Give It Up – embrace a DOG’s life (satire)

Moody was on top of the world. He was pleased with himself because world leaders were falling over themselves in order to get into his good books. It was one of those rare occasions when he happened to be in the country and he had called his followers for discussions in general. The topic for discussion was ‘Give It Up’.
Jet Lee was there along with Sue Sharma, Hash Budden, Ranee, Nitty Gadcurry and Pyari Kar.
‘Where do we stand on the Give It up campaign?’ Moody asked to no one in particular.
‘Well – we have had success on all fronts,’ Jet Lee gave a diplomatic reply.
‘Let us talk about dal first,’ Sue Sharma was serious as always. ‘With cost spiraling beyond control, people have welcomed the slogan Give It Up. They have given up the concept of dal-roti and are looking for alternatives. Eating houses have already hiked prices of dal fry. Dal has also practically vanished from other dishes. And, as suggested by Baba Someday, the sage, ordinary people are giving dals a miss and going in for other vegetables.’

‘That is a good sign,’ Hash Budden remarked. ‘I have seen ads on TV where they say dals are treated with chemicals to impart a fresh glow to the products. When people go in for veggies, the problem of adulteration would, automatically, be taken care of and it will improve their health.’
‘People have also supported the Give It Up campaign for onions,’ Nitty Gadcurry now spoke. ‘Here again, the rising prices have helped the cause.’
‘What about LPG?’ Moody enquired. That was a subject dear to his heart.
‘Response has been good,’ Jet Lee once again went in for diplomacy.
‘Let us make it a success,’ Moody said. ‘I want to see LPG connections in every shack. The poor women have to shed tears every time they sit down to cook. It is the smoke from firewood that makes them cry. I want to change all that. I want our women to always smile.'
Of course, just how surrendering of LPG subsidy would get converted to LPG cylinders for the poor is something of a mystery.
‘I think we are on the right track,’ Pyari Kar smiled. ‘Achhe din aah gaye – the good days have arrived. Let the people embrace the DOG’s life.’
‘DOG’s life?’ Sue Sharma could not understand.
‘Dal, Onion and Gas – they add up to DOG, don’t they?’
Suddenly Moody’s phone rang.
‘Excuse me,’ he picked up the receiver, listened and stood up, ‘my flight is ready. I have to leave.’ (to be continued …)
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)


Some more interesting links -

The global broom campaign (satire)

Moody searching for a place where no leader has gone (Satire)

Moody, Jet Lee and missing pulses (Satire)


Fossils and eggshells of baby dinosaurs found in Gobi Desert

Parama Island flyover adds to traffic jams in Kolkata – made one-way

Future of street foods in Delhi bleak - Delhi bans cooking on roads


Arnold Schwarzenegger could play in Rajinikanth-starrer 'Enthiran 2'

Emma Roberts and her horror-comedy series "Scream Queens"

India is one of 81 countries vying for Best Foreign Film in the 88th Academy Awards


Despite US airstrikes, ISIS still makes £300-million a year from oil

Syrian gang caught trying to smuggle 20-tonnes of cannabis worth £150million into Europe

US airdrops 50-tons of ammunition for M-16s and AK-47 to Syrian fighters

Soon jobs will be given without interviews (satire)

Moody finally concluded that job interviews lead to corruption and to the creation of a corrupt society and, ultimately, it is the poor people who suffer. That is not conducive to Moody's idea of Utopia and the point of fact is that the number of job vacancies was always insignificant to the number of candidates who apply.
He had been thinking about this problem for many days and finally called up one of his ministers - she used to be a well known personality on TV and, even though she was an Indian, her name would tend to suggest that she hailed from another country.
So, Moody had given her the nickname of Ranee and had entrusted her with the task of looking after education.
'Is it a fact that a hundred thousand people have applied for the post of two sweepers?' he asked her.
Ranee nodded.

'And that many of them are post graduates?'
Ranee nodded once again.
'Do we need post graduates as sweepers?
'Well - highly qualified sweepers could revolutionize the very art of sweeping,' Ranee replied demurely. She was always like that. She never raised her voice or her eyes while talking.
'But - processing a hundred thousand applications to select just two persons is silly. Don't you think so?'
'That has been the tradition till now,' she replied. 'Let us change that.'
'OK,' Ranee said.
'By the way, how many of these would-be sweepers have recommendations?'
Ranee had no reply.
'What is the ratio of men to women applicants?
'That is being worked out.'
'Finally, which two would get selected? How long would it take to clear the complete process step by step - from written test to interview to medical tests to selection?'
Again Ranee was stumped.
'Well,' Moody sighed and sat back in his throne. 'To me, it would be pure luck to whosoever gets the appointment. Therefore, let us play tick-tack-toe and just select any two of them. That will eliminate chances of corruption, nepotism and even class conflict.'
Ranee also sighed in relief.
'I will make the announcement the next time I go on the air,' Moody appeared to be satisfied and Ranee left, a big load off her head.'
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)


Some more interesting links -

The global broom campaign (satire)

Moody searching for a place where no leader has gone (Satire)

Moody, Jet Lee and missing pulses (Satire)


