GLIMPSE Vol.1

© Rashi Ketan Gandhi & Glimpse zine, 2011. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this magazine’s owner is strictly prohibited.

The aim of this online magazine is to exchange views and ideas – To open up a dialogue which will help us understand our global community. In the same spirit, our aim is to expand our horizons to something new & unexplored. We hope that you enjoy reading it as much we did putting it together.

The verses from Gitanjali by Rabindranathhas the power to heal all our anxietiesexperience in our daily life. The persptowards life, love and the yearningthe creator is truly transcendental.verses from the book.

Rabindranath Tagore anxieties and stress we

perspective it offers earning to reunite with

transcendental. Here are few

The child who is decked with prince's robes and who has jewelled chains round his neck loses all pleasure in his play; his dress hampers him at every step.

In fear that it may be frayed, or stained with dust he keeps himself from the world, and is afraid even to move.

Mother, it is no gain, thy bondage of finery, if it keep one shut off from the healthful dust of the earth, if it rob one of the right of entrance to the great fair of common human life.

My desires are many and my cry is pitiful, but ever didst thou save me by hard refusals; and this strong mercy has been wrought into my life through and through.

Day by day thou art making me worthy of the simple, great gifts that thou gavest to me unasked – this sky and the light, this body and the life and the mind – saving me from perils of overmuch desire.

There are times when I languidly linger and times when I awaken and hurry in search of my goal; but cruelly thou hidest thyself from before me.

When I bring to you coloured toys, my dear child, I understand why there is such a play of colours on clouds, on water, and why flowers are painted in tints – when I give coloured toys to you, my child.

When I sing to make you dance I truly now why there is music in leaves, and why waves send their chorus of voices to the heart of the listening earth – when I sing to make you dance.

When I bring sweet things to your greedy hands I know why there is honey in the cup of the flowers and why fruits are secretly filled with sweet juice – when I bring sweet things to your greedy hands.

When I kiss your face to make you smile, my darling, I surely understand what pleasure streams from the sky in morning light, and what delight that is that is which the summer breeze brings to my body – when I kiss you to make you smile.

OF THE MUMBAI LOCAL

What strikes you the most, as soon as you board the local is that every one is in a rush - but isn't that the story of Mumbai - If you are born here, you may or may not be born with a silver spoon, but are born with the perennial lack of time.

Due to this, the travellers board on the train as soon as it arrives on the station, even before it halts. On boarding in you realise that travel by the trains is not for the claustrophobic. With less than one square feet per person during the peak hours - the proximity during travel, may be too close for comfort; But, just more than perfect to eavesdrop on other’s conversations!

Travel by trains is inevitable part of your life if you live here in Mumbai. An hour of idle time on daily transit is more than enough to make observations and from them, generalisations. I am Rashi Gandhi - and I will try to illustrate some of my observations here.

the symbol herestands for ladies onlycompartment

Shot during the peak hours, the pictures here isllustrate the contrast of travel by the local. Its constant movemecommuters dangling. But, if you are fortunate enough to find some space against the partition on the gangway, catch your forty winks.

Even at 9.30 in the morning, women in the ladies compartment can be very stressed. But then again, 9.30 in the morning sounds more like midday if you get up at 4.30 or 5. Due to this, you see that there are eruptions of arguments at regular intervals, over trivial things like getting a little more space to sit or a foot stamping another by mistake. One hears much too many times, ' If there is so much of a problem, why don't you travel by 1st class?' Nope, I'm good. Where else would you get such free entertainment!

A unique thing about traveling in the locals, is though the seating per bench is for three people, the women squish in to make room for another fourth seat, a tiny little space, which if you are lucky and the other women are slender, can help rest your butt quite well.

But unfortunately, for more times than other, it leads to an argument over how if everyone pressed their thighs just a wee bit closer, the 4th set of tired legs could stretch out or how the other women are so fat, that generation of

ent leaves the standing , you can sit down and

more space would literally mean addition of a wooden plank to the bench. As women are generally bad a carpentering, we stick to bickering.

It wouldn't have taken someone long to put two and two together - high concentration of women in a fairly attentive atmosphere in the train and the fact that women love shopping and Voila! These locals also double up as a mall on wheels.

Peddlers take care of each aspect of women's shopping needs during their daily to-and-fro travel. Hence, the fairly unproductive time is spent animatedly by checking out the latest offerings! You have people selling hair clips, hairbands, earrings and other accessories, mobile covers, cheap toys, story books, etc. There is also a 99 cent store type vendor who will sell anything from a pack of pencils to naphthalene balls for 10 bucks.

Vendor selling earringsand other accessories

Another group of people that have taken the advantage of this concentrated audience are the beggars. These ticketless travelers sing devotional songs of the more famous Hindu gods like Ganesh and Krishna and the some others praise Allah in their tunes. Then, there are smarter ones that sing the devotional songs of Sai Baba – a saint widely popular in India with both Hindu and Muslim demographic!

