Monday, April 13, 2020

Lockdown Lessons: looking back - looking ahead!

So, we end the first phase of the 21 day lockdown tomorrow and enter into the next phase which will take us until the end of this month. This lockdown has been unprecedented in many ways for us Indians.

If I look at it dispassionately, the lockdown is a severe assault on personal liberties. It has been described as the strictest lockdown in the world with closure of schools, travel bans, closure of borders, etc. This was further aggravated by our own building associations getting overzealous and banning all non residents from entering our buildings. That health and safety of citizens and residents were the reasons for such stringent actions is well understood but the other aspect cannot be ignored. 

In a country where there is little awareness and respect for personal space, social (now renamed physical) distancing is being emphasized as a way to keep the virus away. One needs to just stand in a queue in India to feel the breath of the next person in line. We don't like to keep distance and distance makes us feel further from our goal, even though our turn may be the next.

This lockdown has also been a great lesson in the real idea of "social distance" - how privileged we are and in how many ways we are more privileged than others. While we complain about being locked up in the comfort of our homes, we have a large number of fellow citizens just wanting to get to their safe homes.

The little demon virus also taught us how enough is really enough. We managed with little through three big festivals - Ugadi, Easter and Vishu/ Bihu/ Baishakhi/ Putthandu/ Poila Boisakh- while under lockdown. Just look at what we have made of our festivals - and how they have grown beyond the confines of family and our homes to become garish and gaudy.

With all religious places closed and no organised religious activity, I get a sense that people are way closer to an "Almighty" or seeing some sort of a strength within themselves than ever before. So, where's the need for organised religion.......and aren't we better off seeking what comforts and consoles us all by ourselves......

And for a change, we Indians will have to follow rules in the interest of others' safety. We break rules casually with not a care in the world about what it does to other people. We are driven too much by our own personal interests and goals to be bothered about the trouble we may be causing to fellow citizens in our pursuit of those.

Lastly, we sought solace in art when the world looked dim. Whether it was the JanataCurfew Online festival or the NCPA screening of their top shows or Andrea Bocelli rendering Amazing Grace from an eerily empty cathedral in Milan, or the many shows and films that we consumed on Netflix and Prime, art moved in beautifully to fill in the empty spaces in our locked down lives.

Sunday, November 17, 2019

A Sunday morning in Sunder Nursery


The first time I heard about Sunder Nursery was when I was flipping through the pages of Pradip Krishen’s fabulous compilation on the trees of Delhi. Many of the trees featured in the book were the sole standing specimens found here. I nursed a wish for many years to visit the place but could not convince my History loving husband or son to take me there. In recent times, I read about the conservation and restoration of the monuments and gardens within Nursery area by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture and the accolades that it was winning for creating a beautiful public space in a city.

When my college friends asked me what I would want to do on the Sunday that we chose to spend together, I immediately mentioned Sunder Nursery, which we all agreed that it would be a good idea. So the three of us took off on a Sunday morning with guide Amir leading us for a tour of the complex. Fortunately, the air was clear and the sky was blue on the day adding to the beauty and freshness of the place.

Sunder Nursery or Azim Bagh as it was known in the past, is situated close to Humayun’s Tomb in the Nizamuddin area, over 90 acres, and is home to six monuments on the UNESCO’s World Heritage List. The Grand Trunk Road passed through the Nursery, providing rest and respite to travelers and traders of yore. The monuments built in the style of Mughal architecture feature domes, decorative ceilings, majestic arched pavilions and exquisite wall designs incorporating verses from the Koran interspersed with floral patterns. Painstakingly restored, the monuments add to the beauty and ambience.

The landscaped gardens are home to over 200 species of trees, many rare and exotic, a variety of birds and butterflies and several varieties of roses. Well-designed and manicured gardens sit easily with wilderness that is reflective of Delhi’s original ecosystem. Fountains, lakes and gently flowing streams add to the beauty and liveliness of the gardens. A flower laden lotus pond (apparently the only surviving one from the Mughal era) is a sight to behold. The British used Sunder Nursery in the nineteenth century to grow and propagate trees for their new capital city, bringing in exotic varieties from across the world.

The Nursery hosts a Sunday market of local, traditional and organic produce with a variety of food items for a leisurely and healthy brunch.  There is an amphitheatre beside the lotus pond that can host shows and performances. Spaces for children to play, for activities like yoga and walking and for family and school picnics dot this green lung as Sunder Nursery truly stands out as a unique public space in a mega city that brings together, history, nature and heritage providing education, entertainment and relaxation.

If I could visit again, I would certainly.

For more pictures, please click https://photos.google.com/SunderNursery

Friday, May 24, 2019

Election 2019!

Everyone these days has a political opinion and expresses it. So I thought I should too..... through the entire day, I saw the map of India going saffron.....


The BJP ran a well coordinated election campaign, with Modi as their star campaigner and Amit Shah as the chief organiser. The opposition on the other hand, has been fragmented and feeble in their approach. It was a contest between one clearly identified leader in BJP versus ten or more leaders vying for the top spot in the opposition.

