Delhi - Part Deux

Lodi Tombs and Gardens 

The Lodi Tombs and Gardens - spread over 100 acres with 200 species of trees and 50 species of birds - are as beautifully landscaped and preserved as ever.  We saw the 15th and 16th century tombs at night on one of our long walks: the tombs of Mohammed Shah and Sikander Lodi, the Sheesh Gumbad and Bara Gumbad, and the Athpula Bridge. We also caught a glimpse the next day of tombs in Nizamuddin.  

Delhi's famed tombs, mausoleums and fortresses dating from the 12th to the late 17th century are the one thing that is so unique to India. Yes, Pakistan has tombs and yes, that kind of structure may have come from Persia (Iran) but the beauty of Indo-Islamic architecture owes a good deal to Hindu influences: the skill and craftsmanship of Hindu artisans balanced against the beauty and symmetry of Islamic art, finding its culmination many years later in the Tomb of Humayun and the Taj Mahal.  

The Archaeological Survey hasn't missed a beat. Judging from their work in the Lodi Gardens and Cambodia's Angkor Wat Temples I visited two years ago, I think that the preservation of historical sites is something that India may do far better than other countries. 

Mark Tully

We spent a pleasant evening with Sir Mark Tully, famed radio broadcaster for the BBC during some of the most momentous events in Indian history: the Emergency, Operation Bluestar, the assassination of Indira Gandhi, and the Union Carbide disaster in Bhopal. Tully - the recipient of numerous British and Indian honors - is the author of several books.  I had recently read aloud his piquant short story "The Ekka Driver" from "No Full Stops in India" to my friend's kids and they loved it!

We met Tully at his beautifully decorated home in Nizamuddin West where almost every inch of wall space is covered with original paintings and sketches. There was a Jatin Das sketch from more than 25 years ago of Lorna (who worked for the BBC) as well as the late Yedunandan, her colleague. 

Tully, who still does the occasional feature for BBC TV, lives with his long-time partner and Urdu writer, Gillian Wright; two noisy Labradors; and several servants, many generations of whom have worked with the Beeb. We also met author Satish Jacob, a former BBC assistant chief of bureau and later the ABC chief in Delhi; and Subhash Chakravarti, former bureau chief of the Times of India.

FAPS Reunion

Our high school reunion at the Dhaula Kuan Officers' Institute was a memorable evening of catching up with classmates we hadn't seen in many years and general nostalgia. There were several former service officers, including, the organizer Col. Vinod Bhargava and his wife Neena; and two spouses, Gen. J.J. Singh (former Chief of Army Staff and Governor of Arunachal Pradesh) married to classmate and former head girl, Anupama Miglani; and Air Cdre. K.B. Menon, married to classmate, Padmini Menon. There was also former head boy Deepak Kochhar and his wife Anita; Anita embraced and greeted us by name, much to our astonishment! Deepak had of course primed her!

In addition there was Shyam Venkatesh who, like us, is based Stateside; Hema Singh (now Sharma, who was also married to an army officer); Vinni Duggal, who retired from teaching at FAPS; Sudha Metre (now Tewari) who heads up the Parivar Seva Sanstha; Swaran Uppal (now called Kitty) and her husband Dr. Sushil Oberoi. Was it Padmini who said, we've heard of women changing surnames after getting married but our FAPS classmates had also changed first names - to add to the general confusion!  Swaran was now Kitty and Bhupinder (who didn't come) was now Rani!  

Sadly there were several no-shows: Sushma Kapoor (now Ramachandran), Bhupinder Sethi (now Sawhney), Vindu Mittal (now Goenka), Neera Gupta (now Goyal), Sid Chaudhuri (from Oz), Deepak Bhalla, and others whose contacts we did not have. We're hoping for a considerably bigger showing two years from now on FAPS Sports Day when it is traditional for former FAPSians to participate in the march past. Think of us oldies marching to Col. Bogey - with spouses and significant others whistling from the stands - and how fun that would be: holding ourselves upright, tummies in, chests out, eyes right!  Can't wait!

Gymkhana Club

Dinner at the Gymkhana Club, Safdarjung Road - where we were hosted by Asha and Choti Puri - was as great as I remembered it to be. The club also has the most fabulous parquet dance floor!

