Friday, March 30, 2007

Labor of India

We have been in India for 1 ½ years; just a brief time, really. We have, however, become acutely aware just how tightly human labor is woven into the historic fabric of India. From the ancient ruins of Hampi, we can imagine the nameless stone carvers who labored to create ageless temples. From the beauty




of the Taj Mahal, we can imagine the many souls who anonymously toiled away to create a treasure for the centuries.

We need no imagination as we walk the streets of Bangalore to see the labor of men, women and children still who labor anonymously to create a 21st century technology capital.

Little appears to have changed over the centuries in the ready use of human endeavor to move earth or stone. The ceaseless strain of sinew and muscle gives true meaning to the term “man made.” Our dear friend Marion captured this miracle of engaged human hands transforming the landscape by commenting that India has been built over the ages “one shovelful at a time.”

The only contribution we can make to this great human endeavor is to take pictures of people as they labor, make prints and give them photos that captured a moment of their labor. We imagine these photos will be passed along from generation to generation. We can imagine someone in the future saying, “This is a picture of your grandfather when he was young.”

We have included some of those pictures on this blog and accompanying YouTube video link. Because the loading is jerky, let it run to the end with the sound off, then turn the sound up and click on Watch Again. The link is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXqzoVdjFmo

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Sunday, March 25, 2007

It’s not Cricket

If something is “not cricket” it is not fair. As in, “We have waited since 1983 for India to win another Cricket World Cup. The imminent elimination of Team India from the competition is not cricket!”

With basketball providing a March Madness fever in the US, we have our own March Madness here in Bangalore with nary a Buckeye in sight. Cricket’s perennial four year World Cup contest, currently underway in the West Indies, is the stuff of headlines and street conversations. Our home team’s dismal and uneven play may soon eliminate it from the competition.

Earlier this week, Team India’s defeat to the weaker Bangladesh team transformed high hopes to dismal dismay amongst cricket fans. That dismay transformed into rage when distraught fans ransacked the under-construction home of wicketkeeper-batsman Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Apparently the “five wicket loss to the minnows” was more than some could tolerate.

For Pakistan, their successive losses to the West Indies and Ireland meant their hunt for another World Cup championship was prematurely ended. Pakistan madness is of another order. Pakistan’s cricket coach Bob Woolmer was found murdered in his hotel room. Scotland Yard has been called upon to help in the Woolmer murder investigation.

A few days later, India gave Bermuda a thrashing on their way to establish the highest winning margin in World Cup history. A win in India’s next match with Sri Lanka would propel it to the Super8.

Having a sufficient grasp of the game of cricket, we can watch a contest with some understanding. First played in England in the 12th century, cricket tagged along as the British set about to build an empire on which the sun never set. Records show cricket was first played in India in 1761. The colonial patina of cricket in India has long been replaced by the local and national love for the sport.

A “now or never” sense pervaded Bangalore as the Sri Lankan game approached. Early headlines published before the final completion of the Sri Lankan game showed ebullient Indian players; 44 for three wickets chasing 255. Victory was possible. Unfortunately, the news that emerged the next day showed ebullient Sri Lankan cricketers and spoke more of “shameless ouster” for Team India. Two overly excited fans in Hyderabad and Ahmedabad reportedly died of heart attacks. Following a quarrel with his wife over the volume at which he listened to the game on TV, a third fan reportedly hung himself. Protests of Indian cricket fans were widespread.

There are emerging leads that may solve the Woolmer murder. Hope, too, will emerge for Team India to bat and bowl its way to another World Cup championship in 2011.

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Monday, March 19, 2007

In the Beginning….

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” Thus is written the story of creation in Genesis.

In this land of Hinduism, creation is understood to have occurred differently and is celebrated today on Chandramana Ugadi. On this day, it is said, Lord Brahma began his creation. In the trinity of Hindu gods, Lord Brahma is the creator, Lord Vishnu the preserver and Lord Shiva the destroyer.

