12 Sep 2011
· comment
I must confess that I was not entirely surprised to read that the results of ‘mass-produced agriculture’ can sometimes be less than satisfactory. Allow me to summaries some of the human and environmental effects of using using ‘modern industrial production systems’ to grow tomatoes :
Hundreds of herbicides and pesticides are sprayed on the fields. Many of these are known to have negative health impact. There are known documented cases of birth defects among the farm hands. Tomatoes are picked hard and green and then they are artificially ‘ripened’ by spraying ethylene gas. The fruit is bred for volume and not taste or nutritional value. Which has led to yields tripling while the amounts of calcium, vitamin A, and vitamin C has dramatically reduced. Perhaps one of the key cost-saving device being employed is modern-day slave labour. Yes, they are bought and sold. They work horrendously long hours and can not negotiate their terms of ‘employment’. If they escape they are tracked down. There are many known cases of children being used a slave labour. What I was surprised by however, is that this description is not from some small village, in some third-world country. This story is unfolding just a couple of hundred miles south of Disney World in Orlando, Florida.
Continue reading →
11 Sep 2011
· multi-media
When you throw the clay you literally have little idea how the end product will look and feel… not even when you glaze. Well, at least, I don’t. Or perhaps, not yet. And I love that. Reminds me of my days in the dark room. One used to wait eagerly to see how the picture would finally emerge on paper, the wait for the ceramics to emerge from the kiln is almost similar, for me.
Continue reading →
11 Sep 2011
· others
Some recent street art
Some recent street art
Continue reading →
08 Sep 2011
· adventures
She knew. I could tell she knew that I was in pain. I had been making sure that the violent negotiations between my calves and knees were kept to, well, myself. But she could see through it.
I was determined to take myself and the 20 kilo pack on my back, safely to wherever the trail ended. This was the last, and particularly gruelling, day of a 6-day-trek across the Buran Pass. And I was not going to let my knees or calves come in the way of my finishing the trek. I was not going let myself get distracted by a little bit of pain.
Continue reading →
27 Aug 2011
· community-radio
Now, listen to Gurgaon Ki Awaaz sitting anywhere in the Net-enabled world. Our icecast link page is made possible by the collective efforts of Gramvaaniand Nomad India Network and the support of the Radiophone project.
Click here to listen to Gurgaon Ki Awaaz: https://radio.gurgaonkiawaaz.in
[Note: This post was last updated in November 2019 to reflect the new link]
Continue reading →10 May 2011
· media
Through this project I attempt to highlight independent, non-corporate, alternate news media across the world. The aim is to give ‘air time’ to views that much of the advertising-sponsored corporate media ignores. On occasion that some mainstream media gives space to an alternate voice, we try to point to that too.
You might find this site useful if you are interested in listening to alternate and dissenting voices, whatever your reasons. You don’t need to agree with everything you read here. I don’t – it would be a cause of worry if everything nicely stacked up along my existing views.
Continue reading →
04 May 2011
· photo-features
Our documentary film was first shown as part of an exhibition & seminar ‘What makes India urban?’ at AEDES Am Pfefferberg, Berlin, a gallery that focuses on architecture.
In less than two decades, the rural landscape of Gurgaon has taken on an urban identity. Yet, without a shared vocabulary for spaces, zebra crossings are “peopled” by buffaloes and busy mall roads have “herds” of shoppers making suicidal attempts to criss-cross a sea of racing vehicles.
Continue reading →
03 May 2011
· cycling
It’s that time of the year again. When people start thinking about ‘the’ great Indian cycle ride – the Manali to Leh cycling trip. A couple of people have written to me in the recent days asking me questions, many of which can be classified under: ‘what does it take to cycle from Manali to Leh?’ While I have replied to many people individually, I thought it might be a good idea to post a consolidated response here.
Continue reading →02 May 2011
· comment
A little bit of clean water can save lives. And change lives. This short animation video show how important water is. For those who don’t have it.
More info about the charity that created this video..
Continue reading →27 Apr 2011
· comment
It is interesting that almost exactly to the day of the 25th anniversary of Chernobyl, India has decided to approve a new nuclear power plant in Jaitapur in Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra. While experts have written tomes about it (and mass media has not given a jot of attention to them), here is my quick attempt to dislodge some friends who I know are sitting on-the-fence.
The safety features argument:
Continue reading →