Metro Tales: Music for the Soul

This is a story that every Delhi metro commuter has witnessed for sure. A person travelling alone, armed with headphones, probably in one or the other corner that they can snag before anyone else. This is a common scene at any given time in the day. I say this with conviction because I am one of them. Spending years travelling in the metro has definitely improved my appreciation of the privacy that headphones can give you in a crowded location.

How to know if someone wearing headphones is as engrossed in the music as it looks? There are some simple things to notice, certain characteristics that distinguish them from other passengers:
the silently, sometimes not so silently, moving lips; the tapping foot or the tapping hand; the head nodding, and sometimes a slight body sway as well. Losing yourself in the music is an easy task, but when travelling in metro, it is meant for so much more.

Music is an escape. It can be from the the loud conversations you are not a part of, hushed sweet nothings shared between couples, arguments you don't want to get involved in, or the general chaos of the crowd. Headphones in your ears give you the choice of cranking up the volume and forgetting the fact that you are being jostled between people you don't know and who have no qualms in using your body as an anchor. It is music that lets people handle long travel hours on a bad day,  or help them face an early morning travel when your brain just refuses to wake up.

Photo Courtesy: www.livemint.com

My personal favourite use of headphones is to avoid and ignore.

I do not like aunties. I am not generalizing, but you will know them anywhere because they are loud and they are intrusive! Putting on my headphones gives me the best excuse to ignore their looks and comments. Not blaming all the aunties on the metro here, but there are definitely some who you can't help but cringe away from. Another thing it helps me in is to keep my seat when I am damn tired and lucky enough to get one. If my eyes are closed I can't see you and if I have my headphones on I can't hear you. I'm tired and I am a bit lazy, sue me for thinking about myself sometimes! Even then I have had my shoulder jostled just for an aunty to ask me to "adjust." I will gladly give my seat if you are a person in need, but please don't ask me to adjust. That's just encroaching on my personal space and is not appreciated. 

To avoid making this only a rant, I believe I can give an accurate description of how it is on the other sound. The head banging and foot tapping is amusing from afar, but if it keeps jostling me, the amusement turns into frustration. Blocking every noise also blocks the polite requests, and ignoring them only makes you (me) seems like a snob.

What is clear from all the above ranting on my part is that music is part and parcel of the Delhi metro. It is something that either you choose for yourself or you suffer, or not, with a fellow passenger. The somber announcements are just not enough to pass the time or enjoy it.

Metro Tales: And We Wait

One of the first things that came to my notice when I started using the Metro regularly was that there were always people in the station or just outside who were waiting for someone. In the past 3-4 years, since I have been travelling in metro, this phenomenon has not changed even a bit. It has however escalated if my eyes are right. This escalation could be because of the increased number of passengers in the Delhi metro or simply because Delhi people love to wait!

Even in the fast paced Delhi life which popularly ‘doesn’t wait for anybody’ the people of Delhi are more than willing to wait. They have the patience of saints and I say this because I don’t or I didn’t. Delhi metro has been more than required training in patience that I ever needed in life.

Now when I try to remember a particular someone who I know was waiting, in vain or not I can’t be sure of, no one in particular comes to mind. There are just so many people that I witness everyday with earphones plugged, sitting in a corner, listening to music or playing games or chatting/talking to friends, not looking up when the metro arrives, knowing that they have to wait no matter what, that it becomes difficult to pin point one person. I am sure that you can identify with atleast one of the people I mentioned above. We have all waited in metro for someone sometime, I can be 100% sure of that.

So what is the big deal about waiting that I mentioned it? I am going to be a little sentimental here but I believe it shows human strength to some degree. We have faith when we wait; faith in the fact that the person we wait for will show up. Not to say that many of us haven’t been disappointed but we still wait don’t we? We have patience for our friends or our families or even at times friends of friends and acquaintances. The reasoning is a little mushy, believe me I know, but it’s completely logical. The happiness, even though brief because of the anger of waiting, is worth it don’t you think?

When I am waiting beside a fellow ‘waiter’? I try and keep track of when their wait finally ends. You get to see the eyes lighting up, a smile on their face as they recognize their someone in the sea of people. This happiness might turn into irritation or anger soon enough but that one moment is precious for me. So the next time you are waiting, along with the many others, try noticing these little things. If nothing they do prove to be sufficient to make the waiting time less boring. But be sure that you do not stare outrightly because that is just ‘stalker-ish’.

Will try to get the next part up sooner than later.

