Bratatee’s Weblog

India is not ready for another movement motivated by Hindu religious nationalism after the communal riots of 1992 and the Godhra episode of 2002. Unmindful of stirring the hornet’s nest further, the VHP organised an all India motorcycle rally which was flagged off on March 5, in Delhi. The rally comprising several youths on two-wheelers shouting pro-Hindutva slogans, drove to Raj Ghat.  According to the VHP president, Ashok Singhal, they plan to launch the three-day long rally across the country as a protest against UPA government’s affidavit submitted to the Supreme Court seeking clearance for the Sethu Samudram Canal Project. This rally brings to mind the ekatmata yagna and silapujan of 1989, the L K Advani led Rath yatra of 1992 and the religious tension peaking on the day of the demolition of Babri Masjid. These rallies were also organised by the VHP and BJP.  In order to garner mass support, the VHP has already moved fast on its ‘Save Ram Sethu movement,’ by floating unempirical theories about ‘floating stones from Rama Bridge’. Many VHP workers are campaigning at the rural level in North India for the ‘Save Ram Sethu movement’ by showing villagers, blocks of floating stones, allegedly pieces taken from the Rama Sethu. The villagers were told that the stones were magical and were used by Rama to build the bridge.  This seems to be VHP’s endeavour to incite and also create religious fervour at the mass level. It is a dangerous trend as we have already seen in the case of Ramjanmabhoomi episode and this may again lead to unnecessary communal dissention in the country.  Singhal had critically commented on the UPA government’s apathy to Hindu sentiments with regard to the ‘Sethu Samudram Canal Dredging’ which will destroy the mythical Rama’s bridge. The ones who do not join the movement would be marked as a pseudo secularist and anti-Hindu ideology.  He has also suggested an alliance with other political parties for the ‘Ram Karmabhoomi,’ and ‘Chalo Rameshwaram’ movements. It is obvious which of the political parties would support the mass rally.  With the forecast of an early general poll next year the BJP will earn extra votes, which will help them capture power at the Centre by keeping the ‘Save the Rama Sethu movement,’ buoyant.  

Nagaland is going on polls on March 5 with 218 candidates eyeing for 60 assembly seats. Meghalaya too is all set for the polls on March 3 when 331 contestants will be contesting elections from 60 constituencies. Tripura went on polls on the 23rd February with a voter turn out of 80 per cent amidst high security. Security has been a major issue in these three insurgency torn states. Election Commission has taken special care in arranging for adequate security measures in these states. In Tripura 218 companies of paramilitary forces were stationed just before the polls. In Meghalaya Election Commission has identified 637 out of 1599 as hyper sensitive polling stations. Except for Meghalaya and Sikkim rest of the states in Northeast are under Armed Forces Special Power Act. The government is making sure that the voting is not hindered by any insurgency related incidents. Several small factions have taken to arms in this region either against the government or as counter groups to already existing anti-government militant groups, for eg, the Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) terrorist group was formed by the Punjabi youth living in Meghalaya, to counter the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU). The state has been on a security alert since last December following a bomb threat from this group. And in Nagaland although, NSCN (IM) is at talks with the Central government, the authorities are nervous about an outbreak of violence on the March 5 when the state will go on polls at 1780 polling stations.

The citizens in these states are suffering the ills of insurgency on the one hand, and on the other hand are also dealing with the strict army control over their lives on a daily basis. The assertion of ethnic identity is yet another face of the problems in the states here. The Centre has been pumping in money for development, through the newly set up department of Development of Northeastern Region, in order to solve the problems in the region; the benefits however have not trickled down to the masses because of high level of corruption. The region is lagging behind the rest of the country, in terms of road, transport, telephone connectivity and power supply. It will be the onus of the political leaders to bring in stability to this region. While the Congress is aggressively campaigning for corruption free administration in Meghalaya, they however have not talked about an agenda to bring in stability to the state. In Nagaland, Riu led Nagaland People’s Party too have not addressed the issue of establishing stability and peace but has been busy accusing its opposition Congress party, for trying to disrupt election in the state. We can not however hope that this year’s elections will bring instant peace and stability to the area. The local leaders will who form governments must play an active role in bringing the insurgent groups to talks through negotiation. Dialogue with the civil bodies too will aid the governments in formulating policy unique to the needs of the people in these states of Northeast India.

Afshan, is a third-year MBBS student is a resident of Wallajah Road. She does not wear a burkha usually. She has however chosen to buy an abaya or burkha from Saudi Arabia, where she was born. She delightedly shows off the intricate embellishment of maroon sequins sewn on the sleeves and hem of her burkha. “Wearing an adorned burkha on social occasions is more of a fashion statement than a compulsion,” said Afshan.

A burkha shopper’s paradise, Triplicane High Road is dotted more than ten shops which sell burkhas. Exquisitely embellished black burkhas slung on hangers adorn the entrance to these shops. Burkhas with heavy embroidery, sequin work and embossed crystals are selling like hot-cakes in Chennai. “I sell around 10 of these adorned black garments per day,” said Imtiaz Ahmed, owner of the first exclusive burkha shop in Chennai, the Burkha Collection, which was opened fifteen years ago on Triplicane High Road. Adam’s Collection and Ar Rayyan are two new burkha shops that have opened here in the last three months.

