A RESPLENDENT SOJOURN IN INDIA AND A FOOD FOR THOUGHT IN NIGERIA

A Stop-over in UAE

As the welcoming message from the Emirate Airline's head of Cabin Crew filtered through my headpiece inside the Boeing 777 to confirm our arrival in Chhatrapati Shivaji  International Airport, Mumbai, I quickly opened the window to catch a glimpse of the height-conditioned strings of box-like architectural pieces in and around the International Airport and the beauty of India envisioned from such a perspective. From more than 132, 000 feet which my eyes initially caught in the monitor, I soon realized the gravity of our descent in the bid to make a safe landing. The plane was by then, 50,000 feet from the earth crust. My ears had been completely blocked and a very sharp and painful sensation almost ripped my brain off while the pilots engaged the procedures for landing.

The plane touched the ground at exactly 8:30am Indian time. As it taxied safely along the runway to hit a halt, I spotted a familiar terrain right from inside the plane. It was one of the locations used for shooting the popular Indian film titled: The Slum Dog Millionaire. It was the the spot that captured the scene where children from the slum were playing football right on the runway. Despite the green passport phenomenon and its acclaimed international unpopularity, it took us no time to wand our way through the various checkpoints. It might, however, not be unconnected with the fact that it was our second trip on medical visa.

The Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai, no doubt measured up with the international standard requirements for an airport to be labelled international. That notwithstanding, the South Asian people’s quest for continuous development, growth, liberty and culture preservation had often been on the increase since their independence in 1947. I therefore had no reason to doubt that the same reason was responsible for the newly constructed ultra-modern International airport recently equipped with the state-of-the-art facilities to enhance aviation tasks and enthrone efficiency while combating all  sorts of port crimes and terrorism. I think Nigeria needs to borrow a leaf from this less-endowed second largest populated country in the world today in terms of its relatively good governance, consistent allegiance to the care and welfare of citizens as well as undaunting commitment to country’s growth and development.

As we were chauffeured along the airport road on our way to Mulund in Mumbai in an air-conditioned Chevrolet Jeep, I marvelled at the Mumbai city plan. Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay, which covered an area of 307,690 square km and which has a population of about 96,752,247 (as at 2001) is the capital city of Maharashtra and the Premier Port of India. The focal point of Mumbai was once the Fort area in the south central part of the city, where commercial and administrative activities were concentrated. There, you could avail yourself of the beautiful scenery that Marine Drive, Mumbai provides as you journey along the shoreline of the Arabian Sea and behold the wonders of nature by the time you sight a mosque located right in the middle of the Arabian Sea.

Almost all the entire landscape was covered with beautifully structured skyscrapers which of course were residential apartments mostly built in India by government or building societies. Each flat would be put on sale or rent for citizens – a housing for all scheme! And with constant power supply, you could be sure to feel safe while transiting in the lifts within those skyscrapers. They stood on both sides adorned copiously with trees and flowers in their varying magnificence. There were two striking environmental protection codes worthy of emulation from the Indians. And these were: the significance  attached to tree planting for environmental protection and the severe penalty meted out to defaulting motorists whose vehicles discharge the slightest emission. Defaulters were charged a fine of 15,000 rupees which was roughly N49, 500.

Since our mission was to seek medical respite – no thanks to our ailing Nigerian Health sector which might just boast of increased mortality and morbidity rate in the slaughter slabs tagged theatres, there was no much sight-seeing adventure until the later part of our sojourn in India when all medical procedures and plans had been fully carried out. That notwithstanding, there was no gainsaying the fact that if the leadership and followership of our nation Nigeria could just experiment with the concept of selfless, rather than selfish, dedicated, rather than detached, committed, rather corrupt style of leadership and followership, which other great nations and truly developing nations like India (where most of us run to for business and medicals) imbibed, Nigeria will definitely be among the best nations of the world going by the abundance of human and natural resources that are not short-changed by any natural disaster or plagues or human excesses as it were.

