Bhor Ghat - Reversing Station

My love for history didn't start from childhood when we studied the subject in our school. Rather, it was the other way around. Sometimes it used to be difficult to remember those dates or arrange events chronologically. But gradually as I started reading more of Non-Fiction I started learing or exploring so many different versions of even Truth, for that matter. So this hunger always keeps me asking questions in my mind. When I see a particular monument or road or anything, my eyes ask a question to them, "How was it her before a century or millenium or even before mankind?" Whilst my ears stay wide open to listen if the passing wind or the rolling stones answer my questions. 

So this same hunger made me stuck on the captioned topic. Since childhood, I use to only hear stories of Khandala Ghat. "How steep the old Mumbai-Pune highway is? How much traffic there always is in the ghat section?" Then few years later, after the turn of century when the construction of Mumbai - Pune expressway was done, the new stories started coming in about how the journey has become comfortable now and how the gradient of old Khandala Ghat has become far easier than it's earlier version on the old road. Since my native was Kokan, so the expressway never came in our route. Hence I only knew the stories. And that was the age when Landline was also a luxurious thing. So internet was a still a far fetched dream, that I can sit down and research about them 

Circa 2020. In Covid - 19 lockdown, Internet was a big saviour for everyone. So in this period I came across a terminology of Reversing Station. Railways always invites curiosity, by default, in my case. So I started checking out, what exactly this term is? Initially I thought, it may not be in our country. But to my surprise, one such thing is still active today on the route of Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. This train uses a 'Z' technique to make the train climb the mountains. You can refer the route in the below link of how the "z" works:

https://youtu.be/YDhcgUOTIqQ

Indeed, I was fascinated by this technique. But in my mind I wasn't sure when I will be able to experience this, since it is in West Bengal. However my fascination reached it's peak when I came across a reversing station just in my neighbourhood i.e. Khandala Reversing Station. It surely was in the past and now doesn't exist. But if that old path is somehow accessible, I surely can drop a visit as it isn't much far away.

I started searching what was it or how did it work or how the train took that U turn? After lot of research in an amateur way, ofcourse, I finally came across certain things which I will be noting down here. But an important Disclaimer, I am not 100% sure if the technique I will be mentioning here was the same as it was back then, 100-150 year ago. But this is how much I was able to find at my level. 

The first thing you will find on the net when you start searching about Bhor Ghat is the number of deaths. This was back in the 18th Century. The Britishers surely weren't considerate enough to us as they felt they owned us. Some articles will say 20000 or 30000 dead. Some will say around 45000 were employed. So we will never know on how many coffins does the current Mumbai - Pune route passes. A newspaper in Bengaluru had printed an article about this route wherein it was mentioned that, "To be put in perspective, Suez Canal required less number of people for construction than Bhor Ghat."  So with that imagination, let us get started with it.

What was the basic requirement for this route? In British times. Bombay was the most important port for taking out goods and products from the country to Europe, Middle East or Americas. But there wasn't any direct route to reach Bombay. What we call today Mumbai, isn't exactly the Bombay of 18th Century. The city of 7 islands, all separated and independent. Each having their own forts to guard their boundaries. The Bombay island was given as a gift to British East India Company by the Portuguese in one royal marriage. But that will be another story. 

Basically, the transport link was missing to connect Deccan to Kokan. The railways had started in the country. With rapid progress, the train reached from Thane to Khopoli on the Bombay side while the train had also reached from Poona to Khandala from the Deccan side. Now to complete the link between Bombay and Poona or to be exact between Karjat/Khopoli and Khandala, the train was supposed to pass through the Bhor Ghat of the Sahyadri Range. This 21 Km distance was earlier covered by walking or by bullock carts as there was no other means of transport.

The then engineers of British faced the mammoth task of laying the tracks in this 21 km ghat section in such a way that the route should not cross the maximum gradient limit. So after conducting their surveys, the task of laying the tracks had begun. The British had employed all Indian labours to carry out this task. A work force of upto 45000 (again, no exact figures available) was put on work for this decade long project. The entire route consists of many tunnels and viaducts (the reverse U shaped bridges). 

The highest section of the mountain reached at an height of around 600-700 meters above sea level. And this was the section were the work was halted/stuck for a longer period of time. The reason behind it was; the track which came from Bombay had to make a full round of the steepest mountain in the range in order to proceed towards Poona. That was impossible considering the gradient and steep height of the mountain. So the link between Monkey Hill and Khandala seemed to be in dark for sometime. 

Now there is record of a humorous conversation between the engineer and his wife which, literally, altered the course of history. This will also explain how a simple stone can turn tomorrow into an avalanche. As the final link from Monkey Hill to Khandala seemed to be stuck, the Chief engineer wrote a letter in frustration to his wife that 'I am stuck in planning this rail line and do not know how to go ahead.' The wife humorously replied back saying 'if you can't go ahead then come back.' Her intention was to tell her husband to come home. But somehow that reply generated an idea in his head. If we can't go ahead, we should come back. And that's how the reversing station was conceptualised.

This is how, as per what I read and saw, it use to work:

Reversing Station: WIKI

In the above picture the line on the right side is coming from Bombay, on the left is the line which goes to Poona. The third line which you can see going on top, the edge of the mountain, is the line in railway terminologies know as Catch Siding. This line is a precautionary one. In case, the engine brakes fail then the train is diverted to the catch siding line. It's main task is to slow down the train and bring it to a halt. (Remember the climax of movie, "The Burning Train".) And finally, the peak of the mountain on the far left is the Duke's nose, a very common spot among trekkers.

So the engineers planned a reversing station, which you can see in the middle-far left of the picture. The viaducts of the bridge that was made to connect two mountains is visible there. And those viaducts are of the same bridge which untill 2020 was popularly know as Amrutanjan Bridge. See the below rough map I came across while surfing:

Now referring the first picture again, the train coming from the Bombay line will go straight from that bridge where the reversing station was located ahead. Then the steam engine would be detached from the train and will be shifted to the turntable track. This is a track which can rotate 360°. So as soon as the engine is on that track, it would be turned 360° and then taken ahead to be reattached to the train on its back side. So the last bogie of the train while coming from Bombay will now become the first bogie of the train that will reach Poona. 

After the engine is attached, the train will now be shifted to the middle track (in the first picture) from where the train will now head towards Khandala station. See another view of the reversing station.

