Citizen News Service (CNS): Preparing the leaders of change for sanitation

Citizen News Service (CNS): Preparing the leaders of change for sanitation: At a sprawling field in Jalalpur – on the outskirts of Gwalior district in Madhya Pradesh state-- over 10,000 people raised their hands ...

Celebrate! Its a Girl!

For the first time the world is celebrating 'International Day of the Girl'. The aim is to promote girls, educate them and in general sensitise the society about their importance. Apart form this, the aim is also to talk of equity - giving equal status of girls and boys.

Unfortunately, in India the day is marked with a controversial backward statement by one of the politicians. The former Chief Minister of Haryana state Om Prakash Chautala said - "Parents should get their daughters married at the age of 15, if we want to check their molestation and rape".

So, according to this Indian politician, this is the easiest and simplest way to check crime against women.

The statement got support from a bunch of educated and elderly people on Facebook as well!

Chautala comes from a state where about a dozen cases of rape and serious molestation have been reported in just a month. 

Now here is  question for Mr Chautala and others like him...

What do they have to say about the following cases...

* A woman - mother of two children was raped in Haryana.

* A 14 year old girl was raped by a man for two years, in Delhi.

* A man was arrested in Karnataka for attempting to rape a 3 year old child.

What do these cases suggests?

They obviously suggest that violence against women - including molestation and rape, has nothing to do with a woman's age.

It has got everything to do with falling values in the society, discrimination from childhood days and increasing insensitivity in the society. Otherwise why would a rape take place every half an hour in this country (National Crime Record Bureau)!

In 2011, a Thomson Reuters Foundation Global Poll recorded India the fourth most dangerous nation in the world. The parameters were sex-selective abortions, human trafficking, sex slavery, forced marriages and so on. The poll had quoted a UN report, according to which, 50 million girls went missing in a century only because of sex selective abortions. Even Somalia did better than India as far as sex selective abortions are concerned which are rampant here.

The countries, which could beat India were like Pakistan and Afghanistan.

In 2012, another study said India is the worst country for women among all the G20 nations.

Sample this -- (A travel advisory by the US government)

U.S. citizens, particularly women, are cautioned not to travel alone in India. Western women, especially those of African descent, continue to report incidents of verbal and physical harassment by groups of men. Known locally as “Eve-teasing,” these incidents can be quite frightening. Eve-teasing can occur anytime or anywhere, but most frequently has happened in crowded areas such as in market places, train stations, buses, and public streets. The harassment can range from sexually suggestive or lewd comments, to catcalls, to outright groping. While India is generally safe for foreign visitors, according to the latest figures by Indian authorities, rape is the fastest growing crime in India. Among large cities, Delhi experienced the highest number of crimes against women. Although most victims have been local residents, recent sexual attacks against female visitors in tourist areas underline the fact that foreign women are at risk and should exercise vigilance. Women should observe stringent security precautions, including avoiding use of public transport after dark without the company of known and trustworthy companions, restricting evening entertainment to well-known venues, and avoiding isolated areas when alone at any time of day. Keep your hotel room number confidential and make sure hotel room doors have chains, deadlocks, and spy-holes. In addition, only hire reliable cars and drivers and avoid travelling alone in hired taxis, especially at night. 

The above examples are self explanatory. We cannot blame outsiders for blaming our nation because deep inside our hearts we know that we are wrong.

The time has come to stop taming the girls and start training men and boys. Give them lessons on sensitivity and values and try changing and improving the society. All this is possible only when we start the practice from home by stopping discrimination. Treat boys and girls alike - give nutritious food to both and educate both. 

Just like your son, gather courage to give your daughter also the freedom to make her own decisions and decide when she wants to get married.

Toilet v/s Temples!

I call it reality bites or simply the sting of truth! 
Otherwise there is no reason why a fact-based statement should draw so much criticism!!!
The Indian Minister for Drinking Water and Sanitation, Jairam Ramesh was candid and outspoken when he said "toilets are more necessary in India than temples".
As a nation we are known for using pavements as spittoons and garbage bins, roadsides as universal urinals and open fields as the ideal place for defecation.
Any corner in any public building is decorated with a spray painting - courtesy paan and gutkha chewers. The boundary walls of any building are permanently soaked - thanks to pedestrians who use them for emptying their bladders. Dumps of garbage anywhere on the road is a common site feasting pigs, cows, dogs and flies.     
This is because using a toilet for nature's call doesn't come as a natural phenomenon, especially when there is so much open space and no tort in place.    
People claim to lack space for toilets whereas religious structures are erected anywhere, irrespective. It can be on government land, public land or neighbour's land. 

