Hooch Hooch Hota Hai!!!!!!!!!!

For past couple of weeks, attention of everyone from all over the country is on Gujarat irrespective how drunk they are! Opinion leaders are looking for hungry cameras and mics while columnists wants to forget everything and write only about Gujarat. It is a very interesting territory to write about specially when much hyped future prime minister is ruling the state.

Everybody is busy giving uninvited opinions on prohibition in the state that recently witnessed loss of close to 160 lives on account of HOOCH! Those who love to blame Gujarat chief minister NarendraBHAI Modi for even late monsoon have now one more reasons to corner him. Interestingly, he is now being blamed more for having prohibition in the state than the availability of HOOCH to Heineken. Better the critics realise that the poor CM was not even born when the idea of prohibition coined in and around Ahmedabad city in pre-independence era. It would be a great favour to Gujarat if Mr Modi is criticised only for the right reasons.

Including beer baron Vijay Mallya, number of opinion leaders are (of course uninvited) suggesting to lift prohibition from the cash rich state. Those who are already high sitting out of Gujarat are even more vocal without having the right understanding of the state.
Those who believe we are a dry state should check the reality first hand.

Though expensive, but we have a wide range of brands and types of booz available in the state. The entire chain of bootlegging is highly democratic and disciplined where every member gets their share. One really don't have to struggle to get the right stuff. You get it at your doorstep, anytime and on credit also if you are a regular customer (you just need the right contact numbers that people over here love to share with proud). And people are ok in shelling out extra for home delivery instead of standing in the queue at Theka and paying in cash.

Consumers, with good discipline, drink at home or occasionally in car. Alcohol consumption is not acceptable socially in Gujarat and people ensure that even the next door neighbour is not aware in case someone is drinking at home. I must appreciate the local police that assists the bootleggers also ensure that drunkards don't roam around in the streets. They charge them officially or unofficially and control the crime rate.

Prohibition is a joke in Gujarat but it is ensuring peace while enabling the addicts to get what they want peacefully. Let it be that way instead of disturbing decades old tradition of this one of the fastest growing states of the country.

We can confidently watch movies in last show at multiplex with family and return home safe (on the days we are not drinking). People end up meeting at tea shops and restaurants instead of wasting hours and money at bars. Thanks to the prohibition, the state has managed to retained and capitalise on the entrepreneurial skills of the people here. Prohibition has also played a key role in keeping the labour unrest in control.

Those who are opposing the prohibition are forgetting the fact that social and religious fabric has compelled even multinational food chains to introduce Jain menus. So far, prohibition has been just a political and may be business issue. Nobody will ask for free flow of alcohol in the state when cash rich religious leaders will start registering their oppose.

Common guys, let only Gujaratis decide if they really want and deserve the prohibition. Gujarat belongs to Gujaratis first. Let them enjoy leftover fruits of Gandhian philosophy.

Today, Gandhi is remembered in Ahmedabad only at Income Tax Circle to protest against anything and everything in the state. I am really grateful to the city planners who installed beautiful statue of Mahatma Gandhi on a busy circle. It attracts majority of the protesters there to jam traffic during the peak hours and draw attention to their concerns.

Congress MLAs were 'reportedly' attacked by BJP youth workers (or may the other way around) outside of the Assembly Hall in Gandhinagar near the statue of Mahatma Gandhi. The incident took place probably for Congress choosing the right statue at the wrong location.

In fact, we must thank both BJP and Congress for assuring quality of booz in the state. No such tragedy ever happens at the time of election when they themselves are handling the distribution of liquor at the time of election.

Last, responsible 'brewers', 'distributors' and 'facilitators' and their God Fathers in Gandhinagar involved into HOOCH tragedy should not be spared. I am one of those who has accepted that corruption as an integral part of the today's society. But I certainly differ when the wrongs also start claiming lives. Even the pirates follow their rules. Greedy criminals claiming lives deserve harshest punishments for killing innocents and bread-winners of poor families. One can forgive the crime but sin should never be forgiven.

Energy CRYsis

I have been covering energy sector as a journalist actively for almost a year now and learning new things everyday. But on this Thursday (Jan 8) proved very much different. On this rare day I touched almost all the aspects of energy sector i.e. petrol, diesel, gas, electricity, secondary energy and CNG.

The ‘story’ started on Wednesday when I found pin of my bike’s fuel-meter started flirting with the red mark towards left. I noticed it while leaving office after 11 pm and failed to find any petrol pump open on my way back to sisters’ place. I hit bed with a promise to myself to get the tank full on Thursday since lot of running around was expected, thanks to Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors’ Summit during 11-13 January.

