Samsara... and the world goes on...!

This trip to Goa… OFFICIAL… yes, this time it is an official holiday – planned, declared, face booked, enjoyed and LIVED… and now on record here!

DIFFERENT… after having been to Goa every season this year (since the VERY first time that I have visited Goa in the first season this year) this trip was completely different from the first trip and the trips later, for many reasons… the purpose pronounces it all… in pursuit of a earnest purpose, a purpose called LIBERATION. Yes, Liberation – Liberation from Nostalgia J

Watched several movies – revealing and real reels, beginning with the premiere Life of Pi, dreams and aspirations in animated South Korean movie Green Days, the contentions, temptations and love of two adults with a family of four kids in Everyday, ecological lessons (more informing and little inspiring though) from Elemental, Beethoven and the mysterious testament in the Night Across The Street, Confucius to confuse (a Tibetan movie with profound philosophy, but sadly without subtitles) and a pint of beer to ease one from confusions when at Macquinez Palace.

Movies that I enjoyed totally included a contemporary drama about courage, forgiveness and love in the Samoan setting (with ‘products from China’ tags on all the boxes) in Orator, the battle that marked history, enjoyed every role, plot and dialogue in the documentary Fetih 1453 – The Battle of Two Empires, the depiction of cosmopolitan character of Turkey in six short narratives in Do Not Forget Me Istanbul – Half Moon Strangers, Mirko, Almost, Bolis, The Jewish Girl, Otel(lo) and an Epilogue, on recomposing corpses and other critical problems that plague the contemporary times in The Weight, Indignados by Tony Gatlif demonstrating the resistance against the existing systems and solidarity marches to express the feelings of the outraged.

The Cutoff Man, a short movie shot in Israel, definitely has huge lessons for me to take home – from the idea of being a bureaucrat, to an employer, to an employee, to a neighbor, to a civilian, to a wife, to a father, to being an UPRIGHT individual (like 'The Men Who Ruled India', recorded and described by Philip Mason as men who were 'minutely just and inflexibly upright'), et al, many ideas to carry in my head. Not surprising, there were less than hundred people in the huge auditorium of the Kala Academy to watch this movie. The reasons being too obvious – The Cutoff Man is a movie sans chicks J 

Samsara screened in the section Soul of Asia, is truly, a soul-searching drama of a Buddhist monk and his quest to find Enlightenment. Loaded with inner conflicts between flesh and spirit of the monk, and his struggle to find enlightenment by renouncing the world, and the struggle of his wife to keep the enlightened love and life within her own world, the film traverses through many inner journeys. The final questions raised by the monk’s wife highlight some fresh perspectives and address many critical (FEMINIST) issues most eloquently: quoting the story of Yashodhara when Buddha in search of Enlightenment has left Yashodhara who was still in her youth; reflecting if Yashodhara had been a sufferer of pain, anger, loneliness and disillusionment; whether her feelings, emotions and existence mattered to Buddha; and on parallel destinies – whether satisfying one thousand desires or conquering just one desire is more important? Loved this film – a portrayal of truth and human nature – the insanity of human stupidity and selfishness and the comfort to shelter one's own dirty self and polluted mind in the most convenient  space with an assertive stance – even if the choice is between infidelity and spirituality.

Having missed the mid-fest film, queued for the last one before leaving Goa on Sunday. This movie came as a direct hit on my face with some widely prevalent, harsh truths – revealing unto me as to why even highly educated mothers (for whom I had utmost respect and immense admiration {till lately}, after I was shell-shocked by her courage to elope and marry the man of her choice belonging to a lower caste, way back in early 80’s in a similar setting) advice their accomplished sons to marry a girl at a certain muhurth, only with a revealed plot-advice to divorce the girl a year later and engage most relaxedly in such lighter talks over phones, via messages and at homes. Shot in a typical village in Tamil Nadu, the movie, Lessons In Forgetting, exposes how deeply the Indian system has been structured around the MAN and the imprints of a sickening hierarchy. Latently present in every aspect of our lives and infused most inconspicuously into our psyche, this movie simply depicted everything that inflicts our society.

A week to liberate myself from nostalgia and garner greater happiness from most insignificant moments – a week in Goa spent hopping around and lazing by the Mandovi river and Kingfisher village, a week that past by while I was easy, shopping, eating, buying food (prawn pickles, bebinca cakes, cashew nuts) and Christmas goodies, a week when I watched four films everyday on big screens, waited in queues outside theatres and attended film premiere like never before, a week with biryanis and beers for breakfasts and tequila sunrises and B-52 shooters to call off the days, a week when I actually lived on more beer and less water, a week when Office was last thing to have appeared in mind even after I visited the Raj Bhavan, a week when I hopped onto islands while on a drive (San Jacinto island) and passed past scary memory lanes (which I hope and believe to have passed away – literally and metaphorically), a week to liberate me from Nostalgia and the FAIRYTALE, to liberate me from all that I believed was my everything in this life…

Cheers...!

