Sunday, July 14, 2024

Aga Khan Palace & Gandhi’s Imprisonment: Part I - Non/Digital


Yesterday I visited the Aga Khan Palace in Pune, the place where M K Gandhi and his colleagues were kept after their early morning, surreptitious arrest by the British in 1942. The British apparently tried to keep the arrests under the wrap and spread a rumour that Mr. Gandhi went abroad. However, people soon found out where he was and anger spilled on the streets. The ‘Quit India’ movement, which was the primary reason for the arrests, gained even more momentum inspite of more arrests and brutal use of the police force by the colonisers. Gandhi and his colleagues were finally released in 1944, after about 21 months of imprisonment and the deaths of Mahadev Desai (the personal secretary of Mr. Gandhi) and Kasturba Gandhi.

There is a lot to that story, but much before that, I was greeted by a message pasted on the Ticket booths windows at the Aga Khan Palace. It read 'Only online ticket' in English, Hindi and Marathi. 


I noticed visitors standing and busy with their phones. Two men were sitting inside one of the ticket booths; and a guard at the entrance, who checked the ticket before one could enter the space.


I do not use digital payment apps or credit cards. So, I asked the two men inside the ticket booth if I could buy tickets with real money. The cost was just 20 Rupees per ticket. I was told that there is no other way except a digital transaction which includes Net-banking as well. While I would still have preferred paying the cash, I decided to use that to end the issue through Net banking and went through the Archaeological Survey of India’s (ASI) ticketing app. After filling in a variety of information and avoiding the non-mandatory fields I finally pressed the button to pay.


 

A few moments of processing later a message appeared:

“System Upgrade in Progress to Enhance Your Banking Experience. Service Unavailable until Saturday, 13th July, 4.30 PM.

We Apologize for the Inconvenience.”

 


I find it difficult to fathom the reasons that made ASI decide to go in for an online payment system. Is it not obvious that such a system prevents an entire Indian population who still do not have smart phones? And also those who may have a smart phone but may not always have an internet connection for various reasons, including its cost? As per the information issued by the I&B Ministry in 2022, only 600 million Indians (out of the 1.4 billion) owned a smart phone.  I could not find the data for 2024, but even we assume there are 700 or even 800 million smart phone users, it leaves out at the very least about 600 million Indian citizens.



 That basically amounts to putting a needless barrier for some. In other words it turns into a needless system of segregation and discrimination, even if that may not have been the intention.

Parvez

(Photo credit: Parvez)

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Saturday, May 27, 2023

Manual Labor #2: Tricks of the trade

Last week I did the second truck load. It was less than the last one and took us two hours to finish the task. However, three of the items weighed more than 160 Kg and did not even have a good grip to hold on to. Four of us struggled to carry these objects into the building. The first piece was almost slipping off when another worker doing another job in the same building rushed in to lend a hand. When we had put the load down, he went back to his work without even waiting for a thanks. Most likely he didn't even understand Engish or German or Italien which the four of us could speak. Manual workers often come from a variety of nationalities and many do not speak either English or German. But that, was just a normal act of solidarity that occurs in such spaces, without speaking.



There was another thing I learnt this time. My innumerable memories from back home remind me of laborers often walking back slowly after putting down one load. They did not seem to be in a hurry to pick the next one. Meanwhile the Supervisor / Contractor would try to get them to be quicker. That slowness was seen as a sign of laziness or delaying the work and a way to get more money. While the contractor's interest in ensuring a fast pace would mean less money to be paid to the laborer or more savings. 

After the first experience, where we carried 8000 Kg of load in 4 hours, to the first floor of the building, my body was at the end of its limits. I needed a good rest afterwards and the muscles recovered slowly over the next 2 days. What I realized was that we did it quite a fast pace. I was often a bit breathless in between, as were the other three colleagues. We walked back at a brisk pace each time to get the next load almost immediately. We did take a short break foir a coffee in between, but the walk remained quite brisk. And that perhaps was making us all breathless. I thought about it over the next few days, before the second load came. I felt we need not push the body after delivering a load, but rather, walk back at a very easy pace, to give ourselves the time to recover. 

This time, I tried that - walk slow. And it did help. Not only was I far less breathless during the work, it also took much less time for the body to recover later. 

I think that all able bodied young people must experience manual labor to understand what goes in it. There's a lot to learn there. There is no doubt that the Caste and Class perspectives on manual labor are highly discriminatory and problematic. And of course they are based on totally false grounds that merely allows exploitation of such workers to continue in places where there are not enough laws to protect them and provide dignity to this work. 

Parvez

(All rights reserved. Reproduction of this text requires the Authors explicit permission.)

Manual Labor #1: A worker's burden

Recently I was asked if I would help unload a truck filled with office furniture and carry it up to the first floor of an still-under-construction building. In other words, would I work as a labourer paid by the hour. I agreed.

