Three weeks down, and Two to go!   

VOTING IN INDIA for the National Elections

Offering all 815,000,000 eligible voters the chance to vote in India is no easy task.  Hence, voting takes place over a 5 week period - April 7 until May 12, with counting taking place on May 16th.  

India is the world's largest democracy.  The size of it's voting population is larger than the voting population of the next 5 largest democracies  - COMBINED!  The US had only 235 million eligible voters in 2012 - less than 1/3 the Indian electorate.  

Voters with ID cards

The logistics of accommodating all of these voters are difficult:

• Multilingual electorate - over 22 officially-recognized languages
• 2/3  of the country's 1.2 billion citizens live in areas with limited or no electricity
• 287 million illiterate adults

To handle this, over 11 million election officials and security forces will staff close to one million polling stations, using 1.7 million EVMs (electronic voting machines).  

These EVMs are brief-case sized, run on 6v batteries,  use symbol-oriented buttons, and are made right here in India at a price tag of $175/unit.  (see EVM being carried in pic to polling station.)

Carrying EVM to polling station in state of ASSAM

Poster to promote VOTING

Mumbai and some of the neighboring regions voted this past Thursday, April 24th.  Polls open 7am - 6pm.  

When you have voted, your finger is marked with an indelible ink pen - so that you don't vote again.

There are 3 major candidates for Prime Minister (PM term is 5 years).  Technically, Indians don't vote for the Prime Minister.  They vote for the Lok Sabha (House of the People - similar to our House of Representatives or Britain's Parliament) politicians.  The leader of the majority party becomes Prime Minister.  So, the good news, is that the Prime Minister has a majority in the "parliament".   If the majority party does not win 272 of the 543 seats, then a coalition government will be formed. 

The 3 major candidates are (not in popular order!): 

1. Rahul Gandhi for the Congress Party (the party of the current PM - Manmohan Singh) and descendant of a long line of former PMs - father Rajiv Gandhi (1984-89),  grandmother Indira (1966-77, 1980-84),  and great grandfather Jawaharlal Nehru (1st PM,  1947 - 64)
2. Narendra Modi for the BJP Party - Bharatiya Janata Party (Indian People's Party) The only non-Congress Party PM was from BJP: Atal Bihari Vajpayee (1998-2004)
3. Arvind Kejriwal for the AAP - (Aam Aadmi Party - Common Man Party)

Another option for PM Candidate:  NOTA (None of the Above)  This is the first time that Indians can vote for none of the available candidates by casting a vote for NOTA.  

I'll let you know who wins - but right now the papers are generally predicting Modi.

Back in 1920, the US had the world's largest electorate.  I found this article from the NYT when I was doing my biggest electorate google:

5 Nov 1920

http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=F50B1EFB355411738DDDAC0894D9415B808EF1D3

Historical Moments in Cricket - SACHIN TENDULKAR is retiring

It's the perfect time to learn the basics of Cricket.

After all, the great Indian cricket player, and local Mumbaikar

Sachin Tendulkar,

 is retiring at the end of this week's Test Match, being played as I write this here in Mumbai.  Sachin, "the Master", as they call him is from Mumbai, very close to where the kids' school is. He has been playing for 24 years, since the age of 16, so he is now 40 years old, and this is his 200th Test Match.

Oh no, he just got out in this game with 74 runs!  The fans were hoping for a "century".  The score in this "first innings" is 225-3,  India leads against West Indies.

I suppose I should explain a few things about Cricket - as I have just learned them from Youtube.

Cricket -

• Involves two teams of 11 players each
• Each team takes a turn batting and a turn fielding/bowling in each of the 2 innings
• Unlike baseball, the batting and bowling (throwing overhand by the bowler) is done in the center of the oval-shaped field
• Unlike baseball, 2 batsmen are on the field at a time - one at each wicket
• The batting area is shown below - batters stand at opposite ends with 3 wickets (think sticks) and 2 stumps (think wood block) placed on top of the 3 wickets



Cricket pitch - in the middle of the cricket field 

• A batter just needs to hit the ball far enough so that it is not caught and so that both runners can run to the other end of the pitch (wicket to wicket). This is called a run. Running to the other wicket does not seem to be a key element of the game
• A game consists of a "First Innings" and a "Second Innings" - each team having a "First Innings" and a "Second Innings" time to play, racking up hundreds of runs in each "Innings".  (So, the score of 225-3 shows that India batted first, and scored 225 in their "First Innings".   The 3 in the score shows that they have 3 wickets against them (those are almost like baseball's "outs")).
• The bowler bowls an over at a time (6 balls in succession), then the bowling switches to someone from the other half of the field (same team)
• Although a bowler can not bowl 2 consecutive overs, they can come right back when the side of the field switches again
• There are also sixes  and fours which are the runs given when the ball is hit out of the boundaries (on no jump) or out to the perimeter (on no jump), respectively
• An inning ends when 10 batsmen are out
• A Test Cricket Match is a match played over 5 days
• Other Cricket matches consist of TWENTY overs  of six balls each

Well, that is at least what I have learned in the last hour of watching and looking up cricket.  Maybe now, I will get as hooked as so many of the residents here in India.  They are "cricket-mad".  

