once in a while but these are again the Arabian Sea variety and size is never more than one Kg. Hence, the taste of Ilish of Bengal never comes through.
However, in Bangalore or in Pune, the varieties of fish are much more and, in fact, the fishmongers arrange to airlift the fish directly from Kolkata – the fish are fresh but the cost is more due to the air freight charges.
One thing I have noticed – nowadays, the fishmongers have a system to descale and cut the fish to size as per your requirements. The reason is that the housewives of today do not know just how to go about this work. They just store the fish in separate packets and put in the freezer – to be removed and cooked on as and when required basis. (to be continued …)
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Influence of Bengali culture on Hindi movies

We have noticed that during the last decade, there has been an unmistakable influence of Bengali culture on Hindi movies and even TV serials, thanks to big names like Sarat Chandra Chattopadhaya, Rabindra Nath Tagore and Satyajit Ray – they had very strong power of writing and when their novels came on the silver screen the products took the world by storm. Of course, some part of the credit should go to the producers and directors who saw tremendous potential in the story and were adept at translating the thoughts into visuals that kept the audience spellbound.
Take the novel Devdas – it was penned by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhaya in 1917 and its first movie version was released in 1955 – it was directed by Bimal Roy. Subsequently, in 2002, it got a fresh of life with the direction of Sanjay Leela Bhansali and the cast of Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai and Maduri Dixit. Yes, the storyline was modified to accommodate the 21st century mindset and the result was a boost to Bengali culture.
Another similar movie is Parineeta – another story of Sarat Chandra Chattopadhaya. Originally written in 1914, it captured the imagination of the audience when it was made in Hindi in 2005 with Vidya Balan, Saif Ali Khan and Sabyasachi Chakravorty. The period costumes, the Bengali settings helped to make popular the Bengali culture.
It needs to be mentioned that Vidya Balan has contributed a lot to popularize Bengali culture through her memorable performance in the 2012 movie Kahani – it gave the viewers a ringside view of the famous Durga Puja festival in Kolkata.

Bollywood usually portrayed Bengalis as Keshto Mukherjee, a drunkard or Asit Sen, the potbellied character who could fit into the role of a policeman with ease. To the common man outside Bengal, the people of Bengal were shown to be fond of fish and rosogolla. But, gradually, perceptions have changed – thanks to movie producers and directors who have had the courage to break out of tradition.
The result is for all to see – Bengali dress styles, Bengali food, Bengali culture and even characters who mouth Bengali words have increased in not only the Bollywood movies but can be seen in TV aerials as well.(to be continued …)
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The changing face of Bengali movies

Last Sunday there was this movie on a Bengali TV channel – it was all about women and how they can really put up a big fight to assert themselves. The name of the movie was ‘Swadey alhadey’ (Swada means taste, Ahlad means happiness). It was yet another example of the gradually changing attitude of Bengalis towards cinema. Gone are the days of Bengali cinemas that dwelt on poverty, on sorrow and on disappointments in life.
The storyline is nothing great – the setting is in a house in North Kolkata that evokes nostalgia. The housewife is constantly hounded by her husband and ma-in-law and makes friend with the girl next door who goes about in short pants even on the roads of this conservative society. When a couple of men try to get fresh with her, she gives it back to them in their own coin and they run away. And, the domestic help joins in the thrashing.

Our docile housewife watches from her balcony and is impressed. She becomes friends with the girl and the two of them plan to go about making some money on their own. The domestic help joins and the three of them decide to go in for catering.
The housewife steals out of her house when her ma-in-law is sleeping after lunch. And, the three women begin their catering business that grows by leaps and bounds.
As expected, our housewife gets caught by her ma-in-law and it all turns nasty – the housewife packs her bag and moves out to stay with her friend. Their business prospers and they open outlets in posh localities and get coverage on TV. But, true to Bengali tradition, there has to be the sentimental touch and that is provided by the illness of the father-in-law. The treatment means money and that raises its ugly head. The only solution appears to be to sell off the house and that is when our docile housewife reenters the scene to resolve the issue.
It was a new type of Bengali movie and bodes well for new producers, directors and actors who want to experiment and have the guts and the ability to take on sensitive issues to reveal the underbelly of society. (to be continued …)

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Lessons on economy in our everyday lives

Economy is not only for economists but it is a subject that everyone, from the school kid to the housewife, has to learn and practice. Economy is what drives the world and, at the ground level, our lives. We have to cut the coat according to the cloth.
Economy has many faces. To the general public, economy means buying the comparatively cheaper and better quality of product. When in the vegetable market, we glance through the products on display, zero in on what we want and check out the going rates. Those who carry out this activity regularly can gauge the quality of the item just by looking at it. Nowadays, fake items have flooded the markets. Different types of colors are used on the vegetables, fruits and even fish to impart a fresh look to the items.

