Rasta Aur Basta

Lakharwala Gumbad after restoration in 2018 at the Sunder Nursery  A narrow lane in Nizamuddin East with big white tourist buses on one side and a long stretch of cars on the other, honking relentlessly, takes you to Sunder Nursery. Just opposite to the back gate of Humayun Tomb, few  jhalmuri  counters will welcome you. Tickets costing Rs 30 for Indians and Rs 150, Rs 300 for ASEAN countries and other foreign counties tourist respectively, luckily I was exempted for being “ministry  wala”.  Kids’ rolling down the grass slopes, few old ladies singing at kitty party and families sharing lunch- Sunder Nursery is now a new Sunday picnic spot for Delhiites. Spread across 90 acres this is a UNESCO World Heritage site in Delhi and has a small area dedicated to “Organic and Lifestyle’ Market.”  After reading about it in  Times of India , I planned to spoil my Sunday morning snooze, but counted it as one of the fascinating Sundays! ...

Fatehpuri Masjid near Khari Baoli “Roads no matter how they are, they are always a story. Some give rest to the tired feet, some make you dream beneath the stars: Saransh Goila .” Founded as Shahjahanabad in 1639, when Shah Jahan, the then Mughal Emperor, decided to shift his capital from Agra. Starting from Luthian Road near Kashmiri Gate and ending around Feroz Shah Kotla, the region is surrounded by railway tracks culminating at New Delhi and Delhi Railway Stations on one side and Yamuna River on the other. Enclosing four assembly segments, it holds a population of around 14 lakhs. Other than cheap prices and scope for high bargaining, what brings people here?   Bookseller on Asaf Ali Road at Daryaganj  WHY OLD DELHI?   Tucked itself almost at the center of the national capital, this is Delhi’s favorite place for finger-licking teekhi chaat and savoring Shahi Tukda. Hundreds of people squeezed into narrow lanes where one has to be caref...

Students from the north-eastern states holding a banner highlighting the demands. One cold noon of Parliament Street outside Jantar Mantar witnessed thousands of student-youth from across the country rallying from Lal Qila. More than 50 youth groups, student unions and organizations came together for the Young India Adhikar March on 7th February   and stormed the streets demanding education and dignified employment. “Fulfill all vacant govt. job positions before election or enable unemployment allowance of Rs 18000 per month; spend at least 10% GDP on education; ensure girls’ hostels and effective anti-sexual harassment cells; end saffronization of education and uphold academic freedom; reject 13 point roster system ! Fulfill constitutionally mandated reservations and enact Rohith Act immediately and waive off education loan” reads a pamphlet distributed prior to the march.     Fahdzinjani and his associates from AMU.  Near the front stage a tall...

"Rajasthan or the 'Land of Kings' is an incredible tourist hub with its royal palaces,  vibrant culture, heritage centres and more." Last time I was in Jaipur, I was 16 and watched Dil to Bachha hai ji with relatives at the iconic Raj Mandir Cinema. This time I am mature, wild and frisking for stories every moment. From an open mindset to a traditional society with multi color shops at every corner, I chose this buoyant city for my maiden two day solo trip. No consensus, no queries and no obstruction: this is the charm of solo trip and yes you can step into any local bus without deciding the destination! Unlike, any other city Jaipur has every flavor that could easily replace it with Delhi as my beloved. Sparkling Jhumkas, time-worn buildings, huge gates in the walled city and traditional dresses: this is JAIPUR. Graffiti inside my stay, Destiny Hostel   HOSTEL (Not Hotel) Not every traveler has the privilege of staying at a place where...

Anurag Tripathi during the interview with the writer Anurag Tripathi is an investigative journalist with sixteen years of experience and has worked as editor, reportage at Newslaundry, and senior associate editor, Tehelka. He started his career with the Hindustan Times, Lucknow, and has worked with the Times of India, Aaj Tak, India TV and NewsX. In an interview to Bhavey on the sidelines of Times Litfest 2018 , he talked about his decade long investigation on Ram Rahim; political nexus between BJP and India TV; Dera’s BJP boycott in Rajasthan elections; his two month long chase for Khatta Singh who later became the protected witness of CBI and ultimately led to the conviction of Gurmeet Ram Rahim in August 2017. His book “Dera Sacha Sauda and Gurmeet Ram Rahim: A Decade-long investigation” published by Penguin was launched in April 2018. Excerpts of the interview: Bhavey (B) : Tell us about how you initially uncovered the Jhootha Souda series while working for Tehelk...

Municipal Corporations in five districts of Haryana: Karnal, Panipat, Yamunagar, Rohtak and Hisar, due in October,  goes to poll on 16 December. The announcement came nine months after the first announcement of wardbandi in Karnal Municipal Corporation followed by Panipat and other districts. Moving one step ahead towards transparency, after laying down educational qualifications for candidates contesting elections under Panchayati Raj Institutions, the Manohar Lal Khattar government in Haryana approved direct election of mayors in September. The voters will not only vote for the ward councillor but also the mayor. This is in line with the elections for panches and sarpanches, where villagers vote for the sarpanch and the ward panch. Adding another feather on the crown, Khattar also gave nod to the cabinet decision of reserving Karnal mayor seat for woman candidate and neighboring Panipat for backward class woman while the post of the mayor is unreserved in Hisar, Rohtak ...

A farmer resting and smoking at Ramlila Maidan. (From facebook wall of  Basant Kumar) It’s 7 in the evening and groups of farmers were still arriving at the Ramlila Maidan . More than half full, farmers from several points in the capital- Majnu Ka Tila, Anand Vihar, Sarai Kale Khan and Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, were here from various states belonging to different organizations. “ Sabah tk aise hi aate rhenge ye ” said a local policeman on duty outside the main gate. The next leg of this march was, to encircle the parliament for their two demands: Full loan waiver and increased Minimum Support Price (MSP); through special parliament session. Farmers at the Sansad Marg on day 2 ( From facebook wall of  Prashant Kanojia) This Kisaan Mukti March was organized under the banner of All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC), a coalition of 200 plus organizations formed in the wake of the Mandsaur ( in Madhya Pradesh) firing that killed six farmers ...