This reversing station was abandoned some 90 years ago, when a new third line was launched which reduces the travel time considerably. And the railway tracks in the first picture is the same location of current Mumbai-Pune express way. The below picture might help you in some comparison. 

Some say that few tracks of the old reversing station or the catch siding are still there. I came across the below picture which was considered as one of them. But since I have not been there with any expert, I cannot be 100% sure about it

Even today this ghat section is one of the tuffest task in every motorman's journey when his/her train passes through this route. So next time if you are planning to visit Pune and of course if you love history like I do then you surely can take note of these things to experience it. 

Every time when the train reaches the Karjat station, immediately two more engines are attached to the train from the back. These are called as bankers. Banker engines are supportive ones which provide the throttle for the train to climb the mountain and also helps in reducing the pace when the train is descending.

Now, not many will be knowing this but when the train leaves Karjat station to start the climb of Bhor Ghat, the front engine will not be pulling the train. Instead, the bankers will be pushing it from behind. After the train reaches a certain altitude, the front engine then starts to pull the train. So initially only two engine's push the train up and later one more engine will also pull the train up.

The four main station of Bhor Ghat are Palasdhari, Thakurwadi, Monkey Hill and Khandala. After crossing Palasdhari, the train takes a minor halt at Thakurwadi. Then moving ahead, the next halt is at Monkey Hill. This one is not for public but a technical halt for engines to check their brakes. After crossing this hill, the train finally reached Khandala. And not to miss mentioning the number of tunnels you will be going through before the train finally reaches Khandala. If one stands at the Khandala station and watches the train reaching the platform, one can easily make out the steep climb the train is making to reach their. It's like an roller coaster. 

Now, just to give a perspective of why this is an engineering marvel or why was it then compared to Suez Canal, just see the view of the railway from Khopoli city. The red dot on top is the Amrutanjan Bridge. So that is the point where the train has to reach in order to connect with the Deccan.

Mountain should always be respected and never taken for granted. It is really appreciable that Indian Railways have specific appointed motorman to work only on the banker engines. Because in cases of goods train, sometimes 5-6 bankers are needed to bring the train down to Karjat. Also, every train has to go through the brake check process at Monkey Hill halt. 

Such fascinating is history. Imagine what would have happened had that chief engineers wife wouldn't have had a lovely banter with her husband. May be India would have had to wait longer for the railway between the Bombay and Poona. So next time, do spare a thought when you pass through this route. I ain't sure if there is any monument in the memory of those workers who died during its construction. At the least we can say is a Thank You in the air and let them know that their death didn't go in vain.

-SR.

PS: May The Force Be With You.

The Farmers Agitation 2020

It has been quite a long time since I wrote a post dedicated to politics, which by the way is one of my favorite subject. Before proceeding I must confess that it is difficult to use personal laptop now a days after using the office laptop for 5 days a week, mainly because of the size of keyboard. 

2nd and 3rd February 2021. I witnessed some ruthless politics. Ruthless here is used as a figure of speech. Just because a few international celebrities tweeted about the ongoing farm agitation, the whole government stood up in arms to take on those individuals. They even asked Indian celebrities from all walks of life like the government's favorite Bollywood, then cricket arena like Sachin Tendulkar, Anil Kumble, Virat Kohli etc. or singer as Lata Mangeshkar to tweet in support of the government. All their tweets clearly seemed to be scripted words which talked about sovereignty of the country being attacked. I was taken aback surely, for all of a sudden, so many people added in the army for defending the government. But more I was surprised on the thought that when, actually, our sovereignty was attacked the same government had stayed in denial until reports finally came about death of our brave soldiers. So it means that a tweet coming in the country is more harmful than outsiders infiltrating the borders.

The year had already started with the backdrop of Farmers Agitation which was going on since November 2020. The cooperation and openness of the current establishment was visible clearly when the police had halted all the farmers at the borders and did not allow them to enter the capital. Even the multiple round of talks between the farmer unions and government had ended in stalemate. Two things, were the government and farmers had come to an agreement was to decriminalise the stable burning & to keep  a tab on the rise in power tariffs. But the Unions have a clear agenda, to scrap the three contentious farm laws in it's entirety. Whereas the Union has made their stand clear, the laws are here to stay.

So before understanding the agitation, let me first give you a layman view of what the laws are and why will they impact the farmers for which they are hell bent to withdraw it.

By leaving the names and technical aspects, I will just give you a gist of the laws. 

One law will be giving farmers the right to sell their produce outside the Agriculture Produce Market Committees (APMC) at pre-agreed price. The government says this will reduce the mandi tax which the farmers are currently paying to the state governments.

Second law allows farmers to undertake contract farming and sell their produce freely in the market.

Third one is an amendment to the Essential Commodities Act which will now allow farmers to sell foodgrains, edible oil, pulses and onions freely in the market. Currently their prices are regulated by the government as they are part of basic necessity. The only exception to this will be in the times of crisis.

So, isn't it luring? I mean you must be thinking now, why are the farmers not happy with this? They are getting a huge market, good price, multiple buyers etc.

Let us now see the between the lines stuff. What are farmers worried about:

- By allowing the products to be sold in free market and not in APMC the farmers will have to forego MSP or Minimum Support Price. MSP is the rate at which the government offers to buy the farmers produce irrespective of market conditions. So this is an assured income for the farmer. And the new law is luring farmers by telling them they can sell their produce at market rates to any one outside the APMC at any rate. Now let us take a practical example of our jobs. We all know how companies are profitable during most part of the year and is suddenly short of cash exactly when appraisals are due. Here we are talking about farmers, the majority population, who have always been living in difficult times. Every business house will be awaiting to exploit them further, to just maximise their profits. Just today (3rd Feb 2021) I read in the newspaper about a farmer dumping his entire cauliflower produce on the road because the trader offered him Rs. 1/- per kilo. And mind you, few weeks ago when I had bought a ball of cauliflower it was Rs. 95/- per kilo. Many a times, ynou also must have seen the scenes on T.V. when dairy farmers spill the entire milk on the road when they use to not get their desired prices.

