Welcome Back !

I had a pleasant surprise on my way to office a few days ago. On the rear panel of a bus, I saw an ad for the programme 'Good Morning Mumbai' hosted by my favourite RJs Jaggu and Tarana. While mentally singing songs of joy and celebration, I utilised the next few minutes smsing my friends about their return. 'Jaggu and Tarana are back - 94.3 FM - 7 a.m. weekdays :-) '
Welcome Back, Jaggu and Tarana.
I missed you.

After 18 months in Bangalore, when i returned to Bombay, one of the things I was looking forward to was listening to Jaggu and Tarana chatter away in their inimitable style every morning on 'Go 92.5 FM'. There are mornings when I live up to the resolutions made the night before - wake up before sunrise and head out for an early morning walk before I hurry back to quickly get ready for another day at office. Then there are the mornings when I make myself a cup of tea, wrap my hands around the cup, sip slowly and savour the tea for at least 20 minutes while I listen to the radio and gradually wake up with a 'peaceful easy feeling'. It is on these fuzzy-wake-up mornings that I missed Jaggu and Tarana the most.
But no more.
They are back. Yippee !
The best part about Jaggu and Tarana on radio is how natural they sound and how much fun they seem to be having. The songs they play in between the chatter don't really count for much, they could as well be playing nursery rhymes.

Yesterday morning my mind swam back into consciousness while hearing Jaggue's lame excuse for being late to work, Tarana punching holes in his story and then both of them discussing the 'winter' in Bombay. (All of you that are tempted to pass snide remarks about the 'winter' in Bombay, desist ! Amongst Jaggu and Tarana's sterling qualities are an undying loyalty to Bombay; they have already discussed you and your brethren on radio this morning and I will be tempted to repeat what they said in not-quite-as-parliamentary language.)

This morning the person that rang in for their phone quiz was an I.T officer and both of them cracked the expected jokes about tax and tax evasion, but somehow they sounded so fresh that it didn't matter that the jokes weren't.

'94.3' is well on the way to being my favourite radio station for their decision to host the comeback of my favourite RJs. And just in case someone from '94.3 fm ' is reading this : I love Glenn too - could you please bring him back for Sunday mornings at least ? T Man too.

That would make life just about perfect - with the lark on the wing, the snail on the thorn, God in his heaven etc.

By,
Zenobia D. Driver

NANDIGRAM - West Bengal's Ongoing Shame...

Having just returned from Calcutta, which is still shut down in protest of the ruling Communist Party's (CPM) hardline dealings in Nandigram, I am ashamed to say that this is nothing but a hard look in the mirror for those claiming West Bengal and Calcutta have meaningfully undergone political and economic liberalization.

The extent of the massacre last Saturday, in which CPM militias allegedly massacred suspected Maoist / Naxalite infiltrators in Nandigram, as well as innocent villagers, including women and children, is still unclear. Reports range from 20 to 200 dead, and may more wounded. Bodies were apparently burned and disposed off, and the media and central army peacekeepers are not being allowed in. Protesters in Calcutta, including leading social justice activists and intelligentsia, were arrested.

West Bengal's attempt to convert an erstwhile Communist machinery into a liberal, investment-friendly economy stutters to a halt at times like these. Worse, the Central Government has traded a blind eye for a loosening of the CPM's position on the nuclear deal.

If you want to read more, please check out the following links:

1) The latest spin on the CPM takeover:http://www.telegraphindia.com/1071113/asp/frontpage/story_8542825.asphttp://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Red_terror_grips_Nandigram/articleshow/2536817.cms

2) What the CPM is saying:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Karat_blames_Trinamul_Maoists_for_violence/articleshow/2536814.cms

3) What Saturday was a reaction to:http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Nandigram_turns_blood_red/articleshow/1764786.cms

By,
Anamitra Deb