Fossils and eggshells of baby dinosaurs found in Gobi Desert

Parama Island flyover adds to traffic jams in Kolkata – made one-way

Future of street foods in Delhi bleak - Delhi bans cooking on roads


Arnold Schwarzenegger could play in Rajinikanth-starrer 'Enthiran 2'

Emma Roberts and her horror-comedy series "Scream Queens"

India is one of 81 countries vying for Best Foreign Film in the 88th Academy Awards


Despite US airstrikes, ISIS still makes £300-million a year from oil

Syrian gang caught trying to smuggle 20-tonnes of cannabis worth £150million into Europe

US airdrops 50-tons of ammunition for M-16s and AK-47 to Syrian fighters

Good bye floods and droughts (satire)

Water is essential for life as we know it and, as we try to migrate to other planets, our first concern is water. The logic is, if water exists, so can lifeforms. On our planet Earth, water is available in plenty but, the distribution is haphazard. While some areas pine for a drop of water, other areas suffer from an abundance in the form of floods.
That is why Moody has deep furrows on his forehead – a sign of worry.
Every year there are scenes of flooded localities with relief packages being airdropped and people running to collect the food packets. There are the aerial surveys by the minister concerned to flood affected areas to assess the extent of drainage which would translate into the amount of central aid.
Side by side there are droughts – farmers sit hunched up on their parched farmlands waiting for rains and, unable to repay the loans they had taken, resort to committing suicides.
Moody wants to change all that. He does not like to hear about unhappiness among his people. He wants them to be happy. Share is his message. Those who have plenty should not hesitate to share some of it with others who are not so fortunate.
Moody, therefore, sent for two of his assistants - Hash Budden and Nitty Gadcurry.

‘I want to discuss water,’ he said.
‘Well,’ Hash Budden began. ‘There are many water purifiers in the market. All of them guarantee pure water. If we go for bulk purchase, we will get huge discounts.’
‘I don’t mean that,’ Moody shook his head.
‘Oh! You mean you want to discuss bottled mineral water?’
‘No. I am worried about water for the masses.’
‘Then we must be careful. The ground water is depleting and, to preserve whatever is available, we must ban bore wells. Moreover, these bore wells are dangerous. Kids keep falling into them and the media people have to spend hours in the night suffering mosquito bites as they give live coverage of rescue operations.’
‘Hash-ji, I am on a different frequency,’ Moody appeared to be exasperated.
‘Oh!’ Hash Budden was deflated.
‘Why don’t we link up the rivers?’ Moody shot his question.
‘We are drawing up plans,’ Nitty joined in the conservation.
‘I don’t want plans. I want action. How soon can we link up the Ganges with the Godavari and Cauvery?’
‘Well – work has started and we can expect to see results soon.’
‘Give me a timeframe,’ Moody demanded.
‘That is not easy,’ Gadcurry shifted in the chair. ‘There are many uncertainties. Especially with the Ganges. It needs to be cleaned up first otherwise the pollution would spread to all the other rivers.’
‘I see,’ Moody nodded his head. Then he began to doodle on the pad in front of him. The doodle looked like a meandering river. (to be continued …)
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)


Some more interesting links -

The global broom campaign (satire)

Moody searching for a place where no leader has gone (Satire)

Moody, Jet Lee and missing pulses (Satire)


Fossils and eggshells of baby dinosaurs found in Gobi Desert

Parama Island flyover adds to traffic jams in Kolkata – made one-way

Future of street foods in Delhi bleak - Delhi bans cooking on roads


Arnold Schwarzenegger could play in Rajinikanth-starrer 'Enthiran 2'

Emma Roberts and her horror-comedy series "Scream Queens"

India is one of 81 countries vying for Best Foreign Film in the 88th Academy Awards


Despite US airstrikes, ISIS still makes £300-million a year from oil

Syrian gang caught trying to smuggle 20-tonnes of cannabis worth £150million into Europe

US airdrops 50-tons of ammunition for M-16s and AK-47 to Syrian fighters

Imagine Indian women as fighter pilots (satire)

Women are not afraid of the skies. They have been flying transport aircraft for ages and, some of them have gone to Space as astronauts. A couple of them even have Indian backgrounds that go to prove that nothing is impossible. Where there is a will, there is a way.
Therefore, it was but natural that Moody call up his defense specialist to the office to discuss the pros and cons of inducting women a fighter plots.
Women are basically fighters. They have to fight with the men every inch of the way. At home it is the hubby, on the way to work it is the Romeos, when at work, it is the colleagues. Fighting is in their blood and, given the present scenario, many of them have joined martial arts classes to be able to fight their way out of trouble. And, the market is flooded with self-protection devices from pepper sprays to mobile Apps that can transmit messages to several numbers simultaneously at the click of a button on apprehension of dangers.

