September 01, 2024

Dear Colleagues   

As sunny month starts after long monsoon period, another round of random reflections for your perusal:

1. The Olympics invoke national pride as competition becomes more intense every four years. Paris was no different. This time around, winners were much more diverse on many different criteria. I was particularly pleased to see first time ever gold medalist winners from St Lucia, Grenada and Botswana! What an achievement for such winners from countries so different from America & China whose medal tallies always dominate results table.
2. Airport security arrangements continue to get increasingly tightened, understandably. But passengers experience uneven measures at different airports in India. Some airports require all passengers to remove their shoes, any shoes. Some others allow water in bottles, some do not. Some maintain separate queues for men and women, most do not. Some use hands to touch bodies while frisking, most just use hand-held scanner. Why?
3. In ever-expanding urban habitats in India, housing arrangements for new migrants and families of informal workers are hugely diverse and innovative. I noticed a privately owned large commercial plot in Lucknow ‘renting’ jhuggis (shacks) for such families. The rent includes water & electricity, as well as security. Arrangements for ‘easing oneself’ are generally ‘flexible’. Such arrangements are neither new nor unique to Lucknow!
4. In contrast to media coverage of the Olympics, it has been difficult to find much information about the Paralympics. Live television coverage and pre-event writeups about Indian delegation and its ‘star’ sportspersons participating in the Paralympics have been almost non-existent. Is this because publicity ‘mileage’ is uncertain? Or because Indian society ‘hides’ disability due to widespread stigma?
5. Creating large parks with big statues goes back to Indian cultural history over centuries. Lucknow has carried forward that tradition with strong conviction. Each successive government in the state of Uttar Pradesh created its own parks (‘maidaans’) and installed a set of statues of leaders of its choice (belonging to that pedigree). The present regime is continuing this tradition as a new park is being created with a new set of statues!

Stay well, sincerely

Dr. Rajesh Tandon

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