Mumbai in Peace

There was a time when the people in Mumbai so called ‘Bombay’ (before 1996) stayed in peace. This photo was taken on 1894 at VT. The peaceful days prevailed in the city at the time when this picture was taken. At 1890's Mumbai was known for the largest seaports on the Arabian Sea due to the opening of Suez Canal in 1869. Over the next thirty years from 1869, the city grew into a major urban centre, spurred by an improvement in infrastructure and the construction of many of the city's institutions. However, now the city is struggling with terrorist attacks. Recently, the attacks, carried out by terrorists in ten places using automatic weapons and grenades, began on 26 November 2008 and ended on 29 November 2008. One seventy-nine innocent people were killed in this attack. Terrorists plan had started from VT station (Railway Station shown in the picture) in Mumbai by firing the people rapidly whom they saw in the station. That is the day when peaceful place turned into a graveyard for the sinless people.

Cellular Jail & The Darkest days

Andaman is one of the beautiful islands in the world. However, when we think of Andaman, first thing to hit our mind is ‘Cellular Jail’ in Andaman. The name, cellular jail, was derived due to this solitary formation of the cells that prevented any prisoner from communicating with any other. The jail was surrounded by sea water and A-Grade security was provided so that no one can escape from jail. Most of the prisoners were freedom fighters. The prisoners were treated roughly. The food that was given to them was not fitted for human consumption. Prisoners were not allowed to meet with each other.





After the death of 3 prisoners due to Hunger-Strike in the year 1933, some of the facilities were provided like light in the cells, prisoners were allowed to meet each other etc. Finally, on August 15, 1947, when India became independent the penal settlement was closed down. On Public demand the central tower of the Cellular Jail has been declared a protected monument, with plaques put up to commemorate the famous occupants of these dreadful cells. Even so, Cellular Jail is one of the murkiest chapters in the history of the colonial rule in India. The people who fought to claim their own country’s independence were called as terrorists by British on those days. Before 1947 the Cellular Jail was a place for Jailbirds, but now it is a place for vacationers.

*First rare picture was taken during the construction of Jail
**Second rare picture was taken in the year 1917

True Love Never Fails

Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi are known to be the supreme leaders of India. However, they are not only the best leaders but also best couples. My next blog describes the love of Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi. Their love knew no bonds. It was not a love at first sight story, it was all about a relationship that stood against all the frontiers, religion and even crossed several country boundaries to pay their humble homage for the four letter word, 'Love'. It is not a legendary love story but the tough and the surviving one. In 1965, just a year after arriving in England, Sonia met a young Indian student named Rajiv Gandhi, who was studying mechanical engineering at Cambridge University. Their love life did not start at a very glance. Love bloomed everyday to its perfection until they held their hands together to lead a respectable married life. Sonia’s family opposed the match, and did not encourage the relationship. However, Sonia stood firm to her decision and paved her way with her love to India, to be his wife. The courtship, however, lasted three years, perhaps because Rajiv was from one of the most famous families in India, if not the world. Sonia's parents were reluctant to have her become involved in such a different culture, and Sonia herself was nervous about meeting Rajiv's famous mother, Indira Gandhi (1917–1984), who was considered to be the "first lady" of India.





Sonia and Indira Gandhi became fast friends. In 28th Feb 1968, Sonia and Rajiv were married in a simple non-denominational ceremony in the garden of 1, Safdarjang Road. Thus the cute lovers turn out to be the cute couple. The gifts of their love are Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi.