Mumbai Diary: Monday Dossier

Pic/Suresh Karkera

Assisted Living

A coolie ferries a senior citizen and her luggage along the platform at Dadar station on Saturday.

Farewell, Kamla Bhasin

India lost a feminist icon on Saturday, when Kamla Bhasin (left) passed on at 75 after a struggle with cancer. The women's right activist was also a smooth poet. This diarist will remember her for these powerful lines where a daughter tells her father, Mujhe padhna hai; I want to study. Har gyani se batiyana hai, so mujhe padhna hai; Mira ka gana gana hai.. Mujhe apna raag banana hai.. anpadh ka nahin zamana hai; Kyunki main ladki hoon, so mujhe padhna hai. During an interview for his TV show, Aamir Khan (right) got a taste of her fire when she asked the studio audience why patriarchy is allowed to shame the survivor of rape, not the perpetrator. "Log kehte hain, ‘iski izzat chali gayi'. Yeh pitresattatmak soch hai ke agar mere saath balatkar hua, toh mere koum ki izzat gayi. Toh main toh aaj saare Hindustan ko kehti hoon, kisi bhi ladki ki yoni mein aapne apne koum ki izzat rakhi kyun?" You took the words right out of our mouth.

A step to help children

Mumbai-based NGO platform ConnectFor is currently reaching out for volunteers to contribute to their Daan Utsav activities that will take place from October 2 to 8. "During this time, we're encouraging people to be a part of the celebrations by volunteering their time and skills. There's no specific requirement for volunteers except that they should be over 16 years of age, and have a keen interest in working with children," Sneha Suryawanshi, associate at ConnectFor, told us.

Flavours from Bandra to Goa

Salt Water Cafe, a Bandra culinary landmark, will make its presence felt in South Goa. Chef Gresham Fernandes, chef and co-owner, will be taking over the kitchen at Tesouro by Firefly from September 28 to 30. Diners can expect a small plates-only menu inspired by local and seasonal ingredients, as well as the chef's Bandra roots. "I have known Arijit Bose [the mixologist at Tesouro by Firefly] for over 10 years and we are excited to finally work together.

I am using locally-sourced ingredients such as vinegar, a seasonal fern, yard long beans, carambola [star fruit] and more. The menu also features dishes with corn, which includes various forms of corn including corn juice, corn puree, corn curd and corn flakes. There's also a beetroot crudo, where we slow-roast the beetroot overnight: the texture is chewy, and the dish is served with melons, fresh cucumbers and herbs that give it an earthy flavour," said Fernandes.

Ustad makes a comeback

Here's a cool thing that happened last week. After a period of 14 long years, percussionist Mickey Hart's global music collaboration Planet Drum made a comeback, performing a track called King Clave virtually during the United Nations General Assembly. In the line-up of performers who took the virtual stage for the event, was tabla icon Ustad Zakir Hussain. The ensemble featured a line-up of 70 performers from across the globe, including percussionists Giovanni Hidalgo and Sikiru Adepoju, along with a posthumus appearance by Nigerian drummer Babatunde Olatunji. This performance marks the first release by Planet Drum since 1990, a collective that was made with the intention of spreading word about the power of music and rhythm. They've got lots more in store for 2022, including a full-length album.

From stigma to support

City-based counselling centre and mental health services provider Reflective Arena has launched a virtual support group service, called the Asexuality Support Group that aims to offer a safe space for those who identify as asexual, or are exploring their asexual and aromantic identities. "There is a lack of visibility around asexuality. There's also a possible stigma surrounding it that's not being addressed. We came up with this idea to provide a space for these conversations.

Even in social settings, like at parties, talk is mostly centred on sex. There are people who have different relationships with their bodies, and have their own needs. This will be a space for them," Sneha Janaki, its founder, shared with this diarist. The session will be moderated by mental health practitioners. Those keen to be a part of this, can write to reflectivearena@gmail.com