True Lies...!!!

dis day last year...March 31st, 2011!

My Interview...

Thursday, The 31^st of March 2011, Afternoon, Dholpur House, UPSC Office… the spacious hall with a high dome… And comfortable teak chairs to recline back and look at the dome of the Dholpur House!!!

After sometime (just 3 hours later) an attendant came to call me to the interview room. I went and waited there with resilience and optimism. Finally, the Chairman called for the next candidate.

Just opened the door and a pleasant welcome from the Chairman Sir before I could wish him. Wished him, the members on the right and the Lady Member (Member 3). I was offered a seat and sat down quietly, relaxedly (I was the last one to be interviewed….. had to wait in the waiting hall for the hour I waited earnestly for years).

Chairman:

Chairman: I cannot pronounce your name….is it Hepshiba Rani Korrrrlaaaapathhhhi…..?

Me: Sir, Hephsiba Rani Korlapati

Chairman: Can I call you Rani

Me: Yes Sir

Chairman: So, you have finished Masters in Geography in last June. What are you doing these days? Are you sitting idle at home?

Me: Sir, actually after mains examination, I got a call from IIT-Delhi to join for research, for Ph.D. programme.

Chairman: You are a humanities student from Delhi University, how did you get a call from IIT?

Me: Sir, IIT-Delhi has Department of Humanities and Social Sciences and I applied for Policy Studies area. The topic I proposed to study was “The impact of urban policy and governance reforms”.

Chairman: Did you join there?

Me: Sir, I requested for some time.

Chairman: So, what are your priorities in an urban area?

Me: Sir, my priorities would be to enhance the service delivery mechanism and make services more accessible and effective.

Chairman: How can you make their more effective?

Me: Sir, we have institutions and infrastructure already in place in most of the cities. All we need to do is to make them more workable, more efficient and effective.

Chairman: List out the services you want to provide.

Me: Sir, I would work to provide the Basic Services for the Urban Poor. They include sanitation, education, especially school/primary education – and education not just for mere numbers but qualitative education which will be beneficial in the future development of our country.

Chairman: So, what will you do under sanitation, provide toilets?

Me: Yes Sir, providing toilets will be the first step. And separate toilets for men and women. And mostly women who suffer from this problem.

Chairman: I agree, women suffer the most. So, what should we do?

Me: Sir, we need to improve the accessibility in terms of spacing the toilets, spreading them across the cities. And we do have Nirmal Gram Puraskar awards to promote this idea of sanitation.

Chairman: Tell me one initiative in this regard.

Me: ______________

Chairman: What do you find when you move around?

Me:________________hmmmmmmm

Chairman: You are staying in Delhi. You should know this.

Me: __________ Sir, Sulabh complex.

Chairman: Yes, Yes. What do you know about this?

Me: Sir, they are well spread out throughout the city. They provide separate toilets for men and women.

Chairman: How are they maintained?

Me: Sir, I think they are maintained by the User Pays principle.

Chairman: What is your opinion? Should the users pay for this service?

Me: Yes Sir. But it should be a very minimal charge.

Chairman: What will you do if you don’t get into civil services this attempt? Will you go for research? What’s your priority?

Me: Sir, Civil Services is my priority. I would love to pursue higher studies too Sir.

Member 1

Member 1: You told you proposed to work on urban policy. What exactly is your emphasis?

Me: Sir, actually I proposed to assess the impact of urban policy and specifically JNNURM policy with Vijayawada city as the case-study, which I believe has transformed the city. JNNURM has been hailed as one of the biggest reforms-linked development programmes of our country. I have followed it closely as my father works in the Municipal Corporation. It is a successful programme in the city and proposed to assess the nature of policies – both in content and implementation and add a third dimension of impact assessment – wherein the physical and social impact would be assessed at multi-levels – at the level of individuals, communities, groups and the overall city. And it is a case-study of Vijayawada city. The city won the Best City Award under JNNUURM this year in December.

Member 1: You said that your father is in the Municipal Corporation. What are the problems there?

Me: Sir, there are several problems. Finances/lack of funds, personnel/inadequate staff, and the multiplication of tasks. I find multiplication is a severe problem because the same work is done again and again. There is separate department to build houses, another department to lay roads and a third one to dig the drains. It amounts to both time and economic cost overruns Sir.