‘Why don’t we get women to fly fighter aircraft?’ Moody asked Pyari Kar.
Pyari-ji gulped. He had never pondered over such a question.
‘No one has given it a thought till now,’ he replied.
‘That is no reason why we should not,’ Moody’s voice conveyed his annoyance.
‘I will study it and come back,’ he tried to wriggle out of the tricky situation.
‘I want a positive result. In fact, I want the first woman fighter pilot to take off from this year onwards’.
‘I will have to first check out how many women can be considered.’
‘Do that but remember – I want action. Not assurances.’
Pyari Kar knew Moody was a tough taskmaster and his wish must be fulfilled.
Women’s lib has certainly improved the lot of women in general and they pride themselves on being able to get recognition is all spheres but, there are discreet differences. For example – in the armed forces, women are usually employed in streams like medicine, education, public relations but, direct combat roles would need plenty of daring and resolve.
Anyway, Moody’s wish must be honored – so our dear Pyari-ji has now embarked in search of Tomboys in the Air Force.
(to be continued …)


Some more interesting links -

The global broom campaign (satire)

Moody searching for a place where no leader has gone (Satire)

Moody, Jet Lee and missing pulses (Satire)


Fossils and eggshells of baby dinosaurs found in Gobi Desert

Parama Island flyover adds to traffic jams in Kolkata – made one-way

Future of street foods in Delhi bleak - Delhi bans cooking on roads


Arnold Schwarzenegger could play in Rajinikanth-starrer 'Enthiran 2'

Emma Roberts and her horror-comedy series "Scream Queens"

India is one of 81 countries vying for Best Foreign Film in the 88th Academy Awards


Despite US airstrikes, ISIS still makes £300-million a year from oil

Syrian gang caught trying to smuggle 20-tonnes of cannabis worth £150million into Europe

US airdrops 50-tons of ammunition for M-16s and AK-47 to Syrian fighters

The global broom campaign (satire)

There is no disputing the fact that cleanliness is next to Godliness and we follow this when inside our house but, once we put the foot out of our house, we conveniently forget all that and litter the streets or spit out tobacco or paan juice.
This is something that gets on Moody’s nerves.
He just cannot tolerate any dirt and, in his lifetime, has tackled all hardcore elements with disdain. Fire is a great equalizer and it purifies whatever it touches. Moody knows that and when in trouble, he invokes the fire Gods.
Anyway, after coming to power, he remembered all those poor people who are looked down upon because they have to deal with the dirt of society. They are the sweepers who have to sweep the roads, lanes, by lanes, the staircases, the nooks and corners. And, they need brooms – not the fancy ones with colorful handles but the sturdy and robust ones that can provide service for ages.
That is when he suddenly realized the potentials of the broom. The wife uses it to threaten her man. Many men in authority use it to sweep unwanted things under the carpet. The witches go around on their brooms. And, there is even a political setup that has selected the broom as its logo. Moreover brooms are eco-friendly unlike vacuum cleaners that increase carbon emission and, hence, would appeal to the global community at large.
Therefore, he broached the subject in one of the brain storming sessions.
‘Idle mind is the devil’s workshop,’ Moody he began.
‘Yes,’ both Jet Lee and Sue Sharma chorused. They loved his company because he was the man who knew too much. He had the ability to talk with confidence from subjects as diverse as global warming and seat warming.

‘We must keep the mind of people occupied,’ Moody continued. ‘Any ideas?’
Both Lee and Sue looked at each other. None of them wanted to take a lead but waited for Moody to drop a hint.
‘Let us clean up the dirt,’ Moody said.
‘I want to clean the slate and begin all over again. I want to go back to the basics and start from scratch. We have made a headway with Yoga. Let us do the same with brooms.’
‘Brooms?’
‘Yes,’ Moody grinned. ‘Brooms are like grooms – they must be handled with care otherwise they will leave bad smell all around. ‘Let us have a photo session with brooms. Invite the print and electronic media.’
‘That’s a good idea,’ Jet Lee nodded. ‘I know of a group who make these brooms. They will be happy to get some business.’
‘Let us also explore its export potentials. Make in India and sell them to bring in dollars.’ (to be continued …)

(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)
Some more interesting links -

Moody searching for a place where no leader has gone (Satire)

Moody, Jet Lee and missing pulses (Satire)

Durga Puja in Kolkata housing complexes


Fossils and eggshells of baby dinosaurs found in Gobi Desert

Parama Island flyover adds to traffic jams in Kolkata – made one-way

Future of street foods in Delhi bleak - Delhi bans cooking on roads


Arnold Schwarzenegger could play in Rajinikanth-starrer 'Enthiran 2'

Emma Roberts and her horror-comedy series "Scream Queens"

India is one of 81 countries vying for Best Foreign Film in the 88th Academy Awards


Despite US airstrikes, ISIS still makes £300-million a year from oil

Syrian gang caught trying to smuggle 20-tonnes of cannabis worth £150million into Europe

US airdrops 50-tons of ammunition for M-16s and AK-47 to Syrian fighters

Moody searching for a place where no leader has gone (Satire)

Moody was pacing up and down in his chamber. A globe was on his table. He would stop once in a while in front of it, rotate it and then resume his walking. There was a thoughtful expression on his face.
He has become known as a globetrotter within the short period that he has come to power. He had visited most of the big and medium countries and even a few small ones and he wanted to keep up the momentum. He wanted to find out which country he could visit now.
It should be a totally new one where no leader had ever gone earlier.
He reached for the intercom and pressed a button.
A female voice responded.
‘Sue-ji, I want you in my office,’ Moody told her and cut off.
Within the minute, Sue-ji arrived. Her actual name was Sue Sharma. She pushed the door, entered and stood waiting for the next instruction. She was a bit bulky, dressed in the traditional sari, had a large oversize red mark on her forehead and gave an impression that she did not know how to suppress her grin.
‘I am looking for my next destination,’ Moody stood in front of the globe and mumbled.