Once the sole prerogative of the ruling elite, including the Indian Civil Service and the Armed Forces - the Gymkhana is now used by the children of those former members. Though the normal waiting period to get membership is about 30 years, we heard that Rahul Gandhi recently became a member. 

Established in 1913, the Gymkhana was part of the grand design for Delhi's Imperial Celebrations by architect Sir Edwin Lutyens. There's something very "pucca" about the Club - the atmosphere is very old world British Raj. 

New Delhi, India

Nov. 24, 2014

Photos from my iPad:
Lodi Tombs, Gillian Wright, Mark Tully, FAPS Reunion, Gymkhana Club

Delhi: 11 Years Later

The Old Neighborhood

We went back to the old "ilaka" (neighborhood). Everything looks so different and it is all so dilapidated, it makes you want to weep!  Those who live in Delhi probably get so used to the general state of disrepair, peeling paint and public urination, that few notice anymore!  

Dust and More Dust! 

The one thing you can't miss is the dust, much of which is blown in from Western Rajasthan. It hangs in the air like an unshakeable pall that seeps into everything: clothes, hair, eyes, ears, nose, throat, lungs. The air is heavy with it. We got severe sinusitis and bronchial problems which feels like a very bad cold and cough but is in fact a dust allergy.  It stays with you and lingers in your lungs long after you depart.  How do people tolerate the dust and the long-term health problems it brings?

Unclean Air

In the mid-90s, people in Delhi realized they had the power to change the status quo.  A lawyer filed a case with the Indian Supreme Court about the health risks caused by air pollution from road vehicles. The Court decided that cars put into circulation after 1995 would run on unleaded fuel and, by 1998, Delhi was converted to 100 percent unleaded fuel. It became mandatory for all buses, three-wheelers and taxis to use CNG (compressed natural gas) instead of the diesel that was causing serious environmental pollution. 

When I visited India in 2003, I was pleasantly surprised that I could breathe the Delhi air.  Alas! Those gains are long lost as Indian car manufacturers are still using diesel. Most car companies sell CNG automobiles in Europe (where they are considered the best available technology), but don't do the same in India.

According to Urdu translator and writer, Gillian Wright, much of the smoke and haze that contributes to Delhi's severe pollution levels, comes from neighboring states, Haryana and U.P. where the poor light open fires to cook food or keep warm - with no regard for existing laws. 

World's Worst City for Pollution, says WHO Study 

Traffic and industrial emissions are a major cause of air pollution in Delhi and the main reason for the dense unhealthy smog that engulfs the city. According to a WHO Study, Delhi is considered the world's worst city for air pollution (worse even than Beijing), with an annual average of 153 micrograms of small particles (PM 2.5 per cubic metre).  Carbon monoxide is also way above safe levels and India has slipped in the 2014 Global Environment Performance Index to 155. 

With more than 8 million registered vehicles, Delhi is ahead of Beijing on pollution from particle matter. More than 1,000 new personal vehicles (cars, two-wheelers) are added each day while bus ridership is decreasing. Most of these vehicles use diesel which emit higher smoke, deadlier particles and more nitrogen dioxide than vehicles using petrol. These fine particles (or particulates) penetrate the lungs and bloodstream and are linked to increased bronchitis, lung cancer and heart disease.

Tarakki but at what Cost?

Delhi has made a lot of "tarakki" (progress) in terms of material wealth since 2003.  I didn't notice as many poor and homeless as in the past or as many beggars at traffic stops. There are thousands of vehicles on the roads and, yes, people seem to be prospering but at what cost to their health and their children's health from dust and pollution?  You can make all the money in the world and drive the most luxurious cars - but you still need to breathe the same noxious smoke- and dust-laden air and drive on the same roads and deal with the same traffic. 

According to experts, 10,000 people a year die prematurely as a result of Delhi's air pollution.  A 2013 study found air pollution to be the fifth largest killer in India, causing more than 600,000 premature deaths, up six times from 2000. 

Worst Traffic Ever!