- I am not sure if you ever heard the term Contract farming before but it is very much popular in Poultry industry. Yes, majority in poultry business are into Contract Farming. And we have seen so many poultry business flourish, of which one became so rich that they own a football club in England. So why should the farmers be not happy with this? Here again, the catch is in the word Contract. Since government is removing APMC which means the farmer will be contracting with business houses to sell their produce. So these corporates will surely not be buying what the farmer has to sell to them, but they will be asking the farmer what to produce, how much to produce and when to produce? This hits our basic roots of farming in the country because not all farmers are having acres of land and properties that can suit a business house requirements who today might order one product and tomorrow another. There are so many farmers in our country who have been carrying out traditional farming of fixed items for generations.

Plus we have also heard about so many stories about families who are fighting civil suits against some of their family member as to will gain that small plot of land left by their forefathers. So if these farmers are now instructed about what to produce then how are they going to fill their families stomach? Plus there are worldwide examples as to why this is not at all a good idea as there is no security net to the farmers. If you want to see Indian examples, check out Pepsico history who had entered into contract with farmers for cultivating tomato, chillies and potato. And how did that venture proved to be?

Apart from the main two reason above there are some more technical aspects which I will just point out but won't detail them here:

- Agriculture, as a subject, falls in the State List and not in Union List of the Constitution of India. It means the state should be forming laws pertaining to agriculture and not the central government. So the Federal structure has been by-passed here.

- Civil courts will have no jurisdiction in these laws. So no easy redressal for the farmer when he/she will have to go against the mighty corporate houses.

- The laws were passed as a Ordinance during Lockdown and then cleared in parliament where they have full majority. No stakeholders were consulted before.

I am sure, what was appearing to be luring sometime ago, there must be some doubt or change in your perspective towards the current farmers agitation.

Well, now comes the bad part. Inspite of so much support or rather I would use the term sympathy the famers are receiving, the current establishment is not leaving a single stone unturned to portray them as anti nationals or terrorists.

Let us start from the media. Whoever classified media as Fourth Pillar of Democracy must have missed out to mention the expiry date. The only thing that has been played on T.V screens 24/7 is how the farmers are playing sports, doing exercises, eating pizzas etc. Hardly I believe there are any journalists left who actually want to cover what is going on. They just have been handed a script of what has to shown on the television. So, all, the media personnels do is search for incidents or characters or create one to be shown on T.V. that will suit the agenda. No media house is ready to talk about the technicalities of the bills, the way in which the bills were cleared during the time of Lockdown without any question answer session etc. What interests them more is how much traffic is caused because of the farmers agitation. One common question I remember many media people were asking the people at ground zero was, "Do you know how to do farming?" This question was targeted to people who are not farmers but they have too come out in support of the agitation. And I do not recollect any one asking the technicalities of Lokpal Bill to people who had participated in the 2011 Anna Hazare Movement.

Speaking of the man himself, the crusader for the Jan Lokpal Bill, I am not sure if you had heard the news that Anna Hazare was planning to go on Fast in support of Farmers Agitation. But everyone saw when he called off his fast in the presence of Leader of Opposition of Maharashtra who coincidentally belongs to the same group who have are in power in the country. Firstly, no one is aware as to why or what were the reasons to go on fast? And then, nobody will ever come to know the reason for calling off the fast. But one incident I will surely mention here for the record because history will not be remembering the same as the erasing procedure must have already been initiated. In the press conference were the fast was being called off, a journalist asked Anna Hazare that after announcing a fast and immediately calling it off, will not that have impact on your credibility? Anna Hazare himself were quiet as if his face suggesting he didn't had any answer to that question. Then after sometime the leader of opposition said something in Annas' ears and declared to the media that there is no need to give an answer thus putting curtains on the press conference.

The State governments in each state were taking stand based on their then requirement. Like for example, in Maharashtra among the ruling coalition, the two Congress partners had not supported the bills whereas their new found friend, SS, had supported the bills in lower house. But after seeing the mood of the nation, they shifted their stance in the Upper House. Some state, like Punjab, had passed ordinances to not give effect to the law in their state.

The internet bots or trolls though do not need a mention here but unfortunately, they are the ones who decide the mood of the nation today and the educated class forces common public to believe them too. The flow of tweets, hashtag wars tells us what the people of this country opine about an issue. But see the fun part here. The change in tone of tweets or status messages was also clearly visible. 

When the protest began, the message was spread initially by explaining how the farmers were being mislead by some political parties with vested interests. And that they (Ruling Party) have complete sympathy with the farmers. Then, one day, a video surfaced about a late former external affairs minister (Of same Party), who had given a speech in parliament which was somewhat related to the current farmers issue. So now the bots shifted a gear by showing how the protesting farmers are eating pizza, organising Kabaddi games at the venue and how their egos of not listening to government are hurting the real poor farmers of the country. 

When they realised that still the public sympathy was with the farm agitation and most round of talks were ending in stalemate. So bots shifted another gear and brought the terror angle in between along with their all time favorite item on the menu, anti national. 

But then later again, news started coming from Maharashtra that farmers in huge numbers have started their journey to reach the Delhi border and join the protesting farmers. So the bots now shifted another gear to classify the farmers into political parties saying the protesting people are mainly from the Communist parties. This, I believe, will go on until and unless they have it there way.

Another tragedy, was the news reporting on this issue. I do not know the number of farmers who committed suicide because the news reporters were told to turn a blind eye to those incidents. And ofcourse, also the pictures of police lathi charge on the farmers.

One thing what not many people noticed here is the powerful politics of the ruling dispensation. Everytime they reminded the nation, in between the lines, that we are here and we mean business. In such type of protests, a sympathy wave is generally created in support of the protestors. And sometimes it reaches to such extent, that the ruling parties are declared guilty in the people eyes. This is exactly what happened during the 2011 Anna Hazare movement. The India Against Corruption team ensured that their icon, Anna Hazare, got maximum screen space.So be it on Social Media or Main Stream Media or road agitation etc. The portrayal of him as another Gandhi made him a household topic and a huge wave of sympathy was garnered to the Jan Lokpal Movement. It was to such extent that in 2011 itself people were sure that there will be a government change in 2014. The current rulers, who allegedly were sponsors of the 2011 movement, were totally aware of this fact. And this is the reason why they did not allow farmers to get the screen space as much they deserved. The media already being manipulated was defending the government. Now celebrities were asked to join the bandwagon to sing governments chorus. And some experts too were called upon including international agencies who were asked to give comments in support of the new laws. Even the Supreme Courts intervention did not prove to be effective for farmers as the committee they decided to appoint, who will do a study and submit a report to the government on the bills contained people who all had before supported the law. And if you are planning to use an argument that courts will not bow to government requests, then let's turn the clock back a bit and remember the press conference of Supreme Court judges.

