Is AAP Political Tsunami in Making in Punjab?

Introduction

As one drives through the urban setup in the state of Punjab where the election has just got completed, one would see well-tarred roads, sufficient water supply, and well-built and electrified houses on either side, with some of them even putting the posh houses in Delhi’s Defence Colony into shame. Looking at these, one may wonder why one would question the incumbent Akali Dal government for its governance. Looking at all these urban parameters, a visitor would safely surmise that the current government would easily get its third term. Moment one steps into the countryside in that state, the situation seems to present itself differently with unmaintained roads, thatched-roof houses, water shortages etc. glaring before our eyes. This is the cause of the deceptive calm that one would encounter in the rural setup. Underneath this calm is the seething churn that would easily push the ruling political party Akali Dal into political oblivion in no time. This political undercurrent is expected to propel the hitherto unknown political party Aam Admi Party (AAP) into ascendance. In this blog post, we would be looking at the new political undercurrent that is sweeping the state for the benefit of readers who follow political dynamics.

Political Change

If the changes perceivable in the villages of Malwa - the southern part of Punjab - are anything to go by, one can expect the current two-party political order to get replaced by a three-party order with the coming of AAP in the state. This region is a politically very important region as it sends 63 legislators to the state assembly in every state election. In this region, the AAP’s clarion call “Kejriwal, Kejriwal, saara Punjab tere naal” is getting louder. In 2014 general election, AAP could win as many as 4 Lok Sabha seats, including that from Congress leader Amarinder Singh’s pocket borough Patiala. Truly, the AAP “lehar” or wave seems to have swept this region, leaving behind Indian National Congress (INC) that somehow seems to have lost the opportunity in this region in the distant second position.

Reason

People of this region (Malwa) have begun to see AAP as the party of change. They seem to think that they should go with the newer party rather than choosing one of the two parties that have held the sway in the two-party political order to look for change. For them, the “Badal Bedalo” or change Badal is the cry. After the reign of 10 years, the ruling Akali Dal seems to have got weighed down by the anti-incumbency factor. The youths of the region have become disillusioned with the Prakash Singh Badal government due to lack of jobs, security issues, and insufficient law and order. Even the blame for the drug menace lies at the Chief Minister’s feet as the idle and well-educated youth succumb to this habit in the villages. Basically, the well-educated youths expect the government jobs and move away from the tilling of land for agriculture work. Against this backdrop, AAP seems to have made efforts to connect with the youth to reach their parents, especially their mothers. This innovative approach has helped the women to break the tradition of following their men folks. AAP has also successfully highlighted the failure of Badal government to catch the culprits who tore the pages of Guru Granth Sahib in October 2015. This incident had culminated in the shooting in Bargari last year. Due to this reason, Akali Dal is faring far behind in the third position in the current political scenario, behind AAP and INC.

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Tale of Kalazis or Ship Workers from Calicut

Introduction

Kalazis have been part of the construction sector of Kerala for over a decade. They have come to rescue people who have got stuck with the movement of heavy objects in the construction and other sectors. When the hi-tech equipment fails completely, these people come with traditional equipment, such as pulley and steel ropes, to lift heavy objects to the required heights and safely place them on the pedestals intended for them. They have never failed in their missions. That is why their demand has been increasing with each passing day. They have travelled far and wide to help people move heavy objects. In this blog post, we will look at their work and ponder on how they accomplish seemingly difficult tasks so easily.

Who are Kalazis?

They are traditionally a group of people actively involved in the shipping sector. Their primary responsibility is to bring the ships meant for repair to the dockyard from and push them back to the sea. For this purpose, they use traditional equipment such as the pulley, steel ropes, metal platforms, etc. They also effect the movement of parts of the ship to the workshop for repair. These ship parts are then moved back to the ship with their help using traditional equipment. Apart from these, they undertake outside work on request. Till date, they have travelled to different places on request to move heavy objects. People from different fields have called them to move heavy objects when other methods, including hi-tech machinery, failed miserably. They have traveled far and wide on the invitation to take up different types of jobs. They always carried this traditional equipment with them. Their mental calculation, meticulous planning and the reliance on the strength of the team made sure that the work they undertake is accomplished without fail. They hail from places such as Beypore, Chaliyam, Kallayi and Farooq in Calicut district of North Kerala.

