SOOTHING TIHAR'S CONVICTS WITH MUSIC

Many swayed their heads and tapped their feet while some sat still-- heads bowed and eyes shut -- in deep thought, as if deciphering what lies ahead as the soulful melody of raga Bairagi Todi reverberated in the air. Hundreds of inmates in Delhi’s Tihar Jail had a spiritual experience on a rainy morning here in a bid to augment their rehabilitation process through music.

The second edition of "Morning Raagas" was organised by the Tihar Jail authorities in collaboration with Legends of India, a registered society organising live performances of renowned artistes in the central lawn of Jail no.5 that has around 800 convicted prisoners, from pick pockets to murderers.

Renowned sitar player Pandit Shubhendra Rao and his wife Saskia, who plays the cello accompanied by tabla player Shailendra Mishra began their hour long recital with Bairagi Todi and two popular compositions -- Mahatma Gandhi's "Vaishnava Jana To" and bhajan “Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram” followed by a “classical dhun" leaving the audience mesmerised.

The around 600 inmates, seated on plastic sheets due to the wet grass under a purple coloured marquee filled the vast ground as around a dozen policemen stood guard surrounding them.

Many possessed a fine sense of music as they enthusiastically applauded the complex compositions especially the ones that oscillated between high and low octaves.

Some of them were even tapping one of their hands against the other to match the beat of the tabla and it was quite evident that the rhythmic jugalbandi between the tabla, sitar and the cello had taken them to a different dimension.

In fact, one could have easily mistaken the convicts to be connoisseurs of classical music.

Tihar Jail which is Asia’s largest prison and houses close to 14,000 inmates.

The first edition of the 'morning ragas' was organised in Jail no. 8 on April 27 and from then it was decided that the event would take place on the first Monday of every month.

As I exited Jail no. 5, with a changed opinion about its convicts, the mellow tunes still played in my head only to be smothered by the blaring of vehicle horns as I got stuck in a traffic snarl.

For once, staying in the confines of Tihar Jail seemed a much better deal than to venture out in the chaotic civil society.

DEVELOPING VILLAGES WITH URBAN DISCARDS

Last month I came across a Delhi-based NGO named Goonj which literally means echo that is using discarded urban products to motivate the country's rural population to improve their lives by building roads, bridges and schools without waiting for the authorities to act in return of discarded clothes, stationery, shoes etc collected from urban cities.

The NGO, which began with just 67 pieces of clothes collected by founder members - Anshu Gupta and his wife Meenakshi - today has 11 offices in 21 states and 300 employees across India. It annually transfers over 1,000 tonnes of used clothes, household goods and other essential items from cities to villages.

Goonj has launched a number of initiatives over the years and one of the most popular is the 'Cloth for Work' wherein people living in rural areas are encouraged to undertake community service like digging wells and making roads and bridges, among others, in return for not money but clothes.

However, only washed and clean clothes, woolens, blankets, footwear and the like are given to people without compromising their dignity.

The model that has helped set up schools, water-tanks, roads, bridges et al in several villages all over India came as a blessing for 48-year-old Utara Pardar, a resident of Mandla village in Madhya Pradesh, who wanted to teach poor children in her village.

A teacher by profession, Pardar had managed to get a piece of land from the authorities in the village but had no money or resources to build a school. That's when Goonj came to her rescue by sending a truck full of clothes that lured many locals who came forward to construct the school that has so far taught hundreds of local children since 2008.

While Goonj encourages people to donate clothes that are clean and in one piece, Gupta admits that a lot of dresses or fabrics are soiled and torn.

However, the NGO has found an innovative way to also deal with this.

The torn clothes or shreds are used to make clutch bags, handbags, mobile pouches, pen stands and even sanitary napkins at their Sarita Vihar workshop in south Delhi that employs around 40 people.

The products are sold either online or through the NGO's offices.

In fact, making affordable sanitary napkins under the 'Not Just a Piece of Cloth' campaign is one of the pet projects of Anshu Gupta, who observed that in villages and slums, women and girls have poor menstrual hygiene.

And the good news is that the donations and contributions from people and corporates are rising "exponentially".

