Marziya Shakir And The Bandra Bazar Ganpati 2008

Marziya Shakir And The Bandra Bazar Ganpati 2008, a photo by firoze shakir photographerno1 on Flickr.

This is the Ganesh Pandal put up by the Jaiswals exotic hybrid salad sellers outside the Bandra Bazar fish market I shot and documented and every year till date I give a small contribution to this Pandal ,, and I have never failed I give them as these guys really put up the entire pandal on their own without hiring anyone .. every nail is put by them , they work nights to get it erected on time .

This pandal was shot by Nerjis my 2 year old grand daughter this year and I think Marziya was a year old when I shot this picture .. her curious eyes her faith in me and she has had the most adventurous childhood,.

Now Marziya is 6 year old so I hardly take her out it is the turn of her sister Nerjis Asif Shakir ,,, who still has not got over Mr Rajesh Khanna .. children are amazing Nerjis met Mr Rajesh Khanna when she was 8 month old and still remembers him by name .

One thing is certain my gran-kids wont ever be bigots I taught them to respect all religion like my parents taught me and despite all their is no dent in my faith or my beliefs.

And mind you blogging is quite different from merely taking a snapshot .. blogging keeps the memory of a picture alive for all time.

The Blind Beggar Boy of Bandra Bazar Road

The Blind Beggar Boy of Bandra Bazar Road, a photo by firoze shakir photographerno1 on Flickr.

This is the time when he had an eye operation and it failed , now again he has had an operation and is recuperating I was told by his guardian , who now begs alone at Boran road .

The blind boy is a teenager now and I have been shooting him for several years , documenting his beggar life style of pain survival in Bandra .

He used to beg at Boran road or near Sahiban signal or the main SV Road Bandra Reclamation signal.. .

They are Muslims ,beggars from Murshidabad WBengal.

Begging Motherhood - The Vicious Cycle Of Pain

Begging Motherhood - The Vicious Cycle Of Pain, a photo by firoze shakir photographerno1 on Flickr.

9 months
she held
him in
the womb
the pain
ensued
gave birth
the pain
continued
every Friday
she brings
him to bandra
work interlude
a few coins
some notes
a thought
imbued
dreams
die young
hope
pursued
a silence
subdued
motherhood
dead fortitude
when another
child comes
the pain
will be
re continued

the muslim father is not in the picture .. a thought i wont allude ..matrimonial servitude

Welcome To Bandra Bazar Road

Welcome To Bandra Bazar Road, a photo by firoze shakir photographerno1 on Flickr.

antiquated
living once
pride of
east indian
ethos their
home humble
abode ..now
languishing
neglected
progress in
fast mode
but heritage
unfortunately
overshadowed
usurped of
their past
their ancient
bunglows
stuccoed
pushed
away to
uttan
naigaon
virar
the gaothans
lost their
halo..
only crosses
remain
a memory
of a golden past
now forgotten
roads narrowed
builders come
like vultures
build towers
new migrants
offload

Nargis Dutt Nagar Slums .. Where Even God Does Not Come

Nargis Dutt Nagar Slums .. Where Even God Does Not Come, a photo by firoze shakir photographerno1 on Flickr.

it is too dirty
 filthy agonizing
stench filled
bandra slums
only hand folded
netas for votes
are welcome
a vote bank
that has been
neglected
robbed of its
humanity
at the bottom
but it would
change in a jiffy
on the arrival
of respected
madam
on her way
to rajeev gandhi
bandra worli
sea link
is the gist
of my poem
give it
respectability
amenities
not empty
hope unfulfilled
promises
make it
livable
legal
end all
problems
but at the
moment
nobody cares
or hears feels
for those who
 live here
to their fate
they succumb
lal mitti bandra's
election time
famous slums
has become
a garbage
dump

The Madman Of Bandra Bazar

The Madman Of Bandra Bazar, a photo by firoze shakir photographerno1 on Flickr.

i asked people around
about him..but none
know from where he came
dirty clothes covering
his manly shame ..only
his eyes ferociously lit
up he is very tame ..
i dont know his religion
or his name ..held captive
in his madness lifes
mysterious game ,,,
i pass him everyday
i watch him he watches
me perhaps he thinks
it is me who is more
madder than him..
who is to blame ..
did this happen when
he was deserted by
his lady love ..his ex flame
now perhaps happily married
mother of a child ..to memories
past forgotten he has no claim
the madman of bandra bazar
i shot a frame within a frame

Children See God In Their Dreams

Children See God In Their Dreams, a photo by firoze shakir photographerno1 on Flickr.

happy contented
so it seems ..
street photography
a text book of
life its ups downs
a gushing stream
as it flows from
one end of an alley
into the mainstream
to the chapters
of poetry of life
adds a new theme

The Kolis Of Bandra Bazar Fish Market

The Kolis Of Bandra Bazar Fish Market, a photo by firoze shakir photographerno1 on Flickr.

