Kutch Rann Utsav 2012 - Part 2

Visit to a Kutch village

Cylindrical houses with roof made of wild grass is typical of a Kutch house. Women kept their small dwellings clean despite the desert being dusty and facing acute water shortage. One can find a hundred pots in their homes to collect water to get through the dry and tough summer months. For those of us used to running water in taps,  air-conditioned homes, microwaves and refrigerators, unlimited Entertainment, hospitals, malls and coffee shops, Kutch life can be a boot camp. Satisfying their basic every day needs (food, water, electricity to light home and run a fan) is living life luxuriously.

Beauty and creativity showcased with pride

Kutch women wear three piece clothing and also keep their heads covered to prevent their brains from getting fried.  The front piece of their clothing is beautifully embroidered with   bright colours and mirrors embedded into simple designs. they compliment this with big nose rings and bangles that go till their shoulder. lack of fashion education or lack of beauty parlours and urban life hasn't robbed them of an opportunity to showcase their beauty and creativity with pride. It is a feat to watch a decked up kutchi women.

Ever changing ground under the feet

Once the monsoon rains arrive the parched desert is inundated with water and the high tide also brings in salt water inland. Over the next few months the salt water evaporates leaving behind white salt deposits that shines beautifully against moon light. To ride the salt desert on a full moon night can be fun and the ambassador of the desert aka the ship of the desert, the camel, ferries a cart load of lazy and curious people along the salt desert giving them a joy ride.

Indo-Pakistan rekha

A four hour ride from Dhordo via Khavda takes you to the Indo- Pakistan border. Beyond Khavda only Indian nationals are allowed and mobile phones, radios, cameras and other electronics need to be surrendered with the military. One needs to get permission in advance to go there and the bumpy and deserted road can tire you out easily. But all that changes when you arrive at the border.

While explaining about the border the jawan shared some interesting information.

1. Only a portion of the border with Pakistan is fenced while remaining is WIP

2. 150m land beyond the barbed fence brings you to the "no man’s land" and there is similarly a 150m buffer land on the Pakistani side before you hit their fence. But Pakistan has not bothered to fence their border with India.

3. Two layers of barbed fences guard the Indian boundary and they are electrified from sunset to sunrise.

4. Surveillance cameras and alarm systems also help the officers to guard the longest and the most unsafe border we share with one of our dangerous neighbour.

5. Twice a day officers travel by trucks  in the 150m region beyond the fence to examine any activity on the border.

6. Government spends rs 10,000 to get a tanker of water from Khavda (60 Kms away) and it was impossible for any civilians to exist here.

Life on the front line

While at the border,  I decided to strike a conversation with a jawan whose name tag read "T. Sankaran". It is a common Tamilian name and the very moment I asked him if he was from Tamilnadu he stood up and greeted me with a wide smile running ear to ear and also offered me a glass of water. How long can a jawan stare at the dry and hot border devoid of greenery and even birds and animal life? When I heard his response to my question on the weather conditions and daily routines, I wanted to post those who complained about their jobs and hated bosses here for a week.

The jawan said the months of May and June were horrible with mercury touching upper forties and the desert wind showering them with mud and also reducing visibility to less than five meters. "Once the monsoon arrives it inundates the desert and turns it into a flood plain and a short walk along the border becomes treacherous", he said. Summer, monsoon or winter all bring them challenges, but their focus is to guard the border.

Saluting the real Barath Ratnas

When i asked about his family he said his eldest was in 10th grade and the Absence of cellphone towers in the vicinity makes it impossible to stay in touch with his wife and children. He needs to find a ride on a military truck to the nearest village to make a call and that is once in ten days. since the culture of writing letters is lost back in the cities he says every news that he hears from his wife and children is music to ears, even if stale and 10 days old. When he said he visits them once in 2 years and this was his 18th year in service guarding various borders of India, I admired his courage and commitment to protect the citizens of the nation though he was absent for his wife and family.

