On vacation
So, I am going on a five-day trip to New Orleans today.
What would Gandhi think of me going to this land of hedonism where alligators when drunk, watch peep shows on Bourbon Street? Well, he would not be too happy, I can tell you. He would fear that there was a danger of following this rationale :
Deeper than the pond in the backyard of the blues singer
Is the river Mississippi,
Deeper than the river Mississippi is alcohol
I shall drown myself in alcohol every evening
But, worry not Gandhiji! The alcohol that flows in the veins of my ancestors shall not sully my reputation this time around!
I shall focus on the food and music, which Gandhi says has the power to soothe souls and unite people of different religions.
Research is a word that has become very popular in modern America. It puts one on the same level as a Nobel Prize winning nuclear physics scientist. "I did research on why cats dance on hot tin roofs," can be used in any social interaction and the word "research" would not be considered out of place. On this trip, I too plan to do some serious research on the streets, history and people of New Orleans, all by myself. The results of my research will be posted in the form of a fiction story on http://www.cuttingchai.com
Gandhi never took a vacation, as he fought the British in South Africa and India. But I am sure, he would approve of me hitting the road to discover the heart of America (yes, I am driving). In his first speech before the Indian Congress, Gandhi strongly advocated to go to villages to discover the real India. Unfortunately, even though most of America lives in the villages, most Americans live in the cities. But it will be interesting to discover a different America. And learn something new. It might perhaps destroy my image of rural Americans, where they spend all their work hours growing corn and leisure time being racist.
I shall walk the streets of every quarter, square and cemetery. Hence, a vacation will be spent not in idleness, but in ceaseless striving in order to absorb. Much like a conscientious sponge, that enjoys getting wet, and is given a chance to jump into the basin.
No more shall be said, till actions match my words. Gandhi would not want it otherwise.
So, I am going on a five-day trip to New Orleans today.
What would Gandhi think of me going to this land of hedonism where alligators when drunk, watch peep shows on Bourbon Street? Well, he would not be too happy, I can tell you. He would fear that there was a danger of following this rationale :
Deeper than the pond in the backyard of the blues singer
Is the river Mississippi,
Deeper than the river Mississippi is alcohol
I shall drown myself in alcohol every evening
But, worry not Gandhiji! The alcohol that flows in the veins of my ancestors shall not sully my reputation this time around!
I shall focus on the food and music, which Gandhi says has the power to soothe souls and unite people of different religions.
Research is a word that has become very popular in modern America. It puts one on the same level as a Nobel Prize winning nuclear physics scientist. "I did research on why cats dance on hot tin roofs," can be used in any social interaction and the word "research" would not be considered out of place. On this trip, I too plan to do some serious research on the streets, history and people of New Orleans, all by myself. The results of my research will be posted in the form of a fiction story on http://www.cuttingchai.com
Gandhi never took a vacation, as he fought the British in South Africa and India. But I am sure, he would approve of me hitting the road to discover the heart of America (yes, I am driving). In his first speech before the Indian Congress, Gandhi strongly advocated to go to villages to discover the real India. Unfortunately, even though most of America lives in the villages, most Americans live in the cities. But it will be interesting to discover a different America. And learn something new. It might perhaps destroy my image of rural Americans, where they spend all their work hours growing corn and leisure time being racist.
I shall walk the streets of every quarter, square and cemetery. Hence, a vacation will be spent not in idleness, but in ceaseless striving in order to absorb. Much like a conscientious sponge, that enjoys getting wet, and is given a chance to jump into the basin.
No more shall be said, till actions match my words. Gandhi would not want it otherwise.
Sanitation and the environment
There were once penguins on the street of Bombay. Not unhappy, sweaty penguins, mind you, but penguins that had a smile on their faces. Now, they have disappeared. And the streets of Bombay are dirty again. For these penguins, were trashcans set up by the Bombay Municipal Corporation, in a rare display of public empathy. Their unique shape was meant to serve the purpose of attracting attention, so that people would see that there are places other than the Arabian Sea to dump what they don’t need (including significant others). Unfortunately, people noticed them. People stole them to take home, so that their children could have penguins to play with. After all, which Indian parent would not want his/her children to have food, clothing, shelter, education and a penguin to play with?
Today, if you search for a trashcan looking like a penguin or even a simple trashcan you will be hard pressed to find one. You have to carry trash in your pockets for miles, till you reach home or till you begin to feel like George Bush. Then you just disregard everything and make "the world your oyster/trashcan". Yes, that cat from Texas is one shortsighted person.
If Gandhi and Bush ever sat down for a glass of water (Gandhi stayed clear of alcohol, cigarettes, tea and coffee) then it would make for a pleasant conversation at first. Where things would begin to get rocky is when Bush would talk of “them really thick glaciers and really, really, supermodel thin forests”. Then a heart to heart talk would follow.
This is because Gandhi was passionate about sanitation (with a view on developing countries) and the environment.
Gandhi had no antipathy for dirty people, but had a "horror of dirt". He did not want to kill dirt or get rid of it entirely. He advocated moving it to a place where it ceases to be dirt, much unlike a cabinet reshuffle.
Gandhi says that he hates forcing people to do things, but he would willingly impose laws that force people to keep rivers, lakes, ponds (perhaps swimming pools) and mountains clean. After all, is the holy Ganges capable of cleansing anything anymore with all its industrial waste that it carries forth in its flow? Cleaning up this river is far more effective than building a temple, if the right wing Hindus want to promote the cause of Hinduism. It will not cause a drop of blood to be shed and I suspect Muslims and Christians would chip in and help too.