As a matter of fact, there was nothing special in India – at least in Mumbai where I visited. The only difference between them and us is the strong sense and mentality constantly driven by dedication and commitment to growth and development which is naturally infused in all and sundry. India today is rated the best medical provider in the world added to the ever-rising accolade earned from their landmark attainment in the world of Information Technology. How did they amass all these achievements? The answer lies in their unwavering commitment and dedication to growth and development quite devoid of greed and self-centeredness. I could not but remained baffled on how such a highly populated country with no corresponding tracks of ever having explored any notable form of natural resources could be competing with the USA, UK and the rest of the leading world in terms of provision and sustenance of basic infrastructures like power, water, shelter, (I mean provision of decent accommodation for citizens at reasonable charges) good road network (though, mostly narrow) good transport system with reinforced railway management systems and above all, abundant food supply.

The black and yellow taxis and rickshaws (popularly known as keke maruwa/keke NAPEP in Nigeria) were commonly seen scurrying in large numbers from one end to another while effectively and comfortably conveying prospective passengers to their varying destinations. Their taxis would no doubt remind a typical Nigerian of the old Peugeot 404 (gaiters) common in the 80’s in Nigeria; except that those of Indians were much smaller in shape and were designed by Fiat. All their commercial vehicles, except the luxury buses and heavy trucks had meters for fares strapped to them religiously. So the fare was gauged by the meter and no cheating because you only need to see for yourself what the meter charged. Unlike here in Nigeria, where traffic, rainy days, stranded passengers at bus-stops and other frivolous conditions are ready factors for hike in fares  in addition to scarcity of fuel in an oil-rich nation like ours, the government of India would take pains to issue fare meters to commercial drivers in order to regulate transport fares and keep excesses checked. Government regulations were not only restricted to the billing systems of fares but were also extended to the sales of every product in India. So much so that when you purchase a loaf of bread by the road side, you could be rest assured that the price tag would be of no significant difference to the loaf sold in glamorous supermarkets. That was because every good or food item sold had its wrappings or surface embossed with the Maximum Retail Price (MRP) regulated by the government beyond which the seller’s Retail Price (RP) cannot go! “No cheating”, you would say? Well, that’s just the truth.

While it was not all a tale of happy ending where the protagonist and his family live happily ever-after or a bed of roses without thorns in the Indian tale, I nevertheless believed the roses outnumbered the thorns when considered critically side-by-side; especially if perceived from the point of view of development and welfare for its  citizenry. It was not uncommon to experience acts of rough driving, indiscriminate and detestable attitude of spitting by Indians, rigidity in approach and culture, areas of slums like the popular Ajegunle in Lagos, dirty environments capable of triggering epidemics. In fact, nearly 35 percent of Greater Mumbai’s population live in slums, some of which remain submerged in knee-deep water during the four-month period of monsoon rains (a wet season characterized by continuous rainfall which, at times, lead to flood).

But the pleasant side was that even if it took a driver the patience of waiting for defaulting road users to clear off the road before continuing in his own journey, you would never hear an exchange or slightest use of vulgar language from any of them. But what kept baffling me was the rate at which almost all Indians indulge in the act of indiscriminately spitting anywhere, anyhow, anytime. Both young and old, male and female, literate and illiterate embraced this rather dirty habit as if it was normal. They spit in public places, in the train, in the rickshaw, inside cars, inside taxis, everywhere! I took time to find out what could be responsible for that kind of disturbing habit. What I realized was that most of them picked this habit right from their childhood and it was further worsened by the act of chewing some specially prepared tobacco and some kind of reddish herbs in blatant defiance to the advice of their health ministry which warned that the intake of these herbs was dangerous to health just as it warned that: spitting causes the spread of TB, DO NOT SPIT. You would see stickers conveying the latter on almost all taxis and rickshaws; yet, it does not stop the very person that posted such stickers from spitting even on your face just as one India did to my brother on the day we went on a sight-seeing tour of India. It was not funny at all. The man just spat and it landed comfortably on my brothers left cheek! It was indeed a horrible experience. I therefore do not hesitate to conclude that spitting definitely constitutes serious anathema, especially, to any foreigner that finds himself in India.  

The government of India in conjunction with corporate bodies and industries not only saw the need to invest in tourism but also the need to partner with film producers for exploration of the economic advantages of the movie industry. Hence, it was not uncommon for big companies and banks like Tata, Reliance Group of Companies, IDBI Bank, Axis Bank, Reebok, Kohinoor etc to co-sponsor a film production and help give it its deserved wide publicity. You would also find many beautiful relics of colonial presence preserved and guarded jealously to attract tourism. Some of the places worthy of mentioning are: The Gate of India, Taj Hotel, the terminus of India’s Central Railway (a combination of Oriental and Gothic architecture stands in front of the terminus and has a high stone dome), the Municipal Building, Elephanta Cave, the Parsi Towers of Silence – a sacred place where the Parsi people lay out their dead, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalay (formerly called the Prince of Wales Museum) is also located in Mumbai and contains valuable art, archaeology, and natural history sections.