After hearing the sacrifice and hardship they had to go through to guard the border, I stood up in respect and awe. Do they guard the border for the peanuts Government of India pays? Do they complain about bad meals and weather conditions and no yearly raises? Aren't these the real Barath Ratnas? Don't confuse these with those who try to lobby for their Barath Ratnas in New Delhi. These are indeed the real ones.

Introspection before Feedback

That night comfortably lying on the bed and tucked between layers of wool in my tent, I replayed the cribs from my fellow riders during the visit to the border. Bathing in lukewarm water, having no television in the tents, and walking 500m to the dining hall seemed so frivolous and inconsequential compared what our jawans had to endure.  In the meantime I heard a voice from outside my tent asking if he can come in to hand over the feedback form. He promised to come back and collect it the following morning.

What feedback do I write about a Government that empowers youth, conducts Rann Utsav for the 7th consecutive year, turns a fallow desert land into a three star facility for 45 days, creates temporary jobs opportunities for local people, and also an opportunity for travellers like me to understand the life of people in Kutch and sacrifices made by our jawans guarding the national borders. Next time when you plan a vacation with your children or friends, think of the Rann of Kutch and the Rann Utsav festival held in December/January.

On the hindsight, why doesn't India make it mandatory for all the students to serve in the army for a year or two before they can take up jobs? Wouldn't that bring about appreciation for soldiers, commitment to their jobs and nation, bring about discipline to their lives and turn the entitlement generation into responsible citizens capable of cleaning up their country and guarding them against corrupt Netas? Let’s realize we have duty to deliver towards this nation though we may not be on the front line.

Here is the link to the pics: https://picasaweb.google.com/108289564546757100555/KutchTripDec2012?authkey=Gv1sRgCLaQwqD6vtjAhwE

Kutch Rann Utsav 2012 - Part 1

When I saw Gujarat Tourism advt in the newspaper (around Navrathri) promoting the Rann of Kutch in the name of Rann Utsav, I was curious about a festival being held in the arid, dry and water thirsty area of a Gujarat, the right hip of India. Government which is famous for sub-standard and run down facilities, lack of punctuality and professionalism among their staff, and all the joot (not jazz) that comes with it got me a little worried, but still what is life without taking a risk? Will this festival at the hip of India be the hep?

Government runs the corporate way!

Getting more information online or calling up the local Gujarat Tourism office to book a tent was a breeze. The Courteous staff mailed across the receipt, sent instructions on when, where to report via email and a day before from the Bhuj office called my mobile enquiring about my arrival and reminding how and where to reach them at Bhuj. The registration desk had a senior member to guide, but the show was run by youth. Bags were tagged and tent number printed on the tags and the registration desk at Bhuj functioned with efficiency giving clear instructions. And the buses left for Dhordo on time putting our airports and airlines to shame.

Cleanliness and Connectivity a given at Dhordo

There were banners and welcome signs done with care and it decorated the dry region of Kutch in a pleasing and pleasant manner.  I never saw or felt a pothole jolting my spine during the 90 minute ride despite Dhordo being a remote area in Gujarat. Turning a piece of uncultivable, fallow land filled with cactus and thorny shrubs into a huge campground with 200 tents, connecting them with well lit paved roads, providing clean water, uninterrupted electricity, free  wifi and offering clean facilities and delicious dining halls serviced by polite and welcoming staff is no joke for a Government. And they have managed to put up an impressive show.

A Youth empowered festival

To watch youth dressed in a presentable way, welcome and introduce themselves and also asking you to get in touch with them for any queries made my neck go up like camels neck. Watching them manage the huge dining halls and the camps ground was sweetly surprising. When did Government facilities turn so youthful, clean, organized and responsible? May be that's how it is in the land of Na Mo.

Simple, safe yet comfortable and stylish

I was staying in B enclosure and a huge empty space in the middle was punctuated by tents on the periphery. At the middle of the camp there was provision for a campfire and a medium size tent for an evening gathering.