Metro Tales: The Beginning

Travelling the Delhi Metro everyday has become a norm in my life. It is something I do not think about because it has deeply integrated itself in the last 4 years. I had a view from the back window of my room, of a highway and the fields that lay beyond it. This view is now obstructed by the Metro bridge constructed right behind my apartment building. I would be lying if I said that it didn't bother me because it did and still does at times. However, I have come to like the quiet noise, as oxymoronic it is, that I associate with a metro passing now. I can hear the metro in the morning, as early as 5 am, and I can hear it late at night, sometimes as late as 2 am. Metro therefore has become a constant companion for me. 

In the years that I have traveled in Delhi Metro I have learned a few things. First, you have no guarantee of a seat no matter when you travel and the crowd can surprise at the best of times. Second, I believe it is an easy and comfortable way to travel, even if others would like to convince me otherwise. Lastly, it is one of the best places to observe the people around you. I have seen so many emotions within the confines of the metro's 4/6/8 coaches that I have decided to record them. 

As we know our mind is capable of feeling so much that sometimes it seems impossible that they can exist within one person. But they do and these feelings have a funny way of coming out in the most opportune or inopportune moments. I am going to try and write a series of recollections, from my time travelling in metro, which revolve around the feelings that exude from the travelers of Delhi metro. These stories won't be linear and neither will they only talk about a single event, what will remain common will be that one emotion that I felt when observing these people. I know none of the people I will write about and can only distinguish them by one or other article they were wearing or some quirk that I noticed in them. Hopefully I will be able to complete this series soon. 

A calmer you by Sonal Kalra – A book review

Stress has become a daily fixture in our lives. We may not know it and we may not acknowledge it but it does have an effect on us. How to handles this stress has varying answers for everybody. Sonal Kalra, journalist and editor of HT City, has just one solution to it – Humour!

Her weekly column “A calmer you” is witty and effective in dealing with the stress we all face. Similarly her book “a calmer you” is written to guide even the most disgruntled person out of the bowels of frustration. The book deals with various situations that lead to varying levels of stress in people’s life. The solutions offered are so genuine and comic that one cannot help but laugh.

The recurring character of Pappu Singh, Chaddha ji and Bubbly Aunty adds to the charm of this stress buster read. Sonal Kalra has very effectively combined silly humour with simple tips to lead your life. The combination helps the reader to see their problems in a different light and thus accept their insignificance in the larger scheme of life.

The book is a must read for all working people who have deadlines to chase and have late night work-a-thons. Easy and small chapters allow the readers to go through it on their own pace while enjoying the quips and jokes, and imbibing the lessons imparted through humour.

  Sonal Kalra is an Indian journalist, columnist and and author, presently working with Hindustan Times

as the editor of HT City (Delhi Edition). She is an alumnus of Indian Institute of Mass Communication. She writes a weekly column titles 'A calmer you' which appears in the Sunday edition of HT City. The column is all about witty calmness tips to beat the everyday stress.

Ulti Khopdi - A play by Yasin Khan

I am new to theatre in the sense that I have heard a lot but I haven’t seen much. This all changed when I decided to increase my knowledge by becoming a regular at the various theatres in Mandi House, Delhi. It is known that one can always find a play to watch there.

I started with something simple, Yasin Khan’s Hindi play “Ulti Khopdi” at Pearey Lal Bhawan. I never go unprepared to something like this and thus had an idea of the story. The story in itself was nothing new or innovative. What I was hoping for was a good presentation and good dialogues. Although the actors did a good job, I was disappointed with the dialogues. I am not sure if they were improvised or reiterated but they could certainly have been better. When you choose a less than exciting situation and theme, the only way to put some life into the play is through effective punch lines.

The play had a few high points like the ‘dakus’ laughing and the ‘netas’ dancing, but it seemed to drag over the 1.5 hours. The scenes went on longer than necessary, with not much to hold the audience’s interest. If the scenes had been compact, they would have been more impactful. The acting was the one thing I appreciated, though there were moments when the line between stage play and street play blurred.

A play is good only if all its constituent parts are. ‘Ulti Khopdi’ lagged behind in dialogues as well as an innovative way of presenting a known concept. Though the director tried to include criticism of social evils in the play, the comic background over shadowed any attempt at satirical commentary. If praise has to be given, then the actors are the one that deserve it the most. Rating the play out of 10, it gets a 4.5/10.

Seeing Like a Feminist - Book Review

The politics of being a women in a country like India is not easy to fathom. Where caste and class divisions take precedence over gender issues women find it difficult to raise their voices. Nivedita Menon's 'Seeing Like a Feminist' links this reality of a female existence to a variety of dimensions that control it and manipulate it. 

