Hey Alex Where Are You ,

I could have been in LA with you
shooting legs some rendez vous
at Flickr we all miss you..over our
head with your camera you flew
leaving me to shoot dabbawalas
garbage porn dengue swine flu
please shoot beggars too wherever
you are for a change a bolt out
of the blue ,,seeking hope
in a fisherman's shoe ..

Urdu Teacher Held For Raping 5 Year Old Girl At Jogeshwari Mumbai

When Will The Sunni Ulemas Wake up
How Can Adult Males Teach Urdu or
The Holy Scriptures at Madrsa to Girls
The Age Old System They Need To
Shake Up ,,

This is the second incident after the one in Govandi and according to the Hindustan Times , he took the  5 year old child to his Madrsa for 3 days  with due permission from  the parents ,, and how on earth could the parents even if they were illiterate uneducated allow to hand over their daughter to a man , unless they thought he belonging to a religious  order would not harm their daughter and so abuse in the name of trust .

And sadly this is a common feature among Sunni Madrsas , and I say this without malice or sarcasm,.. In our Shia mosques Shia madrsas , the girls are taught by ladies only ,,
and even my own grand daughter first had a lady who came home taught her the Holy Koran and since two years she has been going to the Shia mosque madrsa with other girls and wears the Hijab and at the age of  7 recites the Namaz before going to her School.. a convent school.

And we are concerned about our granddaughters as much concerned about other children be it Hindu Muslim or Christian.

Child abuse by the teacher is the worst crime to be inflicted on a girl child specially if he is a religious teacher .

And he should be punished severly so that others like him dont destroy a childs life ,,

And here more than the Teacher it is the Ulemas Maulanas Muslim system to blame ,,and  hiring of Urdu teachers without proper screening has dealt a great blow to all of us ,,

I hope the Minister Of Education Respected Mr Tawde brings some accountability in the running of Madrsas .. what is happening gives a bad name to the Muslim community , to our state our city and the country too.

It is not just about segregation but about the safety of a small child .. I am ashamed to see  girls in their teens sitting with boys head covered and learning the Scriptures ,,and here the danger is ,, Is The Urdu teacher a pedophile a molester does he have a criminal case has he been convicted of molestation or attempted rape .. I mean all of us in spite of our different religious ideology and keeping it aside must save the innocent girl child from such bearded monsters with skull caps .

The Ragpickers Of Bandra Bazar Road

More than just a ragpicker , she is the garbage woman, she collects garbage from houses , she dumps it at the  garbage dump site .
But saleable items she sorts , like plastic bags , cardboard , metal wire , iron pipes etc and she collects all this in huge bags that she places on her head and sells to the second hand bhangar shop.

She is extremely polite to me as I have shot her many times ..her  work of sorting is done close to my house ,, and she is a migrant .
They all come from one community called Mehtars,lowest of the low cleaning toilets bathrooms etc and more than men it is the the women in the community that do this job of garbage removal.

She is a real brave woman and she has empowered herself without help from Rahulji or Modiji.

I Am Stalked By Beggars Wherever I Go

they follow me so
i will bring them
to the fore their
pain struggle
their angst
expose it to
the world as
never before
their wounds
their morbid
flesh devoid
of its core
crawling like
injured snakes
writhing in agony
on the floor ..
society bigoted
has shut its doors
untouchables of
humanity with
bleeding pus
infested sores
crippled disabled
blind deaf mute
some more
children of a
lesser god
on the other
side of a depleted
shore moving a boat
handless without oars

And Let The Municipality Know That Gen Arun Vaidya Children s Park Bandra Reclamation Has Literally Gone To The Dogs

And these are ferocious strays that enter the park as it has no guards, no security outpost .

In the nights I am told the drunks drugaddicts climb the railing and do their stuff inside .. and this is blot on the beauty of this part of  Bandra Reclamation known as Gen Arun Kumar Vaida Marg.. and this is a BJP Shivsena stronghold and vote bank,

Early in the mornings senior Maharadhtrians come here to do yoga and were grumbling about the state of this park , orphaned by the Mumbai Municipality ,, the name board needs fresh pain , the slides are in dangerous condition and id a child slides down into a puddle of filth he goes .

The park is used by adults and older kids for free hand exercise , they could really build a small gym here , for the youth that voted for BJP and trusted the Modi wave  for change progress and development .

And I think the Bandra Municipality is an autonomous entity as it hardly cares for the local representatives or public opinion..and our Congress corporator is not made of that material that he would fight for this end of Bandra ..he is more comfortable and often seen in Muslim slum pockets the quintessential Congress Muslim vote bank..

Politically there is an invisible Hiindu Muslim polarization in Bandra . a fact that can be seen b the discerning person.. in terms of appeasement only .

Muslims are wooed by the Muslim politicians and Hindus the richer one from this part of Bandra hardly need any appeasement just a good park and less robberies .. a stall was broken in opposite the MET Gardens .

And I wanted to leave this post blank .. but I hate biting barking stray dogs ,, as simple as that as a child I was bitten a lot b strays and I am sure it was my school bag that the dogs thought I was a ragpicker too.. and I remember the giant injections at St George Hospital.. I am a Colaba refugee and Bandra gave me reason to feel and love it as my daughter and granddaughters were born in Bandra .
I do not belong to any political party but I hate seeing Bandra going to the Dogs ,, And I am sure you original inhabitants of Bandra feel the same like me or more  than me.

The Bandra Municipality Cannot Afford Dustbins To Hold The Garbage Of An Entire Market

Two dustbins in the picture to hold garbage

 vegetable market
beef market
mutton market
fish market
provision shops
coconut shops
residential buildings

Suicide By Garbage Give Us Arvind Kejriwal In Exchange

suicide by garbage
said the mother to
her son while passing
this place son please
dont inhale the fetid
 poisonous fumes
garbage on rampage
your mind will get
damaged ..my pleas
to those in charge
on deaf  ears a daily
war with the bandra
municipality we wage
our mute silent leaders
if you tell then of your
woes  take umbrage
unless there was a
man like arvind kejiriwal
in bandra things would
certainly change
but son he is in delhi
so far out of range
please take our
leaders free of
charge said the mother
give us arvind kejiwal
in exchange


Title Suicide By Garbage inspired by my American  Friend Alex W

Meet Hanif Mistry Ricksha Cleaner Bandra Reclamation

I left my house for my morning walk at 5.50 am and I reached the end of Bandra Reclamation by 6.12 on my way back I met Hanif Mistry he cleans rickshas near the Bandra Reclamation BUs Depot .I spoke to him , and said I would like to share his story.