As the new dawn of 2021 came and talks still ending in stalemate, the farmers this time decided to shift gear now. They planned a tractor rally in the capital on Republic Day. When I had heard about this news I was sceptical because managing such a huge rally with public is not at all an easy task. It has to be cordoned off to the last farmer who shall be participating in it to ensure there are no loop holes which will allow fringe elements with vested interests to barge in and create ruckus. Because giving publicity to any negative scenes was a cake walk for the establishment. So even if the box has one rotten apple among the hundred, they can surely shout about that one rotten and make it as the cover photo of that protest.

To be fair to the farmers, given the magnitude of protest they have already managed to hold, this thought surely must have crossed their minds as well. And with nothing concrete happening, it was essential for them to up the ante, so a risk was necessary. 

So after the announcement, as usual, the establishment started crying foul that there will be a law and order situation in the capital so this cannot allowed. Luckily, this time the Supreme Court supported the farmers rights to protest in a democratic manner. So the preparations were in full swing at both ends. Farmers preparing their tractors, march ready, for Republic Day while the government in deploying maximum security. But there were some other factions too who were prepping up for the D-Day. Their intention was to ensure a negative portrayal of the agitation reaches the world. So when the rally had reached the Red Fort, everyone must have seen the images of people barging inside the premises of the fort and raising a Sikh flag. A video was also shown in were we could see a tractor trying to jump the barricades which resulted in an accident resulting and death of the driver. In some areas, it was reported that the people shifted the course of planned route thus allowing situation to go out of hand. But for the government, their plan of action was ready. And first thing they did was to shut down internet at selective areas. The media ensured only those pictures and videos were broadcasted which will suit the establishments agenda. All the protestors were termed anything, but farmer. Even the social media accounts of around 500 users, those talking in support of the agitation were blocked by the government. 

One thing I still fail to understand, Red Fort, where the country's PM hoists the National Flag on every Independence Day is a maximum security place. So how did the protestors get entry in such a fortress? The police force which had kept the farmers on the borders of the capital for two months, suddenly became so loose that they allowed a small group of people to enter this citadel. Also, ever since the protest started few corporate groups have been the targets of being the beneficiary of these laws. So, coincidentally or what I am not sure, exactly those companies assets were vandalised. As a third person one needs to understand a thing, if farmers wanted to use violence as the means for their protest then why would they set up tents and stay on the road in freezing temperatures for two months? Violence was an option on the day when they were halted on the borders. But they opted for bearing the cold to make sure they are heard. So whatever happened on Republic Day was surely a planned anarchy and the original protestors were not responsible for it. Few pictures did surface in the social media showing a person in the guise of farmer but was found earlier clicked with political leaders of the current establishment including the PM. But of course, this will never be talked about. Neither about the scenes of people welcoming the famers rally in the capital or the farmers saving the police from violence undertaken by the fringe elements. Nor the farmers carrying a 5KM long tricolour. Because this will not suit the governments narrative. 

As soon as the sun set on Republic Day, the police were back in action. Many arrests happened. They had also started building concrete road blocks to keep the agitators outside the city limit. Even nails were set up on the road for not allowing any vehicle to cross the border. In every radio episode, PM used the typical political speech adjectives to talk about the farmers or mentioned that I am just one phone call away. But not once have the PM attended the talks or listened patiently to what their demands are. One of the minister or leader from the ruling establishment had even accepted the fact that it was a mistake to not have consultation with all stakeholder before bringing the laws. So what is stopping now? Giving an option to not implement the laws for one and a half year isn't an answer. 

With so much already happening in the country like the iron being hot and ready from the fire. Bang! A hammer came down on it all of a sudden out of nowhere. A singer in the United States of America tweets about the farmers agitation and all hell breaks loose. Before going ahead, I would like to mention that how all of a sudden the singer got interest in our countries problem is a question to me. Is it genuine or was it done through vested interests? But after the one tweet that went viral, more global celebrities started talking about the agitation. 

Now a celebrity mentioning something on their social media account did not require an answer from the Central Government of India. Such action itself suggested that the government of the worlds largest democracy can be brought to table not by their own citizens who are fighting for their rights on road for two months, but by some celebrity with typing of few words on their social media handle. The damage control process was so extensive that the first replies came directly from the Ministry of External Affairs. Then, in few hours people started seeing tweets of Indian Celebrities using a same hashtag as designated by the government and talking about sovereignty. Suddenly some reports surfaced that police complaints were filed against an individual celebrity. Though later it was clarified that report has been filed against unknown individuals. 

Was this necessary? What message did will we rally down to the world? That we are defending our country or we can be brought  down on defensive mode even by a 140 words tweet? And what was the reason to involve cricketing legends or singers in this battle? Why malign their images? It was so much visible in the similar wordings of the tweets, the same hashtags and most importantly not many of those celebrities had shared their opinions on this subject before. Then why make them do it suddenly today? Why so much fear? What is it that you are trying to hide? 

The current ruling party's founding Chief in the 80s talked about farmers problems in the party inauguration speech where he was seen criticising the then government about suppressing the farmers voice. What is being done now? Or maybe, being selectively deaf and blind is the trend these days.

I am really thankful to the owners of Twitter. When Facebook owner went on buying spree of all competitors, Twitter did not budge. And this is the reason why Twitter allowed the 500 odd accounts that were blocked, to be reopened. To this, the government even sends notice to the company as to why they opened the accounts? This clearly states, that government wants only those voice in the public that talk in support of them. Dictatorship in the guise of democracy.

One argument you will surely hear is the protesting farmers mainly belong to the state of Haryana or Punjab and not from other states. As per news reports, Maharashtra farmers too are involved in it. But the basic reason is not about being One State or All States. The reason why Agriculture as a Subject falls in the State list of the Constitution is because each state has its own set of ways of doing farming, own markets and one rule cannot be applied to all states. By passing the three bills, the Centre has overriden the state laws. So it is essential for the all stakeholders to sit together and discuss the provisions of the law.

