Blink issue 09 march22 2014

ONCE UPON A TIME IN BANGALORE Author Shashi Deshpande on how the city eventually became her muse and her home p17 saturday, march 22, 2014

shutterstock/sergey nivens

Culinary daredevils and extreme foodies are hunting down the exotic and cooking up a storm across the country p9

For the love of grub

IT WASN’T ME Ashok Parmar the face of the Gujarat riots says photos can lie p3

BRYAN ADAMS OF SONEPAT When small-town bands make big music p14

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Herons and egrets Treasure trove Two terracotta figurines from the Rajput period; and an artefact from the Sultanate period discovered during excavations

The games these birds play to put dinner on the platesandeep saxena

Uncharted, a la carte Scientists show they dare to go where no tastebud has gone before

Hairy treat A guest chews a cooked tarantula at the 110th Explorer’s Club Annual Dinner in New York reuters/ andrew kelly

What lies beneath An excavation by ASI at Purana Qila reveals the many dynasties that have ruled over Delhi

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he 16th century Purana Qila is one of can’t dig fast. This excavation is really valuable During those digs, they could locate traces of the Capital’s most iconic monu- because with almost every metre we dig, we PGWs, which were similar to those found in ments with its stone ramparts and discover artefacts from different civilisa- other Mahabharata sites but definitive evihile most of us were chomp- dence tist-chef Gene Rurka included spiders on a is still absconding.

Kulshrestha, assistant moat. While it is most often visited tions,” says Vishnu Kant ing on sambar-rice, Ex- stick, two whole-roasted go“In earlier excavations, alligators, there weregoat indicaat the site.the “This by the curious tourist and curiouser lover, it superintending archaeologist Club in New York tions nadsthat and the bullsite testicles served sliced an was related to thewith period site, which displays a conhas now caught the attention, after 40 years, is probably the onlyplorer’s herbed sauce andwas a garnish bell was doingRight whatfrom explorers tinuous cultural habitation. the when thecream Mahabharata said toof have of the Archaeological Survey of India.

Eat or be eaten Is the green-backed heron wondering if that In is aa‘log’ or acorner crocodile ambika this kamathfort, built by Afdo — furthering knowledge girding the played peppers.

Other includedsuperinmealout,” said garnishes Vasant Swarnkar quiet inside Kushans (1st century AD) toand the Guptas human spirit. The formed ants, scorpions, tendingroasted archaeologist, ASI, Delhi century AD),club to the Raj- in 1904 aims worms, crickets, ghan king Sher Shah Suri, and away from am- (4th-5th to (10th-12th “unite explorers in the and some larvae. circle.

Heeven adds, “And in excavacentury AD),bonds the of good fel- maggot pupae, bling tourists and cosying couples, puts isit any body of water almost any- to find the bait; inexcavations the meantime, bird melowship and to promote theAD) work of exploraThe $375 tions meal at might been the most otherhave Mahabharata relatDelhi Sultanate (13th century archaeological aretheunderway. where on the planet, and you’ll cer- ticulously repositions theASI bait it by every (16th means in its power”. At The interestinged forsites us lay gentry, but there PGWs were andtion the Mughals to 19th AD), such as Hastinapur, Over the last month, the hasevery beentime slowly tainly see a heron or an egret. The floats away, demonstrating degreebehind of persistClub 110th Annual guestshave andbeen awards too. To While Stephen found. make a condigging through a sloping asurface the we Explorer’s have found evidence of all ofDinner, Theastroteam is chief on the reliability with which herons and ence I envy. nauts, astrophysicists, archaeologists paidfor Painted Hawking played awards were nectionchief withguest, the Mahabharata or here.”

Sher that Mandal, located at the right extremity of them lookout egrets can be spotted and identified across the Rather ironically, and egrets themtribute to exploration technology. given Munk, ‘father’ of oceanthe city of the Indraprastha, stratiWhile excited about theand discovthe Qila. With everyherons metre they dig, they are Grey Wares, a to Walter globe is a source of great comfort to me when I selves falltreasures prey to the same sort ofhabitations deception into various uncharted territories, thethatography, Franklin Chang Diaz,should a former fied deposits of PGWs be ery ofTravelling artefacts from civilfinding from cultural pottery is said and travel to unfamiliar locales — no matter how that fish,that at the handstoday, — or astronaut working on new ways of space exmenu of dinner, York’s found here too and only further isations, thistheteam is served on theat New that they haveinflict calledupon the city is Delhi to date back to the far I am from the ecosystems I call home, I should I say, jaws — of alligators and crocodiliconicfor Waldorf Astoria, prepared byMahabharata scien- ploration. excavation will reveal this.” The lookout Painted Grey Wares their home. know that the herons and egrets es.isThe aspect of a heron’s archaeologists are confident that Work here at only a snail’s pace.

A grouplife of (PGW), a specific kind of pottery are going to look roughly the more important than looks eatinglike is they will find PGWs because that is said to date back to the Maaround 20 sit hunched over what same. And this dependability of breeding raising among other reasons, it has even mud to the successfully lay viewer. But to thisand team of la- habharata. If these PGWs are herons and egrets extends to chicks. Building a nest is crucial to been discovered that there was a bourers, Foot-stirring and volunteers and archaeologists, every found here, they would confirm their behaviour as well — whenevthis of process, and sincebelarge village called Indrapat inside the fort walls, the existence of the city of Indraprastha — the innocuous piece stone or tile could a key wing-sheltering are er I come across a heron or egret groups of herons often nest close to the past. After a hard day’s work, if they are erstwhile capital of the Pandavas. BB Lal, for- which existed till the early 20th century. The useful hunting hunting for food, I can rely upon each other, themanage sticks thattonests lucky, the to archaeologists sift mer director-general of ASI had led two previ- discovery of these PGWs would also mean that techniques it to be thoroughly entertaining. built from are often in ous excavations here in 1954-55 and 1969-73. civilisation in this region can be dated back to through notare more than 50-100 cm oflocally soil. “We Herons and egrets primarily short supply. Some crocodilians at least 1100 BC. eat fish, and have devised a plethtake advantage of this by posiWhile PGWs (if they exist) are still many ora of techniques, ranging from tioning sticks on the end of their metres under, the team has located artefacts A universe born sun subtle manoeuvres to more frantic tactics, to snouts, and then pretending to be a log. In from different ages, which theyis plan toThe display as itthe setsartefacts behind Bicep2 (inis a make the task of catching fish easier. On one their desperate search for housing material, at the site itself. Among found the foreground) and the hand, the snowy egret uses its foot to gently the birds fail to notice the suspicious-looking Vishnu idol, which is said to date back to 12th South Pole Telescope (in the stir the water in which it stands. This motion ‘log’ on which these sticks are positioned, and century, precious stones, seal imprints of anbackground) provokes nearby fish into moving, and thus they meet their end in the jaws of a voracious photo / steffen rich as well as cient coins from theafpGupta period into making themselves visible to the predato- crocodilian. A fitting demise, at least from the glasses and burnt bricks which are considered ry bird waiting patiently above. On the other perspective of fish that have succumbed to the to be from the Kushan period. “Every day we hand, the reddish egret paces frantically up trickery of herons and egrets! find something exciting and it takes great paand down, stopping abruptly to shelter its tience and effort to make sure they are excahead with its wings as it peers keenly into the ambika kamath studies organismic and evolutionary vated properly without being broken,” water below. This wing-sheltering behaviour biology at Harvard University Kulshrestha says. helps the egret get a better look at the animals The ASI also plans to make this site India’s it has scared into action, before it darts its first open-site museum, which will be on disbeak into the water to stab at the terrified fish play for the public. “You notice that we are digthat will comprise its next meal. ging at a slope. This is because each layer of Some biologists believe that both the foothistory can be seen by people, just the way we 3.8 billion years ago, the universe burst found Cosmic describes stirring and wing-sheltering behaviours serve it. Alsoinflation we wantbasically to leave behind the how arteonto the scene with a Big Bang. While facts the we universe rapidly a an additional, more devious purpose — to atfind here andexpanded, create an giving on-site us muthere’s no way for us to know exactly seum peek of at ‘baby the universe. tract fish towards the creature that will soon sorts,pictures’ so that of those interested can Fortake Stephen Hawking, who is known to be what happened then, a telescope at the come consume them. Snowy egrets have black upa look,” says Swarnkar. betting man, the discovery come as a South Pole — Bicep2 — might have detected aThe per legs but yellow feet, and the movement of excavations which beganhas after a hiatus the first tremors of the Big Bang. On Monday, ofvictory in a wager with fellow this brightly coloured foot in the water might more than 40 years is aslated toscientist. continueThe till astrophysicists announced the discovery of the presence of gravitational waves for disproves lure fish towards the bird. Similarly, many fish end of May. “We can’t excavate longer “primordial gravitational waves”. These are than cosmologist theory that the uniseek out dark, sheltered spots to hide from that sinceNeil theTurok’s monsoon might begin.

We ripples in space-time that might provide the hope versetocycles from one Big Bang to predators, and are thus fooled into swimming makeendlessly exciting discoveries, since only first direct evidence for a long-held hypothe- the another.

Hawking recently lostcan a $100 bet on under the reddish egret’s raised wings. But success of this excavation determine sis of cosmic inflation. Besides proving Ein- whether the Higgs or thework God here particle discovthe pinnacle of such deception by herons and weBoson can begin again next stein’s theory of general relativity, this year,” ery. Turok, meanwhile, is Unnao not ready to have conegrets is their use of actual bait — insects, bersays Swarnkar.

While might might establish the much sought after con- not cede yet. any While Bicep2 the ries, pieces of bread — that they collect and yielded gold for thehas ASI,reported digging deep of the ripples, is now nection between general relativity and atexistence carefully place in the water within striking Purana Qila is space-time throwing up manyitexciting up tofor European Space Agency’s Planck space quantum mechanics. It might also explain finds distance, ready to catch any hungry fish that them and the curious visitor.

Layered history ASI plans to leave the dig exposed, thus creating on-site museum; (inset) a 12th the century whyanthe universe looks almost same in telescope to confirm the discovery, which it comes to investigate the incongruous food Vishnu idol sandeep saxena every direction. had failed to spot last year. source. However, it can take a while for a fish sibi arasu

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Big Bang theories

The discovery of gravitational waves may forever change the way we look at the universe

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he was angry. Angry that the incident had happened, angry at his own situation. “He (the photographer) asked me for a photo and I gave him a pose.”

Parmar says he picked up an iron rod lying on the roadside. He donned the saffron bandana that he got from a neighbour. “I believed saffron was the colour of Hinduism.” And posed. Soon after the “photo session”, Parmar left for his brother’s house in the chaali (chawl) nearby and remained indoors till nightfall. The next day he was on the front page of all the newspapers.

The photo landed Parmar behind bars for nearly a fortnight. The lower court, even after four date extensions, couldn’t find a single eye-witness to prove Parmar’s involvement in the rioting. He was given a clean chit. However, the State counsel challenged the lower court’s order in the High Court where the matter is still pending for a hearing.

“If you see, I am alone in the picture. I was not part of any mob. I wasn’t out for rioting. I never imagined the picture would cause so much trouble,” he explains.

Parmar now has a debt of over ₹10,000 fighting court cases. “I didn’t get any support from my family or community in my village.”

It is interesting to note that despite the clean chit and Parmar’s insistence that he was not involved in the riots, he profusely apologised for his role at the Kannur seminar. “It (the riots) was a huge blunder. I have abandoned the politics of hatred and revenge,” Parmar had said. Strangely, even VHP and Bajrang Dal never opposed the association with him and the photo. “Why would they? They had got a brand ambassador for their Hindu Rashtra image,” says Parmar.

Strongly objecting to the undesirable associations the photo has given him, Parmar says it was the media portrayal that saddened him captured in a photo taken on the streets of the most. “They painted me as a terrorist. IndiDudheshwar in a riot-hit Ahmedabad, waving an Mujahideen used my picture in an email. an iron rod, a saffron bandana on his head, One Gujarati paper published my photo over a screaming for blood as fires raged bemap of India. What do they want to hind him. Overnight, he became establish by that,” he asks. the face of the attacker of the Ironically, it took activist Gujarat riots. ‘Bajrang Dal Syed Rumi and journalistactivist’ screamed headactivist Kaleem Siddiqui lines as hatred and critito bring them together cism poured in. A short in Kerala. “This meetjail-term followed. ing could’ve never However, in the tide of happened in Gujarat events that took over as everything acquires Parmar’s life, the truth a political colour,” says faded out.

Rumi. But Parmar “I was labelled as a won’t be drawn into the Bajrang Dal member. I politics. “I don’t have a became the face of saffron voter ID but my name is in terrorism. I am neither,” says the rolls. At least, my vote has Parmar, now back on the footnever been with Modi,” he says. path in Ahmedabad. It was sheer The 40-year-old Ansari, who coincidence, he claims, that was a tailor in Naroda Patiya made him one of the rioters on which saw some of the worst viothe street. lence in the post-Godhra riots, is The photographer That day, Parmar came to work now married with three children. asked me for a at around 10am. A bandh had As he released the Malayalam verphoto and I gave been declared and it had affected sion of his autobiography I am Quhim a pose the daily lives of thousands. “I lost tubuddin Ansari, Parmar smiled my daily business,” he says. and clapped. He himself had “There was a bandh and all restaunothing much to show for the last rants were shut. I couldn’t get any decade. Despite Modi’s rhetoric of food. This was affecting the poor like us the development, Parmar says, nothing has most. I was angry. It was a crisis situation.” changed for the poor. “My financial condition When a photojournalist approached him is so bad I can’t even get married,” he says. for his reaction to the Godhra incident (which had occurred the previous day), Parmar said rutam vora

Photo Finish

The story behind the other face of the Gujarat riots

Brothers in arms (Top) Ashok Parmar at his makeshift establishment near Shahpur Darwaja in Ahmedabad rakesh gandhi; (inset) March 2002 cover of Outlook; (right inset) Qutubuddin Ansari (the face of fear) and Ashok Parmar come together in Kannur, Kerala sk mohan

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n the footpath of a busy road between Shahpur Darwaza and Delhi Darwaza in old Ahmedabad, cobbler Ashok Parmar sits with his makeshift establishment of a few boxes that contain boot-polish, buckles, pins, thread, big and small needles, worn-out shoe brushes and other equipment to mend footwear. For the last two decades, this footpath has served as his “permanent address” in the city. Despite the hustle and bustle of the old city, business has been slow for the 39-year-old Parmar. Earning a modest sum of ₹200 a day, Ashok Parmar’s life seems like that of any other cobbler in the city.

Yet, just three weeks ago, Parmar’s life was anything but ordinary. On March 3, he shared the stage with Qutubuddin Ansari at a seminar called ‘A decade of genocide’ in Kannur district, Kerala.

Twelve years ago, images of both men — representing two different sides of the Gujarat riots — had made history. Parmar, the face of the attacker. Ansari, the face of fear.

These two faces of the 2002 riots had come together for the first time in Kerala at the behest of the Communist Party of India (Marxist).

On stage, Parmar offered Ansari a red rose and an apology. They shook hands and sang songs.

“Today my brother Ashok has asked for forgiveness. It means a lot to me. Let this be the beginning of a new chapter in humanity,” Ansari had said then.

On February 28, 2002 — one day after the fire in Sabarmati Express at Godhra in which 59 people were burned to death — Parmar was

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Arabian nightmare P Mohamed Ali, who was a celebrated entrepreneur in Oman, now looks at an uncertain future kk mustafah

The eden gardens A historian takes a stroll through three timeless oases in three different corners of India

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hat better project for a historian than an itinerary of gardens? For more than a decade my research has drawn me to gardens across India, from Mysore to Darjeeling, from Mumbai to Konark. But gardens are among the most ephemeral of creations. We do know that Indian gardens have long embraced all the senses equally — the brilliant colours of coxcomb and marigold, the sound of songbirds and sprays of water, the smells of jasmine and blossoming fruit trees. One longs in vain, however, for more precise descriptions of the garden cities of Ayodhya or Ravana’s Lanka. When the author of the Kama Sutra instructs the well-bred young man to be familiar with gardening, what did he have in mind? Even the original plantings in the parterres of the Taj Mahal are only partially known. But doffing my historian’s cap in favour of that of the traveller, here are several of my own favourites.

the Hall of Public Audience, straddling the cascading water above the first level of the garden, the emperor once held forth on this black marble throne. Above this come two terraces, the last climaxing in the zenana garden with its beautiful black marble pavilion. At night, lamps were lit in the little niches behind the waterfalls — perhaps, they still are on special occasions. Majestic chinars border the pathways along the channels, interspersed with an abundance of bright flowers and masses of contrasting white alyssum. On a Sunday the crowds of women in their colourful attire add magic to the scene.

The cookie crumbles

Sprawling greens Shalimar inspired Sir Mirza Ismail, Dewan of Mysore, to create his own terraced garden far to the south in 1927. The Brindavan Gardens were conceived as a complement to the newly built Krishnarajasagara Dam on the Kaveri River. Like Shalimar, it is laid out in three terraces gently ack in the early ’70s, when the ‘Gulf tial Indians in Emperor’s plot the Gulfdown region.

2004, Prime sweeping theIn hillside.

In adIndian gardens have rush’ofinKashmir Kerala dotting had just begun, a Minister Vajpayee The gardens presented(perhaps him the Pradition had to extensive too long embraced all young man from Talikkulam village vasi Bharatheeya the shores of Dal Lake must top Samman overseas extensive) lawns for andhis fountains, it the senses equally Thrissur in the then un- achievements. any list. near Shalimar, thelanded ‘paradise boasts ficus trees, shrubs and lux— the brilliant developed Oman. was conceived within a paradise’, uriant bursts of celosia, marigold, colours of coxcomb an engineering byWith the Emperor Jahangir diploma and his in hand, P Fall from grace bougainvillea and other flowerand marigold, the Mohamed Ali found in the right place, But on January wife Nur Jahan, andhimself embellished this year,asthewell masonry of Ali’s ing11 plants, as animalsound of songbirds andhismore importantly, at the right time. business empire by son Shah Jahan. Although crumbled.

In a high-profile shaped topiary, pergolas and gaand sprays of water Oman waswas on athe cuspand of adissolmassive economic graft case, the Jahangir cruel Court of First Instance of Muszebos. transformation.

Qaboos ute prince, he wasSultan obsessed with bin Said Al cat sentenced At him three-year theto topa of the hill is jail not aterm. hall Said,natural who tookworld power—inand 1970,with used oil revenue Oman was shocked. the charge was he of privateThe audience but that a large to build He roads, seaport, airport, had bribed white Kashmir. wouldbridges, rather lose all Juma Al Hinai,hotel, a senior Finance luxury intended to schools, hospitals and other infrastructure. his empire, he declared, than Kashmir.

More bring Ministry official heading in enough revenuethe to tenders supportcommitthe garThe sultan, anleft allythe of the West, and more he duties of had stateadopted in the dens. tee of When the government-owned Petroleum DeI last visited, much-needed renofree economy as his economic philosophy. hands of his adored and capable wife to de- vations velopment Oman (PDO), to extend major the gas were underway.

Since a then With an Omani sponsor five employees, vote himself to the studyand of plants and the gardens contract.have During a raid on Alwith Hinai’s house in been outfitted psychedelic Ali founded Galfar Engineering and Contract- jets making of gardens.

September authorities found Omani riof water2013, synchronised with digitised muingLike Company 1972. He took advantage of has the sic. many in Mughal gardens, Shalimar yal equivalent to around ₹14Sir crore, a part of One does wonder what Mirza would country’s feverishwith paceits of lawns, infrastructure ex- make been ‘anglicised’ flowerbeds whichof had come from Galfar. the light show, it all!

With or without pansion.

When two Omaninow by road they are testimony and topiary, and his is approached Ali denied the bribery charge, to Mirza’s belief that the partners were for political rather than byjailed the original canal from the populace needs opted to appeal, and access promptly reopen space and to nareasons, Ali single-handedly lake.

Nevertheless, it retains its basic layout: ture as much signed as and managing of as food shelter.director As the insteered the small construction the succession of pavilioned terraces with scription reads: Galfar. But worse was still to It’s a spectacular firm to astonishing and heights. their watercourses fountains, set against come.

Onheart March the court senYou’re nearer god’s in9, a garden, fall from grace for Four decades on, Galfar a backdrop of mountains.

In theisDiwan-i-Am, tencedelse him 15 years jail on five Than anywhere ontoearth. both Galfar and Ali Oman’s largest construction comcounts of bribery charges and a pany, with a turnover of over a bilfine equivalent of around ₹30 lion dollars and employing nearly crore. His business development 25,000. Ali built Oman’s first primanager, Abdul Majeed Naushad, vate medical college and the first private engi- and Al Hinai were also handed long-term jail neering college, along with several other sentences and hefty penalties. educational and training institutions. When “I just don’t believe Ali was personally inGalfar became a public limited company in volved,” a former Galfar executive who now 2008, Ali took the backseat as vice-chairman lives in Kochi, said. “Maybe, a senior company (in 2011, however, he took over as MD as well as executive greased some palms to get things vice-chairman.) done in a country where contracts are often “The Galfar brand is plastered across hoard- won using underhand dealings.” ings all over Oman, where it has built much of “It’s a spectacular fall from grace for both the country’s road network, as well as hospi- Galfar and Ali,” Arabian Business commented. tals, palaces, ports and airports. Along the way, Immediately after Ali’s conviction, Galfar’s he has become one of the richest non-resident shares fell, but later recovered. Other compaIndians in the world,” the Dubai-based Ara- nies, including many Indian firms are also bebian Business magazine wrote. Ali’s personal ing investigated for securing contracts using net worth is an estimated $950 million. undue means.

In a country where Indians make up 15 per Sources in the know believe that Ali was cent of the population, Ali is the richest Indi- done in by a Turkish company that had missed an. He was conferred a major civilian award the PDO contract. However, neither the Omani for his contributions to Oman. Last year, he chairman of the company nor the European was ranked 35th in a list of 100 most influen- CEO have been punished. Also pertinent is the,

The man who built a massive fortune and reputation over four decades in Oman is now facing the prospect of jail time in that country

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Green evolution (clockwise from below) Brindavan Gardens, Mysore ma sriram; Saheliyonki-Bari, Udaipur; and Shalimar Gardens, Srinagarshutterstock/ caroline vancoillie

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the fact that Ali was not the MD during 2008-11 — the period related to the five counts of bribHandmaidens of nature ery charges.

The Saheliyon-ki-Bari in Udaipur is a quite difWhat next for Ali,created 63, whobyisannow out on ferent garden.

It was 18th-centubail?

People close to and him the say the verdict would ry raja for his wife 48 maidens who be challenged inpart the of Appeals Court it came with her as her dowry — aand, placeifto fails,away in the Supreme Court.

Beyond he get from it all, to escape fromthat, the inhas the of option to move a mercy petition betrigues the palace.

