Life on Two Wheels: Nostalgic

Search in your porch, backyard, godown, you will find a piece of machine in this fashion. Talk to your father, they’ll be nostalgic with the first scooter of their life. The iconic brand to put Indians on the running machine is stopping scooter production. We had spoken about Maruti and how it changed the car market of India. But the real change was brought by Bajaj.

In late 1970’s or early 1980’s as Indian society was getting educated and looking to make life in urban districts. Though today’s rural are better off than 1980’s urbans. But still our parents and grandparents will be nostalgic with the above logo and the tagline Hamara Bajaj.

Buland Bharat ki buland tasveer,

Hamara Bajaj, Hamara Bajaj.

Some of our uncle’s may talk about the Lambretta, the Italian two wheeler, which was taken to fancy. Of course, Lambretta was not as sexy as seen in picture, especially because of the noise it created. Skeleton of Labretta (picture below).

I had my first ride on Lambretta. It has its special place but I have more fond memories with Bajaj. It was Bajaj scooter which changed the landscape of two-wheeler market of India.

People thumped their chests with pride whenever they showed their shining Bajaj Scooter to people/neighborhood standing in porch or the street. They would spend hours cleaning and shining (though there were no shiny metallic shades in those times) their Bajaj scooter. Nowadays we don’t even bother or feel half the excitement as our parents, even after buying a sedan car.

Owning a Bajaj scooter was their biggest achievement in life. Especially when the manufacturer had license to manufacture limited number of scooters and every upper class/middle class Indian wanted one in their porch/drawing room. You need to book a Bajaj scooter for months in advance, call influential people to ensure the scooter is delivered on time.

As a kid, I would fight with my brother to allow me to stand in front of the scooter holding the handle. It was pure fun. Oops for the next generation, it means standing on a running scooter between the driver and the handle. No doubt, I’d lose to my brother in the beginning as he was taller and I ran the risk of banging my face on the handle. Later when he got taller to distract diver with his height, I had chance to stand with my father but then my father bought his first car by that time. But then I’d pursue my parents not to take my brother.

Riding on scooter was fun. Playing and imitating the ridiculous boring scooter sounds/noises with themovement of the hands was another activity for recreation. Playing all the innocent child indoor games perched on the scooter instead of sitting at home. If father noticed, he would scold, remove your shoes or get down from the scooter; you are scratching my baby with your shoes.

One of the ultra compressed fusion version of scooter and moped, SUNNY was launched by Bajaj in mid 1990’s. Sachin Tendulkar was the Brand Ambassador. Sunny was amongst the first few gearless scooter in India. It was like a small genset engine fitted in a bigger toy.

Sunny was made from plastic and would shout and cry even if two people exceeding 40 kgs would sit on it. I can bet on it, it’d move if a 60 kg person sat on Sunny. It was more of a sport for kids and teens for parents who were cautious in handing over their kids a gear scooter. The first machined vehicle that I ever drove in my life.

The scooter in the picture above is amongst the latest model of scooter launched by Bajaj under Bajaj Chetak trademark. School and college life was fun because of the Bajaj scooter. Especially in school, after cycle, Bajaj scooter was single biggest elevation step in life. You progress and move ahead. When all your fellow cyclist classmates are holding your shoulder with one hand and another hand on bicycle and first shoulder by second hand and so on and you are practically helping half a dozen friends to ride on their own bicycles without peddling.

Then came the college life, when your scooter becomes a car. You don’t even remember how many times only you or two had taken ride on it. At least three or at times four and stealing petrol from others scooter to feed the gas guzzling two wheeler. Actually Bajaj was amongst the most efficient but unfortunately in comparison to bikes, scooters couldn’t match the efficiency of bikes. You approach your first love with Bajaj scooter by your side. Standing at the other end of the narrow bylane of the girl’s house and waiting for the girl you wish to propose or your girlfriend, only Bajaj scooter was my partner in my tryst of destiny.

For impressing girls, LML Vespa was significantly helpful as it was stylish and more associated with youth. So I would borrow my friend’s LML at times to chase the girls.