‘In which hemisphere?’ Sue Sharma asked.
‘You know my logic – it has to be a country where no leader has gone so far,’ Moody said.
‘I will put my team on the work,’ Sue Sharma said.
‘And, remember to locate a kid from that place. A kid who was lost and, by chance, came in contact with me. I will take him with me when I go to visit his country of origin and hand him over to his parents.’
‘If such a kid cannot be found?’
‘Then manufacture one.’
Sue Sharma smiled – she knew Moody’s methods. Return of a lost child to its parents is one of the best ways to cement friendship with another country.
Moody loved these visits. They helped him to spread all sorts of messages and give a boost to his awareness programs back home. And, these also gave him an opportunity to see from a distance how his team worked and how efficiently.
Of course, he also had people in the background, people who kept a watch on him from a distance. Moody had to come up to their expectations. Come to think of it, these foreign visits helped to release his tensions. (to be continued …)

(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

Some more interesting links -

Moody, Jet Lee and missing pulses (Satire)

Durga Puja in Kolkata housing complexes

Durga Puja and cultural programs


Fossils and eggshells of baby dinosaurs found in Gobi Desert

Parama Island flyover adds to traffic jams in Kolkata – made one-way

Future of street foods in Delhi bleak - Delhi bans cooking on roads


Arnold Schwarzenegger could play in Rajinikanth-starrer 'Enthiran 2'

Emma Roberts and her horror-comedy series "Scream Queens"

India is one of 81 countries vying for Best Foreign Film in the 88th Academy Awards


Despite US airstrikes, ISIS still makes £300-million a year from oil

Syrian gang caught trying to smuggle 20-tonnes of cannabis worth £150million into Europe

US airdrops 50-tons of ammunition for M-16s and AK-47 to Syrian fighters

Moody, Jet Lee and missing pulses (Satire)

Moody was in a dilemma. He had plenty on hand and would have liked his 24-hour-day to last much longer but, in spite of regular yoga sessions, he just could not manage to squeeze in time to cater to some really personal needs – like that of catering to a mother and a wife. They were there and he knew that they would always be there and would never bother about getting in his way. He was a free bird and could devote more attention to his hopping missions across the globe to win friends and influence people.
Suddenly there was a timid knock on his door and, without waiting for his permission, there entered Jet Lee, one of his lieutenants. He had deep furrows on his forehead and appeared to be worried.
‘Yes’, Moody looked up from his papers.
‘It’s about the pulse,’ Jet Lee mumbled.

‘Pulse?’ Moody was surprised. ‘Who is sick? Is he anyone from our camp?’
‘This is not that pulse,’ Jet Lee explained. ‘It involves all those poor people who must take care of their pulses.’
‘But naturally, Moody smiled. ‘The pulse indicates the condition of the heart. You must know the doctor always checks the pulse of the patient to determine the condition of his health.
‘I know all that. The problem now is that pulse is not available and the condition is deteriorating day by day.’
‘Then put the patient in the ‘I see you’ chamber. Let us get the best doctors. We must ensure that the patient does not die.’
‘Actually, it is not the pulse that I mean,’ Jet Lee wrung his hands and looked apologetic.
‘What do you mean?’ Moody was not happy.
‘I think we are on the wrong frequency.’
‘Be more specific.’
‘I am talking about pulse which is known as ‘dal’ – you know chana dal, tur dal, masur dal, arhar dal - these have vanished from the shelves.’
‘Well – get them back. That is what you are here for. Don’t bring such silly points to me. And, now, if you will excuse me – I have to prepare for my monthly exercise to spread awareness.’ (to be continued …)
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

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Moody, Jet Lee and missing pulses (Satire)

Durga Puja in Kolkata housing complexes

Durga Puja and cultural programs


Fossils and eggshells of baby dinosaurs found in Gobi Desert

Parama Island flyover adds to traffic jams in Kolkata – made one-way

Future of street foods in Delhi bleak - Delhi bans cooking on roads


Arnold Schwarzenegger could play in Rajinikanth-starrer 'Enthiran 2'

Emma Roberts and her horror-comedy series "Scream Queens"

India is one of 81 countries vying for Best Foreign Film in the 88th Academy Awards


Despite US airstrikes, ISIS still makes £300-million a year from oil

Syrian gang caught trying to smuggle 20-tonnes of cannabis worth £150million into Europe

US airdrops 50-tons of ammunition for M-16s and AK-47 to Syrian fighters

Durga Puja in Nashik

Durga Puja is a festival of Bengalis and, wherever they have settled, they have joined together to have their own pujas. Every Bengali longs to be in his home town to celebrate but, the employment and education of their children does not allow them such liberties – the only practical solution is to shift the venue. Therefore, we find them in Delhi, in Mumbai and also in Nashik. And, the celebrations can, at times, be on a grander scale than those back home in Kolkata because while in Delhi, the Bengalis are mostly linked to central government agencies, in Mumbai it is all about the stars of the silver screen.

