MEDIA: The Game Changer

India is on the verge of witnessing history. The fastest person to become a chief minister from the date of joining politics is about to take oath on 26^th December at the Ramleela ground, New Delhi. I just took a look back about a couple of years before and just wondered how things have changed drastically.

A person who did “Sathyagrah” and hunger strikes for the past 24 years and dedicated his life for the fight against corruption never got recognized. One day suddenly the same agitation he undertook at the national capital changed into a revolutionary moment why? A person who was about to become chief minister for the third consecutive time was declared as the prime ministerial candidate why? The verdict of a gang rape came within a year while many such cases are still pending and awaiting justice why? The answer to such questions according to me is “MEDIA”.



Courtsey: Google Images

The involvement of media nowadays plays a vital role in all the areas like politics, judiciary, parliament etc. Media can make or break an image of a particular person or an organization depending on the way it projects them. Recent examples show how the chief editor of a well known media group, former Supreme Court judge or the famous yoga guru lost their status and credibility even before their crime was proved. A national level political party was forced to declare their prime ministerial candidate based on the media coverage’s and projections. A new political party was formed and is on the verge of making its own government, all this happened due to the attention that they received from media. The thinking of a common man have been controlled by the media, they are being spoon-fed. Media is changing the people’s perception and their own angle of viewing and judging the events happening around them.

Courtsey: Google Images

Apart from politics media also plays a crucial role in the judiciary system of our country. The cases that get media attention are solved on a faster basis and the remaining lie along with the other bunch of files. The verdict of the Delhi gang rape gave justice but two similar cases that took place on the same day are still awaiting justice, the sole reason being not getting enough media attention. Pressure exerted by media on government, judiciary and political persons is immense. If this pressure is exerted in the right direction and for the betterment of our nation then the much awaited revolution is not so far. I can foresee the revolution now it’s upon the media whether to pull it towards or push it away.

The old phrases will change like “Midas touch” will be “Media touch” and “Lady Luck” will be “Media Luck”. No surprise if you find new dialogues in bollywood films like: Vijay: Aaj mere paas bangla hai, gadi hai, paisa hai.......tumhare paas kya hai? Ravi: Mere paas MEDIA hai...!!! (Vijay: Today I have a bungalow, car, and lots of money... what do you have? Ravi: I have MEDIA...!)

 

Heritage Walk- A City Rediscovered

Heritage, to me the word itself says it all. We inherit from our ancestors and that always remain close to our heart, throughout the ages of our life giving rise to a “Heritage”.

Route Map: Heritage Walk

 

The Heritage Walk of Ahmedabad is conducted by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation with NGO, CRUTA Foundation like most Indian cities, has a long history and strong architectural and urban character. The AMC has been, since 19th Nov1997- as a part of World Heritage Week - conducting this Heritage Walk of Ahmedabad as a part of its cherished project "Getting the City to the People”. The Heritage Walk of Ahmedabad is a guided walk of two and a half hours. This daily affair by the AMC is extremely well designed in guidance and co-operation with CRUTA and Swaminarayan Trust, being led by a group of young volunteers. There is also a half hour special slide show running through pages of the city's history unfolding back its birth from a 10th century AD ancient site known as Ashaval to the present walled city re-founded during the period of Ahmedshah and onwards. The two hour walk takes you on a discovery of a city steeped in tradition, history, wonderful Indo-Islamic architecture and lots more. The walk brings you close to the soul of a city which has a rich textile heritage, intricately designed places of worship, wooden carved houses of pol and lots more. The walk begins from the serene Swaminarayan Mandir in Kalupur and ends in the magnificent Jumma Masjids, covering in between the numerous pols, havelis and chabaturas (bird-feeders), secret passages, ornamental facades and workplaces of artisans.

Our walk effectively anchored by our volunteer Mr Nirav Panchal, proceeded from Kavi Dalpatram Chowk - which housed the great 19th century Gujarati poet Dalpatram - in Lambeshwar ni Pol. The century old Kala Ramji Mandir in the Haja Patel in pol with a unique idol of Lord Rams in dark colour gives an innate sense of devotion. A special feature of Ahmedabad is the plan of the old city, comprising numerous pols, self contained neighborhoods, sheltering large numbers of people, traversed by narrow streets, usually terminating in squares with community wells and chabutaras for feeding birds. The walk moving through Doshiwada ni Pol, Zaveri Vad to Chaumukhji ni Pol saw ornate temples with their fascinating wooden carvings hidden under plain exteriors camouflaged beneath the aura of Mughal rule, and lanes punctuated with intriguing chabutras (bird feeders). We also witnessed a high pole which according to Nirav indicated the direction of the flow of underground sewage line that was flowing beneath it. The entire walled city was well planned according to the “Vastushastra” as the houses had their entrance in east-west directions and the lanes were in north-south direction. This also proved a scientific theory that due to such architectural construction the lanes didn’t receive direct sunlight and the houses could utilize the flow of wind maintaining warmth during different seasons. The walk ends at the Jumma Masjid which was built in 1423 by emperor Ahmed Shah who built this city.

After this heritage walk I fell in love with this city and its heritage. The walled city offered me so much that I was unable to notice in past six years while I was roaming through the same streets, may be mind set mattered. The city seemed beautiful in the morning silent and peaceful without any rush of traffic just a group of volunteers roaming around, exploring and the city itself seemed happy in sharing its age long experiences with us. We did enter a couple of houses to see the architectural heritage, amidst of the owners of houses busy with their routines, and not a slightest sign of antipathy on their face for you intruding their privacy giving me a live example of our motto “Atithi Devo Bhavah” (Guest become God). A onetime must visit for every individual living in the city, at least one can spare two hours from their busy schedule. I would love to go through it again and again eagerly waiting for the next opportunity.