On Thursday, I found petrol pumps relatively crowded while I was running late for office as usual. I again promised myself to get the tank full whenever I leave office to for fieldwork and parked my bike in office backyard. However, I was too lazy to take bike, cross signals and wait in queue at petrol pump before going to the HDFC bank nearby for some essential transactions, which I was delaying for many days. I preferred to walk down to the bank. On my way back, I bumped into a friend, at about 2:00 pm, who directed his peon to take his vehicle to the petrol pump, as speculations were rife about fuel stations facing supply crunch. I suddenly remembered my interactions with people in energy sector about ‘bandh’ called by Oil Sector Officers Association (OSOA) and all India truck owners association. I was still very lazy to think about fuel in my bike and rushed to the office as boss called at 3:00 pm.

At office, I ended up with filing reimbursement claims for trips to Vadodara (Oct) and Jaipur (Nov), a copy on new Wind Power Policy, checking final layout of a special page for Vibrant Gujarat Summit and of course usual incoming and outgoing calls that journos deal with after 5:00 pm on a typical day. I started working on state government’s New Wind Power Policy, which was third energy related policy in a row in less than a week after Power Generation and Solar Power policies.

On this power packed day, my mobile phone battery started drying in the evening and I went to ET Gujarati section to borrow charger from a colleague who directed me to other colleague. I found his phone on charger while he was away from the desk. I checked battery level in his cell phone and without informing him I unplugged the charger and carried it to my desk.

At about 8:00 pm, an official from one of the city gas distribution (CGD) companies called me before sending a media statement and briefed about the ongoing energy crisis in the country on account of OSOA, particularly in Gujarat. Industrial units in South Gujarat were the first victim of gas supply cut. Local CGD player retained supplies to the priority segment (households and CNG consumers). I started making fanatic calls to other CGD players and experts and petroleum dealer association office bearers etc etc etc for more info……….. Petroleum dealer association secretary hastily briefed me about the crisis as he feared his phone to get disconnected due to low battery. He quickly updated that 60% of state’s 1,770 petrol pumps are dry and 20% more will be joining the club next morning. (Gujarat guzzles 25 crore litre of diesel and 8 crore petrol a month.)

Amidst calls and keying in copy, I decided to leave with my colleague and stay at his place for a night. Amidst supply crunch of petrol, diesel and gas, my colleague sent yet another shocker. He admitted that electricity-distributing company disconnected power to his apartment (bachelors’ paradise) since he didn’t pay bill in time. I used my journalistic character and requested the media relation official of the electricity distributor to reconnect power for a night and assured him that my colleague will pay bill next morning without fail.

However, my colleague left office ahead of me as I was running late with my copies. I left office with another colleague in rick and grabbed a bite on way. We again took a rick, dropped friend on way and directed auto rickshaw driver towards another colleague’s place. On way, I started chatting with rickshaw driver and suggested (with bit of authority rather :-) him not to worry about CNG supplies. After reaching the destination, I asked for fare and driver sought Rs 50, which surprised me since it should not have been more that Rs 35. While struggling to read meter in dark I asked for tariff card for verification. Driver, smugly, pointed at tariff-chart and said, “Its time for night tariff sir.”

Matrimony & Matriarchy

Today morning, my mom returned from her visit to some relative when I was still trying to forget sleep and proceed for shower. She broke morning silence, “According to them, you are not educated enough for her.” she was referring to feedback from some gal’s family whom my parents are in touch without my knowledge. I forgot my sleep and asked, “What does she do?” My clueless mom said, “She is into computers.” I sought clarification with resentment, “Is she some virus?” My elder sister who was listening to our conversation from kitchen intervened clarifying that the gal is working in some IT firm in Bangalore. “We are first matching stars (Kundali/Janmakshar) so yet to find out her back ground,” she added.

I slammed bathroom door with a funny comment, “Gal’s family must be thinking I must be some hawker since I am in newspaper as I think she is virus since she is in computers.” But lamented over present matrimony system in changing world where people are changing even faster.

I poured hot water on my head and tried to clean my thoughts. But ended up pondering further over our traditional society, specially conventional match making practice. Fixing arranged marriage is so complex that majority of the couples don’t take risk of passing through the same tedious course of action. And that is why arranged marriages have longer shelf life. Interestingly, society gives credit to our tradition and culture for long lasting marriages.

Fortunately, my parents are ‘liberal’ when it comes to fixing my relationship with marriage. Only issue is they are ‘little’ choosy, specially my mom. She don’t want me to marry with a gal from minority community and prefer a Gujju (again, preferably from the cast at least equal to us if not upper) gal who can take care of the family on their occasional visits to me and retain our (Gujju) traditions. There is one more clause and you can blame it for me being single at the age of 30 and liability for the relatives. She doesn’t want me to marry without matching stars with that of potential bride. Particularly this last clause has restrained me from getting into any serious relationship. My mom probably believes I should ask for my eligible friends’ Kundali while before proposing.

No wonder why online match making portals gaining popularity! Welcome to the world of matching pics, profile and most importantly Kundali, before hearts! But I thank my stars for not making me net savvy, I am open for gamble :-)