The protest has already completed two months, with end not visible in the near future. A good news I heard today was that the Delhi state government has called back DTC buses provided to Delhi police as the same were used against the farmers. In case you aren't aware, Delhi police doesn't come under the Delhi state government.

Even the lawyer and relative of V.P. of the USA has sent out a strong message saying not preach us where we should comment and where we should not.

So let us wait and see how this agitation further unfolds. I am hoping everyone is able to come to a common minimum programme soon, so at least the farmers will be able to go home. 

-SR.

PS: May The Force Be With All The Protesting Farmers !!!

Curvy Tales

Conviction is something

I am unable to afford

Once I had it in-plenty

Now left with empty coffers

Hard grip I had on that little victory

Now it's passing through the holes

Alike the grains of sand

And the awareness of this gravitas

Is also not giving the essential push

Darkness shall be inevitable

Yet I ain't feeling any remorse

Difficult it seems to wake up

For the dream is getting cosy

Hoping to find that conviction soon

Before everything becomes, again, curvy

-SR.

PS: It's essential for one to display any kind of failure on the same board where once, you flashed your success. Here, the intention isn't to garner sympathy from others. But to keep yourself awake and aware that the journey is not over yet.

PPS: May The Force Be With You!

The Transformational Generation

There is lot of fuss going around (by around, I mean social media), about the New Year this time then it was ever before. The obvious reason is the pandemic. So for a change, I have chosen to talk on something different today which won't be related to Lockdown/Covid 19.

This story belongs to those, like me, who were born in the decade of 80's or early 90's. They all will agree, that no generation is suffering today, more, than us. And most of the suffering is not our karma. It might intrigue you, how is that even possible or if any such thing can actually happen? Honestly, I would agree with you too. But, then, after closely going through all the happenings in the three decade plus life of mine. I can surely provide some instances as to why I came to this conclusion. Note: This isn't a typical write-up but just collection of thoughts.

• Music

I remember quiet vividly, only once I had watched my parents marriage video. Firstly, I was naive to understand anything in it. But what I still recollect is, watching video was not as easy as it is today. That was the era of Cassettes and Video Cassettes Recorder. And we did not have any VCR back then. We had to borrow the same from a friend of my Baba, in order to watch the videos. So, back then, a person having an urge to think of having VCR at their own place wouldn't be wrong. It is same like today if someone wishes to have a home theatre or 55'' or higher version of Smart TVs. But the fun part here was, by the time we could think of having or buying any such thing, it had already become outdated. 

If I talk about sound system, when I was in 6th Standard (Yes, I always prefer using Standard over Grade), a boy in our class had bought tape recorder in school for some party. Either it was Childrens Day or the Christmas party. (Deja vu moment: The best part of the party was the work of placing all the benches one over the other on the corners of the room, to make space in between for everyone to dance. And I loved the task of doing it). 

Coming back, it was almost same as the one we had at our home, but with one trick. As against mine, this boy's tape recorder speakers could be detached from the main system. Earlier back home, we weren't allowed to use our tape recorder on daily basis as it was kept in a locker. So when during the Sundays, when parents use to give permission to play the same I remember trying to detach the speakers from the system. Realisation dawned, that the system wasn't the same as of one the boy in my class had bought. But a childs mind won't accept the technicalities. So trials happened for some more days too.

By the time we went to Junior College a new terminology was becoming a household talk, Deck. This consisted of two big speakers which you would attach on the two corners of the room and the main system that use to play the cassttes and CDs as well. Yes, by now even cassettes were going in the history as the dawn of Compact Disk had come. So, as usual, now I had craving for this too. But it was hardly 2-3 years and then the MP3 songs era came in. So instead of listening on a Deck or some big sound systems, people started using the MP3 players.  

• Examination

Circa 2003, the time when I was going to give my SSC Board exams. Ours was the first batch who had used the Barcode Sticker and Holocraft stickers on the answer papers. I remember our classes had did a mock drill on how to stick the same on the answer papers. 

Then come to year 2005. I enrolled myself in Degree college for the course Bachelors of Commerce (Accounting & Finance). This was a new baby back then and our batch was third one in the history of this course. So that meant, when we were in First Year there was no one who had received this degree from the Mumbai University. Even in my college, the Final Year batch had only 8 students. Basically, this course was under Self Financed category of the Mumbai University. Where First Year B.Com was charged at around Rs. 3,000/-, our FYBCAF  was charged at Rs. 13,000. So ours was the last batch where I got admission in the First List inspite of having 69.50% in my 12th Standard. Today, if someone goes to seek admission in the course, you'll need minimum 90% =/<.

Now let's turn your clocks to 2016. I was due to give my Professional Examination - I (PE - I), the first level exam for Chartered Accountancy course conducted by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. It was somewhere in September 2016, we were in our classes for the Accounts lecture by Professor Anand, in Sukh Sagor Institute. He was very boring, as he use to take way too much time to explain things. So as usual, on that monsoon day we were bracing ourselves for another impact, all of a sudden the professor came in with a beaming smile. The first thing he told us was to close our books and just sit back as he had some big news to give as well as explain the technicalities of it. I still remember, he was saying like, "I am very much jealous of you all". So for the first time, we all were actually interested to listen what Professor Anand had to tell us. That was the day he broke the news of launch of Common Profiency Test (CPT) which will be replacing the current PE - I. This test will be a Multiple Choice Question format exam as against the theoretical PE - I. And most importantly, our Articleship will begin immediately after clearing CPT. So that meant, if things went good, then from the start of 2017 I will be getting my first salary. So, here, I was part of the First CPT batch. Being there first experiment, maybe, the result of December 2016 was 69%. Which is way off the mark from their standards of 3-5%. Luckily, I was part of the successful 69% (First and Last success in a ICAI exam). With that, I got my job and first salary in February 2017.

Jumping few years back into 2012. Since there was no success in the above area, so I had to look for some other opportunity. (Another Deja vu: This reminded me, a bit off topic, I had missed an opportunity of enrolling myself in LLB course. As I had mentioned above, how the BCAF was a new course back then when I was enrolled in it. The differences when compared to other UG courses was in the timing of exams and results as well. B.Com exams use to happen in month of March every year with their results coming out by June. BCAF or BAF, how todays generation refers it to, use to have exams in May and the results use to come in August. So by the time our results were out, the LLB academic year may even start their year.)

