Window Seat | Mrinal Chatterjee | 26.3.
23
Why?
Often the journalists are asked “Why
are you writing about issues which are often not taken up by the administrators
and politicians. Why ..when there is nobody to listen?
I have been a journalist of one and
half decade and been teaching journalism for over two decades now. I need to
answer.
And the answer is, if there is a spot
light on issues like say increasing crime, like say providing more space to
women in festivals like Holi or even issues like poor public transport or air pollution,
concerned administrators and politicians feel impelled to do something about
it. Because the administrators believe it might adversely impact their career,
if they do not do anything about it. And the politicians believe it might
influence votes. But if the issue is never been acknowledged it never gets
better. That is why we need to continue to write on issues which need attention,
even if apparently nobody notices it.
150 years of trams in India
February 2023 marked
150 years of trams on the streets of Kolkata, the first Indian city to have
trams. The first trams, drawn by horses, took to Calcutta
streets on February 24, 1873.
150
years later, Kolkata remains the only city in India where trams are still
plying. The system is operated by the Calcutta
Tramways Company (CTC), which was established in 1880. The CTC is also one of
the few tram operators in the world that still uses manually operated trams.
However,
once upon a time, in the heyday of trams, they were a popular mode of urban
transport that could be found across India, in big metropolises such as Delhi, Mumbai
(then Bombay), and Chennai (then Madras), as well as smaller towns such as Nashik
(it was the third city in India after
Kolkata and Mumbai to get trams in 1889), Patna, Kanpur and
Bhavnagar.
The Mumbai tram system, which was started in
1907, operated for nearly 40 years before it was closed down in 1947. The
Chennai tram system, which began operations in 1895, was closed in 1953. The
Kanpur tram system, which was started in 1907, operated for over 40 years
before it was closed in 1958.
This is unfortunate, as the tram is an
eco-friendly and economic mode of urban transport. It is still being used in
many developed countries. In German trams are still a common mode of
transportation in many German cities, including Berlin, Frankfurt, Cologne, and
Munich. The tramway system in France is one of the largest in the world, with
trams operating in cities such as Paris, Lyon, Bordeaux, and Nice. Trams are
still a popular form of transportation in many Russian cities, including
Moscow, Saint Petersburg, and Kazan. Belgium presently has five tram systems in
operation. Trams are in use in several
cities of UK, USA, Australia, Turkey and several other countries as well.
Water
India has 18 percent
of the world's population, but only 4 percent of its water resources, making it
among the most water-stressed countries in the world. Pundits predict that we
may face high to extreme water stress in near future. As summer approaches,
water scarcity is looming large at many cities and towns in India.
In the 75 years since
Independence, annual per capita availability of water has declined by 75% –
from 6,042 cubic meters in 1947 to 1,486
cubic meters in 2021.
In this situation it seems almost
suicidal the way we waste our water and pollute our water bodies. Hundreds of
rivulets and nalas have just
disappeared or have been turned into narrow drains.
We drain our industrial effluents
and sewage into rivers. This, when water
holds great significance in Indian culture and is considered sacred and pure.
It is believed to be a source of life and a symbol of purity and cleansing.
Here are some examples of how water is valued in Indian culture. Rivers such as
the Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati are considered holy, and millions of people
take part in religious rituals and bathe in their waters to cleanse themselves
of sins and attain spiritual purification. Water is used as an offering to the
gods during prayer and worship.
At times I strongly feel we surely do not
deserve the natural resources that we have been bestowed with.
Tailpiece: Perfect timing
It was autumn, and the Red
Indians asked their New Chief if the winter was going to be cold or mild.
Since he was a Red Indian chief
in a modern society, he couldn't tell what the weather was going to be.
Nevertheless, to be on the safe
side, he replied to his Tribe that the winter was indeed going to be cold and
that the members of the village should collect wood to be prepared.
But also being a practical
leader, after several days he got an idea. He went to the phone booth, called
the National Weather Service and asked 'Is the coming winter going to be
cold?'
'It looks like this winter is going
to be quite cold indeed,' the weather man responded.
So the Chief went back to his
people and told them to collect even more wood. A week later, he called the
National Weather Service again. 'Is it going to be a very cold winter?'
'Yes,' the man at National
Weather Service again replied, 'It's definitely going to be a very cold
winter.'
The Chief again went back to his
people and ordered them to collect every scrap of wood they could find.
Two weeks later, he called the
National Weather Service again.
'Are you absolutely sure that the
winter is going to be very cold?' 'Absolutely,' The man replied. 'It's going to
be one of the coldest winters ever.'
'How can you be so sure?' the
Chief asked.
The weatherman replied, 'The Red
Indians are collecting wood like crazy.'
Incidentally this is how Stock
markets sometimes work.
(Courtesy: Social Media)
++
Sikkim Express, 26.3.23
No comments:
Post a Comment