Kalazis At Work

Kalazis plan their work meticulously. After observing their place of work and looking at the objects at their disposal, they sit and decide what course of action they have to take. Planning is never a one-sided affair. The team members actively chip in with suggestions. The team leader analyses the suggestions and takes a call on what to do. Their planning always banks on the huge volume of experience they have in this field. They use metal platforms, pulleys, wooden stubs, steel or metal ropes, etc. The meticulous planning, team effort, and their stamina combine to produce a highly successful concoction at work. The team has successfully lifted vehicles, including the train bogies, at the accident sites and rescued people. They have lifted heavy objects in high-rise buildings where the cranes do not have access. They have even moved heavy machinery to the 682-meter tall clock tower in Mecca and did the repair work on a high-rise platform. They have also lifted an aeroplane that has skid out of runway at Calicut International Airport. Their expertise was utilised in moving heavy KSEB transformers up the hillock at Sabarimala in Central Kerala. They had traveled with equipment uphill for their installation near the Sabarimala Dharma Shastha Temple.

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10 Incredible Commoner-Indians who Got Padma Shri Awards

Introduction

Since the time India became independent, the central government has been honoring people who have made their mark in the society with their work. Thus, the Indian citizens were getting Padma Awards – Padma Vibushan, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Shri – for their contribution to the society. If we look at the list of people who got these awards, we get the impression that people related to arts, cinema or politics are eligible. This is because the central government at different points in time chose to only honor such people, leaving others to fend for themselves. Yet, good Samaritans kept their good work without expecting anything. Now, the central government under the leadership of Narendra Modi has adopted a different route. This time around, it has looked for commoners who have silently contributed to making the society a decent place to live in. In this blog post, we will look at such 10 people who have made changes to the society in whatever way they can. Photos courtesy Huffington Post.

Padma Shri Awards for Commoners

In a heartening development, the central government has given away fourth-highest civilian award Padma Shri to many of the unsung heroes of the country, which is a departure from the often-followed way of choosing those in arts, science, and politics. These awardees have enriched the lives of those around them. They come from wide range of society, starting from fighting fires, farming in drought-like conditions, to preserving a dying art from oblivion with energy and perseverance.

1. Doctor Dadi: She is a 91-year-old doctor from Indore who has been offering health services free of cost to many people. To date, she has successfully treated over 1000 people in her locality. Her real name is Bakti Yadav.
   
   
   
   
   
2.  Shekhar Naik: He is the captain of a successful blind cricket team. He dedicated his life to promoting the game of cricket among the blinds.
   
   
   
   
   
3. Meenakshi Amma: She is fondly called as ‘granny with the sword’ or ‘Meenakshi Gurukkal’. This 76-year-old Kerala granny has been practicing and teaching Kalaripayattu for 60 years. She began practicing this martial arts form, which is the root for all the Chinese martial arts forms, at the tender age of 7 years.
   
   
   
   
   
4. Bipin Ganatra: This 59-year-old man from West Bengal has been volunteering for firefighting missions with trained fire brigade personnel for last 40 years. He chose to take up this profession as a mission after he lost his brother to an inferno.
   
   
   
   
   
5. Chintakindi Mallesham: This 41-year-old Telangana man has invented Lakshmi ASU machine that reduces the cost and time of weaving Pochampalli silk sarees. His invention helped many in the looms sector with over 60% adopting his machine to reduce the cost of function. He told the media persons that he invented this machine to help his mother to handle the workload.
   
   
   
   
   
6. Daripalli Ramaiah: He is another person from Telangana who has devoted his life to the cause of making India green. The 68-year-old plants seeds wherever he sees barren land. To date, he has planted over one crore trees.
   
   
   
   
   
7. Karimul Haque: This 52-year-old tea-garden worker has taken up a different job of rescuing people from accident sites. He does this round-the-clock. For this purpose, he has converted his bike into an ambulance. He took up this job as his mission after he saw his mother dying due to the non-availability of an ambulance.
   
