Traffic Policemen--poor guys?

Everybody complains about the traffic policemen now-a-days. If they're present at an intersection, the people waiting for the "signal" complain about how long it's taking. If they're not present at an intersection, then people blame the traffic problems on the policemen.

Nobody will even think twice before they overtake from the left, cut across a long line of traffic on the wrong side of the road, run through red lights, etc. Hey, all this is because "they" don't regulate traffic. Look at how "they" have spoiled Bangalore by introducing one-ways everywhere. Yeah, the policemen are all driving around in cars.

Nobody thinks about how stressful dealing with people who are either in a hurry to get to work, or in a hurry to get to their home, or, in the case of Saturdays in a hurry to get anywhere, can be. Add to this stress, the wonderful by-product of traffic--pollution. Don't you notice many more policemen wearing protective masks over their nose and mouth than you saw before?

It's a tough job, cut them some slack. Maybe, even say a word of appreciation for a tough job well done. God knows they get enough abuses anyway.

Plan B -- The new album from TAAQ

Finally got off my rear end and decided to download the songs from Thermal and a Quarter's (TAAQ's) "new" album Plan B.

I've enjoyed all the songs (I've downloaded 7 out of the available 8 I think, missed one!) that I've downloaded so far and I'd say it's vintage TAAQ. Great music from Bangalore's best band.

My favourite one from this album right now is Bend the World. After listening to the song yesterday, it kept playing in my head. I love it. I can't wait to buy the CD when it comes out.

Don't take my word on this, check it out for yourself. TAAQ makes superb music.

It's a miracle

I'm a bit of a skeptic when it comes to miracles. So, when the newspaper reports came in about the "miracle" healings at the Benny Hinn (yes, him again) prayer show, er, meeting, I wasn't exactly believing the reports.

I think if you believe in miracles and you want miracles, then you can pray to God directly. Especially, in a country like India, where we've learnt from various experiences not to trust the middlemen.

I mean it's not like these "faith-healers" have a direct line to God right? They apparently do the same thing that you do--pray. I'd think you'd have a better chance if you contacted God directly.

Even Jim Carrey found that out in Bruce Almighty.

Benny Hinn Shuts Down Bangalore?

Sometimes, I pick up breakfast from the store near my house. Went there this morning, the store's closed. I realise that it's Bakrid, so maybe the store owners, who are Muslim, have closed the shop. I try the store down the street. It's closed too. I realise later that there wasn't too much traffic. Are we the only company that's working today?

The bakery near the office is closed too. Roads are again a little deserted. Is there a bandh today in Bangalore? I didn't read anything about it in the newspaper. I ask a policeman. He said that there's a bandh to protest the Benny Hinn show, er, prayer meeting, but that the government has not declared a bandh.

The security guy at my office tells me that people attacked buses yesterday. Yes, deface public property to make your point--that's a sign of maturity.

What I did read in the Times of India was a nice ad by a social activist. He made a simple point--No individual could come and shake the pillars of Hinduism, nobody is that powerful. Exactly right. That's the point I was trying to make when I wrote this the other day.

I don't want to get started on bandhs too, so I'll stop writing. Now, all I've got to do is get some breakfast.

The collectors of garbage

If you've paid attention to the people that collect your garbage in their push-carts or the guys that dump the stuff in trucks (and travel in the back, where the garbage is), you'd have noticed that they don't wear any gloves.

They handle garbage with their bare hands.

They don't even have masks to keep away the smell. I'll be that it's real fun to inhale all those noxious gases from rotting food and garbage.

No protective glasses for the eyes either.

With all the chemicals we dump in our garbage, I wonder what illnesses these poor people are suffering from.

But, these are everyday people, it's easier not to care.

The Benny Hinn Show

Benny Hinn is a pastor from the US who's going to lead a prayer meeting (or whatever it's called) in Bangalore. You can't miss the posters; they're everywhere in Bangalore.

