Thursday, October 8, 2009

Mumbai Masala Pot Pourrie


99,467 items / 602,652 views

3 muslims and a hindu
in a fray
vandre constituency
touching the voters
hearts as mumbaikars
in every way
vote for hand
vote for lotus
vote for cycle
vote for bat
they say
if elected to power
handsomely
with more amenities
they will reapay
more tiled paths
more dustbins
on display
5 days a week
holidays
on saturday
and sundays
an extra months pay
on every salary day
mumbai will always be mumbai
deleted forever
the colonial memory
that was once bombay
bombay times
bombay brasserie
bombay scottish
jai maharashtra
jai mumbai
on election day
13 october
from the election booth
after casting your vote
you can freely
walk away
you get what
you deserve
so chose carefully
your representative
by the way
for the bevdas
another push over
of an accursed
dry day
the kids playng
gully cricket
a well deserved
holiday
for those
retired
watching sadly
the bandra worli
sea link
an elitist
passageway
instead of saving
lives of farmers
a new statue
will come
in the water way
bigger and better
than the English built
gateway
yes we are one up
on madam M's
uttar pradesh
work will begin
without delay
for the ministers
from the airport
to mantralaya
without slums
without defecating
denizens
a new special
highway

ps
karan johar is not making a movie on the life of shri raj thackeray

Mumbai Police and Marziya

99,467 items / 602,606 views

I did not see him , but Marziya did , and Marziya loves cops , the khaki uniform is enough to trigger her respect for the Mumbai Policeman.

She has no fear and she loves the Danda ..the bane of all criminals..

Her first encounter excuse the pun , friendly encounter with Mumbai Police began from Mr Shatrughan Sinhas house , that she visits with me , she will salute and shake hands with his security the khaki force including the plainclothesmen sitting below.

When we reach the house she will wait for Mrs Punam Sinha , who is very fond of Marziya and lavish too in her generosity , Marziya gets the best cakes , chocolates from Bhabiji as I call her.

Most of the cops of Bandra Police Station know Marziya and consider her their lucky charm , they stop their patrol cars to wave out to her , and this is a magic relationship a call to duty.

Her favorite place if I pass by Hill Road is obviously the Bandra Police Station.

Vote For Marziya Independent Candidate

Mumbai Policewala and Marziya

99,467 items / 602,606 views

AK47
se darta nahi
mardalo
marta nahi
mumbai policewala
woh karta hai
teri zindagi ki hifazat
tu jo karta nahi
hath main hai danda
woh bhi yad rakhta hai
jisko padta nahi
mumbai policewala
ek bap
ek dada
ek nana
khaki wardi
main
dikta sahi

Waiting For a Better Future The Girl Child

99,467 items / 602,602 views

bacchi ki zindigi
bhangar hai
age bhi
peeche
bhi
uski
zindagi
ek ag hai
tabahi
pe le aate hain zalim
bachi ki zindagi
hamari
zindagi ka dag hai
ek sur jo berag hai

carrying the corpse of the girl child ..

Waiting For a Better Future

99,467 items / 602,602 views

The grandmother and her grand child , two worlds held together by blood ,by love and by doting devotion..both are seeking hope , both are seeking a better future , and that is why we elect representatives.. that they forget us to become millionaires overnight is the flip side of democracy.. only your vote can change it..
Let a good man in , vote for a responsible person , but do vote on 13 October it is a holiday and this time dont rush to your farm or to your villa at Alibagh..

And Pali Hill Band Stand Carter Road .. needs the Muslim Awakeners who came in the morning to wake you up for the fast Jaago Jaago Jaago Election ka time Ho Gaya Hai..

Waiting For a Better Future

99,467 items / 602,602 views

The grandmother and her grand child , two worlds held together by blood ,by love and by doting devotion..both are seeking hope , both are seeking a better future , and that is why we elect representatives.. that they forget us to become millionaires overnight is the flip side of democracy.. only your vote can change it..
Let a good man in , vote for a responsible person , but do vote on 13 October it is a holiday and this time dont rush to your farm or to your villa at Alibagh..