Therefore, economy would not mean buying that which is the cheapest but, quality must also be woven into the specification. That is why many of the works carried out by the government does not live up to the mark – the tar on the roads do not stay intact for long because attention was given to lowest cost ignoring the aspect of quality.
As far as the housewife is concerned, she is, undoubtedly, the best manager and economist who knows the best inventory management. It is she who has to ensure that both ends of the canvas meet where desired and leaves nothing to chance.
She gets the money to run the household and has to plan on how best to utilize her resources – what she needs to buy immediately and, what she can postpone. She may be tempted to order her groceries online or rung up her grocer and ask him to send across her requirements – but, she would not get a chance to see what she is buying till it is delivered at her doorstep. And, many housewives do not like that.
Moreover, she has to also plan for future known arising like birthday of a friend’s or neighbor’s or relative’s son or daughter and, it is her method of handling the finances to meet all needs that make for a happy family.
Of course, the man of the house has his responsibilities – he brings in the money and his wife ensures that the machine of the family is always kept well-oiled and functions smoothly. (to be continued …)

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Onion brings smiles instead of tears to many faces

Onion is an indispensable vegetable in kitchens all over the world and it is customary to link it with tears because, concealed beneath the layers of goodness of the tuber lies an invisible force that will variably force tears out of your eyes.
But, a situation has now come in India where the very sight on this vegetable brings smiles on the faces of one and all because it is gradually vanishing from sight and only a selected few can actually bring home the elusive onion. Yes – once again the price of onions has gone sky high and the women of the house are hard pressed to locate an alternative. Of course, there is no alternative as such and people have to modify their food habits to get accustomed to meals sans onion. It has really happened to me on an earlier occasion, a hotel gave me slices of muli instead of onions as salad.

We ourselves are to blame for the sudden disappearance of onions from the markets and their skyrocketing prices. I have been in Nashik for nearly half a century and this is the place where onions are grown for the whole of India. Nashik is on everybody’s lips whenever onions come up for discussion. I remember in 1960-70, a small basket of onions containing around two kilograms would be costing hardly 10 or 15 paise!! Today, in Nashik, onion is sold for Rs 20 to Rs 25 per kilogram.
This has not happened all of a sudden.
The first culprit is loss of agricultural land which have been converted to residential category and sold off to builders who have constructed housing estates. People have to first find a place to live, then only can they worry about onions. Obviously, onions have taken a severe beating.
The second culprit is the vagaries of nature that bring unseasonal rains. When this happens at the time of drying of the onions after they are dug out of the ground and left out in the open this means huge loss for the farmers. They are caught unawares and curse their fate. And – we ourselves are responsible for these unseasonal rains. The reason is loss of ecological balance due to deforestation and urbanization. (to be continued ..)

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‘Ladies’ seats in Kolkata buses

Kolkata is probably the only city in India where there are seats reserved for women in public transports like the bus, the mini bus, the private bus and trams. There are special ‘ladies only' trams also in some tram routes frequented by women who go to work – other women and girls take advantage of these transports when available because these ensure adequate security as well as privacy.
In the local trains of Mumbai and Kolkata, there are compartments reserved for women commuters where men are not allowed to board – once again, it is from safety considerations.

But, the reservation of a few seats for women in public transports in Kolkata is something that defies logic. It is implemented to such an extent that, in case men occupy these seats, the very sight of a woman approaching sends shivers up their spines and they to get up with a wry face to allow the woman to sit.
Those who occupy these seats have to literally fight their way through the mass of sweating, smelly men to first reach the coveted seat and, once again they have to elbow their way out of the men to get down from the bus. It is difficult to appreciate their regular tussles for the ‘ladies only’ seat. In any case, when all these reserved seats are taken, they have to travel like any other ordinary commuter.
Why then should there be seats reserved for women when they have to face so much hardship? It was probably OK 30 or 40 years back when the number of working women was much less but, today it is out of place.
In other metros, women travel just as their male counterparts rubbing shoulder to shoulder. They occupy seats as and when they fall vacant and do not bother much about the man sitting next to her. In the age of women’s lib, the women have learnt to assert themselves – why then should the women of Kolkata still want these privilege?
It would be of interest to know that in cities like Bangalore, Mumbai, Nashik, there are women bus conductors who can give the men a run for their money. They do not tolerate any nonsense and can take on the men on equal terms. That is as it ought to be. The women of Kolkata should fight for removal of such silly privileges. (to be continued …)

