An Indecisive Indian

  Ah, the ever so fragrant journey of train travel in India! It is a unique experience, isn't it? Indian Railways (IR), in their gallant attempt to curb the olfactory assault of train toilets, has employed various methods over the years. bio-tanks, modular toilets, vacuum evacuation,  auto-essensers and even bum showers—sorry, health faucets/jet cleaners. When it comes to addressing some of the age-old problems, they have really thrown the kitchen sink at them. In a phased manner, they fitted bio-tanks in all their coaches, putting a stop to dumping all the toilet waste on the track. Never mind that it took the Supreme Court’s gavel to get them moving. IR’s detractors call other measures listed above half-hearted, and even their on-board housekeeping service is inefficient, leaving the toilets stinking to the seventh heaven. It is a veritable odyssey of odors! But have these efforts made train toilets cleaner and less odorous? Well, according to some of my graceful and more ...

Sudhanshu Mani Indian Railways (IR) was once a glorious marvel of professional excellence. Ok, not quite!! While it never had a 'spotless reputation’ , it certainly has ‘ seen better days’ . Now, it seems to have degenerated into a Shakespearean comedy, brimming with twists, turns, and a cast of characters that make the bard's works pale in comparison.   A bit of a background first. IR’s daily escapades can make your ‘hair stand on end’ . From overcrowded trains, surprise platform changes to last-minute train rerouting, passengers are often left with ‘bated breath’ , wondering where they would end up next. ‘All of a sudden’ , the loud whistle blows, and the train lurches forward, leaving those who had hoped to ‘sleep one wink’ out of luck. It’s enough to make even the most seasoned traveller cry out, "For goodness’ sake, what’s next?"   The journey on IR is truly an adventure leading you ‘up and down’ . One minute, you're chatting with your seatmate and t...

  Sprinkle Some Ghālib Magic: Elevate Your Eloquence Much like the bard whose influence on the English language resonates through phrases, idioms, and words created by him, Ghālib's impact is profound, albeit not easily discernible. Ghālib pioneered an entire genre of poetry and a distinctive prose style, yet attributing the invention of idioms and phrases directly to him proves challenging. Undeniably, in the early phases of his poetic journey, his writing style remained enigmatic to many. Reflecting on his own craft, he would express it by saying:   Mushkil hai zabas kalaam mera ai dil sun sun ke use sukhanwaraan-e-kaamil Aasāñ kahne kī karte haiñ farmāyish goyam mushkil vagarna goyam mushkil   ( zabas: plentiful, a lot, sukhanwaraan-e-kaamil: complete, perfect poets, farmāyish: request, goyam mushkil vagarna goyam mushkil: saying it is difficult but not saying is also difficult.   O heart, my creations are indeed not very easy to comprehend. When ...