The situation in Nashik was a bit different. Bengalis had arrived in Nashik along with some prestigious central government institutions like the Government of India Press, the Currency Note Press and the India Security Press. The venues were quite near each other and the employees stayed in quarters. It was but natural that they one day decided to have their own Durga Puja.
Later, another major engineering unit came up in Nashik – it was the aircraft manufacturing factory located nearly 20-Km away from the city. Here also there were Bengalis who had come from vastly different backgrounds. Some came from Indian Air Force, others from the Indian Navy and also from other divisions of HAL. And, there were fresh engineering graduates who joined as Management Trainees. In the initial stages, these Bengalis tried to adjust with the existing lot but that was not a practical solution. Hence, another Durga Puja began.
And, with the passage of time and with more induction of Bengalis in organizations like MICO, VIP, Mahindra & Mahindra, and Victor Gaskets etcetera the celebrations began to fan out. Each new group had their own justifiable reasons and today the numbers of pujas can be seen when the idols come for immersion in the Godavari.
The message is ‘live and let live’. (to be continued …) (Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)
Some more interesting links -

Fossils and eggshells of baby dinosaurs found in Gobi Desert

Parama Island flyover adds to traffic jams in Kolkata – made one-way

Future of street foods in Delhi bleak - Delhi bans cooking on roads


Arnold Schwarzenegger could play in Rajinikanth-starrer 'Enthiran 2'

Emma Roberts and her horror-comedy series "Scream Queens"

India is one of 81 countries vying for Best Foreign Film in the 88th Academy Awards


Despite US airstrikes, ISIS still makes £300-million a year from oil

Syrian gang caught trying to smuggle 20-tonnes of cannabis worth £150million into Europe

US airdrops 50-tons of ammunition for M-16s and AK-47 to Syrian fighters


Durga Puja in Kolkata housing complexes

Durga Puja and cultural programs

The pandal hoppers of Kolkata

Tallest Durga idol in Kolkata goes under cover

For the last six months, hoardings in the streets of Kolkata and every conceivable media outlet kept urging the people of Kolkata to wait for the biggest Durga idol of all times – it was supposed an 88-feet tall idol and could go into the Book of Records. The venue would be the Deshapriya Park located in a posh locality in South Kolkata.
But, when it was finally unveiled, no one had expected that it would go under covers within 24-hours - literally!! It is in South Kolkata that all important puja celebrations take place and that has been the tradition for years. Needless to say, Bengalis from near and far travel all over the city and, unless he has been to the important pandals, he feels his journey is incomplete.

I had visited Kolkata a couple of years back and had elected the period of Durga puja because I wanted to relive the celebrations of 25-years back – yes, I had last seen the pujas in Kolkata approximately quarter of a century earlier!! Fortunately, I had a vehicle at my disposal, thanks to my brother-in-law and its driver was a gem. The young man knew the streets of the city like the back of his hand and kept coming with parking slots as near to the venue of a puja as possible. That saved me long walks.
Anyway, to come back to the sad story of the ‘biggest Durga’ – it was constructed and dutifully inaugurated by celebrities and visitors began trooping in to get a glimpse of a really huge Durga idol. They came from not only the city but from outskirts as well because the word of mouth had spread like wildfire and, visiting it became a mandatory talking point at all levels.
But, the joy was short lived – before the end of the first day, the police banned entry of people in the venue and put the huge 88-fot idol under cover. It seems the security arrangements had not been properly planned and there was avoidable confusion that could have put the lives of people at risk. (to be continued .... )

(IMage courtesy wikimediacommons.org)
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Fossils and eggshells of baby dinosaurs found in Gobi Desert

Parama Island flyover adds to traffic jams in Kolkata – made one-way

Future of street foods in Delhi bleak - Delhi bans cooking on roads


Arnold Schwarzenegger could play in Rajinikanth-starrer 'Enthiran 2'

Emma Roberts and her horror-comedy series "Scream Queens"

India is one of 81 countries vying for Best Foreign Film in the 88th Academy Awards


Despite US airstrikes, ISIS still makes £300-million a year from oil

Syrian gang caught trying to smuggle 20-tonnes of cannabis worth £150million into Europe

US airdrops 50-tons of ammunition for M-16s and AK-47 to Syrian fighters


Durga Puja in Kolkata housing complexes

Durga Puja and cultural programs

The pandal hoppers of Kolkata

Politicians have high jacked inauguration of the Durga Puja

Durga Puja is a festival of four days but, inauguration is a major event that sets the ball rolling. Who inaugurates a puja is a major indication of how popular the specific puja would be. Once upon a time, this responsibility was that of a senior person of the community – he could be an author or a singer or musician or even a film star. In those days, such individuals were respected and held in high esteem. They drew crowds.
But, times have changed.
Over a period of time, the concept of ‘baroari’ puja has undergone a sea change, thanks to the direct involvement of political bigwigs. Whether it is the north or the south, the popularity is in direct proportion to money power and muscle power. Yes, there are committees who go from one pandal to another to see for themselves and judge the arrangements. And, the electronic media give them more than adequate coverage to ensure crowds.