It is pleasantly un-geofore the with Sultan.

Ali’s friendswalkways, and associates metric, meandering lush hope he will be discharged inpools the absence of undergrowth, and numerous and founany proof of the hispools personal involvement in the tains.

One of is thick with lotuses, anbribing case. other has a kiosk in the centre with baluster Ali, whoEverywhere has alreadysprays resigned from the columns. of water fill Galthe far board, businessand interests in India and too. air.

Marblehas elephants other animals His Mfar Group ownsfeatures, Hotel Lemore Meridien birds adorn the water in theand EuInternational Convention in Kochi; ropean than Indian manner.Centre Although it has Westin Hotel in Chennai; and Mfar Construcits quota of lawns and hedges, there are few tion invistas; Bangalore.

The convention centre, open the dominant impression is offor a instance, garden exemplifies business shrubs vision. monsoon with Ali’s its enveloping When he proposed it bougainvillea, about a decaderather ago, it and trees.

To be sure, a was labelled a crazy idea.these Today it isgrow venue de cliché in Indian gardens days, ramrigueur.

Aliwhat has also set up several charities in pant — but bougainvillea!

Kerala, working in the field of education and eugenia w herbert’s last book was Flora’s Empire professional development. on ‘garden imperialism’ in India

Uncertainties loom His status on the boards of many public companies that he serves in India is also unclear now. He is one of the founding directors of Cochin International Airport Ltd, owners of the country’s first greenfield airport built through the public-private-partnership route.

According to the Companies Act, a person convicted by a court for an offence involving moral turpitude and sentenced to imprisonment cannot remain on a company board. A CIAL source said the company would decide on Mohamed Ali at its next board meeting.

Ali is the chairman of Cheraman Financial Services, promoted by the Kerala government.

APM Mohammed Hanish, the MD, said the company was consulting legal experts on its options. Infrastructures Kerala Ltd has replaced Ali with his brother-in-law on its board.

Ali has weathered many crises. But this is all that matters now. The past is immaterial. The future, uncertain.

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Just a year-and-a-half later, Flash Cab’s fleet stands at 40, clocking 200 trips a day. And more than 60 per cent of customers are women looking for a safe commute. In other smaller cities such as Pune, Amritsar, Chandigarh and Ludhiana, a rapidly growing community of small and medium enterprises, apart from professionals, is relying on radio taxis.

“The fact is that tier II cities are ready for organised car rental services. People are aware and more businesses are now originating out of them,” says Sakshi Vij, Executive Director of Carzonrent, which operates radio taxis under the Easy Cabs brand.

The company will launch services in Ahmedabad, Pune, Chandigarh A car that lasts four and Jaipur in the next six months.

The readiness of these markets years in a metro can to pay ₹18 or ₹20 per kilometre is run for nearly six years in a small city not the only draw for operators.

Newly developed infrastructure, including airports, is a major factor too. Kunal Lalani, chairman of Mega Cabs, points out that when they started in Chandigarh in 2008 there were only two daily flights. Today there are over 10.

Unlimited options Tier II cities are good for radio cabs as they have to travel relatively shorter distances to pick up clients nagara gopal

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Taxi to Jhumri Telaiya Small towns are revving up the radio cab business as incomes, and aspirations, climb steadily beyond the metros

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n Lucknow, the eight-seater rickshaw, or tum-tum, always seemed just right for the slow and grandiose pace of this erstwhile city of nawabs. But now that the capital of Uttar Pradesh is eager to speed along the development highway, the rusted and ill-maintained tum-tums are giving way to air-conditioned sedans as Lucknavis discover the convenience of radio cabs.

Cut to Jaipur. Tired of haggling over transport fares, tourists as well as young professionals are making a beeline for Meru Cabs, which launched services here in June last year and is already profitable.

This, then, is where all the action is right now for radio taxis — the India beyond metros, where incomes and aspirations are rising.

Jet set go Meru cabs, which launched in June in Jaipur, are already making profits in the Pink City

Ready to ride “We started in Lucknow in October 2012 with 15 cars, making just five-six trips a day. But we knew there was a latent demand for reliable and efficient transport,” says Shashank Agarwal, CEO of Flash Cabs.

Smaller is better Nearly 65-70 per cent of the business comes from services to and from airports and railway, says Lalani. Tier II cities are good for them in other ways too. As the cities are more compact, there is less dry run — the kilometres a vehicle has to travel before picking up a passenger and running the meter. “Dry run is much less as people know the places well and there is only one downtown unlike in the metros,” says Siddharth Pahwa, CEO of Meru Cabs.

Moreover, a car that lasts four years in a metro can remain in running condition for up to six years in a tier II city — it would clock 275300km a day in the metros, compared with 200km in a smaller city.

With cost of living markedly lower in tier II centres, “the expectations of drivers are lower” there, says Lalani. Drivers in metros command ₹17,000 to ₹22,000 a month, while those in a small town rarely earn beyond ₹12,000. “Overall, we are able to get returns in line with big cities,” says Pahwa. “Every market has a different potential and capability to pay for different services. We evaluate each market on the basis of existing players,” he adds.

In the flight path The taxi business in the metros is grappling with several new challenges today. With privatisation, major airports such as Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore now come out with request for proposals (RFPs) for cab operations every three years. This means that whoever bids the highest amount that can be shared with the airport gets the rights to enter the terminal to look for passengers. The rest cannot do so. In Delhi’s T1 terminal, for instance, only Easy Cabs has access; it’s Meru and Mega for T3.

The taxi operator ends up sharing with the airports nearly 25-30 per cent of the daily average transaction cost. An income of, say, ₹1 lakh a day will leave the operator poorer by ₹25,000 to ₹30,000.

The absence of privatised airports in tier II centres makes them attractive to cab operators. “In the metros, costs are also spiralling.

Tariffs are increased only once in three years while cost of fuel, staff, call centres and technology goes up every year,” says Lalani.

The larger volumes in the metros are negated by the high service costs. When it comes to return on investment, the tier II city has nearly pipped the metro to the post. Little wonder that radio taxi operators seem more than happy to drive at high speeds into the non-metros. rashmi pratap

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saturday, march 22,22, 2014 saturday, march 2014

Between the sheets A weight off our chests PRESENT IMPERFECT

Sangeeta Bandyopadhyay on being an author who could not avoid writing about Whensex did our political discourse take a turn towards anatomical bragging Telling all Sangeeta Bandyopadhyay caused quite a tizzy in Bengali society

manjula padmanabhan

ELSEWHERE

Who and why A hacked card and unknown deliveries throw up troubling questions

“H

i! My name’s Sandy and I’m calling from …” My heart begins to race. It was my bank. They had noticed some “unusual activity” regarding my debit card. “Could you please visit the branch

right away?”

I arrive 10 minutes later, breathless with anxiety.

Sandy is in his mid-thirties, portly and pink, with ice-blue eyes, short orange hair and a bristly moustache. He sits behind his desk, consulting his computer’s screen while I lean forward in my chair, tensed to hear the worst.

“Here we go,” he says, reading out the list of websites where I had apparently spent my money: Dinky Doodle. Senior Friendships Club. Gevalia Coffee. I look blank, shaking my head. iTunes.

BodyWhat builders the reasonThat we allgraphic know thedescription word 'pecs' (right) chappan ki chaatiSparky ranjeet kumar Dream Toursinch Unlimited.

Marky. slipped on the panty.

I didJohn notAbraham but aisgimmick. of sexNarendra Modi's “iTunes, yes,” I say, but none of the others. “Wh-what does it know was that I actually slipped on a was a cheap way to sell books. But I paid no mean?” Guillotine? Firing squad? Guantanamo? woman. I actually slipped on her heed. I was only 31 and was too engrossed in we blocked right after talking to you.

So they womanhood. I slipped find on her sex-helplessly, writing drawn about new ideas at the time. myself, to Narenchest.

Not the smoothness of“Well, his face or the yourItcard is, creditably, only with John Abraham can’t use it anymore.” uality, her love,” writes Sangeetadra BandyopadModi’s chest. All alleged 56 inches of tautness of his abs. There hasn’t been a word that the Indian chest came to prominence. For “Whohe areweighs. ‘they’?” I want to know.

“And movies how didofthey acDo you compare worksabout with how tall he is or how much hyay in Panty. Translated into English from it. Like the Rambo-esque rescue ofyour 15,000 even in the cooler the get noughties, cess to my about informacontemporary Bengali by Arunava Sinha, the book combines people from Uttarakhand lastBengali year, itfiction?

There hasn’t even been a discussion oncard?” the dif-I’m extremely like say Dilcagey Chahta Hai, personal the visible chests were tion. memorise mypuny passwords, for instance, in case I beI started positive reviews a few af- that our two of her previously published seems to novellas, me that Modi whilegetting amply chested, ference ofyears opinion PMI don’t candidates both and hirsute.

In the seven years mumble in my tween sleep, Dil on Chahta international Instead I Inter myjust initial — Sankhini — about facial Panty and Hypnosis in a brand avatar. hasnew inflated itsHer dimensions thatbooks little bit. seem and to bePanty having hair.them But the Hai andflights.

Dostana, the male writethe them down in code bits was of paper.

Then I forget whichlunge were who published.

People looking stories, which have offended people in the Fifty-six inches, as anyone has ever mea-began chappan inchatkimy chaati is all over place. dianon chest forced to take a giant I used forwith what password and have to start allnot over again. books knows, as oneisofa lot. the important postmodern past are now included in thesured canonanything of contemanatomical As someone who grew upcode in the 1980s forward. John Abraham did just walk with never findback out.”like He his tapschest his was novels in Bengali I found out that visuals ofSandy porary Bengali literature.

I spent the better part of the fortnightliterature. pon- therapy-demanding Anil shrugs.

Kapoor’s“We’ll hisprobably shoulders thrown computer’s screen. guys typically start with pur- he comparative literature and women studies de-but wonder Bandyopadhyay speaks about percepderingher about the Modi-isation of men’s chests. chest, I can’t help when chests be- “These something he was wearing; notsmall something chases to Kapoor’s see whetherhad; the transaction goes through.

If it does,it to a of atrainers university Panty as aEven refer-if you think tion of sexual aesthetics and politics.

Mygender best sources werepartment the personal in uses came cool. of Anil but he also waxed it and polished try bigger $50, $60. They have noglowing, idea what’s encesub-species of contemporary literature Excerpts from the interview:Gurgaon gyms, a human entirelyBengali chest — whichand looked like they’ll his scalp slippedpurchases. shine. Bronzed, radiant and it was a in the account. keep fishing to see how far including they can gothose young are reading it and talking devoted to their bodies andstudents the rare possesdownwards — as an aberration, nowhereThey in just chest that made everyone, stopped.”

How difficult was it for you,sors as an of about it. of author Greco-Roman physiques on khap-ap- the 1980s or even the earlybefore 1990s they wereget there whose stomachs spilled over to their knees, sit Without a physical they could onlyFrom makeHoshiarpur purchases onerotica, to present fantasies proved genetics. Even their aspiration, they any clues at all to the possibility that the male card, up and take notice. to Thrisline.the Butrage. they Even couldn’tsur, havedumbbells stuff shipped to dusted their address withHow much yourwould, own one day, be all strictly as fantasies? tell me, is for a chest that is between 42 and 46does chest were off and protein their own identity. So it madewere no sense.

WhatItwas I believe in the power of fantasy, sexuality into play when inches. The only person they could think come of when Salman Khan decided out thatrevealing a shakes mixed. wasn’t in it for but there is no such thing youwas write a story? whoaspossibly had a 56-inch chest The shirt was a cumbersome thing, I them? enough then to call it a chest. can’t tell you that,” says Sandy.“Pecs” “But they’ve only used about My sexuality isassumed insignificant inbetter show “I ‘strictly fantasy’ because we areKhali. My sexuality is Great it was to the became a thing. $500 worth — ” I stopped breathing “–– and you are insured my writings.

But I have my own driven by our desires and desires The average size of a man’s chest, I am given biceps he had curled into the size I am not sure how Rahul Gandinsignificant in my against Onceup weinconfirm that these purchases I haveapsos. my own are purely mirrored in our to fantaunderstand, is 38But to 42 inches.philosophy The largeston sex. of lhassa But now, with the theft. hi managed to stay weren’t out of pecs I grew the writings.

I have made by you, the money will be reimbursed.” understanding of sexual sies. Fantasies have tales to tell, commonly available shirt size is XXL, which is benefit of aesthethindsight, it is perhaps mania. It is entirely possible that 1980s with therapymy own philosophy O Golden Words! O Blessed smile all the wayRobert back toVadra gender and relawhich fortunately or unfortunatecut to fit a person chest.

Thepolitics, rightlove, to think that the early peep his I brother-in-law demanding visuals Relief! on with sex a 46-inchics, apartment building.

But whenwas I enter the hallway, a ideas influence ly largely connect to mainstream Great Khali, who is 7 feet 1 inch tall,tionships. has a chestThese into a male cleavage indeedmy startoverworking his,I find so Gandhi of Anil Kapoor’s carton containing 20 pounds of Gevalia in front of my me(4when I write. life. We need the support of reality measurement of about 60 inches inches ed with Khan. decidedcoffee that was enough pecs for chest to getThe deliveries via Feeven for the strangest level of fan-than my personal trainer’s estimation). more Sadly, even hindsight isdoor. notOver the next few days, I continue one family. chest that worries dEx of Plus calls from What of the tasy. When I write about fantasy, Modi Iwears custom-tailored clothes anddo soyou it make helpful in understanding when it gourmet coffee totalling $300 me worth. is Arvind Kejriwal’s.

Hethe hacked Lonely Grey Hearts Club, Exclusiveand Home Securityright Network and the impactshopping of Fifty Shades focus on the pain of not experiencing Thereis difficultit.for even internet compa-of Grey was?exactly that politicians jumpcoughed through to pronounce The metaphysical parttoof Fifty Shades Grey fore, for a writer, fantasy resembles naive-realnies (who know everything about everyone) ed on the of chestwagon.

UpHappy until Hunters Travel Agency all struggling stinging Delhi winter. It’smy spring offer for meallergic free and exclusive similar the as both to reeling long ism. I don’t even considertell myself to be us what his an chest and size Panty is. Butmight we canbesafely timebelong that I was underlast thename, traumaall wanting now, hightoseason rhinitis and asthprivileges. the genre, but I think theyKapoor’s cannot be author of erotica. I am just an author conclude thatwho while it is erotica not impossible that of Anil chest and was oblivious to Sal- ma. And mindful of the temperature, the man is mystifying. thelost coffee all charges my accompared.

To is me,highly the former is more like aever seen twoItpoliticians. could not avoid writing about hissex. chest size is 56 inches, it man’s, I had only The I return has also his and muffler.

If ever atochest should countthrough are reversed. while invisible on me, trackmodern fairytale, with bitsfirst of was 21st Zail century improbable.

Singh, who rode the Forbea in yourI feel prayers, let iteyes be his. my every I flinch every the phone rings. out I of How did you deal with the criticism thatis a long, western complexity and with BDSM. But ourin a whiteing All of this but perfectly rational, streets of Cochin, Contessa car.online For- move.

As for Modi, I amtime convinced he walked constantly bank account, searching for “irregularPanty received?

Indian society When is far from FiftyitShadway to arrive at my actual question. did accepting get a chest, was difficult to know formonitor sure if my a screening of Dostana, looked down at himities”.

Eventually I stopself looking over my that shoulder butpress the quesPanty was published in Sharadiya of es of GreyHere as real. hasIt’s only been a few decades men’s Desh, chestsone become a thing? weItare. he had even a chin or a neck.

The other was and decided bench he must. tions remain: why?

I won’t know. the most prestigious Bengali magazines, in since ourus,women have 2014.

A major election is upon one that will started Primeexperiencing Minister Rajiv Gandhi, also on a who visit andAnd to that, as ever a person who adores hard work 2006. Even during those days the story was freedom patriarchal ways,south, so when apparently determine whetherfrom our EMIs will deep whoithad buttoned up his bandh- and determination in others, I say, more powMANJULA PADMANABHAN , author and Let’s artist, allow tells us him tales of her56. parallel life in shocking for open-mindedgoBengali readers to sexual freedom, still notI as up or down in thecomes foreseeable future, and they galaare so tightly, was too busy wondering how er to him. his VEENA VENUGOPAL in this fortnightly series marginalien.blogspot.in who were supposed to haveour hadPrime a lot of expo- tired as women the western world. to worry aboutElsewhere,USA, Ministerial candidate who isfrom “riding he breathed where his lungs is editor BLink and author of world Would You sure to literature. I faced huge t@Veenavenugopal a wave ofcriticism. hope” is talking about the size of his were hidden.

Like Some Bread with that Book People said to name a novel Panty was nothing ARUNIMA MAZUMDAR is a Delhi-based journalist

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BAWDY LINE

Foxed by genetics Will a teli’s son always remain a teli? Even if he is reared by Pathans Nature vs. nurture An experiment conducted in the 1950s selectively bred wild foxes to arrive at a behaviourally different brood 10 generations later ap/peter m fredin

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AMBARISH SATWIK is a Delhi-based vascular surgeon and writer

he abiding project of the Indian state, as outlined in article 16(4) of the constitution, is to effect a reversal of what the Russian geneticist Theodosius Dobzhansky observed about our peoples. The Indian caste system, wrote Dhobzhansky in 1962, is the grandest, though perhaps not deliberate, apparently unsuccessful genetic experiment ever performed on human populations… A nature–nurture problem of the highest complexity… An experiment on a grand scale that attempted to breed varieties of men genetically specialised in the performance of different functions.

According to genetic studies, the experiment started quite abruptly about 2,000 years ago with a series of founder effects. Quite suddenly, in the Land of Milk and Honey and Seven Rivers and happily cross-mating peoples, without apparent reason, endogamy was established. New endogamous tribes were formed by a small number of individuals breaking away from larger populations. And their endogamy was relentless enough to ensure complete biological separation of these ‘tribes’. The subsequent inbreeding had the effect of freezing the personal genetic histories of these lineages. In this frozen genetic isolation was born jati, the caste system.

What made the old lemon swim a bit in these matters was this wonderfully realised Urdu short story by Asad Muhammad Khan called ‘Mai’I Dada’. It is the story of Abdul Majeed Khan Yusuf Zai, aka Mai’I Dada, a boorish old Pathan retainer living off an extended Pathan clan in an unnamed city in Pakistan.

Barely literate and invariably committed to the grievous j – z substitution, he calls himself Abdul Mazeed Khan Esoop Jai. Mai’I Dada is beloved of the families of the clan, particularly the children whom he regales constantly with the Great Pathan saga, seeding their minds with narratives of Pashtuniyat. He tells them repeatedly of the purity of their blood and bones, of their inborn facility for martial activity, of tribal wars fought by their ancestors against the kuffar (infidels).

All this is at variance with a persistent rumour about him spread by the neighbourhood dhobi that he is actually a Hindu teli (the caste that pressed oil) masquerading as a Path-

faws are the derogatory references to the Hindu dhobi and teli castes. And there are many of them.

How charitably do you think a Kanojia dhobi or the Akhil Bharatiya Dhobi Mahasangh would react to such a narration? Or the teli Sahusamaj? Or the incumbent chief minister of Gujarat Narendra Damodardas Modi, who was born into the Ghanchi teli caste?

But the more material question is this: would caste based ignominy or hubris kept alive in endogamous castes over thousands of years manifest in epigenetic effects? In north Maharashtra, most telis hide their family name and use the gratifying appellation Chaudhari as their surname. The caste system in insects, particularly in honeybees, is the most striking case of environmentally controlled variation in the physical and physiological form of members of a particular species (phenotypic polymorphism). The an. Mai’IDada’s standard response to this physical differences between worker and charge is that as a young man he had managed queen bees are caused by a differential diet to rile the dhobis by rubbing their womenfolk during growth and maturation. While other the wrong way (quite literally), and the dho- larvae are fed the usual pollen and nectar, the bis’ progeny of foul animals that they were larva ordained to be queen is fed a huge por(yeh badjan aawaron ki aulad), were now exact- tion of royal jelly (the protein royalactin). This ing a dastardly revenge. sets off a molecular cascade that culminates in The story reaches a sort of crescendo with the larva becoming a queen. Queens are the the arrest of Mai’I Dada for assaulting Head preeminent caste and bear large fertile ovaConstable Sukhiya Ram in the state weapons ries; workers have vestigial, inoperative ovastorehouse. Mai’I Dada is asked by the narra- ries and are functionally sterile. tor’s father to make a deposit of all their ancesHubris has been the placebo royal jelly that tral weapons, in pursuance of a government Brahmin and Pashtun children have been fed order. At the storehouse Sukhiya Ram is in for two thousand years. Is it possible that it charge that day and in Mai’I Dada’s own might have brought about some phenotypic words, “that teli ka bachcha had the audacity to change in them? After generations of conpick up a blade from our weapons pile, the trolled, endogamous breeding, would dedagger of the paradise-dwelling Navab Ghaus scendants have epigenetically changed their Bahadur and, then puffing away on his stink- morphology, physiology, behaviour and life ing bidi, sharpen his pencil with histories in response to changing it.” The old man properly thrashes conditions of self-esteem? the living daylights out of Sukhiya In the 1950s, the Russian genetand then vocalises his disgust: icist Dimitri Belyaev started a pro“That weapon is the legacy of shergramme of selectively breeding He had created bachchas, not your vegetablewild silver foxes at the Institute of foxes that wagged chopping knife,” he says. “It had Cytology and Genetics in Novositheir tails, licked become polluted when your hand birsk, Siberia. Belyaev selected their custodians first touched it, and I kept my foxes for tameness alone. His peace; but now that you bhaan ka method was quite straightforghoda are sharpening your pencil ward: a gloved human hand was with it, I’m not going to let you extended into each animal’s cage; live.” the foxes that attacked, fled or bit the hand The tragic dénouement of the story is pre- were excluded from breeding, but those that dictably in the revelation that Mai’I Dada was showed curiosity or allowed themselves to be actually a Hindu teli raised by Pathans. The petted were mated together. After just 10 gennarrator discovers it quite by accident when erations of selective breeding, Belyaev had crehe chances upon the naked groin of the dying ated something truly astounding: foxes that old man in his final days and finds him to be showed conspicuous physical and behaviouuncircumcised. Mai’I Dada, when he knows he ral differences when compared to randomly has been discovered, can barely get these bred counterparts. He had created foxes that words out of his larynx: “What will the boys wagged their tails, licked their custodians and think? A teli’s son will always be a teli’s son. He performed solicitous jumps; foxes with floppy doesn’t become a Pathan even if the Pathans ears, piebald coats and upturned tails that have reared him.” barked. Foxes that looked like domesticated Mai’IDada’s story has been famously narrat- dogs. ed to packed houses all over the world by Zia Substitute low self-esteem for tameness in Mohyeddin. The story has been drafted in a such an experiment and straightaway Dobzplayfully waggish register and is as much hansky’s proposition (that I opened with) about Mai’IDada’s personality as about the starts sounding like a theorem. lapse of Pathans into lesser métier. But what unfailingly animates the audience into guf- asatwik@gmail.com

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Tube truths When it comes to news, Indians seem to care only about local events vivek bendre

Caught napping Is India’s democracy a slumbering elephant rather than a rogue pachyderm sr raghunathan

Reporter in the ring Looking in DILLI DARBAR

A sharp and clear-eyed first draft of India’s troubled recent history, with a few missing blanks It is time Indian news and think tanks paid more attention to the world outside

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espite India’s seemingly intermina- right to information law and attempts to sub- mocracy as half empty argue that merely blecentury chaos and the failure of its devertofit,their the febrile news networks by the keeping India together is not he 11th traveller Al Biruni quality reporting has sharply led gone reaucratic interference, protocol andenough,” proce- he “bossy, bombastic and relentlessly opinionatto deliver more, Simon rules, cronyism is rife, the came mocracy to India and found its thinkdown. dure writes. are Patronage stifling individual creativity, ed” Arnab Goswami, the so anti-corruption Denyer finds and room optimism. In India gap between the rich and poor rising, the ing people insular notfor particuitself news has become domesti- initiative and talent.