Coming back, I registered for Masters in Commerce (M.Com) in 2012. And, if I am not wrong it was around the same year a new course pattern of M.Com was launched as well. For years it has always been M.Com Part 1 & Part 2. Now this was changed to a new Semester Pattern. I remember the chaos. During one of my exam of Part 1, we had received two question papers for the same subject. One was as per the Old syllabus or the Part 1 and another was as per the new syllabus or the Semester pattern. As we weren't aware, which paper had to be solved so we all waited for further instructions. The exam clock was already ticking. After around 10 minutes, the co-ordinators came and informed us that, you can give which ever paper you wish to. Yes, you read that correctly. So, yeah, I was part of this transformation as well. And we have the paper which was much easier.

Another course which I was part of for some time was Company Secretary (CS). A decade ago, when I registered in it was know as CS - Intermediate. But when I registered, it became CS - Executive. And in another year, it changed its entire structure and syllabus or subjects and also realigned their Groups as Modules. So here too, every year I use to look up for notifications if there is still any more change in the course. 

• Job

This might sound hilarious, as even the companies policy did not spare us. It wasn't big, but it was a policy change that was applied to all the employees. Every MNC's have an option of Internal Job Posting, which allows one to apply in another department. This may be on the same level or a step above of your current designation. So I too had used the opportunity of making a shift in my department. Now, in my case it was going to be a same level transfer. But back then our company did have a policy of giving hike in your salary even for transfers on same designation. So when I was shortlisted, I was called by the HR to discuss the compensation. Surprisingly, the HR said the company is shifting the policy of making same level/designation transfers as not eligible for raise in the salary. I was a bit taken back by that news, but luckily for me a good news followed. HR confirmed that since the policy is still in draft stage so you will be the last person who may get benefit of the same. But they did try to scare me by saying, if you take this hike in salary now then there is a probability that you may receive a minimal hike after the year end performance reviews or in some cases might not receive any hike. So while I was listening to it, I was also processing the information. My output was like, future is uncertain. We don't know about it. So why give up this present opportunity. Hence, by accepting the hike for a transfer on a same level, I became the last person in the company to be the beneficiary of that old policy.  

These were some of the incidences I could recollect which justifies my claim of being in the transformational generation. I am not considering the ones which had an impact on majority of the population like the Internet boom happening for the elites, to it becoming the household necessity; the mobile phone era; TVs becoming LCDs to LEDs and then the Smart TVs, the political shifts from One Party Government to Coalition and back to one party etc.

But I am sure what I have experienced uptil now isn't the end and that this will go on. There may come many more such instances where we are either going to be part of it's Sunrise or Sunset.

If you look the other way, isn't that quite adventurous? Yes, it does have its own boon and bane. Depends on your perspective or on which side you are standing, metamophically. 

One thing is for sure, we may be the last thread who are holding the 20th century and 21st Century together. (In case you didn't notice just now, the transformation of 'th' to 'st'). In the times of T20s, we are still holding on to the values of TESTs. In the world of virtual materialistic fiction, we still believe in the old school personal touch. Yes, we will be called outdated by some now and many in the coming few years. To be honest, those comments do not effect me as on date, atleast. At the end of the day, if doing something in certain way or feeling about something in a particular manner is going to get smile on your face, peace in your heart and a sound sleep in the night. Then I DGAF about any other views. (Yeah, learnt that current generation short form today).

-SR

PS: May The Force Be With You.

Postcard Wishes

१९-११-२०२०

प्रति: सिद्धेश राणे

प्रेषक: निकिता नाईक

स. नि. वी. वी

पत्र लिहिणयास कारण म्हणजे तुला वाढदिवसाच्या शुभेच्छा देण्याचं. तीस वर्षाची घोडी झालीस आता. काळजी पूर्वक धम्माल कर. 

नुकतीच दिवाळी संपली. मागचा महिना थोडा कठीण होता तुमच्या साठी हे ऐकून होतो. परंतु सगळं आता नीट चाललं आहे हे समजल्या वर बरं वाटलं. 

पुणे मधल्या नवीन वास्तू बद्दल समजलं. खूप बरं वाटलं ऐकून. अशीच प्रगती करत रहा.

भेटवस्तू बद्दल म्हणायचं तर या पुस्तकबद्दल ऐकून होतो मी. तसं वस्तू तुला देण्याचं काही अर्थ नाही कारण ती तुझ्या कडे आधीच असायची. म्हणून ही लहानशी पुस्तकरूपाने भेटवस्तू. आशा आहे की तुला आवडेल आणि तू आधी वाचली नसावी.

घरी काका काकूंना माझा नमस्कार सांग आणि शुभम ला आशीर्वाद.

इकडे सगळं ठीक आहे. काळजी घ्या. तिशीच्या मंडळात आपले हार्दिक स्वागत.

- सिद्धेश राणे

हो विचार होता पत्रा द्वारे शुभेच्छा द्याच्या. आणि पत्र म्हणजे जे तुला पोस्टमन ने दिलं असतं ते. पण मग ते कधी पोचेल हे माहीत नव्हतं. आणि गिफ्ट अन् पत्र वेगळं पोचले तर थोडा अन्याय होतो त्या गिफ्ट वर. 

विना शब्दांच्या गिफ्ट जर मी पाठवली तर ती वस्तू वाटते मला. 

आणि सध्याच्या काळात मी असं एक पत्र पाठवून द्याचा म्हटलं असतं तर पोस्टमन स्वतः म्हणाले असते, " व्हॉट्स अप कर की गड्या, का त्रास देतोस आम्हाला "

वाढदिवसाच्या खूप खूप शुभेच्छा. 

-SR.

The Yogini

It’s been quite sometime I haven’t scribbled anything in this space. Like how, someone, when buys her/his own house? They have a larger than life proud feeling that they finally own a space on this planet. I mean, I am not sure how much you can fathom the gravity of that feeling? Let me try to explain you in terms of Physics language. In the unending empty Space above us of this One Universe, among our known Nine Planets (Yes. Please don’t consider Pluto as just a dog) in our Solar System, the billion stars in it, the ‘n’ number of unexplored galaxies beyond the wormhole and the further ‘n’ number of solar systems in each of those galaxies etc. As on date there in only one planet with life forms on it, which is known to mankind i.e. Earth. And when you Own, even if it's few square feet, an area in it. Well, now imagine how much one should be proud of.