Member 1: So, what is the major source of revenue in Municipal Corporations?

Me: Advertisements/hoardings form a large share, Sir.

Member 1: What about property tax?

Me: Sir, I am sorry. Property tax constitutes the major proportion as a source of revenue Sir.

Member 1: Do you know how it is levied?

Me: Sorry Sir, I don’t know.

Member 1: What should be the criteria according to you?

Me: Sir, it should be a multiple criteria. The very base or the space and location, the building materials used in construction and the level of income of the people.

Member 1: Income tax is already levied

Me: But income directly affects the kind of accommodation one owns Sir.

Member 1: Due to multiple criteria, there are several problems like false reporting and corruption.

Me: Sir, tax collection is one thing and to counter corruption is on a different front. Both have to be tackled Sir.

Member 1: Tell me one thing – even after a two-hour rain why does Vijayawada get flooded completely?

Me: Sir, Vijayawada is on the banks of river Krishna and the river is in its last reaches when it reaches Vijayawada.

Member 1: It is because of the drainage system.

Me: Yes Sir, specially the 1 Town area. Other factors include congestion, old buildings, unplanned layouts.

Member 2:

Member 2: So you are from Telangana.

Me: Sir, I have both identities – of Coastal Andhra and Telangana. My father belongs to Krishna district and my mother is from Khammam district. These districts are adjoining to each other.

Member 2: What is the third region?

Me: Sir, Rayalaseema.

Member 2: There is a very sensitive issue in one of the regions. What do you know of it?

Me: The demand for a separate Telangana state is the issue. And this demand is a reflection of a deep sense of deprivation of the Telangana people in Andhra Pradesh. The benefits of development have not percolated to the interior districts of Telangana region though the region is well ahead owing to the city of Hyderabad.

And Sir, Hyderabad exerts the maximum pull from all the three regions and there was continuous growth in investments and development due to high concentration of intelligentsia, industry, investments. And this development has been limited to the 3 districts which constitute Hyderabad – Hyderabad, Rangareddy and Medak. While political leaders maneuver…

Member 2: Is there any background to these developments now?

Me: Yes Sir. The movement started in the very early phase after the state of Andhra Pradesh was created in 1956. It was created as a separate state in 1953 on the basis of language. In 1956, states were re-organized. (The member stops me abruptly)

Member 2: Andhra Pradesh had another capital earlier. What was it?

Me: Sir, Kurnool was the first capital of Andhra Pradesh.

And in the late 1960s and early 1970s, there was a huge agitation for a separate state of Telangana. Government employees and students, unemployed youth led the movement and the movement has crept to the grassroots level Sir.

Member 2: What do you know about Red Corridor?

Me: Sir, the naxal-affected districts in our country are referred to as the Red Corridor. It covers about 160 districts lying in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal – where the movement actually began, Bihar, Tamil Nadu.

Member 2: Not in Tamil Nadu. It ends with Bhadrachalam in Andhra Pradesh.

Me: Sir, 2 districts in the North West Tamil Nadu.

Member 2: What is the stand of Communists on Telangana?

Me: Sir, Communists support the formation of the Telangana state. In the 2004 elections, they joined with the Congress party which promised Telangana in its manifesto. But, they do switch sides, in support or against.

Member 2: Ok. Well! What do you think is the biggest contribution of the Nizam rule?

Me: Sir, it is the cultural integration. Hindu-Muslim Unity, Sir. The cultural heritage of the Nizams was the biggest contributions of the Nizam era Sir. Sir, the Nizam empire extended from Hyderabad to the Bay of Bengal, and there was remarkable unity among the people in the Nizam rule. For a fact, the cosmopolitan character of today’s Hyderabad can be seen as a legacy of the erstwhile Nizam rule Sir.

Member 2: Not your college?

Me: Sir, yes our college also. Popularly known as Women’s college, Koti, it was established in 1924. It caters to education of young women in Hyderabad.

Member 3:

Member 3: Hephsiba, you have a very unique name. What does it mean and how did you get this name?

Me: Ma’m, Hephsiba means My Delight In Her. It was my mother’s teacher’s name.

Member 3: Why is Japan in news these days?

Me: Japan experienced an earthquake which generated a tsunami, Ma’m. Japan lies in the Pacific Ring of Fire, Ring of Fire as we call it in geography. The earth is essentially made up of 12 plates which are in motion. And when the plates slide past one another, it leads to tectonic movements.

