The third gender. A community on the fringe!

Picture of a member of hijra community, taken from google

Amidst the cacophony of elections and the growing melodrama around it, a very important news that should have been welcomed and discussed openly appeared to have been sidelined last week. The Supreme court of India, finally gave legal sanctity to the long marginalized community of Transgenders (commonly known in India as Hijras) by recognizing a third gender under the law that is neither male or female.

"Transgenders are also citizens of India. The spirit of the constitution is to provide equal opportunity to every citizen to grow and attain their potential, irrespective of caste, religion or gender." "Recognition of Transgenders as a third gender is not a social or medical issue but a human rights issue", justice K.S.Radhakrishnan, pointed out in his judgment. "Transgenders are citizens of this country and are entitled to education and all other rights. The decision officially recognizes a third gender in law and confirms that discrimination on grounds of gender identity is impermissible under the Indian Constitution.” This landmark ruling redefines Transgenders' rights and the state’s obligation to them.

This is a milestone decision for  a country like India and certainly should be received with standing ovation! Unfortunately, we as society have ostracized, ignored this minority very cruelly treating them with discomfort and derision making them social outcast leaving no choice for them but to beg, entertain or even get into prostitution and other illegal trades for the sake of survival. Majority of Hijras live in dire conditions are barely educated which further isolates them from society.

The community of Hijras, have history of more than 4000 years and there is clear reference to their status in many of the ancient books and scriptures with mention of how Hijras were held in very high esteem and respect gaining powerful positions in courts and society. Unfortunately, today they neither have any respect nor acceptance from society and despite India having made so much progress on many fronts they are still looked down upon with social prejudices, ridiculed and abused. There can't be any better example of their plight than our very own Bollywood mainstream cinema where Transgender community is portrayed in farcical situations, mostly as subjects of dehumanizing grave ridicule and harassment living on the fringe of Indian society, leading painfully isolated life.  

The step taken by the Supreme court of India is just the first step towards the welfare of socially deprived  Hijra community. Now the onus is on us, as society to change our mindset and accept, acknowledge and respect them as normal human beings and let them just BE. 

If we come across any Hijra at traffic signal or any other social ceremony, henceforth, let's try not be intimidated by their glittering make up, gaudy clothes, loud gestures and bawdy songs and dance. Let's remember, they are as flesh and blood human beings as me and you and as normal as anyone of us and nobody has any right to treat them otherwise. 

After years of discrimination now that Hijra community has been granted legal visibility, it is time for us as society to change with wake of our constantly changing social needs and fulfill our moral and social obligation by changing our regressive mindset towards Transgender community and accept them as part of our society.  

Tranquil moments by the river

Last weekend, I drove down to Nashik with family. Just like that because we felt like running away to some place, unplanned!

I love travelling by road and discover fascinating world the travel unfolds! For people like me, thriving in urban chaos it is luxury to witness change in tapestry of landscape. As one leaves city limits, the scenery changes. The concrete jungle slowly disappears giving way to the single houses in the farms. The dense back to back constructions gradually fades and like pleasant surprise one sees homes amid set of clutch of mud walled huts with thatched roofs amidst green fields. And soon those very green fields redefine “pristine” and compel you to slow down. 

It is incredible experience to watch the roads get narrower and suddenly curved only to reveal a quiet river stream. Imagine, there is not a soul on the road on either side and you are left alone at the bank of the river watching Nature’s alluring canvas with trees swaying in unison with the stirred breeze and the Sun light playing hide and seek. It is like being soaked into meditative trance engulfing every single pore!

Fortunately our mobile connections broke down as ominous sign it was no time for undesirable intrusions. I sat down beside the river and realized how each stream has its own rhythm, its own music and its very own soul!

In the calm of quiet flow of the river, the stillness in the air, and jutting trees in the horizon, the beauty of the moment brought lightness into my being. That un-definable load evaporated slowly from my soul, making me alive in the moment! I remembered it was quite long since I had dialogue with Nature with open heart with my mind shut completely for a change. Sometimes all one needs is to sit in perfect stillness and watch the shadows of the day sink in every pore of your soul. 