Last but not the least, although not exclusively found begging here, eunuchs also try to milk the inescapable audience of the trains. With Tuesdays and Saturdays being auspicious, they board the trains - ticketless again, might I mention, to endow you with a million blessings for just a hope of a rupee in return. Come on, a million blessings for a buck, that’s a steal!

India is a very diverse country to be captured in a few pages. But as you know this is a glimpse, a snippet. So, open your hearts and minds to experience the culture of incredible India through our travellers’ lenses.

THROUGH A TRAVELER’S LENS

Small village Uttarkhand - A naga sadhu smoking through ‘chilam’, a clay pipe. This is a common practice amongst the Sivaite sadhus. The pipe held in cupped hands, is filled with tobacco and hashish.

The region of Gujarat has played host to many tribal cultures from the very earliest periods of history. One such tribe here, the Rabaris, still pursue a pastoral lifestyle - much in the same way as they did ages ago.

They were a nomadic tribe pursuing a pre-agrarian and pastoral lifestyle. They are found mainly in the Kutch and Saurashtra regions of Gujarat.

They are believed to have originally migrated from Baluchistan more than a millennium ago.

The adivasi children look on, in the neighbourhood of Poshina in Gujarat.

A villager in Sasan - Gujarat cooking a humble meal of Bajra na rotla and ringla nu shak ( bajra roti and brinjal vegetable).

Here she is making the roti from the flour and giving it a circular shape by patting it down.

Rabari villagers in the setting of their house. They reside in the village of Goriyawad in Gujarat.

Lanjia Saora people at Rizangtal village in Orissa.

Karnataka - a rural area loacted around 20 kms from Kanakapur.

The monsoons are still a critical part of the farmer’s life. This shot is taken in July, when the amount of rain that's received, peaks. It is an ideal time for the farmers to start their agriculture.

Orissa - Mundiguda market. This is one of the remotest parts of India, untouched by its progress and it’s race to be a super power.

A lot of people there are Bonda; others are Didayi tribal people.

Small village in Orissa - Jhigidi, where the Situlia people live. Their primary occupation making jewelry for the Desia Kondh tribe.

Dances of the Ladakhi women in traditional dress during a festival.

A feature of Ladakhi society that distinguishes it from the rest of the state is the high status enjoyed by women, in comparison with the other rural parts of India.

Fraternal polyandry and inheritance by primogeniture were common in Ladakh until the early 1940s when these were made illegal by the government of Jammu and Kashmir, although they still exist in some parts of the state.

Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh - A sadhu after a holy dip in Ganga.

One of the oldest living cities in the world, Varanasi - also called Benaras or Kashi, is found to be mentioned in the early Indian texts of Rigveda, Mahabharat and Ramayan as well.

Banjara tribal people on the way to a manifestation at Warangal.

Amongst innumerable tribes who have thronged various places of eastern India, Banjara is most significant. They are the typical nomads who wonder from one place to another thus leading a life in their own terms.

Their costumes are very elaborate and most colorful among all the tribal communities in India.

Nagaland - The north-eastern part of India at Chingmei village. A unique culture beholds us as we play witness to the Chang Naga dances, their ceremonies, dresses, unique ornaments.

Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh - A man getting a shave at the local barber shop. These barber shops which are found across India provide a shave for a few rupees.

Better than the best a man can get - some would argue!

Himalayas - A candid shot of the rural children

Jodhpur in Rajasthan - A local man smoking the traditional pipe on a leisurely afternoon.

Dhaneta Jat woman.

The Jat are one of the hidden tribes in Gujarat. Originally the Jats were herders who lived in an area called Half in Iran. Five hundred years ago these shepherds migrated from Half and came to Sindh and Kutch to search for new grazing lands. They crossed the Rann of Kutch and settled there taking up farming, and became known as Dhaneta Jats.

Some have devoted themselves to the study of the Koran and are known as the Fakirani Jats. All the Jats in Kutch are Muslims and have similar marriage and dowry customs.

When we set off to work, everyone told us, ‘Just hope and pray there is no politics at work.’ Well, that is so 20th century advice. Today, kids say, ‘let’s make politics our work’. Not in the limelight, of course not. Who wants to be constantly under the gaze of the media when you can be a shadow and still reap all benefits? Why sift through those endless files

are like that of an outside support in the government. You are a part of it; you

do too much for it (blame Google, perhaps, for giving them everything in

the mantra ofTODAY’S YOUTHMAKING POLITICS OUR WORKA SATIRE BY OMKAR SANE

TH

0.0007325 seconds.) So, what is that today’s youth wants to be tomorrow? Here’s a wild guess.

