Blink issue 26 july19 2014

WE BEAT CHINA! India’s basketball team, ranked 61 in the world, makes history by defeating the top team of Asia p22 saturday, july 19, 2014

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American e-commerce giant Amazon hits its stride in India by retroďŹ tting to suit local demands and conditions p9

THE FOOD MILE Care for some trotters? Or ox tail, perhaps? Head to Mumbai during Ramzan p19

CAUGHT IN A NOOSE Author KR Meera on why she chose to tell the story of a hangwoman p17

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Young cagers unleashed Governing the play store

A team of unknown players make Indian basketball history by beating China in China

Government offices are launching a host of he cavernous indoor basketball sta- thing like géhu (wheat),Tripigator team and the Indian national team, adds, “The holiday.

The engine, which was andand thesabIncredible chaawal (rice) India Walking Tours apps and games, and collaborating techies dium at Wuhan Sports Centre inwith that matters is that basketball by three IIT alumni, re-reziyaan (vegetables). The only sport we hadapponly thingcreated Earlier this year, the Ministry ofthe quires China was rather empty. But the few heard of and used to play ceives mass recognition deserves.” only a few it basic inputs to was kabaddi.” to juice up their sites Tourism launched an app as well churn out a personalised itinerhundred Chinese spectators hudWhen Amrit Pal began playing basketball

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as ahe‘trip planning engine’. dled around the court were loudly cheering due to his near 7ft height, FewThe takersary. According to the Ministry, was joined by felWalking app Yadwhich Basketball is cur- over on their Facing them a quiet is a largely sport in India. one arehome the team. days when they was hoped wouldlow “integrate 1,500 unknown users have accessed beanpolethe Amjyot Singh, 6ft Tour 6” player rently available on Blackberbunch of 14 Indians 12 players, an assistant tools The Indianthe men’s 61st insince the world the Government of —India communication horizontally siteteam on a ranks daily basis its winder Singh and subsequently 6ft 9”only inches ry,atbut be available soon coach and were a physiotherapist leading themthrough after last year’s Asia ago.

Championship websites near-exact — and vertically various Singh so- Brar launch twoFIBA months tall Palpreet theshould Ludhiana Bas- and for Android users, acts as a are virtual allreplicas was a man thedesign name of Scott Flemming. placed 11th in Asia. An offices overwhelming maof by web cial media platforms”.

“Government have truly ketball Academy in Punjab.

Set up through guide, NRI leading usersof its There was no reason to expect a different international have come software samples; where marquee Despite the shiftfunding in power at the come of age. Whilewins we had experifrom Punjab’stour many wealthy im- jority through touristagainst desti- countries on the ofad July 13, duringmany the 5thother Nepal, Bangladesh, elements outcome rolled across thenight screen centre, departments mented such withasthe Google trip migrants in the UK in 2003, the prominent Ludhiana Basnations out across the country.

Cup. If anything, India’s loss in have Sri The Lanka and Pakistan.

When India plays top nauseam,FIBA andAsia hyperlinks rarely, if after and ministries followed suit, has churned planner last year, with Tripigator ketball Academy an endless app currently maps nasites inAsian 16 In-teams the opening witha ChiIran or South Korea, ever, trumped the ‘404game error’.to Japan, coupled launching host of supply apps and andlike theChina, Walking Tours app we’re of games, talented forwards to the Indian for taking na’slast 2-0 winning streakofmeant that nobody the yawning gulf itbecomes apparent.

In August year, the Ministry collaborating with tional techies to juice team.dian cities but plans are afoot to the next level,” Frustratsays a basketball another 20.Nadu, point ed at the senior gaveand the 61st ranked team to beat poor showing the last 80-odd Information Broadcasting seta chance up their sites.the Here areAround our picks. ministryin official, who the same time, in Tamil While Walking Tour helps tour-the didn’t world’s 12th best team, that too on its own guard Akilan Pari was making years, Basketball Federation of India“Be(BFI) aside a whopping ₹22.5 crore to eswant to be named. a dream-like ists the on the go, Tripigator assists tiedsides,” turf. media When wing. the match began though, it was a journey of his own. From up with powerful consibi arasu tablish a new One that he the adds, “there sports are two remote hills of finally users who are still planning their more different story. Resorting to man-to-man de- Valparai town in the Anamalais, glomerate Reliance in 2010. apps in IMG the pipeline.” fense for four straight quarters (which re- he was invited to the NBA All Star Scott Flemming became the quires immense physical strength and Weekend in Houston, Texas. head coach in late 2012 with stamina) the Indian team raced away to a doumore than a hint of trepidation.