Those moments when I was sitting at the bank with the river steadily changing its rhythm, I also witnessed each moment passing by. It turned out to be an astonishingly spiritual journey of renewal. And all the while there was this profound sense of stillness, reverence and peace. It is hard not to sense the timeless and eternal rounds of life, our place in the mystery of so much bigger than our usual separate sense of self at such tranquil moments! Sitting at the river bank invited great awareness evoking interesting paradox of emptiness and fullness!

Lord Buddha often used river as image of our life. He spoke of entering the stream of awakening, crossing the flood of clinging, observing the fleeting river of experiences. “Do you never see the clumps of bubbles as they float down the river fleeting, empty and void? Do you not see the river of thought, feelings, perceptions arising and vanishing, equally fleeting, empty and void?”    

You think Indian democracy is in deep shit? How about rescuing it with your vote?

With elections in vicinity, I have been seeing seemingly normal people transforming into vehement psephologist who appear to have figured out "everything" and it doesn't matter if what they say has any valid reasons! The daily political antics and filthy games of political parties have long back stopped amusing me. These days, the "political experts" that one meets everywhere are thoroughly entertaining!  

Its election time once again in India and like it always happens around this time, we Indians have judiciously performed rituals of abuse, slander, laments by turning in to cynical lynch mobs making chest thumping proclamations about our respective political ideologies that we believe in or are drawn to due to our selfish needs or compulsions. We have been engrossed with mudslinging rants by media on jugglery of numbers, argued and fought with high decibel exchanges. Yes, it is our favourite sport to criticize, ridicule, accuse, abuse, deride all politicians and political parties whose ideology we don't subscribe to and give our "expert" views on just about everything under the Sun.  

There is no denying that India is in deep shit! The saddest part is, we have everything that it needs to make it a successful democracy that can set example to the world. But we don't work on it because it really doesn't matter to us. Yes, we are absolutely callous about our right of voting and its immense power. It is easy to blame political parties, leaders, rotten systems and corruption for India's failure on delivering on its true potential but we cleverly ignore the fact that we all have been silent partners to this disaster. We are verbose on how the country needs to change. But we conveniently forget that if we want the change its us who need to bring it. 

With the upcoming election, we have one more chance. It is time for reconciliation on our blunders of epic proportion that made our country suffer dearly. I know, the ethos of such framework is never a simple black and white solution. To move forward, we need to quell the disruptive forces in mediation of who we truly wish to be as country. Unless we do this exercise with utmost honesty and conviction, the rhetoric of a "great democracy" is nothing but a big joke!

For any democracy, it is very important to have more voices out in open to question with erudite judgement as to what is wrong with its system and participate to create necessary change and awareness. How many of us own up to our country as "my country" and feel truly proud of it? A person littering public places/public properties without iota of guilt or shame, is seen flashing Indian flag on the dashboard of his car on 15th August and 26th January! We expect government to take care of country and run it smoothly but evade taxes. We, as society have nurtured decadence since ages and what we see now is the result of that. 

Sadly, when we inherit something without paying its price, we don't value it. I would say it applies to Indian democracy also. We have enjoyed all the blessings of democracy and taken it for granted. A school going child knows he can get away with anything by just paying some money. Who is responsible to create that mindset? It has certainly taken ages of misuse of power and money for the sake of one's greed and convenience to create the mess that we are faced with today.

I often hear complaints that people don't like to vote because they don't have right alternatives. Agreed! Why not take part in politics and set an example? "Good people" don't wish to join politics. Why? Nations can't be created overnight. It needs participation of its people who are aware and willing to learn to live with fatigue of supporting it. When educated people capable of critical thinking shy away, the majority of other class gets an excuse not to think at all. We are at the brink but it is a process. The day we connect with our country as "my country" and own it up, things will start to change. But we must participate irrespective of the state of affairs or the filth in our system and do our bit. Then change would not seem as distant. 

Patriotism is not about temporary titillation of acrimonious acts of rancour. Unless we learn to value the positive energies of life and offer the respect and considerations to differences, we will be condemned to live in the world that is devoid of humanity. The onus is all the more on educated class, the enlightened minority to do something constructive about it instead of posting messages of hatred and spread negativity. We can't afford to be a proud nation if we are not enlightened too.

The time for rhetoric is long gone! It is time to walk the talk as voters. It is time for eternal vigilance. It is time to do our bit. Let's use our power of voting and bring that change we all are so eagerly awaiting! I think, we owe that much to our country! 