He starts work of cleaning the rickshas at 3.30 am he  washes cleans about 10 rickshas , the migrant North Indian ricksha drivers give him Rs 20 per rickshah .. he finshes his work by  am and will head for his job at another place by 9 am.

After talking to him I met the ragpicker  Mohomed Saddam Hussain , he wanted to know if there was any job vacant for him..I nodded my head and reached the MET Gardens at 6.23 I did 11 rounds and walked next door to the Gen Arun Vaidya Park , outside I met some Maharashtrian senior citizens who do yoga in the park about  of them we had a long chat about the deplorable condition of the park and the were ver critical and caustic that they had voted for Ms Poonam Mahajan and had yet to see her visit this park and their area ..I told them from the day Ms Poonam Mahajan won her seat I have been tweeting her ever since , I must have been the first to congratulate her from my area on Twitter and I have been tagging her with the state of the garbage sites and this park.. but she does not answer any tweet nor does her office .

The only one who responds from time to time is Advocate Mr Ashish Shelar .

I took their leave without telling them that perhaps a visit of Ms Poonam Mahajan is long overdue in Bandra Bazar too.and perhaps these too might not materialize if she is inducted in Mr Dev Fadnavis cabinet.


I did my free hand exercise and headed home shooting my garbage pictures of the day..

And all this is part of my Bandra Blogs.

I am not very good at shooting videos but I think I will train myself shooting the various garbage hell holes of Bandra on You Tube.

PM Narendra Modijis Swach Bharat Abhiyan At Bandra Bazar Road

video

A Lonely Planet Called Bandra Bazar Road

For The Poor Man Death Is Better Than Dreams

Who is this man ?

He is a patient waiting for a bed  at Bhabha Hospital Bandra .. and he hopes somebody dies so he can inherit the bed for his treatment .

And like him drug addicts ragpickers lie outside the hospital with gangrene , gaping holes in the legs ..and terminal cases in the last stages ..

And who really cares sadly no Hindu Mother Theresa .. here the dying person whatever his religiosity would love to convert just to feel the healing touch of Faith.

You will never find a Tabbliki or a Jamati trying to help a sick man , first the will search for his skullcap.

And even the Shia or even the Sunni Maulana will never stop to give a healing touch to the dying man , everyone talks of Humility , but Humility is Dead it died when Mother Theresa died .. that she was famous was not her fault it was the dying destiny of the poor that made he famous and today she is being targeted by Hon Saint of The Hindus Mr Mohan Bhagwat ,, how many poor destitute and dying has he helped or healed.

Even the Christian priest ensconced in the Church will never dirty his American Express laundered cassock to stop pick up the man lying outside the Church,,

Even the nuns at Holy Family Hospital will snatch money from the dying man before he leaves his hospital bed ,,

And this is Religion of the people by the people for the People ,, democratically delusional.

And this is life even outside the Parsi Agiary ,, no I  wont say anything further I have great equation with Hindus Sunnis and Parsis I am a Shia but this world has no COMPASSION ,,

Compassion died the day Mother Theresa died ..

And now they are searching for the Devils Advocate .

The Conservancy Staff Of Bandra Municipality No Gloves No Masks No Shoes

with so much money
in their coffers now
what is their excuse
the workers were
grumbling seeing
the dug addicts
drunks on this
mound of despair
happily drinking
booze  while they
worked slogged
clearing the shittiest
garbage without shoes
no masks no gloves
susceptible to disease
swine flu dengue our
local representatives
should use this place
as a party office venue
all this garbage will
disappear this place
will become new
perhaps build a
children s park
paint it sky blue
but really who
cares a shit
it was this garbage
that sent the congress
packing it could happen
to you too.. over the heads
of the congress the voter flew
how this got decimated they
were left wondering without clue

Garbage Is Nirvana At Bandra Reclamation

I left my house at  6 am and first shot this iconic garbage bin near the  open toilet dump off Rang Sharda.. I now know most of the dumping sites of Bandra west .

At 6.20 I reached the end of Bandra Reclamation I shot another garbage bin and the area round this last bin is deplorable adjacent to Agasty building.

I reached the MET Gardens at  6.30 did 11 rounds and at 7.30 entered the Gen Arun Kumar Vaida park for my free hand exercise and after 15 minutes walked home again shot the Bandra Transit Camp garbage , than took a short cut to Bandra Bazar via the Sunni Masjid met a butcher friends son coming out of the Mosque and educated Muslim told him of the garbage close to the Mosque , he said he pays people to clean it but people throw garbage in the night , he has a butcher shop off this iconic garbage site .

Than I shot more pictures of the ugliest dump of Bandra Bazar this time the Municipal conservancy staff were cleaning this horrid horrendous dumping site and they were grumbling they dont have gloves , safety shoes masks .. and than I wondered with so much money with Mumbai Municipality and the call of Swach Bharat by our erstwhile PM Mr Narendra Modi why is the Mumbai Municipality not taking it seriously ,,
And Modijis Swach Bharat Abhiyan at Bandra Bazar and Bandra Reclamation and in the Bandra slums is an utter failure and why does our dynamic Chief Minister Mr Devendra Fadnavis not take action against the shoddiness and sloppiness of the Bandra Municipality beats me ..

And Bandra Bazar is a BJP new stronghold , which the Congress lost the same reasons of neglect and apathy. I think the CM and our local representatives should wake up to this menace to society , open garbage house of swine flu dengue and other garbage related ailments .

And these pictures I shoot are as is where is but as the Bandra Municipality is not on the web or even on Twitter they will never see or read my blogs ,.

As a senior citizen photographer  poet I shall keep on poeticizing the pain of the Bandra Am Admi .. shooting garbage pictures every morning when I set out for my walk at Bandra Reclamation.