  

The issue had been addressed by the Indian Apex Court on a Public Interest Litigation by a resident of Gujarat state, in 2009. The petitioner had submitted the data of 1,200 temple and 250 mosques, which were erected on unauthorised land. 
The court had directed the states to identify all religious structures constructed illegally and take appropriate action on case to case basis by either removing, relocating or regularising them.
The state of Uttar Pradesh too had identified more than 45,000 religious structures. 
Ironically, Uttar Pradesh is also the state that records as one of the lowest as far as toilet are concerned. Only 22 per cent of people use toilets here, which is a little better than states like Rajasthan, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh where the percentage is as low as 20, 18 and 13, respectively. 

Now going back to the statement of Jairam Ramesh - what could have been  disputed is why segregate temples? The argument can be - he could have said "Construction of toilets is more important than construction of religious places."
However at the same time, if we think rationally, there are two basic points behind his statement - 
One - Temples outnumber any other religious place in India. So, it was  spontaneous.  
Two - There is an urgent need for toilets as the nation is losing its manpower and money due to lack of sanitation facilities.

Now a glimpse of sanitation status in India -
* India loses approximately USD 53.8 billion (More than 6.4% of India’s GDP) due to increased health costs, productivity losses, and reduced tourism revenue due to inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene (Water and Sanitation Program of the World Bank, February 2011)

* 626 million Indians defecate in the open, making India the country with most people living without toilets in the world. (UNICEF/WHO).

*  More than 1,000 children die from preventable diarrhoea every day (UNICEF; India Water Portal).

* There are more mobile phones than toilets in India (2011 India Census). According to the Indian Telecom Regulatory Authority, there are currently more than 929 million mobile phone subscribers in the country. More than 300 million Indians have access to a mobile phone, but not to a toilet. 

* According to Public Health Association and UNICEF, only 53 per cent of the Indian population washes hands with soap after defecation, 38 per cent wash hands with soap before eating and only 30 per cent wash hands with soap before preparing food.

* Only 11 per cent of the Indian rural families dispose children's stool safely whereas 80 per cent leave it in the open and rest throw it in the garbage (UNICEF).

* Women suffer from reproductive tract infections and urinary tract infection caused by poor hygiene (Facts for Life).

* Women often use isolated places for defecation, making them vulnerable to getting molested or raped.

* About 23% of Indian girls drop out of school after reaching puberty because they do not get toilet facility in schools. (National survey conducted by AC Nielsen and NGO Plan India, 2012).

Now looking at these statistics can we say what Jairam is saying is wrong?

In my view no!

Consider this - Over 40 percent of children can be saved from diarrhoeal diseases if focus is shifted to sanitation and hygiene. Millions of women can be given dignity and self respect if they are provided with the privacy of toilets. Many girl students can be brought back to schools if there is facility of toilets. Hundreds of man-hour can be saved just by following proper sanitation and hygiene practices.

In that case why not have build toilets rather than building yet another religious structure and creating more differences among people!!!

          

War or Competition?

Is it war or competition?
Today I happened to watch a new reality show Sur Kshetra (Area of Music) on television. The programme is named after Kuru Kshetra (Area of War) where the famous battle was fought between the Kauravas and Pandavas in the mythological epic Mahabharat.
The reality show is basically a music competition between the budding singers from Pakistan and India. The aim is bring the two nations together through music.
The concept is good as the ordinary peace loving citizens of both the countries want to see their nations in a friendly relation.
But instead of a healthy musical competition, the way the programme is developing it appears more like a battle. The words and phrases, which are used and the expressions of the team leaders are full of scorn.
I understand the expressions and choice of words is to symbolise a war - being fought with music and not with weapon.
But there was something in the programme which made me uncomfortable. The programme has phrases and gestures which are hostile. When the aim is to build cordial relation through music then why start in a negative way. How can someone think of striking a friendship or strengthening friendship with hostile looks and sharp tongue - I fail to understand. I have already started silently praying for India and am no more able to appreciate the wonderful singers of Pakistan!
We have seen - over the years - every time India and Pakistan are playing cricket it become a battle of national pride. It no more remains a game.
Same way this music competition too has become a kind of war and no more its an innocent programme.
The programme has though beautiful singers from the two countries and I think it could have been a better programme if it was planned and formulated on a positive note!