One of the filthiest Municipal Market badly managed ill organized is The Bandra Bazar Market .. that I chronicle through pictures poems blogs ..the strange thing about Mumbai is that those who should love Mumbai and are its guardians are not Mumbaikars I think.. if they were Mumbaikars lovers of our beloved city , they would move their ass to get things done make Mumbai a loving place .

The Municipality is a monolithic dinosaur like conglomeration that has no feelings for its own people who they killed with their negligence apathy red tape and bureaucratic delay why blame others ..and with no accountability of action.. here it is finding a scapegoat , and getting the blame game on.. I am saddened by the remarks of their lady head , she has no sensitivity to the dead or the living survivors , no healing words or no acknowledgement yes we failed we are sorry this wont happen again simple words but than as wannabe politicians it is not easy to say that only lock up suspend the junior staff that were following orders of their seniors.. the seniors get away with murder.. per se .

Well back to Bandra Bazar , the fish section is run by the predominantly women Kolis family tradition and as inheritance from mother to daughter in law .. some daughters though married in Mahim or Worli still have stalls at the Bazar..
The fisher ladies here are a disciplined lot with a few Gujrati Agris and three East Indian original Kolis .

The Bandra Bazar Kolis are non abusive , dont shout fight grumble like other Municipal fish markets , here it is business with good equation.. I love these ladies that have nurtured both my grand daughters but they dont give me discount ,nor do they give me free fish.. instead I feel they charge me more thinking perhaps I make an extra buck selling pictures .. that is what almost everyone thinks of poor barefeet bloggers like me.. I need a good lens but I am miserably broke but I think God provides me with good pictures is what matters at the end of the day.

I have documented the Bandra Bazar Fish market extensively now I dont shoot and all my recent BW work is done via Aviary tool, it is fast easy as I type with one finger of a permanently damaged hand.. does my typing finger hold this against me ..I dont think so I give it nice rings to wear as reward ..

My first own house in Mumbai with my hard earned money was at Danpada Khar Danda it was blissful it lasted only for a few months the 93 riots destroyed everything ,I lost it all sold it for peanuts lived on rent and it was tough being a Muslim those days although a pucca Indian.. So I know what my family has gone through , and I hate riots state engineered in most cases politically invented to kill Indians we are Muslims Hindus only as head count or or on the death certificate.

Our politicians sadly none love the people or the country if they did despite their party differences they would be working for the country not dividing it as Muslim Hindu, it was done once ..lets not do it again.

Money is the sole criteria of modern politics ..and this country is not capable of giving birth again to Lal Bahadur Shastri or Vallabh Bhai Patel..now every politician has its partys color agenda and bias ..I am not a political blog a street photographer ..unpublished poet ,,and a blogger .. My grand children are bloggers too ..once you post a picture on the net .. after shooting it you are a blogger both grand daughters have twitter handles deactivated Facebook accounts both are on Google and Flickr.com .

My death wont go in vane I gave them the camera the only instrument of universal peace love hope harmony ,,,

Ever since the grand kids began keeping an aquarium at home I dont enjoy eating fish..and I love the Koli community , so I do buy Gol Surmai prawns for those who eat fish at home.. .

Arrivederci Bandra Garbage Queen Of The Suburbs

Arrivederci Bandra Garbage Queen Of The Suburbs, a photo by firoze shakir photographerno1 on Flickr.

manuela nesci
from italy real
bandra wanted
to see ..
so she called
deepak ambebal
mumbai famous
metroblogger
an appointment
to shoot the garbage
queen of bandra
she fixed with me
my grand children
were away at their
mothers native place
or would have helped
her as guides voluntarily
photography heals
scarred souls beautifully
so manuela shot madhubala
on a wall as anarkali ,, street
vendors the beggar poet
yours truly ..magic eye
giving her company
nostalgic memories
i kept them alive
as a blog as a picture
as poetry ,,,a frame
within a frame lets
the captive soul of
apathy forever free
before she left manuela
folded her hands looked
deep into my eyes said
Namasteji..kuch kuch
samajhte ji ...arrivederci -

T'invidio turista che arrivi,,
t'imbevi de fori e de scavi
poi tutto d'un colpo te trovi
fontana de Bandra Bazar Road
ch'è tutta pe' te!