In the case of Japan, an earthquake occurred off the coast of Japan which generated a tsunami.

Member 3: What is the exact place where the earthquake took place?

Me: Ma’m it was underwater off the coast of a place called Tohoku. The earthquake occurred at a depth of 32kms and about 70 kms away from the coast. And waves rushed into the mainland, rising to a height of 10 metres. The intensity was 9 on Richter scale which caused great damage to the coastal regions.

Member 3: What is the impact of the disaster on the Japanese economy?

Me: Japan is completely devastated Ma’m. The physical and social infrastructure was completely damaged. In the case of Japan, the nuclear reactors are also affected. In a country which depends on nuclear and does not have access to alternatives like wind or solar energy, this is a direct hit on the power sector. A hit on the power sector is a hit on the entire economy as a whole.

Member 3: Do you think it has an effect on the world economy?

Me: Yes Ma’m. Japan is one of the three largest economies of the world and it has a direct impact on the world economy. For example, Japan will not be able to pay the same prices for imports like she could pay before. Therefore, even the world economy gets impacted.

Member 3: You have mentioned watching tennis, playing badminton and Photoshop as your hobbies. What is Photoshop?

Me: Photoshop is a new entry into the Oxford dictionary Ma’m. Photoshop refers to editing images on the computer Ma’m.

Member 3: What do you mean by home-making?

Chairman asks: Are you married?

Me: No Sir.

Chairman: You are into home-making without marriage. Explain.

Me: Ma’m refers to all activities one does at home. Ma’m, we are 5 siblings at home and I am the 2^nd daughter. Assisting my mother in domestic work at home has been my favourite past-time since childhood.

Member 3: Ok. That you call as home-making. In south India, people generally watch movies a lot.

Chairman interrupts: Not only in South, movie-watching is an all-India phenomenon. All of us watch movies. You people in South India are crazy. are you crazy?

Me: Yes Sir.
Chairman: Prove that you South Indians are crazy for movies.
Me: Sir, all Indians watch movies. In the case of south India, it is a bit more undoubtedly. In the south, almost every street is named after a theatre Sir. In Vijayawada, we have Apsara theatre sandhu. To prove our craziness, if there is no theatre in a street, we first build a theatre and then name our streets. Sir, 40% of the total theatres in our country are located in the four southern states Sir.

Member 3: In the southern states there is a trend of film stars entering politics – be it M.G.R., N.T.R, Jaya Lalitha...

Me: Chiranjeevi Ma’m.

Member 3: Yes. How can you explain this?

Me: Ma’m, I can give an insider’s viewpoint on this. Movies have a greater appeal on the largest population. People love watching movies, admire film stars and movies are into the lives of the people. And film stars generally have huge popularity. When a film star enters politics, the entire fandom gets transformed as voters and they become politicians.

Member 3: Is this trend effective?

Me: Ma’m. I can say this was effective in the case of Andhra Pradesh. When N.T.Rama Rao came to power, he stood for the Telugu people. He promoted the identity of the Telugu people beyond the Telugu land beyond too, for example TANA. TANA is the Telugu Association of North America. He also implemented the benefits he promised in the manifesto. In his case, I can say it was effective.

Member 3: You mean to say that film stars can be efficient politicians.

Me: I don’t agree Ma’m. Not in all cases.

Member 4:

Member 4: I don’t have many questions for you. Just one question. Recently the Ministry for Human Resources Development has released a working paper on “Sensitization of Working Women”. Are you aware of this?

Me: No Sir.

Member 4: Okay, can you explain me the difference between Sensitization and Empowerment in general.

Me: I can attempt to explain Sir. Sir, Sensitization refers to making one aware of one’s own space, their position in the society, to discover one’s own self. Empowerment refers to moving to a better level. Like, sensitization is the first step. One needs to be sensitized to move ahead. And Sir, women have to be sensitized. As a home-maker, not just working women but even homemakers have to be sensitized. They need to know their talents to break the barriers to come out of homes. And Sir, home is just a smaller version of an office administrative setting. An effective home-maker can be an efficient manager undoubtedly Sir.

Chairman: No, no… women at home are empowered. At my home, they are empowered. And laughs. All the members join the Chairman.

Chairman:

Chairman: I have one final question.

Me: Yes Sir.

Chairman: If you have to select a movie star as a politician, whom will you select?

Me: Sir, it will be a coalition of film stars Sir.

Chairman: Then, whom will you select as Prime Minister?

Me: Sir, I will shoot a movie with a Politician first and make him the Prime Minister Sir.

Chairman: Big laugh.

Everybody laughs.

I'm giving you the highest marks today. You may go now.