This is at least oneisreason and the parliament.

He finds raucousabout news networks, the camseceding from thewilling state seeklarlythecurious the outside cally movement focused, prime timedysfunctional TV is all about elec- why middle-class intellectuallyare active scholars are paign against a ‘new’ invigorDenyer is atevents, his best that when momentous reporting the aning for private education, institutions. health, transport, a world.

Yet, India hascorruption been at theand crossroads of tions and local to work foreign-funded The ecdotal and his vivid of some middle class and driving a clamour Maoist pulling away tribals Asia, ated homeand to noisy travellers, traders teachers developments around the profiles world hardly getof the number of insurgency researchers isfrom governmentfor change.

The gloom that has descended newsmakers from democracy.

What doeswith not explore who roamed the world.

Contemporary India is on any space or time. who have dominated the headfunded outfits applying forhejobs new is stand out. recounts an angry reaction the country looks andlinked it’s a ques- In lines why most of India’s institutions so gravely a paradox.

It has an eliteexaggerated, that is globally the decade afterHe India became a nuclear global think tanks that have an India are centre is from office to his unflattion to of global time, Denyer believes, before India recompromised do they resist change and reand open influences and yet exhibits power andthe wasprime able tominister’s sustain an annual averjust one indicator of—this nascent trend. discovers the mojo of its go-go years of high tering profile Manmohan Singh (he de- Clearly, form both because a crippling legacy? a shocking niggardliness when it comes to inage growth rate of ofover 8 per cent, global theofIndian mediacolonial and think scribed him a “dithering, growth and unbridled calls Indian vesting in seeking an Indianoptimism. view of the world media not only tookasgreater interest in India tanks need to findHe ways inthe which theymiddle-class’s can find Rogue Elephant the latest a long list of bureaucrat”). unprecedented in globor presenting an Indianisview to the in world. but, ineffectual more importantly, reportedThere favourably the funds needed“self-exile to pay more attention to the Rogue Elephant also profiles of whistle books foreign correspondents history yet”, yet large sections With one by more foreign correspondenttrying tak- to aboutare India’s performance and blowprospect. As world in a manneralthat will attract good talent Simon Denyer Bloomsbury ers Ashokslowed Khemkadown, and Sanjiv Cha- atti- and enable themof to sense the churning in the world’s theproduce middle-class have come en offmake the rolls ofof a major media group the to- bigthe economy as political material that out ₹599 gest democracy.

Denyer is a peripatetic and turvedi, who between them have on the streets and supported Artal number of Indian foreign correspondents tudes in India became more insular and as the would find an audience.

Denyer is at his best Non-fiction observant journalist, and packs a lot in 16 transferred ofbecome their jobs AAP. gap is is now into single digits. Two years ago in a major West,been on the one hand,out has morewhen de- reporting However, if Kejriwal’s this financial theevenvind breathless chapters pages.correWritten in more than times in Haryana, other hand, he inwrites, business newspaper hadover five400 foreign fensive about its50 own future, and the“a East (the anecdotal bridged, what aboutOn thethe mind space of an state where is no more social stiglucid and racy Rogue is a sharp whohandful see theofglass half-full spondents.

Today, it prose, has none.

TheElephant recent slowSinosphere) has there become sular those elite? The foreign ma attached to graft”. and clear-eyed first draft India’s troubled see an “unprecedented awakening down of the economy andof the deflation of reconfident, India seems to have correspondents now on the payAfter meeting Narendra Modi, cent history. of India, enabled bycoman inforexpectations has forced expenditure cutbacks fallen between two stools. roll ofing media organisations he wonders whether “whiteThere are few things that Rogue Elephant revolution, youngget people that have further marginalised spending on There are, however, a fewthe signs plainmation that they no longer News about the missesand out on.

Denyer outlines the corruption bearded knight from Gujarat”, about the future ofon the gathering disseminating world news of hope.

Indian big business is fi- who is running who care space in print or time air.country, Their acworld comes to scandals, bemoans tragedy of Manmohan a potential prime minister is well suited to tivists using tools andthat institutions within the Indian media.the Television channels nallyas willing to invest in research editorsthetell them the audi-of deIndia through other Singh, details the stormy aftermath the Delrun aissues. coalition government. to isforge a better nation.” Denyer running foreign affairs programmes findoffew on global At least three In- And whether Mo- mocracy ence just not interested. people’s eyes and threatens the very essence hi gang rape, advertisers. and worries about the criminaliinflexion point in India’s viewers and fewer dian di business leaders have put of what makes believes this So, is it an is not surprising that the hispens great through assault on secularism tory, “a news sation of politics. also one writes about the time of when the oldofways Travelling around theHe world, is struck their India money where theirhis mouth ofchange the disappearance thehave scourge of dynastic and the rights of minorities. brokenMalaysian down.” Theairliner pace ofMH370 social change by the complete absence politics, of Indianthe TVlandmark net- is. Mukesh Ambani leads the took anin Inmeets Arvind Kejri- dia is glacial, the inability to riseonabove works in hotel rooms while one finds China league with his support Denyer to the Obentire and 48 hours to surface a man who has “no caste and identity what remains hierarchiCentral Television (Chinese television’s global server Research wal, Foundation prime timeinnews on mostachanabout presenting society is anhundreds example of channel) aired in more places. Even Al Jazeera (ORF). This think tankqualms has finally hired talentnels, cal even though of that.

Indians now as the Denyer could haveroutes, also chosen more prehas acquired an international footprint. The ed professionals afterhimself depending forMessiah, years onabout travel regularly on these from aIndian flaunting his own title.

Rogue Elephant up visions of global spread of people of Indian origin has retired diplomats. Anand Mahindra has fi-impacitiescise to the west coast of theconjures US or to destinatience”.

“This is a large part of country — and created an international market for Indian en- nanced Gateway House, a Mumbai-based outtionsawithin East Asia.democracy — which has gone his appeal.

It is aAvantha quality that Ironically, berserk.even But India’s recent problems appear to tertainment, but not yet for Indian news. fit that is slowly finding its feet. as India has become a more he has shares the BJP’s prime more to with aelite dysfunctional governWhen I was in the Prime Minister’s Office I Group’s Gautam Thapar lentwith support to Asopenhave economy, thedo Indian have become candidate Narena bloated and lazy politicians supported journalist Saeed Naqvi’s enthusias- pen India, which hasministerial been organising impormorement, insular in theirstate interests — or at least out dra Modi, andand in Aspen the media with the rising the aspirations of their tic initiative to get Doordarshan to launch a tant meetings. Both Gateway House that of is touch what those funding media and with Goswami: elephant has gone into a slumber. world news channel but neither were funds India lag behind ORFworld in terms of Arnab their talent thinkvoters. tanksThe seem to think.

Hopefully, in that messianic drive to preIndia’s is far from forthcoming nor was DD ready to undertake pool of fulltime researchers. monthsTrue, to come, as democracy the Indian economy be- fully sentgovernment himself to an impatient “What in wethe haveoutside in Indiaworld is a defecsuch a massive enterprise.

New Delhi has several funded gins functioning. to revive, interest public as the tiverevive elective democracy,” As a result, news about the world comes to think tanks but each one of them findsman itselfon fi- the will also and the nascentShailesh growth Gandhi, of Indi- forto India’s mer information commissioner tells India through other people’s eyes and pens, nancially constrainedhorse, and theriding more dynamic an expertise on world affairs will blossom.

But, him. bycontinuing itself does not makeofa democracy.” and news about India is also transmitted by ones are desperately presence”. reaching out to the pri- when“Voting will the atrophy foreign reportage is firstIt’s a work in and Denyer’s book is a other people — the small band of foreign cor- vate sector and foreignDenyer’s foundations for supcorrespondents getprogress, reversed?

SANJAYA BARU’SPehle book The Accidenmuch tankHowever, is funded by of a his modest contribution in recording it. aap India seems caught respondents resident in New Delhi. Even they port. Where a thinkrate. tal Prime Minister willbetween be published later bureaucrat and analysis is unexceptional. operate with such shoestring budgets that the particular ministry of the government, bu- sanjaya_baru@hotmail.com a dithering this year a reluctant prince rajeev bhatt “Those who see Indian de- soutik biswas is India Editor BBC news site

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Feeding frenzy Everyone’s a foodie now. If you want bragging rights, you have to be an extreme foodie

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n 1936, when a transatlantic voyage on the new French liner SS Normandie was akin to a ride on the Virgin Galactic today, someone at a hotel in Paris had a bright idea. He decided to open a grand grillroom in the liner’s likeness — the now legendary Le Relais Plaza — for those who had missed the boat.

Nearly 80 years later, it may seem uncharitable to think of some of India’s latest food entrepreneurs as those who missed the boat. But it’s not entirely inaccurate. They chose MBAs over hotel management, trained as tattoo artists rather than chefs, spent their savings on a house not a restaurant... and all this when the time was ripe for new ideas and business models, and Masterchef Australia was but one season old.

With the food evolution now near-complete — since sumac rolls off the tongue as easily as sambar and carbon steel German knives make for appropriate birthday gifts — no food dream is big enough, no idea extraordinary.

But the boat-missers are not giving up yet.

Paddling hard to make up for lost time, they are going to great lengths to stand out in a grand, but overcrowded grillroom. We seek out just such a crop of culinary daredevils and extreme foodies in the country.

Are you, she replies in mock dread, before dissolving into laughter and setting the tone for an evening that turns out to be — strangely — a lot of fun.

At this, the first of many such pop-up meals across Delhi, Mumbai and Pune (Bangalore and Kolkata are next), we’ve been brought together by the love of food — a multi-course Mediterranean spread — and by OnceUponMyKitchen. An online marketplace, OUMK seeks to build a network of guests and home cooks who have all, at least once, dreamed the restaurant dream.

Not entirely out-of-the-box — supper clubs and underground dining have been thriving in the shadows of Indian metros for a while now — but novel in its own way, the website encourages amateur cooks to turn their dining

table into a restaurant and their dinner parties into a profit-making proposition (OUMK and the hosts have a 10 per cent share each in the price of a meal). That it also puts them in the path of other food-obsessed people and potential friends is but the icing on the cake.

Or in this case, pine nuts in the Yotam Ottolenghi-inspired Moroccan carrot salad.

Launched mid-February, by Mumbai-based husband-wife duo Ranjith and Sheetal Rajasekharan, OUMK has been attracting more hosts (over 120 at last count) than guests in its first month of operation. Among them are journalists, designers, boardroom regulars, advertising professionals and at least one delightful conversationalist. Nigel Fernandes, who runs a tattoo studio in Mumbai (and whose first OUMK dinner was sabotaged by

Dining in ‘Don’t talk to strangers’ is often good advice.

But what do you do if you are an extreme foodie? Well, you invite some home for dinner.

Litigator Sumeet Lall is, underNow sumac rolls off standably, wary of strangers. So our tongue as easily when Shailaja, his corporate lawas sambar yer-wife, threatens to spend Saturday night with some, he insists on joining her. (He blames it on the Capital’s unsafe streets, she on Murder 2, which they watched together on cable the previous night.)

Nidhi Jolly, a marketing professional and marathoner, and our host for tonight, has no such qualms. She meets us at the door like she would old friends, dressed in a pastel sheath, nude heels and an eyeball-grabbing neckpiece she picked up on one of her many travels. To her, so deliciously illicit is the thrill of discovery, of unplanned conversation, that she chooses not to google her dinner guests.

Spicy palate Chilli pickle prepared by Gitika Saikia for an OUMK lunch What if we were serial killers, I ask.

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Game changers (left)the only thing more abunBack at Jolly’s, The Rivers andthe Satellites; dant than food itself — from parmesan (below) Dass at crisps Anthony and homemade bread to herb-stuffed a recording session; the tomatoes and an apple cake that could put Defirst album brought out liathe Smith toBoys shame — is the food-related chatby Barmer

Blooming brothers Prateeksh (above) and Agnay Mehra brew beer and make cheese in their Mumbai apartment

ter. Pinned to the chair by tales of chasing salad trucks across town and by yet another helping of brownie buttons, time runs out long before the food does. original content now,” says Vijay Barsur, coHeading out into theThe night, I discover my founder OKlisten.com. diversity of protaxi is at large, Lall also and Shailaja step in to gramming in when festivals provides a platdrop for melesser-known home. In themusicians. back of a strange car, form minutes shy who of midnight, I lean backand as the we Rais Khan, plays the morchang pick up‘talking the threads of an unfinished Indian drum’ bhapang, saysconversathat pertion andwith race The along empty Delhi Odforming Barmer Boys hasroads… taken their dly, there’s about it.“It is a regmusic to annothing entirelystrange new audience. ular affair for us when we perform in the vilBlooming in my basement lages of Rajasthan.

But playing at festivals and What do twoinBombay in their 20s do afperforming cities isboys completely different. terhours?

Knock back few beers withwhich friends.

People celebrate our amusic visibly, is Check.

Nibble he at says. cheese and crackers while rare at home,” they are at it. Check.

Anthony Dass, however, has a different Now, try that again. twocities.

Bombay opinion on hisWhat showsdo in big “In extreme foodies do we afterhours? back a cities, are seenKnock as a ‘showfew craft beers they brewed at home. piece’.

In small townsAnd andnibvilble at Camembertlages, and Brie in theythat see ‘bloomed’ us as one of their basement! them,” says Dass, who perCalling brothers Prateeksh, 29, indie-band and Agnay formed with Mehra, 27, foodies though, is like RiLa Pongal, andcalling who now chard Branson a manufacturer andgroup the Pussy has his own AnRiot a band. Sure theythonyin love theirParty. food —Ain fact, perPrateeksh has been aformer food photographer since the agefor of the better part of a decade now —says but what the 10, Dass he still two really are, are dotty scientists.

“I have been plays at nearly 300 using my right brainshows for years now,Tamil it wasNadu time across to let the rusty leftevery one do itseither job,” says Prayear, singing teeksh, who won solo a Cannes for his or as Bronze part of aLion kargattam work in 2010. (Tamil folk dance) troupe. In Holed up the in their 700 sq ft baselast few years, heDahisar has performment-cave found a chink in the edwhenever at The Bluethey Lotus Festival, performday, the experimented with yeast and ed at Thesiblings Dewarists and has recorded a session hops, timings, for two at Coketemperatures Studio. Sonya and Mazumdar, director of Strangers no more Nidhi Jolly serving at the OUMK dinner she hosted sourajit ghosal years.

And when making but the record label Prateeksh Earthsync,wasn’t witnessed Dass’s drinking the beer, hesays likedit to pair rise to stardom and was nothisanbrews easy with cheese (an unusual but one that journey.

“Anthony has a lotchoice, of charisma and he chickenpox), has been cooking Goan Chris- lokia, lai haak (leafy greens that marry well puts is slowly gaining ground globally).

“The trouin a lot of work to promote his music.

For tian and Emirati food for friends on almost ev- with pork), khar (an alkali made from the cin- many ble,” he says, the “was I rarely from foundsmall anything artists, transition townsI ery weekend of his adult life. With a Goan der of banana stem or peel) and banana flow- to liked.

Andscenes when Idoesn’t did — scraping the bottom of bigger really happen, but he father and Mangalorean mum, schooling in ers (of bananas with seeds) ever since she has a shelf crowded with imported labels — the made that leap.”

Dubai and England, tattoo courses in Singa- moved 3,000km away from home. But after cheese was far too expensive.”

Television shows such as The Coke Studio and pore, and other travels through his almost OUMK’s website went live, she says she finds TheItDewarists was on one such occasion year ago have also provenabout to beagood cadecade-long MNC stint, Fernandes has collect- herself greeting the courier delivery boys talysts that thefor skies thundered neurons crackmaking artistsand from small towns ed recipes and friends across time zones. more often. Intent on giving Mumbai a taste popular. led in his“National head. “Since I wasyour already familiar TV takes band’s reach heir inspiration revealstoithis all.kitchen “Bryan fan of the diversity of Assam, Saikia hopes to introMany of whom return routinely following while retaining their regional or to with the process fermentation a different level.ofAfter performingfor in beer,” these Adams made ribs us pick a guitar and ‘small biryani. duce guests to the cuisines of Bodo, Dimasa, shows, for signature barbecue andup Arabic town feel’. says Prateeksh, “what stopping meup from the number of was doors that open inplay,” Masta, theof23-year-old Had he stuck to Mohit his original plan opening a Karbi and herBoys, owna Sonowal tribe. creases The Barmer collectiveKochari of Rajasthani trying my hand at cheese-making?

Wasn’t altremendously,” says Sharma.

BothitAnlead guitarist Sonerestaurant in Goa —and he vocalist struck itofoff the folk Meals are priced ₹600-700 per head.

“Now, musicians, who were brought together by thony so about controlling Dass and Themicroorganisms Barmer Boys and are pat’s first alt-rock sheepishly. bucket listband, whensays he rather realised just how the which restaurantrecording would you findAmarass that at, you Delhi-based label Re- testimony ageing andtofermenting?” this.

While no punk or rockwere ‘n’ rollin’ city band manyrock variables involved and cords tell me,” asks no one in particular. in she 2011, Anthony Dass from ReddipaSo with no training, no talesinofthe tutelage Atul Churamani, a veteran musicuninwould admit to how this (even every be adojust fickle though tastes could — layam, near Thanjavur, who is becoming a dustry, sees these developments as the demolescent of thebusiness ’90s wentwould through A Summer of popular name at alternative festivals and live cratisation of the indie music scene. “There have probably 69 phase), the boys from Sonepat areword ready to chugged along by of gigs, are similar such examples. are many consumers today who are willing to wear their loyalties on their sleeve. mouth alone.

With OUMK From Harpa village in Barmer pay good money to get away from Masta, along with his younger sibling though, the stakes are Pralow district of Rajasthan, the Barmer the Bollywood repertoire,” he teek, and friend Parvik started playand Sharma, (non-monetary) re- Boys have been musicians for alsays. “There are venues across the ing together fiveturns, yearsjust agoas and many.have not most their entire lives. Yet, it is a major metros now which invite The indie music stopped since. As The Satellites, AskRivers Gitika and Saikia, a mar- new experience for them to be artists to perform original music. industry is proving they have produced 23 original tracks, keting executive withwhich Tech part of a ‘band’. As Ashutosh SharAnd then there’s the ever-growing conducive for talent have found an online audience on ReverbNaMahindra, who has been ma of Amarass Record says, “It is festival circuit.” Overall, Churafrom smaller towns tion (a platform forsqueezing independent music).breakThey probably the first time that tradiweekend mani says, there are more opporare now all set to release their first official sin- tional Rajasthani instruments fasts and lunches for OUMK tunities available for gle Nowhere Boy, which tells the travails of such as the morchang, khartaal in what is aofpacked-like-theindependent musicians than depression. But the high point in their careers and bhapang are being mixed local-train life in Mumbai. there were before. has been, “Playing at Delhi’s Dhyan Chand Na- with beat-boxing and DJ sets.” The Barmer Hardly a challenge for Saikia, These musicians, who come from different tional Stadiuma as partDibrugarh of the Hockey India feisty girl who, on Boys, in their short career as a ‘band’ have per- schools of music and perform to different auLeague’s opening ceremony,” says last Prateek. a holiday in Europe year, formed with internationally acclaimed ar- diences, are appreciated by music aficionados They are especially thrilled that the giginterwas tistes like Malian singer and guitarist Vieux today for their talent and their roots. At their queued up on a whim at the telecast live, which border meant that their music Farka Toure and Bombino from Niger. “They al- maiden gig at TLR Café in Delhi, The Rivers and national of Montenegro boomedwithout across drawing rooms and through a valid visa (“I had heard their so played a fusion gig with DJ Spincycle from Satellites announced they were from Sonepat. the country. food was to die for”). That she didn’t end Canada in Delhi last week. It’s their talent “People were really surprised,” says Prateek. up that’s taking them places,” adds Sharma.

Thedead, Riversor and in many ways, epiup inSatellites, an episode of Locked “You don’t expect people from Haryana to play a different matter, of course. music Abroad,aisnew tomise trend in the alternative With a rapidly expanding festival circuit, this kind of music. But where we are from, we Likein hatted tu- the independent music industry is proving are never going to hide.” scene India.chefs Overwho the fly lasttheir fewyellow years, fin many na from Tokyo’s Tsukijifrom or white truffle from musicians and bands non-metros are conducive for talent from smaller towns. “The sibistall arasu bhut joPiedmont, Saikia has been ‘importing’ finding spaces to perform, play and cultivate a Indian Deep-fried delights Roycin D’Souza at his Makin’ Bacon at a music festival in Mumbai last year audience is more open to consuming

Bryan Adams of Sonepat

Musicians from small towns cultivate a new fan following with a bit of the old and a bit of the new

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Viva la France Camembert prepared by the Mehra brothers prateeksh mehra

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MANJ KHAMAJ

Next, the duo plan to add a range of goat’s cheeses — with higher fatty acids and shorter shelf-life, making heavy salting a necessity — and blue cheese to their repertoire. To be sold under ‘The Spotted Cow’ label from endMarch, the cheeses will be supplied to a small pool of restaurateurs and private clients to begin with. They will also have smaller packs to encourage the average Joe to try something new and exciting.

The brothers, meanwhile, are expecting more friends to drop in.

Keep calm and listen on arunabha deb

Ahoy Ahomiya Gitika Saikia with her husband at an OUMK lunch they hosted

Want to be initiated into the world of Hindustani music? Here is a handy guide

der artisans in the shadow of the French Alps, the Mehra brothers plunged headlong into a vat of full-cream milk. Dipping into books and the internet for information, sourcing rennet and bacterial cultures from friends and family abroad, they braved several disasters, only to arrive at Gruyere and Gouda that turned out to be “frightfully close” to artisanal variants in Europe. Working with local cow’s milk (pasteurised at home) make mild,know soft cheeses, ost oftomy friends little of aged for about a month and a half, the brothHindustani music.

