Letters to Manipur (Part 3)

Dear Manipur,

Today while trying to get into a crowded local train (local train is an important means of transport in Mumbai), I realized that Mumbai may be falling apart reasons being its ever increasing population, I being another addition, but the spirit in which Mumbai goes on is commendable and a huge learning experience. Coming back to local trains, it stops in every station for about 30 seconds to sometimes 1 minute and most of the times, all the compartment comes crowded starting from the first station itself. From beyond the first station, nobody expects to get a seat to sit but the least expectation is to be able to get inside or else wait for the next train. Usually the frequency is about 3 mins. Most of the times, for a person like me, who is afraid to hang out from the train, I end up leaving minimum 2 to 3 trains, just to get into one. It is one of the craziest thing for an outsider but for the people of Mumbai, this is what most of the people goes through every morning and in the evening to reach a destination. The story of roads and traffic is another story in itself and I will tell you about it some other day.

I realized, many people end up making friends in the train. People target for a specific time to catch a train and a group of friends who became friend in the train itself, tries their best to catch that particular train. It is one of the most amazing trend I have seen in Mumbai. They share food, plan for outings together, gossip, talk about fashion trends and the list never ends. In one's hectic life, somehow these group of friend manages to laugh and giggle. Isn't it beautiful and something to learn. Life goes on for Mumbai people and yes as many have said before, Mumbai never stops.

Well talking about friends, there is also another side to the story. In the morning, while everybody is rushing to their work place, hanging out of local trains, there are another set of people, mostly slum dwellers and street people, whose toilets are beside the railway tracks. While they are answering to their morning nature call's, they, I guess like to watch the train pass by. It is recommended, you don't look out of the window, that is if you can see the window from inside the crowded train. I have also sometimes, while listening to a beautiful song, forgetting that I'm in a local train, look out and see what?????, two people facing each other and chit chatting while answering to their nature's call together. I guess friendship is much stronger when it comes to sharing personal spaces.

On that a huge LOL (laugh out loud), on my adventure of trying to reach office and getting home, I felt the urge to tell the story to you. Will come back with more. As always missing you.

Love from Mumbai

Letters to Manipur (Part2)

Dear Manipur, 

Recently I saw a news coverage of how north eastern students and people are treated. How indifferently people treat us and how very unfair. Yes much of it is true, but I felt that the coverage did not represent the complete story. Are we all treated like that? I don't think so! What about the successful people who leads many companies and work in very good positions in lots of the places. Yes, some people treat us badly, but there are also a bunch of people who has respected us and accepted us. If somebody has wronged us or made fun of our culture, aren't we responsible to educate them. I myself have done it many times. 

Are we not forgetting how we treat the non-manipuris in Manipur. I personally have come across many incidents where we make fun of them and told them, how they smell of oil. Its a pity that we are crying in front of the world that we are not being treated well. There is no need for fear. Especially women should not forget that we belong to a culture where we were not looked down. Manipur still remembers "Nupi Lal", and uprising of women against the economic and administrative oppressions of the British rule, Khasis in Meghalaya is a matriarchal society. I remember my grandmother working hard and sharing equal responsibilities in bringing their children up. Her world were not just the kitchen but much beyond.

Dear Manipur, don't you think that there is not a single reason for the people of northeastern students to be afraid. When I went to Delhi to pursue my higher education, my parents told me that I have to work harder than other people to sustain and I did that. And today, I feel no different. If somebody wrongs me or if there is a fact wrongly stated, I walk up to them and explain to them. I feel it is my duty to enrich them and tell them about our rich culture.

Yes, there has been many unfortunate incidence which have happened to our people, but its time to stand up strong and not wait for the world to sympathize towards us.

Well as I always say, lets not get bogged down by such issues. There are many more things we need to do and learn. No negative thoughts but a strong and positive image. We need to start believing in ourselves and STAND STRONG!!!

On this note, I'm signing off. Had a very hectic day at office.........the weather here has become rather bearable infact beautiful. Hope, all is safe at your end. Missing you Manipur.....

Love from Mumbai

Letters to Manipur (Part 1)

Dear Manipur,

Its monsoon here in Mumbai, everything is drenched. Monsoon in Mumbai, reminds me of home constantly. The rain here is not as beautiful as the rain there, though it has its own charm. Here, the monsoon comes down heavily on its people. The infrastructure of the city completely breaks down. To get to office everyday is an adventure in itself. The local trains, which is the main transportation of the city gets affected too.

