51 - PRIME MINISTER MODI AND DEMONETIZATION HUNGAMA

What a stupid and unwarranted decision it is of the Indian prime minister Mr.Modi, to scrap the currency notes of one thousand and five hundred.  Supposedly to bring out the hidden black money of hoarders.  Please note Mr.Prime minister, what these dishonest persons did once, they will do again, and they will be prepared for future such decisions.

And if it is a step to curb the counterfeit currency that Pakistan has infiltrated into our economy, then they will do it to the new currency too.  In fact, if I were a counterfeiter, it would be a very good opportunity to infiltrate the new currency, at a time when Indian citizens are so vulnerable.  Gullible persons will take the new currency at face value and not be able to differentiate between the  real and the fake at this moment.  At least the present currency was something that we had become aware about.  As a layperson in the field of finance, even I had become aware of how to feel and check out the rupees five hundred and one thousand currency notes.  With the brand new notes of 500 and 2000 being thrust onto us, so suddenly,  it will be unknown territory.  I have just viewed the pictures of the new currency on television news.  So when I get currency that looks like that, I will have no means to check its veracity.  At least, the new currency should have been formatted like the plastic currency of Australia, which is so wow and so futuristic too.

Today,  my experiences have made me very infuriated, thanks to the government's rash decision.  I travel by taxi and bus, on my way to and from work, so change of almost eighty rupees gets used.  I had to buy bread (rs.35), two tetrapacks of milk (rs.150),  oil (rs.180),  Muesli (rs.85), 6 eggs (rs.35), a total of rs.485,  and the shopkeeper, from whom I have been shopping the above goods every week, refused to accept my 500 rupee note.  And then I decided to buy paneer, rs.260 for half a kilo, and that shopkeeper too refused to accept my 500 rupee note.  So when I visited the fruit seller, and he too refused.  I needed some medicines and a mosquito spray, but the three pharmacys that I passed were so crowded, that I dared not to wait for my turn in the melee of pushy and impatient men.  And so I returned home with an empty bag, feeling very resentful, that I had to be insulted in spite of wanting to use my hard earned money.

Today I do not appreciate Mr. Arnab Goswami, our very voluble Times Now, TV anchor,  at all.  He is arguing just to appease the Modi government higher ups, it is clear.  The opposition Congress view point is more practical and realistic.  The roads across Mumbai have been bereft of goods vehicles and transport vans, because they are off the road, as their bosses do not want to be paid in 500 and 1000 currency notes, which is the only feasible mode of payment for wholesale service.  The vegetable market was also almost deserted, as no vendors wanted to take these notes. 

If this drastic step by the government is aimed at black money hoarders, then it is not the only prey.  Honest, hardworking persons are suffering emotional trauma caused because of the discontinuance of the currency.  Today, a colleague of mine was continuously in tears.  She is a very middle class housewife and a teacher.  Christians have holy communion scheduled for this month and she is heart broken, having withdrawn almost one lakh to pay for preparations, which would not have been possible with a cheque.  Flower decorators, small time event managers, food suppliers, tailors, even priests, do not take cheque or card payments.  Another colleague had just money-ordered cash to his family in the village, which is needed for a relative's  ongoing medical treatment and is worried how they will manage with the discontinued currency. 

The ruling party in India, who live in lavish bungalows, enjoy travelling by plane, helicopters and expensive suvs, who invest in flats that are priced at one crore or more,  will keep enjoying these perks, as they will keep up with their 'kickbacks' anyway.

How is it that ordinary citizens, suddenly become crorepaties when they become politicians?  They will continue to squeeze their profits through the same routes that they have managed to, for so many years. 

Why sir, did you not announce this step before Divali?  You have not bothered to empathize with the numerous families that have a wedding in the offing.  You are brash and dictatorial.  My cash is 'paseeneh kee kamai' which you have announced is 'trash'.  I wholeheartedly abhorr you for that.