Few people wear seat belts. People drink and drive routinely. Cars rush across four or five lanes of traffic from the extreme right to the extreme left lane and vice versa without signaling. I feel sorry for the policemen standing in the midst of heavy traffic trying to provide direction while narrowly escaping being run over. That happened recently, we were told - in front of the Moolchand Hospital when two traffic cops were killed by drunk drivers. 

No Regard for Pedestrians

There are no official sidewalks or footpaths. Where they exist, they are either broken or have been encroached on by road builders. If you are on foot, you must walk alongside traffic while somehow keeping your limbs from being injured, fight your way through traffic, and run across roads heavy with traffic. Vehicles routinely ignore red lights and don't bother to stop for pedestrians. Your ears are assaulted by the horns. I think they learn to sound their horns before they learn to steer!

32/202 Vikram Vihar

We walked to Vikram Vihar our first evening: breathing in the dust, smoke and other pollution. We also ran across roads in the midst of traffic (did that in Mumbai as well where there appears to be no other alternative to crossing most roads).  The trip to Vikram Vihar was unplanned and in the dark as Lorna was clamoring to see "battees batta do-so-do" (32/202) - where we used to live. The gulmohar and jacaranda trees that lined the blocks have disappeared and so have the fruit trees (jamun, mango, custard apple, guava, chico, pomegranate) in our garden. The present owner has built up the entire area.  The whole space is covered and there is no garden.  

We should've kept our pristine memories and not seen the current unkempt state of the place.  Sadly, we didn't know anyone and no one knew us.  

Guru Nanak Market in Vikram Vihar was also looking very deteriorated.  We were told that Rashid, the "kasai" (butcher), had passed on three years ago.  He was in good health and very friendly when I met him in 2003 and reminded him I was "Leslie ka bahen (Leslie's sister).  This time we spoke with Rashid's son and the person who took over the business. 

FAPS

En route to Vikram Vihar, we passed Lajpat Bhavan and our alma mater, the Frank Anthony Public School.  It was a pretty good school in our day, I think, but - just judging from comments on the FAPS Website - the standards may have slipped somewhat!  Is it just me or does no one appear to give a hoot about writing grammatically anymore or even speaking well?  Maybe it has something to do with the ever present social media!  

The chowkidhar (guard) let us into the main gate of Frank Anthony's. You couldn't see much in the dark except for a large building.  Strange to think one spent a dozen formative years of one's life in this place!

Vikram Hotel & Vikram Dhaba

What looked good was the renovated Vikram Hotel where - in the 70s and 80s - we spent many hours at the swimming pool or coffee shop or salon with neighbors and other "block-wale dost" (friends from the blocks). What also looked good was the Vikram "dhaba" (roadside eating place) famous for its "anda" (egg) "parathas" (stuffed bread) and "aalu" (potato) parathas. The Vikram Dhaba was a special place for late-night snacks and "masala chai" (spiced tea). 

We also checked out our former haunts: the Oberoi, Taj Mahal and Taj Palace Hotels.  As always, they remain blissful airconditioned refuges from the heat and dust outside.

Metro - Hotel Imperial

Delhi has a swanky metro - very spacious and efficient. It opened in 2002 and carries about 2.4 million riders a day. We rode the metro with our hosts to Connaught Place and got off at the Imperial Hotel - a unique blend of Victorian, Colonial and Art Deco styles, invoking turn of the century British Raj. We spent a few pleasant hours meeting friends and having high tea: Assam tea with hot milk, cucumber sandwiches and "kathi rotis" (roll up stuffed bread) on the Imperial's "verandah" (patio) restaurant called '1911' (after the Coronation of King George V and Queen Mary).  1911 was also the historic year that Delhi was declared the new capital.  With its manicured green lawns, trees and shrubs, the Imperial was a welcome oasis from Delhi's noise, traffic fumes and other hubbub. 

New Delhi, India 

Nov. 24, 2014

Photos from my iPad: 
Delhi Metro; Hotels Oberoi, Imperial, Taj Mahal and Taj Palace

Bangalore: Garden City to Garbage City

Bangalore has gone from a "garden city" to a "garbage city," according to German consul Joem Rohde, who spoke at the Rotary Club of Bangalore on Lavalle Road. Wayne Lewis, the Commissioner for Victoria, Australia, who is returning home after two stints in Bangalore, said his wife had developed severe sinus problems from the pollution.  More people should "become grumpy" and say we won't take it anymore, he added; then something would be done about it. 