If you love her, beat her!

"If a husband beats his wife, there is nothing wrong in it".
"Because if a man looks after his wife very well, there is no harm if he indulges in violence. He can raise his hands on his wife".
Doesn't it sound shocking?
It would sound more so when you know that this 'beautiful' observation was made by none other than a man sitting at a high status in the judicial system of India. Yes, these lines came from a High Court Judge in the state of Karnataka.
A woman had moved the legal system seeking divorce from her husband. Her plea w as that her husband abuses her and beats her therefore she wanted to get away from him.
The reason was good enough for granting divorce.
What the court could have done was to establish the truth. If the woman was stating facts she should have been granted relief.
But what the court did was to solicit its most weird advice to the petitioner. The court said - "A woman should maintain balance between her role as a mother and a wife - between her responsibility of bringing up children and her married life".
Sadly, this is not the first time such an observation has been made by the court. Earlier also a court had observed that "There is nothing wrong if a mother-in-law kicks her daughter in law with her leg".  
So, the judgement is on the expected lines - after all its a man's world, where a woman's dignity and respect are alien words and carry no meaning!
Why do people forget that a woman not only creates a new life but also makes a home and ensures life to all residents of that home and in return she often sacrificing her own welfare!
However, incidences like this explain the situation and status women are living in (in India and even abroad) in the 21st century - as second class citizens.
A United Nation Population Fund Report mentions that around two third of married Indian women are victims of domestic violence. Also, over 55 per cent of women face domestic violence, especially in backward states like Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh. More so, about 70 per cent of married Indian woman between 15 and 50 years of age face violence in some form or the other - it can be domestic violence like beating, physical and mental abuse, rape within marriage or forced sex.
What worries me as where do women activists vanish when these kind of judgements are announced!
Why these stories make mere nine line news hidden in a nondescript corner of a Hindi newspaper?
When will the time come when newspapers will make space for such shameful incidences on their page one?
Does someone has any answers?

  
 

18 Again!

Its been a couple of months when the government had banned the screening of Dirty Picture (an adult Hindi film) on the small screen (television). The argument was that it would spoil our children. The government was quick to act on the issue. On the other hand, the government is continuously overlooking those dozens of advertisements, which the newspapers are flooded with, which are objectionable as per the Drug and Cosmetic Act of the country. I had quoted one such advertisement in my previous post.

Today, the newspapers went a step ahead. What they served their readers early morning, was a full page advertisement for a 'vaginal tightening and rejuvenating gel' named '18 Again'.

I am sure it would have elated many chauvinistic men who are more bothered about their ageing wives's anatomy rather than the complexities attached to her mid-life emotional crisis. Many women too would be glad to have such a product, which can enable them to feel like a teenager (of course it would be only physically). The gel will do nothing to help stop their ageing mental faculty and lowering confidence due to greying hair, increasing lines on face, falling energy level or weakening senses.  

What compels me to start pondering over such advertisements is the possible need for such cosmetic necessities! Obviously, the gel is not for young women but targets those who are reaching or have arrived in their middle age. It is for menopausal women, who are facing the hormonal changes in their bodies and who are going through mid-life crisis. I wonder if this gel would also improve their emotional quotient which undergoes a drastic change at the time of menopause! I doubt!!!  

Looking back, I see that we respected and adored our mothers and grand mothers with all their distorted physical attributes. We are witness to our fathers' and grand fathers' undying love for their women. The word 'infidelity' was unheard of. The  middle-aged women never tried to look like teenagers. Their men never pushed them to do so either. 

What developed between a growing couple (along with their biological growth) was understanding, companionship and a long-lasting friendship and partnership. 

I am at my wit's end as to what is the need for such a gel? I would love to hear from people if anyone can enlighten me and give me the usefulness of such a thing. May be it can solve my mid-life crisis as well!!!

Nonetheless, this advertisement has clarified one thing - I am now confident that I must belong to dinosaur age, which makes me think in this way. 

Otherwise I should have been rejoicing - "So what if your self esteem is shattered, at least your vagina is intact!"

Double Standards

The Indian government refused the show of Dirty Picture, the most acclaimed film of Bollywood in 2011 on Indian television. The film, rated as top five of 2011 and top 10 of all time Indian films, won three national awards, besides many others. However, our government did not find the movie fit to be screened on Indian television.  