Now, the BJP, Shiv Sena, and other such tolerant organisations have protested this meeting (search for Benny Hinn Bangalore on Google) and are calling this an affront to Hindus and an attempt to convert people. Come on.

If you allow Reebok, Nike, Bridget Jones Diary, and all else that America has to offer, let the man come and hold his meeting. You want to go hold a meeting in the US, nobody will care. Just follow those safety regulations.

If there are people who want to go and attend the meeting, let them. It's a free country, isn't it?

Are people who follow any religion so crazy that if someone makes a comment, they feel insulted? Grow up. There's always someone with an opinion about something. It's ridiculous how people become so sensitive about religion. Is your faith so fragile that if someone who doesn't share your religion says something, you feel insulted?

If some people are converted based on the words of a person from the US, someone they don't know, do you want those people in your religion? Maybe they'll convert back if someone else tells them about a new religion.

I don't care if the conversions are from Hinduism to Christianity, Buddhism to Islam, Islam to Hinduism, or whatever else. If people want to convert, to whatever religion, let them. As long as they aren't harming anyone, I could care less what the other person wants to do.

Are the people who are protesting miffed that the government has given permission to Benny Hinn to hold a rally, but not to them? Might just be.

Let the man hold his rally, as long as he's not advocating mass murders or elimination of entire races. We've got other problems (population, pollution, electricity, water, to name a few) to worry about. If only the politicians could realise this.

---Updated on 17-Jan-2005 at 13:05---

I read in the Times of India today that part of the reason for this controversy is that there was some material being distributed that said,

idol worship and prostitution are sinful

or something of the sort. That's a real smart thing to do, especially if you want the moral police all over you.

Trash, trash everywhere

My house has trash cans. I dump trash in them.

My office has trash cans. I dump trash in them.

The tea shop I visit has trash cans. I dump trash into the gutter near by because I like recyclable materials (like plastic) to interact with Mother Earth.

My road doesn't have trash cans. I dump trash by the roadside. I'm a great big contributor to the recycling effort.

When I come back from my trip to the US or Singapore, I wax eloquent about how clean those countries are.

I'm educated. Follow my lead. We shall make Bangalore a bettter place.

Flood Shelters: Lessons from Bangladesh

On NDTV's We The People (a weekly discussion program which airs every Sunday at 8.00 pm), this past week, there was an interesting comment from an audience member.

He said that in Bangladesh, the government has set up buildings (shelters) for people who are affected by the floods every year. Apparently, there are signs on the roads that will tell you how far the next shelter is and how to get there. During floods, people can go to the shelters to be safe, and can stay there till the situation returns to normal. I assume that the government has set up facilities for food and medicines as well.

What does this have to do with Bangalore? Well, for one, it's about learning from problems that we face.

We had bad water problems in Bangalore (and Karnataka) a couple of years ago. Last year was okay. Have we done anything to ensure that if the water problem occurs again this year, we'll be okay? Water harvesting anyone?

My way or the one way

The recent traffic problems in Bangalore, which has everyone from Time to Playboy (okay, not!) worried, has caused a lot of roads to become one-way roads (or as they're also known, "the roads formerly known as two-way").

You can't have a conversation about Bangalore without someone bringing up the traffic and the one ways. Everybody's opinion is that the government should've seen it coming. Yeah, like you did.

Nobody complains that people buying two-wheelers and vehicles indiscriminately have caused part of the problem. How many car pool to work? Car pools, what's that? Plus, there has been an explosion of population in Bangalore, so you are going to experience some growing pains.

The general opinion is that "they" (the government, who else) haven't done anything. Yeah, let someone talk about implementing a GO (Government Order) to only allow cycles on roads and see what happens.

We're part of the problem, the great Indian middle class. Maybe we need to start thinking about solutions too, ones that we can be a part of.

Inexpensive books anyone?

