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- Welcome to the Golden Quadrilateral. Started in 1999, this is India’s largest network of highways which connects its main cities: Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Kolkata. Completed in 2012, the Golden Quadrilateral has made transport of goods across India much easier and safer. Most importantly, it is one of India’s most well-maintained transportation system; on our 160 km journey from Kolkata to my hometown Katwa we paid tolls approximately five times. However, this also means a smooth ride and no potholes!
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- Along National Highway 2 (the Delhi-Kolkata road on the Golden Quadrilateral) there are many satellite towns and villages. The creation of this network of highways has increased access to these far-flung areas and encouraged trade and economic growth. Recently, many agricultural villages have cropped up next to the highway since farmers are now able to easily transport their goods to bigger markets.
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- Tent-city slums (think shanty towns) are also unfortunately a common sight along highways.
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- Welcome to driving in India where lanes do not exist!
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- Trucks in India are called “lorry”. They are not as big as the 16- and 24-wheelers seen in America but this is how heavy goods are transported across much of India. Everything from rice, cotton, oil, bricks, sand, etc are moved using lorries. The trucking industry is essential to many other industries in India. In 2009, a strike by several million truck drivers who were demanding lower gas prices and reduction of interstate permits completely paralyzed commercial trucking in much of India.
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- Chilling by the highway/feeding on the grass.
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- Coal is one of India’s most important and necessary resources. India relies on coal for 55 percent of its electric power and millions use it everyday for cooking and heating. However, there are a number of crucial problems which exist in the industry that can greatly impact its production and access as India’s demand for coal grows. It is one of India’s most abundant resources and with a quarter of the country lacking access to electricity, coal will continue to be in demand. However, weak governance and a lack of transparency has greatly debilitated India’s ability to keep up with this demand. It is difficult to assess India’s coal reserves since the method to do so is outdated. A lack of manpower and technological expertise has obstructed coal consumers such as power plants from accessing the coal supply; applications for coal supplies often loiter for an indefinite amount of time. And as demand increases, the misallocation of coal supplies can create serious shortages. There are also a multitude of social environmental consequences of coal production. Air and water pollution around coal mills are dangerously high and workers often receive little or no protection. Many plants grossly ignore environmental safety measures and are rarely penalized since there is no enforcement of such laws. Lastly, most coal plants are open-cast mines meaning that they require companies to buy up large tracts of land and displacing many agricultural and tribal areas. And because of the inefficient bureaucracy, compensation is slow to materialize and insufficient. It is a sure bet that India’s demand for coal will increase over the next couple of decades so it is integral that these issues be resolved. It can seek to do so by increasing public involvement in determining policy and decisions. Organization and accountability must also be increased. And while India has taken steps to develop renewable sources of energy, it needs to address the incompetencies of the coal industry.
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- And when there aren’t lorries around, this is what we resort to.
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- I don’t know what is being built here (probably a billboard?) but the little building all the way to right of this picture is a bar.
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- Welcome to a country where any experienced native (our driver, in this case) can tell you that rain is approaching in thirty minutes.
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- Unfortunately, overturned lorries are all too common in India. Overburdened cargo, old trucks, poor maintenance, and drunk driving are all factors which contribute to trucking accidents. As recently as 2010, India reportedly had the highest number of road accidents in the world. There are also multiple reports of hit-and-run incidents since many accidents occur on desolated highways. Often, the cause is drunk driving. And although there are laws against drunk driving, there is little police enforcement, judicial consequences, and hardly any efforts to rectify the problem. Furthermore, since many drivers receive wages based on the number of trips they complete, they are incentivized to drive while under the influence. Here is an article which offers a look into the life of a typical truck driver: http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/Mumbai/A-day-in-the-life-of-a-truck-driver/Article1-877928.aspx
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- Advertising for Vodafone and Airtel–two of the largest telecommunications companies in India. Their advertisements are literally on every wall (cow-dung covered and brick), billboard, auto-rickshaw and space within sight. Cellphones were introduced to India in 1995 and today, it boasts the second largest telecommunications network in the world. This industry has created millions of jobs and created a highly competitive and innovative market. Needless to say, the growth of cell phones has greatly helped to increase access to India’s poor and improve their plight. Today, cellphones are omnipresent and there are nearly 929 million mobile subscribers.
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- When approaching a toll booth, do so at a dead slow speed…OR ELSE.
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- A little temple besides the toll booth on the highway…nbd. #welcometoindia I wonder why it’s there, who uses it, and why it was built there.
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- The little tires that could.
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- Dubs. DUBS. Daabs? There is a fruit in India called Daab and it is absolutely wonderful. You buy them from street vendors who hack off the with a machete. Inside the hard daab, it is hollow and filled with water (juice…daab juice?). They stick a straw in it and they hand it to you and when the weather is 104 degrees, it is all you might ever want from life.