And there are a lot of pictures ahead all shot on my handy Motorola G..No Nexus Plexus or Sexus.

The Coffin of a Ragpicker Is His Garbage Sack

in which his last remains
they will hurriedly pack
take him to the dumping site
burn it as a stack as the fires
envelop it his body turns
black covered with soot
dreams of sweet smack
he is now happy that as a
ragpicker never will he ever
come back..he never wanted
in his bank account the 15 lacs
he will miss meow meow brown
sugar and the smell of crack
his clothes wont be auctioned
nor his sack..no fear of any
religious whiplash his job
no one can ever hijack
will there be garbage in
hell or heaven he wonders
a glint of a smile he holds back
god who created the greatest
garbage humanity has finally
called him back ..curry roads
ragpicker bent hunchback

When Ragpickers Die No Comets Are Seen

worse than the life of the beggars
living dying among the unclean
the filth the stench deplorable
demoralizing scene on the other
side of the fence the beggars life
 is evergreen,, they beg and move
on to work slog like the ragpickers
they are not very keen a ragpickers
job the beggars soul would demean
working without gloves the ragpicker
dies of wounds gangrene  but sir
who really cares ..yet they keep our
city clean  the Mumbai municipality
has lost its sheen making our beloved
Mumbai the Quintessential Garbage Queen

He Came From Orissa To Follow His Dreams ,, He Is A Bandra Ragpicker

He was wondering why I called him out he was sorting garbage ,scavenging for items to sell .. near the garbage site close to my house and bang opposite the Bandra BJP office adjoining the Indraji Nagar slums .. And I sometime wonder is it Muslim slums that generated the maximum filth .. all Muslim slums be it the Nargis Dutt Nagar Shastri Nagar Bandra Station , Bandra Slaughter House are deplorable unattended by the Municipality .

Most of the dumping site like Shastri Nagar  Bandra and Bandra Bazar road are meeting places for drunks drugaddicts and the Bandra cops know it too but than they wont dirty their hands catching scums that have nothing to give or live for .

And so back to Sudip from Orissa , he was hesitant to talk to me but I was dressed in normal clothes and did not look like a cop or a Sufi monk.

He works odd hours and this garbage site is his normal beat ..he earns about 300 per day scavenging plastic , metal stuff and other odds and ends .

He eats food at the stalls and survives on tea .. I did not ask him if he was a drug addict.. or the interview would have abruptly stopped .

And I am now seriously documenting the unknown ragpicker who does a great service to selfish society.. he does it passionately with devotion than the highly paid Municipal sweeper .. with reasonable hours great perks .

As for our ragpicker who the fuck really cares for him , he is a social stigma ,an untouchable in all reality ..the ministers talk discuss about the dumping grounds of Kanjur Marg and Mulund do they discuss about ragpicker Tamil ladies , men children besides this motley crew of drugaddicts .

And as a street photographer I need fodder for my blogs .. and so I train my lens on these lowest of the low scavengers ,, and some of them because of their drug intake can be violent hyper and volatile ..and they dont trust anyone but their own.

They are dirty , unclean and some have gangrenous wounds  they get treated at Bhabha Hospital and beg outside St Peter Church..and Jesus is the only God with compassion they identify with his followers who give them food alms ..

I met a mother son duo a few days back the son was about 10 years old assisting his mother  searching for Hope in the over spilling garbage bins ,,

The corporators ministers who go on foreign junket to learn about sewage and other facilities .. dont they learn something about garbage management that could help Mumbai city of Garbage bursting at the seams ..I am really astonished at the waste of public money without any accountability without any returns ..

And now that Mr Sharukh Khans Ramp has been duly demolished can we get back to Bandra .. The Christians are happy its time they made all of Bandra happy too..

The Ragpickers Of Bandra And Slowly Dying Bandra Bazar Road

This is an open space close to the Bandra Bazar Sunni mosque and  facing the fish and beef Municipal markets of Bandra Bazar.

And it has never been cleaned, all the junk lies here as an eye sore , and those who go to Namaz see it too , but the residents of Bandra are totally mute they dont say a word simply because  it is not their problem .

Having lived in Bandra for over 25 years and this was the first time in 15 years that the Bandra vote shifted from Congress to BJP.. in the main elections.

Here in Bandra one never saw or imagined any other party other than the Congress.

And this time the will of the people walked all over the Congress dreams .and laid low their expectations of talking the people for granted .

Among the corporators of Bandra Bazar it was only Raja Bhai or Mr Rahebar Khan who won the elections as an Independent before Mr Tanvir Patel of Congress ..who laid his stamp of sincerity , personally working round the clock for the improvement of this highly neglected area.
He was accessible humble a local hero among kids being a sportsman and a guiding spirit who never played the religion card .

But ever since the Congress won the Corporation elections this area has gone from bad to worse and I am not a political person but a resident of this area.. and it is the ugliest dirtiest filthiest area from the Bazar Road end ..

The mutton market the chicken market beef market fish market totally in shambles ..absolutely no garbage management of the waste that is generated from the market ,,

My pictures of the open garbage give testimony of neglect and now even with the new local representatives the area is as bad as ever.


The beauty of Bandra Bazar is its universal harmony , no sectarian strife , no muscle flexing by any community ..all religious feasts festivals are symbolic of universal tolerance too Sunnis living amicably with the Shias , Muslims living amicably with the Hindus .
Christians or East Indians the original inhabitants have got a raw deal.. their heritage in bad state , the paver tiles with all its ugliness destroyed the ethnicity of this fishing village called Gaothan.

 The Borhas Dalits Jains everyone lives in peace but sadly nobody opens their mouth to see this beautiful area of Bandra going to see , going to the dogs.

There is no Bandra Bazar Festival that would help in improving its visibility , the only saving grace student photographers , foreigners that come here to shoot Bazar Road . And the graffiti artists that have added their art to the walls of this rustic Bandra .. once Queen of the Suburbs now nothing less than the Queen of Garbage Porn thanks to the apathy of Bandra Municipality .why does Bandra Municipality neglect Bazar Road beats me till date ..Bandra Bazar needs a Bandra person to nurture it and save it from the politician builder nexus ..the ugly repair permission houses , that destroyed the pristine ethos of Bandra Bazar Road .