Every tent had an easy chair on the porch along with news papers in English and Hindi. You also had individual fire extinguishers outside each tent making a big safety statement upfront. As you entered the tent to the right you had a study table and two chairs, and to the right were two single beds. Cross ventilation bringing in adequate sunshine and oxygen, a pedestal fan for pushing out exhaled air and a printed card outlining safety Instructions to follow made it feel like safe place. Though basic, the toilet is clean, leak-free, stain-free and functional. The tents to me looked like an ashram and there was only room for need and not greed. A lay out map with you are here pin point was available at various places in the camp. Why don't we find such simple information in the city? And why Can we get such an accommodation in the city?

The Food

It is Rann Utsav while the arrangements almost resembled a convention and the food reminded me of a carnival. Huge AC dining halls opened at 7.30 am for breakfast, 12.30 noon for lunch and 7.30 pm for dinner. From Salad to desert the whole three course Gujarati cuisine was served with no compromise in quality or quantity. Gujarati thali is loaded with ghee and specially their desserts like Mohan Thal and dry fruit halwa dripping with ghee and lavishly garnished with dry fruits is a testimony to quality.

Something for Everyone

The Government of Gujarat had also organized a huge exhibition hall to showcase the beauty, history, art and crafts, livelihood of people of Kutch. An open amphitheatre also played videos in the evening promoting the history, festival and culture of Gujarat. There were also opportunities for people to buy the crafts made by local people and a food court to engage in some fresh fruits and snacks like Bhelpuri and Pav Bhaji. For those who like to stretch and exercise the tents contained an enclosure to practice yoga and a stargazing event for elderly and kids to stare at the night from 9 pm - 11 pm. And for the movie buffs there was a movie hall in the camp ground that played movies in the evenings.

Here is the link to the pics: https://picasaweb.google.com/108289564546757100555/KutchTripDec2012?authkey=Gv1sRgCLaQwqD6vtjAhwE

Urban Jungle

I flipped through “Habitat” the newly rebranded “Property Plus” on The Hindu last weekend and looked at apartments mushrooming in every suburb and outskirts of the city of Chennai. But then the 10 year experience of living in an apartment made me quickly abandon the newspaper in shock and shame.

Nostalgic beginning….

Like every other builder in the city, he too marketed the apartment by its location, green cover, power back-up and other facilities to all prospects. And on the first day, he called for an apartment meeting to massage individual egos, play the role of a social catalyst and get the owners to form an association and manage the day-to-day affairs. Towards the end, he told the residents that all the apartments would be owned Brahmins and induced a sense pride, prejudice and responsibility to live like a model community. Is the community tag and the similarities in culture, cuisine and festivals enough for people to live together with unity and unending happiness?

Every coin has 2 faces….

We have always lived in a joint family and this was our first experience living in an apartment type of arrangement. My mother always says that we will need an extra supply of patience and tolerance when living in a community sort of setup. Amma also says irrespective of whether you live in a joint family set-up or in a nuclear family within an apartment set-up, there is no escape from responsibility and participation until one is alive. Most of the occupants in our apartment are Vice Presidents holding responsible offices and the remaining enjoyed respectable positions in the society and we assumed patience, owning up responsibility and tolerance wouldn’t be an issue.

Social fabric gets weaved….

The new residents ushered New Year together, organized a community puja on Ganesh Chaturthi, the women strengthened the social fabric during the Navarathri festival and kids came home to get blessings from elders on their birthdays. People took interest in governance, they regularly attended apartment meetings and it almost looked like an ideal apartment and that our politicians should learn from here. And the Tamil saying, "aasai arupathu naal moham muppadhu naal" didn’t apply to us. Pride, expectation, faith, trust, and security was slowing building and isn't that how all relationships begun?

Seepage in the weave of the social fabric….