Thank You Sir. Thank You Sirs. Thank You Madam.

Dignity is her birthright!

The Hindu : Opinion / Lead : Dignity is her birthright

Women do not walk in a state of perpetual consent. But women do seem to labour under a delusion that it is safe for them to walk in public spaces, to travel in buses and trains. It obviously is not. They can be raped. It is difficult to understand rape. Rape is not about chastity or virginity. Long before these concepts were constructed, long before the institution of marriage was founded, a man raped a woman whenever he broke her sexual autonomy without her saying “yes.” It is a violation of her right to equality and her right to live with dignity which “We” promised ourselves when we gave to ourselves the Constitution. Surely women are included in the “We” of the Preamble, aren't they? 

We have banished our own brethren:(

The Hindu : Opinion / Open Page : Why have we banished our own brethren?

On the eve of the moving of the Draft Constitution in 1949, Dr. Ambedkar expressed his insurmountable fear over the existing inequalities in Indian society. He observed:

“On 26th Jan 1950 we are going to enter a life of contradictions. In politics we will have equality and in social and economic life we will have inequality. In politics we will be recognising the principle of one man and one vote, one value. In our social and economic life we shall by reason of our social and economic structure continue to deny the principle of one man, one value.”

Dr. Ambedkar was well aware of the discrimination faced by Dalits due to the institutionalised caste system. He said: “On the social plane, we have an India based on the principles of graded inequality, which means elevation of some and degradation of others. On the economic plane, we have a society in which there are some who have immense wealth as against many who live in abject poverty.”

Dr. Ambedkar's observations were true, made on the basis of some of his own painful experiences, when way back in 1918 in spite of attaining high educational qualifications he was not allowed to drink water from a pot ‘reserved' for the high caste professorial staff at Sydenham College of Commerce and Economics in Mumbai. Dr. Ambedkar realised then that education had not succeeded in bringing out the desired attitudinal change in most of the “upper” caste people towards Dalits. “Upper caste” in village or city even with the highest degrees shared the same mindset when issues of Dalits emerged.

Casablanca!!! The 70th Anniversary Edition!

All what i see is this... and the world goes on...!

           To be a woman, is to be vulnerable; and to be an accomplished woman, is to be more vulnerable. It is often quashed out plainly by many that successful women are not subjected to gender discrimination or violence in public spaces and is also generalized that success in career eliminates the prejudices which victimize the weaker sex in our society. Is there any substantial truth in this or is the reality disguised in the garb of HER success? The truth is that gender discrimination still persists at a different level when women achieve success and become independent in the society, at least in the economic terms.

Gender insensitivity is high in our society; and sadly, the educated men are no exception to this insensitive mental framework. A couple of weeks back, I was taken aback and mutely silenced to contemplation when I listened to a conversation of my intellectual and esteemed colleagues. The talk was quite open (I mean, I don’t want to be accused of eavesdropping into their private conversations) and they did know I happened to be there when the discussion was on. My colleagues went on to describe their school days; guessing as to what glued the attention of the senior boys to television screens – quoting particular scenes from movies and the depictions of the actresses in an appealing manner. They recollected songs from the movie Bombay – where the heroine yearns earnestly to be with the hero and is depicted to be running passionately towards him in a musical number.

There was yet another discussion where in the woman was viewed as soft and easy targets for the men folk to talk about. The guys sarcastically passed a comment that women ought to be conserved like animals as they are also very appealing to the eye and tongue and there should be institutions to protect the existence of women on the lines of PETA. Forms of injustice, discrimination and violence mentioned in concealed undertones of casual speech often remains unnoticed and ignored, but this kind of ill-mannered behavior is sickening and irrefutably unacceptable in sheer sarcastic sense, as if it were for mere metaphorical pun (intent less, unbelievable?).

It is often depressing to see my counterparts at unease when there are debates on gender issues, on dowry-related matters and discussions on this cause – to protect and secure the dignity of women in our society. Also lately, I realized that dowry is the most invisible, leveling ground of all men who perpetrate discrimination violently or silently. A large percentage of the men demand dowry as if it is their birthright; and the few noble men who shun giving or taking dowry on public platforms and who vouch better status of their wives, also take dowry – to ensure financial security throughout the posterity. Yes, dowry levels them all!