I have had calls from photographers from abroad who while on a visit want to shoot the Bandra Bazar Garbage dump, there have been Italian French American Dutch British photographers that have shot documented our quintessential
Bandra Bazar Garbage porn.

And as I have words to back up with pictures I narrate to you the sadness of Bazar Road shooting garbage every day on my morning walks and at the same time paying tribute to the ragpickers who do a better job than the paid staff of Bandra Municipality .

And Swach Bharat of our erstwhile Prime Minister Modiji in Bandra Bazar is utter failure unless he drops by via this lane to meet Mr Salim Khan and Mr Salman Khan. during their Ganpati Visarjan,.

One Thing Is Certain He Is No Alien From Outer Space

An Indian
caught between
time and space
he is dreaming
of better days
that were
solemnly
promised
in the election
manifesto
now bluntly
erased
is he a Hindu
or a harried
Muslim
who is he
lying prostrate
is he crazed
why is he
protesting in
silence was he
betrayed
his agonizing
angst his hopes
razed why not
auction him to
clean the Ganges
earn more goodwill
earn more praise
but will he fetch
4.31 crore like
a used monogrammed
suit ..he seems dazed
but not amazed

The Drunks And Drug Addicts At Bandra Bazar Garbage Dump ..

Only the Bandra Police are not aware of it and our local representatives

Welcome to Bandra Bazar Road,, Our Festival of Garbage

swach bandra
swach bharat
our backyard
we hope to
assuage
 one day just
might make it
on hindustan
times front page
dear editor please
bring your brave
student volunteers
to clean up
 our filthy
 garbage
we are the
dirtiest
dumping
site a losing
war we wage
dengue free
bandra was only
in a congress
brochure tucked
away in newspapers
now upstaged by
acche din of modiji
progress development
you can gauge  ..
we are all birds of
a feather locked up
forever in a rusty cage
a picture a day but
sadly no outrage
words of a beggar
poet a mystic sage
our garbage darshan
free garbage tour of
bandra for every age..

The Dam Madar Malang Masoomi Baba Aqsan

For The Politician Bandra Bazar Road Is A Constituency To Get Votes

peacefully enjoy 5 years
laid back please note
the system is cut throat
 the public sacrificial goats
to be smote ..pictures are
the only refuge of those
who poetically emote
swach bharat is merely
a vote getting quote
misplaced banknotes
the common man waiting
for 15 lacs in his bank
account unless it was
a paid media misquote
this beggar also an
alcoholic sitting outside
this gutter pond crying
over his sunken paper
boat ..governance of
wise men for fools
by fools as keynote
the power of remote
4.31 crore for a used
pant monogrammed coat

Mumbai City Of Dreams ..

everybody comes to this
great city to be part of it
building homes on streets
on the pavements they eat
they shit  vomit spit ..
in mumbai you can get
a ration card pan card
provided you grease
the right hands you
get it ..money buys
every bit ..people may
be highly educated but
jobless but the homeless
beg steal as the system
is the culprit , politicians
welcome migrants with
open arms a vote bank
to keep him fit though
another politician raises
the sons of soil card
the migrant gets hit
the system give the
erring politician a
clean chit to wit
in a few years our
childrens children
their children will
be using facebook
in sanskrit ,,for drinking
fornicating you wont need
a permit as the system will
soon be legit ,,a system
closely knit each one will
benefit ..truth mongers
hypocrites to this system
will-submit on the face of
it .says the wise to the stupid

You Can Only Visit Those Places You Were Destined To Visit

This sleepy town is called Vijapur in Gujrat .
I did no know anyone in this town.. I came here by cosmic accident .

I met a Malang at Makanpur tall hefty huge Amin Malang and he was from the Sufi sect called Madarriya that I was documenting .and it was my first trip to Makanpur.. Holy Shrine of Zinda Shah Madar
.
My connection with Makanpur was very new I came here because   my Belgian friend Marc Malang was going to be here ..and this was during the Urus of Zinda Shah Madar 2013 ,
Amin Baba is the head of Sultan Shah Baba of Vijapur Mehsana district , he invited me and told me all the Malangs were going to be coming here .. so he dangled a carrot and I came here to shoot the Malangs .

No Malang turned up and so I shot this town graveyard ,the people and decided to leave for Mumbai via Unava  I ended up shooting the most iconic spiritual hospital called Meera Datar Dargah .. famous for exorcising demons and I shot and documented my stay for a day .. I left for Mumbai the same day.

So every picture however silent it is has a story to tell ,,,
Amin Malang calls me from Vijapur reminding me the people of Bijapur have not forgotten me ,, but I dont think I will be going there and might meet Amin Malang at Makanpur if I go there this year ..

I cried because I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet.

We Indians Love Driving On The Wrong Side

be it the law
be it politics
be it education
be it religion
we do things
differently we
do it for kicks
when someone
criticizes us
we beat him
up so badly
we use bricks
we use sticks
we break his
head we even
kill him throw
acid on chicks
if they spurn our
advances get
her gang raped
blame it on dick
mentally immature
we drive people
sick..we burn cinema
halls if we dont like
a flick..we con  we
defraud we trick
we use ACB  to
catch crooked cops
crooked babus it
is the system that
we blame myopic
yes we are indians
defender of the
hallowed game of
cricket we bet we
match fix we kidnap
women force them
into prostitution
nothing is bigger
than the prick
sycophants we
touch the feet of
crooked politicians
we slavishly like
to ass lick ..

This Is Paneer Phool Soaked Overnight For Diabetes Control

The owners of Kalidas Provision stores a 100 year old store at Bandra Bazar Road , who sell home remedies and  herbal stuff for common ailments suggested Itry this.

This is a fruit seed I think that you peel and soak in water than sieve it through a strainer and drink the water every morning on an empty stomach.

I took 100 grams for Rs 14 .

It is bitter and I will my blood sugar in a months time ,,

I Shoot This Every Morning And There Is No Garbage Bin

And I bet the Congress Corporator Mr Tanvir Patel has never seen this though he looks out from his banner along with the other members of the defeated Congress Party Of Bandra .