My parting shot to our honourable PM is that, you should walk, and use public transport and live frugally, as a 'chaiwalla' should.  Otherwise please give the exact graph of your fortunes rising so astronomically.  How is it that you were 'honest' and did you not ever accept 'black money' and yet now you have been able to grab the top post and travel in your own 'plane' to countries around the world.

Of course you are representing the country, but along the way, you paved your destiny very favourably and very cleverly, to achieve your present post.  You must admit that  you too have taken advantage of kickbacks and black money to fulfill your ambitions.  The political rallies and public posters, if you take into account the minimum that a rising politician has to spend on, you sir, have not spared any paisa, ever.

Long term???  The people who hoard and earn money illicitly, will continue to do so, and the politicians are the main culprits who demand bribes, and they will do so in the future too.  I do not have an ATM card because I do not want to waste the extra service charges.  I withdraw money according to my needs, and that is in the 500 rupees denomination, for my monthly use.  You, and your political cronies are the biggest black money hoarders, as is proof of the income shown on the names of all your family members galore.



 

48 - CHINESE ALL THE WAY

 Today, on 28th October, Mumbai celebrated the first day of Divali celebrations with Dhanteras,  and most Hindu residents had lighted up their balconies with Chinese fairy lights.  Also the shops were all lighted up across their name boards with twinkling lights.  Multistorey buildings look pretty with different coloured lights blinking away, and the walls and trees enclosing their premises are also lighted with pretty lights, mostly made in China.  Chinese fairy lights are not only cheaper than the Indian ones, but also in so many different options to choose from.

So, as I looked out from the BEST bus window, the Kemps corner high rises, were all lit up as though to celebrate a wedding.    I alighted from the bus at Jaslok Hospital, but I dared not admire the pretty colourful lights now, because I had to watch my footsteps.  The footpath at Peddar Road is like the surface of the moon, as are most of the footpaths of Mumbai.

Anyway, today the footpaths have been taken over by the flower vendors, who are so creative in their toran making, with entire families involved.  You can see the obvious husband wife couples, with an old family member, and kids of all age groups, from ten to five to infants.  All are busy doing their bit to complete the finished product.  Yellow, orange, white marigold flowers, interspersed with bunched leaves and golden balls, woven into a lovely display of garlands to decorate the entrances of shops and homes.  These real flower torans are more aesthetic and more in demand than the artificial chinese ones.

The shopping at the Reliance Store at Mahalaxmi, left me riled.  One cannot find the healthy options here, except the uber expensive fruits.  There is nothing special for a 'sugar free' person to buy.  Sugar free biscuits, sugar free chocolates,  slow release cooking livo oil, slow release diabetic atta, sugar free vegetable and fruit juices, jamun sugar free juice, etc will not be found here.   Better than this shop, I got what I wanted across the road, at the other shops.  Mr. Mukesh Ambani, with you being one of the richest persons in the world, I assumed that you would also be the most aware and informed shopkeeper.  But there was a  crowd around the free JIO mobile recharge card table.  So many suckers for 'free' tags.

And then I returned home and observed the various advertisements along the outer fences and gates of the residences and shops I walked by.  Right from the Tata garden, along the majestic St.Stephen's Church, upto the Parsee Sanatorium and the famous Banoo Mansion at Kemps Corner, where   Zubin Mehta grew up to be a world famous conductor especially of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.  His father's home, is still used as the Mehli Mehta Musical Foundation, where music classes are conducted.  Whenever I walk past the Parsee sanatorium and the Mehli Mehta building, it gives me pride to belong to the zorastrian faith.  And then, across the road, just before the flyover is the boarded up unlucky shop, outside the Om Builders office.  I recall visiting this once lively shop, which is under litigation, as family members quarrel over the spoils.  It has been boarded up for so many years now, what a waste.  Four watchmen sit outside the premises, and once I had asked them why the place was shut and they had informed me about the family dispute.  What a waste of prime land.