Rotary Club of Bangalore

Both men were answering questions on whether they would like to come back to Bangalore or live in Bangalore at the Rotary Club's "Night of the Consuls" event that dealt with trade relations between their two countries and India and how the world looks at India's $2 trillion economy. The Commissioner for Queensland, who was also present, agreed with their assessment saying there were many more Lavalle Roads to be cleaned.  He was referring to a report earlier in the program about how a Rotarian team had cleaned up Lavalle Road by moving out garbage, rocks and other debris. 

Founded in 1905 by Paul Harris, an American, the Rotary Club is made up mainly of business professionals and other civic-minded people who volunteer their time to provide social and other philanthropic services such as education for poor children and clean-up services in communities while also encouraging high ethical standards. The Rotary Club of Bangalore is the oldest in India, dating back to 1934.  It has done some "excellent work" in the area of education, said our host in Bangalore, Peter Laser.  

Thanks to Peter, whose guests we were at the Rotary Club event, my sister Lorna and I were honored at the club: our names were read out and we were presented with bouquets! 

Traffic Nightmares

We asked Peter what he saw as the most troublesome issues of living in the city.  Refreshingly, he was as "non-PC" (non-politically correct) as the consuls. "I come from northern Germany where people speak their truth (their minds)," he said. According to him, the main problem is that people do not like to obey rules, traffic rules or otherwise and hence the city's daily traffic nightmares. Giving bribes to get away from paying for one's crimes is another.  The third was public littering - hence the many garbage dumps that spoil the erstwhile garden city. 

It takes an hour or more in traffic to get from one point to another. The distance might be only a few kilometers but every road is jammed with buses, cars and auto-rickshaws going every which way with two-wheelers darting about in between!  Few people bother to wear seat belts.  It is terrifying to see how people drive - and it is a wonder there aren't more accidents!  Having just flown in from Bombay where the traffic is also rather dreadful, we are saddened to see the general deterioration of the once beautiful garden city. 

Lots of Moolah!

Retuning to Bangalore after nine years, the first thing one notices is the swanky new airport (ditto for Mumbai and Delhi), a lot more wealth, more luxury serviced apartments, a lot more cars but - unfortunately - not many roads!  The roads (where they exist) are in a sad state of disrepair and sidewalks are worse - even in the better neighborhoods.  If pedestrians don't watch their step, they could easily fall between large rocks on the broken footpaths and break their limbs!  I wonder, when will Bangalore get the roads it needs or India start to see infrastructure to match China's?  

UB City

We walked around UB City - UB stands for United Breweries, the manufacturers of Kingfisher Beer. The huge mall with brand name stores (Louis Vuitton, Dior, L'Occitane, Gucci, Chanel, Omega, Tissot) could be anywhere in the world.  We could've been in Las Vegas or Fifth Avenue in Manhattan - only, this was nicer! On St. Mark's Road, one can see several luxury car showrooms: Lamborghini, Porsche, BMW; and were told there is a long waiting list. Each of those cars could easily set one back $300,000! The liquor store too had interesting Scotches and other attractive looking local brands! That's when I knew that Bangalore had really changed - no more "dry days," we were told, except Election Day!

Back to the Rotary Event: "Modi Fever" in Oz! 

In his remarks, Australian Commissioner for Victoria, Wayne Lewis said that Australia looks at India because we "need to" even though it's not the biggest trade partner.  India is important, he added, we're both "victims of the British" although India "took Britain's bureaucracy - and took it to a whole new level!"  

He said his country had also caught "Modi fever!" Hundreds of people were clamoring to attend the Indian PM's address to the public - a hot ticket in Melbourne! The "Modi Express" (train) was bringing hundreds of people from Sydney to Melbourne and he was being besieged with phone calls from Australians (mainly of Indian origin) asking for tickets to attend!  He himself had just received his own invitation by courier, he added (a day before the event), remarking that bureaucracies are no different anywhere in the world!  He added ironically that, overnight, all Oz-based Indians claimed that they voted for Modi!  

