Relax, you’ve got a friend

About a year ago, I saw an advertisement with the phrase “Relax, you’ve got a friend” which on its own is a decent catch line. Add to this, a visual of a determined and solemn looking girl making her way against the backdrop of a few green hills. On her back she is carrying a smaller, rosy cheeked, and chubby girl who is resting her head against the older girl's back. The piggy-back traveller has her eyes shut displaying a complete satisfaction with her helper, as if aware that she is in safe hands. Now, you have a winner!

The advertisement always strikes a chord with me, perhaps because it brings back memories of a similar feeling, of being taken care of. Picture a cosy bed with blankets and pillows neatly arranged, and a small baby girl – barely a year old, right at the middle of it. Dressed in a baby-pink frock, lying on her back, her tiny toed feet and legs curl forming a diamond shape. A mischievous almost-smile touches her lips as she stretches her dimpled, soft hands towards the gentle and curious hands that reach out for her. Next to her, propped on a pillow is a taller, four-year old girl. She has big, fawn eyes, well defined lips for her age, and an expression of confidence, as she clasps the hand that has groped hers in a tight clutch. She leans over and tests the smile on her baby sisters face by tickling her. A gurgling flow of laughter rumbles out of the babe. Delighted, she hugs the baby and plants a kiss against her cheek, her curly hair tumbling over in laughter. In a moment she moves back, ever caring and resumes her role as observer and protector.

Several years later, the younger sister is on stage for a dance competition. She is excited but nervous. The judge and crowds look at her - some expectantly, some dismissively. Her eyes rove, as she introduces her piece, and come to rest at a pair of big, brown eyes. They are smiling at her, encouraging and promising that all will be well: a little comfort for the little, troubled soul. And then disappointment at loss, and yet there next to her is that strong hand holding her hand again. A soft voice explaining that some more effort next time will make her better. A reassuring “it's okay,” making it clear that loss doesn't indicate failure – an explanation that is followed by a promise of help and a smile on both faces.

Another visual: The young girl is devastated, her sister is weeping. A feeling of despair awakens in her. She approaches the tearful, round eyes that have hidden themselves under a pair of delicate hands. She prods her sister willing her to look up. There is no response. The young girl knows she is the reason her sister is sad. She turns her gaze towards the book she has just torn in a fit of rage; her sisters favourite book and she is so sorry. She approaches her sister again and pats her head as she says sorry. Angry and reproachful her sister looks up and sees her making attempts to fix the book. They are both laughing in a few minutes. All is well in the world.

Times of playing tricks together, dancing together, playing together. Times together and times apart but a surety that that hand will always be there to guide and hold as required to cherish and love all the time. A real life feeling of relax, you’ve got a sister!

Riding the Bullet

"Riding the bullet” – a simple phrase that calls to mind the horror novel by Stephen King. And yet, it offers another perspective, a little less nightmarish and just as exciting. Yes, I’m talking about riding the bullet - a Royal Enfield Bullet.

Feel the thump; ride the wind; kick to start, start to ride, ride to live, and live to ride- these phrases can only have special meaning to a true rider. So what sets apart regular motor bikers and the die hard riders?

Harish Kavirajan is a true rider. His first ride was on a Java, way back in 1983. A young man’s few rides have now transformed and matured into a passionate lifestyle and hobby. Harish's journey, from the Czech Java to Royal Enfield Bullets, has been interspersed with various other bikes, including scooters (a Lambretta, a Vespa , and a Vijay super), a Honda CB600 and a Yamaha RX135. In 2002, Royal Enfield stamped its mark on his riding career, with a 350cc Thunderbird. Royal Enfield’s robust technology that goes back to the 1940s, and its uniqueness as the only bike in the world with a 500cc single cylinder engine, form the basis for its alluring qualities. Unlike Harley Davidsons, Bullets are readily available in the Indian market and are not gas guzzlers, adding to their appeal. It is no wonder then that the Thunderbird, an A500cc Cast Iron, an A500 LB Machismo, an A350 Machismo and two Lightning 535s are prominent in Harish's motor bike portfolio.