It turned out to be an 8.5 tonnes (8500 kg) of load that 4 persons (me included) had to carry into the building and up a spiral staircase. Some of the items weighed a 130 kgs each; implying that we carried about 30 kg per person (since that needed all four of us). The larger picture is even more incredible: each of us moved about 2000 kg in just 4 hours (minus the 500 kgs for the packing). I calculated it again and again in my head to allow that to sink in.



By the time we finished it, my body was absolutely drained out. Yet, I was happy for the experience and that my body was able to get through it. And, I agreed to do the next load as well, that arrives soon.

Having had this experience I can now say, with even more conviction, that everyone; including all policy makers, politicians, intellectuals, scientists, artists, creatives or any blue collared middle-class-status-upwards person must undertake such labour as part of their education and training, before moving on to any jobs. I would then love to hear their thoughts on the miminum wage that such labor should be paid.


And here's a big motivating part for all the gym goers: imagine a serious workout and instead of paying the gym, you get paid at the end.


Parvez

(All rights reserved. Reproduction of this text requires the Authors explicit permission.)

Friday, May 1, 2020

Questions From A Worker Who Reads – Bertolt Brecht
















Who built the seven-gated Thebes?
Books merely mention the names of kings.
Did they carry the boulders?
And Babylon, destroyed many a times 
Who rebuilt it every time?
In which houses did the workers in glittering golden Lima lived?
And the evening,
The wall of China was completed,
where did all the masons vanish?

Great Rome, filled with triumphal arches -
Who erected those?
Whom did Caesars conquer?
Were there only palaces for everyone
In the glorious Byzantine?
In the magnificent Atlantis
Were they calling their slaves,
the night the sea swallowed it?

Young Alexander conquered India.
All alone?
Caesar defeated the Gauls.
Was there not even a cook with him?
Philip of Spain wept as he watched his fleet sink.
Did no one else wept for that?
Frederick II triumphed in the seven years' war
Who else won, besides him?

Every page has a victory.
Who cooked the victory feast?

Every decade, a Great Man.
Who paid for his expenses?

So many stories.
So many questions.

- Translated to English by Parvez
















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Thursday, April 30, 2020

एक पढ़ने वाले मज़दूर के सवाल - बेर्तोल्त ब्रेख्त


किसने किया था सात द्वारों वाले थेब्स का निर्माण?
किताबों में केवल राजाओं के नाम हैं।
क्या राजाओं ने पत्थर उठाए थे?
और बेबीलोन, जो कई बार नष्ट हुआ -
किसने किया इतनी बार पुनर्निर्माण?
चमचमाते सुनहरे लीमा के कौन से घरों में
रहते थे उसके मज़दूर?
और उस शाम
जब चीन की दीवार का निर्माण ख़त्म हुआ
कहाँ चले गये सारे इंटा ढोने वाले मज़दूर?
विजयी मेहराबों से भरा महान रोम
किन लोगों ने खड़ा किया?
सीज़र किस पर विजयी हुआ?
बहु-प्रशंसित बीजान्टियम मे निवासियों के लिए
केवल महल ही थे क्या?
और उस रात भी, जब समुद्र आलीशान एटलांटिस को
निगल रहा था,
पुकार रहे थे डूबने वाले अपने अपने दास l

सिकंदर ने भारत जीता l
अकेले ही जीता?
सीजर ने गॉल्स को हराया l
क्या उसके साथ एक रसोइया भी नहीं था?
स्पेन का राजा फिलिप अपने जहाज़ों के बेड़े को डूबता देख, रोया l
क्या और कोई भी नहीं रोया?
फ्रेडरिक द्वितीय सात साल के युध में विजयी हुआ l
उसके साथ और कौन जीता?

हर पन्ने पर एक जीत।
जशन का खाना किसने बनाया?

हर दशक, एक महान व्यक्ति ।
उसका खर्चा किसने उठाया?

कितनी सारी कहानियाँ।

कितने सारे सवाल l

हिन्दी अनुवाद: परवेज़ 

(Note: All material on this blog is copyrighted! Sharing of complete articles or their links, without editing and with due credit, is allowed for non-commercial purposes only. For publication or any other use, please contact the author.)

Friday, March 27, 2020

Covid-19 Lockdown in India, the Exodus of Migrant Workers: What the Government can do

We are witnessing a very unfortunate situation that the lock down had brought upon a certain migrant population across the country. The sudden stoppage of transport system along with loss of jobs (and shelter too in many cases) set the stage for the exodus of millions of these workers from big cities to their villages. The tragedy has been unfolding over the last four or five days now.

Painful stories of these migrants trudging along the highways, often with no money or food, with luggage over their heads and children clinging to their shoulders (some barely a few months old), hoping to reach their villages that are hundreds of kilometers away, have filled the media and the internet. It was only on the 26th of March that three Chief Ministers, Mamta Banrjee, Nitish Kumar and Navin Patnaik requested Chief Ministers of other states to provide shelter and food to the people of their respective States, in lieu of payment. Besides that, Mr. Arvind Kejriwal, the Delhi Chief Minister, started some shelter and food facilities in Delhi almost as soon as the lock down began. However, the first three were a few days late and Delhi facilities are not enough to cater to each and every one, although they have been trying. Add to that the reports of the Police beating up, tormenting people on the streets to ensure the curfew.