The male counterparts also take it for granted to comment on women openly and to call them with names in their private chats. It is below the dignity of educated men holding responsible positions (ill-educated and irresponsible) to indulge in talks and gossips on – what a female should be talking; what kind of clothes would suit best on the women around them; defining and deciding on how much conservative or liberal the women should be; throwing guesses at what ill-luck guys marrying accomplished girls would be inviting upon themselves (sympathizing for their men folk), promoting the noble idea of home-makers as being the only righteous women with rightful jobs – as if it is unbecoming of women to get access into the workplaces and so on. Interestingly, the men who shower praises for the women in their life, respect the working women in their own household calling it empowerment, hold their mothers and sisters in high esteem are the same men who stoop down to qualify other accomplished women as ‘arrogant’, ‘shrewd’, ‘high-headed’, or ‘undeserving’, et cetera.

To protect the dignity of every individual is the basic duty of everybody. This basic right cannot be denied to the majority of our populace and disguised in any garb like success or empowerment. Asserting the rights of the weaker sex and voicing the genuine concerns of the contemporary woman, should not be underlined as Feminism or any other Ism and quashed away lightly. The world continues to move on; and indisputably every woman does have a preserving hope to see more considerate men around her who can uphold law and secure her dignity at home and in the workplace assuredly.

Nothing's gonna change my love for You...

one of my first photoshop creations...learnings rather!

Travelogue On 'A Tour To Remember'!

The Winter Study Tour/ Bharat Darshan is the most pertinent and perhaps the single most exciting opportunity for the I.A.S. Officer Trainees to explore the country, live the rough realities, whet their perspectives to diversities and understand the often-read nuances of Indian administration through lived experiences.

The tour will remain a fond memory for there were many firsts I’ve experienced in my life. I got an opportunity to visit North-East India (and also stayed for comfortably longer period of time – just over a quarter duration of the trip’s time), the first time I’ve flown to an island, the first I was completely in the ocean waters with no land in the visible vicinity, the first time I was in the great Indian desert, many firsts for a student of geography, undoubtedly! Ms.Ragini, a Sociologist friend of mine helped me buy a Mekhla Chaddar in Guwahati and even taste the world’s hottest chilli – Bhoot Jolokia, for the first time (probably, the last time too).

To be contemplative when on a tour is a biggest asset, to enjoy the tour impeccably. Melting prejudices, underplaying preconceived notions (even the few that I possessed) and having a reflective mind throughout the tour was truly a source of strength all along the arduous journey. In hindsight, I now realize that this attitude I had adapted during the BD, helped me to exact the maximum from every place we visited, from every experience we lived and to live every moment to the fullest.

It has to be mentioned that the visit to the city of Nagpur had significant moments for the group as we happened to attend the Republic Day celebrations – the first to celebrate after we joined the steel frame of the country. The visit to Nagpur has been a revisit to the Indian National Movement for the evident legacy of Dr. B.R.Ambedkar from the Railway Station to every corner of the city and undoubtedly a glance into the future too, for its development initiatives under the Municipal Corporation. There is also one restaurant in Nagpur, worth-mentioning here – Tuli International. Famous for continental cuisine, they have differential billing plans for a buffet meal, I was surprised – the ladies are charged a little lower than the men. I was happy to see Hotel Management experts honing their managerial skills by being sensitive to gender concerns.

Visiting different places and interacting with new people is in itself a tremendous learning experience. As we traversed across the length and breadth of the nation and had the opportunity to see firsthand lifestyles of different peoples and the different cultures that constitute our nation. We went to the eastern-most road of the country in Arunachal Pradesh, treaded the Stillwell Road and became part of history – of the then British India. Being in Group 8 also gave us the wonderful opportunity to peep into the Chinese territory across the Line of Actual Control and also to walk down few steps into the foreign territory of Myanmar, when we went to see the Pangsu Pass – yes, another First for me! In the North-East, Nature is simply at Her best – serene, pristine and promising. Even the slightest bustling of leaves only signified that there is a time for everything in this Nature – a time to flower and a time to fall, a time to flourish and a time to perish.

            The first ten days and a mid-week in January seemed as though the group was on a pilgrimage tour. The itinerary was lined up with visits to places of historical and cultural importance. We were on a cleansing mission – at Khajuraho, Benares, Sarnath, Bodh Gaya, Nalanda, Patna, Guwahati, Parashuramkund, Dragon temples at unscheduled (may be pre-destined) stops, and several other religious shrines. Lines from the school history textbooks were literally standing as architectural monuments and world heritage sites in front of my eyes. The social histories of the deprived people haunted me here. Of course, I did the craziest thing on the tour in one of these places while at Bodh Gaya – where I got a Buddhist Monk’s attire tailored for myself along with two other friends in the group.