   
   
   
   
8.  Genabhai Darghabhai Patel: This 52-year-old specially-abled farmer from Gujarat has transformed his drought-prone village in Banaskantha district into the largest producer of pomegranate in India through drip irrigation.
   
   
   
   
   
9.  Dr. Subrato Das: This 51-year-old physician from Gujarat has been hailed by many as ‘Highway Messiah’. He is one of the pioneers in bringing medical relief to accident victims on national highways. Through his Lifeline Foundation, he provides medical relief to accident victims on the national highway network that spans across the states of Maharashtra, West Bengal, Rajasthan, and Kerala, covering a distance of 4000 kilometers.
   
   
   
   
   
10. Girish Bharadwaj: This 66-year-old person from Karnataka has been hailed by many as ‘Sethu Bhandu’. This social worker has built over 100 eco-friendly and low-cost suspension bridges connecting many remote villages across India.
    
    
    
    
    

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Tale of Most Isolated Foula Island

Introduction

This is the most isolated and yet inhabited piece of land in the British Isles. It is even remoter than the Shetland Island which has a population of just 30 people. This island is closer to Norway than the capital city of Scotland Edinburg.  A visitor to this island would learn to become self-sufficient as it does not have many of the modern amenities. Yet people live there happily, making four times a week visits to the Scottish capital for buying many basic things for sustaining life. In this article, we would be seeing what these beautiful pieces of a land offer to the visitors and why people make a beeline there.

Weather Conditions in Foula Island

The weather in the Foula Island is beyond the manageable level. Hence, it is very difficult to get accustomed to the weather conditions over there. A visitor may get stuck there for no obvious reason. He might wake up at night to feel the fierce wind that blows at that time. The force of the wind is such that you may get the feeling of getting ripped apart. The wind also increases the cooling effect to such a level that the visitor might get frozen outside if he goes out without adequate safety measures.

Demography and Culture

This island has remained inhabited for past 5000 years. Hence, the island can boast of a legacy of culture and language. The people of the land spoke in a local language Nom. This population lived until the end of 19^th century. At present, the island is privately owned by the Holbourn family. Out of 30 members of the family, there is one kid who attends the school alone. There is no traffic, and hence no noise. The island is devoid of telephone or mobile towers. The households and other institutions on the island have land connections to stay connected with the outside world.

Facilities Available

The island is more connected than what it was about 8 years ago. This is mainly due to the efforts put in by the island inhabitants. Foula Island remains connected to the mainland by flight. The airplane takes the island inhabitants to the city four times a week for basic purchases. For this purpose, the islanders have constructed an airstrip. However, the island does not have basic facilities such as mobile network, connectivity, doctors, etc. Though the doctors are out there, there are primary clinics to attend to the immediate medical requirements. Though there is a telephone booth, the connection does not work in most instances. Since there is no provision for entertainment, the inhabitants most often live in solitude. The absence of the restaurants has made the people totally independent. The main industries that thrive on this island are crafting and small-scale farming.

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Women Safety and Self-defence Techniques

Introduction

The violence against the women has been increasing in India due to many factors. It is predominantly due to the over-exposure to porn in the cyber world and over-depiction of woman’s body in the movies. On account of the commodification of women and the hero-dependent women characters in the movies, the youngsters have come to believe that they can play with women as they are generally perceived to be weak. This has emboldened the boys to attack women in public place. Hence, the members of fairer sex should be extra vigilant about this thing and remain equipped to tame the situation to their advantage. In this blog, we will depict how a woman can safeguard herself when nobody comes forward to save their dignity.

Women Harassment in Public

We have seen in numerous cases the insensitive nature of the public when they witness the harassing of women by miscreants or antisocial elements. These social-inimical forces consider women as the object of sex. That is the reason they make advances when they see a woman walking alone in the empty by-lanes. In North India, the public molestation happens even in daylight and before a large public. So, do not expect any help from the people who are around. Everybody thinks about his or her own safety first. Only good Samaritans come forward with the help courageously. But such creatures have become rarer in the present world. Hence, women should practice some exercises for their own safety. If the situation warrants their action, they can easily use them to weaken the opponent in a fraction of a second.