The A500 Machismo
photo courtesy of Harish Kavirajan, Leh 2000


The 500cc Cast Iron
photo courtesy of Harish Kavirajan, Leh 2000


The Two Lightning 535s
photo courtesy of Harish Kavirajan, Leh 2000

For Harish, the preference of biking to other means of travel lies in simple concepts: "cars are boring, the bus is crowded, trucks are too big for one person, and mopeds are for girls." On a more serious note, Harish believes travelling on a bike is special – “the speed, the wind, the freedom” of a bike ride is consummate, its low fuel consumption only adds to its appeal. Harish iterates that with a bike ride the advantage of navigating through traffic, especially on narrow roads and lanes, is not only convenient but provides a chance for “off-roading” and of course, "a guy on a great looking bike is always bound to get a fair maiden’s attention!"

On average, Harish spends four hours a week on maintaining his bike. These four hours ensure that the bike is clean and any repairs or faults are fixed. For someone who has spent numerous years embracing bikes, designing his own custom bike was the next big step and the A350 Machismo is his stepping stone into customizing a bike – with work being put into the suspension, handling, performance and luggage carrying areas

The Custom A350 Machismo
photo courtesy of Harish Kavirajan, 2010


Riding the A350
photo courtesy of Harish Kavirajan, 2010

After a quick chat with Harish, about bikes and his experience with them, the obvious questions of favourite ride and a favourite bike pop up, and it's no surprise that the answers to these questions are Leh and (less obviously, for those who are not familiar with it) the Royal Enfield Cast Iron 500. Harish has biked to Leh three times, but the first time claims top prize in being special in every way and perhaps also because it was the Cast Iron he rode.


Harish Leh 2000
photo courtesy of Harish Kavirajan, Leh 2000


The Bikers crew
photo courtesy of Harish Kavirajan, Leh 2000


The 500cc cast iron against the backdrop of mountains
photo courtesy of Harish Kavirajan, Leh 2000

Harish’s passion for riding sets him apart from other riders because it is now a natural part of his life. As a member of the Lightning 535 club (an elite club for owners of Lightning 535 bullets), Harish is part of a group of riders who regularly bike to various destinations, over select weekends. He is currently also a partner and member of Just4Rides (www.just4rides.com), a company that specialises in tours, on Royal Enfield Bullets, to different parts of India, hoping to let the riders experience the adventures of a lifetime. Riding offers Harish a way to express personality - be it through the style of riding, the sound of the bike or simply the way the bike is decked. It would be sufficient to say that a bike ride is a ride that offers perfection!

The Highway, or the Greenway

Green has always been one of my favourite colours. The hues and shades it offers stand out in any environment- ocean, mountain, savannah or forest…and despite the odds even in the city.

It’s interesting though that many people today do not understand the value of a green environment. Appreciation for its beauty, scientific and natural value seems to thin out by the minute. The sacrifice of nature and wildlife for human “development”, greed and dirty politics is progressing at such great pace that emaciated flora and fauna is the grim future that awaits us. Over the years East Africa has been at the forefront of environmental disasters. The Mau forest and Nairobi city itself are stark examples of things going awry. Not surprisingly a UNESCO world heritage site is now under threat- The Serengeti National Park. A controversial highway is set to be built through the national park cutting across the migratory paths of approximately two million wildebeest that cross over from the Serengeti to the Maasai Mara in search of food. This annual spectacle is one of the natural wonders of the world and plays a major role in the tourism and economic industries of both Kenya and Tanzania.