India has a lot to learn from Germany

Explaining his country's interest in India, German Consul Rohde said "Germany has the products and India has the market."  India will also be a partner country for the Hannover Fair, the "biggest industrial show on earth." Most of the 170 German companies in Karnataka are manufacturing companies; all the big car companies were represented in Bangalore and Mercedes had its only R&D plant outside Germany in Karnataka. Germans were not just here for trade, but also for education and science. We want Indian talent going to Germany, he said, adding that Germany had a lot more to offer in terms of best practice and SMEs. There was less youth unemployment in Germany than other countries because young men were being trained as plumbers, welders and auto mechanics. 

With the largest youth population in the world, India could learn a good deal from Germany! 

Bangalore, India

November 19, 2014

Mumbai: Rising like a Phoenix after 26/11 - the Taj Mahal Palace and Oberoi Hotels

Entering Mumbai’s storied Taj Mahal Hotel, the first thing you notice is the strong scent of jasmine and roses.  It is so overpowering, it seems to be masking a dark past: the stench of blood and dead bodies from the 2008 terrorist attack - known as "26/11," evoking memories of New York's 9/11 and London's 7/7.

Once the favorite of celebrities, royalty and rock stars such as Oprah Winfrey, Prince Charles, Mick Jagger, Zubin Mehta and Jacqueline Kennedy, the century-old Taj features powerfully in one's fondest memories of Mumbai. Facing the Gateway of India and the Arabian Sea, it is as much an Indian landmark as, say, the real Taj Mahal in Agra or India Gate in Delhi.

Siege of Mumbai

Six years ago, a group of 10 Pakistan-based militants from the Lashkar-e-Toiba group, took boats to seaside areas in and around Colaba, entered various prominent landmark buildings including the Taj Hotel, and killed 166 people in Mumbai over the course of a three-day siege. The siege paralyzed much of the city and shocked the world. Despite warnings, Mumbai was so ill-prepared that commandos had to be flown in from Delhi. It finally took the combined firepower of police and commandos to bring the situation under control. 

The sheer brazenness of the attack and the fact that it was so well planned and executed by so few young men, dealt a significant psychological blow to the city and the country.  It was also an economic blow from which the Taj took two years and $37 million to recover.

Rohit Malhotra

Rohit Malhotra, who owns a jewelry store in the Taj's new wing, was having dinner with his wife to celebrate their wedding anniversary in a Taj restaurant near his store when the attack occurred.  It took most of the night for them to be safely evacuated. Malhotra removes a large Ganesh figure from inside the shop and shows us bullet holes embedded in the wood. The Ganesh was miraculously untouched, he says, adding that it was God's mercy ("upparwale ki kripa") that he is alive and his store relatively unharmed despite having the front glass doors shattered by gunfire and the premises left wide open for more than 72 hours.  

The militants were finally cornered and killed in the Harbor Bar. Malhotra attributes the number of deaths in the Taj to the fact that the media was reporting how and where people were being evacuated from, thus unwittingly providing their location to the terrorists.

Memorial

A memorial wall and waterfall have been erected opposite the main entrance on the far side.  It is inscribed with the names of 31 staff and guests who died and is a fitting tribute.  The new wing was reopened within 21 days of the attack.  The old heritage wing - where the roof and two floors were set ablaze and destroyed by the militants - underwent major renovations and finally reopened in 2010.

Malhotra tells us that many former guests made it a point to come back and stay in the Taj to show their solidarity and support. 

Oberoi Hotel 

The 2008 attack by Pakistani gunmen, which brought Mumbai to a standstill, also targeted a major train station, the Jewish Centre or Chabad House, a café popular with tourists and the Oberoi Trident Hotel at Nariman Point. 

The Oberoi has undergone a $45 million reconstruction. The lobby, which had been completely ravaged by gunshots and grenade blasts during the three-day siege, has been rebuilt.  The Tiffin restaurant, where many guests and employees were killed, is now called Fenix. In fact, the hotel looks even more opulent and luxurious than it used to be! 

Recovery

The renaissance of the Oberoi and the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower are significant milestones for Mumbai. Tourism and travel are rebounding.  The terrorists are a bad memory but Mumbai has recovered. It is almost as if the attacks never happened!

Mumbai, India

November 16, 2014