EGYPT: A PARADISE OF RUINS BY THE NILE

In the middle of the vast and eerily desolate landscape on the outskirts of Cairo stand the iconic pyramids of Giza and the great Sphinx, a riveting sight that took my breath away. For a moment, it felt like time stood still as I gazed at the surreal beauty and grandeur of the man-made marvels that have defined Egypt from time immemorial.

The three pyramids of Cheops (Khufu), Chephren (Khafre) and Mycernius (Menkaure) in front of me made up for the long walk under the scorching sun on the hot desert sand while the gentle breeze in the shade provided by the massive pyramid walls cleaned the sweat beads on my forehead.

A specimen of fine human engineering and robust construction techniques present in ancient Egyptian civilisation, the pyramids have stood the test of time and left many archaeologists around the world baffled.

Back in ancient Egypt it was common for kings and queens to construct pyramids for themselves when they were alive as a final place to rest in their afterlife. The materials used were two different types of limestone weighing between two and 15 tonnes.

The first pyramid - Djoser - was built in Saqqara on the west bank of the river Nile, the site of royal burials since around 2100 BC, but following many instances of robbers breaking into pyramids to steal jewellery and other valuables buried alongside kings, the practice was stopped about 1,000 years ago, said Hassan.

Besides the famous pyramids, cultural highlights in Cairo include the Egyptian museum, which has a separate section for human and animal mummies.

Housing the world's most extensive collection of pharaonic antiquities, the museum exhibits the treasures of Tutankhamun, wooden models of daily life, statuettes of divinities, and a rare group of Faiyum Portraits.

A must see after Cairo is Alexandria, the second largest city in Egypt - famous for its catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa and the modern library.

It is just a three-hour drive from Cairo and the visit to the catacombs is enthralling as you walk down a spiral staircase many feet under the ground. The bodies of the dead would have been lowered on ropes down the centre of this circular shaft.

As you enter, the spooky site of hundreds of graves, tombs and even bones at the largest known Roman burial site in Egypt welcomes you.

Legend has it that the site was discovered accidentally in 1900 when a donkey disappeared into the ground and the locals found the catacombs while digging up the ground.



Moving down south is the tourist hotspot of Luxor which provides an opportunity to explore historical sites like the Valley of Kings and Queens on the Nile's west bank while riding on a hot air balloon - which can easily be the highlight of your trip.

Other major attractions include the Luxor temple, the temple of queen Hatshepsut - a female pharaoh, which was very unusual at that time.

And if the whole experience of learning about an ancient civilization and the deluge of historical information leaves you overwhelmed, Egypt has a solution for that too.

Just indulge yourself in a felucca cruise on the Nile. Sit back and reflect on life as gentle gusts of wind form ripple patterns on the surface of the Nile - among the world's longest rivers and on the banks of which lives 96 percent of the Egyptian population.

THE MAN WHO TAUGHT US TO LAUGH AT OURSELVES

It's almost a year since we lost author and journalist Khushwant Singh (March 20, 2014) and on his first death anniversary I am sharing a descriptive piece on his funeral. 

Known for his larger than life image, author and journalist Khushwant Singh, who died here Thursday, aged 99 had a subdued funeral attended by a few family members and politicians while media persons made up most of the crowd.

There was no cavalcade of vehicles following the white coloured Maruti Eeco van in which he undertook his last journey, accompanied by his son Rahul Singh, to the Lodhi Road crematorium, a five minute drive from his posh south Delhi home in Sujan Singh Park.

The crematorium too saw a moderate turnout. Apart from the family members, some politicians, journalists and writers who had come to pay their obeisance, the media persons covering the funeral made up most of the crowd.

Draped in shawls, wreaths made of white lily flowers as well as bouquets and garlands of marigold, chrysanthemum and roses, Singh's body was consigned to flames at around 4.30 p.m. in the electric crematorium at the Dayanand Ghat mukti dham inside the Lodhi crematorium.

Teary-eyed family members hugged and consoled each other while some in the crowd, standing at a distance, narrated Singh's famous anecdotes and quotes to each other, conscious not to laugh out loud as they recalled Singh's witty writings.

The fact that even after his death, Khushwant Singh managed to bring a smile on the faces of those who came to grieve him is a fitting tribute to the man who taught people, especially Indians how to laugh at themselves.