The attachment with the defence forces was just not firing real guns but a learning platform for me – the army jawans literally live in inhospitable places (Army attachment in Arunachal Pradesh), the navy personnel are on the high seas for over six months in a row (Western Naval Command, Colaba, Mumbai), the air force flying officers consciously risk their life every time when they have to fly the outdated copters and crafts (Air Force Academy, Gwalior). The presentation on the Battle of Walong and the visit to the War Memorials was a moment of contemplation and sympathy, and silenced me to stillness. The solidarity of the defence forces to secure the nation is highly commendable. As we embark upon the journey into the civil services and take up the task of civil administration, the attachment with the defence forces gave us great insight into the functioning of defence services at the extreme conditions. This has also sensitized us to the problems faced by the defence personnel and their families. This experience would also give us an opportunity to improve the quality of interface between civil administration and defence forces in the future.

We had the opportunity to visit three metropolitan cities of the country – Kolkata, Mumbai and New Delhi. Brief visits though, I had the best of the memories in these cities.
      Though we spent just few hours in Kolkata, as it was just a transit stop in our itinerary, I bumped into several places – University of Calcutta, Presidency College, Park Street (not to forget, Flury’s), State Emporium, St.Paul’s Cathedral, of course, the Howrah Bridge. Truly, it is a City of Joy – and immense joy to be out with a good old friend, as tall as Mr.Hirak Choudhury.
       The visit to Mumbai is special for a reason larger than life, for it seemed to be a leaf from the pre-destined scheme of events in my life – for on the very first day that I step in this city of dreams, I had the rarest, unplanned chance to go with Darpan anna (brother) to the historic Presidential building – the Raj Bhawan, the residence of The Governor of Maharashtra and spent the evening watching the sun sink in the west from the scenic sunset point. Ate street food in the evenings (Bademiya near Gateway of India), loitered in the cosmopolitan world, walked past along big houses on Pedder Road and Carter Road with a senior in College, Ms. Saumya Pandey. Truly, great times!
      In Delhi, we attended the attachments with National Security Guards (Manesar) and Maruti Company (Gurgaon). Immensely, educative and informative sessions before our block leave had begun.

The island attachment was filled with fun and frolic. We bathed in the clear waters of the Radhanagar beach, played beach volley-ball with friends. Everything was unbelievably good – walking on the white sands as the shells kissed my feet, visiting the Baratung caves and re-visiting the ‘Cave Swimmers’ in The English Patient, asserting there is nothing called as mud volcano (for it seemed as if a mortar was fitted underground to ooze mud on to the surface at regular intervals), the motor boat rides, the ships, the shores and the high seas. To add on, we had a befitting revelry on the New Year’s Eve in the lawns of the residence of the Chief Secretary in Port Blair. Along with the merry time, we were also briefed on the different aspects of the island administration, the scope and prospects of tourism as an industry, the reserve forest and the need to protect them, the indigenous tribes, their primitive lifestyles (of course, we did see the Jarawas on our way to Baratung), and so on.
The visit to various sites did prove to be a first-hand experience for many of us who had very little practical knowledge of the issues in administration – value addition to the theoretical inputs collected over the years. To mention about few other attachments:

      Don Bosco Institute, Guwahati has done very well in social sector as well as in the development of human resources in the North-East India. The support and collaboration with NGO will help a big way in achieving the goals of sustainable development. We, as partakers of roles and responsibilities in the government must support these kinds of activities and promote good working NGOs.

      During the Tribal attachment, we were briefed about the tribal administration in the district of Pratapgarh, by the district officials. Issues relating to health, education, livelihood, etc, were explained to us in detail. Personally for me, it was an appalling sight as the landscape from Udaipur to Pratapgarh just reminded me that Rajasthan constitutes the R in the BIMARU group of states.

      The visit to Nagpur has been a real learning experience (though, it was a little technical in few sessions and areas) as we were taken to the actual sites of work execution; exposed to – different departments, policy implementation at local level; briefed on critical concerns in urban administration. At the end of the 3-day visit, we did appreciate that the efficient delivery of basic services to the urban poor and efficient co-ordination of different departments are the imperatives for the successful governance of our cities.

      The attachment with the private sector, the Tata Steel at Jamshedpur, has exposed us to the working of one of the biggest Private sector companies in India. Their corporate strategies can be looked into more details to figure out some efficiency generating measures. Also this attachment enabled us to realize the importance of close working of Private companies and Government for the rise of India and to foster new understanding between the two.