They say they ers are proudest their Camembert Brie, are of interested — only toand quickly Saint-Marcellin and Italian With blooadd that theyRobiola. are interested but my, fungal rinds “that have a to mind of theywhite feel ‘inadequate’ while listening a Hintheir own”, they require constant care and dustani piece.

As one of them put it, ‘it feels mollycoddling, balmy like there is a lotespecially going onin and I am Mumbai. only getThe of part preservatives ting aabsence minuscule of it.’ Whilemakes it is truethem that more and toothsome. there delicate is a lot going on in a Hindustani piece, it is not necessary that one has to ‘get’ all of it to enjoy it. Hindustani music is often shrouded in a lot of rubbish to market it as an exotic and impregnable entity, or to hold it as the preserve of a few knowing elite. This is off-putting, yes, but it also takes the focus away from the music. At the end of the day, like any music, Hindustani music comprises melodic phrases that can be hummed while watering the plants. So, for my friends who keep asking me how they should initiate themselves into Hindustani music, here are five guidelines:

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Don’t try to ‘prepare’ before listening to a Hindustani piece. Plunge straight into the music. Ustad Ali Akbar Khan had once said that Westerners often ask him how they should ‘prepare’ to listen to a Hindustani concert. He always told them to come and relax because ‘the music will tell you what to do’.

There is a staggering amount of Hindustani music available online; you don’t need to amass a collection before you start listening.

(You can choose a forum that is commensurate with your ethical standpoint vis-à-vis pirated music.) And I am not sure if Ustad Ali Akbar Khan was referring to all Hindustani musicians while giving his advice. In your searches, you will find several musicians whose music will tell you what to do, but the message could be one that sends you back to the music you came from. So, don’t stop exMunchies on the move Karan Malik with Super Sucker, his food truck, in Delhi ploring on the firstramesh day.sharma

Bacon is a food group At 22, Mumbai’s Roycin D’Souza knows exactly why he’d pick the local back bacon (which curls) over imported, vacuum-packed Belly bacon (“because it’s better and doesn’t cost a human arm and a leg”). If that doesn’t cut it, ask him about the Makin’ Bacon stall — his first — at the NH7 Weekender music festival last Octo- Trendsetters Sheetal and Ranjith Rajasekharan ber, where he flipped bacon burgers and bat- launched OUMK earlier this year ter-fried, bacon-wrapped Snicker bars for a hungry mob of 600. All this in… wait for it… a Homeowner-hosts and the cook/s bring friends along and split the costs. The only peopair of boxer shorts.

In a 20-minute telephonic interview, D’Sou- ple barred entry are nosy, tetchy neighbours za, a photographer by profession and food-lov- with a history of calling the police. er by choice, utters the word bacon about as many times as he inhales. And who can blame Salad days him? Currently in the thick of R&D operations There was a time when food trucks largely for his preservative-free bacon marmalade, ba- meant grubby Chinese operations, where con butter, candied bacon (jerky), baconnaise food and comfort came cheap. Then came ca(mayo) and even a bacon peanut butter (a nod ble television, and with it the American dream of taco trucks in Manhattan or to Elvis), D’Souza can’t quite exfrites in Queens. And never did plain this unbridled affection for the twain meet. all things bacon. “I suppose I nevOr so I thought, until Lall and er baked a cake,” he offers weakly.

Nothing in his Mangalorean roots about science their wild D’Souza can’t quite Shailaja told me No rocket goose chase across Sarita Vihar in and schooldays in Dubai and Goa You don’t need to ‘get’ explain this Delhi this winter.

They were in suggests any deep porkaporka all of Hindustani music unbridled affection to enjoy it Karan Mapursuit of 26-year-old connection — except, perhaps, the for all things bacon a muralitharan lik and the Super Sucker. Named, meals he tossed up for hungover friends at college. And yet, D’Soucuriously, after a detox salad (suIt is best to start with the at India Habitat Centre, per sucker, get it?), the truck has za finds himself neck-deep inbiggest lard names — have even heard, that you’re probably familiar with “How can you sayfootloose there is only onecity Raga Yabeen in the since lovenames — starting small with jars of even though have never in heard any Hinman? Therelast canyear. be many Yamans.”

Its daily address, a telltale jammy baconyou for customers Mumbai and September dustani music. are popular for like a reason. makeshift stallsThey at music festivals Sun- pin on Facebook. Go figure.

Speaking of jargon, musicfests will Their and music burn NH7.is usually anchored around an After the usual roundsHindustani of winter music throwofmany at you.

Consciously stay away aesthetic thatisn’t doesquite not warrant acquired which charge a cool ₹40,000 as When that enough, an he takes his — some from these.

There probably a simpler syntaste with and they thought to parking rental for is two evenings — the Super shop him have (sort given of) toserious a handful of open onym for every item of to jargon.

And,the honestly, ‘presentation’, ensuring that a recital Mumis col- Sucker truck is waiting tide over harsh terraces and gardens in parsimonious you need not know anything aboutUntil ‘Gharana’ ourful a diverse of listeners. summer in Malik’s garage. then, bai andforcalls it thegroup Bombay BarbecueThere’s Club. Delhi and ‘Raga and ‘Vadi-Samavadi’ to enjoy a large gamut to choose from: Pandit Ravi the chef, Roop’ who trained in Melbourne and Hindustani music. if you’restints interested, Shankar, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, Pandit Bhim- earned elbow greaseAnd at cooking in the just Google the terms.

The explanations are sen Joshi, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Pandit Hari- London Olympics and Australian Open, plans simple enough thatfor you don’t healthy need anfood aficioprasad Chaurasia, Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, to feed the demand low-cal, at nado to explain them.

Begum Parveen Sultana, Ustad Rashid Khan. gyms and hospitals.

Greek salad, anyone?

This is, of course, a random selection of If you a raga,wheels listen to renditions of that names, but, over the years, their music has Meals on like (private) raga Nair by multiple artistes, vocal instrusucceeded in getting many of my ‘new listen- Shyam is the Curtis Stone of and Bangalore. mental.

After listening to about or seven er’ friends hooked.

The take-home chef, whose arrivalsix in the city’s renditions, be able hum out’ the bafood circuityou twoshould years ago led to ‘eating to You must tell yourself that there is nothing ‘eating in’. After sic phrases of the Then try to prepping in raga. his grandmothwrong in sticking to ‘popular’ identify scraps thefood ragainto in other’s garage, Nair would loadofthe his tastes in Hindustani music. In er agenres of music you listen to. car and serve meal for his clients in their this regard, you should be wary of This process of year finding similar homes. A back injury late last forced him two groups of people: the ‘purists’ The theme to melodic strains different takeof things slow, so he is backinat the drawmusic and what I can best describe as genres music ing board now.

The of new idea is“isquite to getaddiclikeChaplin’s Limelight the ‘Anthro Brigade’. The former tive.

Andtogether the ‘No!like That can’t Disbe!’ minded to jam bands.” matches note for cooks group is still tolerable (they moments arenew especially coverZila new flavours, make friends.fun. The note with Raga might lead you to good music, althemeMehra musicand of Charles Chaplin’s others are mereKafi; you willMalik, find D’Souza, beit after frying your brain with Limelight matches note forinnote ly theintip of the (hand-churned) iceberg the Raga Kirwani advice, a bit like this column), but with Raga Zila Kafi; you will find evolving foodscape of India.

For every 10 peoBeethoven’s the latter group should be avoidRagachicken Kirwanilollipops in the Third Moveple who order in restauPathetique ed at all costs. The ‘Anthro Briof Beethoven’s rants, there ment is at least one personPathetique. trying to gade’ comprises a wide section of And fowl, then there thousands of raise an organic whichare is hand-fed and people dabbling in the Social SciHindi film songs are based, frequently petted.

There are that cook-offs and ences. Many of them are pursuing pretty contests, obvious melodic competitive ineating mysteryterms, box PhDs in foreign lands but can be perpetually cooking on ragasparties of theand Hindustani system.

Thison patblind tastings going in found in Delhi and Kolkata, doing fieldwork obscure tern recognition exercise, with its of The fun corners of every Indian citymix now. and attending classical music concerts. They question and rigour, in my is opinion, the most noislonger what would you engaglike to believe that all popular artistes should be eat? ing way to wade into Hindustani music.

It’s how far would you go with your love scoffed at. And given their professional train- for grub? ing, their conversations about Hindustani arunabha deb is a Kolkata-based lawyer and music banerjee shubhodeb@hotmail.com writer music are littered with gratuitous plurals. I soity

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The backbone of Everest

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Back to the grind Two porters, b and oblivious to the stunning backk the Cholatse peak, start the climb Dugla memorials en route to Lobu u

The sherpas of the Khumbu region continue to carry the weight of expectations of thousands of climbers

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n the northeast corner of Nepal, bordering Tibet, lie four of the five highest mountains in the world — Everest, Makalu, Lhotse and Kangchendzonga. In the high valleys, below these mountains, lie the two districts of Solu and Khumbu, the home of the sherpas.

Ever since Nepal opened it doors to climbers in 1949, the sherpas have been the backbone of any climbing expedition, carrying huge loads, sometimes up to 50kg each, for a wage of not more than $15 per day. Many of the expedition sherpas, who are now Everest summiteers, started their lives as porters ferrying loads. Even today, most of these porters hail from the Solu-Khumbu district. Since 1949, the popularity of the region with its star-studded galaxy of high peaks, emerald lakes, icy glaciers and fast-flowing rivers has drawn tourists in droves. This influx also provided a means of employment for the villagers.

Every spring and autumn, more than 50,000 trekkers and climbers descend on the Khumbu region. A majority of them come to trek to the base camp (south) of Everest and to climb Kala Patthar, the black rock above the base camp with its splendid 360-degree view of the Khumbu Himal. Others attempt ‘trekking peaks’ like Island Peak, Lobuche East, and the most intrepid and determined attempt the Everest. There are guided climbs to Everest where a client can pay $50,000 for a place on the summit! To keep the lodges running en route and to provide food and shelter to this enormous influx of visitors, porters and yaks are used right through the season to ferry loads from the airstrip of Lukla to the base camp. Without this back-up team, no expedition can be successful. sujoy das is a Kolkata-based photographer and founder of the travel outfit South Col Expeditions

The high yaks take o to the Ever

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b bent over kkdrop of b upto the u uche

iers Flights land at Lukla airstrip from Kathmandu, and the o over. Expedition barrels are carried from the airstrip at 2,800m erest base camp at 5,600m

Load shedding Playing carrom in the Lukla sunshine on a rare afternoon off

Weighty matter Surely it doesn’t get any bigger than this! A porter carries a huge suitcase for a lodge owner on the trail between Khumjung and Thyanboche monastery

By the way A porter rests awhile near a prayer wheel of the Benkar village

Breathing easy Exhausted, this young lad takes a short nap before resuming a punishing climb to Mong la pass.

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Game changers (left)the only thing more abunBack at Jolly’s, The Rivers andthe Satellites; dant than food itself — from parmesan (below) Dass at crisps Anthony and homemade bread to herb-stuffed a recording session; the tomatoes and an apple cake that could put Defirst album brought out liathe Smith toBoys shame — is the food-related chatby Barmer

Blooming brothers Prateeksh (above) and Agnay Mehra brew beer and make cheese in their Mumbai apartment

ter. Pinned to the chair by tales of chasing salad trucks across town and by yet another helping of brownie buttons, time runs out long before the food does. original content now,” says Vijay Barsur, coHeading out into theThe night, I discover my founder OKlisten.com. diversity of protaxi is at large, Lall also and Shailaja step to gramming in when festivals provides a in platdrop melesser-known home. In themusicians. back of a strange car, form for minutes shy who of midnight, I lean backand as the we Rais Khan, plays the morchang pick up‘talking the threads of an unfinished Indian drum’ bhapang, saysconversathat pertion andwith race The along empty Delhi Odforming Barmer Boys hasroads… taken their dly, there’s about it.“It is a regmusic to annothing entirelystrange new audience. ular affair for us when we perform in the vilBlooming in my basement lages of Rajasthan.

But playing at festivals and What do twoinBombay in their 20s do afperforming cities isboys completely different. terhours?

Knock back few beers withwhich friends.

People celebrate our amusic visibly, is Check.

Nibble he at says. cheese and crackers while rare at home,” they are at it. Check.

Anthony Dass, however, has a different Now, try that again.

Bombay opinion on hisWhat showsdo in two big cities.

“In extreme foodies do we afterhours? cities, are seenKnock as a back ‘show-a few craft beers they brewed at home. piece’.

In small townsAnd andnibvilble at Camembertlages, and Brie in theythat see ‘bloomed’ us as one of their basement! them,” says Dass, who perCalling brothers Prateeksh, 29, indie-band and Agnay formed with Mehra, 27, foodies though, is like RiLa Pongal, andcalling who now chard Branson a manufacturer andgroup the Pussy has his own AnRiot a band. Sure they thonyin love theirParty. food — Ain fact, perPrateeksh has been aformer food photographer since the agefor of the better part of a decade now —says but what the 10, Dass he still two really are, are dotty scientists.

“I have been plays at nearly 300 using my right brainshows for years now,Tamil it wasNadu time across to let the rusty leftevery one do its either job,” says Prayear, singing teeksh, who won asolo Cannes for his or as Bronze part of aLion kargattam work in 2010. (Tamil folk dance) troupe. In Holed up the in their 700 sq ftheDahisar baselast few years, has performment-cave found a chink in the edwhenever at The Bluethey Lotus Festival, performday, the siblings experimented with yeast and ed at The Dewarists and has recorded a session hops, timings,director for two at Coketemperatures Studio. Sonya and Mazumdar, of Strangers no more Nidhi Jolly serving at the OUMK dinner she hosted sourajit ghosal years.

And when making but the record label Prateeksh Earthsync,wasn’t witnessed Dass’s drinking the beer, hesays likedit to pair hisanbrews rise to stardom and was not easy with cheese (an unusual but one that journey.

“Anthony has a lotchoice, of charisma and he chickenpox), has been cooking Goan Chris- lokia, lai haak (leafy greens that marry well puts is slowly gaining ground globally).

“The trouin a lot of work to promote his music.

For tian and Emirati food for friends on almost ev- with pork), khar (an alkali made from the cin- many ble,” he says, the “was I rarely from foundsmall anything artists, transition townsI ery weekend of his adult life. With a Goan der of banana stem or peel) and banana flow- to liked.

Andscenes when Idoesn’t did — scraping the bottom of bigger really happen, but he father and Mangalorean mum, schooling in ers (of bananas with seeds) ever since she has a shelf crowded with imported labels — the made that leap.”

Dubai and England, tattoo courses in Singa- moved 3,000km away from home. But after cheese was far too expensive.”

Television shows such as The Coke Studio and pore, and other travels through his almost OUMK’s website went live, she says she finds TheItDewarists was on one suchalso occasion about year ago have proven to bea good cadecade-long MNC stint, Fernandes has collect- herself greeting the courier delivery boys talysts that thefor skies thundered neurons crackmaking artistsand from small towns ed recipes and friends across time zones. more often. Intent on giving Mumbai a taste popular. led in his“National head. “Since I wasyour already familiar TV takes band’s reach heir inspiration revealstoithis all.kitchen “Bryan fan of the diversity of Assam, Saikia hopes to introMany of whom return routinely following while retaining their regional or to with the process fermentation a different level.ofAfter performingfor in beer,” these Adams made ribs us pick a guitar and ‘small biryani. duce guests to the cuisines of Bodo, Dimasa, shows, for signature barbecue andup Arabic town feel’. says Prateeksh, “what stopping meup from the number of was doors that open inplay,” Masta, theof23-year-old Had he stuck to Mohit his original plan opening a Karbi herBoys, owna Sonowal tribe. creases The and Barmer collectiveKochari of Rajasthani trying my hand at cheese-making?

Wasn’t altremendously,” says Sharma.

BothitAnlead guitarist restaurant in Goa —and he vocalist struck itofoffSonethe folk Meals are priced ₹600-700 per head.

“Now, musicians, who were brought together by thony so about controlling Dass and Themicroorganisms Barmer Boys and are pat’s first alt-rock sheepishly. bucket listband, whensays he rather realised just how the which restaurantrecording would you findAmarass that at, you Delhi-based label Re- testimony ageing andtofermenting?” this.

While no punk or rockwere ‘n’ rollin’ city band manyrock variables involved and cords tell me,” asks no one in particular. inshe 2011, Anthony Dass from ReddipaSo with no training, no talesinofthe tutelage Atul Churamani, a veteran musicuninwould admit to how this (even every be adojust fickle though tastes could — layam, near Thanjavur, who is becoming a dustry, sees these developments as the demolescent of thebusiness ’90s wentwould through A Summer of popular name at alternative festivals and live cratisation of the indie music scene. “There have probably 69 phase), the boys from Sonepat areword ready of to gigs, are similar such examples. chugged along by are many consumers today who are willing to wear their loyalties on their sleeve. mouth alone.

With OUMK From Harpa village in Barmer pay good money to get away from Masta, along with his younger sibling though, the stakes are Pralow district of Rajasthan, the Barmer the Bollywood repertoire,” he teek, and friend Parvik started playand Sharma, (non-monetary) re- Boys have been musicians for alsays. “There are venues across the ing together fiveturns, yearsjust ago as and many.have not most their entire lives. Yet, it is a major metros now which invite The indie music stopped since. As The Satellites, AskRivers Gitika and Saikia, a mar- new experience for them to be artists to perform original music. industry is proving they have produced 23 original tracks, keting executive withwhich Tech part of a ‘band’. As Ashutosh SharAnd then there’s the ever-growing conducive for talent have found an online audience on ReverbNaMahindra, who has been ma of Amarass Record says, “It is festival circuit.” Overall, Churafrom smaller towns tion (a platform forsqueezing independent music).breakThey probably the first time that tradiweekend mani says, there are more opporare now all set to release their first official sin- tional Rajasthani instruments fasts and lunches for OUMK tunities available for gle Nowhere Boy, which tells the travails of such as the morchang, khartaal in what is aofpacked-like-theindependent musicians than depression. But the high point their careers and bhapang are being mixed local-train lifein in Mumbai. there were before. has been, “Playing at Delhi’s Dhyan Chand Na- with beat-boxing and DJ sets.” The Barmer Hardly a challenge for Saikia, These musicians, who come from different tional Stadiuma as part of the Hockey India feisty Dibrugarh girl who, on Boys, in their short career as a ‘band’ have per- schools of music and perform to different auLeague’s opening ceremony,” sayslast Prateek. a holiday in Europe year, formed with internationally acclaimed ar- diences, are appreciated by music aficionados They are especially thrilled that the giginterwas tistes like Malian singer and guitarist Vieux today for their talent and their roots. At their queued up on a whim at the telecast live, which border meant that their music Farka Toure and Bombino from Niger. “They al- maiden gig at TLR Café in Delhi, The Rivers and national of Montenegro boomedwithout across drawing rooms and through a valid visa (“I had heard their so played a fusion gig with DJ Spincycle from Satellites announced they were from Sonepat. the country. food was to die for”). That she didn’t end Canada in Delhi last week. It’s their talent “People were really surprised,” says Prateek. up that’s taking them places,” adds Sharma.

Thedead, Riversor and in many ways, epiup inSatellites, an episode of Locked “You don’t expect people from Haryana to play a different matter, of course. music Abroad,aisnew tomise trend in the alternative With a rapidly expanding festival circuit, this kind of music. But where we are from, we Likein hatted their tu- the independent music industry is proving are never going to hide.” scene India.chefs Overwho the fly last fewyellow years, fin many na from Tokyo’s Tsukijifrom or white truffle from musicians and bands non-metros are conducive for talent from smaller towns. “The sibistall arasu bhut jo-a Indian Piedmont, Saikia been ‘importing’ finding spaces to has perform, play and cultivate Deep-fried delights Roycin D’Souza at his Makin’ Bacon at a music festival in Mumbai last year audience is more open to consuming

Bryan Adams of Sonepat

Musicians from small towns cultivate a new fan following with a bit of the old and a bit of the new

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Viva la France Camembert prepared by the Mehra brothers prateeksh mehra

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MANJ KHAMAJ

Next, the duo plan to add a range of goat’s cheeses — with higher fatty acids and shorter shelf-life, making heavy salting a necessity — and blue cheese to their repertoire. To be sold under ‘The Spotted Cow’ label from endMarch, the cheeses will be supplied to a small pool of restaurateurs and private clients to begin with. They will also have smaller packs to encourage the average Joe to try something new and exciting.

The brothers, meanwhile, are expecting more friends to drop in.

Keep calm and listen on arunabha deb

Ahoy Ahomiya Gitika Saikia with her husband at an OUMK lunch they hosted

Want to be initiated into the world of Hindustani music? Here is a handy guide

der artisans in the shadow of the French Alps, the Mehra brothers plunged headlong into a vat of full-cream milk. Dipping into books and the internet for information, sourcing rennet and bacterial cultures from friends and family abroad, they braved several disasters, only to arrive at Gruyere and Gouda that turned out to be “frightfully close” to artisanal variants in Europe. Working with local cow’s milk (pasteurised at home) make mild,know soft cheeses, ost oftomy friends little of aged for about a month and a half, the brothHindustani music.

They say they ers are proudest their Camembert Brie, are of interested — only toand quickly Saint-Marcellin and Italian With blooadd that theyRobiola. are interested but my, fungal rinds “that have a to mind of theywhite feel ‘inadequate’ while listening a Hintheir own”, they require constant and dustani piece.

As one of them put it,care ‘it feels mollycoddling, balmy like there is a lotespecially going onin and I am Mumbai. only getThe of part preservatives ting aabsence minuscule of it.’ Whilemakes it is truethem that more delicate and toothsome. there is a lot going on in a Hindustani piece, it is not necessary that one has to ‘get’ all of it to enjoy it. Hindustani music is often shrouded in a lot of rubbish to market it as an exotic and impregnable entity, or to hold it as the preserve of a few knowing elite. This is off-putting, yes, but it also takes the focus away from the music. At the end of the day, like any music, Hindustani music comprises melodic phrases that can be hummed while watering the plants. So, for my friends who keep asking me how they should initiate themselves into Hindustani music, here are five guidelines:

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Don’t try to ‘prepare’ before listening to a Hindustani piece. Plunge straight into the music. Ustad Ali Akbar Khan had once said that Westerners often ask him how they should ‘prepare’ to listen to a Hindustani concert. He always told them to come and relax because ‘the music will tell you what to do’.

There is a staggering amount of Hindustani music available online; you don’t need to amass a collection before you start listening.

