India Uncut

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Thursday, December 23, 2004

Karate for a social cause

Mid-Day reports that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is "looking for 500 toughies to protect its slum demolition squads, and it will select martial arts experts over amateur muscle men." Apparently, when the slum demolition fellas go off to demolish slums, the slum dwellers, who are obviously unhappy at the turn of events, try to impede them, often with violence. Although the BMC has formed a capitalised "Strike Force" to protect the demolishers, there aren't enough of them. The article says: "Though all Strike Force members have been equipped with helmets and shields, karate experts and other martial arts exponents can deal with a difficult situation better than those untrained in fighting skills, civic officials feel."

One of the common ways of disrupting a slum demolition squad, by the way, is throwing stones at them from a distance. I had never thought that knowing karate would help you dodge stones, but I stand corrected.

In case you have a literary bent, here's another story in Mid-Day whose headline, at least, might interest you: "Zahira allowed to depose in narrative form".
amit varma, 3:54 PM| write to me | permalink | homepage

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