GREY SHADES OF A GRAY WORLD

The ten-day Muharram mourning ceremony reaches its climax on the last day which is called Ashura. Ashura marks the Remembrance of Muharram when Shia Muslims commemorate the slaying of the Prophet Mohammad's grandson Imam Hussein ibn Ali in 680 AD in the Battle of Karbala. For the Shias, Hussein's death symbolizes confronting tyranny in the face of overwhelming odds. It is also a reminder of the rift with Sunnis (who do not revere Hussein as Shias do) over the Prophet Mohammad's succession. During the ceremony, the Shias beat their heads and chests and make gashes across bodies with swords to show their grief and echo the suffering of Imam Hussein. \ Due to clashes between Sunnis and Shias over the ritual most of the big citites have banned the large procession. This year, I went to Amroha, a small, sleepy town in Western Uttar Pradesh to shoot the real zeal of Ashura as Amroha has a large Shia population and there is no ban on the procession here. ...

Intensification of droughts, floods and cyclones is one of the predictable impacts of climate change and climate instability. The failure of monsoons in India and the consequent droughts have impacted two-thirds of India, especially the bread basket of the country’s fertile Gangetic plains. The monsoons recharge the groundwater and surface water systems. This year, because of droughts there will be reduced recharge. The India Prime Minister will leave for Copenhagen Climate Change Summit in a few days amidst the controversial voluntary cuts by India in carbon emissions. It seems India has been again bended under US pressure. We, the people of third world countries, are paying the price for break-neck industrialisation by developed countries like the US. The Indian farmer is again the first one to face the brunt of climate change. Here is one such story from a small village called Pi on the Rajasthan border. Ramlaal...a small farmer who depends on the monsoons for the irrigation...

Sometimes its better to just let the pictures do the talking...this time I am just posting these two pictures...taken in two different cities...of two different individuals...doing two different things...all in the name of one GOD... © Danish Siddiqui Foundation. All Rights Reserved.