A Fire Today...

Rajahmundry airport observed fire service week this past week. The passengers were informed the same through this note. But the note itself seemed more directed toward the staff and their concern of holding down a job after a fire accident. Mundane side-stories such as typing errors, safety or survival were avoided in this crisp circular as it dealt directly with the heart of the matter - no one can work in a blazing inferno.

Licker Is Not Allowed

On a trip out of town, we came across a restaurant's menu card which apparently excluded the most bizarre segment of the eating population - "lickers". On reading the restriction out aloud, I realized that this was not infact an Article 15 violation.

Article 15(2) of the Constitution of India:

"..No citizen shall, on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth or any of them, be subject to any disability, liability, restriction or condition with regard to access to shops, public restaurants, hotels and places of public entertainment.."

Scheduled to Stay

In light of the political developments in the state of Andhra Pradesh, a central question has been that of identity. There have been domiciliary claims based on dialect, culture, lineage, property, migration and so on.

But if the question of "Sons of the Soil" is explored to its logical conclusion, then the first inheritors of that title should be the ancient tribes of the region who date back their origins to time immemorial in the hills and forests of the realm.

Here is a fascinating anthropological documentary with footage from around 70 years ago on the tribes of this territory. While we inhabit and claim for ourselves various provinces today just as so many unsuccessfully did before us, as always by not playing our games, these tribes quietly focus on outlasting all other claimants.

Decapitated State

Andhra Pradesh

Of the happenings in the state in the last few days, there are so many opinions that anything I say would be wrong. Instead here is a video that might act as a metaphor for these times.




Reality Check: This is just a reminder of what India is under its skin.

Related Link:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8406456.stm