According to Ahmed, college girls prefer sequin work or bead work in bright colours on their burkhas; they also prefer the outer garment with a cut that complements their figure without being provocative.

Some women, however, follow a more conservative path and wear strictly plain-black burkhas. Fatima Akbar, a homemaker and a resident of Triplicane, feels that decorations and body-hugging cuts completely undermine the religious meaning of the burkha, which symbolises modesty in Muslim women. Her eight-year-old daughter was clad in a cream coloured hijab, or head scarf, and a small black burkha.

While the conventional plain black burkha is still a norm among older Muslim women, Ahmed informed that over the last five years, even they now seem to favour brightly adorned burkhas. These burkhas are worn only during weddings and social functions.
“Coloured  abayas, almost always made of synthetic chiffon with heavy work, are preferred by the Tamil speaking Muslim ladies from Tirunelveli and Madurai while Urdu speaking Muslims adhere to austere black,” said Muneer, a wholesale burkha supplier on Triplicane High Road, who has been in the business for 16 years. “We supply burkhas to all parts of Tamil Nadu,” said Muneer.

Of course, every additional touch of beauty to a plain black cloth comes at an added price. The more embellished burkhas are priced between Rs. 1100 - Rs. 6000 at Ness, a shop selling burkhas and hijabs in City Centre. While the basic black burkhas cost Rs. 500 at Ness, they only cost Rs. 300 in shops on Triplicane High Road. The imported abayas, however, can cost anytwhere between Rs. 900 and Rs. 2800.

The cost of a burkha also depends on the pattern and fabric. An abaya, which is usually  what a burkha is called in Saudi Arabia and Dubai, gets a new definition in India. Here, burkhas which can be buttoned on the left collar-bone of the wearer is called an abaya.

Single-coti patterned burkhas have an opening in the front, while maxi burkhas are patterned like frocks, without any opening on the front or in the sides.

The double-coti or the double piece burkha which has an ankle length inner layer is setting a trend in Chennai with its elegant body-fitting cut. This pattern may cost a little more since four meters of crepe or georgette fabric are stitched into a single burkha.

Imported crepe-georgette abayas are especially popular among the women in Chennai, due to their rich black shade and weightlessness. “A burkha from Saudi Arabia or Dubai is a prized possession among the women in the city,” said Afser Jehan who runs an exclusive burkha shop named Ar Rayyan, with her spouse, in Triplicane. The stunningly embellished burkhas here cost between Rs. 900 and Rs. 4000.

Whether embossed with crystals or not, Muslim girls in Chennai love wearing burkhas, especially those with little splash of colour. These girls are working out a balance in their dressing without compromising the religious tenets of Islam.

It was amazing to see children, women, elderly people, physically challenged and youths running the marathon this morning.  The stifling heat of the morning cooled of a bit when it started to shower lightly but then the sun was back soon, in its full glory, after a few minutes of a cloudy sky. There were around five thousands people participating in the event.

Now the UPA government wants the Archaeological Survey of India to decide whether the Ramar-sethu or the Adam’s bridge is man made. The governmen, simply wants to buy time before starting the work at Palk bay. The environmental hazzards associatd with the dredging, was taken casually but now that the life guards have raised the security question, the UPA is looking for a way to stall the work, for as as long as it takes.

Dredging the canal will definitely affect the marine life. The coral reef will be destroyed by continuous sails and human contact. The canal is aimed to make the eastern-coast port bussier and richer but, at what cost? 

 So, I take the Government’s decision, to go for an archaeological study, as a good omen. Not because I think, that the sethu was man made but because, I feel the study will stop destruction of the marine life for the time being.    

I got my college ID card back, finally. I had no clue how I misplaced the card. Apparently, I left it on a banana seller’s mobile-cart, that’s what he told my roomy. He researched my ata-pata from Arathi, our usual, dinner place. And finally after a week, since I lost the ID card, the guy found my roomy walk by his cart and gave the card to her. Cheers to our friend, banana-seller’s health !!! 

 I met the founer of Wikipedia, Jimmy Wales, yesterday. I must admit, i was a little  surprised to find him friendly. He seemed quite at ease with his rock-starish status among the Indian students. He said, he was amazed to see more than a couple of thousand students  at Kharagpur IIT who had gathered to meet him during his first visit to India.

I can not believe i am writing a blog. Well, now that i have been subjected to this exercise of getting my blog  started, i better write something….but what? Archaeology!! Yeah, i guess so….or probably i should write about the film i watched yesterday. Yeah, after two weeks of working on the design of the rural blog, i.e. our new media website on the covering deprivation trip, we finally uploeaded it yesterday. Yeepppeee!! And in order to mark the successful upload we thought of watching a film and made the mistake of going for a night show of Golden Compass. I still can not make out why is the film called “Golden compass” not “Lyra,” the movie revolved around Lyra after all. If that was not enough, editing was aweful..the transition from one frame to the next was abrupt, so was the end. And the flat dialogues made me restive. Background music was too bland for the arresting visual effects of the movie.

The film ended with this aweful song “Lyra, i am your soul,” it was traumatising… The film is based on Phillip Pullman’s books, well, i have not read his work but i assume it would not be as bad as the film protrays it to  be..a few of the characters seemed really dumb, like Mr. Iorek, the depressed polar bear, who spent his time drinking whisky, in the metal city, just because he did not know where his armour was?!

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