The inauguration programs that once used to be solemn affairs have now become a mad rush to get in the frame of the camera – and, for political leaders to make a point. Politicians have high jacked inaugurations - they always have an eye on the ballot box and all their activities revolve around the ‘desire of the masses’. The ‘desire’ is usually one that is their own and thrust upon the public who have to swallow it, whether they like it or not. They do not have any choice – they have to either go with the tide or be left stranded on the sidelines.
And – the latest craze is the awards given by the sponsors. These awards in the form of ‘stars’ like ‘star’, ‘mega star’, ‘super star’ and ‘blockbuster’ draw the crowds and the competition is tough. It is a challenge for the organizers to hold on to a ‘star’ year after year. (to be continued …)
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

Some more interesting links -

Fossils and eggshells of baby dinosaurs found in Gobi Desert

Parama Island flyover adds to traffic jams in Kolkata – made one-way

Future of street foods in Delhi bleak - Delhi bans cooking on roads


Arnold Schwarzenegger could play in Rajinikanth-starrer 'Enthiran 2'

Emma Roberts and her horror-comedy series "Scream Queens"

India is one of 81 countries vying for Best Foreign Film in the 88th Academy Awards


Despite US airstrikes, ISIS still makes £300-million a year from oil

Syrian gang caught trying to smuggle 20-tonnes of cannabis worth £150million into Europe

US airdrops 50-tons of ammunition for M-16s and AK-47 to Syrian fighters


Durga Puja in Kolkata housing complexes

Durga Puja and cultural programs

The pandal hoppers of Kolkata

Durga Puja and cultural programs

Durga Puja today is celebrated on a grand scale in Kolkata and anyone remotely connected with the celebrations invariably enjoy the fruits of labor in the form of fringe benefits. It happens irrespective of the size. I remember in our township where it was on a scale much smaller than that in Kolkata but large by local standards.
The venue was fixed – it used to be in an open space that the organizers covered up to ensure sitting spaces for those who would come to enjoy the entertainment programs in the evening.
I am talking of the period of the 1970s when TV was an object of desire that was available in only a few selected houses. The TV set was B&W and the programs were only from Doordarshan.

Anyway, in those days, the organizers of the Pujas in township would make arrangements to have one entertainment program every evening for all the four days. Due to the proximity with Mumbai, volunteers would go there and contact orchestra groups and reputed drama groups. The intention was to have programs that would appeal to different sections of society. The entertainment would be Bollywood based with artistes who would sing, dance, and perform mimicry. The drama would be Marathi. And, then, there would be a local program where local talent would go on stage.
Obviously, all these involved finance and, since the number of Bengalis was limited, the organizers had to reach out to others. Volunteers would fan out beyond township and collect donations. Everyone who donated would be given passes to attend the entertainment programs in the evenings and arrangements would be made to request the MSRTC buses for special trips at the end of the show.
However, all good things do not last for long and, in this case also, the social scenario gradually underwent a sea change – the reason was the arrival of color TV and a variety of entertainment channels. The days of ‘Ramayana’ and ‘Mahabharata’ on Doordarshan was over, it was replaced by serials like Hum Log and Buniyaad. (to be continued …)
Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

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Durga Puja in Kolkata housing complexes

Durga Puja is a four day affair with hundreds of rituals that need to be followed meticulously and, it used to be an annual festival of the landlords or zamindars. They stayed in huge palatial buildings and the whole village would be invited to join in the prayers. There would also be associated festivities comprising lunch in the afternoon and entertainment in the evening that would be presented by troupes from Kolkata. The total cost would be borne by the landlord himself.
Some of these landlords stayed in Kolkata itself and the festivities here was one of showing off their assets and the invitees used to be British nationals who were employed in different levels of the government. Then there were Bengali businessmen who mattered. Here also, the total cost was met by the landlord himself – it was his method of remaining in the good books of the British rulers.

However, once the British left and the Bengalis began to move out of villages and settle in cities, they missed the annual festivities – and, in order to revive the culture, they began to pool their resources in the form on money and manpower and perform the Durga Puja in their communities. These came to be known as ‘baroari pujas’ – or pujas conducted by twelve friends. The figure twelve is a figurative one – it could be any number of families who join to participate in the festivities.
Suddenly one day, the scenario changed and multistory buildings began to come up in the city of Kolkata. There emerged a new breed of businessmen who were after land. They would pounce on any vacant land, coerce the owners to sell it and offer them ready cash plus a flat in the proposed housing complex. Such an offer was not easy to turn down and, soon, there mushroomed innumerable housing complexes. Along with them came a new set of culture and values. It was the period of changes in all walks of life and Durga Puja was no exception.
Thus it came to pass that housing complexes decided to join hands and perform the pujas. All the residents pool their resources, the women take over the religious rituals of the pujas, the young boys and girls perform song and dance programs while the men gather to play cards or go vocal on political topics. They have lunch together and even dinner. And, these pujas bring back the village culture and one wonders – the wheels have turned a full cycle! (to be continued …)
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The pandal hoppers of Kolkata