And maybe because of their Congress Banner the BJP dont walk to take action against the early morning mess on this Gen Arun Kumar Vaidya Marg.. I mean there are some places in Bandra you can shoot a picture a day but the garbage will never go away.

And I think it is not my job to shoot this I dont stay here , but than where I stay Bandra Bazar garbage dump is worse than this .. and the Municipality is totally incompetent clueless about garbage management or Dengue or Swine Flu prevention.

And I think Mumbai surely needs a corporate CEO someone accountable who will take blame and responsibility and not pass the buck as the Mumbai Municipality does ...

And it surprises me newspapers asking children to help clean the sea front and dirty areas when they should be holding the ears of the Municipality bosses shoving a broom in their hands and making them clean Mumbai..

And Hindustan Times wants  to be Numero Uno in Mumbai so getting volunteers cleaning Mumbai helps sell the paper ,,Folks of the Times of India live in Ivory Towers so surely you dont expect them to mess their manicured fingers in shit and garbage.

And I hope some politicians some filmstars come and clean Bandra Bazar Road too..Hug our Garbage Bins with Posters Saying Save Bandra Bazar Market ,, the politicians sadly the old or the new can never save it.

The Rickshawalas of Bandra Reclamation

Perhaps the largest congregation of rickshas in Bandra , a hub for the drivers is Bandra Reclamation ,, from Lal Mitti till the end of Bandra Reclamation you can see the rickshas parked in the wee hours of the morning for the morning shift.

Most of the ricksha drivers are from Uttar Pradesh and most of them are from Kannauj a few are from Allahabad .

Some of the rich rickshawallas have rented rooms at Lal Mitti or at Nargis Dutt Nagar and live as a community , maybe up to ten in a room and they share the rent possibly.

Most of the rickshah belong to the drivers or to the bosses ..a large number of ricksha drivers live in their rickshas , sleep in the rickshas , As there is no public toilet at Lal Mitti most of them use the mound of Rang Sharda , They bathe at other public toilets it seems .. and tea and snacks at the the lady Chaiwali at the corner of Bandra Reclamation.

Close to this ladys tea stall is another tea stall near the MNS office he makes vada pav pav bhaji and has a booming business and has a tea stall too.

In the morning when I set out for my walk the ricksha wallas or all up , and they have hired a few guys who clean their rickshas , I know most of the drivers as they take me on my trips around Bandra Juhu or Kurla.

And as most of them know I am a Dam Madar Malang the Holy Shrine of Makanpur is very close to Kannauj, they are very hospitable and kind..and hospitality and kindness is not the key words in the dictionary of the rickshawala.

But compared to the Bandra Shastri Nagar sharing ricksha goons these guys are more timid and not that blunt or rough.

But they get robbed by cops too,beaten and bullied and have to bear the torture , so most of the Rickshas here are are affiliated to one political party or another .

And these are my mental estimate of the ricksha guys i have talked to , I have not interviewed them per se.

And somebody more journalistic than me should do a storu on these migrant workers all UP based and sadly none were invited to the Tilak ceremony of the Mulayam Singh scion at Saifai.

And seeing the happy lot of Delhi rickshawalla who have a great patron in Mr Arvind Kejriwal they hope that he comes to Mumbai and takes up their cause as they say the Unions here are only self beneficiaries and have done nothing to save them from rogue cops  and others.And most of them tell me they would support  the Am Admi Party to get a better deal and better prospects living here ..some are Mumbai based voters among these lot ,their patrons and sponsors who are rich rickshaw owners  .Most of them predominantly are Muslims .
I think the Hindu ricksha drivers UP migrants are from Gazdar Bandh.. one of the biggest ricksha hubs of Santacruz .all parked at North Avenue close to the Potohar Gurudwara.

The Ragpickers of Bandra Reclamation And My Diabetic Dilemma

Assuming they begin scavenging garbage sites in the night for plastic items , booze bottles cardboard and electrical wire metal pipe that fetches good money in the bhangar ,name for the guys who buy their stuff they come and sleep here on their sacks,.. I have been seeing them regularly on my morning walks .
And though most of them are drugaddicts knows as gardalus , they do a good job a better job than the  uniformed Municipal staff ..
And  they earn about Rs 250 to 300 per day, no house , they sleep on the roads and the money a bit for food bathing in the public toilets the rest I assume goes on their drugs.

And it is a sad tale of drug abuse , some thrown out of homes no rehabilitation , and no redemption from their sudden fall to Hell.

And I shoot them in such a manner with my mobile phone , rapidly so as not to wake them up and get into a street squabble ... most of these guys are hyper violent by nature think society is their worst enemy..

This morning I left home at .6.12 I reached the end of Bandra Reclamation where a lady lights two lamps every morning , on the way a tree had fallen blocking the road but it matters not.
I was at the Bandra MET Gates at 6.45 am .. took my 11 rounds and than came to the Gen Arun Kumar Vaidya park that is used as gym by the locals for free hand exercise ..I did some exercise and moved out after a few minutes via the Bandra Masjid lane taking a short cut from the Beef Market of Bandra Bazar ...

I was home by 8 am... and I wish I had been serious about walking but I was a total couch potato , hooked to the net by my balls .. no exercise no physical activity to speak of.
I only hope I dont give it up today was my 14 day of walking.

At home I have been taking a concoction  called Paneer Phool, it is wild fruit , tiny with a skin , that my wife peels about 6 and soaks it overnight , and it is bitter I have this every morning .This Paneer Phool is sold at Kalidas at Bandra Bazar Road he says it controls Diabetes and cost Rs14 for 100 grams .It has to be taken for 2 months to get positive results .

Kalidas is a 100 year or more provision store at the Bazar and has herbal medication for stomach problems ulcers and best place for home remedies .

My sons are taking Ojamin a pancreatic tonic every morning on an empty stomach it costs about Rs 540 and is available at Bandra Medical stores Hill Road . Mr Nair says that Salman Khans staff Danish a diabetic has been taking Ojamin and stopped his other diabetic medications and Salmans dad Salim Khan Sab also recommends Ojamin I am told .