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No escape from the jaws of death

Death is said to be a great equalizer – as long as he is alive, man runs after money, after fame and recognition but when his journey stops, he is just a body minus a name. His close near and dear ones will shed tears, will remember him once in a while and, gradually, he will be relegated to a photo hung on some wall.
In spite of knowing these basic truths, man feels on top of the world when he gets the better of someone else. He devotes his time and energies in trying to pull down the other man to prove that he is superior. But, at the end of the day, all he would need is a six foot hole in the ground or a mound of wood on the pyre.

There are very few men who lead isolated lives. It is the nature of man to always be in the company of others because then only can he get an opportunity to blow his own trumpet and show off his talents, for whatever it may be worth. As long as he is in service, he need not worry about the company of others – he gets them at all levels. In office, among colleagues. At home, among friends and relatives.
But, once he retires, he has to look around for suitable company. And, one of his first stop is at the morning walkers who can be seen in parks – they get together and share memories and thoughts as they walk around the park and, occasionally, sit on the bench to take the weight off their feet.
From a distance, they may appear to be a well-knit group but, in reality, they are all worried about when their time will come. And, this fear takes hold once someone passes away. The departed might not be one of the group but was certainly one of them because all of them are retirees –that is the common bond. (to be continued …)
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Some live years after retirement, others do not

It is a fact that we do not have any control over our birth or death – these are two things that happen and, because there is birth, there has to be death. Of course, while birth is predicable to a certain extent depending on the condition of the pregnant mother, death is totally unpredictable. It just strikes without giving any warning or advance information.
Therefore, after retirement, every man dreads that moment which would be his last breath on this planet. Man is not immortal and has to take leave from this world one day. But, for some, it may be a long drawn process when he is ill and bedridden while for others it just happens when one least expects it.
Like a friend of mine – he retired a couple of months before me. In his service, he was a go-getter. He would get involved in any social activity and his very presence lent strength to whatever it was. He played the tabla well and, hence, in any gathering where singing was involved, he would be there.

He was also a member of the employee’s union and attended meetings with local authorities and even with national labor leaders. And, he was not just an avid follower of yoga but a yoga teacher also, long before it became a fashion statement, thanks to our Prime Minister.
Well – one day I came to know that he had suffered a stroke and one portion of his body was paralyzed. It was just unthinkable that a person who did not have a single ounce of extra fat on his body, who could perform difficult yoga asanas with ease, was lying in bed depending on others for his daily activities.
Well – he did recover and, after some months, could begin walking but, finally, he passed away. (to be continued …)
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The fear of credit cards and ATMs

I have been seeing men in their sunset days for quite a while now and can say that by and large, they all appear to be externally satisfied but, in their heart of hearts, they are a dis-satisfied lot. This arises from their incompatibility with the world around them that is changing at too fast a rate. This is borne out by the ad of mobile phone where the son taunts his father saying that the mobile phone he is using was of ‘yesterday’s standard’.
That is just one example of incompatibility.
Another is the rising popularity of plastic money or credit cards.

Everyone flashes his card for purchasing groceries or to book movie tickets or airline tickets or pay the restaurant bill. Here again, the old-timers are at a disadvantage. They prefer to stand in queue in banks to withdraw money instead of using the ATMs – they have got accustomed to handling bank notes. The very touch of bank notes in the pocket instead of the plastic card gives them a sense of confidence that money is at hand.
Moreover, with reports of cards getting stuck in the ATM or theft of the card and the bank account being looted are matters of grave concern. It the pocket is picked, the loss will be only the money kept in the purse but, when an ATM card is stolen, the thief will ransack the bank account and you will be left with next to nothing.
Mobility is another area of concern for these men and women who are past their prime. Their speed of walking has taken a beating and, even though the heart may be willing, the body does not react as it should. And, this leaves the sunset day crowd disappointed. They want to zoom by on those fancy motorbikes and automobiles –but are stumped by the number of electronic gadgets installed in the vehicles.
To the modern generation, automation is the key to success – robotics is in, manual systems are out. Therefore, cars have a whole lot of sophisticated gadgets installed on and around the steering wheel. The controls of the car resemble the controls of a space ship and the drivers fancy themselves to be astronauts!! (to be continued …)
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Retired men and their rocking chairs