Whilst I was reading the write up in this connection in different newspapers, I spotted an advertisement  (see the scanned picture above)  
The content of the advertisement is objectionable and should bother Indians, at least women activists of the country. 
Unfortunately, this is not the first time such an advertisement has appeared in a national newspaper being published in our national language Hindi. Such publicity materials - claiming to enhance sexual pleasure, increase height and weight, get rid of various skin problems like white spots... the list is exhaustive, is routine for magazines and newspapers. And, no one raises any hue and cry.


Now the question is - does the government, which is once again (it has happened at several occasions in the past) playing the role of the moral police, not see these advertisements?
Does the government think that our children - whom we keep asking to read the newspapers to keep updated with what is happening around the world - are overlooking such advertisements?


Why there is no action or reaction on such objectionable publicity material? 
Incidentally, the government has a law which talks about banning and strict action against such advertising - The Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1955.


Some salient features of the Act are... 
• To control the advertisement of drugs in certain cases to prohibit the advertisement for certain purpose of remedies alleged to possess magic qualities and to provide for matters connected therewith.

•  The Act defines drugs and registered medical practitioners besides defining magic remedy. According to Act, the magic remedy includes a talisman mantra kavacha, and any other charm of any kind which is alleged and possess miraculous powers for or in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation treatment or prevention of any disease in human beings or animals or for affecting or influencing in any way the structure or any organic function of human beings or animals.

•  Unless prescribed by registered medical practitioners or after consultation with the Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940, no person or company, shall take any part in the publication of any advertisement referring to any drug that is used for:

  a) the miscarriage in woman,
  b) maintenance or improvement of the capacity of human beings for sexual pleasures,
  c) correction of menstrual disorder in women, and
  d) the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment or prevention of any disease.

•  No person or company will take part in advertisement which give false impression or makes a false claim for the drug or mislead the people. Whosoever contravenes any of the provision of this Act shall be punishable with imprisonment extended to six months or with fine, or with both for first time conviction. It may extend to one year imprisonment or with fine or with both on subsequent convictions.

•  The schedule for diseases specified under the Act are: appenddicitis, atherosclerosis, blindness, blood poisoning, Bright’s disease, cancer, cataract, deafness, diabetes, brain diseases or disorder, uterus diseases, disorder of menstrual flow, disorders of nervous system, prostatic gland disorders, dropsy, epilepsy, female disease (in general), fever (in general), Fits, Forms and structure of the female breast, gall bladder stones, kidney stones, bladder stones, gangrene, glaucoma, goitre, heart diseases, high or low blood pressure, hydrocele, hysteria, infantile paralysis, insanity, leprosy, leucoderma, lock jaw, locomotor ataxia, lupus, nervous debility, obesity, paralysis, plague, pleurisy, pneumonia, rheumatism, ruptures, sexual impotence, small pox, stature of person , sterility of wome, trachoma, TB, tumours, typhoid fever, ulcers of GI tract, veneral diseases including, AIDS. 

Read More at : The Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1955http://www.medindia.net/indian_health_act/the-drugs-and-magic-remedies-act-1955.htm#ixzz1sq2xl9Kp

Journey to Jagannath

Puri - looks divine

Jagannath - The word is made of two syllables - Jagat [The World] and Nath [The Lord]. Together they become Jagannath, which means 'The Lord of the World'.

District Puri in Orissa State has a huge temple of Jagannath. I had heard so many stories of Jagannath that it was imperative for me to visit the place. After a couple of hour long bus journey I arrived in Puri.

It didn't take much time for my excitement to melt away along with sweat in the heat of Puri. The grand temple stood tall in front of me but was nowhere even closer to what I had expected.

Usual site in front of jagannath

Both sides of a wide road leading to the temple, was encroached by pavement vendors, garbage heaps and beggars. I put up with scorching sun, stinking rubbish and pestering beggars as I was looking forward to an extraordinary religious experience once I am inside the temple.

The expectations did not last long! As I arrive at the entrance, the police personnel started asking me which country I was from, what religion I followed, where was my home etc. etc. [maybe because I wore jeans and shirt to enter the temple].

I explained. As I inched further another set of questions was waiting for me. What is my father's name? What is my mother's name? They even asked me to show my passport to prove that I am Hindu. [Personally I believe that Hindu is not a religion but a way of life. We do not follow Hinduism but we practice Hinduism and with that theory anyone who practices Hindu way of life is a Hindu]

visiting Jagannath is a real battle
ask this man...