However, let us not moan about bigger issues beyond our scope. It is first important to get our houses in order, On a more microscopic, individual level, Gandhi says that we must all feel responsible for cleaning out our filth with perfectly clean instruments. He says that the bhangi (a janitor) has to eat, sleep and work in filth, which is really quite unfair and makes for unpleasant working conditions. But if we clean up after ourselves, what would happen to these people? Are they destined to remain unemployed? Gandhi says that seeing the condition they work in should be enough to break ones heart and is confident of them finding other ways to earn their bread.
He thinks highly of the British in this matter and says that this is one area, where he would not look down upon them in a disparaging manner. In fact he is disgusted with conditions in many parts of India and is surprised that people in India live at all. Poverty, he says is no bar to perfect sanitation. Just an excuse, he says and Gandhi and encourages people to keep the streets as clean as the floors on their houses.
Time Square in New York has become a tourist trap. But it has become a clean tourist trap, courtesy Disney, ESPN and all those corporations. Is it not possible for the Government of India and indeed any developing country to see that?:
1. Local Municipalities are incapable of becoming schools where the Science of Sanitation is taught and…
2. Corporations carry with them accountability. Big companies are normally headed by human beings (I don’t know of Union Carbide, etc). Human beings tend to form an attachment with the place they grew up in and made all their money. Is it not possible then to give them hefty tax breaks for cleaning up the city? If Bangalore is clean again today, it is largely due to the efforts of such rich, committed individuals. There are thirty trees per person in Bangalore, as opposed to Bombay where there must be thirty thousand people for one leaf of a tree.
One final thing. An unclean environment reflects a cluttered mind. This is very obvious and does not have to be elaborated on. I am quite a messy person myself, and hence this laziness and disregard for organization seeps into all aspects of my life and lets it take me where convenience resides.
That is one of the many reasons, I have to catch a train at 8:32 in the morning tomorrow.
There were once penguins on the street of Bombay. Not unhappy, sweaty penguins, mind you, but penguins that had a smile on their faces. Now, they have disappeared. And the streets of Bombay are dirty again. For these penguins, were trashcans set up by the Bombay Municipal Corporation, in a rare display of public empathy. Their unique shape was meant to serve the purpose of attracting attention, so that people would see that there are places other than the Arabian Sea to dump what they don’t need (including significant others). Unfortunately, people noticed them. People stole them to take home, so that their children could have penguins to play with. After all, which Indian parent would not want his/her children to have food, clothing, shelter, education and a penguin to play with?
Today, if you search for a trashcan looking like a penguin or even a simple trashcan you will be hard pressed to find one. You have to carry trash in your pockets for miles, till you reach home or till you begin to feel like George Bush. Then you just disregard everything and make "the world your oyster/trashcan". Yes, that cat from Texas is one shortsighted person.
If Gandhi and Bush ever sat down for a glass of water (Gandhi stayed clear of alcohol, cigarettes, tea and coffee) then it would make for a pleasant conversation at first. Where things would begin to get rocky is when Bush would talk of “them really thick glaciers and really, really, supermodel thin forests”. Then a heart to heart talk would follow.
This is because Gandhi was passionate about sanitation (with a view on developing countries) and the environment.
Gandhi had no antipathy for dirty people, but had a "horror of dirt". He did not want to kill dirt or get rid of it entirely. He advocated moving it to a place where it ceases to be dirt, much unlike a cabinet reshuffle.
Gandhi says that he hates forcing people to do things, but he would willingly impose laws that force people to keep rivers, lakes, ponds (perhaps swimming pools) and mountains clean. After all, is the holy Ganges capable of cleansing anything anymore with all its industrial waste that it carries forth in its flow? Cleaning up this river is far more effective than building a temple, if the right wing Hindus want to promote the cause of Hinduism. It will not cause a drop of blood to be shed and I suspect Muslims and Christians would chip in and help too.
However, let us not moan about bigger issues beyond our scope. It is first important to get our houses in order, On a more microscopic, individual level, Gandhi says that we must all feel responsible for cleaning out our filth with perfectly clean instruments. He says that the bhangi (a janitor) has to eat, sleep and work in filth, which is really quite unfair and makes for unpleasant working conditions. But if we clean up after ourselves, what would happen to these people? Are they destined to remain unemployed? Gandhi says that seeing the condition they work in should be enough to break ones heart and is confident of them finding other ways to earn their bread.
He thinks highly of the British in this matter and says that this is one area, where he would not look down upon them in a disparaging manner. In fact he is disgusted with conditions in many parts of India and is surprised that people in India live at all. Poverty, he says is no bar to perfect sanitation. Just an excuse, he says and Gandhi and encourages people to keep the streets as clean as the floors on their houses.
Time Square in New York has become a tourist trap. But it has become a clean tourist trap, courtesy Disney, ESPN and all those corporations. Is it not possible for the Government of India and indeed any developing country to see that?:
1. Local Municipalities are incapable of becoming schools where the Science of Sanitation is taught and…
2. Corporations carry with them accountability. Big companies are normally headed by human beings (I don’t know of Union Carbide, etc). Human beings tend to form an attachment with the place they grew up in and made all their money. Is it not possible then to give them hefty tax breaks for cleaning up the city? If Bangalore is clean again today, it is largely due to the efforts of such rich, committed individuals. There are thirty trees per person in Bangalore, as opposed to Bombay where there must be thirty thousand people for one leaf of a tree.
One final thing. An unclean environment reflects a cluttered mind. This is very obvious and does not have to be elaborated on. I am quite a messy person myself, and hence this laziness and disregard for organization seeps into all aspects of my life and lets it take me where convenience resides.
That is one of the many reasons, I have to catch a train at 8:32 in the morning tomorrow.
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