This isn’t the first threat that the Serengeti has faced but perhaps it is the most dangerous. The Tanzanian president, Mr. Kikwete has approved the plan to build a non-paved highway through the Serengeti national park dismissing world outrage and concern along with Nyerere doctrines as baseless. The Environment Impact assessment for his decision must be one of the worst in EIA history and offers no realistic solutions to the impact of the proposed highway. Development for any country is important but development must make sense in the long run as well. Naturalists and Environmentalists have shown that an alternate route – the southern route is a viable and more profitable solution. So why is the government of Tanzania still persisting on building the Serengeti highway? Three critical reasons come to mind,

1. Mining interests in the region

2. Ensuring a campaign promise made in 2005 is fulfilled and that the road will win more votes by easing the transport requirements of businesses by linking Musumba and Arusha.

3. Asserting government power by defying world recommendation

But the above three reasons are not justification enough to call forth a long term catastrophe.

A road through the National park is bound to increase the animal road kills. Roads to Mikumi National park in Zambia(5000 animal deaths per year), Tsavo (over 100 species per day) and even Bandipur in India (where animal road kills are said to exceed the poaching numbers) are just a few examples of where roads have lead to serious loss of animal life due to accidents. Many of you are familiar with the Maasai Mara. The July-September season is migration time and the pathways and roads through the park are heavily populated by wildebeest and zebra. Recently I got the chance to see this spectacle, and the thought of heavy commercial trucks through this site was more than horrifying. One combi can manage to kill atleast three of these animals in every herd. Now just imagine twenty to thirty trucks driving on a single stretch of road that has thousands of wildebeests’ crossing...I see blood. I see death.

Earlier this year Tanzania saw its proposal to sell off ivory revoked at the CITES meeting. Tanzania already has a problem, a growing problem, with poaching. A highway is a sure way of easing access for poachers and game hunters to their prey. The ease of transporting poacher’s loot will simply act as a catalyst for quick hauls and increase security problems in the region.

If the Tanzanian people are to benefit from the project, the southern route will serve five times the number of people (2,278,000 vs. 431,000). The southern route already has the infrastructure to support such a construction (fuel, lodging and so on) and can utilize existing roads reducing the cost of the entire project. The road is also likely to attract more donor-funding and has the greatest advantage of not interfering with the Serengeti ecosystem.

The increased pressure on the eco-system and natural habitat will eventually have a global impact. Increased infrastructure and agriculture in the area is bound to affect weather patterns, food cycles and the order of things radically.

The Serengeti National park, as a UNESCO world heritage site and as part of the seven world’s natural wonders, provides Tanzania with marketing for its country and boosts its tourism industry. Destroying this will definitely lead to a fall in the reputation of the country and worse still a boycott of tourism in the region resulting in a serious and detrimental loss of revenue for Tanzania and Kenya.

Human-wildlife conflict is such a clichéd phrase in this age and time simply because it is a very real and common problem, especially for us in Africa and in India where we have such diverse eco-systems. A commercial road through this area will increase this conflict. Settlements and an increasing human presence in the area, along with constructions of human amenities and an increase in noise and pollution will unnerve animals and could lead to attacks from both sides. As the animals cross through human populated areas any damage will result in a deterioration of the co-habitance

The above are only some of the reasons why the highway is a bad idea. Many of you reading this might wonder why a highway in some remote place in Tanzania should be of importance to you. Stop wondering. This road is, perhaps later than sooner, going to affect you. A reduction in tourism in East Africa, an increase in the crime rate through poaching, an increase in pollution, a dictatorial like regime and a loss of reputation is only the beginning of the problems the highway spearheads.

Green is not only one of my favourite colours it is also a colour that symbolizes new things and life. Imagine a future where you cannot breathe fresh air, a future where you cannot go on a safari, a future where research is restricted, a future where breathing would be stifling.

To quote his holiness the Dalai Lama, “Peace and the survival of life on earth as we know it are threatened by human activities that lack a commitment to humanitarian values. Destruction of nature and natural resources results from ignorance, greed and lack of respect for the earths’ living things.” It is time to end this war with nature. As a resident of East Africa and the world, take a stand and say YES to the greenway… and to life!

Kindly sign the petition to stop the highway

http://www.change.org/petitions/view/stop_the_serengeti_highway

for more information http://www.savetheserengeti.org