The Hindu's Front Page "Real Estate"

This is the front page of The Hindu today, February 29, 2008. It's a full page ad hocking a new real-estate scheme. For more than a century The Hindu has been considered one of India's best newspapers, but selling its front page to an advertiser is nothing less than editorial treason.

And it's just the most recent offender in a long line of terrible advertising ploys that undercut the credibility of journalism in India. Earlier this year the Decccan Chronicle pull a similar shenanigan when they thought no one would notice.

It's true, newspapers do need to support themselves on advertising dollars, but in order to retain credibility there is usually a wall between editorial and advertising. Reporters need to have free reign to write the stories they want, and the paper sells on the basis of those stories. By putting a full page advertisement on the front page the newspaper ceases to be a news source. It makes it the trash that delivery men leave on my doorstep.

I don't think I am going to read The Hindu anymore.

Back to India on Sub-Prime Wings

In the wake of the sub-prime mortgage crisis and fall of the US greenback against the rupee, it makes me wonder how many Indians in America have decided to pull up stakes and return to home. In November, NPR ran a story about a new movement of India doctors to come back to elite-multispeciality hospitals in Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi and Mumbai where they don't earn as much money, but can have a higher standard of living. I've heard similar stories about Indian filmmakers who were trying to make it in the Hollywood have retreated to Mumbai where they have more opportunities. It's probably happening in the IT sector, as well.

Earlier this week a publication contacted me to write a story about Indians who have spent time in the United States, only to realize that they can live better back at home. I have a few people in mind to feature, but there are probably hundreds of stories out there of returnees and I would love your help to find them. Maybe it'd be a good time to vent about the failure of one particular American dream.

Send tips to sgcarney@gmail.com

Traffic, Congestion, City Planning and...the Nano

What do you think about traffic in India? I want to know.

As far as infrastructure is concerned, the next decade is going to determine the long term future of India. The number of vehicles on the roads is growing by orders of magnitude. According to statistics on the Bangalore Traffic Police website, in 1987 the IT capital of Bangalore had only 400,000 cars on the road. By 2005 there were more than 2 million. As India metropolises continue to grow the mileage of roadways doesn't even come close to keeping pace leading to traffic jams, and worse, gridlock.

Next year automakers are going to release 14 new car designs onto Indian roads. New players Volkswagen and Nissan are preparing for major releases while TATA motors has announced an ultra-cheap "people's car" that cost barely more than a motorcycle. I'm working on a story about the future of Indian cities--the plans to make things better, and the downfalls of quick development and I'd like to get people's opinion of what they think the future holds.

Also, does anyone know of any cutting edge initiatives in city planning, or civic management that are prepared to deal with the traffic influx? In your opinion, who are the biggest and brightest minds in the field?

The Shakti Center talks about Sex

Sex is taboo in Chennai. Like any place in the world everyone here is having sex (well most people, anyway) but to admit it out loud makes people angry. A couple years ago the actress Kushboo said that unmarried women should have access to birth control and get occasional AIDS tests and was attacked by local politicos for "dishonoring tamil women". And let's not even get started about homosexuality. When sun goes down Marina and Elliots beaches turn into brothels and married men cruise for sex in just about every public park. But the next day no one says a word. But that could change.

The Shakti Center is addressing rift between what people talk about, and what goes on behind doors. The group's philosophy is simple: provide a space for people to talk about sex in the city and things will start to get better. To do that Shakti has a lot of projects in the works. There are host free weekly films--ranging from Tamil flicks to the latest Quentin Tarrantino release--followed by discussion groups. They also run sex-ed curriculums in local schools, have a blog, a zine, and resources for people to use to develop other dialog fostering projects. They're open to anything that will get people talking. Eventually the blog will become a repository for stories from local people to voice their own experiences negotiating the rough cultural waters around sexuality and gender.

Padma Govindan, my wife, is a founding member of the group and is eagerly looking for other people to come in and help out. Just about everyone in Chennai has a story about coming to terms with their own sexuality. There are strong opinions about who should and should not be having sex and what it means to be gay (or transgender) in a city that won't think out of a straight box.

If enough people get talking, maybe the next time someone like Kushboo suggests people should use condoms people will listen rather than threaten to throw her in jail.

For more information about the Shakti Center, or to get involved, go to the website http://www.shakticenter.org