Okay, that was a bit off the topic, you know. I know you might have the look on your face which says, “Kehna kya chahtey ho”. 

To sum it all up, I just wanted to say, currently I may not have a physical space of my own. But in the virtual world, I do. And this blog is it. You see, sometimes the dreams which don’t let you sleep, always tend to appear in all your daily activities or you may end up linking them somehow. So that’s why the off topic comparison.

Coming back, this story is about a girl, whom I met at my workplace some four years ago. We were in the same department but in different teams. So I only knew about her, as I liked to talk or know people. But never got an opportunity to talk. But that was going to come soon. When I was being shifted to a new department, I was supposed to give the handover of my work to her. I will confess here that, she troubled me a bit even after my transfer was complete. Some or the other query use to pop up in our internal messenger or on email or on phone. Sometimes it was so much that my new team members asked whether we should ask our seniors to intervene as it may impact the new work.

Yes, it would have been an easy route to stop it. But I generally do not use or choose the options which are kind of last resort. I try to solve things amicably as much as possible. After a month or two down, the troubling stopped as she had synced in the new work. And then we rarely had much talks. Once in a while a ‘Hi’ or ‘Bye’ if our paths crossed

 

Two years ago when she was shifted to my department, our communication actually started. We use to talk, like, almost daily as our seating arrangements were nearby. Asking/sharing food when hunger use to take control or working together for the Annual office event or those traditional days. And most importantly, we both had a same hobby. Trekking. So sometimes we use to go together for those events as well. This was like a regular routine. In this period she was also back from her Maternity Leave. And generally, a little weight gain is quite normal post delivery. Sometimes I use to feel like suggesting her to think about Yoga or Brisk Walking. But then, I refrained from doing so for couple of reasons. One, being a full time mother plus a full time working professional, it isn’t easy to take out time from those restricted 24 hours. And secondly, you just cannot or rather should not directly drop in suggestions to some one about their personal lives, even if it is genuine. Not every time they may be welcomed. So I use to just tell her to start climbing steps while coming to office and since she was into trekking so the walking part also got covered. For the record, she has completed a trek of Lonavla to Bhimashankar which is almost 75 KMS in just one and half day.

Now, fast forward to March 2020. The biggest speed breaker of our lifetime came in, Corona.

We all were working from home now. And this had disturbed all our regular routines. For me, more than the office routine I was missing my morning walks/cycling. Plus the pandemic resulted in cancellation of all running events and also the trekking events too. It is a more of a necessity for me, you can say, as for a person who has been a obese for so many years. These were the habits that helped me to bring my weight a bit down. So, now with no movement meant the schedule will be broken which was established over a period of 4 years.

But let's see how The Lady fared in the Lockdown. I don’t know whether it was April or May in this year. She suddenly started uploading pictures of herself in Yoga poses in her Instagram. Initially, it was a start of something new so I had appreciated her. I was hoping it stays consistent, as in fitness world, that’s the most important thing. Well, the lady was in with a plan it seemed. The pictures started coming daily, now with more hashtags and yoga trainers tagged in the post. Slowly more exercises were added in and pictures got converted into videos now.

Generally, we take a break on a Sunday. But since she is on a mission, she is always trying to snatch some time of everyday for her new found passion. The one signal to know if you have converted an activity into your passion is when you regret, if you miss a day. And in one of her post, where she had detailed how she felt sad about missing a session on account of some other work was that signal. Though she was content that she had tried to convert her regular chores into a compensatory workout on that day as well. 

Even when she started the journey, she hadn’t bought the Yoga Mat or any accessories. That is another signal when you can say safely, that the person is doing a particular thing only for herself/himself. It's not been done to show off or just get some likes or to attract some lime light. But it is done, just to achieve peace of mind.

So after some time I stopped messaging or complimenting her on every post. One reason is, ofcourse, it may become a cliché. But more importantly, I knew she has gone beyond now and she isn’t waiting for anyone’s approval or hearing good things about her journey. She is self motivated.

Through her posts, I was reading some Sanskrit names of the asanas for the first time. By now, the captions of the pictures were also becoming longer. And without mentioning it in her 'Bio' of Instagram, she is turning in, to be an Influencer. I remember one comment I had heard about her earlier, that the way she manages her work + home + hobbies is actually commendable. Even I feel that too. I mean, who doesn’t has problems? But few are able to keep them inside and keep a smile on the outside. It always sends out positive vibes. She is able to do this.

For me in the Corona times, I use to keep doing something or the other which, I hoped, would at least compensate for some percentage of the regular walking schedule which I had before corona. But, being in home, it isn’t that easy to stay motivated all the time. Sometimes you feel the need to breathe some fresh air. So her regular status updates was providing that fuel. In case, on a day if I skip doing those little somethings, then her post use to remind me about consistency and make me regret that I missed it. 

I remember asking her suggestions on some Yoga Asanas for me to begin with. I also use the option “Save for Later” in Instagram to some of her post if I wish to attempt it later. One of the great moment in her journey, according to me, was when she had begun attempting the headstand. It is one of the difficult pose and one needs ample practice for the same.

She is also, now, being invited by trek organising group to join their Instagram Live session. And she herself has started taking Live Training sessions too. 

I believed that this is the story that needed to be documented. Yes, it is just a gist. The real struggle can only be described by the person themself. We all know that every persons story in this world is unique. But we are so much engrossed in our day-to-day routine lives, that we miss out on observing the uniqueness or living our own story.

So this post is to your story, Lady. I wish, what has gone by uptil now are just few pages of the book. Keep them coming.

-SR.

PS: I have already reserved my free lifetime membership if she plans to start a fitness centre in future ;-)

PPS: May The Force Be With You.

