A red sandstone memorial, with a weathered plaque, in Meerut says, “Here stood the Officers’ Mess of the Native Infantry Regiments. Sepoys of these regiments revolted on the eve of the 10th of May 1857 in the First War of Indian Independence.”
Near the memorial, and reclining on a charpoy, is an elderly man who appears to be from a slum. He is sunning himself after hanging his clothes to dry on the memorial’s iron grill.
“Bhai,” someone bawls out, “kapra utha lijiye. Yeh sahi nahi hai; aisa kabhi bhi nahi hona chahiye.” (Brother, take your clothes away. This is not right; this should never happen.)
The scene is an apt metaphor for the state of the cantonment in Meerut, once considered the military centre of the British Empire in north India. Few cantonments have been so overwhelmed by civilians as much as the one in Meerut. There is no clear boundary demarcating the cantonment from the city.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
What Will It Take To Clean Up Delhi Air?
IT IS ASKED, year after year, why Delhi’s air remains unbreathable despite several interventions to reduce pollution.
Trump and the crisis of liberalism
Although Donald Trump's election to a non-consecutive second term to the US presidency is not unprecedented—Grover Cleveland had done it in 1893—it is nevertheless a watershed moment.
Men eye the woman's purse
A couple of months ago, I chanced upon a young 20-something man at my gym walking out with a women’s sling bag.
When trees hold hands
A filmmaker explores the human-nature connect through the living root bridges
Ms Gee & Gen Z
The vibrant Anuja Chauhan and her daughter Nayantara on the generational gap in romance writing
Vikram Seth-a suitable man
Our golden boy of literature was the star attraction at the recent Shillong Literary Festival in mysterious Meghalaya.
Superman bites the dust
When my granddaughter Kim was about three, I often took her to play in a nearby park.
OLD MAN AND THE SEA
Meet G. Govinda Menon, the 102-year-old engineer who had a key role in surveying the Vizhinjam coast in the 1940s, assessing its potential for an international port
Managing volatility: smarter equity choices in uncertain markets
THE INDIAN STOCK MARKET has delivered a strong 11 per cent CAGR over the past decade, with positive returns for eight straight years.
Investing in actively managed low-volatility portfolios keeps risks at bay
AFTER A ROARING bull market over the past year, equity markets in the recent months have gone into a correction mode as FIIs go on a selling spree. Volatility has risen and investment returns are hurt.