Similarly, other players such I’m surprised we ble digit lead in the first quarter only to find fa- as Vishesh Bhriguvanshi from A few of his foreign predecessors hadn’t beaten China vourites China mount a huge comeback and Varanasi (UP), Pratham Singh Kenny Natt, Pete Gaudet and, earlier, said the coach nose ahead 50-48 going into the final quarter. from Bhilai (Chhattisgarh), Jostrength and conditioning Scott Flemming “In the recent past, we have squandered ginder and Narender from Bhicoach, Zak Penwell had packed away first-half leads, so we had to ensure that wani (Haryana), Rikin Pethani their bags in a hurry. In India, we kept our focus this time around,” coach from Sabarkantha (Gujarat), Prawhere administrative bottleFlemming said after the match. True to his kash Mishra from Ratlam (MP) necks are aplenty, many coaches words, in the final 10 minutes of play, India and Prasanna Sivakumar from Coimbatore quit prematurely in sheer frustration. All of clamped down defensively yet again and on (Tamil Nadu) were coming together on court. them were recruited by International Manthe offensive end made some sensational These 12 young players spoke different lan- agement Group (IMG), an international sports three-pointers and alley-oop dunks to take In- guages and came from contrasting cultures, agency, financially aided by the Reliance dia to an epochal 65-58 win. but they all wanted the same goal: to change Group. The late Harish Sharma, former BFI “Toofbethe honest surprised we hadn’t bea- the way basketball is viewed and played in our CEO and a national point guard himself in the Guardians SkiesI’m (G0tS) tenbyChina earlier.Air WeForce have (IAF) always tal-Guardians ’70s, in a burst of inspiration (quite uncomReleased the Indian in had earlythe July, countryofofthe more than a billion people. of thetohistoric win Skies isent,” a 3D said videoFlemming, game designed “connect to in the youth and this in- year, we beat Angola (ranked 15) mon for an Indian sporting federation) signed “Earlier 80-year-long history. crease Indian brandbasketball’s IAF’s image.” during the Lusofonia Games in Goa to win our a 30-year contract with the IMG Reliance conAvailable on Android, iOS and first major international gold medal. I still re- glomerate, essentially outsourcing all of BFI’s From Bhiwani to Coimbatore Windows platforms, GotS is a member that on our return train journey not basketball development work in India in reUntilrole-playing four years ago, all that Amrit simulator, game one person in our compartment recognised turn for all the potential commercial rights.

Pal knew was tending to fields in FaWhere the coaches before him fell short, that features a large fleet of exwho we were,” Narender said a few weeks ago. tuaaircraft. village, near Amritsar, Punjab. isting IAF His long-time teammate Joginder, Flemming succeeded because of his patience “Whenever I’m ata comhome, I join Developed

by Threye, who played with him in Bhiwani and vision. “This win has been a long time in my family and we harvest pany that specialises in 3D in- everyand then on the Indian Air Force the making, and I’m happy for these players more than myself. They are finally getting the novations, the premise of the recognition for all their hard work over the game is to engage in defence years,” he said. missions against the nation of “It is a milestone in Indian basketball,” said ‘Zaruzia’. While the first phase MS Venkataraman, a former Indian player in of the game, including one the ’50s, who held top administrative positraining mission and two opertions within the Tamil Nadu Basketball Associational missions, are accessible Click n Complain ation for over 60 years, “Our last significant to users, eight additional misIn May, the New Delhi Municitriumph over a top Asian team came in the sions will be released in Octopal Council (NDMC) launched ber this year.

Click n Complain, a rather first self- Asian Games in 1951 in Delhi, at a time when basketball was still played on mud explanatory app, which allows MEA63India courts. years to register this win users to take a photograph of So after This nifty app by the Ministry of against a team like China, which is the undisany public works site that External Affairs (MEA) is meant puted champion in Asia, is a great morale Traffic apps needs repairs within NDMC’s to be abasketball.” “single window source booster for Indian Launched by the traffic police departASI Delhi area of jurisdiction and share it for allcomes information related to The closest that to the win over China ments of Delhi, Gurgaon, Bangalore An initiative of the Delhi circle with them. While it’s early days the ministry’s citizen-centric is the 2004 triumph over Korea.