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- So somewhere along National Highway 2 is a little town that sells one thing and one thing only: lanchas (http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pW9f-s-0ay0/UCgSwr2bWjI/AAAAAAAAAws/9OvYWhYxq3M/s800/kata+langcha.jpg) They are made from homemade cottage cheese, solidified milk, flour, and butter and then deep fried and while they are not great for your heart, your mouth will rejoice. Lanchas originated in West Bengal and this town can’t seem to get enough of them. There are twenty restaurants and are named accordingly: Lancha Hut, Lancha Bhavan, Lancha Hotel (even though it is not a hotel), Lancha Palace, Lancha Shabhavan, Lancha Kitchen, you get the idea.
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- Hopefully, this luxury hotel has seen better days.
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- So this is one of my favorite foods of all time and I eat it only when I’m India although I’m sure if I looked hard enough, I could find it somewhere in New York. It is literally a pancake-sized fried piece of dough and butter but with Indian sweets or potatoes or just by itself, it is heavenly.
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- This is probably a building from one of the many gated communities that have sprung up in cities all over India. Such communities often have their own water, electricity, and gas systems. They are staffed by 24 hour security guards, have pools, fitness centers, gardens, parking garages, and playgrounds for children. Since India’s infrastructure is largely absent, many companies who build these communities often provide their own. Ironically, the security guards, servants, maids, and cooks who staff these communities often live in the slums right outside the gates of these communities. Although a bit outdated, here’s an article that talks about India’s growing middle class, their desire to escape the poverty that surrounds them, and the increasing wealth disparity: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/09/world/asia/09gated.html?pagewanted=all
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- When I visited India in 2009, I really loved riding auto-rickshaws since you could not find them in the US. One day, I approached an auto-rickshaw and sat in the front seat next to the male driver when my mother grabbed my arm and explained to be that women simply did not sit in the front seat. Being a teenager, having grown up in America, and being very pro-women’s rights I immediately lamented the backwardness of the nation and added this incident to the list of ways America was so much better than India. However, since that visit, I have (grown wiser) and noticed a cultural shift occur within Indian society. A lot of my female cousins work in the informational technology sector. Once they get married, they live farther from their parents’ houses. They have stopped wearing saris to work simply because pants or salwar-kameezes are more comfortable. How have these cultural shifts impacted the lives of women? Simply put, they have provided a type of liberation which originates from the confidence of being self-reliant. Gandhi sought to bring women into the political and social folds of society by highlighting the importance of the roles they played. India is one of the few countries that enacted universal adult suffrage upon gaining its independence. Throughout the decades, women in India have realized their self-worth and their potential. And the discovery has been exciting and illuminating. I have no doubt that Western influences have helped speed the process. Women in India are at a unique place where they are now testing the boundaries and limits of these cultural shifts. As their roles have changed so have their outlook on life. Take the recent demands from women to reform laws towards sexual violence. What is remarkable about this movement is not the mass support it has received or the laws that are being enacted but the collective cultural transformation that has occurred within millions of women who have realized that victims are not the ones to blame. This is what drives the movement and makes it so effective. Ultimately, it is collective cultural change which drives social and political change. And as women gain confidence in their abilities, these cultural shifts will continue to occur. For a lot of people, this is a picture of a girl riding a Vespa. But there is a cultural history here that should not be ignored. On this trip, I saw women in saris riding bicycles, sitting in the front of auto-rickshaws, and of course, riding Vespas. Motorcycles and cars next!
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- An intersection in Burdwan, West Bengal. Notice the Vodafone ads.
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- Necklaces made from flowers – used in religious ceremonies.
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- Say hello to dinner! There is a rhythm which exists within the street bazaars of India that drives much of life in India. When we set out for our journey from Kolkata to Katwa, it was 7 AM. The bazaars of the first couple of town we drove through were full of vegetables. Farmers were arranging their goods in their stalls. Fisherman arranged gleaming fresh fish with eyes that had not clouded over yet. As we passed through towns at 8 AM, the bazaars were bustling. The early bird always got the worm and shoppers poked and prodded at vegetables to make sure they were ripe while others haggled over prices. Everyone ran from one stall to another trying to fill their bags. By 9 AM, the crowds had thinned out. Yellowing spinach remained in one farmer’s basket since clearly no one had wanted it. The smallest eggplants were all that was left in another’s. By 10 AM, the bazaars were empty. Farmers were wrapping up their stalls and casually chatting over tea with neighbors. As we rolled into Katwa around 11 AM, the faint smell of vegetables being cooked floated through open windows. And at 12, lunch was served. There are no alarm clocks (except for chirping birds) or beepers or reminders telling people when to do what. There is just a simple rhythm; hop on or hop off.
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- The slaughtered, the slaughter, and the slaughterer.