(You can choose a forum that is commensurate with your ethical standpoint vis-à-vis pirated music.) And I am not sure if Ustad Ali Akbar Khan was referring to all Hindustani musicians while giving his advice. In your searches, you will find several musicians whose music will tell you what to do, but the message could be one that sends you back to the music you came from. So, don’t stop exMunchies on the move Karan Malik with Super Sucker, his food truck, in Delhi ploring on the firstramesh day.sharma

Bacon is a food group At 22, Mumbai’s Roycin D’Souza knows exactly why he’d pick the local back bacon (which curls) over imported, vacuum-packed Belly bacon (“because it’s better and doesn’t cost a human arm and a leg”). If that doesn’t cut it, ask him about the Makin’ Bacon stall — his first — at the NH7 Weekender music festival last Octo- Trendsetters Sheetal and Ranjith Rajasekharan ber, where he flipped bacon burgers and bat- launched OUMK earlier this year ter-fried, bacon-wrapped Snicker bars for a hungry mob of 600. All this in… wait for it… a Homeowner-hosts and the cook/s bring friends along and split the costs. The only peopair of boxer shorts.

In a 20-minute telephonic interview, D’Sou- ple barred entry are nosy, tetchy neighbours za, a photographer by profession and food-lov- with a history of calling the police. er by choice, utters the word bacon about as many times as he inhales. And who can blame Salad days him? Currently in the thick of R&D operations There was a time when food trucks largely for his preservative-free bacon marmalade, ba- meant grubby Chinese operations, where con butter, candied bacon (jerky), baconnaise food and comfort came cheap. Then came ca(mayo) and even a bacon peanut butter (a nod ble television, and with it the American dream of taco trucks in Manhattan or to Elvis), D’Souza can’t quite exfrites in Queens. And never did plain this unbridled affection for the twain meet. all things bacon. “I suppose I nevOr so I thought, until Lall and er baked a cake,” he offers weakly.

Nothing in his Mangalorean roots about science their wild D’Souza can’t quite Shailaja told me No rocket goose chase across Sarita in and schooldays in Dubai and Goa You don’t needVihar to ‘get’ explain this Delhi this winter.

They were in suggests any deep porkaporka all of Hindustani music unbridled affection to enjoy it Karan Mapursuit of 26-year-old connection — except, perhaps, the for all things bacon a muralitharan lik and the Super Sucker. Named, meals he tossed up for hungover friends at college. And yet, D’Soucuriously, after a detox salad (suIt is best to start with the at India Habitat Centre, per sucker, get it?), the truck has za finds himself neck-deep inbiggest lard names — have even heard, that you’re probably familiar with “How can you sayfootloose there is only onecity Raga Yabeen in the since lovenames — starting small with jars of even though never in heard any Hinman? Therelast canyear. be many Yamans.”

Its daily address, a telltale jammy baconyou for have customers Mumbai and September dustani music. are popular for like a reason. makeshift stallsThey at music festivals Sun- pin on Facebook. Go figure.

Speaking of jargon, musicfests will Their and music is usually anchored around an burn NH7.

After the usual roundsHindustani of winter music throwofmany at you.

Consciously stay away aesthetic thatisn’t doesquite not warrant which charge a cool ₹40,000 as When that enough, an he acquired takes his — some from these.

There probably a simpler syntaste and thought to parking rental for is two evenings — the Super shop withthey him have (sortgiven of) toserious a handful of open onym for every item of to jargon.

And,the honestly, ‘presentation’, ensuring that a recital is col- Sucker truck is waiting tide over harsh terraces and gardens in parsimonious Mumyou need not know anything aboutUntil ‘Gharana’ ourful a diverse of listeners. summer in Malik’s garage. then, bai andforcalls it thegroup Bombay BarbecueThere’s Club. Delhi and ‘Raga ‘Vadi-Samavadi’ to enjoy a large gamut to choose from: Pandit Ravi the chef, Roop’ who and trained in Melbourne and Hindustani music. if you’restints interested, Shankar, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, Pandit Bhim- earned elbow greaseAnd at cooking in the just Google the terms.

The explanations are sen Joshi, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Pandit Hari- London Olympics and Australian Open, plans simple enough thatfor you don’t healthy need anfood aficioprasad Chaurasia, Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, to feed the demand low-cal, at nado to explain them.

Begum Parveen Sultana, Ustad Rashid Khan. gyms and hospitals.

Greek salad, anyone?

This is, of course, a random selection of If you a raga,wheels listen to renditions of that names, but, over the years, their music has Meals onlike (private) raga Nair by multiple artistes, vocal instrusucceeded in getting many of my ‘new listen- Shyam is the Curtis Stone of and Bangalore. mental.

After listening to about or seven er’ friends hooked.

The take-home chef, whose arrivalsix in the city’s renditions, be able hum the food circuityou twoshould years ago led to ‘eating out’bato You must tell yourself that there is nothing ‘eating in’. After sic phrases of the Then try to prepping in raga. his grandmothwrong in sticking to ‘popular’ identify scraps thefood ragainto in other’s garage, Nair would loadofthe his tastes in Hindustani music. In er agenres you listen to. car and serve meal of formusic his clients in their this regard, you should be wary of This process of year finding similar homes. A back injury late last forced him two groups of people: the ‘purists’ The theme music melodic strains different to takeof things slow, so he is backinat the drawand what I can best describe as genres music ing board now.

Theofnew idea is“isquite to getaddiclikeChaplin’s Limelight the ‘Anthro Brigade’. The former tive.

Andtogether the ‘No!like That can’t be!’ minded to jam bands.”

Dismatches note for cooks group is still tolerable (they moments arenew especially coverZila new flavours, make friends.fun. The note with Raga might lead you to good music, althemeMehra musicand of Charles Chaplin’s others are mereKafi; you willMalik, find D’Souza, beit after frying your brain with Limelight matches note forinnote ly theintip of the (hand-churned) iceberg the Raga Kirwani advice, a bit like this column), but with Raga Zila Kafi; find evolving foodscape of India.

For you everywill 10 peoBeethoven’s the latter group should be avoidRagachicken Kirwanilollipops in the Third Moveple who order in restauPathetique ed at all costs. The ‘Anthro Briof Beethoven’s rants, there ment is at least one personPathetique. trying to gade’ comprises a wide section of And then thousands of raise an organic fowl, there whichare is hand-fed and people dabbling in the Social SciHindi film songs are based, frequently petted.

There are that cook-offs and ences. Many of them are pursuing pretty contests, obvious melodic competitive ineating mysteryterms, box PhDs in foreign lands but can be perpetually cooking on ragasparties of the and Hindustani system.

Thison patblind tastings going in found in Delhi and Kolkata, doing fieldwork obscure tern recognition exercise, with its mix of The fun corners of every Indian city now. and attending classical music concerts. They question and rigour, in my is opinion, the most noislonger what would you engaglike to believe that all popular artistes should be eat? ing way wade Hindustani music.

It’s to how far into would you go with your love scoffed at. And given their professional train- for grub? ing, their conversations about Hindustani arunabha deb is a Kolkata-based lawyer and music banerjee shubhodeb@hotmail.com writer music are littered with gratuitous plurals. I soity

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Tube truths When it comes to news, Indians seem to care only about local events vivek bendre

Caught napping Is India’s democracy a slumbering elephant rather than a rogue pachyderm sr raghunathan

Reporter in the ring Looking in DILLI DARBAR

A sharp and clear-eyed first draft of India’s troubled recent history, with a few missing blanks It is time Indian news and think tanks paid more attention to the world outside

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espite India’s seemingly intermina- right to information law and attempts to sub- mocracy as half empty argue that merely blecentury chaos and the failure of its devertofit,their the febrile news networks by the keeping India together is not he 11th traveller Al Biruni quality reporting has sharply led gone reaucratic interference, protocol andenough,” proce- he “bossy, bombastic and relentlessly opinionatto deliver more, Simon rules, cronyism is rife, the came mocracy to India and found its thinkdown. durewrites. are Patronage stifling individual creativity, Goswami, the so anti-corruption Denyer finds and room optimism. In ed” gap between the rich and poor rising, the ing people insular notfor particuIndiaArnab itself news has become domesti- initiative and talent.

This is at least oneisreason and the dysfunctional parliament.

He finds raucousabout news networks, the camseceding fromare thewilling state seeklarlythecurious the outside cally movement focused, prime time TV is all about elec- why middle-class intellectuallyare active scholars paign against a ‘new’ invigorDenyer is atevents, his best when reporting the aning for private education, institutions. health, transport, world.

Yet, India hascorruption been at theand crossroads of tions and local that momentous to work foreign-funded The a ecdotal and his vivid of some of the and middle class and driving a clamour Maoist pulling away tribals Asia, ated home to noisy travellers, traders teachers developments around theprofiles world hardly get number of insurgency researchers isfrom governmentfor change.

The gloom that has descended newsmakers from democracy.

What doeswith not explore who roamed the world.

Contemporary India is on any space or time. who have dominated the headfunded outfits applying forhejobs new is stand out. recounts an angry reaction the country looks andlinked it’s a ques- In lines why most of India’s institutions so gravely a paradox.

It has an eliteexaggerated, that is globally the decade afterHe India became a nuclear global think tanks that have an India are centre is from office to his unflattion to of global time, Denyer believes, before India recompromised do they resist change and reand open influences and yet exhibits power andthe wasprime able tominister’s sustain an annual averjust one indicator of—this nascent trend. discovers the mojo of its go-go years of high tering profile Manmohan Singh (he de- Clearly, form both because a crippling legacy? a shocking niggardliness when it comes to inage growth rate ofofover 8 per cent, global theofIndian mediacolonial and think scribed him a “dithering, growth and unbridled calls Indian vesting in seeking an Indianoptimism. view of the world media not only tookasgreater interest in India tanks need to findHe ways inthe which theymiddle-class’s can find Rogue Elephant the latest a long list of bureaucrat”).

There unprecedented in globor presenting an Indianisview to the in world. but, ineffectual more importantly, reported favourably the funds needed“self-exile to pay more attention to the Rogue Elephant also profiles of whistle books foreign correspondents althat history yet”, yet large sections With one by more foreign correspondenttrying tak- to aboutare India’s performance and blowprospect. As world in a manner will attract good talent Simon Denyer Bloomsbury ers Ashokslowed Khemkadown, and Sanjiv Cha- atti- and enable themof to sense the churning in the world’s theproduce middle-class have come en offmake the rolls ofof a major media group the to- bigthe economy as political material that out ₹599 gest democracy.

Denyer is a peripatetic and turvedi, who between them have on the streets and supported Artal number of Indian foreign correspondents tudes in India became more insular and as the would find an audience.

Denyer is at his best Non-fiction observant journalist, and packs a lot in 16 transferred out ofbecome their jobs AAP. gap is is now into single digits. Two years agoin a major West,been on the one hand, has morewhen de- reporting However, if Kejriwal’s this financial theevenvind breathless chapters pages.correWritten in more than times in Haryana, On the other hand, he inwrites, business newspaper hadover five400 foreign fensive about its50 own future, and the“a East (the anecdotal bridged, what about the mind space of an state where is no more social stiglucid and racy Rogue is a sharp whohandful see theofglass half-full spondents.

Today, it prose, has none.

TheElephant recent slowSinosphere) hasthere become sularthose elite? The foreign ma attached graft”. and clear-eyed first draft India’s troubled see an “unprecedented awakening down of the economy andofthe deflation of reconfident, India to seems to have correspondents now on the payAfter meeting Narendra Modi, cent history. ing of India, enabled bycoman inforexpectations has forced expenditure cutbacks fallen between two stools. roll of media organisations he wonders whether “whiteThere are few things that Rogue Elephant revolution, youngget people that have further marginalised spending on There are, however, a fewthe signs plainmation that they no longer News about the missesand out on.

Denyer outlines the corruption bearded knight from Gujarat”, about the future ofon the country, gathering disseminating world news of hope.

Indian big business is fi- who is running who care space in print or time air.

Their acworld comes to scandals, bemoans tragedy of Manmohan a potential prime minister is well suited to tivists using tools andthat institutions within the Indian media.the Television channels nallyas willing to invest in research editorsthetell them the audi-of deIndia through other Singh, details the stormy aftermath the Delrun aissues. coalition government. to isforge a better nation.” Denyer running foreign affairs programmes findoffew on global At least three In- And whether Mo- mocracy ence just not interested. people’s eyes and threatens the very essence hi gang rape, advertisers. and worries about the criminalipoint in India’s viewers and fewer dian di business leaders have put of what makes believes this So, is itan is inflexion not surprising that the hispens great through assault on secularism tory, “a news sation of politics. also one writes about the time of when the oldof ways Travelling around theHe world, is struck theirIndia money where theirhis mouth ofchange the disappearance thehave scourge of dynastic and the rights of minorities. brokenMalaysian down.” Theairliner pace ofMH370 social change by the complete absence politics, of Indianthe TVlandmark net- is. Mukesh Ambani leads the took anin Inmeets Arvind Kejri- dia is glacial, the inability to riseon above works in hotel rooms while one finds China league with his supportDenyer to the Obentire and 48 hours to surface a man who has “no caste and identity what remains hierarchiCentral Television (Chinese television’s global server Research wal, Foundation prime timeinnews on mostachanabout presenting society is anhundreds example of channel) aired in more places. Even Al Jazeera (ORF). This think tankqualms has finally hired talentnels, cal even though of that.

Indians now as the Denyer could haveroutes, also chosen more prehas acquired an international footprint. The ed professionals afterhimself depending forMessiah, years onabout travel regularly on these from aIndian flaunting his own title.

Rogue Elephant up visions of global spread of people of Indian origin has retired diplomats. Anand Mahindra has fi-impacitiescise to the west coast of theconjures US or to destinatience”.

“This is a large part of country — and created an international market for Indian en- nanced Gateway House, a Mumbai-based outtionsawithin East Asia.democracy — which has gone his appeal.

It is aAvantha quality that Ironically, berserk.even But India’s recent problems appear to tertainment, but not yet for Indian news. fit that is slowly finding its feet. as India has become a more he shares the BJP’s prime more to with aelite dysfunctional governWhen I was in the Prime Minister’s Office I Group’s Gautam Thapar has lentwith support to Asopenhave economy, thedoIndian have become candidate Narena bloated and lazy politicians supported journalist Saeed Naqvi’s enthusias- pen India, which hasministerial been organising impormorement, insular in theirstate interests — or at least out dra Modi, andand in Aspen the media with the rising the aspirations of their tic initiative to get Doordarshan to launch a tant meetings. Both Gateway House that of is touch what those funding media and withof Arnab Goswami: elephant has gone into a slumber. world news channel but neither were funds India lag behind ORFworld in terms their talent thinkvoters. tanksThe seem to think.

Hopefully, in that messianic drive to preIndia’s is far from forthcoming nor was DD ready to undertake pool of fulltime researchers. monthsTrue, to come, as democracy the Indian economy be- fully sentgovernment himself to an impatient “What in wethe haveoutside in Indiaworld is a defecsuch a massive enterprise.

New Delhi has several funded gins functioning. to revive, interest public as the tiverevive elective democracy,” As a result, news about the world comes to think tanks but each one of them findsman itselfon fi- the will also and the nascentShailesh growth Gandhi, of Indi- forto India’s mer information commissioner tells India through other people’s eyes and pens, nancially constrainedhorse, and theriding more dynamic an expertise on world affairs will blossom.

But,him. bycontinuing itself does not makeofa democracy.” and news about India is also transmitted by ones are desperately presence”. reaching out to the pri- when“Voting will the atrophy foreign reportage is firstIt’s a work in progress, and Denyer’s book is a other people — the small band of foreign cor- vate sector and foreignDenyer’s foundations for supcorrespondents get reversed?

SANJAYA BARU’SPehle book The AccidenHowever, much tank is funded by of a his modest contribution in recording it. aap India seems caught respondents resident in New Delhi. Even they port. Where a thinkrate. tal Prime Minister willbetween be published later bureaucrat and analysis is unexceptional. operate with such shoestring budgets that the particular ministry of the government, bu- sanjaya_baru@hotmail.com a dithering this year a reluctant prince rajeev bhatt “Those who see Indian de- soutik biswas is India Editor BBC news site

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HOME SPUN shashi deshpande

City in flux

Feeding frenzy

From innocent and insular to worldly and frenetic, Bangalore over the last five decades beautiful road in the world, with fish and chips at Koshy’s round the corner. We saw Hindi movies on KG Road and English movies on MG Road. It seemed an unchanging world. But there’s always a churning going on and in time, the city, suspicious and resentful of outsiders, had to contend with a greater influx of people than it had ever seen before. Two cities emerged yet again out of this cauldron: the city of the old residents and the city of newn 1936, when a transatlantic voyage on comers.

Once again there invisible Are you, she replies in mock dread, before table into a restaurant andare their dinnerwalls parthe new French liner SS Normandie was dissolving into laughter and setting the tone ties between two. Old residents, untouched by into the a profit-making proposition (OUMK akin to a ride on the Virgin Galactic today, for an evening that turns out to be — strangely and the the never-before-seen prosperity, hosts have a 10 per cent sharegrumble each in someone at a hotel in Paris had a bright — a lot of fun. thatprice theirofcity has been ruined, while newthe a meal).

That it also puts them in idea. He decided to open a grand grillroom in comers happily oblivious ofpeople the comAt this, the first of many such pop-up meals the pathare of other food-obsessed and the liner’s likeness — the now legendary Le Re- across Delhi, Mumbai and Pune (Bangalore potential plaints, often, it seems, of the city For friends is but the icing onitself. the cake. lais Plaza — for those who had missed the boat. and Kolkata are next), we’ve been brought to- Or them is only rungnuts on a ladder. in it this case,a pine in the Yotam OttoNearly 80 years later, it may seem uncharit- gether by the love of food — a multi-course lenghi-inspired I too, for years, felt myself an outsider.

Moroccan carrot salad. And able to think of some of India’s latest food en- Mediterranean spread — and by OnceUponMy- theLaunched city as insipid as rice and curds without mid-February,

by Mumbai-based trepreneurs as those who missed the boat. But Kitchen. An online marketplace, OUMK seeks husband-wife salt. It did not enter my fictional writduo Ranjith and world.

SheetalA Rajait’s not entirely inaccurate. They chose MBAs to build a network of guests and home cooks sekharan, er needs toOUMK possess let it possess hasa place been (or attracting more over hotel management, trained as tattoo art- who have all, at least once, dreamed the res- hosts her) before it enters imagination.

When (over 120 at lasther count) than guests in itsI ists rather than chefs, spent their savings on a taurant dream. wrotemonth a storyof located in the Among city, it was an outfirst operation. them are house not a restaurant... and all this when the sider’s view, adesigners, tourist’s vision.

Only after I had Not entirely out-of-the-box — supper clubs journalists, boardroom regulars, time was ripe for new ideas and business mod- and underground dining have been thriving advertising lived here for two decades,and didatmy characters professionals least one deels, and Masterchef Australia was but one sea- in the shadows of Indian metros for a while lightful first inhabit this city, peopleNigel whom the stray conversationalist.

Fernandes, son old. chance of history had deposited here generanow — but novel in its own way, the website en- who runs a tattoo studio in Mumbai (and With the food evolution now near-complete courages amateur cooks to turn their dining whose tions earlier.

Ten years later a novel, first OUMK dinner wascame sabotaged by — since sumac rolls off the tongue as easily as which was about criminals trying to frighten sambar and carbon steel German knives make a woman from her home. Fiction following for appropriate birthday gifts — no food the graph of change. dream is big enough, no idea extraordinary.

The tolerant easy-going Bangalorean now But the boat-missers are not giving up yet. lives, courtesy of copy-writers, only in ads.

Paddling hard to make up for lost time, they Beaming down from hoardings at the chaotic istory be very humbling. are going to greatcan lengths to stand out inToa city of that time. Boys came home during the traffic, saying ‘svalpa adjust maadi’ to people back is to realise that We whatseek we Ganesha festival, not to intimidate people into who are battling for space on the roads. Hostilgrand, but look overcrowded grillroom. regard and epochs are but out just such a cropasoferas culinary daredevils anda contributing for large community idols, but ity runs rife, two-wheelers climb on to pavemicrodot the vastness of time, to see the little Ganeshas installed in homes. ments and snarl at pedestrians, motorists extreme foodies in theincountry. to understand that the Wheel of Fortune Crime was small-time — thieves took your hurl insults and abuses at one another. Do I keeps turning and nothing is constant. As washing off the line, your footwear if left out- want to go on living here?

Dining in with humans, so with cities: theygood grow, pros- side. And as I walked to the bus ‘Don’t talk to strangers’ is often advice.

Yes I do, because now this is my per, what achieve andare then But do greatness you do if you anfade into ob- stop in the mornings, young men city. We brought up our children scurity. Bangalore today at the peak of its living in a lodge whistled and extreme foodie? Well, youisinvite here, planted trees, built a house, growth; yet,for why do I see it as a cancerous called out appreciative remarks some home dinner. let down roots. Summers may be growth, theSumeet seeds ofLall death concealed within? about my two long plaits while I Litigator is, underscorchers, but the rain, when it Only after I had Now sumac rolls off Why do I wonder Bangalore will die went past in haughty dignity, prestandably, wary ofwhether strangers.

So comes, cleans the streets and lived here for two our tongue as easily of its own surfeit?

At times,lawI have a strange tending not to hear them. when Shailaja, his corporate bathes the trees. And when the decades, did my as sambar Insularity is the other word for Cassandra-like vision a ghost yer-wife, threatens toof spend Sat-city, of people sun comes out next morning, characters first drivennight out by lack of water, poisoned by the the city of the ’50s. A city oblivious urday with some, he insists there are a million rainbows on inhabit this city pollution millions of vehicles. on joiningofher.

(He blames it on A vision that of the world outside, recognising the grass. Miracles still happen. seems to say: ifunsafe Bangalore could the Capital’s streets, shegrow so rapid- only two other places: Madras, When the early-morning long ly, can it not anthey equally swift decline? on Murder 2, have which watched together on which was the Big City, and Myqueue for coffee at an eatery is When came here, nearly 50 years back, sore, the Royal City. Bangalore, cable thewe previous night.) held up because a man, reaching Bangalore wasa amarketing nondescript town with Nidhi Jolly, professional anda earlier contained within the four towers con- the head of the queue, finds he has forgotten small-town atmosphere. jutkas marathoner, and our host Pony-driven for tonight, has no structed by the founding father Kempegowda, his purse, a stranger comes to him with a cup pliedqualms. on the roads, cowsuswere brought home such She meets at the door like she was limited by its own idea of itself. And it was of coffee and says, persuasively, ‘Have your cofto be milked, girls dressed wore lehngas or half-saris would old friends, in a pastel sheath, not one city but two — the City and the Canton- fee, sir.’ And I know that the old Bangalore still and every wore flowers inneckpiece her hair. ment, invisible walls between the two keeping survives, somewhere, in this hostile jungle. nude heels woman and an eyeball-grabbing Nothing triggers asmany muchtravels. as smell; she picked up on memory one of her To them strictly apart. Each served its own pur(In this monthly series, authors chronicle the cievenso today the smell of the mallige her, deliciously illicit is the thrillorofsampige, discov- pose. For sari shopping and masala dosas, we ties they call home.) the aroma of coffee, the enticing odour of maery, of unplanned conversation, that she went to Chickpet, for fun shopping and biryasala dosas idli-sambar take guests. me back to ni to Commercial Street. There was ice cream shashi deshpande is a Bangalore-based writer and chooses notand to google her dinner palate Chilli prepared

by Gitika Saikia for an lunch novelist an OUMK award-winning MG Road, thenpickle South Parade, the most that time.