That win was and Pune, these traffic apps are among of ASI, this app provides not onyet to gauge whether the app services.”

From passport, visa largely due to the individual brilliance of the the handiest tools for daily city comly basic information regarding will put an end to waiting eterand consular services to Sadman as ‘India’s Michael Jordan’ Robmuters. Available on various platthe numerous monuments in nally in queues to register a known dresses of Indian in inson, from Puducherry, who missions scored more forms, they provide live traffic maps Delhi but also lists information simple grievance, that it allows various countries and informain the game. and alerts from the traffic police conabout their history. The app alusers to track the status ofthan the 30 points tion on pilgrimages like KaiThe Indian men’s basketball team, also trol rooms in each of these cities. They so allows you to pick the best complaint certainly seems like lash Yatra and Haj, the jolted app known as the ‘Young Cagers’ has now include features such as distress butroute for a ‘monument hop’. a step in the right direction. covers considerable ground.

It the Asian basketball hierarchy and awakened tons that connect directly to the womASI has also worked with “We have been witnessing also has a ‘public diplomacy’ their countrymen — ‘unathletic’, ‘short’ Indien’s helpline, help file complaints Google Street View to launch huge traffic since the launch,” section offers a primer on ans can actually be that world beaters in a sport against errant autorickshaw drivers or the Street View Trekker, says Jalaj Srivastava, chairman, the MEAThis andragtag India’sbunch foreignofafother than cricket. unreport traffic problems to the control through which panoramic imNDMC. “A minimum of 300 fairs machinery. knowns is rewriting Indian basketball history. room. Some even detail a list of traffic ages of 30 heritage sites across complaints come in every day Launched in May, the MEA fines, potentially beating bribe takers India can be viewed on the Goothrough the app, and we adapp has over 10,000 installagopalakrishnan r is hit a travelling basketball writer at their game. gle Cultural Institute’s site. dress as many as we can.” tions already.

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High five The team, which hails from various parts of India, strikes a victory pose karan madhok, for ekalavyas.com, indian basketball website

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Going south Despite higher literacy levels, young women in Tamil Nadu are no safer than their sisters in north India from the brutal threat of honour killings

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amya (name changed) hails from a small village close to Virudhachalam in Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu. Although her parents ensured she got the best education and are supportive of her career in the booming IT industry in Chennai, each time she visits home she is warned against doing anything that would disgrace the family and threatened with dire consequences if she “dares to behave like Selvi”.

Selvi is an example for all the young women in Ramya’s village. She was butchered to death by her brothers and father after she fell in love with a man from a lower caste.

Not 300km away, the district of Dharmapuri, is marking an anniversary. A year ago N Divya’s husband E Ilavarasan ended his life after caste-related violence and strong-arming put a strain on their Hindu-Dalit marriage. Divya, who belongs to the upper caste Vanniyar community that enjoys great political clout through the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), had decided to give up the fight against people in her village who had earlier stormed Ilavarasana’s colony, torching and destroying property.

This was after her father committed suicide in protest and ‘shame’.

According to UN statistics, one in every five cases of ‘honour killings’ globally takes place in India. While these incidents are reported mostly from the Hindi heartland, the fate of young women in the south, especially Tamil Nadu, is no better, despite higher literacy levels and a more equitable social status for them. In fact, several gruesome incidents have come to light in the recent past. These include the alleged murder of a 21-year-old pregnant woman in Ramnad, who married outside her community, and the retaliatory killing of a 23year-old upper caste Hindu girl from Madurai who ‘dared’ to elope with a Dalit boy she met during her post-graduate studies.

In many communities across India, women

are seen as the emblem of family honour and lationship leads to revenge killings and blood their actions as a reflection of family values. feuds that keep communities in a state of inseConsequently, any deviation from the ‘norm’ curity and panic.” is viewed as an erosion of pride, to be preventSo, why have the slew of tough laws proved ed at any cost, including killing in cold blood. ineffective in ending this crime? Advocate AarChennai-based social commentator and ac- shi Tirkey says the reason is that often the pertivist Raakhee Suryaprakash sees ‘honour kill- petrators perceive ‘honour killings’ to be ings’ as the outcome of a complex mix of above law. “‘Honour killings’ have been defactors: “They are a blot on our collective con- fined in several ways, but they are predominscience as they feed on the ‘lakshman rekha’ ately an extra-judicial punishment carried out mentality and so-called societal norms. Unfor- by the family or community members against tunately, violence against women in many in- a member, most often female, who they bestances is perpetrated by the women of the lieve has brought shame to them, mostly family too. It’s a vicious cycle fed by patriarch- through sexual- or marriage-related ‘offences’. al, communal and religious passions that dis- The punishment is meted out by communal penses with all sense of right and wrong.” assemblies known as khap panchayats in the Girls like Ramya, who come north and katta panchayats in from traditional backgrounds to the south. What is objectionable make a life and career in the busis subjective, and left to their tling State capital, constantly warped discretion,” she says.