Self Defense Classes

Women can undergo training in some of the martial arts classes at nearby places and equip them against such surprising attacks by these antisocial elements. Due to the efforts put in by the state governments, there are free martial arts classes for women and girls in their locality. They just need to inquire about that with the local authorities.  Others who don’t have access to such facilities can learn from the following images to defend themselves.

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Balaknama - Tale of a Newspaper for Street Children

Introduction

Have you heard of a newspaper for the street children? It is very much in existence in North India where the child labor and exploitation are at the maximum levels. The name of the newspaper is Balaknama. This newspaper is run by a group of street children who gather, compile and edit the news gathered from other street children. Currently, this newspaper is prevalent in the states of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana. In this blog post, we will see how this noble concept came into being, and how it changed the way people looked at the child labor after its emergence.

Newspaper for Street Children

Everyone knows that the street children are put to a lot of hardships by authorities, owners of shops where they are employed and other people in the society. These hapless children have been enduring this for a long period of time. Some of them wanted to respond in kind, resulting in the emergence of this unique concept that could one day mitigate their sufferings. They could have gone to the reputed newspapers or online magazines. They did not do that. Instead, they volunteered to become the reporters, writers, compilers and editors. They chose to call the new newspaper they came out with as Balaknama. The newspaper started reaching readers, primarily the street children for whom it is free. After distributing the newspaper copies to the children, the remaining ones are sold to the public at a nominal cost of Rs. 5.00. The newspaper has been in circulation for past 14 years. The number of copies has risen to 8000 this year. Initially, the cost of publication was borne by the children themselves through their little contributions. From the second year onwards, the cost has been borne by a Delhi-based Non-governmental Organization (NGO). In the formative years, the newspaper used to hit the shelves once in three months. Later, it became bimonthly (once in every two months). Bolstered by the response from the public, the newspaper has become a monthly feature in New Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana.

Equipping Children

The NGO Chetana working for the street children’s cause decided to give them a lease of life. Chetana went all the way out to select 35 children by organizing camps for them at various places. These children were brought under a new organization by the name “Badte Kadam”.  They were introduced to the world of letters and given the formal education. After equipping them with words, they were given training in journalism so that they can independently make and edit news from the events happening around them.  The news is brought by the children to the one-room office of Balaknama in south Delhi. The editorial team is drawn from these children. The board under the senior editor then makes the assessment of the news items presented and picks the best ones for publishing. The child editor presides over a meeting of the reporters who bring the news from their localities.  After making the suitable alterations, the news pieces are sent for publishing in the newspaper.

What Effects Did this Newspaper Bring in these Children’s lives?

NGO working with the street children is still conducting camps for the children to identify the latent talents that thrive on the roads and by-lanes of the capital city of the country. After undergoing the training, the children have become more self-reliant and expressive about their daily ordeals at the workplace. Unlike the modern-day newspapers, Balaknama minces no words and hit hard at the aberrations present in the life, especially those involving street children. For instance, the newspaper carried the narration of children who were forced to pick up dead body parts from the railway lines. This news piece created a lot of hue and cry in the public domain, forcing the National Child Rights Commission to take Suo Motto case against cops who forced the children to do this. In another case, the newspaper reported the story of another child who was forced to load and unload the garbage from the truck. This 8-year-old girl used to manually load the foul smelling garbage into the truck and unload the same from the truck at the destination. Apart from these, the child was asked to clean the whole truck after unloading the garbage. This has also shaken the national conscience, forcing the authorities to take some corrective steps.

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Bakshi's – A saga of Exquisite Crafts

Introduction

India is known for a long tradition of artistic excellence, and it has been noted as a land that acknowledges the greatness of art, craft and other forms of creativity. This is evident in every corner of the country where we can see every product made by hand or machine that stand testimony to the craftsmanship and expertise of the artisan. The most common products that people look for buying include garments, jewelry, antiques, the shawls, the blankets or the carpets. These products are known for their multifariousness in designs, utilitarian nature, and high value. Hence, they are high in demand across the world. At Bakshi’s, every effort has been made to keep these high traditions alive.  Hence, it showcases a Saga of Exquisite Crafts that is made in the eastern part of India and exports them to various parts of the world.