Innocent — that’s theI word What if we were serial killers, ask. for the on Spicy

Everyone’s a foodie now. If you want bragging rights, you have to be an extreme foodie

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Between the sheets A weight off our chests PRESENT IMPERFECT

Sangeeta Bandyopadhyay on being an author who could not avoid writing about When sex did our political discourse take a turn towards anatomical bragging Telling all Sangeeta Bandyopadhyay caused quite a tizzy in Bengali society

manjula padmanabhan

ELSEWHERE

Who and why A hacked card and unknown deliveries throw up troubling questions

“H

i! My name’s Sandy and I’m calling from …” My heart begins to race. It was my bank. They had noticed some “unusual activity” regarding my debit card. “Could you please visit the branch

right away?”

I arrive 10 minutes later, breathless with anxiety.

Sandy is in his mid-thirties, portly and pink, with ice-blue eyes, short orange hair and a bristly moustache. He sits behind his desk, consulting his computer’s screen while I lean forward in my chair, tensed to hear the worst.

“Here we go,” he says, reading out the list of websites where I had apparently spent my money: Dinky Doodle. Senior Friendships Club. Gevalia Coffee. I look blank, shaking my head. iTunes.

BodyWhat builders the reasonThat we allgraphic know thedescription word 'pecs' (right) chappan ki chaatiSparky ranjeet kumar Dream Toursinch Unlimited.

Marky. slipped on the panty.

I didJohn notAbraham but aisgimmick. of sexNarendra Modi's “iTunes, yes,” I say, but none of the others. “Wh-what does it know was that I actually slipped on a was a cheap way to sell books. But I paid no mean?” Guillotine? Firing squad? Guantanamo? woman. I actually slipped on her heed. I was only 31 and was too engrossed in we blocked right after talking to you.

So Abraham they womanhood. I slippedfind on her sex-helplessly, writing drawn about new ideas at the time. myself, to Narenchest.

Not the smoothness of“Well, his face or the yourItcard is, creditably, only with John can’t use it aanymore.” uality, her love,” writes Sangeetadra BandyopadModi’s chest. All alleged 56 inches of tautness of his abs. There hasn’t been word that the Indian chest came to prominence. For “Whohe areweighs. ‘they’?” I even want in to know.

“Andmovies how didofthey acDo you compare works with how tall he is or how much hyay in Panty. Translated into English from it. Like the Rambo-esque rescue ofyour 15,000 about the cooler the get noughties, cess to my about informacontemporary Bengali by Arunava Sinha, the book combines people from Uttarakhand lastBengali year, itfiction?

There hasn’t even been a discussion oncard?” the dif-I’m extremely like say Dilcagey Chahta Hai, personal the visible chests were tion. memorise mypuny passwords, for instance, in case I beI started positive reviews a few af- that our two of her previously published seems to novellas, me that Modi while getting amply chested, ference ofyears opinion PMI don’t candidates both and hirsute.

In the seven years mumble in mytween sleep, Dil onChahta international Instead I Inter myjust initial — Sankhini — about facial Panty and Hypnosis in a brand avatar. hasnew inflated itsHer dimensions thatbooks little bit. seem and to bePanty having hair.them But the Hai andflights.

Dostana, the male writethe them down in code bits was of paper.

Then I forget whichlunge were who published.

People looking stories, which have offended people in the Fifty-six inches, as anyone has ever mea- began chappan inchatkimy chaati is all over place. dianon chest forced to take a giant I used forwith what password and have to start over again. booksknows, as oneisofa lot. the important postmodern past are now included in thesured canonanything of contemanatomical As someone who grew upcode in the 1980s forward. John Abraham didallnot just walk with never findback out.”like He his tapschest his was novels in fortnight Bengali literature.

I found out that visuals ofSandy porary Bengali literature.

I spent the better part of the pon- therapy-demanding Anil shrugs.

Kapoor’s“We’ll hisprobably shoulders thrown computer’s screen. guys typically start with pur- he comparative literature and women studies de-but wonder Bandyopadhyay speaks about percepderingher about the Modi-isation of men’s chests. chest, I can’t help when chests be- “These something he was wearing; notsmall something chases to Kapoor’s see whetherhad; the transaction goes through.

If it does,it to a of atrainers university Panty as aEven refertion of sexual aesthetics and politics.

Mygender best sources were partment the personal in uses came cool. if you think of Anil but he also waxed it and polished try bigger $50, $60. radiant They have noglowing, idea what’s encesub-species of contemporary literature Excerpts from the interview:Gurgaon gyms, a human entirelyBengali chest — whichand looked like they’ll his scalp slippedpurchases. shine. Bronzed, and it was a in the account. keep fishing to see how farincluding they can gothose young are reading it and talking devoted to their bodies and students the rare possesdownwards — as an aberration, nowhereThey in just chest that made everyone, stopped.”

How difficult was it for you,sors as an of about it. of author Greco-Roman physiques on khap-ap- the 1980s or even the earlybefore 1990s they wereget there whose stomachs spilled over to their knees, sit Without a physical they could onlyFrom make purchases to on-Thriserotica, to present fantasies proved genetics. Even their aspiration, they any clues at all to the possibility that the male card, up and take notice.

Hoshiarpur line.

Butrage. they Even couldn’tsur, havedumbbells stuff shipped to dusted their address withHow much yourwould, own one day, be all strictly as fantasies? tell me, is for a chest that is between 42 and 46does chest the were off and protein their own identity. So it madewere no sense.

WhatItwas I believe in the power of fantasy, sexuality into play when inches. The only person they could think come of when Salman Khan decided out thatrevealing a shakes mixed. wasn’t in it for but there is no such thing youwas write a story? whoaspossibly had a 56-inch chest The shirt was a cumbersome thing, I them? enough then to call it a chest. can’t tell you that,” says Sandy.“Pecs” “But they’ve only used about My sexuality isassumed insignificant inbetter show “I ‘strictly fantasy’ because we areKhali. My sexuality is Great it was to the became a thing. $500 worth — ” I stopped breathing “–– and you are insured my writings.

But I have my own driven by our desires and desires The average size of a man’s chest, I am given biceps he had curled into the size I am not sure how Rahul Gandinsignificant in my against Onceupwe that these purchases I haveapsos. my own are purely mirrored in our to fantaunderstand, is 38But to 42 inches. philosophy The largeston sex. of lhassa But now, with the theft. hi managed to stay weren’t out of pecs I grew inconfirm the writings.

I have made by you, the money will be reimbursed.” understanding of sexual aesthet- it is perhaps sies. Fantasies have tales to tell, commonly available shirt size is XXL, which is benefit of hindsight, mania. It is entirely possible that 1980s with therapymy own philosophy O Golden Words! O Blessed smile all the wayRobert back toVadra gender and relawhich fortunately or unfortunatecut to fit a person chest.

Thepolitics, rightlove, to think that the early peep his I brother-in-law demanding visuals Relief! on with sex a 46-inchics, apartment building.

But when I enter the hallway, a ideas influence ly largely connect to mainstream Great Khali, who is 7 feet 1 inch tall,tionships. has a chestThese into a male cleavage indeedmy startwas overworking his,I find so Gandhi of Anil Kapoor’s carton containing 20 pounds of Gevalia in front of my me(4when I write. life. We need the support of reality measurement of about 60 inches inches ed with Khan. decidedcoffee that was enough pecs for chest to getThe deliveries via Feeven for the strangest level more of fan-than my personal trainer’s estimation).

Sadly, even hindsight isdoor. notOver the next few days, I continue one family. chest that worries dEx of Plus calls from What of the tasy. When I write about fantasy, Modi Iwears custom-tailored clothes anddo soyou it make helpful in understanding when it gourmet coffee totalling $300 me worth. is Arvind Kejriwal’s.

Hethe hacked Lonely Grey Hearts Club, Exclusiveand Home Securityright Network and the impactshopping of Fifty Shades focus on the pain of not experiencing Thereis difficultit.for even internet compa-of Grey was ?exactly that politicians jumpcoughed through to pronounce The metaphysical parttoof Fifty Shades of Grey fore, for a writer, fantasy resembles naive-realnies (who know everything about everyone) ed on the chestwagon.

Up Happy until Hunters Travel Agency all struggling stinging Delhi winter. It’smy spring long last offer for meallergic free and exclusive Panty similar the as both to reeling under ism. I don’t even considertell myself to his be an us what chest and size is.

Butmight we canbesafely timebelong that I was the name, traumaall wanting now, hightoseason rhinitis and asthprivileges. genre, but I think theyKapoor’s cannot be author of erotica. I am just an author conclude thatwho while itthe is erotica not impossible that of Anil chest and was oblivious to Sal- ma. And mindful of the temperature, the man is mystifying. thelost coffee all charges my acTo is me,highly the former is more like ever a seen twoItpoliticians. could not avoid writing about hissex. chest size is 56compared. inches, it man’s, I had only The I return has also his and muffler.

If ever atochest should countthrough are reversed. while invisible on me, trackmodern fairytale, with bits of was 21st Zail century improbable. first Singh, who rode the For bea in yourI feel prayers, let iteyes be his. my every I flinch every the phone rings. out I of How did you deal with the criticism thatis a long,western complexity and with BDSM. But ourin a whiteing All of this but perfectly rational, streets of Cochin, Contessa car.online For- move.

As for Modi, I amtime convinced he walked constantly bank account, searching for “irregularPanty received?

Indian society When is far from FiftyitShadway to arrive at my actual question. did accepting get a chest, was difficult to know formonitor sure if my a screening of Dostana, looked down at himities”.

Eventually looking over my that shoulder butpress the quesPanty was published in Sharadiya of es of GreyHere as real. hasIt’s only been a few decades men’s Desh, chestsone become a thing? weItare. he had even a chin or a neck.

The other wasI stop self and decided bench he must. tions remain: why?

I won’t know. the most prestigious Bengali in since ourus,women 2014.magazines, A major election is upon one thathave will started Primeexperiencing Minister Rajiv Gandhi, also on a who visit and And to that, as aever person who adores hard work 2006. Even during those days the story was freedom patriarchal ways,south, so when apparently determine whetherfrom our EMIs will deep whoithad buttoned up his bandh- and determination in others, I say, more powMANJULA PADMANABHAN , author and Let’s artist, allow tells us him tales of her56. parallel life in shocking for open-mindedgoBengali readers to sexual freedom, still notI as up or down in thecomes foreseeable future, and they galaare so tightly, was too busy wondering how er to him. his VEENA VENUGOPAL in this fortnightly series marginalien.blogspot.in who were supposed to haveour hadPrime a lot of expo- tired as women the western world. to worry aboutElsewhere,USA, Ministerial candidate who isfrom “riding he breathed where his lungs is editor BLink and author of world Would You sure to literature. I faced huge t@Veenavenugopal a wave ofcriticism. hope” is talking about the size of his were hidden.

Like Some Bread with that Book People said to name a novel Panty was nothing ARUNIMA MAZUMDAR is a Delhi-based journalist

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saturday, march 22,22, 2014 saturday, march 2014

sweetened... Potatoes can be deep fried or baked or grilled or roasted, and are usually not combined with anything else.

BAWDY LINE Of course lavash, huge paper thin breads prepared in clay ovens, and other breads, are ever present. Interestingly, dry lavash is sprinkled with water to make it soft! There’s really little to match a fresh warm lavash straight out of the oven though. You have to tear it with your hands, roti style, though you can also roll it or stuff it or crush it in soup. Dessert comes in the shape of brandy! Armenia is faits brandyreferences — called konyak, and Arafaws mous are thefor derogatory to the HinNature vs. nurture rat and are the famous du dhobi and Dvin teli castes.

Andmost there are manybrands. of An experiment Pomegranates are the unofficial top fruit, them. conducted in the though walnuts, apricots, pears, almonds, How charitably do you think a Kanojia dho1950s selectively bred quinces, melons, plums, oranges, grapes and bi or the Akhil Bharatiya Dhobi Mahasangh wild foxes to arrive at a many compete for the Or runner-up slot. would reactmore to such a narration? the teli Sabehaviourally different Ararat, yesincumbent the anchorchief for Noah’s legendary husamaj?

Or the minister of brood 10 generations later ap/peter m fredin ark,Narendra is actually a name youModi, are most likely to Gujarat Damodardas who was in Armenia.

The actual mountain bornencounter into the Ghanchi teli caste? over Yerevan, just about Butlooms the more material and question is this:every product will have a brandor named after Armewould caste based ignominy hubris kept favourite peak, tothousands forget an of entire alivenia’s in endogamous castesnot over an imprinteffects? on the national yearsprovince, manifestand in epigenetic In north flag.

The only catch Ararat is now partfamily of Turkey, Maharashtra, most—telis hide their Armenia’s rival nation namewhich and has usesided the with gratifying appellation Azerbaijan (think Indo-Pak Turkey Chaudhari as their surname.

Therelations). caste system in fact complained UN aboutisArarat in insects, particularly to in the honeybees, the beon the national flag of Armenia asconit wasn’t mosting striking case of environmentally s someone who studied Russian, I el. Spectacularly set amidst high mountains, even in that country, only to be told that they, trolled variation in the physical and physiotend to go to the former Soviet re- the lake has shrunk in size due to excess drainTurkey, moon on and surely logical formhad of the members of theirs, a particular publics with an air of having an ad- age during the Soviet era, but remains a hugethey (phenotypic could not lay exclusive claims to The it. species polymorphism). he abiding of practise the Indian vantage.project Well, my of da-da, an. Mai’IDada’s standard response to this and ly popular tourist spot with wide beaches Well, for a smallbetween country, nationalism physical differences worker andis ofstate,will as have outlined in aarticle of charge nyet-nyet to wait while,16(4) for Armenia is that asholiday a youngdestinations man he had managed multiple to the north. tenbees at the of a nation rediscovering queen areforefront caused by differential diet the constitution, is to effect afrom reversin the years since independence the exto rileThe thesouthern dhobis byshores rubbing their tend to womenfolk be forested and its place in and the world.

Yet it makes tourist during growth maturation.

While the other what unashamedly the Russian Anglophile. geneticist the wrong USSRal hasofturned way (quite literally), wild and spectacular too. and the dho- larvae feel in partaking of that process. arewelcome fed the usual pollen and nectar, the Theodosius Dobzhansky observed about our bis’ Yes, the capital Yerevan now resembles a progeny of is foul animals they were larva ordained to be queen is fed a huge porArmenia best knownthat for its monasteries. peoples.

Indian system,Monumental wrote (yeh badjan suman is a Delhi-based business This and crossThe between Pariscaste and Moskva. aulad), were now exact- list, Quite aaawaron few arekion the UNESCO heritage tion of royaltarafdar jelly (the protein royalactin).

Dhobzhansky 1962, is—the grandest, though Soviet-erainstatues Mother Armenia is as tall travel writer ing aand dastardly it’s notrevenge. difficult to see the reasons. Often sets off a molecular cascade that culminates in perhaps not deliberate, apparently unsuccessas Qutub Minar — are interspersed with street- Thesetstory a mountains, sort of crescendo witharchihighreaches up in the their very the larva becoming a queen. Queens are the ful genetic experiment performed on hu- with side cafes.

People, ever largely white-skinned the arrest ofmakes Mai’I Dada for assaulting Head of preeminent tecture it evident just how much a Travelcaste log and bear large fertile ovaman Caucasian populations…

A innature–nurture noses, work MNC offices, shop Constable Sukhiya Ramhave in the state struggle it would been to weapons survive here. ries; workers have vestigial, inoperative ovaproblem of the highest complexity…

Anofexfor Western labels, dine on a variety global storehouse.

Mai’I often Dada dating is asked by the narraFortress-like, back by more thanries a and are functionally sterile.

When to go periment on adrive grand scaleand thatHyundais, attempted tooccacuisines, Mercs the tor’s father to makeoften a deposit of all their ancesmillennium, in rock faces, often rebuilt Hubris has been placebo jelly that As with mostthe places, the royal best time to visit breedsional varieties men genetically specialised Ladaofnotwithstanding, and see the evetral weapons, in pursuance of a carvings government after invasions, they house and text Brahmin and Pashtun been fed is spring (March children to May) have and autumn (till in thenings performance different out withofjazz.

Givenfunctions. that a third of all order.that At often the storehouse Sukhiya Ramwitnessed. is in for two document the strife they thousand years. Is it possible that it end October).

According to live genetic studies, Armenians in Yerevan, andthe set experithe tone for charge day andfind in aMai’I Dada’s ownof its Youthat won’t easily nation as proud might Get have brought about some phenotypic there mentthe started abruptly 2,000 years words, “that telihistory rest, quite Sovietly chic it about is. ka bachcha had the audacity of the written script,to and it changeNoindirect them?

AfterFrom generations conflights.

Delhi or of Mumbai, ago with a series of founder effects. Quite sud- pick up a blade from our pile,tothe shall be weapons pointed out you. As trolled, endogamous breeding, would detake Air Arabia via Sharjah. denly, in theell, Land of Milkthere and Honey and Sev- dagger of the paradise-dwelling actually, are Ghaus in will be theNavab huge museum scendants have epigenetically changed their Get around en Rivers and happily cross-mating peoples, Bahadur and, then puffing more Armenians away onthe his Matenadastink- morphology, Yerevan, physiology, behaviour and life Base yourself The city centre without apparent endogamy was es- ing bidi, sharpen his pencil globally.

Manyreason, more. Arwith ran, which any local historiesininYerevan. response to changing tablished. tribes were it.” The old man properly thrashes menia New is one endogamous those naguide will insist be conditions is walkable, there of areself-esteem? cabs available at formed bywhose a small of individuals the living daylights out of Sukhiya tions pastnumber has your first stop in the In the 1950s, the Russian genetreasonable rates.

A metro line exists, but breaking fromglorilarger populations. And and then vocalises his disgust: beenaway far more country. icist Dimitri Belyaev started a progoes to limited places. theirous endogamy was relentless enough to en- “That weapon is the legacy of sherand extensive.

A He had createdStay gramme of selectively breeding sure country complete biological of just separation of these bachchas, not your vegetable- lobal wild silver foxes at the Institute of a foxesinfluenthat wagged Compared to global metros, Yerevan has up inlickedlimitedCytology ‘tribes’.

The subsequent inbreeding had the ef- chopping knife,” he says. “It had ces show about three million and Genetics in Novositheir tails, number of hotels, so rates are the cuisine too.custodians Relifect of freezingtoday, the personal citizens its genetic histories become polluted when your hand birsk, Siberia. Belyaev selected their generally a little high. Almost all hotels are of these lineages.numbers In this frozen genetic isola- first touched it, and I keptgious diaspora my conflict apart, foxes for tameness alone. His in the centre, a great help to tourists. Of theka region does share tion was born jati, the caste system. about eight million. peace; but now that you bhaan method was quite straightforthe global chains, there is Marriott on the cuisine, and you What made thehistoricalold lemon swim a bit in ghoda are sharpening yourits Great traders pencil ward: a gloved human hand was upper extended end and Best Western in thecage; midthesely,matters this wonderfully realised with it, I’m not going tocould many was leading ports let yoube forgiven for into each animal’s pricethat category.

Of fled the local try thinking this cuisine is first Urduacross short story

by Asad Muhammad Khan live.” continents had Arthe foxes attacked, or bithotels, the hand Tufenkianfrom Historic Yerevan the cousinsof with Lebanese calledmenian ‘Mai’I Dada’.

It is the story like of Abdul Maquarters, much The tragic dénouement the story is pre- or were excluded breeding, butHotel thosefor that top end or Europe Hotel for mid-segment.

Greek, Arabic or Dada Turkish jeed Khan Yusuf Zai,Inaka Mai’I look Dada,for a boorish dictably in the revelation Chinatowns.

India, that Mai’I was fare. showed curiosity or allowed themselves to be

New old Armenia

Foxed by genetics

A charming mix of Soviet history and Anglophile leanings

Will a teli’s son always remain a teli? Even if he is reared by Pathans

Monumental heritage Mount Ararat serves as a glorious backdrop to the Khor Virap Monastery; and (below) the entrance to the imposing Matenadaran Museum in Yerevan suman tarafdar

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must-dos meals by follow the same old Pathan retainer living off an extended actually a HinduMost connections in Kolkata, Bombay teli raised Pathans.

The patpetted5were mated together. After just 10 genGeghard Monastery (well, one monastery tern, salads cheese as startPathan in an unnamed city in Pakistan. narrator discovers andclan Surat. it quite byand accident when erations of selective breeding, Belyaev had creArarat, anchor followed a soup.

Barely literate and invariably to hethe Armenia’s location, at thecommitted crosschances upon ers, the naked groinby of the dying The ated something trulyother, astounding: foxes that is not like the so look up what for Noah’s ark,inishis final national favourite is khash, the grievous z substitution, he calls roads ofj – Asia and Europe, hashimself old man days and finds him to bemade showed conspicuous physical and your behaviouwould interest you, and plan itinerary nameuncircumcised. you’re most Mai’I of — Dada, hold your horses — cow’s Abdulmeant Mazeedcenturies Khan Esoop Jai. Mai’I Dada of strife, with a isabewhen he knows he feet, ral differences when compared to Sevan, randomly accordingly), boating in Lake skiing likely to but there are literally dozens lovedcurrent of the families thesimmering clan, particularly conflict of still hasencounter been discovered, can barely get these bred counterparts.

He the hadGreek created foxesatthat at Tsaghkadzor, temple Garni, choices the children whom heAzerbaijan. regales constantly with neighbour As the with everywhere words out of his more larynx: “Whateasily will available. the boys The wagged their lickedmeal, theirkonyak custodians and and an tails, Armenian included. dishes consist the Great Pathanto saga, seeding their minds think? A teli’s sonmain first country declare Christianiwill always be acould teli’s son.