The East Indians Of Bandra Got A Raw Deal

The East Indians Of Bandra Got A Raw Deal, a photo by firoze shakir photographerno1 on Flickr.

ear plugs
on the soul
of political
apathy
who will
hear their
appeal
running
from pillar
to post
to get their
ancient
properties
transferred
is a momentous
ordeal.. robbed
of their heritage
their ethos
held to the sorrow
of a cosmic wheel
forced to sell their
properties for peanuts
now away from their
beloved bandra
a pain congeals
sadly the church
stood aside watched
their pain .. but could
do nothing ,,when
the builders their
lands came to steal
now some watch
vacuous eyed
sitting in darkness
just one square meal

Yes We Are Indians ..Tolerant To All The Wrong Things In Life

Yes We Are Indians ..Tolerant To All The Wrong Things In Life, a photo by firoze shakir photographerno1 on Flickr.

if all this was
near a religious
place..voices
would rise .
abusive cries
even a riot
man pays
the price
but we
surrender
take all
the shit
dumped
on us
children
of the 'lord
of the flies
political
apathy
as the
tender
soul
dies
disease
dengue
malaria
viciously
bound
to a
deathly
vice
we were
born
with
blinkers
on our
eyes

Dogs Day Afternoon

Dogs Day Afternoon, a photo by firoze shakir photographerno1 on Flickr.

to the past
present or
distant
future
he is
immune
he does
not trust
two legged
animals
heartless
vicious
goons
at home
with the
silence
of his dogs
he awaits
the monsoons
mumbai
hot sultry
humid
gloomy
to him
gods
generous
boon
better
than
dehradun
more peaceful
than rangoon
goodbye
see you
soon

god
accidentally
created man
while drawing
his first cartoon

dedicated to manjul
the next laxman
pretty cool

The Healing Touch And Womanhood

The Healing Touch And Womanhood, a photo by firoze shakir photographerno1 on Flickr.

at the back
looking strangely
is the school girl
an oyster of hope
holding a pearl


beyond two girls
holding hands
fade in fade out
god keep them
safe a thought
sprouts.. time out

than the smile
of the muslim
voter comes within
the edge of my frame
three stages of
womanhood
to name ..
her smile
her simple
demands
sorting
of her
electric bill
for which
she came
to meet
the ex corporator
mr rehbar khan
to get her claim
now happy assured
all will be well
bought sudden peace
to this grand dame
politicians need
to be human
a healing touch
is the name
of the game

The Muslim Voter Of Bandra Bazar Road

The Muslim Voter Of Bandra Bazar Road, a photo by firoze shakir photographerno1 on Flickr.

I remember if she had any problem she would come to our ex Municipal Corporator simply because he made time for the poor , and help sort their problem.. and poor Muslims do have problems , but now gradually they come to have it solved through Advocate Ashish Shelar of BJP and this has nothing to do with party politics , they come because he helps in his individual capacity too.. and that is what the voter wants someone to listen to him sadly , it is the chamchas of our leaders the poor are forced to meet and I hope there is a awakening , as things must change and the poor of Bandra both Muslims Dalits Hindus Christians others face a lot of hurdles bureaucratic loopholes .. and the right to reject all candidates that did not deliver is an option of saving grace in the right direction..

Our entire area of Bandra Bazar road is in shambles , the filthiest market travesty of hopelessness and areas mostly Muslim pockets slums totally neglected , my pictures do not lie .. the JJ Colony area roadside market , to name just a few , Lal Mitti slums need to be organized , and this is a vote bank , it was created to add fodder to Democracy..

I am not a political blog but those I meet tell me the pictures you shoot why dont you post in the newspapers , and newspapers dont even know bloggers exist besides their own photo journalists mostly brain dead along with their camera , most of them .. why will they shoot what we bloggers shoot , but yes we shoot what they shoot too.

We shoot pain , misery beggars hijras transgender we shoot the underbelly of Humanity ,, and I am really disillusioned , most of the Muslim kids have no anchor no leader of merit so you see unemployment drug abuse and other criminal acts , when they hawk on the streets it becomes a crime , they have no safe zone,,and every crime has a Muslim name as the suspect or offender , education vocational guidance is the need of the hour giving coins to beggars wont change their destiny , rehabilitation, counselling I mean this is not my area of thought I am not an activist or member of any groups not in real life or at Facebook or Flickr..But here in Bandra the poor in the slums are looking for constructive change not cosmetic paving of streets or repairs of their common toilets or building walls