Rally Crowd

are people ready to become something at each of these levels. But they need to

difference in perception and reality. Reality is people do not have time to

keep the perception going, the reality has to be altered. But the only thing that

that’s what the job entails. Jobless youth tomorrow may gaze at the next rally and wonder, ‘man, this is what I want to do. Travel in an AC bus, get

benefit is really big if the youth is from Mumbai.) Becoming rally crowd is a great opportunity and the youth may not be scared to tap into it. It works best

you are, and better yet, he doesn’t care. He is far away somewhere and you’re being paid. He doesn’t check how loud you shout, how you perform, if you are presentable, if you come on time, nothing. Your CV need not boast of fancy degrees of hobbies like playing chess either. Your colleagues are like-minded

open, thus solving the problem of secrecy. Talk about an ideal scenario to

attractive job option. You get paid in cash, so tax is out of the window. You get paid on a day-to-day basis, so no waiting till end of month before drawing up your shopping lists. How many of us can boast of such a great profile?

But good, steady money for doing little work is not the only thing. No, we are not that shallow. Ambitions are driven by scope too. We want to be something that can sustain; we want to be a part of a growing ship, not a sinking ship. You’ll rarely hear someone say, ‘I want to be a dog-sledge manufacturer’. What you may however hear someone say tomorrow is, ‘I think I will become a stone-pelter.’

Stone PelterBefore you cringe, stone pelting can’t be done by just anyone. It’s an art. It needs stamina. It needs agility. It needs great fitness levels. It needs a great arm. It needs aim. It needs a willingness to work at odd hours. It needs herd mentality. It needs lack of ideology. It needs a deep-rooted indifference toward the thing you’re ready to pelt a stone at, for a cause you aren’t really aware of.

its thrills. And most importantly, it has immense scope with our political scenario. Parties with almost no ideology are in dire need of more and more kids who are willing to break a windowpane for a few bucks. It is a growing industry and is recruiting fast. And understandably so. Another fast-growing industry in desperate need of young, quick hands is an associated one.

Petrol Bomb ManufacturerLet’s face it. In today’s fickle times, it’s almost impossible to find a business model that’ll sustain the winds of change that sometimes blow thrice a day. In such a scenario, we desperately need a profession whose demand will keep growing and where you get paid in cash. Luckily, our current scenario allows one such job. Say hello to the Petrol Bomb Manufacturer.

in ever-increasing demand and gaining popularity amongst the rebels, the protestors, and the stone-pelting mobs. It allows one to influence the outcome of a protest without being a direct part of it. If there is one thing our country

the number of protests is rising and non-violence is something we have hung

lucrative career option for kids and is sure to attract them.

All these were for the ones who don’t think big. For the rest who do, there is the ever-growing industry of riots to tap into. Little wonder, youth today want to turn to this new designation.

Riot Act ExecutiveIf you’ve ever been a part of an organizing committee in college, you know the thrill of this one. Very few have what it takes to put together an event that involves people, places and a lot of action. It takes immense amount of planning and patience. It takes great people skills – making sure people reach on time, ensuring all the props (stones, bombs, bottles, etc) reach the people on time and in good numbers. One has to ensure their smooth and safe travel to the decided destination. It has be to be made sure people understand the brief clearly and not make any mistakes. Making sure you have an exit planned for them so they can reach their favourite bar after doing the damage. Making all prior arrangement for transport is a must too. All this doesn’t just happen out of the blue. All those people don’t just happen to gather around in one place at one time with the intention to kill or loot. Someone has to get them there. Someone has to talk them into it.

high, the adrenalin rush higher and of course, the pay, all in cash, thank you very much.

A brief look at the wonderful age of America’s baby boomers, albeit with a twist. For this project, a juxtaposition of ready-made and already published illustrations of that era have been used. Through this graphic dialogue, no attempt has been made to discredit or offend anyone (known celebrity or otherwise) or anything.

it is just a politically incorrect artistic expression

BY RASHI GANDHI

of course darling, the only ambition

my life is to cook four course

meals for you!

of course darling, the only ambition in

my life is to cook four course

meals for you!

I know that I should stop being resentful, but then what will I do with all the free time?

Great! ! ! Hold her or she’ll go shopping again! !

I had a

nightmare about

dirty dishes !!!

Of course, I knowevil, I’m married ...

COOK!!! why the hell would I ever

need to do that!

Nope, I don’t work anymore. I havemet my millionaire soulmate !

A bad marriage makes a goodphilosopher!

EDITOR AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Rashi Gandhi

OUR CONTRIBUTORSDinesh Hegde

Alessandro ScarabelliOmkar Sane

Tushar SharmaWalter Callens

GEETANJALI BY TAGORE CAN BE FOUND AT

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/7164

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COPYRIGHT © Rashi Ketan Gandhi & Glimpse zine, 2011.

All rights reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication ofthis material without express and written permission from

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GLIMPSE Vol.1

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