Ours was a self-managed apartment and in the first few years the yearly elections for office bearers drew a lot of nominations, but as years rolled by nominations hardly came in and a portfolio was also dropped (social retrenchment) to keep the management group small and tight and quicker to make decisions.

As the concrete was exposed to a few summers and winters, cracks appeared, leaks began and the exterior paint began to turn a shade paler. On the inside, alliances and cliques started to form slowing eroding faith, trust, and respect. The Vice Presidents of the corporate world started to skip meetings and abstained from participating in the governance and started to fuel bickering and back-biting instead. As a result of this social withering the property began showing signs of neglect.

A few responsible retired souls continued to remain in the managing committee and contributed to the welfare of the community, but many others were enjoying the benefits from the toils of these genuine and sincere care-takers. The other disinterested ones were on a smooth palanquin ride with these real care-takers doing their job well. And those managing year after year were growing tired and restless. Soon the New Year party came to end, the stained glass image of Ganesha on the façade of the building and the yearly Chaturthi puja was also abandoned. People easily forget that that the social fabric that was once strong and new weathers and thins and is not strong enough to cover the nakedness of people’s egos and self-centeredness. Virtues such as patience, honesty, participation, tolerance and forgiveness that were supposed to be a part of the Brahmin community went non-existent.

Kashmir and its militants….

Some owners violated CMDA norms and converted their open areas into closed rooms. A few others began using common resources for their personal use; some tried to claim rights over common rooms, there were also rumors of money being misappropriated by one of the treasurer. In fact now, there is also a disputed area in the apartment which I sarcastically refer to as our "Kashmir". The builder says it belongs to him and the original land owners, while the apartment owners legally claim it to be theirs based on the achieved FSI. And people with respected social standing kept silent and a mini Mahabharata was brewing. Lawyers were consulted, but nobody took the initiative to settle it inside or outside Court. The environment within and politics in the apartment pretty much mirrored what happened in our political system.

The door closing ceremony….

What looked like a model apartment few years ago was slowly replaced with power struggle and animosity. Smiles replaced with stress, faith replaced with doubt and pride with prejudice and malice. Owners frequently engaged in a war of words amongst themselves and sometimes with tenants. One needn’t have to travel to Wagah near Amritsar to watch the gate closing ceremony. Neighbors on the same floor closed doors on each other face many times a day with equal force and animosity but did it with much aplomb.

The grain exposed....

The apartment culture has accelerated as a result of people unwilling to stay in joint families, tolerate the egos of their in-laws and exercise patience and forgiveness. Questions like why should I contribute and why should I accommodate and adjust was asked to break the fabric of joint family and claim their freedom and pick-up the apartment keys.

The apartment living has exposed our human frailties and proved that we are unfit to live in a community arrangement ever! It is also proof that people with similar value systems get along better than people from the same language, community, culture or cuisine. Today the vegetarian stench in my apartment residents attitude smells worse than the frying of fish or mutton and is reflective of why our country has degenerated to the way it is.

Too little and too late seems to be the diagnosis….

We’ve recently found a property management firm and outsourced the entire job, but still the property needs supervision and attention from the owners. Apart from the exterior badly needing a fresh coat of paint, the years of built trust has been eroded, exposed integrity and intentions need a fix. Will outsourcing agency take care of it?

Today everyone in on their guard and finds it difficult to even exchange pleasantries and courtesies, let alone establish eye contact and exchange warm smiles. And some are even thinking of selling off or renting their property and moving out.

Kids who moved in with their parents 10 years ago are now young adults and how can we expect them to be responsible when their parents are not standing examples. Remember the recent commercial from The Hindu – Behave India, the youth is watching. Watch it one more time.

So where does one go when we don't get along with relatives and neighbors and when we cannot participate and contribute to the society we live in? Where is tomorrow's society headed? Is this why they aptly termed cities filled with apartment blocks as urban jungles? I wonder…