And Pali Hill Band Stand Carter Road .. needs the Muslim Awakeners who came in the morning to wake you up for the fast Jaago Jaago Jaago Election ka time Ho Gaya Hai..

Waiting For a Better Future

99,467 items / 602,602 views

Change is important and most important is the change in the life of children , rich poor all included.Safety of their lives , better living condition and a greater future for others like this girl child.. Removig the burden of rocks filled as books in school bags.

Will the politician see eye to eye ..if he does he will see his own daughter ..but than very few politicians have this on the agenda ,, the builder lobby waits in the wings for its recompense to keep the Juggernaut of election moving.. there is much at stake here at Bandra changing CRZ rules , driving out the East Indians to build towers where once their cottages existed.
Sorry the East Indian is dead the apathy of the Church , the apathy of his neighbor killed him forever.

Now you know why I blog..Blogging is a science of holistic healing repairing mending broken fences , blogging is touching through pictures and words the soul of man in cyberspace..

Waiting For a Better Future

99,467 items / 602,602 views

This is the most touching moment I have ever experienced in my life and it would be incomplete if I dd not mention it to all of you, once the rally was over , Rahebar Khan Raja the Independent candiadate who grew up in this building under the guidance of these elders had left, ..the lady in the saree kept a garland in her hand , than she beckoned me and like a mother to a son put the garland round my neck,I was shocked because I dont deserve such a floral compliment..
She said only a few words Beta Tum Bhi Hamare Raja ke Jaise Ho..She had seen me shooting pictures of the rally ..{and here I must mention media presence was totally missing.Who will showcase the most important process called franchise..}
Son you are like our Raja she said to me , Raja or Rahebar Khan the person who is standing for elections as a candidate , I took this shot..this is humility that reaches the human heart like an arrow..and I need not mention she is the Hindu resident of the building where Raja grew up before he entered politics and is the sitting Corporator of this area.
That he has taken on the might of Baba Siddiki and Ashish Shelar speaks volumes of his determination to succeed , and his rally I am told was the largest ever , it covered most of Bandra Khar Santa Cruz.

And whatever our religion our faith we must elect a good man so his goodness is spread around..Who wins is in the voters hand , even God takes a back seat at Election time...
So come out in great numbers and vote for a responsible candidate on 13 October.

Wonders Marziya Whom Do I Vote

99,467 items / 602,601 views

uncle baba sidddiki
uncle ashish shelar
uncle rahebar khan
uncle rizwan merchant
all in the fray
take note
wonders marziya
whom do i vote
whom do i promote
politics
where someone else
has the remote
the public
ultimately
the sacrificial
scape goat
of the people
for the people
by the people
a fools paradise
democracy denote
the good the bad the ugly
all in a sinking boat
vote for change
they shout
the main keynote
politics
the quickest way
short kut
to make bank notes
once in power
they all become
cut throats
rising bills
breaking
the poor mans
back
who barely
remains afloat
while the system
sucks
gloats
public
ko dete hain chot
gandhigiri
se gundagiri
as footnote
power corrupts
absolute power corrupts
absolutely as end note


luckily marziya
is 23 month old
but you on 13 October
must come out and vote
in your diary
please make note
you are responsible
to whom you elect
a thought
to devote
dont curse
the darkness
the defector
or the turncoat

Jesus and Marziya Face To Face

99,358 items / 602,519 views

he hung
on a wall
someplace
spirituality
also a commodity
in the rat race
jesus and marziya
face to face
blessed are the meek
to showcase
its humanity
they both embrace
each one
giving the other
respect
of their respective
religious space

Marziya Cant Make Up Her Mind

99,350 items / 602,506 views

the pair
that her grand father
wears
she cannot find
bare sole
feet aligned
man
the greatest
enemy
of mankind
eyes
yet completely
blind
gifted
but losing his
mind
his gory
past
catching up
with his future
from behind

Marziya at Mahim

99,350 items / 602,506 views

life is a bowl of tears
filled to the brim
after seeing appu
marziya wonders
how his life
could be so
dark and grim
silently in a corner
she prays for him
how will he
remove the
irritating fly
from his face
the man without
any limb
floating
on a river
called sorrow
still learning
to swim
ponders
marziya
at mahim

to glenn losack
from marziya..