The central government’s lack of response to this tragedy is incomprehensible. The silence is even more befuddling because this is an absolutely solvable problem. It would have been even easier to sort it earlier. However, it is not too late to step in even now.

Why is it important for the Government to stop this exodus?
This exodus not only renders the lockdown a needless exercise, it may even lead to a much faster and far bigger peak of infections than expected. The logic is simple. A mere look at the visuals of the exodus tells us that if a single person in that crowd is Corona virus positive, the spread is almost guaranteed among those who are alongside him / her simply because of the proximity. As we already know, the Corona Virus is one of the most contagious viruses in the recent times. The long and stressful journey will ensure a far quicker and greater spread within the group, as not many may be able to focus on the precautions or even have the means to adhere to them during this time.

Since many of these journeys may take weeks or even longer and traverse across States, the infection, besides multiplying amongst the group, is also very likely to spread all along the route. That is simply because people will need to find water and food on the way. That implies coming in contact with people in the habitations along the route. Alternatively, if they are unable to access any food and water on this hazardous journey, that in itself may lead to morbidity and perhaps deaths too. And even then it does not ensure that a lateral spread in the habitations on the way will not happen.

In short, not only does this exodus lead to a spread of the infection, it may also result in a large number of preventable deaths and morbidity. So, whichever way we look at it, it defeats the entire purpose of the lock down.

What can the government do?
Much time has been lost. Nevertheless there a lot can still be done. I suggest below a simple plan that the government is welcome to adapt or modify as per operational possibilities. This is both doable and goes hand in hand with the lockdown.

A.    Stop the exodus. Bring people to shelters.
1.     Police
Instruct the ENTIRE police force across the country not to use force, abuse, insult or beat up people on these journeys and instead be helpful and supportive.

2.     Transport Department
State Buses from each city / town / district, which is witnessing people walking towards, through or from it, to be sent asap to collect people and bring them to shelters.
Caution:
Protect the Driver / Staff (e.g. secure the drivers area).
Fill the bus to half capacity. Families can sit together but maintain distance with others (as much as is possible).
The buses may need to do a few rounds, depending on the circumstances.

B.    Create Temporary Shelters. Engage Civil Society / NGOs
3.     Municipal Department
If existing shelters lack space, convert Stadia / Exhibition grounds / Parks / any other open ground on outskirts of the city into temporary shelters. Engage local tent houses to create temporary shelters.

Establish temporary toilets and other sanitation facilities. Ensure cleaning / waste management with the same system that already exists in the city.

Establish Kitchen with Utensils (from Tent houses), Chulhas (basic temporary ones can be built with brick, stones etc.) and wood or Gas burners and cylinders.

Create raw food material supply.

Engage cooks for the first few days. If needed, seek help from NGOs or citizen’s initiatives in the city.

4.     Medical facility
Provide basic medical checkup facility in the shelter or connect with the city’s existing plan for Covid-19.

5.     Clearly communicate the government’s assurance for basic necessities during the entire lock down period and the need to stay put at the shelter. This may need to be repeated during the course of time.

6.     Civil Society / NGOs
If the govt. lacks people to run such a camp, seek help from NGOs or civil society. There will surely be enough helpful people in every city.

7.     Once the people have settled down (in a day or two) they can be assigned responsibilities to run the structure themselves. That will reduce the burden of cooking, cleaning, maintaining the place. The government would then only need to maintain the raw material supplies and sanitation and perhaps a couple of person to oversee / lead it.

8.     A curfew after that is unlikely to find these people roaming on the roads.

C.    If people refuse to stop
1.     The suddenness of the lockdown and its resultant impact on the people who were forced to choose to walk hundreds of kilometers in a bid to reach home, and have already endured hunger, thirst, heat and rain and emotions that we may not even be able to fathom, it is very possible that they hesitate and even out rightly refuse to stay in any shelter for long. In such a case, the government must ensure that they are provided transport and safe passage to their homes and food to last the lockdown.

How to act?
All the parties need to act together, with speed and ensure that each process of creating temporary accommodation as well as bringing in people should be completed within a 24 hours period. It is a daunting task but not an impossible one. A will and a coordinated effort between the Centre and the State Governments can get this done.


Besides saving lives of these people who have been pushed to the brink, it is also imperative to take this action to ensure that the lockdown, that is meant to prevent the spread of Covid-19, can serve its real purpose. Time is of essence, in this fight against the virus. The Government cannot afford to ignore the situation of these migrants, because in doing so, it will simply render its own lockdown ineffective.

Parvez
28.03.2020
(The author is an erstwhile medical doctor who continues to engage with public health issues. He currently lives as an artist / filmmaker.)