Monthly Archives: May 2010

Coca-Cola Varanasi

Posted on by
Reply

I worked with a journalist named Bart Spellers from the Netherlands, who was writing an article about the Coca-Cola controversy in India. He wanted to visit the disputed Coke sites across the country, including Mehdiganj near Varanasi. I assisted him in Varanasi as his local guide and translator. I was also eager for an opportunity to visit Mehdiganj again and speak directly with the people affected by Coca-Cola’s presence, so I was glad to take this job. I accompanied Bart to Mehdiganj and arranged interviews with Nandlal Master, a few plant employees, the union leader, several women, and local farmers.

Bart wasn’t interested in conducting too many interviews—he preferred speaking to a smaller group of the right people, since he had limited time in Varanasi. I was honestly surprised to learn how little time he had allocated for this work. Given that his article was on such a controversial subject, I felt he should have spent more time in Benares to gain a deeper understanding. Still, I think he did a good job overall, because he focused on meaningful conversations with key voices.

Although I was already familiar with the issue, I was still taken aback when I spoke with the people of Mehdiganj. I had hoped the situation might have improved over the past few years, but I quickly realized it was just as bad as when I first visited four years ago. The anger against Coca-Cola and the government was still intense. Residents told us that Coca-Cola was directly responsible for the depletion of groundwater in the area, while the government continued to turn a blind eye.

They said the situation had been deteriorating year by year. Last year, rainfall was below average, yet Coca-Cola’s market share in India had grown—naturally putting even more pressure on already scarce groundwater. Nandlal Master explained that a committee formed by the Prime Minister’s Office had completed a study of the issue and submitted its report, but the findings had not been made public. This seemed strange to me.

Why not release the report if the study is already finished? According to Nandlal, he had filed an RTI request to obtain a copy. The concerned department replied that the district magistrate had been instructed to provide him with the report. That is fine, but it still raises questions: why hide it in the first place? Why wasn’t the media informed? This silence from both the government and Coca-Cola only adds to the suspicion surrounding the issue.

For now, nothing has changed. People continue to struggle, and we are left with unanswered questions. Hopefully, one day, transparency and accountability will prevail—but when, no one can say.

Finally, Bart’s article was published here:
Coca-Cola zuigt de grond leeg

US visa refused

Posted on by
4

I had my US visa interview at the US Embassy in New Delhi, and to my disappointment, it was refused. This was the last thing I was expecting. Both I and the people supporting my trip were almost certain I would get the visa. I had four sponsorship letters, my sponsor’s bank account papers, and my own documents, but the visa officer didn’t even look at them. I reached the embassy at 7:45 AM for my 8:00 AM interview. Security seemed very strict and was managed by a private security company. I didn’t see any Indian police there, which, in my opinion, was a good decision. Personally, I trust private security more than the local police.

One thing I noticed was that a large number of applicants were Sikhs—perhaps more than half of the people there. I had already observed something unusual on the US Embassy website: they listed separate helpline numbers for different regions of India, and Punjab was given its own line, separate from “North India.” The website actually says “North India (except Punjab)”—which I found both surprising and somewhat amusing.

Since the embassy is a no-parking zone, vehicles are not even allowed to stop in front of it, and even the general public isn’t permitted to stand nearby. Only people with official business are allowed inside. First, my documents were checked outside by security staff, and then I was allowed into the building. The first step inside was a detailed security check. Every single item I carried—including my documents—was scanned carefully.

After this, I was directed to a large hall where many other applicants were already seated. A staff member guided me on how to arrange my documents in the correct order, then sent me to another officer who checked them and gave me a small slip with my interview number on it. I waited around 45 minutes until my number was called. Applicants were sent in groups of 10 through a passage into another big hall.

At first, an Indian officer (probably a VFS employee) checked my documents and asked a few basic questions, most of which I had already answered on the visa form. Then a young woman escorted me to another counter, where I met my first American staff member. His task was to take my digital fingerprints. It was the first time in my life I had gone through this process, and honestly, I preferred it to the messy ink method used at Indian offices. I remembered how, just a few months earlier, my thumb had been stained with ink at the Varanasi court while applying for my marriage certificate.

After fingerprints, I waited again for my interview number. I was nervous but curious, as this was my first visa interview. Finally, my number was called, and I approached the counter where a professional-looking officer—the visa consular—was seated behind a glass partition. His first question was where I wanted to go. I told him Seattle and a few other cities. He asked why, and I explained “tourism and business.” He smiled and said, “A little bit of both?” Over the next two minutes, he asked me several quick questions, including my income. That, I believe, was the turning point. I honestly told him my annual earnings. He typed something into his computer, kept my documents aside, and then returned my passport with a brief statement:

“I’m sorry, I cannot give you a visa. According to US laws, you do not qualify.”

I was shocked. I explained that my trip was fully sponsored, that I would be staying with friends, and therefore didn’t need a large budget. But he said those things didn’t matter. I asked what I should do next, and he advised me to try again in a few years when my financial situation improves. It was clear that my income was lower than what they expect from applicants.

I left the embassy disappointed. I had been so excited about the trip, and I was confident it would have opened up great business opportunities for me. But despite the refusal, I don’t blame the embassy or its policies. Everything inside was very well organized, the staff were professional, and the system ran smoothly. The visa officer, in my eyes, was simply doing his duty—like a robot, without personal bias or attachment.