He of performed solicitous jumps; foxes with floppy Eat oreven occasionally fish, with with ty narratives Pashtuniyat. tells them doesn’t become ameats the state of religion in the He fourth Pathan if the Pathans ears, piebald coats and upturned tails that For authentic Armenian cuisine with the repeatedly of in the purity where of theirIslam blood and have reared him.”sides of vegetables. Aubergines century, a region barked. Foxes that looked like domesticated ambience, try Dolmama or The Club. If on and pumpkins rule, much like in bones, of their inborn facilityits for martial would later establish roots, activMai’IDada’s story has been famously narratdogs. a budget, try roadside khorovats stands. or Lebanon, but here the mixesbywith ity, ofcould tribal wars fought by their ancestors ed toItaly only mean intensified conflict. packed houses all over the world Zia oth- Substitute low self-esteem for tameness in Currency er ingredients arehas quite different, againstYet theitkuffar isn’t (infidels). easy to categorise the nation. For Mohyeddin.

The story been draftedespecially in a such an experiment and straightaway Dobz₹1 roughly gets you Armenian the way these are combined Allthe thisregular is at variance a persistent ru- are tourist, with Armenia’s attractions playfully waggish register and with is aslentils, muchwhite hansky’s proposition (thatseven I opened with) drams. ATMs plentiful in Yerevan, and lemon juice, olive oil,asherbs andthe a wide mourplentiful. about him by the neighbourIt’s aspread predominantly mountainous aboutbeans, Mai’IDada’s personality about starts sounding like are a theorem. if you have Visa or Mastercard, you should of nuts. almonds, hoodland, dhobisurrounded that he is actually a Hindu telipeaks. (the The by snow-capped lapsevariety of Pathans intoWalnuts, lesser métier.

But pine what nuts be fine. Dollars are widely accepted. asatwik@gmail.com most common, castecentre that pressed masquerading as aby Pathof the oil) country is dominated Sevan,unfailingly a and hazelnuts animatesare the audience intoand guf-used rambling lake at over 6,000 feet above sea lev- crushed and whole, roasted, fried, salted,

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AMBARISH SATWIK is a Delhi-based vascular surgeon and writer

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Arabian nightmare P Mohamed Ali, who was a celebrated entrepreneur in Oman, now looks at an uncertain future kk mustafah

The eden gardens A historian takes a stroll through three timeless oases in three different corners of India

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hat better project for a historian than an itinerary of gardens? For more than a decade my research has drawn me to gardens across India, from Mysore to Darjeeling, from Mumbai to Konark. But gardens are among the most ephemeral of creations. We do know that Indian gardens have long embraced all the senses equally — the brilliant colours of coxcomb and marigold, the sound of songbirds and sprays of water, the smells of jasmine and blossoming fruit trees. One longs in vain, however, for more precise descriptions of the garden cities of Ayodhya or Ravana’s Lanka. When the author of the Kama Sutra instructs the well-bred young man to be familiar with gardening, what did he have in mind? Even the original plantings in the parterres of the Taj Mahal are only partially known. But doffing my historian’s cap in favour of that of the traveller, here are several of my own favourites.

the Hall of Public Audience, straddling the cascading water above the first level of the garden, the emperor once held forth on this black marble throne. Above this come two terraces, the last climaxing in the zenana garden with its beautiful black marble pavilion. At night, lamps were lit in the little niches behind the waterfalls — perhaps, they still are on special occasions. Majestic chinars border the pathways along the channels, interspersed with an abundance of bright flowers and masses of contrasting white alyssum. On a Sunday the crowds of women in their colourful attire add magic to the scene.

The cookie crumbles

Sprawling greens Shalimar inspired Sir Mirza Ismail, Dewan of Mysore, to create his own terraced garden far to the south in 1927. The Brindavan Gardens were conceived as a complement to the newly built Krishnarajasagara Dam on the Kaveri River. Like Shalimar, it is laid out in three terraces gently ack in the early ’70s, when the ‘Gulf tial Indians in Emperor’s plot the Gulfdown region.

2004, Prime sweeping theInhillside.

In adIndian gardens have rush’ofinKashmir Kerala dotting had just begun, a Minister Vajpayee The gardens presented(perhaps him the Praditionhad to extensive too long embraced all young man from Talikkulam village vasi Bharatheeya the shores of Dal Lake must top Samman overseas extensive) lawns for andhis fountains, it the senses equally Thrissur in the then un- achievements. any list. near Shalimar, thelanded ‘paradise boasts ficus trees, shrubs and lux— the brilliant developed Oman. was conceived within a paradise’, uriant bursts of celosia, marigold, colours of coxcomb an engineering byWith the Emperor Jahangirdiploma and his in hand, P Fall from grace bougainvillea and other flowerand marigold, the Mohamed Ali found in the right place, But on January wife Nur Jahan, andhimself embellished this year,asthewell masonry of Ali’s ing11 plants, as animalsound of songbirds and importantly, at the right time. business empire by hismore son Shah Jahan. Although crumbled.

In a high-profile shaped topiary, pergolas and gaand sprays of water Oman waswas on the cuspand of a dissolmassive economic graft case, the Jahangir a cruel Court of First Instance of Muszebos. transformation.

Sultan Qaboos ute prince, he was obsessed with bin Said Al cat sentenced At him three-year theto topa of the hill is jail not term. a hall Said, who tookworld power—inand 1970,with used oil revenue Oman was shocked. the natural charge was he of privateThe audience but that a large to build He roads, seaport, airport, had bribed white Kashmir. wouldbridges, rather lose all Juma Al Hinai,hotel, a senior Finance luxury intended to schools, hospitals and other infrastructure. his empire, he declared, than Kashmir.

More Ministry bring in official enoughheading revenuethe to tenders supportcommitthe garThe an left ally the of the West, and sultan, more he duties of had stateadopted in the tee of When the government-owned Petroleum Dedens.

I last visited, much-needed renofree economy as his economic philosophy. hands of his adored and capable wife to de- velopment Oman (PDO), to extend major gas vations were underway.

Since a then the With an Omani sponsor five employees, vote himself to the studyand of plants and the contract.

During a raid on Alwith Hinai’s house in gardens have been outfitted psychedelic Ali founded Galfar Engineering and Contract- September making of gardens. authorities found Omanimurijets of water2013, synchronised with digitised ingLike Company 1972. He took advantage of has the yal many in Mughal gardens, Shalimar to around ₹14Sir crore, a part of sic. equivalent One does wonder what Mirza would country’s feverishwith paceits of lawns, infrastructure ex- which been ‘anglicised’ flowerbeds had come from Galfar. the light show, make of it all!

With or without pansion.

When two Omaninow by road they are testimony and topiary, and his is approached Ali denied the bribery charge, to Mirza’s belief that the partners werebyjailed for political rather than the original canal from the populace needs opted to appeal, and access promptly reopen space and to nareasons, Ali single-handedly lake. Nevertheless, it retains its basic layout: ture as much signed as and managing of as food shelter.director As the insteered the small construction the succession of pavilioned terraces with scription reads: Galfar. But worse was still to It’s a spectacular firm astonishing and heights. theirto watercourses fountains, set against come.

Onheart March the court senYou’re nearer god’s in9,a garden, fall from grace for Four decades on, Galfar a backdrop of mountains.

In theisDiwan-i-Am, tencedelse him 15 years jail on five Than anywhere ontoearth. both Galfar and Ali Oman’s largest construction comcounts of bribery charges and a pany, with a turnover of over a bilfine equivalent of around ₹30 lion dollars and employing nearly crore. His business development 25,000. Ali built Oman’s first primanager, Abdul Majeed Naushad, vate medical college and the first private engi- and Al Hinai were also handed long-term jail neering college, along with several other sentences and hefty penalties. educational and training institutions. When “I just don’t believe Ali was personally inGalfar became a public limited company in volved,” a former Galfar executive who now 2008, Ali took the backseat as vice-chairman lives in Kochi, said. “Maybe, a senior company (in 2011, however, he took over as MD as well as executive greased some palms to get things vice-chairman.) done in a country where contracts are often “The Galfar brand is plastered across hoard- won using underhand dealings.” ings all over Oman, where it has built much of “It’s a spectacular fall from grace for both the country’s road network, as well as hospi- Galfar and Ali,” Arabian Business commented. tals, palaces, ports and airports. Along the way, Immediately after Ali’s conviction, Galfar’s he has become one of the richest non-resident shares fell, but later recovered. Other compaIndians in the world,” the Dubai-based Ara- nies, including many Indian firms are also bebian Business magazine wrote. Ali’s personal ing investigated for securing contracts using net worth is an estimated $950 million. undue means.

In a country where Indians make up 15 per Sources in the know believe that Ali was cent of the population, Ali is the richest Indi- done in by a Turkish company that had missed an. He was conferred a major civilian award the PDO contract. However, neither the Omani for his contributions to Oman. Last year, he chairman of the company nor the European was ranked 35th in a list of 100 most influen- CEO have been punished. Also pertinent is the,

The man who built a massive fortune and reputation over four decades in Oman is now facing the prospect of jail time in that country

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Green evolution (clockwise from below) Brindavan Gardens, Mysore ma sriram; Saheliyonki-Bari, Udaipur; and Shalimar Gardens, Srinagarshutterstock/ caroline vancoillie

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the fact that Ali was not the MD during 2008-11 — the period related to the five counts of bribHandmaidens of nature ery Thecharges.

Saheliyon-ki-Bari in Udaipur is a quite difWhatgarden. next for Ali,created 63, whobyisannow out on ferent It was 18th-centubail?

People close to and him the say the verdict would ry raja for his wife 48 maidens who be challenged inpart the of Appeals Court if to it came with her as her dowry — aand, place fails, in the Supreme Beyond he get away from it all, Court. to escape fromthat, the inhas the of option to move a mercy petition betrigues the palace.

It is pleasantly un-geofore the with Sultan.meandering Ali’s friendswalkways, and associates metric, lush hope he will beand discharged inpools the absence of undergrowth, numerous and founany proof of the his pools personal involvement in the tains.

One of is thick with lotuses, anbribing case. other has a kiosk in the centre with baluster Ali, whoEverywhere has alreadysprays resigned columns. of from waterthe fill Galthe far businessand interests in India and too. air. board, Marblehas elephants other animals His Mfar Group ownsfeatures, Hotel Lemore Meridien birds adorn the water in theand EuInternational Convention Centre in Kochi; ropean than Indian manner.

Although it has Westin Hotel in Chennai; and Mfar Construcits quota of lawns and hedges, there are few tion Bangalore.

The convention centre, openinvistas; the dominant impression is offora instance, exemplifies business shrubs vision. monsoon garden with Ali’s its enveloping When he proposed it bougainvillea, about a decaderather ago, ita and trees.

To be sure, was labelled a crazy idea.these Today it isgrow venue de cliché in Indian gardens days, ramrigueur.

Aliwhat has also set up several charities in pant — but bougainvillea!

Kerala, working in the field of education and eugenia w herbert’s last book was Flora’s Empire professional development. on ‘garden imperialism’ in India

Uncertainties loom His status on the boards of many public companies that he serves in India is also unclear now. He is one of the founding directors of Cochin International Airport Ltd, owners of the country’s first greenfield airport built through the public-private-partnership route.

According to the Companies Act, a person convicted by a court for an offence involving moral turpitude and sentenced to imprisonment cannot remain on a company board. A CIAL source said the company would decide on Mohamed Ali at its next board meeting.

Ali is the chairman of Cheraman Financial Services, promoted by the Kerala government.

APM Mohammed Hanish, the MD, said the company was consulting legal experts on its options. Infrastructures Kerala Ltd has replaced Ali with his brother-in-law on its board.

Ali has weathered many crises. But this is all that matters now. The past is immaterial. The future, uncertain.

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Wine in her veins

Unlimited options Tier II cities are good for radio cabs as they have to travel relatively shorter distances to pick up clients nagara gopal

Just a year-and-a-half later, Flash brought about, what Alessia refersCab’s to asfleet the stands at 40, of clocking 200wines”. trips a day. And “Rennaisance Italian red more 60used per cent customers “Thethan focus to beofon quantity,are wewomwent en looking a safe In other smallagainst thefor rules onlycommute. for the sake of quality — er cities such as Pune, Amritsar, Chandigarh and we had some great results,” she says, referand Ludhiana, a rapidly community ring to the ‘Super Tuscan’growing revolution of the Sixof small and medium apartPierro from ties, pioneered by her enterprises, father Marchesi professionals, is relyingTiganello on radio taxis.

Antinori.

The resulting — a 1971 San“The fact is thatSauvignon tier II citiesblend are ready for orgiovese-Cabernet — is creditganised car rental People are aware ed with starting off services. this red wine revolution. and more businesses now originating Antinori remains aare family-run businessout to of them,” says Sakshi Director of date and Alessia says Vij, thatExecutive this is the way they Carzonrent, operates want to maintain it. “Thewhich continuity weradio have taxis under the Easy Cabs had from generation to generation hasbrand. given Theadvantage. company will launch us our biggest In fact, ourservices CEO is in Ahmedabad, Chandigarh like my second father. Being Pune, family-run means andhave Jaipur theany nextdrastic six months. thatfour we don’t to in take deciA car that lasts The readiness of these markets sions,can like a multi-national company would years in a metro to pay ₹18 or ₹20 per kilometre is havesix to otherwise.” run for nearly years in a small city not the only draw for operators.

Newly infrastructure, ‘Weather’ you like itdeveloped or not including airports, is aitmajor fac“The thing about viticulture is that depends torweather, too. Kunal chairman of entirely on the notLalani, on you, regardless Mega Cabs, when of how much effort you points put in.out Badthat years like they started Chandigarh in 2008 were 1992 or 2002infor us, when we didn’tthere bottle 70 onlycent two daily Today there are bad overvin10. per of ourflights. production, are just tages and you have to learn to deal with them.

Smaller is better Obviously it is a huge loss when this happens, Nearly cent of the business comes but we 65-70 made per a conscious decision to not profrom that services and from airports and railduce year to because it would be damaging way,us says II cities areisn’t good for them for to Lalani. releaseTier a wine that consistent in other too. When As the it cities more comwith ourways quality. is aare family-owned pact, therethese is lessdecisions dry run —are theup kilometres a vebusiness, to your sensihicle has travel before picking bilities and to sometimes, these are quite up emo-a passenger and running the do meter. runare is tional decisions.

You can’t this“Dry if you much less people know theorplaces wellobliand owned by aaslarger company you have there is only one downtown in the metgations to produce a certainunlike amount.” ros,” saysthe Siddharth Pahwa, CEO of Meru Cabs.

While wine business is inherited from a carAlessia’s that lastspet four years is inrestora metherMoreover, father’s side, project ro can remain in running up to ing a farm on the outskirtscondition of Rome,for in Fiorasix years in a tierowned II city — by it would 275no.

Originally her clock maternal 300km a daywho in the metros, compared with grandfather, Alessia says was like a prince 200km a smaller with a in tractor, thecity. farm and vineyard was With cost of markedly lower in tier II abandoned forliving a while until four years ago centres, “the expectations of drivers are lowwhen she decided to restore it. “My grandfaer” there, says Lalani. in metros comther, he believed in theDrivers land, and in the orgasia Antinori carries with her the heritage of nic mand to ₹22,000 a month, while way₹17,000 of doing things. He was a fanatic great Italian wine-making. Growing up in a about those in smallchemical town rarely earn beyond nota using additives, and he vineyard within the city limits of Rome stayed ₹12,000.

“Overall, wethrough are able to returns in organic even theget phase when sounds extremely romantic but it is also a lot chemicals line with big cities,” says used Pahwa.

“Every market were being liberally across of work, she says. “You cannot simhas a different potential and capability pay farms and vineyards.”

Shetoadds ply switch off on weekends, a vinefor different services. evaluate each market that at itsWe peak, the Fiorano estate yard is a full-time job, and every on the basis of existing players,” he adds. grew everything from wheat to detail needs looking after. It took vegetables, even making their 600 years to establish, but it can In the flight path own honey and cheese.

Her grandfather, all be ruined in a careless minute.” taxi business the is metros is grappling Thein estate now going back to the originalThe owner But it is fun, Alessia adds, recountwith several new challenges today.

With privaits organic roots under Alessia, of the Fiorano ing stories of how wines were testtisation, major airports such as Delhi, Mumand works on the basic concept estate, was like ed at the family dinner table, with and Bangalore now come outare with request that all ingredients grown on a princebai with everyone pitching in with their for proposalsthe (RFPs) cab operations every farm.for “We have a small restaua tractor opinions. three years. This thatrun whoever bids the rantmeans that we on weekends, n Lucknow, the eight-seater rickshaw, or highest amount thatmenu can be sharedevery with day the and our changes tum-tum, The whole ninealways yards seemed just right for the airport gets the rights to enterinthe terminal to based on what’s season.

We’ve slow and pace of this erstwhile look for passengers.

Admitting thatgrandiose inheriting a wine The restour cannot so. to In started milking owndo cows city ofAntinori nawabs. is But that that the capital legacy like annow honour comes make Delhi’sour T1cheese, terminal, onlybatch Easy and for eveninstance, make a small of Uttar Pradesh is eager to speed along thetakde- of with a lot of responsibility, she insists that Cabs hasthat access; it’s to Meru and customers.”

Mega for T3. wine we sell private velopment rusted and ill-maining it up fullhighway, time wasthe a personal decision “We The taxi operator ends up sharing with the tainednever tum-tums giving way busito Indophile were obliged toare take up the family airports nearly 25-30 per cent of the daily averair-conditioned sedans as study Lucknavis discover ness, I left Florence at 18 to viticulture on Andamans, age transaction cost.Coorg, An income say, ₹1Mumlakh Hampi, Jaipur,of,Delhi, the convenience radio cabs. my own. Twenty of years ago when I was study- bai a day willlistleave the operator poorer by — the of Indian destinations where Cut to Jaipur.

Tiredtwo of haggling transing, there were just women inover a class of Alessia ₹25,000has to ₹30,000. set foot is impressive enough to portSofares, tourists well as women young profes20! starting off asasthe only in the make Theaabsence of privatised airports in when tier II local blush.

“I first came to India sionals are making a beeline forinMeru male-dominated wine business ItalyCabs, was Icentres to but cabsoon operwas 18. Imakes used tothem come attractive for pleasure, it which launched here in June last challenging, butservices we were determined soyear we turned ators. “In thebusiness, metros, costs are also into and now it’s aspiralling. combinaand is it already profitable. made happen.”

Tariffs increased only once in three years tion of are both,” she admits.

This, then, is where the actioninisMilan, right while After studying at thealluniversity of fuel, staff, callafter centres Backcost in India four years herand last techtrip, now forcame radio taxis Indiato beyond Alessia back —tothe Rome focus metros, on the Alessia nology is goes upto every year,” Lalani. quick stress thatsays India is an imporwhereand incomes and aspirations rising.busi- tant sales marketing side of theare family Thepotential larger volumes the metros negatmarketinfor wine, andare that givness, focusing on exports to the US and other ing ed by thewines high service costs. When comes to her top positioning in it hotels and Ready to ride key international locations. return on investment, theBetween tier II city hasfascinanearly star restaurants is vital. her “We started in Lucknow in October with tion The Antinori family comes from a 2012 600-yearpipped to the post. Little and wonder forthe themetro Indian subcontinent the 15 cars, making of justwinemaking, five-six trips abut day. But we growing old tradition Alessia that radiomarket taxi operators morewe’re than hapfor wineseem in India, sure knew there latent demand for reliable stresses thatwas theyahave a modern outlook, with to pybe to drive speeds seeingatahigh lot more of into her. the non-metros. andeye efficient transport,” says Shashank Agaran on the future.

Innovation is no stranger rashmi pratap mathew wal, CEO of Flash Cabs. to the family as they are well known for having elizabeth

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Inheritor of a 600-year-old winemaking legacy, Alessia Antinori is also restoring a farm on the outskirts of Rome

Taxi to SJhumri Telaiya

peak of wine and women, and many rather sexist ideas would probably come to mind (feminism has a lot of work left). But it’s not your fault — the world of wine has always been predominantly male, whether it is sommeliers or vintners, oenology has been a boys’ club. Shaking things up on this front are Alessia and her sisters from the Antinori family. From being one of two women in her viticulture course at university in Milan, to running her own estate in Fiorano, Alessia has come a long way.

With a surname that has graced many an expensive wine bottle for over six centuries, Ales-

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Small towns are revving up the radio cab business as incomes, and aspirations, climb steadily beyond the metros

Estate of affairs The farm at Fiorano is returning to its organic roots

Jet set go Meru cabs, which launched in June in Jaipur, are already making profits in the Pink City

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Herons and egrets Treasure trove Two terracotta figurines from the Rajput period; and an artefact from the Sultanate period discovered during excavations

The games these birds play to put dinner on the platesandeep saxena

Uncharted, a la carte Scientists show they dare to go where no tastebud has gone before

Hairy treat A guest chews a cooked tarantula at the 110th Explorer’s Club Annual Dinner in New York reuters/ andrew kelly

What lies beneath An excavation by ASI at Purana Qila reveals the many dynasties that have ruled over Delhi

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he 16th century Purana Qila is one of can’t dig fast. This excavation is really valuable During those digs, they could locate traces of the Capital’s most iconic monu- because with almost every metre we dig, we PGWs, which were similar to those found in ments with its stone ramparts and discover artefacts from different civilisa- other Mahabharata sites but definitive evihile most of us were chomp- dence tist-chef Gene Rurka included spiders on a is still absconding.

Kulshrestha, assistant moat. While it is most often visited tions,” says Vishnu Kant ing on sambar-rice, two whole-roasted alligators, go“In earlier excavations, there weregoat indicaat the site. the “ThisEx- stick, by the curious tourist and curiouser lover, it superintending archaeologist Club in New York tions nadsthat andthe bullsite testicles served sliced an was related to thewith period site, which displays a conhas now caught the attention, after 40 years, is probably the onlyplorer’s herbed sauce andwas a garnish bell was doingRight whatfrom explorers tinuous cultural habitation. the when thecream Mahabharata said toof have of the Archaeological Survey of India.