One particular fan - Sundhir Kumar Chaudury - known for following (by bike) Sachin all around India on his bike to his matches, is  depicted on billboards here.  He always shows up at matches painted in the colors of India - orange, green, white.

And now they have just announced that the Tweet most re-tweeted in India is

#ThankYouSachin

with 13,08,338 tweets  (read as 13 lakh, 8thousand 3 hundred thirty eight;  1 lakh = 100 thousand)

Cricket anyone?

Happy Diwali

Subha Deepavali

Happy Diwali or Deepavali - Festival of Lights, considered the Indian New Year's Eve.  Diwali (pronounced both with the 'w' or with a 'v', depending on regional dialects) is celebrated for 4-5 days.  

It is very typical to light small clay oil lamps (called diyas) placed around the home, garden, rooftop.   Many homes have very colorful lights decorating their windows and balconies.  It is a time for visiting relatives, exchanging sweets, and setting off fireworks.  The fireworks continue throughout the 4-5 days of celebration.  

This is just one of the many fireworks that we heard one night and watched the next few  - from a window in our apartment (note that we are at the height of the fireworks - and higher!).

Homes are also decorated with paper lanterns, garlands of flowers and rangoli (colorful displays at doorways, typically created with materials including colored rice, dry flour, (colored) sand or even flower petals)

Many businesses start their new financial year on the first day of the festival of Diwali, Dhanteras (Dhan means wealth).  

Time for New Year's Resolutions!  

When I went to start a blog today, I couldn't find (or remember) how to start a new blog.  So, after some searching (of course the system has been updated since I last blogged), I finally found it.  Now, I am obligated to blog more frequently so that I don't forget how to do it!

Yesterday, Emma and I walked in the door around 4pm, noticed that there were no "slippers" (flip-flops to us) sitting off to the side, and assumed that Tina, our cook, hadn't arrived yet.  That wasn't that unusual, but then she emerged from the kitchen.  "No shoes today, Tina?", I asked.  "No, it's Navaratri for the next 9 days, so no shoes and fasting."  Tina is Catholic, but she observes the Hindu traditions of Navaratri because she has been healthy ever since the first time she fasted during this festival.  For the next 9 days, she will not wear shoes, and she will not eat anything other than milk, bananas and water.

"Nava" meaning nine (9) and "ratri" meaning nights is literally 9 nights of worship to the Hindu goddess Durga.  During each night, another of the nine forms of Durga is worshipped.  As with most Hindu festivals, it is celebrated with music and dance.  In neighboring state Gujarat, it is traditionally celebrated with colorful dandiya (below) and garba dancing.

The ninth day of Navaratri is known as Dussehra.  On this day, people worship the tools used in their daily life - computers, books, vehicles, or kitchen tools—all are decorated with flowers and worshiped on this day invoking God's blessing for success in coming years. It is believed that any new venture such as starting of business or purchasing of new household items on this day is bound to bring success and prosperity.  (Maybe I should decorate my computer with a garland...perhaps it will help.)

Happy Independence Day, India!

Today, August 15th, India celebrates it's 67th Independence Day.  It is a national holiday here with flag-hoisting ceremonies, parades, and meals celebrated with friends.  It is also a dry day, meaning no alcohol is served.

On August 15, 1947, India (known as the British Indian Empire) acquired independence from British rule and, at the same time, was partitioned into the Dominions of India and Pakistan (which included, at that time, Bangladesh).  An interesting fact is that this date was chosen by Viceroy Lord Mountbatten who chose it to coincide with the 2nd anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War II.

Back in 1600, the British East India Company had been given a Royal Charter by Queen Elizabeth I to begin trading in India.  More than trading went on, and it eventually began to rule different areas of India.  By 1757, it had established official governance (Company Rule) in various regions in India, and it maintained rule until 1858, when the  British Crown took over the rule of India, and held it until 1947.

A map of the Indian Empire in 1909 with areas colonized by British (orangish color),  native states (yellow), railways lines also depicted.

India had been fighting for its independence for quite some time.  In 1929, the date of January 26th was  actually declared as Independence Day by the Indian National Congress, calling on people to pledge themselves to civil disobedience until India achieved its independence.

After independence was attained and the Indian Constitution was approved, it came into effect on this original date of the call for independence - January 26th in 1950.  Since then January 26th has been recognized as Republic Day - another national holiday.

(Why doesn't the US have a holiday for the adopting of the Constitution? Or for when the revolutionary war ended?)

Some of the decorations in our building...

The swastika is frequently used decoratively in the Hindu religion to evoke goodness.

Road to Independence

On the evening of August 14th, India's first Prime Minister,  Jawaharlal Nehru delivered the Tryst with Destiny speech proclaiming India's independence.