The Congress did a good job of putting their manifesto together but there was really no place for ideologies, vision or any other substantive issues in this election. That an election is fought and won or lost in this manner does not do credit to democracy at all.....and that requires some examination. In that sense, everyone turned out to be a pappu!

The subtext of this election, in my view, has also been differing ideas of what India as a nation needs to be and the majority in India chose the BJP's. The chowkidar tagline caught the imagination of many Indians who felt that they needed a strong Prime Minister to safeguard the country and its interests.

Some other things that stood out for me - communal and caste based politics is here to stay - no running away from it, calling out identities that should be irrelevant in a modern day democracy and further deepening the divide.

Every party that has been around for a generation or more promotes dynastic politics. Most candidates were sons, daughters, nephews, nieces, wives or husbands of politicians. A Kanhaiya Kumar or Atishi Marlena have no chance in hell to make it big in politics.

That there was much mudslinging and name calling made this an election worth forgetting. But again, this has gone into our beings that I do not see us being able to retract from it. Facts have taken a back seat and everyone is a feku!

We have many challenges ahead as a country to deal with. An economy that is not exactly in robust shape, joblessness in a country with a relatively young population, environment crises and climate change looming large, agriculture in shambles are amongst the important priorities that will take imagination and definitive action beyond mere rhetoric to address.

If we are to make India a place to be proud of, liberals and middle class like me need to be less elitist and accept the changes that have come over our country. Friends and family that live abroad need to also step out of their privileged lives and see the realities of India more closely rather than just be drawn by empty rhetoric that makes India look good to outsiders. And, those of us who are in a majority need to be magnanimous and protective towards our fellow countrymen.

Tuesday, December 25, 2018

Engaging Hearts and Minds!

L&T's Leadership Development Academy
I spent a weekend a few days ago in a lovely campus in the hilly town of Lonavala attending one of the most beautiful conferences that I have ever attended in my official avatar. Organised by a bunch of professionals who call themselves "facilitators", the two day event lived up to the several definitions that go for the work of facilitation. For the uninitiated, facilitation involves a highly structured process in which the facilitator guides the participants through a series of pre-defined steps to arrive at a result that is created, understood and accepted by all participants. 


A session in progress
The process of Facilitation, one of the pillars of the Conference, was evident through all the activities that were planned. The fact that each of the sessions was designed as a "Facilitated Process" was in itself truly amazing and the oft repeated mantra, "trust the process", came alive in every one of the sessions - big or small group based - that I attended. Right from the start, whether it was a moment of silence or the charming introduction of the conference and the attendees, the power of effective facilitation was in evidence.

Another group discussion
The conference was without a dull moment for me. In addition to bumping into new faces all the time, the sessions were designed in such a way that the engagement levels were high and everyone got an opportunity to participate in some way or the other, if they chose to. Besides, no two activities or sessions used the same method, bringing in variety and newness to the proceedings. The organisers did full justice to the second pillar of the conference, Engagement.

Fun and camaraderie all over
The event itself was a confluence of 150+ seasoned, budding and curious facilitation practitioners from across India and a few from outside too. The sense of Community, another pillar of the Conference, among the attendees was equally in evidence. In the real world most of the organisers and participants at the conference are competitors, vying for the same business. However, there was none of that competitiveness or one-upmanship on obvious display at the conference. There was an open sharing of methods, techniques and ideas throughout the sessions and the learning quotient was really very high.  

Using visual graphics to tell a story!
How do facilitators who work so much with paper even think of making a conference eco-friendly? Well, ask the organizers of this one. With a delegate kit that had many sustainable ideas to activities that focused on Reduce, Reuse and Recycle, the green message in the conference and in small measure, for our lives, was loud and clear. 

Colourful tools for facilitation
Most professional conferences are platforms for networking and business development. I stay away from most conferences for that reason. For the largest part, this conference was "pure" in that there was no overt attempts at getting connected to get business, which for me was a big positive. Also, most conferences offer little learning but this one was very different. In line with the conference objective of Engaging Hearts and Minds, this well designed and neatly executed event left me energized and happy, eager for more.

Reason for my being at the Conference

For me, the lasting sentiment from the conference could be summed up as a definition of facilitation, in the words of Viv McWaters:


Let go of control
Step away from everyday
Discover the new




Pictures courtesy: Krishna Prasad, Ford

Monday, August 20, 2018

Musings on news and views in a crisis

So, we are planning our drive to Tellicherry. The rains are definitely going to make the journey difficult. We read newspaper reports about gushing rivers, overflowing reservoirs, broken bridges and blocked ghat roads. 

Just as we are driving down the Ooty - Gudalur road, my phone beeps and I see a WhatsApp message from my sardarji neighbour, who is the first to know and spread every news that matters - "landslide on Ooty - Gudalur road!" I am a bit shaken, don't want to break a bad news and so we carry on our drive.....yes, there are signs of a landslide but the efficient authorities have cleared the roads a couple of days ago. His information is from an old WhatsApp message, probably from an earlier rainy season, making its appearance again. 