KIRAN BEDI: THE UNCONVENTIONAL POLITICIAN

In just over a week's time, Delhi is set to get a new Chief Minister -- from a non-political background -- as the Kiran Bedi and Arvind Kejriwal are the only true contenders for the post with Congress down and out.

While Kejriwal has been the CM before, for a period of 49 days, and everybody is quite familiar with his brand of politics and governance, all eyes are on Bedi.

In the past few weeks, I have seen a lot of her clips on news channels, which at times appeared to be weird, funny or plain ignorant. And I can safely say that she is indeed an unconventional leader.

However, at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally here Sunday, I had a first hand experience with Bedi and her unconventional self.

At the DDA ground in Sector 14, Dwarka, the venue of Modi's rally, the BJP leaders were caught by surprise when the party's chief ministerial candidate threatened to end her speech midway as she was getting disturbed by the crowd chanting Modi's name.

The thousands of people gathered at sprawling ground were waiting eagerly for Modi, and were raising slogans praising him and the BJP at regular intervals as BJP candidates from many west Delhi assembly constituencies addressed the people one by one.

As Bedi was midway into her speech, news of the prime minister reaching the ground sent the crowds into a tizzy who started chanting his name.

At this point, Bedi took a long pause and waited for the crowd to settle down. However, when that did not happen, she resumed her speech but stopped again after a few seconds, visibly distracted and disturbed by the loud cheering.

She turned to the party leaders seated behind her on the dais and said, "I cannot speak like this", startling many of them.

Immediately, union minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy rushed to her side while frantically signalling with his hand, asking her to carry on.

But a reluctant Bedi repeated that she "cannot speak like this", forcing Rudy to whisper something in her ear.

Seconds later, Bedi regained her composure and finished her speech as the party leaders breathed a sigh of relief.

All's well that ends well, they say. However, if Bedi becomes the CM, it would be interesting to see how the BJP handles her.

WITNESSING THE REPUBLIC DAY PARADE LIVE AT RAJPATH

For the first time in my life, I got an opportunity to attend the Republic Day parade at Rajpath. However, the excitement didn't last long thanks to the gloomy weather and the poor arrangement at the venue.

Following are some of the sidelights of the parade:


With the rain playing spoilsport, the dignitaries gathered at Rajpath to witness India's 66th Republic Day parade were forced to wear caps and take cover under umbrellas and raincoats.

US President Barack Obama, the chief guest at the parade, and wife Michelle were seated in a roofless bullet-proof glass enclosure along with President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President Hamid Ansari and his wife Salma and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

As it started to drizzle, officials with huge, black umbrellas and members of the support staff standing next to them sprang into action.
While the Obamas held their own umbrellas, the Indian dignitaries and leaders attending the ceremony had their better halves or their official staff holding the cover for them.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi also held her own umbrella. Two seats away, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Amit Shah was seen taking shelter under an umbrella held by his wife.

Kiran Bedi, the BJP's chief ministerial candidate for next month's Delhi assembly polls, wore a raincoat.

Many dignitaries also donned caps to protect themselves from the cold and drizzle.

Mukherjee and Ansari sported fur caps, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and senior BJP leader L.K.

Advani wore golf caps while Modi wore a traditional and colourful Rajasthani headgear.

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Modi's Swachh Bharat stumbles at Rajpath

Had Prime Minister Narendra Modi peeked into the enclosures erected in front of him at Rajpath when the 66th Republic Day parade concluded, he might have been forced to rethink the prospects of his pet Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, or Clean India campaign.

Soiled sheets of newspapers, pamphlets (carrying details of the parade details) and polythene bags that had been used by the crowds to clean their seats and cover their heads during the morning drizzle were littered all around the VIP enclosures as the function ended.

Many of the chairs lay toppled while the seats of almost all of them had shoe marks and sludge on them as the crowd had stood atop them minutes before to catch a glimpse of the departing dignitaries.

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'We Love Obama'

The camaraderie between visiting US President Barack Obama and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi seems to have rubbed off on Delhiites as well. When Obama reached Rajpath to attend the 66th Republic Day parade, the crowd climbed atop their chairs to catch a glimpse him and his ride - The Beast.

The crowds cheered, clapped and waved at Obama and his wife Michelle. The Obamas too waved back, much to the delight of the crowds.

