Serendipity : Musings of an Islander

A Decade of Rising Ferry Fares, Declining Services : Andaman & Nicobar’s Not-So-Funny April 1 Ritual By Debkumar Bhadra Every year on the  1st of April , the world observes April Fool’s Day—a day associated with harmless pranks and laughter. But for commuters in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the date over the past decade has evoked anxiety rather than amusement. This is because ferry fares unfailingly rise on this day, affecting local economy and the cost of living. This article examines the pattern of fare revision during the past 10 years, including administrative policy framework and the systemic inefficiencies, unravelling the gap between approved norms and actual implementation. The irony is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. When fare revision takes effect unfailingly on a date globally associated with playful deception, it raises an uncomfortable question. Is the timing chosen a mere coincidence or a carefully chosen date? A closer look reveals not just the ...

Few years back, it was one of our friends birthday and we had been invited to join him for a dinner. By evening everybody assembled at Susanto pan shop. As we were about to start, one of our friend announced a cocktail party,  preceding the dinner  had been arranged at Andabeda (little far away from the meeting place). All of us walked to the spot where M r Naidu  (Sada Siva) pulled a polythene bag from the bush. From the very appearance, one could judge it contained fried fish, but few of us was looking for something better. Just at the nick of time, Kam P rasad (Ram Prasad) appeared from nowhere with a bag. Center of attention immediately shifted to the clattering of bottles in the bag. That is it! exclaimed M urkesh (Tarkesh) and got the first bottle in his hand. Without waiting for the cheer, he gulped almost a quarter of it only to spew the liquid back at us! Ack thooooo! Interestingly during the time  M urkesh was gulping the “fool drink”  H ee...