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- The best spot is at the top where you hold on for dear life. Go hard or go home.
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- This is how you recycle, America.
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- This cow stood in the middle of the road for five minutes before it decided to move its royal arse.
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- Sometimes you find the last thing you would expect…beautiful.
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- The winding road to Katwa!
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- Another favorite food of mine. These are string french fries seasoned with salt, pepper, and peanuts. And although the peanuts are not my favorite part, these are absolutely delicious because they are so crunchy! #betterthanpommesfrites
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- Meet a hero. This was the doctor I went to when I lived in Katwa. He dealt with all my fevers, flus, stomachaches, and god knows what else. He is also the most reputed children’s doctor in our town. The others are not trustworthy and engage in shady practices. His waiting room is always teeming with patients but he sees all of them, sometimes even those with severe illnesses who cannot afford to pay him. Sometimes, he sees up to sixty patients a day. However, he says that he would not give up his life for anything else. He loves what he does because at the end of the day, “it fills me with an absolute joy that I have not found anywhere else in life.” And although he is approaching retirement age, he does not plan on closing his practice anytime soon. In a society that is becoming richer and looking to escape the poverty surrounding it, he serves as a model of accepting social responsibility. Many prospective doctors today go into the field for the wrong reasons. They give in to cultural pressures, chase financial security, and look to work in posh hospitals that are often not accessible to the poor. So thank you, Doctor, for loving what you do.
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- Meet Reena pishi and Payel. Reena does the cleaning and laundry at my grandparents’ house where I grew up. Her daughter, Payel was probably my earliest childhood friend and we used to play together all the time. She is in 10th grade and will soon take an exam which will determine her rank within the district. I talked to her mother about her plans for Payel’s future and after 12th grade, she plans on marrying Payel off to a good husband. Shocked that she would stop Payel’s education so abruptly, I asked her why and she told me that they are “slum people” and in their world if a girl is not married young, her value decreases as she gets older. Also, college cost money and they simply did not have the money to send her anywhere. For all the female empowerment India has witnessed lately, a lack of access to education remains one of biggest factors contributing to poverty in India. Public schools in India are grossly inadequate when it comes to preparing students for college. Most middle and upper-class families pay for private tutoring. For many kids, this is the only way they can gain admission into the highly competitive professional colleges of their choice. And as of 2008, there are only enough college seats to serve 7% of India’s college-age population. The rest, especially those who are in the same situation as Payel, must find whatever work they can.
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- As a child, I LOVED riding oxen carts. My brother and I would run up behind oxen cart, jump on it and leap off when they reached the end of our block. SO. MUCH. FUN. Also, check out those horns.
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- When you take away cranes and scaffolds and all the other fancy machinery, this is how buildings are made.
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- So many choices, how does one choose?!!! Also, Vodafone.
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- Welcome to Mani Square, a posh mall in Kolkata where the city’s middle class and college students come to hang out, go on first dates, and shop. There are four floors, a movie theater, and an extensive food court that features tandoori grilled meats, south indian cuisine, chinese cuisine, fusion cuisine, Subways, and KFC. Oh, and the McDonald’s on the first floor where you can get a McPaneer.
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- Indian sweets!!! They are absolutely delicious. More commonplace than chocolate, they can be found at weddings, funerals, parties, and everyday in your refrigerator. When guests visit houses, they usually bring a box as tradition dictates. Sweets are an integral part of Indian culture/life and everyone has a favorite. There are hundreds of different kinds of sweets and their popularity varies across India. My fav: chum chums!
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- ALL THE LAYS. Indians LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE potato chips for some reason (some of our family members actually asked us to bring pringles from America). Check out the flavors: American Style Cream & Onion, Chile Limon, India’s Magic Masala, Red Chile, Spicy Treat, Naughty Tomato, Masala Munch, Masti Chaat.
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- Welcome to Lockhee Tea House, my parents’ favorite tea store. Darjeeling, Assam, organic, green, it is all here. Tea is another integral feature of Indian culture/life. Tea is offered to guests and drunk in the morning, mid-morning, afternoon, and evening by everyone. On April 17th, tea was declared India’s national drink.
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- OM NOM NOM.
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- If you are ever in Guriahut Street Mall in Kolkata, find this hole-in-the-wall roll shop which is the best in all of Kolkata. This is one of my favorite places to eat in India. If you cannot get to India, visit Thelewala in New York which bases its cuisine on the this shop: http://www.thelewalany.com/
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- Street malls in India are located in alleyways and in between buildings. From the outside, one would never guess that there are block-long bazaars hidden away. But if look hard enough or ask any native, they will tell you exactly where they are.
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- Found Spiderman.
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- The tram in Kolkata. Still running.
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- Say hello to south Kolkata – 6:30 AM. Another day, another life.
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