Funny....I thought. To enter a temple in my own country I have to show my passport!
Surprisingly, no other person was asked to show his/her passport [maybe I looked an alien].

My plight did not end there. As I tried entering the main gate of the temple, another policeman stopped me and asked me to take off my socks. "Take off my socks! Why?" They are made of cotton as the rest of my clothes. If the clothes I am wearing are allowed in why are not the socks?

I was perplexed but I had to follow the diktats otherwise I would be forced to come back without meeting Lord Jagannath.

As I enter I witness people swarming everywhere. Some were trying to reach the Gods by  rolling on the ground, others were mumbling some mantras. There were many performing rituals on both sides of the wide steps of the temple [with the help of the hundreds of priests which were scattered in every corner of the temple - just like ants.

Before I could find my way to the main temple [there are many temples on the campus], someone literally grabbed me by my arm and led me to a small crowded room. I had to struggle to let me go free. The room was full of men and in a corner  behind a caged window a man was writing receipts for prasad [offerings]. I asked the guy sitting behind the cage to give me prasad for Rs 50.

To my surprise I was bluntly refused. "You have to take prasad for not less than Rs 121." Why? I was already irritated with the behaviour of security at the gate, now  this illogical demand was enough to infuriate me.

Inside the temple no bags, no cameras and no mobiles phones are allowed. I had taken just Rs 100 in my pocket to get some symbolic prasad. 

I came out of that small room and decided to simply buy two basil leaves garlands to offer to Gods. Finally, after shooing away many hovering priests I could enter the main temple, which was packed. The devotees were pushing each other to get a good glimpse of their deity. And the priests were snatching prasad like hawks, from the hands of devotees, in lieu of a few bucks.

Close look at the deity was an impossible task as the Gods have been kept in a corner away from the mortals. There was a divide between the Deity and their disciple, which was made of a barricading of brass pillars. If it was not enough to keep the people - who come after spending several days and whole lot of money just for a darshan - there was a man standing with a wick mat neatly folded to work like a baton. He was using this baton ruthlessly at people's backs to push them out of the temple. It was his way of asking the devotees to rush - 'have a quick look at the statue [which was not even visible from that far and from that level] and get lost'.

"If you want to go close to the God, take a ticket of Rs.100," I was told.
"Where can I get the ticket from?"
"At the entrance."
I had neither the inclination nor the will to go out again and buy the ticket to see the yellow and black figures hidden in a corner away from the reach of ordinary folks.
To me this temple ignited all feelings except any feeling of religious sentiments!

I was shocked!
It was the most harrowing experience in my life as far a visit to any temple is related.

Is this Lord Jagannath? - The lord of the world!
It forced me to wonder whether the temple is the property of the priests and we are all outsiders, who would be allowed only if these priests want us to go in.
What about those people who travel thousands of kms, spend half of their earnings because they have faith in Lord Jagannath. They are not even allowed to have a relaxed glimpse of their deity!
The whole place - the surroundings and the activities.... suddenly they all appeared  completely illogical to me - a person who is an ardent believer of the almighty.
I came out of the temple depressed. I witnessed people's faith being used and abused by the priests.
I decided never to visit this temple again. I can connect to God better when praying in my house. I don't need to bow before the priests to establish this connect. I do not need to prove that I am Hindu to enter a temple or to pray to God.
My faith in God is much bigger and is more sincere than the statues in any temple anywhere in the world.
Lastly I would prefer to interact with God one to one and not through any priest - no matter how big the temple is and how celebrated is the God!

[apologies to those whose feelings may get hurt by my writing]

Colourful Bhubaneswar

What do you understand by a fully furnished house? Generally, the house should have all furniture, linen, gadgets and the rest, required to live there.
Not in this Indian state - Orissa!
Here, people have their own definition of furnishing.
Ask for a furnished house and the property agent will take you to newly built room with tiled floor and electricity connection. "You asked for furnished house, here you are! The room has tiles and the bathroom has all the fittings."
I gave up.
This is Orissa and people have different perceptions. Fine!
That was the point I decided to explore the famous `haat' (mercado grande or market). This was a effort to perk me up and help me not feel frustrated with the situation.
It was a good decision. When I arrived at the market, my mood was as bright as the lights in the massive shopping area. I was as cheerful as the noise around me.
This `haat' is a place in the heart of Bhubaneswar, where there are over 10,000 shops (ranging from a small kiosk  and pavement shop to big show rooms). They sell everything - you name it and they have it.
The most striking feature of this `haat' - one street has all shoe shops, the other one all bag shops (bags of all sizes shapes and colours). Then there are rows of fruit sellers or rows of shops selling Indian dress `Salwar Kurta' (shirt and trousers).
What surprised me the most were the series of shops selling plastic ropes (see the first pic). What they are for? I couldn't guess. But there were ropes of all thickness and in all possible shades.