Pandal hopping is a relatively new concept that has begun a couple of decades back in Kolkata. Given the number of Durga Pujas held in only Kolkata and the desire of people to go and have a look at the latest artistic features and designs of the idols and the pandals, a new breed of enthusiasts have come up. These are the pandal hoppers who form groups and hop from one pandal to another to catch the excitement.
This activity begins from the Mahalaya when some important pandals carry out inauguration through celebrities who range from local politicians to stalwarts of the literary fields or the silver screens and, in some cases, sports persons. Then there are the mandatory judges who are roped in to assign marks to the top Puja pandals – the criterion for assigning marks could be the decorations, the uniqueness of the idols, and the special emphasis on environment or social messages and agendas.

Once the awards like ‘Super Star’, ‘Mega Star’ etcetera are announced, the crowds begin to pour in and, the more the footfalls, the more is happiness all around because the sponsors rake in the moolah and the organizers are assured of continued patronage from big names.
Due to the huge crowds milling around the venues, those who use vehicles have to park the same a distance away and have to walk. These groups could be people of the same family or group of friends. And, since the attraction of the pandals is not only the decorations but also the display of colored lights, the hoppers must select darkness. That they do by timing their hopping late in the night – when the venues are less crowded and restriction on parking of vehicles is not there.
Needless to say, those who opt for late night hopping are a boisterous lot – they want to enjoy and leave no stone unturned to make the hopping a memorable one. With four nights at their disposal, they draw up their plans on which area to visit when. (to be continued …)
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Mahalaya means Chandi Path

Mahalaya is the auspicious day when the Durga Pujas begin with the artist drawing the eyes of the idols of Goddess Durga – and, the panic sets in inside the Kumartuli where the idols are painstakingly made ready. In case of sudden rains, which is not uncommon, the artisans have to not only protect the clay idols safe from the rainwater but also have to resort to artificial drying by heating with blow torches to dry the paint.
Simultaneously, on this day, there is a special program broadcast over Akashvani (earlier All India Radio). It is called Chandi Path and it starts at 4am and goes on till 5.30am. It is the invocation of Goddess Durga and describes, through devotional songs, about her journey from Kailash to annihilate the demon King Asura who has the ability to change his form at will. He is an evil force and, like all evil, can change the form to attack others.
Durga Devi, armed with ten weapons donated by ten different Gods, succeeds in eliminating Asura and continues to the abode of her parents in Bengal.
This early morning program was totally Bengali one but, subsequently, other stations of Akashvani (like Delhi) began – only, it starts half an hour later and while the commentary is in Hindi, the songs remain original Bengali songs.

Another aspect of Mahalaya is the ritual of ‘tarpan’ that people perform on the banks of the River Ganges – this ritual is in remembrance of one’s parents, relatives and ancestors who have passed away into the nether world. The usual practice in Kolkata is for people to listen to the ‘Chandi Path’ and then proceed to the banks of the Ganges for the ‘tarpan’.
And – ye another important activity connected to Mahalaya is the shopping. Usually, this is the time when employees get their bonuses and, shops offer discounts. Obviously, there is a mad rush and the crowds have to be seen to be believed. These shops do not cater to the moneyed class and credit cards are seldom used. (to be continued …)

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Durga Puja provides thousands of jobs for months

Durga Puja is a four day affair for Bengalis by and large but it also provides thousands of jobs to thousands of people throughout the year. The number of pujas is on the increase and, along with the festivities is the added attraction of decoration of the pandal and its surroundings – the only objective is to attract more and more footsteps to the venue and hope to land one of the prizes on offer by the sponsors.
The annual festivities end on Bijoya Dasami. This is applicable for most Bengalis, but not for the organizers who put their heads together to decide on the theme for the next year. They have before them various designs that have already been used up and have to select a new theme.