I had been taking it too , but now I am trying Paneer Phool I find it cheap and best...but I take my other diabetic medicine too. I was on  Insulin a few years back but I gave it up..

My blood sugar report
28 December 2014  fasting 178 post lunch 275

Than I fell sick had a diabetic wound viral infection bordering on bronchial asthma .. I took my blood sugar again in Jan 2015

16 Jan 2015  fasting  193 post lunch 342
Dr RD Parmar changed my medication and I began walking from 10 Feb 2015 I shall take my blood sugar test on 10 March to see if there has been any improvement ,,but I do feel it in my body and mind ,,,ever since I began walking.

And so two ragpickers can become an inspiration of a personal blog..on health  and diabetes..

Should Prostitution Be Legalized ,,,An American Point Of View

The picture was shot a few years back and is part of my documentary of Peela House Red Light Area the last old bastion of street prostitutes also known as the Mumbai Cages .
Sadly because of my pictures being stolen here at Flickr I disabled this set Redlight Area of Mumbai and the Hijras of India from public view .

A Hijra beauty Heena stayed at the cages and most of the property belongs to the Hijras that own women and hijra prostitutes I am told ,,I have not visited Heena for a very long time.

I personally felt Prostitution should be legalized in a phased manner and with outputs from the various social NGO s that work with them.. might be the exploitation and the kidnappings and women sold here might end ,, and totally banning and criminalizing child prostitution of both genders .

But than Article 377 needs to be scrapped too..

After I had written my thoughts my American friend from Florida added her views that I wanted others to read so with her permission I am posting it here .. she has some valid and cogent points universal though she lives in America.
......................................................................................................................

Her words

Legalizing prostitution only increases the demand for it by deeming promiscuous behavior socially acceptable, simply continuing the cycle of sexual abuse in the sex industry.

Selling sex is a dangerous, harmful profession and shouldn’t be promoted by legislation. Legalization means that the state imposes regulations under which women can be prostituted. In effect, regulation means that under certain conditions it is permissible to exploit and abuse women.

In locations where the sex trade has been legalized, including Australia, Germany and the Netherlands, the number of sex trafficking victims significantly increased after legalization, and violence is still prevalent in the industry.

Prostitution is an extreme form of gender discrimination. Legalization of this violence to women restricts women's freedom and citizenship rights. If women are allowed to become a legitimate commodity, they are consigned to a second-class citizenship.

And that is not even going into the issue of how the behavior is against God's laws.

Discrimination against women is still rampant all over the world, and I understand that men really don't get that. But, you should. That is what we need to be working toward, NOT MAKING IT WORSE!

Sorry, for the rampage, Firoze. I get far too frustrated with the whole subject matter. Prostitution seems to be "acceptable" in so many ways.... after all it's called the "oldest profession". The way things are now, these women end up being the "criminals" even when many/most are being forced into the "business". Those doing the forcing and pimping are overlooked. Occasionally, the law will work correctly and the 'pimp' will get arrested and taken off the street. Without that law, the women would no longer have any protection. I know all the arguments about "but, they could get healthcare" and keep them out of jail. Sex traffickers often target vulnerable women with abusive backgrounds. These women need help to break the cycle rather than continue it as a socially acceptable commodity. The real answer is more along the lines of criminalizing the customers, to help get rid of the demand. Acknowledge the violence and exploitation for what it is; educate and inform and teach that all human life is a blessing that should be cherished. People say that is impossible, that prostitution will be around forever.... why is that? Why would we even accept that as a possibility? Never should the abuse of another human be legal.

The only reason any of these things happen... from domestic violence to these beggars being overlooked and abused, is because humans have forgotten the very basic human interaction should be to seek and find those things which neither take from nor destroy another soul's progress or abilities. If we can teach that to the world.......

Much Before Modiji Gave The Call For Swach Bharat I Have Been Shooting Garbage Porn at Bandra Bazar Road

Swach Bandra Impossible 

If Our Erstwhile PM Narendra Modiji Visits Bandra Bazar Road It Will Be Completely Clean

when one of our local representatives
becomes the Chief Minister of Our State
Bandra Bazar will become beautiful green
no open gutters no potholes no littered
garbage will ever be seen a model for
cleanliness beauty an added sheen
will our PM visit Nargis Dutt Nagar
has to be seen will he take a tour
of the Gen Arun Vaidya  Municipal Park
watch the children on brand new slides
swings and pat them on their heads
a lovely scene ..will he also visit
the Bandra Fish market open latrines
listen to the woes of the Koli women
make this ugliest place in Bandra
pristine ..Making children safe from
dengue swineflu giving them better
parks open places besides vaccine

People Are Devoid Of Comapassion Even When They Give Alms To Beggar

give him money
move on ,,soon
an eyesore he
will be gone
such are the
 thoughts
when they
spot a beggar
aloof withdrawn
beggar are beggars
as beggars again they
will be reborn for the
sins of their forefathers
since bygone she
concludes this lame
beggar she chanced upon
cause and effect foregone

Beauty Lies In The Eyes Of The Suitor

PM Narendra Modi's monogrammed suit sold for Rs 4.31 crore

the obama hugged suit
that made he news ,..
now auctioned money
put to good use ,,
cleaning the ganges
a thought asymmetrical
obtuse the dirt dead bodies
the filth on the  holy river
abominably let loose
desecrating the soul of
humanity ,,and the faith
of our brother hindus
but than i wonder what
happens to the poor
man waiting for good
days robbed of his
future eternally abused
will another suit worn
by the emperor bring
him hope as worse
than the state of a river
he has been reduced
called am admi
common man
politicized
conned
dumped
confused

silent as ever
he never argues
blaming his fate
bad luck an animal
held captive in
a cage in a zoo


now i go for my morning walk this poem was written on an empty stomach without dinner to feel the pain of the poor man..

Once Upon A Time The Delhi Common Man Was Dying Unsung

sleeping
on a mound
of dreams
made of
dung
taken for
a ride by
the rich
TB in
his lungs
wanting
to die but
death plays
hide and seek
rusty locks on
his tongue
now with
the return
of the am
admi party
he might
live again
zindagi ki
jung ,,

from a tree
in desperation
he could have
hung he was
crazy mentally
disturbed
high strung

zindagi ke
kitne rang
kabhi khushi
kabhi tang
ubharti
dhoobti
umang

The Lost World Of Lepers

I have been shooting lepers , once an entire group would come to Bandra wearing Gandhi caps and would be pulling a cart with another leper unable to walk.. with words Raghupati Ragav Raja Ram Pati Cha Pawan Sita Ram..