Another interesting feature of the market are rows of repair shops. You lost your key for our car, motor bike or house key or you want to get your grand mother's pressure cooker fixed or if there is an old torch needing repair - this market has a solution for all you repair problems.


An hour of going around was not enough as I could explore less than 25 per cent of this most and unfortunately the only one interesting place I have discovered in Bhubaneswar so far.
This `Haat' has given me something to look forward to for the time being at least till I move beyond the city and explore the exotic places which I have  only read or heard about.
So, until then....

Brown Bhubaneswar....

When I took a flight to Bhubaneswar - the capital of Orissa - a south eastern state of India, I was excited. My bags had the best of y dresses and shoes and the rest. What I was thinking was that my friends would be envious of me knowing I am going to an exotic location while they would be slogging in the dusty by lanes of Uttar Pradesh for election coverage.
I was wrong!
As I arrive at the Biju Patnaik airport reality struck like lightning. There was a tourism information center (lights were on, no body home). The well-lit center was closed with no one in sight to help me with at least a map of the city - the most essential apparatus to carry in a new city.
It wasn't a big jolt as tourism offices mostly remain deserted in India. The reason is simple: No one (especially the government) gives a damn to tourism in India - the home to Taj Mahal. I have already given up on tourism authorities so it was no big deal but on expected lines.
I was happy to spot at least a prepaid taxi counter but before I could say 'h' i found that its condition was worse than the tourism office. It seemed it was never visited by anyone before. The airport security was casual about it - "I think they haven't come today."
I went out of the airport and to my surprise a man was sitting at the exit giving receipts to people for taxis. So, a gang of taxi men was operating outside the airport.
So my journey started and Bhubaneswar started unfolding.
I told the taxi guy to take me to hotel Golden Palace. After half an hour of drive, the driver stopped in front of a restaurant Golden Palace Hotel. I was tired and didn't have the energy to argue so I simply asked the taxi guy as to why. He innocently said, "you said hotel".
Alright, so the fault was mine!
I should have said lodge. In Bhubaneswar hotel means restaurant, lodge means a place to live and if you by mistake mention Guest House - they will take you to some shady but expensive accommodation.

My first learning about the city!                                                                                        
Next day while travelling to my work place I realised that the city was not as cool and beautiful as I had thought of. Everywhere construction going on - more or less all roads dug. But no where I saw any work going on. Looking objectively at the environment the most spontaneous word which cam to my mind was brown - 'brown Bhubanesawr'.
Then another shock came that the city has only autos (scooter rickshaw or tuktuk) and if you are lucky you can also find a 'town bus' (this is what city buses are known as).
For autos the motto of 'the more the better' works. Built for two passengers and a driver here the autos carry four people at the back seat and at least three at the front, including the driver. Seven people in an auto for three (and I found ourselves crammed if I had to adjust a fifth person in my Santro - which officially claims to be a car for five people).
The first days helped me in one way - I did not open my bag full of nice clothes. A pair of jeans and a few T shirts were enough for a week along with my walking shoes.
Nonetheless, nothing can be all negative and same goes true for Bhubaneswar too. The city has certain things which are sure to catch the attention of an outsider, especially if that outsider is from a place called Uttar Pradesh.
In a 'town bus', where people are crammed like sardines, people don't forget to give due respect to women. The bus conductor stops everyone to let women get down and same way he will ask everyone to stay aside and let a woman board the bus. Very impressive! In Uttar Pradesh I cannot even think of this behaviour in a bus.
Another striking thing I spotted was women working as traffic cops at every crossing. Smartly dresses in blue trousers and white shirt and white hats, they look pleasing to eyes.
And yes, all traffic cops wear long white gloves covering their full hands. I don't know whether it is to save them from getting tanned or to make their hand more visible to people (the latter argument I find more rational).

The last but most important thing is food - I have yet to find a KFC, McDonald or Cafe Coffee Day or Barista. The saving grace are the lovely colourful shops selling variety of fruit on which I have survived so far..

But it is less than a week I have passed here - i think the more and the better is yet to come - let me start travelling to nearby locations like Puri and Cuttak....