Once a person retires from employment, he is worried about how to spend the day and his rocking chair takes him into flights of fancy that knows no boundaries.
As long as he was employed, he had a set routine and all his activities were on a graduated scale and, more or less, predictable. Most of these fell in the must-do category like get up from bed, travel to work, remain occupied in the office till pack-up time, and return home.
Then there were the activities that needed to be attended to but, could be delegated to the better half – like withdrawing money from the bank, going to the post office, meeting teacher in the school, buying groceries and vegetables.

However, once he reaches his sunset days, he is worried about how to spend the day with very little to do. And, it is then that, occupying the rocking chair, he retreats into a shell. He broods over the past and repents on his lost opportunities in every walk of life. These could relate to his childhood, his love life, his work life and, in order to justify his actions or inactions, he builds up cases in his mind and metes out punishment.
The idle mind is known as the Devil’s Workshop - and, he transforms into a Devil.
In between, his mind wanders to foods.
The in-charge of the kitchen is his wife and she is very strict about what he eats. No this and no that – the word ‘no’ is always on her lips because she does not want to see him suffer from ulcers or diabetes or indigestion. She does not realize that he is suffering from a longing of banned foods like deep fries and sweets and ice-creams.
Going back to this old man in his rocking chair – he gradually begins to forget names. He hates to admit it but, it is an undeniable fact of life that, as age creeps up on a person, he gradually loses out on his senses. He may put up a bold front but, he just cannot remember the name of someone very dear to him. He can recognize him but, the name evades him.
However, time and tide wait for no man and, in spite of restricted mobility, in spite of being dependent on others for small jobs, and in spite of losing control of some bodily functions, he grins and bears it all. In his mind he hears the message – you can never put a good man down. (to be continued …)

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Is old-age home the solution for the elderly?

The concept of old age homes in India is a relatively new one and, while it is a fact that the old and elderly people are not welcome in any modern family, a certain section of society does not want to accept this situation.
They are the producers of TV serials and TV reality shows and they want to prove to the world at large that we Indians are firm believers in the joint family system.
They cannot be blamed because entertainment is all about living in a world of make-believe, a non-existent Utopia. It is nice to see grandparents interacting with the school and college going children, sitting around a huge table to have their breakfast, or lunch or dinner or assembling in the prayer room to perform regular rituals. The family participates in all festivals and there are tiffs between the ma-in-law and daughter-in-law which get resolved within no time till another tiff is generated.

Unfortunately, these do not really happen in the world around us – here everyone wants his or her own space and hates others to encroach in their personal lives. It is true for both sides and, hence, in real life, the dining tables are small – with only four chairs. Meals are taken as per convenience.
Obviously, in keeping with the revised social norms, old-age homes have come into the picture to take care of those unwanted members of the family. These homes are the ultimate refuge of the old ones who have served their useful purpose. These are places where they are enrolled by their sons or daughters or where they opt to go on their own.
These are safe locations where they remain – in exchange of monthly charges. They will be assured of the company of others, they will get prompt medical services apart from some sort of entertainment through TV and, occasional celebration of birthdays of the residents or musical evenings.
But, the loneliness associated with the absence of near and dear ones can never be replaced. Moreover, it may be difficult for some of them to adjust to a new way of life where there is bound to be conflict of interests with those who have a superiority complex – and, there is no shortage of such characters.
In the movie Lage Raho Munnabhai we did get a glimpse into a house called 'Second Innings House' for Senior Citizens. All old-age houses may not be like that.
Incidentally, for those interested, the brief details of old age homes, state wise, are available in official information published in ‘Old Age Homes’ by the Government of India. (to be continued …)

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How safe are senior citizens in today’s world

The recent murder of an elderly couple, who lived in a flat in North Kolkata, has thrown up a major question on the safety of elderly people who live in metros and are always at the mercy of others. Their daughter stays abroad and the professor couple lived all alone in the flat.