There is no single Hindu myth on the origin of the universe. In one myth, the endless cycle of birth, life and death (creation, preservation and destruction) of the universe reinforces the concept of reincarnation. After an Earth age is destroyed nothing is left but a vast universal ocean. Floating on this ocean is the thousand-headed serpent named Ananta or Shesha Nag (Timeless or Ageless snake). Resting within the coils of Ananta is Lord Vishnu. From the navel of Lord Vishnu sprung a lotus flower and from this lotus came Lord Brahma. Lord Vishnu then spoke to Lord Brahma, “It is time to begin.”

Another creation story tells how the god Brahma created the primal waters inside a small seed. The seed grew into a golden egg. Brahma split open the egg. From half of the egg comes the heavens; from the other half the Earth.

There are other variations on these stories, but it is sufficient to say Chandramana Ugadi is the beginning of a new Hindu lunar calendar. The day is celebrated here in the southern state of Karnataka with ritual pooja (worship) and holiday meals.

On Ugadi, people rise early, massage their bodies with sesame oil and then take a ritual bath. Entrances to homes are decorated with fresh mango leaves as a harbinger of good crops. Fresh Rangolis or designs of rice flour are placed before the household doorway. We are not to sure how compliant people are today with another holiday tradition of splashing fresh cow dung water on the ground in front of their houses. Families gather and festive meals shared.

Along with social merriment, religious zeal and prayers for health, prosperity and business success, Ugadi is a most auspicious time to start new a venture.

Happy Ugadi Day….may you have a cheerful and prosperous year!

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Saturday, March 17, 2007

A Dog’s Life

Terrible news of young children being mauled to death by feral dogs in Bangalore has been filling the news lately. In early January, eight year old Sreedevi died from a dog mauling in Chandra Layout. Two months later, four year old Manjunath did not survive his attack by a pack of 15 wild dogs. After both attacks, increased government action was seen in the removal of stray dogs. An equally vigorous counter campaign was also seen from animal rights groups over the actions of government officials. Something just does not seen right.

Without first-hand witness, it is difficult to appreciate the stray dog situation in Bangalore. In the US dogs are tagged, leashed and pampered. In Bangalore, and generally in India, dogs free-range along with cows and goats.

Some estimates place the number of stray dogs in Bangalore at 60,000. Our casual walks in our colony or along sidewalks in the heavily urbanized center of the city are always accompanied by stray dogs. We suspect there is a significant underestimation.

Back in 2000, government officials of the Bruhut Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) established the Animal Birth Control (ABC) program to humanely deal with the wild dog problem. The ABC program officials have claimed their focus on sterilization and “in extreme cases like rabid dog” euthanasia has been successful. As we listen each evening from our bedroom to the vicious barking of wild dog packs fighting for street territory in our colony, we question the ABC’s definition of “successful.” We are sure the parents of Sreedevi and Manjunath would have the same question.

In this land of vegetarians and Hindu re-birth theology, social responsibility in the treatment of animals has wide appeal. There is also a universal appeal in the caring for creatures without defense. Protests over KFC treatment of chickens in 2005 saw protesters on busy Brigade Road here in Bangalore as well as the support in far away Anchorage, Alaska from a former Playboy bunny.

The clumsy response by the local government officials to the dog attacks fueled the rights campaign. A photo of dog carcasses heaped at a BBMP site and reports of other carcasses being mingled with local waste at landfills brought more distraction to an already confused environment. Most government actions here move in fits and starts. Neglect transforming into overachieving in one step. Nothing really changes.

To understand why so many dogs populate our streets, we return to our self-provided guidance that there must be a social intent to support a way of living. Tagged, leashed and pampered may be bourgeois, but at least our children can walk on the streets or sidewalks and come home safely.

Just as news of dog attacks and animal rights protests faded from the front page, we read just three days ago of seven year old Yashwanth escaping from his encounter with a pack of feral dogs. It appears the social intent of our neighbors is still forming.

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