Besides making love stories successful, Bajaj helped and contributed immensely towards building homes. It helped people move across their daily needs on this scooter. Carrying and dropping their loved ones from one part to other part of the city. Driving Bajaj was fun and everybody who owned a scooter had a smile on his/her face.

Riding with the family on scooter. Man, wife and their two/three kids. This inspired Mr. Ratan Tata to develop One Lac Rupee car for the middle class population of India. It was a truly Indian scooter designed for use for an Indian family unlike Vespa or Lambretta. Bajaj had a carriage in the front, storage side on the left rear, a stepny on the back for holding the family onto the scooter.

As a mode of transportation, shopkeepers, SME owners ferried and marketed their goods on Bajaj scooter. Bikes are incapable to perform such onerous tasks of carrying goods. Bajaj ruled the roost with the carriages and boxes can be piled on any side of this scooter, front, back, side, between the legs. At times, the driver would be seen driving with his leg dangling in the air, folded and piled on top of the box, stretching the leg on top of the boxes with the little space to apply brakes on the right side.

Now the world has moved and so have the expectations of the people. Even Bollywood makes use of the Bajaj scooter to indicate the bechara (pitiable) condition of their protagonist. I have not reference, but still notice the brilliant colours of Bajaj Scooter. Nobody can think of driving anything if presented in these colours. It was also another striking feature of Bajaj scooter.

Later Bajaj introduced heavy and more macho scooter like Bajaj Legend. But people still have memories with the original Bajaj or their longest running range of Chetak scooters. The word Chetak is symbolic as it is derived from the name of horse of Maharana Pratap, who was thought to be the fastest and most efficient horse of Indian history.

Times change, motives change, a new world order emerges. Now the Bajaj’s logo has gone for complete overhaul with the younger generation taking charge of the company and the market. The scooters portfolio has been replicated by the bikes. In future, even bikes will be replaced by cars.

Mr. Rahul Bajaj, the Chairman of Bajaj Auto Ltd., the man who put India on wheels is not happy (we should be mentioning sad here) with the MD’s decision to completely stop the production of scooters. Rajeev Bajaj, the elder son of Mr. Rahul Bajaj is the Managing Director of Bajaj Auto Ltd.

Rajeev Bajaj is clear, businesses are not built on emotions but rational business decisions. Rahul Bajaj says it is not about emotions, “I care less for the solution from emotions, I believe more in the magic of logic”. Its OK, Mr Bajaj, there’s no logic, we are also emotional and nostalgic about our Bajaj scooter. The press note should not mean much. As practically two or three years back, Bajaj had stopped production of scooters. In future, one or two rare Bajaj scooters one may find will be as seen under:

P.S.: You can watch the commercials of Bajaj on www.vido4veit.com, which will take us through the journey of emotions, India of 1980’s and 1990’s, how our society has evolved. The stories and characters we lived through our childhood.

Legalization

Legalise prostitution if you can't curb it, SC tells Govt.

The Supreme Court Wednesday asked the Centre whether it can legalise prostitution if it is not possible to curb it with punitive measures.

"When you say it is the world's oldest profession and when you are not able to curb it by laws, why don't you legalise it? You can then monitor the trade, rehabilitate and provide of medical aid to those involved in the trade," a bench of Justice Dalveer Bhandari and Justice A K Patnaik told Solicitor General Gopal Subramaniam.

Prostitution is the oldest profession of this world, even SC has reiterated it. Why is it called a profession? One of my friends had said, “If Ved Vatsyayna is referred to as Ved then prostitution can be called as a profession”. It’s difficult to parallel the two. Traditionally it maybe a profession, but within the confines of the law and the society, it is an illegal business. Slavery was first criticized and then abolished as they said you cannot trade human beings. Prostitution is illegal and punishable under IPC (Indian Penal Code) for the one who pays and the one who receives money.

It is not that the Law is not capable to curb this activity. Exploitation of human being is one of the gravest crimes on earth and that too, because of their SEX, demands our urgent attention to the issue. The Law Enforcers are not willing to curb this activity. There is no woman on this Earth who would like to enter this profession by choice. Perhaps there may be few who have no option or may be a convenient way for survival. Add to that the extreme poverty conditions of India. In certain tribal/rural areas, parents are forced to sell one of their daughters to ensure the other children do not die due to hunger. Of course, we cannot justify/argue destroying a person’s life, it is simply unacceptable. Govt. needs to attack the hunger of the poor or maybe the parents. The list of poverty and its consequences are dire in this country.