It was not the end of the world for me. I respect the process, and I will try again next year when I am in a stronger financial position. And I know, for sure, that I will be better prepared. 🙂

USA visa application

Posted on by
4

I applied for my US visa a few days ago, but the process wasn’t as easy as I had expected. Some things went smoothly, but there were a few parts I really didn’t like. First of all, I had to deposit the visa fee. The good thing was that the US Embassy in India had arranged for the visa fee to be deposited at HDFC Bank branches in several cities. So, I just went to my local HDFC bank in Varanasi with my passport and deposited the fee, which was about Rs. 6,700. They told me I could use the receipt only after 24 hours, since it takes them that long to upload it into their system. Still, I thought it was convenient that I could handle this step locally.

After depositing the fee, I went to the US Embassy website to schedule my visa interview, but it redirected me to the VFS website. I had to fill out the DS-160 form, and that turned out to be a real struggle. The website kept disconnecting, and every time the connection failed, I had to start over. Even the website itself warned applicants to save every page before moving forward, which clearly meant they were aware of this problem. It took me two full days and at least 6–7 attempts before I finally managed to complete and submit the form online.

The most frustrating part came afterward, when I tried to book my visa interview appointment. For several days, I kept trying multiple times a day, but the website always showed the same message: “No date available for interview. Please try again after 24 hours.” After 4 or 5 days of this, I wrote to VFS about the issue, but their reply didn’t address my problem at all. It seemed more like a canned response they probably send to many applicants with different questions.

Finally, I decided to call VFS directly, and their answer really surprised me. They told me that their website only works properly around 8:00 in the morning, so I should try booking my appointment then. The next morning, I logged in at 8:00 AM, and sure enough, the system worked. I was able to successfully book my visa interview. It wasn’t a terrible experience overall, but I certainly didn’t expect something like this from US government services. Later, I explained the whole issue to one of my trip sponsors, and he suggested that I should write to the US Embassy in India to let them know about it. He was confident that the Embassy probably wasn’t aware of such a glitch. Still, whenever I think about this, it leaves me with a different impression of US government services than I had before.

Menstrual cycle

Posted on by
5

I recently learned something really interesting — the religious idea behind women having their menstrual cycle. I started exploring it because I often hear people say that women are considered “impure” during this time, and there are so many unusual beliefs associated with it. The religious explanation I found has a fascinating story, and although I’m not sure I believe it, I thought it was worth sharing here.

Two Incidents That Made Me Curious

A few weeks ago, two things happened that made me think more deeply about this subject.

The first was about an old Neem tree in my neighborhood that died. I was very sad about it, as it was the only tree in the entire area. While talking about it with friends, one of them told me something shocking: he said a girl whose menstrual cycle was going on had touched the tree, and that was what killed it. I asked him how that could be possible, and he replied that since women are considered extremely impure during their periods, if they touch a plant, it dies.

The second incident happened when I went to an ashram with a girl I was working with. The ashram was run entirely by women, and we went there to schedule interviews. They asked us to return the next day, but as we were leaving, one of the women suddenly asked my colleague if she was on her menstrual cycle. Coincidentally, she was, so she said yes. Immediately, the woman told her not to come back until her cycle was over.

This upset my colleague, and she told me that now she would have to bathe because she had spoken to and touched someone on her period. I found this perspective very strange and didn’t know what to say. Later, I discussed it with a well-educated woman who had deep knowledge of Hinduism, and she shared a story that really caught my attention.

The Story of Indra and the Sin

She explained that once Lord Indra, the king of the gods, committed the grave sin of killing two Brahmins. Because of this sin, Indra lost all of his divine powers. To hide himself, he went into a river and stayed underwater. His guru, Brihaspati, searched for him, eventually found him, and asked why he was hiding. Indra explained everything and begged for a way to be freed from his sin.

Brihaspati told him the only way was to share his sin with others. Indra approached many beings, but none agreed — until finally, four did: a mountain, a tree, a river, and women. Since they accepted part of Indra’s sin, all four were cursed to experience cycles of impurity.

  • Mountains: Parts of them turn reddish once a year, said to symbolize their cycle.

  • Trees: Some trees release a sticky gum or resin at certain times, representing their cycle. This resin is even used in foods for pregnant women.

  • Rivers: Every year, for two months, rivers foam heavily and their currents become stronger. This is considered their cycle, and bathing in rivers during this time is prohibited in Hinduism — except for the Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati, which are always pure.

  • Women: Their menstrual cycle is seen as the same curse, which is why they are traditionally considered impure for a few days each month.

Traditions Still Followed

Even today, many families in India follow certain rules during women’s menstrual cycles. Women may not enter the kitchen, touch elders, or sleep on the bed with their husbands. Some do not bathe for the first three days. Among Marwari families, the customs are stricter — women are kept in a separate room and may not come out until the fourth day, after bathing. The utensils they use are purified by passing them through fire, as fire is considered the purest element in Hinduism. Only then are the utensils allowed back in the kitchen.

The woman I spoke with said women should respect these rules and avoid going out or doing heavy physical work during this time. She even criticized modern sanitary pad advertisements for encouraging women to work and play sports during periods. When I asked what happens to women who cannot take leave every month, she paused and said that these rules were made thousands of years ago, when sanitary products did not exist, and working during periods was much harder. She agreed that today, since many women cannot stop working, they should continue — but avoid strenuous labor like lifting weights, jumping, or playing physically demanding sports.

She also said that science supports the idea of rest during menstruation, and that women should treat these days as “God-gifted vacations” every month. But I wondered — how can someone enjoy a vacation if they are not even allowed to leave their room or speak to others? Her final point was that if women do not respect these rules, they may face illness later in life.

My Reflection

I don’t know how much truth there is in these stories, but I find it fascinating that such explanations exist in Hindu texts written thousands of years ago. The imagination and storytelling ability of those writers was truly extraordinary. Whether one believes in them or not, I can’t help but admire their creativity. Hats off to the writers of our sacred texts!