Bangalore has quite a few bookstores in and around MG road. There's Strand, near Manipal Centre (not Manipal hospital, to the uninitiated), Crossword (on Residency road), Blossom (on Church street), which sells a whole truckload of second-hand books, Premiere (on Church street and my favourite), Gangaram's, Higginbothams, and a couple more in and around the general area. There's even a second hand store in a lane close to Brigade road, which is really old. I can't remember the name. Of course, there's Landmark (in the Forum mall) in Koramangala. Book lovers do have a good time in Bangalore.

Apart from all these bookstores, there are footpath bookstores on MG road and Brigade road. Lots of people buy from these vendors. Why not? The books are cheaper than the regular bookstores and you get all the popular titles. Da Vinci Code, the Harry Potters, you'll get the real popular books there.

There is a problem though. These books are pirated. Not the second hand ones, but the "brand new" ones that you get. Yeah, yeah, I know some authors make a lot of money, but by buying a pirated book you're robbing the publisher too. Maybe some employee gets canned because they don't make enough money. I don't know. Plus, book royalties are pretty pathetic, most big name authors make money from advances. It's not about the money anyway.

It's just wrong and if you're buying a pirated book, you're breaking the law. Sure, you won't get arrested, sure you can protest that you didn't know, but didn't you at least wonder why the book was priced less?

Whatever rationalisation you use, I am sorry. You don't know who gets the revenues from a book's sale and by encouraging book piracy, maybe you're taking away someone's livelihood.

If you didn't know, now you do. Stop buying pirated books. Buy books at bookstores. And if you can't afford it, go to a library instead.

Aid -- to the right people?

At the FloodAid concert, a friend was talking about how his colleague went to help with the relief efforts in Tamil Nadu. His colleague told him that the poor people who were supposed to be getting money, weren't getting the full amount. Apparently, they sign for a certain amount (I think he said Rs. 2,500) and they are handed over a lesser amount (Rs. 1500 I think). Admittedly, this is all hearsay, but I've no reason to doubt its veracity and that made me sad. To make money out of someone else's tragedy and to rob needy people (in any situation), that stinks.

There are a ton of NGOs that are doing some great work and AID, Association for India's Development is one of them. Click here to download an email I was forwarded on a mailing list, which was written by a member of AID. You'll get an idea of what's AID is doing to help the victims of the disaster.

It doesn't matter which organisation you give the money to. Just make sure that it's going to reach the right people. Be sure that you give the money to people who'll make sure your money reaches the people who've been affected--not some corrupt person's pockets.

I think we have to be responsible, even with our donations.

FloodAid -- A concert for raising funds

Thermal and a Quarter, Bangalore's best known rock band and Antaragni (another popular rock band) came together on Tuesday night at the St. John's Auditorium to rock and raise funds for the Tsunami victims. They raised a decent amount considering that the event had minimal publicity (lack of time).

For those that haven't heard of them, Antaragni is a wonderful band with a nice folksy feel. I first saw them at Alliance Francaise and was blown away by the violin and acoustic guitar combination. Of course, the lead singer's (Raghupathy Dixit) voice is just amazing. He's got this voice that "comes from below the gut", as someone who was at the concert with me described. Antaragni played about five or six songs and every time I see them I wonder when their album will come out so I can buy their music.

Thermal and a Quarter, well, I first heard them at a Deep Purple concert, was impressed with them, especially Bruce Lee Mani (the lead guitarist). I've seen them a few times after that and they've always been impressive. Bruce's combination of lead and rhythm is so effortless (he sings the lead vocals too), he makes it seem simple. It's not.

TAAQ is such a tight band, you know that's come with loads and loads of practice. It's a great band to listen to from bass guitar, to drums, rhythm and lead, and vocals--it's a treat to listening to them. Little wonder then that they have a loyal following in Bangalore. It's time for them to break out.

All this when I was just lamenting to some friends about Bangalore's (lack of) live music scene. Give me more of this live music stuff.