One in every five live under a veiled threat of vioProtection against such viocases of ‘honour lence. Says the youngster, “On killings’ globally takes lence is guaranteed in the Indian one hand, parents want to eduPenal Code, the Constitution as place in India cate their daughters, like mine well as the Protection of Women did. And yet, they want to retain from Domestic Violence Act, but complete control over the way many of the cases related to we lead our lives by ensuring ‘honour killings’ rarely lead to that nothing we do will tarnish their reputa- prosecution owing to the undue influence the tion. When I was initially sent to Chennai to moral police exerts over the community. As study, and even now when I am a self-suffi- Tirkey says, “In August 2012, the Law Commiscient working professional, I am constantly re- sion of India had prepared a draft legislation minded of my ‘boundaries’. Whenever I go known as the Prohibition of Interference with home, my parents issue fresh warnings lest I the Freedom of Matrimonial Alliances Bill, forget.” which was designed to target the unlawful acThe fact that ‘honour killings’ happen de- tivities of khap panchayats and punish honour spite strict laws shows that this most dishon- killings. However, the draft has not been preourable of acts is, in fact, cloaked in a false sented before Parliament, and the future of sense of comity. As Suryaprakash puts it, “Any the proposed bill looks uncertain.” decision or act against one’s family’s expectaIt may be the 21st century, but the medieval tion and, overnight, daddy’s little princess or attitudes towards ‘honour’ have endured with the most beloved sister becomes a stain on the a ferocity that begs the question: how can family’s reputation that can be washed away there be honour in killing? only by spilling her blood. The killing of the boy or the man involved in the ‘forbidden’ re- kirthi jayakumar, Women’s Feature Service

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The first rushes

A cine buff finds herself in the company of the brothers Lumière at a museum in Lyon

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Two of a kind ow very strange (and felicitous) An image of that the word ‘lumière’ should Louis and mean light in French? For the LuAuguste Lumière mière brothers illuminated the at the Museum world of cinema by creating the first motionmelanie p kumar picture apparatus used both as a camera and a projector at the turn of the 19th century. A visit to these changes blowing in the playhouses. to the Lumière Museum (institut-lumiere.org) Theatre director M Sayeed Alam, who has in Lyon, a historic city in the shadow of the steered Delhi-based Pierrot’s Troupe since the French Alps, therefore, is nothing short of a 1990s, did something unheard of in those pilgrimage for a cine buff like me. I have to days: eliminated the ‘free pass’ culture. “In Inpinch myself to believe I am here, just across dia, there is a passion for theatre, but in Delhi the metro station that also bears the brothers’ you have passes for theatre,” he says, explainname, in the company of my gracious French ing that out of the 20 people watching his first companion and hostess, Simone. play, only eight had bought tickets. For him, Though the usual practice is to start the success doesn’t mean making a mark at festivtour from the Villa, Simone suggests we take a als but having a full house for shows. “People walk in the park first, where we come upon don’t mind spending ₹2,000 for dinner but the Inventors’ Alley. One that at every step has the Winter Garden on the ground floor. hibits like the zoetrope, cylindrical pre-cinethey don’t want to buy atickets.

I never invite a plaque dedicated to pioneers, including GePart of the Lumière Quarter, the Film Ware- ma contraption with a series of pictures anybody.

If someone from our group does, he orge Eastman, Thomas Edison and Georges house — declared a historical monument drawn inside which creates the a or she pays forit,the ticket.

In the 17 illusion years ofof my Méliès — inventors who led the way for Lu- since 1995 — is now home to the Lumière Insti- ‘moving image’ rotated.at India Internacareer, I’ve neverwhen performed mières’ path-breaking Excit- tute’s cinema theatre.

The first everNearly set for60 a tional Yet, fascinating as the zoetrope is, or earned the 50n the play Blame itcinematographe. on Yashraj, a character an annual revenue of ₹20-25 crore.