I have not seen them since a long time ,,, and there are lepers in Bandra too, one sits at Hill Road keeps touching people desperate to get alms .

Maria the leper lady wont return to Mumbai I think.. she was the iconic leper of my beggar stories .

Strangely lepers dont want to get treated happy with their deteriorating limbs finger ear lobes nose  feet .

Haji Malang had a leper colony , but the rich guys bought their shelters to start commercial establishments .

And when they die beggars they leave all  their money to those Municipal crooks who come to pick up their bodies ,,the beggars dont invest , nor do they buy gold , yet there are beggars who would loan money to other shop keepers etc for nominal interest .

And my pictures of beggars might help someone who will one day do a thesis on beggars it is untapped territory ,,,so many untold stories and I know a Muslim couple old people , the husband on a wheel chair and the wife  taking care of him pushing him around the Holy Shrines of  Hussain Tekri Jaorah.

There is another old Muslim couple , the husband is blind and the wife guides him and they beg at Bandra Bazar Road .. sometimes I want sit with them talk to them but somehow Iack that killer inquisitiveness and so I let the thought die in my mind .

And somehow I did document Muslim beggars a set at Flickr , Muslim beggars from the places I visited in India .. Delhi Hyderabad Lucknow Chennai Hussain Tekri ..

And I dont really stalk beggars but they appear from nowhere ,, blind beggars , deformed beggars , mentally challenged beggars , limbless beggars and the list is long .

This leper I shot in 2010 close too my parents house at Colaba Strand cinema and there used to be a string of beggars near the Strand Hanuman Mandir .

The Marathi Manoos Slogs ,, The Migrant Becomes Rich A Thought I Catalogue

through pictures
i shoot of the
neglected
marathi manoos
of mumbai
to awaken
the soul of
our sleep
walking
politicians
i blog
the rich
become
richer
the poor
marathi
manoos
life gone
to the dogs

mr dhabolkar
mr pansare
get shot
murdered
in open day
light criminals
run amok
be it the
congress
or bjp
law and order
in maharashtra
creating havoc
common man
shocked our
leaders want a
vibrant night
life . yes lets
all rock
more booze
more drunks
a thought
unlocks
lets make
mumbai
singapore
shanghai
bangkok
on the soul
of humanity
more tears
as after shock
progress
development
removing paver
tiles as the system
moonwalks

The Wise Goat Of Bandra

A Message from a Flickr follower

I really enjoy your lively, clever, passionate pics & texts - You are a true personality, thank you for sharing so much of your sights and insights... ! And your pics make me feel I'm in India, fabulous !
I've been thinking about the "likes" I'm giving - I'm not always convinced it 's the best system for showing appreciation...
I'm looking forward to seeing more of your... art !
..............................................................................................................

And such messages add to the beauty of Flickr and encourage the photographer in each one of us ,,

And the web is a huge giant connector , we are seen heard ..and I am not that lucky to visit interesting areas of my country so I shoot my world my backyard Bandra.

The rich side of Bandra  does not have problems of garbage display they are well managed and well take care of here I must reiterate the people who live here do there bit , the residents see that there area is clean and green .. that is why Pali Hill Band Stand Carter Road and other tony side of Bandra is an inspiring thought.

It is areas near the market the slums that are dirty and it is not just the Municipality but the residents to blame and migrants too who use Bandra as a dustbin as most of them are here to make money and will leave for their hometowns .

Even stiff fines do not deter them and places like St Peter Road Bandra a wall away from the Church is full of garbage , people throw garbage here from moving cars .. unless there was CCTV near these garbage prone areas they will always remain the same .

And the Municipality and our local representatives go on foreign tours but none comes back with a good garbage management idea.. small garbage bins and the garbage spilling over , some places no garbage bin..like the dumping site the dirtiest one Bandra Bazar Road only two buildings away from where our erstwhile MLA lives.  even his office is in front of a dirty garbage bin,

As for our erstwhile MP both BJP upholders of Modijis Swach Bharat .. she is lucky she does not live in Bandra Bazar Road .. she stays a million miles away at Worli .

And so as a photographer , senior citizen I shoot pictures and I have been shooting garbage much before Swach Bharat dawned on Bandra ,,,

Otherwise Bandra is one of the finest suburbs rich in culture , heritage and a cauldron of mixed races and religiosity all living in peace hope harmony.

And I shot this white goat living his few days months he will be slaughtered for Bakra Eid but he is not bothered about death or the butchers blade ..and luckily he is not wearing the orange suit  of a Gitmo prisoner but death is imminent unless the owner has a change of heart normally Muslims rarely have a change of heart where such a beautiful goat has to be sacrificed for the greater goodness of God..

So thank you Flickr friend for your message and your kind words and taking time to see my backyard , I am sorry their is nothing called Art in my work I am a photo blogger typing with a single finger .the most abused finger slave driven to get my message my poems across.

Eid Ul Adha Namaz Was In Progress

The beggar waited for the namaz
to get over he would get some alms
as he watched each one of them
in a brand new dress well pressed
he was a mess a drug addict
an expensive habit no home
no address gardalu they called him
meaning junkie poorly dressed
he was a victim of bad karma life
going downhill in distress ..he could
hardly stand sores on his feet pus
filled gangrenous ..the cops around
busy safeguarding the namazis
while he watched the photographers
from the press shooting away the
spiritual calisthenics of oneness

Who Will Auction The Poor Mans Clothes

lying there waiting for the bidding to start
the base prices Rs 450 but it breaks his heart
he has decided to give the money to the more
poorer than him before he departs  on the stripes
of his shirt his name embroidered in sweat poor
man poor man  poor man poor man life as art
his shorts made of Indian cotton this cotton king
with his clothes will part he has decided to become
a monk go live in the jungles till death does him apart
his cosmic fate he could not thwart . wantonly wart
he has left his undergarments  as sweet memories
filled with nostalgia to his long lost forgotten sweetheart