“	Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we shall redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially. At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom. A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance. It is fitting that at this solemn moment, we take the pledge of dedication to the service of India and her people and to the still larger cause of humanity.	”
—Tryst with Destiny speech, Jawaharlal Nehru, 15 August 1947

Jai Hind!  (Hail to India)

What is it about water...

The rains are beginning.  Monsoon season is upon us.  After not seeing rain here for the last 8 months (that's right - NO rain since October), it comes as a welcome relief to the heat and the dust.  The trees have collected dust on their leaves; the rain will clean them.  The blue tarps will start to come out - protecting many of the make-shift homes on the sides of the roads. And the lakes will start to fill up again to provide water for the villages and farms.

Imagine 8 months without precipitation.  The weather is always warm, the sun is always out, and you can expect no rain.  It's no wonder the wedding season begins after the monsoon rains go.  Most of these 1000+ guest weddings are held outdoors due to their size.  Just think - you don't need to worry about whether or not the weather will be good in these dry months.  Rooftop parties and outdoor eating is basically guaranteed for this time as well.  But then, just as others have the change of season, we finally experience the change from dry and unrelenting sun to cooler rains.

 Mumbai doesn't have it that bad, heat-wise.  Delhi, Kolkata and many other cities have been laboring with 43+ degree heat for the past month of May.  (That's 43 Celsius = 114 Fahrenheit!!)   We have maintained a fairly consistent high of 35 C = 95 F.   In fact, we have had daily highs between 85 F and 95F for the whole time we have been here.

So, the rains come as a welcome relief.

Water, in general, is an interesting aspect of life here.  Not just the monsoons.

We, in our high-rise, have never had a shortage of water.   Trucks filled with water bring extra water to our apartment building.  Have you seen them around your town?  Water trucks?

Our driver and household help, however, receive water only during set times of the day. They need to store the water in 400+ liter containers to use for the rest of the day.  Our driver can only get water from the water taps from 5:30 - 6 am in the morning and again from 6:30 - 7 at night.  So, their home tank is filled during that time twice a day for their family water needs - bathing, washing dishes, water for cooking, cleaning vegetables, washing hands, drinking.  Our cook can fill up her tank from 9pm until 1am at night.  And, she has water delivered for her drinking needs because she doesn't really trust the water that she receives during that time for drinking.

What we take for granted...

You can find an interesting photo-story about the water pipes in Mumbai - some from the British days - at the following link:

http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/news-life-along-mumbais-waterpipes?image=18

The rain has stopped for the morning, the clouds are moving out to sea, and the heat has dried up most of the evidence of the rain I was just enjoying.  Perhaps the roof-top parties can continue without concern for another few week or so.

Maha Kumbh Mela - Pilgrimage of 100 million

Happening right now (from 14 Jan - 10 March 2013) is the largest religious gathering in the world.  Kumbh Mela is a mass pilgrimage, held every 3 years in one of four alternate places.    Although most of those attending the Kumbh Mela are Hindus, people of every caste, creed, color, and religion come  - they come to bath in the sacred river.  A dip in the sacred river at this "auspicious time" is believed to liberate one from the sins of past lives, to bring one closer to the divine.

This year the fair is held at Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh, the same state where the Taj Mahal is located.  Allahabad is a city at the confluence of the rivers Ganges,  Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati.

(I don't know what is meant by a "mythical" river.  I just looked it up.  The Saraswati river was referred to in the Vedic texts - oldest Sanskrit Hindu scriptures from approx 1500-500 BC. According to the texts, it would be in this area with the other rivers.  It is believed to have dried up since the time of the Vedas.)

A whole city is created for the pilgrims - 14 hospitals are set up as well! 

People are there throughout the 55-day festival, but it is estimated that over 30 million devotees took a holy dip in the river this year on one of the most auspicious days - 10 Feb 2013.  Over 100 million are expected to journey to the Kumbh Mela at some point in time over the 2 months of the festival.

Taking a dip in the holy river.  

As one article I read summed up the Kumbh -
"the Kumbh Mela epitomises both the best and the worst of India.... It is loud, dirty and dusty.  It is crowded.  However, these pale in comparison to the best of India....Imagine - wave after wave of humanity, every color, size, speaking every language ... and for what?  There is no sporting event, no rock concert.  It is quite simply, the faith that brings over 100 million people to have a bath in the holy waters of the Ganges, Yamuna and the Saraswati.  It is the readiness, nay the eagerness, with which tens of millions of Indians abandon the comfort, convenience and even the luxury of their homes to come and sleep in tents, their eyes brimming with tears of devotion and gratitude."

The Naga Sadhus are the first ones to bathe in the water.

"Naga Sadhus belong to different Akharas (which means camps).   The identification feature of Naga Sadhus include being naked with long hairs knotted with different metals and body smeared with ashes."  

India is a fascinating place...