Mumbai on the death trail

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Mumbai as a city has various surprises. It is the city of dreams, it is where people come to live the life of their dreams. But it could also be called the city, where people come to die. Death comes here in many forms. Sometimes you just die by sheer exhaustion (the least of all evils), sometimes you are victim to the bombs that keep going off every other year. Sometimes you fall into manholes, sometimes a tree falls on you, sometimes even a hoarding falls on you. But if you have a death wish, your best bet is the daily commute, especially the lifeline of the city - the locals. An RTI query last year showed how 36000 people died on the tracks in 10 years, that's close to 10 people a day. Some might say that for a network that ferries over 7 million people daily,....

Anna: What went wrong at MMRDA

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Things had been looking difficult for Team Anna ever since the Bombay High Court rapped them for demanding a free venue. Many anguished supporters had then questioned why the court had to question the cause of the agitation if it had no jurisdiction over what charges to be levied. What these supporters forget is that Team Anna had asked for an exemption citing the cause of the protest, namely national interest. Hence, it was legitimate that the court had to examine the validity of such a cause before even considering if an exemption was valid or not. The verdict was the first time the fault lines within the movement became visible. Some of the younger activists had started distancing themselves from the decisions. They claimed that a number of decisions had been taken by the senior members without considering their inputs. That was not all, Anna himself said....

Where to fast?

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Most of us in Mumbai had hoped for a quiet New Year after an eventful news year. But along came Anna. In the initial days, the confusion was whether the fast would be in Mumbai or Delhi. Finally, team Anna zeroed in on Mumbai. Now came the confusion over the venue in Mumbai. Azad Maidan, the usual spot was too small for the large crowds. The ground is the designated spot for protests in Mumbai and every group is always granted permission here. Only part of this large ground has been designated by the high court in an earlier order for protests. The court order issued then had also said no overnight occupation of the ground would be allowed. The protests in Mumbai even by team Anna in April and August wound up by 6 pm. The same court order had said the adjoining sports grounds would be....

The Santos & Fernandes families - bravehearts left behind

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How does one identify grief? Is it the number of cigarettes someone is smoking, the compulsive checking of messages on the phone? Is it the stoic belief in destiny and in how God only takes the brave ones he loves? Or is it the seething anger spilling on to cyberspace? Is it tears or that vacant look that replaces tears? When I went to the Santos' home, I saw all of this and much more. The picture that will stay in my head forever is of Valerie Santos, who had almost adopted all of Keenan Santos' friends, probably trying to mask the pain of losing a son. She told me Jesus gave her the strength to carry on while making tea and refreshments for all the youngsters who had gathered there - not just to support dear auntie, but also to keep the campaign for justice going. Valerian....

Jaitapur - Maharashtra's Singur?

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Jaitapur has been on the boil for quite some time now. But this week, the agitation finally turned violent. For those of us who have been covering the issue and have travelled to the place, it came as no surprise. What is unfortunate though is what was a people's movement has now been hijacked by politicians. The TISS report that started all the talk about the environment feasibility clearly states that it was a report of people's perception rather than scientific fact, a sidenote most media houses that reported on it forgot to mention. While there is a genuine concern about the safety of the Konkan stretch thanks to the various power projects coming in there, Jaitapur has attracted the most attention thanks to international interest in nuclear parks and also the fact that some of the villages bordering the plant have a thriving economy, one which the....

'Maar diya jaaye ki chod diya jaaye'?

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When it comes to Kasab, this is a no brainer you would say. 'Maar diya jaaye.' One of the few terrorists in the world who was caught alive, Ajmal Amir Kasab has now been in jail for around 18 months. And in this period he has been a living, breathing, unscathed reminder of the horrors of the most dramatic terror attack in the history of the world. As I write this, the Mumbai police is in deep discussion with journalists of the city to provide for unhitched and secure media coverage. Security has been increased near the Arthur Road Jail complex and by Monday there will be many more road diversions and restrictions around the area. Newsrooms are abuzz with discussions on how to carry the story, who would follow it and who are the talking heads to consult about this trial. Everything about Kasab has till now....

My 160 sq. ft. on Mumbai

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Two cents are not of much use in Mumbai. What is really worthwhile is a having a small 160 sq ft apartment for yourself. I happen to be lucky enough to have one on rent, happily given to me by a Marathi Manoos and hence here is my 160 sq ft on this city. 2009 has been a tough year for the city. Living in the shadow of 26/11, recession and parochial violence, the city once again endured a lot. Add to this, poor rains in a city that always makes headlines for its torrential rains. So 2010 started on a bleak note for the city. As the days progressed things went from bad to worse. The city's water crisis has become a major cause of concern for the 'aam aadmi'. Every day most of us wake up with or even before the sun to fill up....

My 160 sq. ft. on Mumbai

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Two cents are not of much use in Mumbai. What is really worthwhile is a having a small 160 sq ft apartment for yourself. I happen to be lucky enough to have one on rent, happily given to me by a Marathi Manoos and hence here is my 160 sq ft on this city. 2009 has been a tough year for the city. Living in the shadow of 26/11, recession and parochial violence, the city once again endured a lot. Add to this, poor rains in a city that always makes headlines for its torrential rains. So 2010 started on a bleak note for the city. As the days progressed things went from bad to worse. The city's water crisis has become a major cause of concern for the 'aam aadmi'. Every day most of us wake up with or even before the sun to fill up....

Water thicker than blood?

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Mumbai has been reeling under 15% water cuts that were imposed at the end of monsoons. For a long time residents had been complaining about how they couldnt get water at the top floors of their apartments or how the pressure was low. Its an open secret that there exists a powerful water mafia that has links to most political parties in the city. But ironically it is these same guys who come up with protests to show their 'concern' for the common man's problems. First the BMC's ruling Shiv Sena took up the issue, trying to distance itself from the bureaucracy and claiming that they did not support the administration's idea of increasing the water cut to 30% and the resolution was rejected. (The lake levels at the end of monsoons showed a deficiency of 25% which the administration cited as the reason for imposing further cuts).....

The storm after a lull

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November 2008 was a dull month as far as news was concerned. The week starting 24th seemed especially so. I was down with a bleeding infection in my leg, so finally on the 26th I decided to take the day off. It was such a lean day that another colleague also took an off and it didn't seem to matter. I was sleeping under the influence of medicines when a source alerted about some firing in Colaba. Oh another mafia thing this must be, I thought as I forwarded the information to office and went back to sleep. A few minutes later another source frantically called about some blast near Mazgaon. His voice was cracking with fear. As I scrambled to get more details, I felt a fear that this was going to be something ominous. Being from a small city, till now blasts and other....