The book is well versed when it comes to the facts that it mentions and the claims that it makes. Like any other good writer Menon has succeeded in backing all her statements with official data leaving no window for questioning. The fluid language and ease of understanding makes the book a very wonderful read. Despite the lucidity it is easy to gather that the book is a work of academic excellence. She combines the perfect amount of humour with factual details so as to keep the reader entertained.

Nivedita Menon deconstructs the idea of family, the female body and female desires. She questions their functioning and their basis. She clearly states that the idea of family functions on gendered notions. However the human body and its relation to gender is highly contentious. The dismantling of ideas related to the human body is well articulated and her readers will definitely find it engaging. 

The book deals with varying facets of  feminism and how they all combine to form something universal. The call for women empowerment is not one that is most needed at the highest level but which is felt largely at the lowest. Feminism is not restricted to women and Menon maintains this view point throughout her book. Her contemporary examples makes it easier to relate to for the younger readers. What the book aims for can be deduced differently by different people but the theme of awareness will be common to all. 

In the section "Feminist and 'Women'" Menon claims that "feminism is not in fact about ‘women’ but about recognizing how modern discourses of gender produce human beings as exclusively ‘men’ or ‘women’. For her it is about a transformation that changes old markers of society in a such a way that they cannot gain any kind of authority again.

Nivedita Menon is the writer of acclaimed books like Recovering Subversion: Feminist Politics Beyond the Law (2004) and Sexualities (2007). She teaches Political Thought at Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi. 

5 Broken Cameras - A Review

The power of a camera in the hand of a common man is immense.

‘5 Broken Cameras’ is the story of Israel/Palestine conflict seen from the lens of a common man. Emad Burnat and his 5 cameras succeed in documenting the reality of the Palestinian struggle fought at the lowest level. Each of Emad’s cameras becomes a symbol of the different phases of Emad, his family and his village’s life for a period of 5 years. The destruction of each tells the viewers the violence and injustice that the Palestinians face and the Israelis inflict.

 The small village of Bil’in and its struggle to keep hold of its land becomes a representative of the larger Palestinian struggle. Emad’s first-hand account humanizes an issue that many across the world might not understand.  It puts forward the view of the people who were directly affected by Israel’s wrongdoings. The camera work makes it clear that this is the story of someone who was deeply involved in the protests. 

The documentary when seen in juxtaposition to the media coverage of the same issue paints a very disturbing picture The distortion of truth by world media is a truth that ‘5 Broken Cameras’ leave us with. It also raises important questions on the role of media and how they also succumb to power struggles. War and revolution require media coverage that tells both sides of the story. Journalists by their own ethical code are bound to try their best to do the same. However, it is documentaries like ‘5 Broken Cameras’ that reveal the holes in this theory.

One important question that is raised from the documentary is the responsibility of the journalist. Are they liable only to cover the stories? Are they also not responsible like everyone else to help a person in need? Similar questions can also be asked from the media industry at large. Is the story more important human lives? Leaving us with such questions ‘5 Broken Cameras’ is an excellent documentation of the Israel-Palestine conflict.

The War You Don’t See – A Review

                                                                                

Delving into the role of media and journalists, the documentary is an excellent record of where they have failed to do their job and why. Taking into account, the Iraq and Afghanistan war and the Israel/ Palestine conflict, John Pilger explores how the flow of information functions during the war. Bringing to light, the side of these wars which remain unseen, he attempts to raise some vital questions.

Though the documentary itself deals with only 3 specific wars, it raises questions relevant for journalists across the globe. The one sided flow of information from authorities to news rooms and journalists becomes one of the main issues discussed. How do journalists counter this? How can they reveal the other side without endangering themselves - are the questions we are left asking.

With inputs from people who have seen and known the reality of these wars, the documentary provides substantial backing to the claims it makes. It questions ‘embedding’ of journalists in war zones and what effect this has on their covering. It works towards making its viewers acknowledge that media is not always the bearer of the truth. The documentary is both a critique of media houses and personnel who fall prey to or willingly propagate incomplete information, as well as an encouragement to journalist to lead by example.

He places the role of media during war times under scrutiny. During his interviews, he tries to gather why war time journalism falls short of expectations. Despite the state pressure, the documentary doesn’t absolve those who failed. The stark reality of wars and what the people were shown stands proof of erroneous journalism. The documentary works as an eye opener for the audience and pushes them into being critical of the news they receive and not take it at face value. While it brings to focus, the tremendous loss of life and property because of these baseless wars, the main theme remains the role of media during such trying times.