In Mumbai Even Your Dreams Can Get Stolen.. Says A Lot For Poor Law And Order

One thing is certain the con men , fraudsters are not scared at all of our Mumbai cops ,,and if you read the newspapers there is everyday a new con a new scam and the guy on the street becomes the fall guy be it at ATM  or at banks too ,,

Rapes murders is normal and even crooks posing as cops get away  without being caught ,,,

My Mother Is Dying Please Help Me She Said

In her makeshift home
made of old bed spreads
i could see he mother
bloodshot eyes as she
looked into my eyes
pleading almost dead
one soul mother daughter
two heads more than pain
it was a story of survival
gone awry i read i gave
her some money but
she said looking at my
monks dress please
bless us it is prayers
we need more than
money or bread .
i silently moved
ahead feeling guilty
a part of my humanity
had already fled

Meet Rudolf Pereira Of 18 Demonte Street Bandra

This bungalow on De monte street is unique and boasts of its East Indian Heritage .

I used to stay in this lane to early 90s after the riots .. this was one of the safest places because of the harmony of this rustic Bandra home to Muslims Christians Jains and Hindus ,,Bohras Shias Sunnis and Dalits too.

Rudolfs family is East Indian and living here in this Gaothan as East Indian fishing villages were called since 100 years.

He is a nice person and is always in the fore as volunteer of Agni , and is a social activist ,, fighting for everyone's rights.

I shot this while heading home from  Santacruz via Bandra Talao.

When Women Become Hijras And Women Empowerment Fails

I shot this from the bus on Linking Road Khar .

And I know most of these women girls since they were toddlers , young kids growing up begging at Turner Road Traffic Signal Bandra .

They worked this signal for many years .. with their parents watching them like hawks and than came the big blow , they had to move from here as the powerful jewelry store lobby the restaurants at Waterfield road were being affected by their begging and their fights catcalls and they were forced to move I assume .

They shifted to the Pamposh Linking road signal and further towards the Khar MTNL Signal crossroads ..And as they had seen the hijras making lots of money at the Turner Road Signal when they were kids .. they began posing as Hijras and clapping their hands wearing garish make up and using the same hijra gestures they began working both these signals at Pamposh and Khar as their base , and the money came in as girls college kids are scared to death of Hijras .

And I am sure the cops see them too but than cops dont have the vision or foresight as Lord Shiva embedded in my camera lens .

And I am sure they must be giving a cut to the cops and the beggar mafia that must have come up with this brilliant idea .

And one of my earlier posts I met these girls and asked them why they had given up their womanhood and thy said as women they did not get money only drunks wanted to screw them and they got tired being mauled by the people in cars who would touch them inappropriately solicit them .. they told me they did not want to work as prostitutes and this hijra empowerment worked fine .

As I am a Hijra documentarist , I told them what if the hijras catch them and beat them up but these are tough women  who work in groups and I am sure they have the backing and clout of the beggar mafia.

And the reason I re sized this image is because at Flickr I find the largest number of hijra picture stealers that is why I have locked up my entire 20000 picture set on hijras , hijra poetry crossdressers and gay pride ..

I blog about their ethnicity their struggle and their dark future and my pictures were just being enjoyed for titillation and voyeurism.. I dont shoot porn I dont shoot hijra nudity .so I decided once and for all to put a huge lock on my Hijra pictures not for Public..

And this I have posted that on a street like Linking Road the vibrancy of Linking road .. in Mumbai women have to become Hijras so as not to end up as prostitutes because they are beggars .. and it says a lot about how the new night life will have women working late nights at call centers running for cover from drunks and lechers and pedophiles .. for the hotel guys pub disco guys it is big bucks what about the ladies in the streets with their husbands ..

And why do they not legalize prostitution beats me ,, prostitution's happens openly under the cover of massage parlors and  even a few sleazy model coordinators operate as pimps ..and keeping a legal age so children are not forced into prostitution.

Anyway my blog was on hijra empowerment and I wish activists do something to make women even those posing as Hijras safe from the rapists molestors in Mumbai.

A Rainy Day In Bandra Bazar Road And Future Elections

This is the Ram Mandir road of Bandra Bazar and next to this lane is a small bylane that leads to Bandra De Monte Street ..and if you walk straight up this Ram Mandir Road you will reach the Jain Mandir  known as the Jain Mandir Road that exits out at Bandra Hill Road .Even the De Monte Street exits out to Bandra Hill Road via Chinchpokli Road and Gonsalves Wadi.

And once upon a time all these exit lanes including Boran Road  used to get completely flooded in the rains and the Bazar would be flooded waist deep.. And I shot those pictures  many years back in my Bandra Bazar Road set on Flickr .

I have documented Bazar Road people I shot who disappeared , forgotten faces , and the election rally's both 2009 Loksabha including the Assembly .. I shot the Independence day the only time you got to see the Congress local representative ,,, and here I must mention during the elections the candidates folded hands visit your house pat your children s heads along with his chamchas and if he loses he will not be seen in your area at all be it the Congress folks I did not see Phiroze Palkhivala of Am Admi Party after he lost the elections .

If they win ..this is a tricky one they expect to be seen in the Victory procession , but in the five years they wont ever visit your house to thank you , they had time than no time now ,, it is done through brochures or pamphlets ,, now we will see them in 2019 .

We will perhaps see a new lot during the civic elections in 2017.

And speaking about the civic elections my biggest mistake and like me others was voting for the Congress candidate , he hardly comes in our area .. and we voted for him because of Ms Priya Dutt and Mr Baba Siddiqui.. we did not even bother to find out about his antecedents ,,..

That Bandra Bazar Road is a total mess is a virtual fact , everyone knows it but have no will to open their mouths  the only will they had this time was to reject the Congress alright ,, even the Muslim vote bank could not save them.. and I hope the BJP reads this too it is performance and not just Modi wave that will bring you back... please dont under estimate the power of the Public ,, you have to serve them and not become Masters of our Destiny..

And I look forward to the Am Admi Party as we need a good solid opposition.. for the sake of Bandra Mumbai and India.