Fading allure of bentwood chairs

There is something about the quintessentially Irani cafes that can't be separated from the city of Bombay. They are integral part of Bombay’s identity. 

Mosaic tiled floors, high ceilings, bent wood chairs with marble table tops with checked table covers, walls covered with mirrors in sheesham / teak wood frames, flakes of wall colour peeling, dusty, oily cabinets and hell lot of noise and amazing energy with heady concoction of the divine aroma of freshly baked delectable cakes/breads wafting in air, tempting one’s senses, this is what an Irani cafe of Bombay is all about and much more! There is reason why people still throng to these cafes; great food, good quality, quick service and its old world interior and charm of comforting familiarity that makes people across all the ages and classes feel absolutely at home.

Unfortunately, Irani cafes are fading from rich tapestry of heritage of Bombay and every time I hear about an old place with rich history, closing down, it pains me deeply.   

I have been reading about one of the Bombay's famous Irani cafés of the yester years, B.Merwan, shutting the shop. Since last week, a few friends on facebook have posted pictures and write ups about the nostalgic times spent there, compelling me to pay a visit fearing being disowned as an “outsider” by the true Bombayites.

It was my first and alas last visit to B.Merwan. I was completely heartbroken! I was sad to realize what all I missed out in all these years and ashamed by my callous disregard for a place that I used to pass by almost every day, while going for my pottery classes a few months back! Maybe I had seen the place but not noticed. Maybe I was too freaked by the taxies  barging in furiously, hawkers shouting at top of the voice and so much crowd and noise and felt claustrophobic and always rushed to the studio with my complete focus on not being crushed by any vehicle or stepping on colourful discharge being spewed by hawkers and passersby. Or, maybe, like most of other people, I did not care! 

Two days back, when I went there, feeling completely out of place amidst the crowd of men, it took me a while to ask the owner, "Sir, may I take a few photographs please?" "Take only two three. Not more. And don't take my picture." Like an obedient child, I hurriedly took a few photographs, struggling to ignore glances from men baffled by my presence and camera. Within those few minutes I could sense endless tales pregnant within. A piece of history important for the city was going to be shut forever. And I was not part of it because I chose not to. I bought one of the few walnut cakes that were left and rushed back home with pangs of guilt and shame.

Change is a natural phenomenon and one has to learn to take it in stride. But my heart aches when an important part of history, culture, place or person is lost forever. It was difficult for me to decide if I was pained more by those blank faces of the staff members at B.Merwan or my criminal indifference towards the place. 

On learning the "art of seeing"

“To photograph is to hold one's breath, when all faculties converge to capture fleeting reality. It's at that precise moment that mastering an image becomes a great physical and intellectual joy.” 

― Henri Cartier - Bresson.

Ever since I started photography, I have been taking photographs without any formal training. There are so many frustrating, painful instances when I feel handicapped due to lack of any technical knowledge of photography and literally cry looking at the outcome of my photographs knowing deep down I have missed out something crucial. Well, that is a natural course for any creative process that involves learning, unlearning and evolving as artist. 

Two days back, I attended a photography workshop on "art of seeing". Since the subject was photography, the main focus of the workshop was "seeing" before capturing images. Most of the times one tends to interpret the world around through limited and very narrow filter of life experience, knowledge and awareness that one acquires in life. The workshop made me realise how often we are blind to our surroundings! 

Much of what we see is coloured by our environment, conditioning intellect and aesthetic sense. Being a photographer needs openness and a deeper visual awareness of seeing beyond what is obvious. All one only needs is basic professional camera with which to take a good photograph and good aesthetic sense. Everything else depends on what one trains the brain/eye to see through all the five senses. 

After attending the workshop, new vistas of visual perception have opened up and I am already seeing some change in the way I look at the subjects now. For someone as passionate about life as me, it is so easy to sometimes get overwhelmed with so much beauty and abundant subjects around and start clicking pictures before spending a moment or two understanding, letting the moment sink in and then capture the photograph. I think, I have learned a lot that I intend to practice in my photography. 

"Photography is an art of observation. It has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them." - Elliott Erwitt

"Beauty can be seen in all things. Seeing and composing the beauty is what separates the snapshot from a photograph." - Matt Hardy

My endeavour henceforth is going to be to make good photographs. Do watch out this space!