We take advice from a cousin who suggests the Vythiri route from Sultan's Battery. Someone else asks us to check the ground situation before proceeding any further. Enquiring with locals, we are advised to avoid the said route and instead re-routed to Mananthavady. So, off we go through a maze of roads only to find that they all lead to gushing waters, shoulder height. We call the cousin for help who is annoyed that we did not heed his advice. And, we are left to fend for ourselves. Most people offer help eagerly but rarely based on genuine or real time information. 

Then another text message pops in. This is from Uncleji, enquiring about my family in Kerala. So good of him to think of my relatives, I think to myself. I tell him that I am on my way there. He warns me about the raging flood waters, wants me to change my plans, advising me to take a U-turn right away. I want to tell him that Kerala is a longish state, I am headed for Tellicherry and there is a sea of difference between Cannannore and Chengannur, especially in the context of the deluge.

My younger friends are smart. They believe that it is their right to be helpful, showing off how savvy they are with technology. I see them post location pins on their Facebook timeline - am unable to understand these posts but don't want to ask lest I sound foolish. I soon realise that they pinning locations of individuals who are looking to be rescued from the rising waters. And, in many cases, those individuals have already been rescued. An annoyed Chief Minister of Kerala himself releases a public communication asking people to recheck before asking for help.

Such is our world today! Lots of news to share, lots of ways to share news, lots of people sharing news but need to deal with every piece of communication with utmost care so that one is not carried away or misled.

Saturday, July 21, 2018

The Temple of Arts - Kalakshetra!

A surprise call this morning prompted me to fish out these pictures for my blog. I had the chance to join a conducted tour of Kalakshetra a few years ago.

Despite having lived in the vicinity of the Temple of Arts for most of my life, I remember it being full of surprises for me. And, there was something spiritual about the campus for me.

The Banyan Tree which came as a sapling from the original home of Kalakshetra in the Theosophical Society and is now the nerve centre of the campus
Dance classes in progress under the banyan tree
Open classroom
Entrance to one of the many dance cottages on the campus where classes are conducted
Some more  of the cottages - simple yet beautiful!
A guest house on the campus
A bust of Rabindranath Tagore, who founded a similar institution in Shantiniketan
Mahavishnu
The campus notice board - how neat!

A campus pet too!
Padmapushkarini - the lotus pond! Revived recently to host music concerts 
The Koothamabalam - an auditorium built in the style of Kerala theatre, has been in the renovation mode for a while now. Attending performances in this theatre is a wonderful experience. 


A multipurpose hall - the simplicity and beauty of the buildings is indeed what makes the campus special

Terracotta guardians of the campus

The Ayyanar horses
More terracotta guardians
Not the terracotta warriors, really!
The guardians in their splendour!

Monday, June 25, 2018

PRIDE not prejudice!



A decade long struggle!
On Sunday June 24, 2018, I participated in my first  PRIDE March. That it had been taking place in conservative Chennai for the last ten years, was an eye opener in itself - I had not heard about the event in Chennai ever. It was also a reflection of the lack of my knowledge and awareness of the LGBTIQA+ scene in Chennai. Organised by the Tamil Nadu Rainbow Collective, this year's March drew crowds in excess of 500, a record of sorts, I believe.

The March itself had a tentative start with permission from the police authorities coming at the nth hour. Starting at the Rajarathnam Stadium in Egmore, the route of the March was through a nondescript bylane filled with abandoned cars and grubby garages, dotted with run down hostels and slum dwellings, along the southern bank of filthy Cooum river. It was most ironical - I felt that it was a reflection of the lives of the LGBTIQA+ - mostly ignored, closeted, alienated, discriminated, victims of hate, violence and harassment. 

Human pin up board!
In contrast, the March was all colour. The bright shades of PRIDE were fully on show with many participants draped in colourful costumes. There was glitter and shine to add to the attraction with flags, umbrellas, banners and pompoms. Many hid their faces behind masks, struggling to come out fearing rejection and discrimination. The mood was festive and felt like a carnival, with participants singing, dancing and enjoying themselves along the way. The banners carried interesting slogans that emphasized the themes of acceptance and inclusion besides spreading love.

Team from Ford - photo courtesy: Sathish Vasudevan
There was heavy police presence for the March and many of the cops that I spoke to were curious to know why I was attending the event and inquired if my family was aware and supported my participation. A few of them wondered aloud if the parents/ family of the March participants "knew" they were there. Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code came in for much criticism with slogans calling for repealing the same. Posters and banners also carried messages seeking review of its constitutional validity.

The LGBT taking part in a rainbow pride rally in Chennai on Sunday.
Gay abandon! Photo courtesy: The Hindu
The PRIDE March attempts to build a sense of community while allowing a safe space for members of the LGBTIQA+ fraternity to feel comfortable with their own identities and sexual preferences. 

I must admit that participation in the PRIDE March made me feel a sense of complete acceptance - I felt accepted as I was accepting of the other. What better way than this to drive a message on inclusion.