(A prostitute lifts her skirt)

But then it is an equally popular trade in developed nations, where Govt. even takes the responsibility of the unemployed. Various developed countries have tried to curb this activity by different means, wherein they have worked on the premise that women are victims and we need to show compassion towards their plight. In one of the European country, the legislation says anybody found paying for receiving any favours in sexual activity shall be held punishable, on the same hand it does not talks about wrong doing in the hands of the receiver. It is one of the positive aspects of this Law. But then does this help us in finding the solution? Not really, it may have exacerbated the problems of the sex workers in some other manner.

For every woman engaged/forced into profession, she is supporting more than two human beings on her earnings. Two (human beings) is a conservative figure, it may be her family or the pimp who represents her or police officer who demand bribes from them. Scan through the classifieds of any Mumbai local newspaper, one will know how easy it is to run this business. It is this casualness, which is harming the society. My cab driver took me through the Kamatipura area, the red-light district conditions of Mumbai. Not to mention, the whole area of Grant Road running till Kamatipura is such poverty stricken and it runs a chill in your spine, when you contrast it to Colaba, Nariman Point which are just stone throw away (by Bombay standards) from this area. A child walks upto my window in a moving cab albeit at snail pace and asks, “saab maal chahiye”. I wanted to tell him, you are talking about a human being. Show some respect to your existence, if not them. Within seconds, he markets all types of girls, by their origin, colour, age. I was shouting to my cabdriver, move fast and we are stuck in traffic. Politely I tell him NO, coz there was no point preaching. I was clutching fast to the window handle and rotating it with both hands to push the glass up. Imagine what that child will become when he grows up? I don’t know, if he was pushing for his mother or on behalf of his father (who may be a pimp) or born like that, that even his mother had absolutely no idea what his father might look like.

Supreme Court gave their comments on the PIL filed by an NGO Bachpan Bachao Andolan and the intervention application moved by Childline complaining about large scale child trafficking in the country. We need to save these children and give them their childhood back. SC questions, Why don’t you legalize it?

One of our law faculty had said, “Society exists because of Law”.
Legalizing prostitution will help the society. It is difficult to say, when we should be trying to help the sex workers and flee away from this menace and try to make our society a better place to live, where everybody is respected and not sleeps for few pieces of green paper. Legalizing means we have presumed and submitted that prostitution cannot be eradicated from our society.

But then legalization does have its benefits for the sex workers. They can call themselves as sex workers and not always abused at. It will stop the exploitation. They will be given few rights in their hands which they are now deprived of.

(A street of Kamathipura)

Perhaps the present legal structure needs to be restructured to give them equal rights of a human being or as a citizen of India. The structure at the same time, should probably throw an idea or a path to help the victims who have been forced into this activity to leave this profession and lead a life where sex is not an object or means to earn livelihood. It remains just as an expression of love.

PAA – Movie and Thoughts

Everybody is talking about how fantastic the film is. Amitabh Bachchan crosses yet another milestone of his life, experiments and shows his brilliance and knowledge in the field of acting and wants to say, whichever few honorary and felicitation awards are left in few countries he has not visited should gift him one. Some of them are dejected to know that they didn’t find Amitabh Bachchan in the movie. It was the character ‘AURO’, who got all the space. An actor wins the brownie points, only if he allows the character to supersede his persona and image. I’d say Amitabh Bachchan has given one stellar performance. You don’t talk about Amitabh Bachchan after leaving the halls but about the wittiness of the AURO. While I was entering the hall, I told my friend, the name of Amitabh Bachchan helps in creating hype. They could have put on the make-up on any other actor. But the makers had to show the hands and arms of an old man. Of course, you could have applied old skin patches on hands and arms too. AURO had to maim the behavior of a child and the body language of a child and an old man. It is extremely difficult to project for an actor. Probably somebody as experienced as Amitabh Bachchan could have handled it with elan. If we keenly observe the designing of character ‘AURO’, he acts and behaves with a child’s mind and yet he is mature as he is shown physically. AURO makes Vidya Balan and Abhishiek Bachchan seem like a supporting cast. The poster of the PAA features only the character, AURO. Abhishiek Bachchan has a bigger role in terms of his importance in the film. AURO’s maturity came in handling and making his parents come together. He does not say Abhishiek, father since he met him inspite of knowing the fact. A child longs to say MA and PAA. AURO gets to say ma but not PAA. What a moment they have captured to justify the brilliant title? Without revealing further details, I would like you to go explore the same in the movie.

