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.

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

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.

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

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.

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!

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.

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.

Navarasas!

In the last fortnight, we have been moving around quite a bit - it has almost been like a brief capsule of real life. I say this because I got to experience all the NAVARASAS - the nine emotions/ essences that were described by Bharata in his treatise, Natyashashtra.

Shringara (love) - Just being with family through most of the last few days, though we had our moments of fights, disagreements and arguments. Whether it was my brother, mother-in-law, niece, nephew, sister-in-law besides my husband and son, the circle of love one's strength and pride and worthy of protection always.

Hasya (laughter) - The millennials are a funny lot. At a convocation ceremony, which in my time was a solemn and heavy function where you had to conduct yourself well, students, soon to be freshly minted graduates, walked up to collect their degrees, suddenly burst into a jig - one did a Dab dance (check out YouTube to know more about this dance!), another blew a heart to the audience while a third got the chief guest to pose for a picture with him - not the other way round. I must give it to them for never losing an opportunity to be themselves :)

Karuna (compassion) - Performing the final rituals for my brother on the first anniversary of his passing away along with several others doing the same for their long gone relatives, it was indeed a humbling experience - the pervasiveness of loss should in fact make us more empathetic and compassionate, because we are all not here forever. The fact that his children stood next to me in the Papanasini stream flowing beside what may be India's oldest temple at Thirunelli in Wayanad was special, truly special.

Raudra (anger) - At every family or social gathering, all the discussions meandered towards BJP, Modi, Congress, Secular, Muslim, Beef, 2019.......everyone had all the facts and figures to support their arguments, not sure if anyone had everything right. The heat generated by the discussions was palpable. People were identifying with people like them. Of course, I mostly withdrew while some others slept. Politics seem to tear right through the middle of family and friends. Is this all that we are destined for? Makes my angry, really angry!

Veera (courage) - Driving through Nagarahole in the hope of spotting that elusive Tiger, one is all courage. So, I never got to test my courage (or the lack of it) since we did not see any, despite many forays into the forests. Disappointed, disappointed, very disappointed......but courage intact!

Bhayanaka (terror) - On a forest trek through thick forests near our resort, the guide brought to our notice the fresh smell of an elephant and the sound of his belly rumblings. The eerie silence of the forest when peppered with these telltale signs of wildlife, with the realisation that you are pretty much at nature's mercy, was really scary.

Bheebhatsya (disgust) - Being routed on landing in Shanghai airport to a line of machines for capturing biometrics - all ten fingers, before immigration clearance. Now, I am not entirely comfortable sharing my unique identity with my own government, why should I do this for another government? Can I refuse? Perhaps yes, but that would mean I turn around and go back home. Catch 22, indeed!

Adbutha (surprise) - Landing in Delhi after a brief trip to China and (for the first time) not cursing "my wretched country" (my own words) for not getting anything right. In fact, everything was perfect - the airport and the efficiency all around, no wait for the luggage, no jostling taxi drivers, clean and neat roads lined with golden showers of laburnum. It helped that it was peak summer and there were few people on the roads.

Shantha (peace or tranquility) - Sitting in our jungle facing deck at our resort, watching flocks of deer, a pair of wild boar, Mr. and Mrs. Peacock, a family of gaurs, a majestic tusker making a grand entrance, all ambling towards the waterhole in the evening.....with the chirping of birds and the indefatigable cricket, in the background. You realise that the Lord God made everything in this world with a perfect sense of balance and order!

A railway station that time may soon forget.......

Castlerock - a fancy name that still remains. The first station in Karnataka as you enter the state from Goa.

Light and shade - blue and green - old and new!

Nothing like this to catch an Indian's attention......remember the school bell?

The big boss of the place! The designation has an American feel to it compared to the more British, Station Master!

Who in India does not have a railway connection? The Railway Unions would never lose an opportunity to fight for justice!

What may once have been railway quarters for the staff......now in shambles.....

I am sure someone has fond memories of having stayed in this house

When there are no people, what's the need for an ambulance?

If you find them, do report. But only one lady rogue - where's the diversity?

Cast in stone! CASTLEROCK!

A trip to the Sea of Milk!

That could have been the setting for the Temple of Doom!

We had checked out the timings of the Vasco – Vailankanni Express. It was to depart from the Margao station at 9.20am and so we were ready from our Siolim base at 7am, a rather early start for a holiday activity. The drive to Margao was uneventful, the fog from the previous day had not lifted in some places, the sun had yet to dry up the early morning dew and there were few people of the road. We parked the car and the parking contractor did not bat an eyelid when we informed him that we’d be away for a day to view the Dudhsagar (pronounced Doodh Sagar, not Dudh Sagar!) Falls – he seemed quite used to this based on his past experiences, when folks like us may have followed the same routine. 

We boarded the train and after some initial jostling for a comfortable (as comfortable as comfortable can get!) seat in an unreserved compartment, we were on our way. We passed paddy fields first, saw lush green vegetation along the tracks and gushing streams every now and then, all mostly the result of the recent monsoon rains. This is the kind of scenery that would have inspired a Rudyard Kipling or Indiana Jones.

Kulem station - building an air of anticipation

We stopped briefly at Kulem which is a small and nondescript station with an air of a busy Victoria Terminus. There is an inherent sense of calm and quiet that envelops the station but there is evidence that the station does not want to be passed over. After all, it was the gateway to the Falls from the Goa side. Until fairly recently, people wanting to see the Falls would have “alighted” (that’s the word!) at this station and made the trek over the tracks to watch the Falls in all its splendor. 

A couple of railway tunnels later, there is a buzz in the compartment and all eyes (and cameras) are trained on the waterfalls that make their first appearance (on the left side of the train). But I have been awaiting them on the right side! So, did I miss them? Just as I was drowning in sea of disappointment, I am reassured to keep faith……and lo and behold, the Ocean of Milk appears on my side (the right one!). Closer, grander and laden with water. It is simply spectacular! 

Winding train tracks

There is a sigh of contentment as the train moves on……many years ago, I am told, that the spray from the Falls would drench the passengers in the train, it appears to have thinned out over the years – perhaps rains have been lesser, we have played with the water flow….. And, I also understand that the train would make a “stop” close to the Falls – ostensibly for technical reasons but I believe, to give passengers a better view of the Falling Waters! I wonder why this was stopped.

Cannot really call it a station!

The train then makes a brief halt at an apology of a station, Dudhsagar – a place that seemed to have chosen to give up its own identity for the natural phenomenon that gave it its name.

Winding the other way!

Our journey to view the Falls ended at the Castlerock Station, some 15 tunnels beyond the mighty Falls. A delayed train forced us to spend some languid three hours in a place that perhaps time forgot. 

When the train arrived, we boarded it, this time wiser and prepared to catch the Falls from the other side too.

It all comes together here.... 

Pouring over.....

Streams from all over.....

Dudhsagar is a tiered waterfall!

Don't miss that bridge the the train went over!

The last glimpse!