Did God Make a Mistake Creating Man

99,342 items / 602,464 views

man
tired disillusioned
with woman
from the garden
of eden ran
from fire of his loins
the race of the hijra began
did god make a mistake
creating man
or was this a hidden
agenda of genesis
his cosmic plan
androgynous anomaly
totally
deadpan
robbed of fallopian tubes
robbed of a womb
they created a clan
neither man nor woman
just she man

to kalki
on her birthday

The Curse of the Hijras of Mahim

99,328 items / 602,451 views

I waved out to her ,she waved back, we had once met at Haji Malang, her story is full of sadness , once upon a time she was the most sought out bar dancer till Mr RR Patil had this profession banned according to him at that time bar dancing was synonymous with organized crime, , she is now forced to beg on the streets and they both were still cursing him for their present situation and penury..they told me.
They also told me that their curse is so powerful that even God cannot save you...
and they continued , this beat belongs to them stretching from Mori Road till St Michaels Church..The one in the red saree was the bar dancer naturally and had undergone a serious operation .

Here in Mumbai they dont make money at Badhai as the Delhi hijras doo, for the hijras it is tough life caught between begging and prostitution like the devil and the deep sea.

Nothing has been done to alleviate their problem by the state government here in Maharashtra , the only place in India where they live with dignity and respect is Tamil Nadu..Hijras are human but are made to live inhumanly , people care more for dogs stray cats than they do for Hijras or the transgender..

The Hijra is abused by all forces that work overtime against his existence, and its really sad, for weeks on end I never shot a Hijra and than like the heavy down pour they fell into my cameras lap..

I was restricted in my shots as Marziya my grand daughter was with me.. but Hijras dont intimidate her , inherently she understands they are different , she in a strange way understands their pain...

They both were friendly, the camera did not bother them , but they were not allowing the road side sellers to get away without paying them their hafta.. a kind of protection money to save them from curses..and to bless them with good sales.

This stretch has mostly Muslim women consumers in burkhas buying the stuff on the roads on Wednesday the day of St Michael Novena Mahim.

I met another Hijra too , she was more tougher and more aggresive towards the sellers... she acknowledged my presence and had met me at Ajmer she told me..

And this reminds me that my Peer Saab Fakhru Miya from Hujra No 6 Ajmer is in Mumbai for spiritual guidance .. for a few days ..

Peersaab too has a lot of Hijra followers who seek his blessings and his antidote against demonic possession..Peersaab performs exorcism to get rid of the evil within man woman hijra or a child.

Doctor We Surely Miss You God Promise

99,326 items / 602,426 views

This tells our story shot by a bystander a shop keeper actually , he had shot Appu and me earlier too.. demystifying the Nikon D 80..

I had some work at my shop so I was in a big hurry but shot some hijras before I took a cab back home..

And I know Glenn Losack must be eying these pictures with thoughts I wont gauge , but once he comes down to Mumbai this set will come to is rightful conclusion...

Doctor We Surely Miss You God Promise

99,326 items / 602,426 views

This tells our story shot by a bystander a shop keeper actually , he had shot Appu and me earlier too.. demystifying the Nikon D 80..

I had some work at my shop so I was in a big hurry but shot some hijras before I took a cab back home..

And I know Glenn Losack must be eying these pictures with thoughts I wont gauge , but once he comes down to Mumbai this set will come to is rightful conclusion...

Bye Uncle Appu For Now

99,319 items / 602,411 views

seeing you
was a new lesson
somehow
said marziya
beyond goats dogs
kitty's meow
charity
humility
humanity
I learnt
from you
on the streets
and how
bye uncle appu
for now
from behind them
my camera
misty eyed
took a bow

The School Called Street

marziya sees a man
without hand without feet
the school of wisdom
the school called street
wondering
in her own child's way
why he like her
was not complete
he had eyes
mouth nose and teeth
but why this pain
did god bequeath
a human stump
of a tree
no roots beneath
a living corpse
amidst a wreath
a blunt broken
rusty sword
without a soul
within a sheath

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