Balki has cracked a whacker with his second film. We should not forget he is an adman and he delivers stories in less than a minute’s time. It is difficult as a writer to get into the child’s mind. And at the same time, he has touched upon an upcoming issue in Indian society. In 1980’s and 1990’s, there was huge movement against anti-abortion and people marched through streets to tell the Govt in USA. about passing anti-abortion laws. The slogan ran, “It’s not a CHOICE, it’s a CHILD”. Going forward, when Indian economy and society is opening up by breaking the shackles of the past, these issues will gain more importance. To abort a child is equivalent to murder. I read a quote around at SV Road, Bandra, “A child gives birth to a mother”. Had this movie been made, fifteen years back, people would have rejected it.

Balki has dealt with some other issues in the movie. They make us lose the plot of the movie. Some of the issues handled are the development of Mumbai’s slums, a foreign educated politician wanting to transform India, giving one hand to media. It is neither effective nor consequential. Probably the whole sequence should have been tightened.

Many people forsake lives of children who are born abnormal. It would not try to be figurative on this topic. Its personal choice because at later stages, it becomes extremely painful for parents and the child. Vidya Balan had to raise this child. It was not the question of the child, it was the question of her existence for which she has struggled, fought and left her love. Vidya is sensational in the movie, she performs her role effortlessly. Middle-aged ravaged roles suit her. She should not try to look young and sexy. Keep it Simple Vidya.

Should we watch the movie or not? Go and explore for yourself the brilliance of Balki, the cinematography, music, the look, feel and the appeal of the movie.

Love him, Hail him, Adore him…. No HATE him

Well the topic is very controversial and I can be badly beaten by the Cricket fans/lovers in India. Everybody must be wondering why, Sehwag has even brought the trophy home. Sehwag made the 4th December afternoon so interesting that stock brokers in my office switched from CNBC to Neo Sports, which is lethal for their profession. Sehwag missed the World record by a whisker. First batsman in the world to score three triple centuries in Test Matches. I always used to think, how an Indian player can create glory under the shadow of Sachin Tendulkar. Sehwag has clearly taught us the way to be different.

Sehwag is born with sheer wit and determination to hit every ball offered to him. If he is not able too, he will be resting in the dressing room after scoring a quickie of 30-40. On 4th December, Sehwag forgot he was playing in a Test Match. His batting style seemed as if he is playing in an extended T20 match. Do you think this is healthy for the game in the long run? People idolized Sachin Tendulkar and wanted to become one now if they start wishing and playing Sehwag style, it will kill the game. Nobody would want to become bowler.

I felt pity for the Sri Lankan bowlers besides the joy of watching Sehwag. It was like you are struggling, stumbling at the work, after putting days and nights together for a presentation and all you are getting is a volley of abusing and screaming from your boss from morning till evening without any fault of yours’. The person says I don’t wish to work, I am off for the day. I don’t wish to be respected, it’s ok if you yell at me but don’t abuse me, just show a little amount of courtesy.

T20 is great, esp. IPL. It has created an entertainment format of Cricket. It is offering more first class players to showcase their talent and earn a livelihood. But on the hindsight, it is going to hurt the sporting format. English County players say early start in T20 by Indians has taken their game to a different level. But may need to bring one more format favouring the bowlers. We need bowlers. Practically iconic bowlers have ceased to exist, esp. the likes of Courtney Walsh, Glenn Mcgrath, Curtly Ambrose, Shane Warne. Of course, there were great’s like marshalls, richard’s, merchants, engineers and vishwanath’s in earlier times of cricket. We may not find any in future with the present level of progession of the game.