ऋतु पावसाचा

तसं पावसाळा काही माझ्या आवडीचा ऋतु नव्हे

पण पाऊस पडताना, प्रसन्न मात्र वाटते

वाऱ्याच्या खांद्या वर सवार होऊन 

पावसाच्या सरी जेव्हा जमिनीला स्पर्श करतात 

तेव्हा उठणाऱ्या त्या मातीचा सुगंध 

आत्म्यास थंड करून जातो

ओसाड पडलेल्या त्या डोंगर रानांवर 

जेव्हा त्या सरी बरसतात 

तेव्हा जणू त्या डोंगरांनी हिरवा शालू नेसलाय

असं भासते

तसं पावसाळा काही माझ्या आवडीचा ऋतु नव्हे

पण पाऊस पडताना, प्रसन्न मात्र वाटते

असमान कडे आस लावून बसलेला बळीराजा

जेव्हा त्या पावसाच्या थेंबाला शेतावर बरसताना पाहतो

तेव्हा त्याच्या चेहऱ्यवरचं आनंद काही वेगळाच असतो

अक्षय तृतीया नंतर सणांचा जो अकाल पडतो

तो वारकऱ्यांच्या टाळांचा गजरा सोबत सुरु होतो

ते ह्याच पावसाच्या आगमनाने 

म्हणून पावसाळा जरी माझ्या आवडीचा ऋतु नसला

तरी पाऊस पडला की सर्वत्र आनंद मात्र नक्कीच पसरतो

-SR.

PS: May The Force Be With You.

Go कोरोना Go

ज्याची आतुरता गेल्या महिनाभर होती

अखेर त्या पावसांच्या सरी आज बरसल्या 

हो पण या वर्षी काही भिजायची सोय नाही आहे तशी

कारण नुसती सर्दी जरी झाली तरी तुम्हाला कोरोना तर नाही ना?

असं प्रश्न सर्वांनाच पडणार

तसं हा वर्ष एक कसौटिच आहे जगासाठी 

कोरोना ह्या महामारी ने सर्वच त्रस्त आहेत

मन मोकळं फिरणं ते, एके काळचे 

आज नुस्तं घरतना बाहेर पडायला सुद्धा भीती वाटतेय

कुठल्या क्षणाला कोणता व्यक्ती किवा वस्तू पासून

कोरोनाचा संसर्ग आपल्याला होईल 

त्याचा काही नेम नाही

जे देवांना देवळात शोधतात त्यांची दारं तर कधीच बंध झाली

आता तर मात्र आपल्या लाडक्या बाप्पांनी देखील 

क्वारांटीन होण्याचा निर्णय घेतला आहे

तसं ह्याची कल्पना होती मला

कारण जेव्हा लोक महाराष्ट्र दिन किंवा शिवराज्याभिषेक 

या सोहळांन साठी सज्ज होत होते

तेव्हा एक जाणीव होती मनात 

की कदाचित ही दिवाळी सुद्धा सुकी सुकी जाणार

कधी कधी तर त्या कोरोणा पेक्षा त्या रुग्णालयांचा बिल

ऐकुन काळजाचा एक ठोका चुकतो

असो ! कदाचित या वर्षातून सुखरूप बाहेर पडणच

२०२०च ध्येय असणार सगळ्यांचं 

-SR.

PS: May The Force Be With You.

मैत्री जिवाभावाची

कुटुंबाची निवड आपल्याला करता येत नाही. पण मैत्री हे नातं आपण ठरवतो. आयुष्याच्या प्रवासात आपण अनेक लोकांना भेट तो. पण सगळेच आपले मित्र असतात असं नाही. कारण मैत्री करणं जरी सोपं असलं तरी ते टिकवणं सगळयांना जमत नाही.

कॉलेजच्या काळात आम्ही सर्व भेटलो. तेव्हा उद्या येणाऱ्या आयुष्याचे इतकं कोण विचार नाही करत. १५ - २० ची टोळी मधून आम्ही ६ उरलो. पण आज आमच्या नात्याला १४ वर्ष झाली. आणि नुक्त्याच उमगलेल्या फुला सारख ते अजून टवटवीत आहे. आज ही तेच हास्य, एकमेकांना टोमणे मारणं, काही कारण नसताना भांडणं. कॉलेजच्या तीन वर्षात जे रोज भेटायचे ते नंतर फक्त काही ठराविक उत्सव पुरतं मर्यादित राहिलं. परुंतु नात्या मधला ओलावा काही कमी झाला नाही. आम्ही आपआपल्या ऑफिसच्या म्हणा किंवा दुसऱ्या मित्रां सोबत अनेक पिकनिक केल्या असतील. पण आमच्या या १४ वर्षाच्या नात्यात आम्ही एकच पिकनिक घेतली. अर्थातच तिच्या आठवणी आहेत पण मला मात्र हे सर्व आज हि शिव्या घालतात.

कधी कधी तर आम्ही कित्येक दिवस एकमेकांशी बोलत नाही. मुद्दाम असं नाही पण रहदारीच्या जीवनात राहून जाते. पण आयुष्यात कुठला हि काठीन प्रसंग आला कि सर्वात पहिला ज्यांचं नाव मनात येत ते हीच लोक. निस्वार्थ मैत्री काय असते हे मला यांनी शिकवलं. एकमेकांनच्या मदतीला वेळप्रसंगी  धावून येणं हे मी यांच्याकडून अनुभवलं. जरी रोज आमच्या आयुष्यात काय चालत असेल हे नसेल ठाऊक आम्हाला पण सवांद कधीच तुटला नाही. नुसतं एक कॉल वर सगळं काही भरून निगत. यांच्या शी खोटं बोलायची गरज कधीच पडत नाही. कारण एक मेकांच्या आवाजावरून आम्ही ओळखतो सगळं काही ठीक आहे कि नाही. 

नशीब असावं लागत आयुष्यात खरे मित्र मिळण्यासाठी. आणि मी ते या जन्मात अनुभवत आहे. आज आमच्या मधल्या काहींचे लग्न झाले तर काहींचे शोध प्रक्रिया सुरु आहेत. कुटुंब हा जरी वाढतोय पण त्याचा पाया आज ही मजबूत आहे. माझ्या तर्फे मोहमद रफी साहेबांच्या गाण्याचे शब्द मी या सर्वांना अर्पणकरू इच्छितो 

एहसान मेरे दिल पे तुम्हारा है दोस्तो 
ये दिल तुम्हारे प्यार का मारा है दोस्तो  

आपली मैत्री चिरायू होवो 

Note: As Sent To Maharashtra Times on 6th June 2020, with hope that it gets published.

It was published in Mumbai Times (Supplement of Maharashtra Times) on 24th June 2020.

-SR

PS: May The Force Be With Us !!!