A group of young men even had a huge yellow-colored poster with the message - We Love Obama, with a red heart signifying love.

In fact, the highly publicised Modi-Obama 'chair pe charcha' on the verdant lawns of the Hyderabad House Sunday was a hot topic of discussion among the audience as they waited for the parade to begin. Most of them had gathered since early morning, braving the rain and the January chill.

The friendly warmth and camaraderie between the two leaders again evident during the two-hour parade.

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When the weather god smiled

It was a wet, gloomy start to the 66th Republic Day celebrations here as sporadic overnight rain that continued in the morning threatened the festivities as well as dampened the spirits of the people.

The crowds gathered for the function were a worried lot as the security personnel did not allow umbrellas inside the venue due to safety concerns and the light drizzle could very well have turned into a heavy shower.

But much to their relief, half an hour into the parade, the rain stopped and the dark clouds that had been hovering overhead dispersed and later enabled them to witness the flypast by the Indian Air Force.

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A dose of patriotism

It may have been a cold, foggy and wet Republic Day morning but the people who packed the stands, some of whom had walked for several kilometers to reach Rajpath, were in a patriotic mood.

Despite the long queues at the entrances, the crowds raised slogans like "Vande Mataram" and "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" at regular intervals. Some of them had small paper tri-colours pinned to their shirts and tops while others had tri-coloured scarves wrapped on their heads and around their necks.

Adding to the feel, were soul-stirring songs like "Yeh desh hain veer jawano ka" and "Mere desh ki dharti" that blared out of the address system.

AMIT SHAH: BJP'S MAN TO CONQUER DELHI

Miffed with infighting and lack of coordination among state leaders that may harm the party's prospects in the upcoming Delhi assembly polls, BJP president Amit Shah has decided to take charge of the election machinery in the capital from Dec 25, a top source said.

According to a senior party leader who is in the know of the development, Shah is currently occupied with the polls in Jharkhand and Jammu and Kashmir but once the results are out Tuesday, he will shift focus to Delhi and dedicate at least two months to the city before the assembly election are held, likely in February 2015.

"The Delhi BJP needs direction and guidance from a single authority. At present, everyone is acting like he is the captain of the ship which is resulting in utter confusion," the source said.

The source informed that owing to the threat from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Shah started keeping an eye on the political developments in Delhi - where the BJP has remained out of power for the last 15 years - since he became the party president in July.

(The December 2013 polls threw up a hung 70-member house, with the BJP winning 31 seats, the AAP 28 and the Congress eight, with three seats going to other parties and independents. The AAP formed a government that lasted 49 days, necessitating fresh polls)

"He (Shah) knows that Delhi is not like other states where the contest is between BJP and Congress. The general anti-Congress mood prevailing across the nation has helped BJP but in Delhi, it's the AAP that is the main opponent of the BJP," the source added.

"Therefore, the party needs to put in much more effort but Shah knows that the party is struggling with infighting and poor coordination," said the leader.

Though, such allegations have been leveled against the party earlier as well, this time the cracks are showing.

A couple of weeks back a party leader, in charge of an event, openly chided a party spokesperson for talking to the media about the preparations.

He was unhappy with the spokesperson hogging the limelight and instead wanted the media to give him footage.

Furthermore, in a meeting held between Shah and the Delhi BJP leaders and office bearers in November, it was decided that all the party parliamentarians would hold 2,700 public meetings across the city.

However, a month later, that figure has been reduced to around 1,400, the source said.

"The state unit has failed in successfully organizing these meetings and managing to gather enough crowds. Their management has been sloppy and hence the MP's lost interest," said the source.

Furthermore, sources said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Swachh Bharat Abhiyan too has been reduced to mere photo opportunities by some which has further added to the woes of the Delhi BJP's leadership.

Though, Shah is a tough taskmaster and has set a 60-seat goal in Delhi and hence, he is all set to take charge of Delhi after Dec 25, another source told IANS.

According to party leaders, Shah believes in working at the ground level and has directed the Delhi leaders, at a meeting Thursday, to do the same. Shah had earlier met the leaders in November.

The source further said that a major reshuffle in the Delhi BJP is in the offing once the election is over.

"A new team is likely to be formed for Delhi after the polls," the source said.