Well, you must be thinking, why I am telling all this to you. I realized many times I come home, most of my friends feel that my life here in Mumbai is full of fun and frolic but it is not just fun and frolic, it is lot more. The grass is greener on the other side, explains most of our doubts. Sometimes, I feel coming back home would put an end to all my struggle here, but the hard work I put into learning so many things stops me from taking an abrupt action. I too yearn to do so many things for my home town but I don’t have either the money or the fame to face the politicians or the insurgence there. Dear Manipur, please don’t take me wrong, I’m just expressing my grief to you.

Manipur, in my next letter I will describe to you my one day’s adventure of going to office and coming back. Sometimes it’s hilarious and sometimes I come back home fuming. But it’s part of life, atleast part of Mumbai’s life.

Hope all is well at your end. It has started to rain again. I thought I will venture out but then had a second thought and decided to sit back and watch the rain from my window.

Love  from Mumbai

A CHALLENGE TO GROW, COUNTRY OF THOUSAND RULERS AND RISING INEQUALITIES

The divisions which we have grown up with, of religion, of caste, creed, of being women have hardly improved.  And in the list of such differences, another set of list have add on. A statement of global and indigenous, of stylish and non-stylish, and of corporate and non-corporate………the list never ends.

With education, the inequalities and all these divisions were bound to disappear, but rather it has taken into a division much stronger. Say for example, the ad of HUMARA BAJAJ, an ad which targets India, representing its culture, but somehow, the representation of a future India, is an India of only one religion. It looks like; things are going on a rewind, the previous ad of HUMARA BAJAJ, talk about “buland bharat ki buland taqdeer”, but the reference to Hindu was minimal and not emphasized.

The future has become highly predictable and the changing scenarios and the future of India could be seen in the advertisement and film industries so sharply. Television, now reaches every corner, what it talks, is what people believe across the country, and the messages which is going out through this medium of communication is so dangerous, if it sends the wrong meaning.

The danger is not just in media alone, the rising inequality between people is a major concern. Say for example, the design of buildings or an area goes through certain statistical analysis, of the culture and tradition. But such studies would become an area of concern, if these understanding of such aspects of a society are used as factor to divide the structure. It thus lie in the hands of the profession, of how such statistics and analysis are used to design a structure or a system where everybody shares an equal part, atleast an attempt should be made.

The rising global economy and privatization of almost everything has led to an increasing gap between classes of people. Say for an example when local trains in Mumbai go beyond its capacity, overflowing with people, why would a decision of a sea link, with a project cost of Rs,1684 crore was so important. Why flyovers are deliberately inserted everywhere, when we all know that it really doesn’t solve the problem.  These add-ons are all for the people with cars but what about the city which needs housing, clean sanitary conditions etc. etc. etc. Slum re-housing is never advertised on posters as to we are providing this facility and that, but a new township is adorned with a number of facilities and beautiful posters are put up everywhere and anywhere.

A city might seem to grow, with sweeping image of skyscraper and flyovers, but a city also exist within those skyscrapers and under those flyovers but a city can only prosper when EVERYBODY GROWS EQUALLY.

India cannot do away with just an image making of itself. It needs to think deep and beyond. Instead of revolting with each other it is time we fight injustice all together.

We as young professionals need to take the first step. It may be small today but it needs to begin in small ways. It might take time to grow but it will.

As an urban designer, equipped or probably educated in a way that we could think from the perspective of a whole city as well as from the level of a street vendor and his needs and demands, our designed could be sensitized to serve the needs of all and strategically explain to the whole world that all humans are equal and deserves equal rights. Problems are numerous, but every problem should not be singled out and solved. We continuously claim that cities are like living organisms, every part is interdependent but problems in cities are looked as a problem of one system.

Why would cities have two parts, one for the rich and one for the poor, two transportation systems, if the city is one, its citizens are all same. EQUAL RIGHTS to all should be our new goal.

mythical stories could be hints too!!!

I have been doing some research on how mythical stories could get linked up to formation of cities. It started when i was reading some history on manipur for one of my research assignment.....i realised may be there are reasons to these myths being created and tranfered through generations.

I could figure out some similarities between the Forbidden city plan and the Kangla fort of Manipur. My hunt is going on....will keep blogging and updating....