Centre, which would’ve surely ed (and momentarily transformedofinto a film, it served as theare backdrop for but Workers films fromasthe 1890sthe are,who’s the greatest casually refers to a compilation songs per cent of the shows sponsored, Gid- second me a good name it draws who of trigger-happy Japanese busy Leaving the Lumière (1895).on Wethe pause mewould is thatmean the brothers Lumière

by Fever 104 FM. Astourist), subtlety Iisget a virtue wani insists he won’tFactory compromise con- revelation Delhi. But for that performing for clicking each name,with eachtheatre, plaque, such until Simone the basement which more than just theremains cinematograph. synonymous embed- awhile tent. “I in always talk to myhere, director andcontinwriter invented free.” His Ghalib in New Delhi the longgently nudges me raise in thethe direction Villa. uously beams the on films the brothers, ac- Somewhere in the(since middle ofinbringing ded commercials hacklesofofthe theatre before embarking anyofbrand integration. est-running show 1997) India. “the Antoine father of inventors by commentaries, even as Simone to the whole they found thea purists.

ButLumière, producerthe Ashvin Gidwani is un- companied We call it ‘pipeline to lifeline’, so we plan back- world A sponsored show, world”, on the other hand, is Louis Auguste, thelessons Villa, also them,on softly. to make speakersfor and pharmaceuticals, fazed. and In fact, one of built the first his called strug- translates wards to check various avenues of market- time profitable proposition him.

“If I do a reguLumière Castle by residents of Monplaisir, in ingNot thatand is on display though is designed including a dressing for burns is still gling years taught him was that pure theatre theall play which brands fit well.” lar show which is houseful, I get that around ₹1.1 1902.

Home toathe Lumière Company till the forSo, passive consumption.

A section of mu- used, can’t give you return on investments. if Central Bank is celebrating itsthe centenlakh, called but I ‘tulle have gras’! already invested ₹40,000late ’60s, cinematic still thrives its seum is interactive I spend a considerable Gidwani is amonghistory the new-age theatreinproary, it will choose totoo. sponsor AGP’s History of In- 50,000 for the show (booking the hall, makeis a Bangalore-based writer stately its grand living roomssuccess and in amount of time, while for instance, fiddling with ex- melanie p kumar ducers corridors, who believe that commercial dia — VIRitten, an event up and so on). There is hardly cannot come only through ticket sales. Even as management company may any profit in that. But if we do a theatre struggles to keep up with changing choose Blame it on Yashraj. ₹3 lakh sponsored show, the tastes in a rapidly evolving society, most playGidwani is not alone with this margin is obviously higher,” he People don’t mind wrights and actors who dabble in theatre ad- modus operandi. In Chennai, says. In a month, his company spending ₹2,000 for mit it is more a passion than a livelihood. But Sowhat started as akids college thesis does care. an equal number of spon“Well, I don’t really The promy soft-spoken started callingdinnerBoss: but they don’t some believe there are ways to make it com-my soon became a reality the sored and ticketed shows to ject is way more important.” hard-of-hearing parentsforwhenever want to buy tickets. mercially viable. break even. rupees “If you completely theyfounders wanted toof playEvam on theEntertainiPad. Editor: Troupe, “Well, at a few thousand At Pierrot’s ment.

“For our thesisto(atplay Ahmestophim doing regular Kids: “Dadaji, I want Temple we a month, I think we pay more than shows, you never invite Branded and blended dabad’s Mudra Institute of won’t get the sponsored ones eiRun.” you do; I’m sure he will prianybody, and if When Gidwani set up AGP in 1995, he managed Parents: Communications) on ‘Theatre as ther,” he adds. oritise us.”

“What you sayanyone does, the a few successful productions before goinging?aTalk successful loudly!”revenue model’, we person pays forAnd I co-opted my girlbust. It took him a while to recover, but not be- Kids: spoke to a lotRun. of people Different takes “Temple Tem- and realHe has usedthe histicket friend and ex-wife to work fore he resolved to develop a sustainable mod-ple Run.” ised that there is no established Apart from the usual logos and out my personal schedule.

‘I have writer’s block el. “No one has that pure passion for theatre Parents: revenue model in India. we standees, theatre groups see the “Jug jug jiyo, beta. What Ex-wife: “(cold hello)… so I can get out of jail anymore. If I am getting involved, I should getTakefound out was quite discouragfuture in creating When is Rishi coming to brand awareyour sister with you as free’ card already something out of it,” he says. His productionswell.ing,” ness and engagement.