The committee will sit for hours in front of the laptops and exhaust cups of tea and packets of cigarettes to decide on a theme that would be unique. Such meetings would be closed door meetings because everyone wants to lay the cards close to the chest. Rivals must never get any clue to what is brewing!!
Once the decision is taken, the activities begin. PERT and CPM charts would be drawn up and nets thrown far and wide to rope in suitable men and women who would begin the work from scratch. It means, they would have to go in search of the ingredients that would finally be assembled in order to create the pandal where Goddess Durga and her family would reside for four days.
An example will illustrate the point – suppose the pandal would display sea shells. These shells would have to be procured in hundreds of thousands, segregated, and painted. The source could be many – like from Digha or Puri or the beaches of Marina or Juhu or even from abroad.
This is just one item.
Once procured, they are to be kept in storage till required. And, to assemble them, there would be requirements of glue and, working hands in the form of carpenters, painters, electricians and others.
Sea shell is just one item that has been used. To complete the pandal, there would be hundreds of other such items along with the electrical installations. Another item used was discarded plastic water bottles – the requirement was in hundreds of thousands and the organizers had to procure these also. Or clay pot, lamps and vessels – if not readily available, they were made by local potters. Or – bamboo products.
Obviously, everyone involved in the Durga Puja benefited monetarily and, the men and women down the line gave concrete form to dreams while the organizers walked away with the coveted trophies with promises to return. (to be continued …)
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With hardly a few days left for the annual celebrations of Bengalis, the TV channels have begun to give teaser trailers on food joints in the city and how they are readying themselves to pamper to the taste buds of the Bengalis.
The days of Basanta Cabin, Ralli’s and Aminia are now history. There was this snap of Peter Cat a couple days back on a TV channel and then there was Tamarind. Others in the list of favorites are joints like Bhajohari Manna, Mainland China, 6 Chowringhee Place, Aheli – The Peerless Inn, ‘Oh! Calcutta’.

For those who are far away from Kolkata, the brief reports on restaurants that dish out really mouthwatering Bengali dishes is a treat for not just tired eyes but for any eye. The dishes laid out on the table makes one wish that he could have been there physically on the spot to taste the true Bengali cuisines. If wishes were horses …
Usually the menu is attractive to bowl anyone over. There are the near spherical luchis and a mound of rice in the center of the plate surrounded by chholar dal, begun bhaja, fish fry, paturis (steamed fish in plantain leaves), bowls of kasha mangsho, chingri malai curry and some exotic preparation of ilish, Then comes the sweets – not just rosogollahs and sandesh but twist of taste in the form of unheard of combinations to titillate the sweet tooth.
The restaurants usually offer buffets and one can choose what he wants to and enjoy his meal – there is no restriction and it is up to the diner to be aware of his limitations. A word of caution – one has to leave behind at home his worries about calories, cholesterol and the likes – Durga Puja is an annual event. It comes but once a year and must be given its due respect. (to be continued …)
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Durga Puja, TV reality shows and real-life Gods and Goddesses

With the growing popularity of TV reality shows, a new fad has taken hold of Bengalis who can now show off not only their talent but also beauty – beauty is no longer skin deep but it goes right into the soul. Fashion conscious Bengalis use the annual extravaganza of Durga Puja to take on roles of the Gods and Goddesses to get recognized in their circle of friends and relatives and, the TV channels provide them with ample opportunities.
Yes – the channels announce annual rituals of selecting real life Goddess Durga, her daughters Lakshmi and Saraswati and sons Kartik and Ganesha. Then there is the demon King Asura and, of course, Lord Shiva.

Once the competitions are announced, the hopefuls would send across their photographs and, the problem usually is with those who want to enact the roles of Lord Ganesha and demon King Asura. While Ganesha is potbellied, Asura is the reincarnation of the Devil himself, and, hence, must appear to be menacing enough to instill fear in the minds of others. Obviously, the number of contestants would not be very many in these categories.
The real problem lies in selecting the Goddesses and, the beauticians take over to ensure that their protégés get the ultimate recognition.
Participating in such reality shows requires not only luck but plenty of determination and hard work because, one has to go through the primary selection from hundreds of hopefuls. And, in order to give them the necessary confidence, they have to go through the grooming schedule – and, such courses do not come free.
The bottom line is that Durga Pujas throw up innumerable options to make money and there is no dearth of enterprising individuals who never let such opportunities go a-begging. (to be continued …)
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Puja Special issues of Bengali magazines

Durga Pujas comes but once a year and, on this occasion, the Bengali magazines publish special issues – these are specially designed and created and those who contribute towards its success are well known authors and poets and essayists. Once in a while, there would be a newcomer and, his acceptance for seeing his name alongside the stalwarts means he has arrived. His path might have been a long and troubled one but – seeing one’s name in print in the Puja Special issue is proof of his abilities.
Incidentally, the creation of this special edition is a time consuming affair. The process begins quite early – at least six months early. The publication house decides which authors to be contacted depending on his salability.

There could be other considerations like his political inclinations. Whatever it be, the publication contacts him and mutually acceptable contracts are drawn up – the subject is also finalized as is the remuneration. And, care has to be taken to ensure that the same subject matter does not get repeated.
The general tendency is to choose a subject that would be the hottest subject of the time – like a gruesome murder or a spate of kidnappings or robberies. Then there are the politically hot topics or topics on religion or adventure or even disasters.
The permutations and combinations are mind boggling is mind boggling and, with several magazines, it becomes a near impossible task to ensure that duplication of ideas are avoided, if that is not assured, the charm of the novel would be lost.
Incidentally, there are writers who would pick a topic that no one would ever think of – he would pick a historical subject and would slog day and night in libraries digging into the past. When the novel finally makes its appearance it becomes an instant hit.
Whatever it be, getting to see one’s novels in the Puja Special issues is an achievement for any author. When I got such a chance in one of the small time magazines, I was elated. The complimentary copy that came by post went from hand to hand among my friends and they discussed its plus and minuses. (to be continued …)
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