Here, I also find it apt to make a note of few phrases which caught my attention while on the tour: ‘Deliver with Dignity’ (Maternity Hospital theme in Shivpuri), ‘Values stronger than Steel’ (at Tata Steel Plant, Jamshedpur), ‘Imitation of alien faith is slavery’ (reads a pamphlet/notice for Indigenous Celebrations in Hayuliang). The words on an epitaph for an anonymous soldier at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery in Digboi: ‘a soldier of the Indian army is honoured here’ and the Times Magazine comment inscribed in stone at the Helmet Top after the Battle of Walong ‘at Walong, the troops lacked everything, except guts’ subdued me. Shuddering words, I admit!

I would like to place on record and express my sincere gratitude to the LBSNAA for the extensively planned tour, and our esteemed faculty who made us realize the essence of this phase of training through many inputs and insights when we were at academy. Without their efforts and guidance, this tour wouldn’t have been successful and outstanding for anyone of us. The continuous assistance and logistical support of Training –II section throughout the tour and round-the-clock deserves special mention here. The DoPT also ended the quandary over the cadre allocation when we were in Digboi as part of the attachment with Oil India Limited.

The cooperation, warmth, camaraderie and understanding shown by my team members were invaluable. Deepap Priya and I were treated with consideration even as we enjoyed the ‘advantage’ of being lady Officer Trainees – being the first ones to grab a bite when hungry, lucky ones to stay in the best of the rooms and add glamour to moments captured in time. To have shared a room with Deepap Priya, a prompt and jovial person was also a reason to enjoy the trip. It was undoubtedly an experience that has added to my learning and whetted my understanding! 

Making this trip has been an experience unparalleled for all of us. Travelling as a team, we pooled in ideas, not to forget money, to make the trip more splendid and memorable for all of us. Our group leader, Mr.Vijay Datta, possessed the talent of exploring common ground/ convergence for various perspectives, address the varying concerns (many of them were very trivial) and the different minds of members, act spontaneously and precisely to the situation. A situational leader, undoubtedly, he was a successful manager on the move for two months – his endurance is worth all appreciation and expertise worth emulating by the other Officer Trainees. An unbelievable experience!

To end with, “if to see is to believe, then to record is to re-live!” And, to write a travelogue is to re-live a journey called Experience. Re-living the best of the times again, I leave here one of the musings I penned down while in the Andaman Islands:

I see the ocean, calm and clear, deep and blue,

My emotions pour and roll down in many a hue,

Tiny wants from within, and a hidden want,

Of the silent soul, find way out in a sudden vent.

I listen to an inner voice of a prolonged desire,

Calling me in soft echo, that haunts me now here,

Amidst innumerable wishful nocturnal secrets,

Shadowed by unreal and ephemeral thoughts.

Even when Nature's rhythms do relentlessly reveal,

Through her blissful solace, solitude and serenity,

We do make many trials, to keep our nature conceal,

And do only fail, after all toil, with utter certainty.

Yes, Nature!

Mother Nature - 

She reveals, as she treads to conquer eternity,

Unveils ways unknown, to discover subtlety

For Toddlers - 

Yes, for me!

That...

Everything in universe, is even; winds with waves,

Skies with oceans do mutely converse and lay bare,

That minds of men, peak highs, yet remain mere caves,

And are still unborn, for they know not to care or share...

For A Freedom Beyond Horizon - To Be Her Own Self!

It's been long after I penned down this poem. With the passing of time, I only realize that every word of hope has a life promised unto eternity and every thought I gave form to in the past, still remains so contemporaneous in any setting, real, unchanging and re-emerging in one way or the other. I'm reminded of what Dutta Ma'm reiterated several times during her lectures at DSE - contexts are like ghosts, they disappear, they are deceptive, but they don't die out completely, they continue to haunt like ghosts relentlessly.

Yes, even if transformed and empowered, I know the erstwhile position can always be resurrected. Sad, demeaning and utterly disgraceful. Contextualizing the tagline of my blog, this poem conveys a deep sense of despair and yet, hopes for hope...on this day again...the March 8th, International Women's Day...

She did lose her free will
Only for a piece of an apple
She longed all her life
Merely for a glint of freedom.

She does bear it still
With no thought to grapple
She endured awful strife
Relinquishing her queendom.

She does whisper a scream
As she did down the lane
Since yester ages, longing for –
The Freedom To Be Different.

She does renew her hope,
To unveil her concealed stance,
The freedom to be her own self –
A facsimile of virtues.

Yes, of virtues – free and uniquely hers,
For display even before sunrise,
To stay on beyond the horizon,
Securing and reassuring,
Her only hope to dream,
Of the longpending quest,
Of every Woman after Eve,
Every moment since the fall,
– For A Freedom beyond horizon.