Eat or be eaten Is the green-backed heron wondering if thatIn is aa‘log’ or acorner crocodile ambikathis kamath do — furthering knowledge the played peppers. included mealout,”Other said garnishes Vasant Swarnkar superinquiet inside fort, built by Af- Kushans (1st century AD) toand thegirding Guptas human spirit. The formed ants, scorpions, tendingroasted archaeologist, ASI, Delhi century AD),club to the Raj- in 1904 aims worms, crickets, ghan king Sher Shah Suri, and away from am- (4th-5th “unite explorers in AD), the bonds some larvae. circle.and Heeven adds, “And in excavacentury the of good fel- maggot pupae, bling tourists and cosying couples, putsto(10th-12th isit any body of water almost any- to find the bait; in the meantime, bird me- Delhi lowship and to promote theAD) work of exploraThe $375tions mealat might been the relatmost otherhave Mahabharata Sultanate (13th century archaeological excavations arethe underway. where on the planet, and you’ll cer- ticulously repositions theASI bait it andtion by every(16th means in its power”. At The interestinged forsites us lay gentry, but therePGWs were the Mughals to 19th AD), such as Hastinapur, Over the last month, the hasevery beentime slowly tainly see a heron or an egret. The floats away, demonstrating a degreebehind of persist110th of Annual chief andbeen awards too. To While Stephen have found. make a condigging through a sloping surface the we Explorer’s have foundClub evidence all ofDinner, Theastroteam is on theguests reliability with which herons and ence that I envy. nauts, paid Hawking played awards were nectionchief with guest, the Mahabharata or here.”astrophysicists, archaeologists Sher Mandal, located at the right extremity of them lookout for Painted egrets can be spotted and identified across the theRather ironically, and egrets themtribute to exploration technology. given Munk, ‘father’ of oceanthe city of the Indraprastha, stratiWhile excited about theand discovQila. With every herons metre they dig, they are Grey Wares, a to Walter globe is a source of great comfort to me when I selves prey to the same sort ofhabitations deception ery of Travelling into various uncharted the Diaz,should a former fiedFranklin depositsChang of PGWs be artefacts from civil-territories, findingfall treasures from cultural pottery that ography, is said and travel to unfamiliar locales — no matter how that they fish,that at the handstoday, — or isations, astronaut working on new ways of space exmenu this of theteam dinner, York’s found here too and only further is served on theat New have inflict called upon the city is Delhi to date back to the far I am from the ecosystems I call home, I should I say, jaws — of alligators and crocodil- lookout iconicfor Waldorf Astoria, prepared byMahabharata scien- ploration. excavation will reveal this.” The Painted Grey Wares their home. know that the herons and egrets aspect of a Aheron’s archaeologists are confident that Work herees.isThe at only a snail’s pace. grouplife of (PGW), a specific kind of pottery are going to look roughly the more important than looks eatinglike is that is said to date back to the Mathey will find PGWs because around 20 sit hunched over what same. And this dependability of breeding raising among other reasons, it has even mud to the successfully lay viewer. But to thisand team of la- habharata. If these PGWs are herons and egrets extends to chicks. Building a nest is crucial to been discovered that there was a bourers, Foot-stirring and volunteers and archaeologists, every found here, they would confirm their behaviour as well — whenevthis ofprocess, and sincebe large village called Indrapat inside the fort walls, the existence of the city of Indraprastha — the innocuous piece stone or tile could a key wing-sheltering are er I come across a heron or egret groups of herons often ifnest close to the past. After a hard day’s work, they are erstwhile capital of the Pandavas. BB Lal, for- which existed till the early 20th century. The useful hunting hunting for food, I can rely upon each other, themanage sticks that lucky, the to archaeologists tonests sift mer director-general of ASI had led two previ- discovery of these PGWs would also mean that techniques it to be thoroughly entertaining. built from are often in ous excavations here in 1954-55 and 1969-73. civilisation in this region can be dated back to through notare more than 50-100 cm oflocally soil. “We Herons and egrets primarily short supply. Some crocodilians at least 1100 BC. eat fish, and have devised a plethtake advantage of this by posiWhile PGWs (if they exist) are still many ora of techniques, ranging from tioning sticks on the end of their metres under, the team has located artefacts A universe born sun subtle manoeuvres to more frantic tactics, to snouts, and then pretending to be a log. In from different ages, which they is plan toThe display as itthe setsartefacts behind Bicep2 (inis a make the task of catching fish easier. On one their desperate search for housing material, at the site itself. Among found the foreground) and the hand, the snowy egret uses its foot to gently the birds fail to notice the suspicious-looking Vishnu idol, which is said to date back to 12th South Pole Telescope (in the stir the water in which it stands. This motion ‘log’ on which these sticks are positioned, and century, precious stones, seal imprints of anbackground) provokes nearby fish into moving, and thus they meet their end in the jaws of a voracious photo / steffen richas well as cient coins from theafp Gupta period into making themselves visible to the predato- crocodilian. A fitting demise, at least from the glasses and burnt bricks which are considered ry bird waiting patiently above. On the other perspective of fish that have succumbed to the to be from the Kushan period. “Every day we hand, the reddish egret paces frantically up trickery of herons and egrets! find something exciting and it takes great paand down, stopping abruptly to shelter its tience and effort to make sure they are excahead with its wings as it peers keenly into the ambika kamath studies organismic and evolutionary vated properly without being broken,” water below. This wing-sheltering behaviour biology at Harvard University Kulshrestha says. helps the egret get a better look at the animals The ASI also plans to make this site India’s it has scared into action, before it darts its first open-site museum, which will be on disbeak into the water to stab at the terrified fish play for the public. “You notice that we are digthat will comprise its next meal. ging at a slope. This is because each layer of Some biologists believe that both the foothistory can be seen by people, just the way we 3.8 billion years ago, the universe burst found Cosmic describes how stirring and wing-sheltering behaviours serve it. Alsoinflation we wantbasically to leave behind the arteonto the scene with a Big Bang. While facts the we universe rapidly giving us an additional, more devious purpose — to atfind here andexpanded, create an on-site mu-a there’s no way for us to know exactly seum peekof at ‘baby the universe. tract fish towards the creature that will soon sorts, pictures’ so that of those interested can For Stephen Hawking, who is known to be what happened then, a telescope at the come consume them. Snowy egrets have black uptake a look,” says Swarnkar. betting man, the discovery come as a South Pole — Bicep2 — might have detected aThe per legs but yellow feet, and the movement of excavations which beganhas after a hiatus the first tremors of the Big Bang. On Monday, ofvictory in a wager with a fellow this brightly coloured foot in the water might more than 40 years is slated toscientist. continueThe till astrophysicists announced the discovery of the presence of gravitational waves for disproves lure fish towards the bird. Similarly, many fish end of May. “We can’t excavate longer “primordial gravitational waves”. These are than cosmologist theory that the uniseek out dark, sheltered spots to hide from that sinceNeil the Turok’s monsoon might begin.

We ripples in space-time that might provide the hope verse from one Big Bang to predators, and are thus fooled into swimming tocycles make endlessly exciting discoveries, since only first direct evidence for a long-held hypothe- the another. recently lost a $100 bet on under the reddish egret’s raised wings. But successHawking of this excavation can determine sis of cosmic inflation. Besides proving Ein- whether the Higgs or the Godhere particle discovthe pinnacle of such deception by herons and weBoson can begin work again next stein’s theory of general relativity, this year,” ery. Turok, meanwhile, not ready to have conegrets is their use of actual bait — insects, bersays Swarnkar.

WhileisUnnao might might establish the much sought after con- not cede yet. any While the ries, pieces of bread — that they collect and yielded goldBicep2 for thehas ASI, reported digging deep of the space-timeup ripples, is now nection between general relativity and atexistence carefully place in the water within striking Purana Qila is throwing many itexciting up to Agency’s Planck space quantum mechanics. It might also explain finds distance, ready to catch any hungry fish that forEuropean them andSpace the curious visitor. on-site museum; (inset) a 12th century whyanthe universe looks almost the same in telescope to confirm the discovery, which it comes to investigate the incongruous food Layered history ASI plans to leave the dig exposed, thus creating every direction. had failed to spot last year. source. However, it can take a while for a fish Vishnu idol sandeep saxena sibi arasu

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The discovery of gravitational waves may forever change the way we look at the universe

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saturday, march 22,22, 2014 saturday, march 2014

he was angry. Angry that the incident had happened, angry at his own situation. “He (the photographer) asked me for a photo and I gave him a pose.”

Parmar says he picked up an iron rod lying on the roadside. He donned the saffron bandairst they gave us a seven-hour epina that he got from a neighbour. “I believed sode of a train ride from Oslo to Bersaffron was the colour of Hinduism.” And gen. Then they telecast an eight-hour posed. Soon after the “photo session”, Parmar epic on... knitting. Now NRK, the chanleft for his brother’s house in the chaali nel behind Norway’s “slow TV” broad(chawl) nearby and remained indoors till casts, has come up with a weirdly nightfall. The next day he was on the front addictive “reality TV show with wild page of all the newspapers. birds” called Piip Show. Which follows The photo landed Parmar behind bars for the lives of a cast of birds — a nuthatch, nearly a fortnight. The lower court, even after hat’s that? Oh, just your WhatsApp messenger a magpie, a blue tit — and a red squirrel four date extensions, couldn’t find a single beeping. Not the cry of a skylark, eh? Before over three months. eye-witness to prove Parmar’s involvement in life went the smartphone way, the soundtrack to our The slow TV broadcasts see themthe rioting. He was given a clean chit. Howevlives marched to a different beat. In Britain, it seems selves as an antidote to the overwhelmer, the State counsel challenged the lower that the “unloved, everyday sounds” such as dial-up ing overload of information on the court’s order in the High Court where the matmodems, clanging typewriters, whirring night buses World Wide Web. The broadcasts might ter is still pending for a hearing. are nearing extinction. But luckily, a project to prebe a tad tedious for those who are ac“If you see, I am alone in serve such sounds in an audio archive will kick-off in customed to a surfeit of stimulus. But the picture. I was not part of September, thanks to a Swedish museum curator, slow to watch and cheap to produce, it any mob. I wasn’t out for Torsten Nilsson. On Nilsson’s personal “hit list” are has its own advantages and loyalists. rioting. I never imagined the sounds like a person dialling a rotary telephone and Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit picture would cause so “at least 40 different English kettles boiling for afterhas already christened Piip Show “the much trouble,” he explains. noon tea”. Sound archivist Ian Rawes is also best thing on the internet”.

Parmar now has a debt of collecting recordings of everything from over ₹10,000 fighting court “the clanging of the Woolwich foot tunnel cases. “I didn’t get any supto dawn in East London” and birdsong — port from my family or comBritain’s favourite sound apparmunity in my village.” ently — for London Sound It is interesting to note Survey, a sound project. that despite the clean chit and Parmar’s insistence that he was not involved in the riots, he profusely apolelcome to the Upper East Side of domain names. ogised for his role at the KanFrom now on, Berliners can throw out the downnur seminar. “It (the riots) market .coms and .orgs, and adopt traditional German was a huge blunder. I have national suffix .de for a brand new web address. On abandoned the politics of hatred and reMarch 18, Berlin became the world’s first city with its venge,” Parmar had said. Strangely, even VHP own internet domain name — .berlin. The suffix was creand Bajrang Dal never opposed the associated under an agreement between Berlin’s local governation with him and the photo. “Why would ment and ICANN, a US-based firm that coordinates they? They had got a brand ambassador for global internet systems. A .berlin suffix will cost 30-60 their Hindu Rashtra image,” says Parmar. euros per year, and is expected to raise 500,000 euros in Strongly objecting to the undesirable assothe first year. Several other cities are in the process of Brothers in arms ciations the photo has given him, Parmar says getting themselves a new address, including .paris, .nyc, (Top) Ashok Parmar at it was the media portrayal that saddened him .london and .roma. The .london suffix will become availhis makeshift n the footpath of a busy road be- captured in a photo taken on the streets of the most. “They painted me as a terrorist. Indiestablishment near able only in April. We wonder how .thiruvananthaputween Shahpur Darwaza and Delhi Dudheshwar in a riot-hit Ahmedabad, waving an Mujahideen used my picture in an email.

Shahpurram Darwaja willinfare.

Darwaza in old Ahmedabad, cob- an iron rod, a saffron bandana on his head, One Gujarati paper published my photo over a Ahmedabad rakesh gandhi; bler Ashok Parmar sits with his screaming for blood as fires raged bemap of India. What do they want to (inset) March 2002 cover of Outlook; makeshift establishment of a few boxes that hind him. Overnight, he became establish by that,” he asks. (right inset) Qutubuddin contain boot-polish, buckles, pins, thread, big the face of the attacker of the Ironically, it took activist Ansari (the face of fear) and small needles, worn-out shoe brushes and Gujarat riots. ‘Bajrang Dal Syed Rumi and journalistand Ashok Parmar come other equipment to mend footwear. For the activist’ screamed headactivist Kaleem Siddiqui together in Kannur, last two decades, this footpath has served as lines as hatred and critito bring them together Kerala sk mohan his “permanent address” in the city. Despite cism poured in. A short in Kerala. “This meetthe hustle and bustle of the old city, business jail-term followed. ing could’ve never has been slow for the 39-year-old Parmar. Earn- However, in the tide of happened in Gujarat ing a modest sum of ₹200 a day, Ashok Par- events that took over as everything acquires mar’s life seems like that of any other cobbler Parmar’s life, the truth a political colour,” says in the city. faded out.

Rumi. But Parmar Yet, just three weeks ago, Parmar’s life was “I was labelled as a won’t be drawn into the anything but ordinary. On March 3, he shared Bajrang Dal member. I politics. don’t have a emember Madhuri from Dil to Pagal“IHai, when the stage with Qutubuddin Ansari at a semibecame the face of saffron voter ID but my name is in she says, “Kahin na kahin, koi na koi mere liye bahe yogic guru Ashutosh Maharaj has completed a month and a nar called ‘A decade of genocide’ Kannur areterrorism. amyet. neither,” rolls. At least, my for vote has naya gaya hai (Somewhere,the someone is made half in an icebox, but hisinfollowers not givingI up Disci- says district,ples Kerala.

Parmar, now back on the footnever been with Modi,” he says. me)”? Well, if you haven’t found ‘your special someof this spiritual guru, who used to head (or heads?) the Divya Twelve years ago, images of both — rep- path Ahmedabad. was sheer 40-year-old one’ yet, you might wantThe to try these newAnsari, online who Jyoti Jagrati Sansthan, with men its headquarters inin Nurmahal nearItJaresenting two different sides of staunch the Gujarat coincidence, he claims, that wasnarrow a tailor Naroda niche dating options that yourin search to re-Patiya landhar, Punjab, are of the belief that he is in ‘samadhi’ and riots — should had made history.

Parmar, the face of made him one of the rioters on which saw some of the worst ally, really important things — does your future lov- vioawake from his deep slumber anytime now. They say that the attacker.

Ansari, the facethey of fear. the street.with their gurupost-Godhra is The photographer er love cats (Purrsonals)lence or is in he the a Star Trek fan or riots, is through meditation are able to communicate Thesein-an-icebox. two faces ofAthe 2002 riots had come That day, Parmar came to work now married with three children. asked me for a she a hippie/pagan/over 60? For the “aesthetically former driver has tried to file a petition to get his gutogether forbody the first time in Kerala at the behat an around 10am.son A surbandh had As the he released Malayalam photo and I gave there’s average” looking, Ugly Bugthe Ball and the verru’s away from his followers and even estranged est of the Communist Indialike (Marxist). been andfor it had sion ofdreaming his autobiography I am Qua pose Uglyhim Dating Site. For those of Dracula, faced, claimingParty thatofhe’d to perform thedeclared last rites his affected On stage, Parmar offered Ansari a red rose and the daily lives of thousands.

“I lost tubuddin Ansari, Parmar smiled Vampire Passions is the place to be (search by blood long-lost father, but believers at the DJJS are unimpressed. an apology.

They shook hands and sang songs. myquoted daily inbusiness,” andwant clapped. himself had type, they say). And if you to findHe a soulmate One of the spokespersons of the group was a local dailyhe says.

“Today saying, my brother Ashoksoul hashas asked fortofor“There waswe a bandh and all restaunothing much show forto the last based on literary tastes, head over toto Alikewise “Maharaj’s gone the Himalayas, are preservgiveness.

It means a lot to me.

Let this be the rants were shut.

I couldn’t get any decade.

Despite Modi’s rhetoric of separate the Murakami fans from the Potter heads. ing his body, waiting for him to return. Medical science is not combeginning ofin a new humanity,” An- food.animation, This was affecting plete itself.chapter Such a in state is called suspended which is the poor like us the development, Parmar says, nothing has sari hadtaught said then. most. I was angry. It was a crisis situation.” changed for the poor. “My financial condition in forensic science.”

On February 28, 2002 — one day after the fire When a photojournalist approached him is so bad I can’t even get married,” he says. in Sabarmati Express at Godhra in which 59 for his reaction to the Godhra incident (which people were burned to death — Parmar was had occurred the previous day), Parmar said rutam vora

A slow-mo hit

Turn on, tune in, and drop out with slow TV

Photo Finish F

Hubbub central

Now find the tolling of bells, and the hissing of kettles in The story behind the other face of the Gujarat riots a museum

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Bye bye .com

When cities get their own domains

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Dead man rising

Dead, says science. Suspended animation, say followers

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Turned on by Twilight Online dating goes niche and how

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cornerstone in-faq by joy bhattacharjya

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oo many questions. Not enough food. Bon appétit!

The first documented use of pigs for finding this substance was from a gentleman named Bartholomew Pita in the 15th century. This activity is fairly common in France, though increasingly dogs are being used instead of pigs.

Which delicacy were pigs traditionally used to find?

2

According to the official website, which branded product has to exit the glass bottle at .028 miles per hour? If the viscosity of the product is greater than this speed, it is rejected for sale.

3

Which signature Indian dish is supposed to have originated when the Maharaja of Mysore had a lot of food left over after a feast and asked his cooks to improvise to ensure it was not wasted?

4

Fill in the blanks. Both are the same word. ____ has gone to extraordinary lengths to maintain the anonymity of its inspectors. Many of the company’s top executives have never met an inspector; inspectors themselves are advised not to disclose their line of work, even to their parents, and, in all these years , ____has refused to allow its inspectors to speak to journalists.

the new york times crossword-0202

it’s all relative

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This dish has many stories about its origin.

The most popular version is that it was created during Qing Dynasty premier Li Hongzhang’s visit to the US in 1896 by his chef, who tried to create a meal suitable for both Chinese and American palates. Identify the dish.

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The Medicare Part D coverage gap lies between the initial coverage limit and the catastrophic-coverage threshold in the Medicare Part D prescription-drug programme administered by the US federal government.

What is it more commonly known as, given that it is a question in this quiz?

7

What is the connection of a bird of the swift family ‘Aerodramus fuciphagus’ with the topic of this quiz?

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Hat tip to my Calcutta days. After immigrating to the US in 1869, he settled in Racine. In 1872, he moved to Chicago to begin a food manufacturing business with his brother, James. This was the genesis of a company, which the two founded in 1875 and moved to Racine in 1876. At around the same time, he began working on creating a dried milk product. This work culminated with a US patent in 1883 and a product that was originally called “Diastoid”.

Just give me the surname of the two brothers, eminently guessable.

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The Chinese term is kuaizi. In Japanese they are called hashi or otemoto. In Korean jeotgarak. What?

Butterfly and Mushroom are the two most common shapes of flakes of which hugely popular snack food?

ANSWERS 1. Truffles 2. Heinz Ketchup 3. The masala dosa ( the sada dosa had been around much longer) 4. Michelin 5. Chop suey or American chop suey 6. The Medicare Donut Hole 7. Its saliva binds together the nests in bird’s nest soup 8. Horlicks. A confession, I hate the taste!

9. Chopsticks.

10. Popcorn

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joy bhattacharjya is, in this age of television pundits and Facebook gurus, simply grateful that facts are not opinions. t@joybhattacharj

Across

1 Apply quickly 7 Wall ___ 13 Gringos’ land 20 Place with wheels and deals 21 Summit planner 22 Worse 23 Woodworking tool 24 Untrustworthy sort 25 What players do at the start of a game of tag 26 Some bling 27 One for the “no” column 29 Most Cypriots, ethnically 31 Massages 32 Like some eagles and tires 34 Li’l Abner’s surname 36 Company with the Havoline brand 38 Notre dame, e.g.

39 Valdez of coffee advertising 40 Period of the Cenozoic Era 42 Language suffix 45 Servings of mashed potatoes, e.g.

47 Writer Kipling 48 Let go

49 Cynic Bierce who once defined “alone” as “in bad company” 52 Swear off 53 Potentially dangerous 55 Sapling 56 Relax 58 Goes in 59 Stairway post 60 Twinkie filler 62 “Back to the Future” villains 64 Amo : I love :: ___ : I hate 65 “The Merry Drinker” painter 66 Pop singer Del Rey 67 In need of a lift 70 “Adoration” subjects in a Leonardo painting 74 Maine college 75 Irish county and seaport 77 Have troops in 79 [What a bore] 81 Martin Sheen’s real family name 83 Tops off?

85 Pam of “Jackie Brown” 86 Takeout choice 87 All riled up 88 Part of London where Eliza Doolittle is from 90 One side of an 1899-

1902 war 91 Smidgen 92 Source of ivory 93 Uzbekistan’s ___ Sea 94 About a quarter of the population of Sicily lives on its slopes 98 Title girl in a Chuck Berry hit 99 Make enforceable 100 Opportunity 101 Learn well 104 Take blows for 107 A line in an A-line?

109 Punk offshoot 110 Be supported by 112 Movie director who was himself the subject of a 1994 movie 114 Gold-medal gymnast Mary Lou 116 Powell’s successor on the Supreme Court 117 Some starting help 118 “Keep going!”

119 Love to hate?

120 Canon parts 121 On the receiving end of a Dear John letter

Down

1 Writer of old 2 Secular

3 See 51-Down 4 Gumshoes 5 ___ empty stomach 6 73-Down, relatively 7 Denver-to-Albuquerque dir.

8 See 52-Down 9 Break a peace treaty, say 10 Gaelic tongue 11 Lunging sport 12 93-Down, relatively 13 Lines to Wrigley Field 14 See 82-Down 15 Fine point 16 Bone: Prefix 17 Moreno of “West Side Story” 18 Ticked (off) 19 Goofs 28 “Yessiree!”

30 Dreamcast maker 33 Résumé datum 35 ___ in kangaroo 37 Boomers’ kids 40 Sip on 41 Limit 42 95-Down, relatively 43 “___ gut” 44 Breyers alternative 46 Rest in a hammock, say 47 Wanders 48 Abbr. at the start of a

memo 49 He’s 2, for one 50 He “will never speak unless he has something to say,” in a song 51 3-Down, relatively 52 8-Down, relatively 54 “Bambi” doe 57 Air-freshener scent 61 Cleaner’s supply 63 One who might yell, “Go home!”

66 Rested in a hammock, say 68 Gets up there 69 Nap 71 Taking a certain tone 72 Fuel-economy authority, for short 73 See 6-Down 74 Cartoon sound 75 Hubbub 76 Macros, e.g.

77 Words of remembrance, briefly 78 Michael of “Arrested Development” 80 McFlurry flavor

82 14-Down, relatively 84 Indian wrap 89 Depots: Abbr.

90 Built-in part of a tank top, maybe 92 Block party?

93 See 12-Down 95 See 42-Down 96 “Make it stop!”

97 Observed Yom Kippur 98 Italian grandpa 99 Funeral delivery of old 101 “___ stupid question …”

102 Vitamin a.k.a. paraaminobenzoic acid 103 Director Gus Van ___ 105 In a hammock, maybe 106 Gershwin biographer David 108 Many a Yelp link 111 Big Apple N.L. team 113 Fielding feats: Abbr.

115 Cable inits. For a cinephile

By Daniel A. Finan / Edited by Will Shortz