Being on the streets during the Mumbai Marathon is always fun—even as a determined non-runner—because it is the only time I understand what people mean by “the spirit of Bombay”. In a city of dust and hustle, residents actually turn out early on a Sunday with posters and flags to cheer runners as they pass their homes, older women hand them dhoklas for “protein”, someone will stand with tiny cups of Coke on trays despite there being enough hydration stations. The most enjoyable part is always the stretch at Mahim where groups of spirited little boys wait on the road to high-five the runners.
Last weekend, which marked the 20th year of the marathon, was no different with many runners—and unfortunately, I have many friends who are devoted runners—finishing the gruelling 42.1km and then also making the trek to Navi Mumbai to watch Coldplay perform.
It’s this sort of mildly demented determination of the long-distance runner that has also kept Vivek Singh, the co-founder of Procam International which organises the marathon, going year after year. Singh tells Lounge about the race becoming a symbol of resilience after the 2008 terror attacks, and how they got to this year’s registration figure of about 65,000 runners. Another great read is a report on Mizoram’s long history with football, the state’s mad love for the game that’s kept players going in the face of all kinds of odds, and how they are finally getting their due in leagues and national teams.
The centrepiece of our issue is also a tale of determination and purpose. Ahead of Republic Day, we look at the small, sometimes forgotten groups that made the Constitution sparkle: The 15 women in the Constituent Assembly who re-imagined society and insisted on universal suffrage and a greater sense of fairness, and the artists and calligraphers who brought their own imagination into play as they illustrated a document that would determine how we live in a free country. The work of these artists and the words of the people who drafted the Constitution continue to inspire contemporary artists to create work that gets all of us thinking about the role of this document in our everyday lives.
Write to the editor at shalini.umachandran@htlive.com
@shalinimb
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