Get says someKarthik prasadKumar, back one of pick up the kids for lunch?” now offer in-theatre brand placements simi-for all theoffounding members.

While ads are definitely cheaper in theatre Girlfriend: “(cold hello)… us.” lar to the sought-after in-programme place- AndToday, their 11-year-old on TV, reach today? is smaller. hethe coming WeBut then, theI co-opted my boss theatre company is a thanWas ments in TV and movies. In fact, even theandrare success that has even attract- atre have is a niche space and the crowd is mostly my commercial editor to discuss matinee tickets to brands happen to be the same. AGP hasmy work ed venture capitalists.

“In the first three years, affluent and powerful.

What theatre can’t Humshakals” schedule. worked with Standard Chartered Bank, Voda- Boss: we had concentrated pure theatre achieve with numbers, can byI reaching the “Does Rishi haveon a column due and perEx-wife: “Humshakals?

Are youitmad? fone and Mercedes-Benz, to name a few. Thethisformances.

Gradually wea branched with never rightwatch kindthat of audience. week? Because he has project atoutwould movie.” For instance, when ticket price remains the same. workshops for IT companies like Oracle and travel company sponsored Gidwaa single father to two youngsters, dutiful work that he’s behind on.”

Girlfriend: “Yeah well,Kuoni you India probably Apart from the regular ticketed Infosys, andhe forayed and schools. ni’sWhy The don’t Alchemist, gained access to leading son to two oldsters, ex-husband to shows, an im- his Editor: “Yes, does into havecolleges a column. shouldn’t. you ithit the gym company offers supper theatre corporatesAndWe organise festivals performance patient ex-wife, boyfriend to for a nutcase instead?”corporates of Mumbai and Delhi who were inhe has used his ‘I haveinvolving writer’s block (with concepts cateringto to the client’s needs)so I can arts.get Our to card venture intoSodifferent vited.

“It wisdom was attended byby over girlfriend, employee a demanding And for all the shared the80 corporates out aim of jailisfree’ already. and HR-oriented amongeditor others.

It haswe are spheres where we can apply theatre,” says Ku-thisand helped didn’t us reach out as to key boss, columnist events, for a psycho and expecting it.”

CEO, obviously work welldecision-makmar. Evam does live theatre shows, corporate says Commissariat, so on. And so I decided to execute one of for me asers,” it did forKashmira her. Because I was just chief opershows and HR training modules. atingangry, officer of Kuoni India’s outbound the many strategies that she shared. flooded with ranting and raving “The old model of producing plays andcalls hop-from division.

Given her hectic schedule, she had coeveryone. It was an incessant ing that an audience will come to watchbarrage just onlinethreats, medium, again, promises a taropted her executive assistant to help ofThe pleas, admonishdoesn’t work anymore. The idea is to adapt to and geted investment, with parenting responsibilities. Whenevments cussreturn wordson from morningby toreaching peoany kind of space — whether it is a banquet ple of a certain desired profile. er her kids would call office, her assistant night. And so I just did what I do best — hall, a street or a pub. Wherever there is an auof social media, we are able would run through pre-defined scripts boarded a “With flight the andhelp levitated, spiritual dience,” he explains. And they can certainly toatreach out toabove a huge with them, tackle the issue, and then yogi-style, 38,000 feet seanumber level. of people, take a bow now that they have experienced a which wasn’t possible earlier,” brief her later. That’s awesome, I thought Where there is no cell phone signal. Isays Gidwani, 30 per cent jump in profits from a yearpulled ago, out who sees also as a great way — I am in the same boat — all these demy hipsocial flask.networking And I co-opted with an annual turnover of ₹2 crore. connect manding relationships and I really don’t myself a to nice, single with malt.the younger generation. KuEvam has worked with brands like Google, mar agrees: “We are driven by young energies have the time. But rather than add my asGE, HUL, Ashok Leyland and others. The brand in terms ofauthor the people rishi piparaiya is the of Aisle who Be are watching the sistant to the khichdi, I decided to co-opt fit depends on the play, says Kumar. shows and creating the Damned rishi@aislebedamned.com content, and therein everyone to handle everyone. shutterstock lies the future.”