In the southeast part of the city, on the east side of Back Bay along Netaji Subhashchandra Bose Road (formerly known as Marine Drive), lie the low-rise skyscrapers of the 1940s; while in the southwest of the peninsula are the Malabar and Cumbala hills. The hills were once home to Europeans when living quarters in the Fort area became congested. Nowadays, well-to-do Indians reside there.

Mumbai is also the centre of movie production in India and it is aptly nicknamed the Hollywood of India, or Bollywood.  India turns out more motion pictures each year than any other country in the world. And Bollywood, the name given to the centre of the Hindi film industry in Mumbai, India, is the dream factory for a great many of them.

Taking a brief look at availability of food in India, one would realize that even when one can comfortably cook a sumptuous delicacy with as little as 500 rupees, a great number of Indians still find the eatries (both local and international) which proliferate all the nooks and crannies of India a must-visit to be fulfilled. It is a common thing to have all eatries filled to the brim with couples, lovers, families, students, workers always in twos and groups. Well, the beauty of it is that you don’t have to empty your pocket before having a satisfactory treat in these eatries. Food and snacks are quite cheap.  And you know, our people say, if hunger can be overcome in the battle with poverty, then, poverty is as good as conquered. Also, the affordability of daily and basic living in India leaves much to be desired. As one moves into one’s apartment, you can be rest assured that there will be twenty-four hour electric power and water supply. The interesting thing however is that no matter how much water you used, you don’t have to pay for it. Water supply is free and very constant. You also do not need to go through the stress of carrying gas cylinders about to refill your cooking gas. It is ready for use in your kitchen like the tap supplying your water which comes directly from the pipeline into the pipe in your kitchen with fitted meter to measure and charge your bill. You don’t also need to worry about the rates charged because, in two months, you can be charged as low as 400 rupees (N1, 200) no matter how often you cook. A whole processed chicken costs as low as 170 rupees, while fruits are so cheap that you can decide to buy and trash with ease. The only thing that may require some strains is watching your weight because if you eat at the rate of food availability, you would stand a good chance of puffing up like an inflated balloon!

Interestingly, Indians don’t eat beef. In fact, beef is not sold at all because it is forbidden to kill or eat a cow! “Why?” You may ask. Well, that is because cow is considered a god in its own right and they seek its face for favour by feeding it under the sun or in the rain, with the belief that it will heed their prayers. So, if you see an Indian staying glued to feeding a cow even inside a stormy rain, don’t be surprised that it has a spiritual undertone, he or she may be seeking favour from the cow.

Another striking thing about India is that you cannot see a Tokunbo car unlike here in Nigeria where we rejoice over the purchase of a used car. As I stated earlier, the Environmental Protection Agents are all out in India to nab anyone driving a car that is not environment-friendly either in terms of emission of smoke or its road worthiness. To ensure compliance, the government ensured that nearly all the foreign major automobile companies are well-settled in India in addition to their own local investors and automobile companies. Thus, you have Toyota, Suzuki, Honda, Chevrolet, Hyundai, Mitsubishi automobile companies really working hard to satisfy the varying design tastes of the second most populated country in the world. It seems the Indians have penchant for smallish cars. It is not uncommon to see cute-looking but compact cars all around India. But no matter how compact the cars look, all of them are fitted with good running air-condition; and that is why you would often see them wound up.

Finally, I was hoping to find a few houses with standby generator but was disappointed because a typical Indian hardly has that word: generator in his diction or word-stock. What will he use for? It is rather out-of-place; just like it is hard to see houses adorned  with storage tanks like geepee, storex and the likes for storing water.

The question now is: when are we going to be TRULY committed to DEVELOPMENT here in Nigeria? Today, the hues and cries about global warming makes no sense to an average Nigerian until the last tick of the timing bomb goes off. We are constantly enmeshed in industrial cum automobile emission reinforced by the proliferation of poisonous discharge from generating sets which never cease drumming the warning sound. But who are we to blame? Let us just consider this as food for thought!