Business Growth

It is not metaphorical to state that Mohammed’s elder son Ajar Bakshi has spent his youthful energy to take the business to new milestones of growth. While talking to the Editor of Explorers Travelogue, he became vocal about the transition his family business has gone through. Reminiscing about the humble beginning, he told that the family business was set up as street shops at important business hubs in the state of Kashmir. Looking at the popularity of the products, most prominent hoteliers such as Taj, Hilton, Radisson, etc. have decided to harbor this business outlet in their premises in major cities. Apart from these, the brand has been successful in establishing outlets in other cities like New Delhi, Trivandrum, Mumbai, Kumarakom, and Kashmir.

Important Products

The most selling cakes from this business are Pashmina Shawls and carpets. The other well-known products of this business are handicrafts, antiques, semi-precious and precious statues, jewelry, etc. The shawls and carpets come with handmade designs as well. Currently, Bakshi’s is the only manufacturer of Pashmina Shawls in Kashmir Valley. All the carpets, shawls and other cloth items have incorporated organic dying technology to design colorful patterns.

1. Pashmina Shawls: The name of the shawl comes from the Persian word Pashmina. The literal meaning of the word is “made from wool”. It translates to “Soft Gold”. The raw material for this kind of shawl comes from three breeds of Pashmina goat – Changthangi or Kashmir Pashmina goat, the Chegg and Chyangara or Nepalese Pashmina goat. These shawls are hand spun and woven in Kashmir. Made from cashmere fiber, Pashmina shawls are very soft and warm to wear, especially during winter seasons. The export of these shawls is done in a risk-free manner as it gets custom clearance easily. The parcel service providers such as FedEx and UPS (United Parcel Services) collaborate with Bakshi’s to offer glitch-free and tension-free services to overseas customers.





2. Carpets: We make a one-time investment in buying most exquisite carpet to give appeal and ambiance to our drawing rooms. Kashmiri carpets are most sought-after in this category.  They are usually hand-knotted, not tufted. The artisans work extensively on the instructions made out to them to make nicely designed carpets. The weft threads are usually passed through the trim or design and color specifications before being looped together. The design patterns usually follow Persian or distinct local variations. The yarn used for the carpets may have silk, wool or silk, and woolen base. Depending on the base, the cost may also increase proportionately.





3. Garments: Human being wears dress, garments or other forms of attire on the body to protect it from the vagaries of nature. As the human civilization evolved over time, it began wearing clothes for social and functional reasons. Usually, garments are made from original silk, wool, and leather materials. People can purchase them based on their needs. The garments manufactured at Bakshi's follow a unique weaving tradition that combines innovation and unique excellence of human craft. At Bakshi's, one can see the finest blends of fabrics with other exotic fibers like alpaca, silk, guanaco, etc.





4. Jewelry: Indian jewelry has drawn inspiration from various walks of life. Following the cue from across the globe, Indian jewelry has evolved and varied over a period of time from a form of currency to everyday fashion accessory. Hence, the exquisite designs bearing the mark of artistic expressions started coming in the worlds of yellow metal and gemstone. As the demands increased and customer taste changed, the branded jewelry started carving its niche in the jewelry market. At Bakshi's, all ranges of jewelry items bearing the Kashmiri and Indian traditions are available for sale.





5. Stones and Statues: The Bakshi's showcases most precious stones that evoke life in them. Artisans working at the shop deftly etch out the hidden forms inside them. While looking at the pieces of art, one cannot help seeing the hidden emotions coming out of them. The stones for this exquisite jewelry are hand-picked from quarries and mines across the globe. Apart from their aesthetic appeal, these fine works of art also have therapeutic and astronomical properties. The visitors to Bakshi's can take home these beautiful items and rejuvenate their lives.
   
   
   

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