Then, just at the turn of Kemps corner, is the stately entrance to the Parsee Towers of Silence,  the place where Zorastrians lay their dead to be consumed by birds and in the absence of vultures,  to be incinerated by natural solar energy.  The towering gate posts, display the nameplate,  'The Towers of Silence' were made in memory of the First Baronet of Mumbai, Sir Jamshetjee Jeejeebhoy, on 19th December. 1868.  When I used to visit Mumbai as a child, about 50 years ago,  this entire area was forested and there were no highrises at all,  but now it is a different landscape.

On the other side of the flyover, is Hobby Ideas and Crossword, the book store, a road which is always congested with double parked cars and the stink of the public toilet as one walks along.  Then is the very aesthetic window display of Anita Dongre and then my favourite shop, Biba.  But the eyecatcher of the entire street here, is Meena Bazaar, with the most exquisite sarees and ghagras on display. 

Walking further is quite a torture, as AC drips have to be dodged and footpaths blocked with parked two wheelers and four wheelers have to be traversed like an obstacle race.  The Sah and Sanghi showroom of new cars is the most tortuous, because in spite of a decent footpath, it is mostly blocked by the showroom's customers' vehicles.  The next sore is the now defunct Porsche showroom, whose manager committed a financial fraud and caused the company to be bankrupt at this centre.  That is the gossip that is doing the rounds.  Walking past buildings that have sad pasts, produces bad vibes.

Then further is the New Era School, now a drab and rundown exterior, which once boasted a very artistic mural of the Mahatma.  And on and on, I walked along a very narrow footpath, encroached by electrical pillars put up for road lights, that made it impossible to traverse in most places.

All along the paths that I have described, were NO PARKING signboards, squares of  eighteen inches, made of tin and wired onto gates and fences, where ever possible, with an advertisement painted on them. Some displayed as proper squares and others displayed in the diamond position.  Very innovative and of course free of any rentals.  So now I shall list the various ads that were displayed on these numerous square ad boards.

* Barbeque Nation at Atria Mall.
* My Glamm-Book your at home, spa and saloon service,  download the app.
* 100% gold load from HDFC.
* idp - free counselling to study in Australia, UK, Canada, US, New Zealand.
*Dock to door-Hamvi- no more fish market, you name it, we have it, prawns, pomfret, surmai, rawas,
   rahu, bombil.
* TITAN eyeplus, Wardem road.
* Office chair repairs, just call.
* Pestcontrol, call the experts.
* SENSO hearing aid experts, Kemps corner.
* HRC hard disk repairing, laptop repair, data recovery.
* SAN-hearing and speech clinic, total care.
* Beyond Fitness-cardio, strength training, spinning, zumba, power yoga, kick boxing.
* Career after HSc-NIIT-Grant road (W)

But the most popular one, or rather the most numerous ad was this:
* Free kaali peeli rides everyday, Just download the Ola app and 100% money back on kaali peeli rides.

I found it quite interesting to  read the ads.  They are displayed at eyelevel and of course the latest ones must be replacing the older ones.  My only wish is that if only I could put as many of these ads with the legend "NO PARKING" , no matter what they advertise after that,  at the wall of the buildings that park their BMWs and humangous SUVs and Skodas on public footpaths.  Chronic areas are the August Kranti Maidan entrances on both sides, a certain Dar ul Mulk building with lots of rich and care-a-damn car owners, at Pandita Ramabai Road,  and all the buildings along the Walkeshwar road, beginning from chowpatty and across Sital Baug and White House.   How I wish I had a magic wand, to make the cars parked on walking spaces disappear or get minimised.  Walking is so enjoyable, but in Mumbai, you have to only walk while you are supposed to walk aimlessly, just for the exercise, at maybe Marine Drive or inside Hanging Garden, Phirojshah Mehta garden or the Worli Seaface, or the Mahalaxmi race course, or the Bandra seaface,etc.  You cannot walk your way to work or to shop,  because those paths are not walkable, or blocked with garbage, like the Nagpada area, or parked across with vehicles, as most other places, or full of uneven tiling, which can cause you to trip and get seriously injured. 

Walking to any specific destination is not easy, nor fun at all, in Mumbai.  So that is one reason why the Mumbaikars are so potbellied and obese.