Both of them were retired professors and they had a young man to do odd jobs in the house. This man was supposed to be very reliable and trustworthy because the elderly couple had helped him out in many ways. They had got him married to a girl who used to be their maid servant and had even financed a cycle rickshaw so that he could earn a decent living. It seems this young man murdered both of them and ransacked the flat searching for money that the old man had withdrawn from the bank. Incidentally, he had gone to bank on the same cycle rickshaw of the murderer. This murder is now being debated by all media outlets and no one really knows how to tackle such problems. Yes, the police keep advising people, especially aged people, to keep records of all those who work in their house and pass it on to the local police. But, that can never be enough. With the disappearance of the joint family system, the bonds between members of a family have weakened and the effects are felt at every step. The sons and daughters are either away in distant places because of jobs or because of marriage and the parents are left to fend for themselves in a world that shows no mercy. These elderly persons do not have any shortage of money, what they are short of is the closeness of the immediate family. In today’s world, contact can certainly be maintained through SMSs or phone calls or even through chat rooms – but, the personal touch is missing, it can never be replaced with any other means. Father’s Day, Mother’s Day are all ornamental stuff and, when one grows old, one wants something more than just words. (to be continued …)
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Some Prime Ministers ride to office on bicycles, why not we?

Prime Minister of Netherlands is Mark Rutte and he arrives at his office and goes home after work on a bicycle. In 2012, he shocked the Iranian delegation when he arrived at work riding a bicycle. In Australia, Tony Abbot, the new Prime Minister also rode to work through the suburbs of Sydney on a bicycle.

These are a couple of examples and, if people who can influence others set a trend like using bicycles for traveling short distances, it would be a boon to the world that is weighed down by matters relating to protection of the environment. And, in order to bring home the concept, bicycle companies should market their products more aggressively – they could rope in celebrities of the movie world.
But, powered two wheelers are the current rage as one can understand from the popular brands that vie for grabbing eyeballs via the audio-visual medium called the television but, sadly, no one bothers about the bicycle which also is a two wheeler.
Powered two wheelers like scooters or motorbikes mean pollution of the environment due to the obnoxious fumes of burnt fuel whereas the cycle apart from being environment friendly, provides exercise to the body. It helps to tone up the muscles and build up stamina.
It is not that we do not see bicycles – schoolkids use them if the school is nearby. In some villages, these vehicles are in use by the old-fashioned people but, the youngsters believe in keeping up with the latest trends and zoom about on motorbikes that they have seen used by their favorite movie stars. The roads may still be rough and through fields but, the riders are not much worried – they want power and, power they must have.
When it comes to cities, bicycles are practically nonexistent. In cities like Bangalore and Pune, one can see bike lanes on the main roads dedicated to bicycles – at least there are signboards to that effect. But, people are afraid to use these lanes because of encroachment by the more powerful two and even three and four wheelers. It’s all about might is right.(to be continued …)

(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)
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Where have the sparrows, crows and pigeons vanished?

Has anyone noticed that we are gradually losing out on our feathered friends? It is a problem not unique to us but is a global problem and the reason is their loss of habitat. Trees are being felled to put up multistoried buildings to accommodate human beings and the birds are paying the price.
Common birds like sparrows, crows, and pigeons have more of less vanished from our surroundings and, while there is relief from their menace like droppings, we have lost their company. There is no sound of chirping of the sparrows or the cawing of crows or the homely sounds emitted by the pigeons as they liven up the dull afternoons.
World Sparrow Day is celebrated on March 20 and, ever since it was declared as the state bird in 2012, no action has been taken in Delhi to take care of the gradually sparrow population in the city.

The reason for the disappearance of these birds is that we have usurped their spaces, we have displaced them from the trees and the nooks, corners and cornices of our house. Gone are those magnificent houses of yore that had pillars and ventilators – these used to be the favorite nesting places of the sparrows.
We have embraced the skyscrapers where we have receded into our shells where fresh air from the windows will make us catch a cold. Where we want to shut out menaces like flies and mosquitoes. Hence, we have installed sliding windows – they guarantee safety.
And, when we need fresh air we install room fresheners, switch on the air conditioner and occupy the couch with the TV remote in our hand cutting ourselves off from the world around us. We retreat into a world of make believe and forget about the world where flowers bloom, where butterflies flit showing off their colors, where the silence around us is broken occasionally by the sweet melodies of our feathered friends. (to be continued …)
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

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Grandmothers doubled up as baby sitters and chaperons

Olden days were the golden days when grandmothers played an important role in the life of the child. With the vast and varied amount of knowledge at their fingertips they could solve practically any problem and the kids loved to be in the company of the grand old lady of the family. They looked up to her for a solution when they failed to convince their parents about their needs. These could be anything from skipping classes for a day because of rains or permission to go to a friend’s house to play.

