More about Mumbai
It’s important to understand Mumbai and what it’s all about. Recently a fantastic fifty reasons were penned down by Kanika Parab & Mansi Poddar on CNNGo about why Mumbai should be considered the greatest city in the World. The list includes six features which play a relevant role in ‘The Taxi Takes on Terror.’
So at number three there is the Famous Ladies Specials which even got press in the New York Times article I posted. Yes it’s good for Indian women to have a hassle free commute.Though I think woman, all around the World have commuting stories of alarm and horror that they could share.
Leopold Cafe, and it’s distinctive charm and toughness is at number 24. I know that people still throng this bar and the 26/11 attack didn’t make any dent in it’s popularity. In fact more people probably go to see the bullet holes and shattered glass now more than ever.
And at number three we have the taxis! The ‘kalee peelee’ or black and yellow cabs which are fun and noisy, old and sacred, tarnished and decorated, sturdy and yet unfortunately slowly leaving the landscape of the city. The Government has passed a law that forbids taxis that are older than 25 years to stay on the streets. So the iconic Fiat taxis are being replaced by zippier Omnis, Santros and Marutis. But you’ll get to see a lot of these soon to be vintage classics on The Taxi Takes. So stay glued:)
The ‘dhobhi ghats’ of Bombay are a historic place where the laundry of Bombay comes to be washed at row upon rows of stone wash pens. A ‘dhobhi’ is a washerman and nearly two hundred ‘dhobhis’ will wash clothes together at any given time. I met two of these ‘dhobhis’ who have been washing clothes in Bombay as part of a profession that has been passed on to them by their grand fathers. At one point when the taxi driver and two washermen were talking in the taxi, I chuckled to myself thinking I really had an incredible slice of the working class! So at number 37 we have the Dhobhi ghats.
Haji Ali , the miraculous floating Dargah comes in at number 43. Built in 1431 by Sayed Peer Haji Ali Shah Bukhari, a rich Muslim merchant it is one of the most recognizable structures off the coast of Southern Mumbai. I have some wonderful footage of the taxi driver Jamid Ali standing near the mosque , by the water’s edge as the sun was setting behind him. He sang a song he had written in dedication to his mother, who died when he was nine. I’ll put a clip of him on his profile page eventually.
The last reason was because there were so many holidays in Mumbai. Due to it’s multi cultural, multi ethnic and secular nature India houses every religion in the World. So at any given time of the year Indians can expect to have a holiday celebrating either a Christian, Hindu, Muslim, Jewish, Parsi, Buddhist, Sikh or Jain tradition.
The other reasons are also fun, brilliant and definitely worth a read for anyone who has heard of Mumbai but never been there. A great city in a wonderful country. More on Mumbai later.
September 17th, 2009 at 1:08 am
They follow the same practice of segregating the women in Japan too, but only during peak hours when the trains are jam packed. There is also a big problem with women being fondled in the trains that are so crowded that the conductors on the platforms actually shove people into them. I guess there is a sense of anonymity in these trains that are so full. Even in one of the most “civilized” countries in the world this problem exists.
Your take on the story seems a bit hyperbolic. I don’t know who the author is (he is listed as Hari Kumar, but who knows what his real name is – the actor Kal Penn comes to mind – real name Kalpen Suresh Modi), but Mr. Kumar has written several other stories from India so I would assume that he is a regular correspondent for the Times. As to why they put it on the cover, I might guess that it was because of the photo. If you look at the other stories on the front page, none of them have the compelling visual that the train picture offers. A gifted photographer like yourself should recognize this appeal.
I really enjoy your blog entries and found the tone of this one to be a bit knee jerk. I could say more, but perhaps this is a blog entry that would have benefited from a day of reflection.
September 17th, 2009 at 4:25 am
I am sorry for making my comments on your previous post. I think I might be a bit sensitive to a perception of US bias when there is so much current internal distortion of US domestic political discourse that troubles me so greatly.
Please don’t make the assumption that I dismiss your observations so cavalierly.
September 18th, 2009 at 12:13 pm
Don, you have a valid point and criticism. Tying US policy into the story is a little way out of a connection but then again I do believe that the US foreign policies come up with great causes like the weapons of Mass destruction etc. to carry out their own vested interests.
Yes women all over the World face harassment, Indian women more so because of the history of social traditions I mentioned. The author, Hari Kumar has done a good job of stating the facts but with little background into the larger issues surrounding the status of women in India. And that’s something which should not be overlooked in a story of this nature I feel.
Yes the images in the NYT’s story are great and thanks I’m taking your comment as a compliment about my own amateur photography.
September 19th, 2009 at 9:54 am
I guess you Gen X and younger Indian women have not travelled in buses much in Delhi – back in our days (the late 60′s)we used to call them “massage machines”- when you are packed in like sardines – you never know who is going to touch who where – most inappropriately. And if a girl complained, instead of helping, the other passaengers laughed at you or smirked. Not much has changed in 40 years – ask your mom about her bus rides in her school/college days – I’m sure she will have a few good stories!
September 25th, 2009 at 2:03 pm
I have traveled in Delhi buses though I’ll admit not many times and yes I think all women in Delhi know to some extent of what you talk of.
I’ll have to ask my mother about her take on all this soon!