The foam & the farm

Despite living near the Yamuna, farmers don’t touch the water; others think it will be drinkable soon Having spent decades toiling over a small plot of land they call their khet (farm), a grizzled Dharampal seems older than the 60 years he claims to be. About 30 of those years have been spent on the […]

Painful makeover

In a year from now, Chandni Chowk’s redevelopment will be done. Until then, however, the buzz in the bazaar is all about the inconveniences faced ‘As you sit stranded in a traffic jam, half-choked by rickshaw fumes and the ammonia stink of the municipal urinals, you see around you a sad vista of collapsing shop […]

In search of a paycheck

The lacklustre Directorate of Employment is hardly a place that can bring hope to the job seekers who knock at its doors On a long stretch of road is a building with all the vibes of a sarkari daftar. Its greying, crumbling walls giving out little hope that it can ensure job security. This is […]

THEY’RE OUT TO PICK POCKETS!

Busy Metro stations like Kashmere Gate, Huda City Centre, Shahdara, Central Secretariat and Rajiv Chowk are prime targets for petty theft, especially on escalators At Rajiv Chowk Metro station the other day, one of the men boarding the train grabbed another’s collar roughly and began a full-fledged fight, right there on the platform! Some of […]

Hop, skip and jump

In the absence of last mile connectivity to the Metro, commuters from Faridabad, Noida and Gurugram face a number of hurdles Every day, around 10 am, Aditya Sharma, 27, a sales and marketing professional, is ready to leave his home in Faridabad for office. When he reaches the main road, he waves to the passing […]

Leave the forests alone

The sighting of wild animals in human habitations is increasing with every passing year. The question is: Are they invading territory or are we encroaching on their habitat?   On January 20, the usually quiet village of Sadullapur — located in a remote corner of Greater Noida (west) – became the centre of attention as […]

Putting skin in the game

On his way back from the Jaipur Litfest where he promoted his new book, this indian doctor settled in new zealand reveals his plans to bring genetic testing to india to help us finetune our diets Dr Sharad P Paul looks so young and trim, the ushers at the Museum of Natural Science in America […]

In search of nirvana

The holy Kumbh Mela offers an intense experience, with sages and saints who have relinquished the world — some even clothing — in the quest for freedom from the vicious cycle of birth and death The Kumbh Mela has its class divide. While the rich get to learn yoga, meditation and have private audience with […]