The best part of having a grandmother around was to listen to the huge volume of stories she had in her stock. It appeared to be a never ending one that could keep the kids enthralled for hours. The variety ranged from stories of princes and princesses and giants and evil characters. The people in her stories were endowed with super powers and could fight off any threat.
With the gradual disappearing of grandmothers from their lives, children now lap up the stories of olden-day grandmothers that have been wonderfully woven into huge novels like those starring Harry Potter. And, of course, those innumerable cartoon characters like Chhota Bheem.
Grandmothers who used to double up as babysitters as well as chaperons no longer exists. They have been banished from the scene and the really tiny tots who need lullabies to fall asleep, are at a disadvantage. The bedtime stories of grandmothers are also things of the past.
And for the growing up girls, the grandmother was one who could be trusted to keep secrets and advise on tricky situations related to growing up.
The mothers are too preoccupied with their own activities and the babies have to learn to fend for themselves or depend upon the father to rock them to sleep. (to be continued …)

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Where are the stamp collectors and pen friends?

Religion on Indian television

Where are the stamp collectors and pen friends?

When I sit brooding over the past, I remember the hobbies that I used to pursue in my childhood and wonder how those have vanished from the lives of the kids of today. One of these was stamp collection, also known as philately. I used to hunt for and treasure my collection of used stamps that I would remove carefully from envelopes. Some would be from letters that would come to our address, others would be exchanges with class friends. If I had more than one stamp of the same motif, I would preserve them for possible swapping. It was easy to get hold of postage stamps of India but, for foreign stamps, I had to rely on other sources.

And, one of such sources was making pen friends in foreign countries.
For this, the magazines in the public libraries like the USIS and British Council were great because they used to publish notices for pen friends. There would be details of those who wanted pen friends and could be contacted. Those days there were no fears of getting duped or being taken for a ride. It used to be a simple way of life and no one had to read too much in between the lines. People were straightforward and honest. And, since using telephones to contact anyone outside the country was out of the question due to prohibitive costs and non-availability of facilities, pen friends had to depend on communicating through letters. Therefore, making pen friends meant opening the door to lay hands on foreign stamps.
The sad part is that all those tiny things that used to make life so attractive have been transformed into animate objects – the personal touch is missing.
No one sends letters any more, they resort to e-mails which do not require stamps.
And, why have a few pen friends when you can have hundreds of them waiting for you to link up in the chat room- identities are immaterial. You may think the other party to be just what you want but the ‘she’ could actually be a ‘he’ who has disguised his voice!!
In case you decide to meet ‘her’ in person and make a trip to ‘her’ place, you may fall into some well laid out trap where your life could be in danger. (to be continued …)

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Ripe mangoes and mango cakes or amsatta

We have stolen the childhood of our children

There is always nostalgia associated with the good old days. Our fathers and grandfathers used to talk about their good old days, we talk about ours and, when our children grow up, they will also talk about theirs. Only – our children will blame us of stealing their childhoods away from them on several pretexts – most important one being ambition.
Right now, it is ambition that is driving the world – the ambition to be the Number One in whatever sphere he or she chooses. And, the kids are goaded on by their parents who want to see the children not just prosper but remain on top.
In the bargain, there are those painful suicides when the child is unable to come up to the expectation of their parents. When we hear such news, we curse the education plans of today, we curse the load of books that the kids have to carry to school and back, we curse the parents who send their kids to coaching classes expecting them to perform miracles. The subject is heavily debated in TV forums, in kitty parties, in the bus while on the way to office and even during lunch breaks. We shed crocodile tears and, forget about it once the novelty wears off.
It is the children and their childhood that take the beating.

