SILENT SPECTATORS – NO MORE!

What’s the price for molesting a girl in Mumbai? Getting killed...not for the molestor but to the one who defends the girl’s modesty. Such is the state of affairs in our country, where people are assaulted by goons who use their muscle power and local influence to carry on their goonda raj. One dead on the spot and the other 11 days after being on life support – can it ever be made right; are our lives so cheap!

Outraging a woman’s modesty is a punishable offence, but it seems that these goons get away with anything. The latest I read on twitter is that local politicians are keeping away as elections are approaching and they need these muscle men. We elect these incompetent politicos, who, when it comes to serve us would rather leave us hapless than fight for OUR rights.

The accused claim that the clothes worn by the girl was provocative. But what is provocative, are you so starved that seeing an inch of flesh on a woman gets you so restless! What happened to our culture then while looking at ‘paraya’ women? Such is our male chauvinist society. He who thinks women are just objects. Leave alone technological progress, we is far from being developed mentally!

This case shares resemblance to the Jessica Lall case. Several years later and the mindset is still the same. Onlookers watch the tamasha and go on with their life. No one helped Keenan Santos and Reuben Fernandes...The accused Jitendra Rana, is in police custody. But what is Manu Sharma (accused in the Jessica Lall case) repenting about? He regularly gets parole to either visit his ailing relative (but is instead partying in the city club) and now for his brother’s wedding. Does a non repentant criminal deserve this? Even if Rana gets a punishment, I sincerely hope it would not be a mockery to those who have lost their loved ones and the deceased themselves.

Innocent lives lost and irreparable loss – we will not be silent spectators now. Justice will be received, and it has to be NOW. We demand it. This is a call to punish the guilty for those who gave their lives – so that their souls may rest in peace.

Marketing for movies: Boon or Bane

So will Ra.1 surpass all the records this year? Will it be an iconic milestone for Bollywood, like how Sippy’s Sholay is? Will the aggressive marketing strategy by Shah Rukh Khan be proved successful?

Many questions and speculations are floating around with no answers, as yet. The release date for Ra.1 nears and the only thing running through my mind and many others, is that if this film will make it big or not…. The explosive marketing for the film my by King Khan himself by practically appearing on every broadcast channel, hoarding in the city, online websites and yes himself making public appearances in city malls (read InOrbit in Malad). So will Ra.1, really, make it big or will it bomb at the box office!

Well that is not the matter of contention here, the fate of this movie will be revealed by audience reaction on The Day. But the extensive marketing strategy has nauseated many from actual watching the movie. Aamir Khan, certainly cracked the code with 3 Idiots and Ghajini, but it was not in-your-face like this one. Subtlety. That’s what worked. Who likes to be coaxed to see or do something. Marketing is a strategy to expose your movie to the most number of people. But you cannot be omnipresent asking people to just watch your movie. If that worked teenage kids wouldn’t be a nightmare to their parents. Ekta Kapoor, too, had a marketing strategy for Ragini MMS with the controversy of the real Ragini appearing on television and holding press conferences, and then autorickshaws in the city with Ragini was seated here (read Hindi), but she did not go overboard.

Okay SRK – the King Khan wants his film to exude this magna opus appeal but hope that the content is worthy of high praise too and is well received. Best wishes but I assure my seat not booked for the movie.  I rather wait and watch it on television after the Ra.1 publicity has faded to form an honest opinion for the movie.

But sincerely hope the movie meets the hype created!

Clogged, Jammed and Cleared

 The wheels were invented for faster transport but a pair of feet, can be more efficient. It is ironic that transport as opposed to walking on foot, has become so incapable to fulfill its purpose. I’m sure, this thought has occurred in the minds of regular city travelers using roadways. Traffic is not pleasant especially when you have a routine or a plan with time constraints. Going to work or then just meeting friends; you don’t want to be late!

The traffic situation in Mumbai has heightened in the past decade. The streets are crowded beyond its capacity. The automobile industry is surely ecstatic with the increase of private vehicle owners. In fact a biker friend pointed out that the increase in cars…is apparently a problem for bikers as they find it difficult to pass through the narrow openings and reach the to the signal. Interesting! My brother wants to be dropped by car to his workplace which is half an hour away despite the availability of convenient alternative transport facilities. So who should bare the repercussions of this trend? The answer is clear.
Traffic is such a menace that people have actually stopped traveling during particular hours or as it is famously known the peak hours, which I’m still trying to decode as the exact time. The traffic causes havoc in personal routine too. You can’t be possibly wasting an hour or two traveling in rather uncomfortable situations and perform with efficiency in your professional life. It even takes a toll on personal relationships as you are just too stressed to devote some quality time for your loved ones. I’m sure everyone desires of gallivanting the city in their own vehicle to avoid the hardships of entering crowded buses after waiting, for may be around one hour. But is this the only solution.
I don’t deny that public transport is not exceptionally good. But then is buying a car or bike for personal use a solution. Public transport is surely inefficient and inconvenient but then we can change this system. We belong to this city and have the right to demand for a good transport system. All we need is to set some time aside and fight for this cause. We just frown over inefficiency but who wants to work towards changing this scenario. Recently a friend from Singapore was discussing the transport system there. The transport system is so efficient that you don’t require a car; the stations are close to public places like malls, restaurants and other hang outs. This gives hope that our city with the amount spent on infrastructure, metros and all that, can have public transport easily accessible.
Life in a city is not a bed of roses but we should try making it less thorny by be participants rather than just silent recipients.

India- then and now

By Esther Cabral

15th August 1947, a historic day of an unforgettable event. This was the day when our country, India, was free from colonial rule. The struggle that began from 1857 had reached its desirable closure.

With unity and respect for one another, the citizens of this country fought for our motherland. They collectively stood for each other. The patriotic fervor was immense. The British tried adopting divisive methods to destruct the social fabric of the country by trying to divide Bengal in 1906. But the people resisted this Divide and Rule policy. Later with Gandhi the path of non-violence was chosen to achieve freedom. The achievement of freedom by this means is in itself a triumph of the righteous and the good doer without the use of violence.
Sixty three years later, today, we are independent and become citizens of this country but love, peace and harmony is absent. The evils of injustice and divisive politics that we fought against have become dominant in the recent time. Why is there hatred and resentment? Why are there minorities in religion or gender in our country, when we consider each other equal? What threatens their freedom of expression? Where has our freedom of speech gone? Where is brotherhood among us people? Why brutal murder is called ‘honour killing’? Where is unity, love and respect for each other? These answers are as complicated and twisted as the minds of our country citizens. It is easy to fight with one another rather than forgive. Words of anger come out more often than acts of kindness and love. It is easier to restrict the voice of other’s than face opposition. The solution is love.
Rather clichéd but love is stronger than hatred…with love for one another you can automatically be respectful and tolerant to people irrespective of caste, religion, sex or even educational differences. It starts with us; generic conversations with your house help that can sensitize you towards their problems. A thank-you to the auto/cab driver or even to the bus conductor that can make them feel appreciated for the service they provide. A simple smile to the many individuals you encounter in trains, buses and on the roads rather than you walking with your headphones plugged in your ears indifferent to the world around you.
India hasn’t changed…the people have.