Let us turn to the topic of outdoor games that kids of today play. Cricket will undoubtedly come out on top, thanks to the aggressive promotion of the game through every possible media. The dream of every schoolboy is to become another Sachin Tendulkar who came to the international scene when he was only 14.
Even though there cannot ever be another Sachin, there is no harm in dreaming because dreams are what makes life worth living. Hence, we see cricket being played at all levels in lanes and by lanes hoping that some Achrekar Sir will come across some child and groom him for the future. Al the children cannot participate because only a selected number can play at a time – eleven in each team. Obviously, there is immense competition to get into the team and, over a period of time, graduate in to the league of seniors.
There will be heartbreaks, and disappointments and kids have to learn to live with these factors negatives of life.
(to be continued …)
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Mangoes are forever

Ripe mangoes and mango cakes or amsatta

Games that children play

The other day there was an interesting post on Facebook that gave pictorial presentation of games that children used to play even in the 60s and 70s – girls played games like the hula hoop, hop scotch, rope skipping, while the boys played seven tiles, yoyo, marbles, and top etcetera.
Each of these games helped to tone up the muscles of the child’s body and keep it fit. During lunch break the kids used to be kept busy making teams on their own and playing. The games were instrumental in imparting knowledge to the kids – knowledge on leadership, control and managing. These came to them naturally. They acquired the knowledge through practical experiences.

Moreover, these games made them mentally tough and they learnt that every game has a winner and a loser – they learnt to accept defeat with a smiling face or be subject to ridicule from their own. Obviously, education did not end with bookish knowledge but also included other aspects of life that taught the child how to live and interact in a community.
However, over a period of time, the thinking and outlook of not only the children but their parents and guardians have also gone through a major transformation. The exact time when this change began to happen is difficult to pinpoint but, it all started with the gradual breakup of the joint family system and crystallization of the nuclear families or families with one or two child norms.
Another contributory factor was the son of the family migrating to greener pastures away from home or the daughter getting married and going away to a distant place. And, coupled to these was the hidden desire of the parents to see the fulfillment of their unfulfilled desires through their children.
In the bargain, the children have lost their childhood. They are straddled with tons of books, they have to mug off page after page so that they can score high marks in examinations. Last week it was announced that cutoff mark for admission to DU was 100%!!
Obviously, children of today have no time to appreciate the beauty of the birds and flowers, no time to interact with Nature. Outing to them means spending the weekend in some restaurant gorging on pizzas and pastas.
And, whatever leisure time they have, they spend in front of the TV watching cartoons. Or – play video games on the mobile. (to be continued …)
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Mangoes are forever

Ripe mangoes and mango cakes or amsatta

Religion on Indian television

There is hardly anyone who is not afraid of God and prays to Him to save him out when he is in trouble. And, in order to ensure that we do not lose sights of our objectives, there are any number of programs dedicated to Gods and Goddesses. Yes, while some religions believe in one God, in the Hindu culture, there are innumerable Gods and Goddesses. One reason is, probably, the different dialects that exist in the country and the different cultures and food habits prevalent. Each group wants to be identified with a God or Goddess who is like one of the group.

Anyway, in order to cater to one and all, Indian TV channels have risen to the task remarkably well. Since television now is a 24X7 affair, most of the channels present religious programs in the early mornings – these end by 7am when regular transmissions take over.
Side by side, there are a few channels devoted entirely to religious programs that continue throughout the day and night.
And, religion is an integral part of practically each and every TV serial – since the fad is to have huge households, also known as joint families, there has to be an area earmarked for pujas to the Gods and Goddesses who are important to the family. There could be an idol of Lord Ganesh or an idol of Lord Narayana and Goddess Laxmi or idols of Lord Rama, Sita Devi and brother Lakshman.
The fact is that the family members will gather in this special area to pray – the prayers could be for the speedy recovery of a member of the family who has met with an accident and is on the death bed. Or – for the well-being of a kid that has been kidnapped. Or – to ensure that the husband is not distracted by any other woman.
The situations are innumerable and, at every step, they turn to God to help them out.
Of course, at festival times, the whole family gets together to pray – and the evil members take the opportunity to cook up some more evil plots that ultimately fail because of timely divine intervention. (to be continued …)

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Mangoes are forever

Ripe mangoes and mango cakes or amsatta

Kids in television serials and reality shows

Everyone loves kids and, realizing that kids will draw viewers, the television producers instruct their story writers to include kids in their scheme of things – namely, to draw the sympathy of the audience and keep them on tenterhooks so that they remain glued to the couch with the remote in hand and eyes fixed to the TV screen.
Since the TV serials go on for years, the kids change. They grow up and, new kids enter to fill in the void while the previous lot graduates to senior roles. The bottom line is – once in TV, they remain in TV because they get recognition.

Much is talked about child marriages – it is banned by law but the script writer successfully circumvents the law and comes up with serials like Balika Bodhu which translates into Child Bride! There are quite a number of similar serials where kids talk and behave like grownups and, in order to encourage them, they get awards on the special nights where they go on stage, clutch their trophies, beam at the crowd and blow kisses.
And then there are the reality shows on TV – yes, they get opportunities to showcase their talents on shows of music or dance but, putting such shows in the night time slots does more harm than good. We advise our kids to go to bed early, we do not permit them to watch television beyond a certain hour but, when it comes to reality shows in which kids are in the center of things, how can we not allow the kids to stay up and watch the shows?
It may be recalled that Kaun Banega Crorepati or KBC for short which was hosted by Amitabh Bachhan, used to have a show for children. It used to be timed on Sunday morning at 9am, or was it 10am? That is how it should be – let the shows for children, by the children, for the children not get pushed into late night slots that begin art 10pm and goes on till 11.30pm. (to be continued …)
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Mangoes are forever

Ripe mangoes and mango cakes or amsatta

TV serials mean daily twist in the tail to keep the audience guessing

When television first came on the Indian scene, it was supposed to be an audio visual medium that was meant to inform and educate the masses. The only agency to undertake such a stupendous task was the Doordarshan and it has the onus responsibility to cater to different tastes of the viewer.
Since it was a government project, it had to follow a whole lot of dos and don’ts and spread various types of messages down to the grass roots. The newsreaders had to abide by strict codes of not only dress bit also of appearances and they were supposed to display bland faces with no sign of any emotion. They had to even suppress any hint of a smile!!

It was not that smiles were not there but, those were kept reserved for comedy serials like Wagle ki duniya or Ghar-jamai or Hum Paanch or Sarabhai versus Sarabhai or Mungeri Lal ki haseen sapne etcetera. It was mostly tongue-in-cheek humor that tickled the senses but there was no guffaw.
Most of the TV serials on Doordarshan used to be a single episode every week and the length used to be restricted to 13 episodes. As a result, the interest was maintained and there was satisfaction all around. Moreover, Doordarshan in those days was not a 24X7 channel but wound up transmission at 11pm.
Anyway, when new TV channels came on the scene, the competition for survival was intense and it became a mad rush to gather eyeballs and retain supremacy. Cable networks started up in the cities and spread to every nook and corner. And, with the growth of channels the whole scene transformed drastically.
In order to cater to the changing tastes, there emerged reality shows – beginning from antarakshis and music shows, it went on to dance shows and comedy shows. Many of the shows were adaptations of foreign similar shows.
And, the TV serials of today have become a never-ending affair – the scenes get padded up to any extent with repetition of words and phrases and the cameras zooming in on individual faces of the actors and actresses and the villains. These do make for painful viewing. But, then, the TV serials are all about the daily twists at the end of the day that keep the audience guessing and spellbound. (to be continued …)

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Mangoes are forever

The current market rates of Alphonso and Ratnagiri Hapus are such that they have gone beyond the reach of the common man – meant basically for the export market, the Alphonso mangoes are priced at around 800 to 1200 rupees per dozen this year (2015). However, other varieties of the fruit are popular in different parts of the country by their different names and identities. In Bengal, it is the Himsagar and Fajli; the West has the Daseri, Chausa and Langra and Totapuli is the hot favorite of Bangalore and Hyderabad.

Then there are the mango based food items - ice creams are mostly homemade, and are sold on trolleys. When asked for, the delicious offering is scooped and served in glass cups. Readymade branded mango ice creams, where only the flavor is there, is not as popular as the one where real mango pulp is used.
Mango juice sells at a fast rate, but caution needs to be exercised because the quality of the fruits that go into its preparation could prove injurious to health. Still, these have a good number of takers. Bottled cold drinks have a market of their own – the ads on TV are tempting enough and, there are times when the marketing becomes so aggressive that you find a shortage of other brands – hence, to quench your thirst you have to go for the mango juice.
As the tag line of a popular brand goes – har mausam aam.
And one of the favorites in Maharashtra is the puran puri with mango juice. The juice is extracted from fruits that are rich in juice – then it is sweetened with sugar and served with hot puran puris. For the uninitiated, puran puris are nothing but ordinary roti – the only difference is that before rolling it, a stuffing of sweet chana- dal paste is inserted. The combination of puran puri and mango juice with a spread of pure ghee on its outer surface is something that one cannot refuse and one can never be satisfied with only one! (to be continued …)

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