Passes vs passion Even traditional theatre has not been immune sayoni sinha is a Mumbai-based writer

Show must go on

Three production houses challenge the idea that there’s not enough money in the business of theatre

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Co-opting it all

Dramatic changes (clockwise from top) Ashvin Gidwani’s AGP offers in-theatre brand placements; Sunil Vishnu and Karthik Kumar, founders of Evam, Chennai k ramesh babu; and Urdu play Lal ecently I came across an interQile ka Aakhiri Mushaira staged byview of the CEO of a leading beverages company where she Delhi-based Pierrot’s her candid thoughts on Troupe, which hasshared a strict ‘no free pass’balance, why women can’t have work-life faruqui policy am it all, and so on. Now there is little in com-

Strategies for adding work to your work-life balance

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mon between her and me. She is a woman, I am a man. She is at the top of the corporate ladder, I am somewhere in the middle, climbing one rung, sliding back two. She, according to Forbes, is one of the most powerful women on the planet. I, according to Forbes, probably do not qualify for a paid subscription. Her annual compensation is well over ₹100 crore, I feel the pain of the ₹500 TDS that BLink will deduct for this column. But that said, I am also juggling multiple, complex, relationship responsibilities as

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Fast food of the Nizams Every day during Ramzan, Hyderabad-based Pista House sells hundreds of kilos of haleem and exports this 16th-century delicacy across continents

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t is 1am in Hyderabad’s old city. Crowds three months. Banks wanted their money throng the markets around Charminar, back. Majeed sold his house, his share in anshopping for clothes and knick knacks, cestral property and everything else he could tucking into biryanis and kebabs. Amidst muster to repay the debt. Meanwhile, sales at the gaiety of the holy month of Ramzan, the Pista House plummeted, forcing him to think aroma of pure ghee and spices wafts through of ways to improve revenues. He decided to the Nayaab function hall. Inside, a group of add new items to his shelf. Among them was men briskly stir the contents of huge, gleam- the now famous haleem. “Then, few people ing copper cauldrons. The mix of pounded knew of haleem. It was prepared in select reswheat, mutton, spices, dry fruits, rose petals taurants in the city.” and lentils cooks over the blazing imli fireThe earliest mention of haleem is in Ain-i-Akwood for 12 hours. By dinnertime the next day, bari, a treatise on the administration of the this, the Hyderabadi ambrosia or haleem, is la- Mughal empire, by Akbar’s minister Abul Fadled out at tables across India. zal. Said to have been introduced to the HydePista House, a 17-year-old eatrabad State by the Arab diaspora ery in Charminar, rents the during the rule of the Nizams, Nayaab hall every year to prethe use of local spices made the pare haleem — a dish that origiHyderabadi haleem unique, even nated in the kitchens of emperor earning it the Geographical IndiCurrently, it has Akbar in the 16th century, now cation status (GIS) in 2010, a first 32,000 orders from prepared only during Ramzan for a non-vegetarian dish in Inthe US, UK, Germany and special occasions, such as dia. Under the GI status, only haand Australia weddings. In the holy month, leem cooked on imli firewood in Pista House sells hundreds of copper vessels, using standard kilos of haleem and exports it evingredients and tested in a lab, ery day. Currently, it has 32,000 can be called Hyderabadi haorders from the US, UK, Germany and Austra- leem. The stew is continuously worked with a lia, among others. As the eatery’s kitchen is wooden mallet (ghotni), which results in a not large enough to handle the huge order, sticky-smooth consistency. the action spills over into Nayaab hall.

Today, a plate of Pista House haleem costs Proprietor MA Majeed took a bank loan of ₹130 as opposed to ₹18 in 1997. Word spread ₹20 lakh to set up Pista House in 1997 as the in- and demand spiralled. Not only did diners eat come from his family’s clothing business was at the outlet but they also asked for takeaways. insufficient. “In those days, clothes would sell “They got boxes from home as we didn’t have mainly during Diwali and Ramzan. Then too, packing facilities then,” he says. vendors from neighbouring cities arrived Within two years, orders poured in from here, eating into our market. I didn’t see a fu- other cities. Majeed started selling through ture in that business,” he says. outlets in nearby cities, districts and states, beAt first, Majeed made and sold biscuits and ginning with Karnataka. The then prime minconfectionery, but there was a crisis within ister AB Vajpayee tasted the haleem at an event

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Taste of success Columns of cooking vessels rise in front of Pista House in Hyderabad’s old city g ramakrishna; and owner MA Majeed with his sons nagara gopal

and became a patron. Members of BJP’s local unit regularly despatched it to him in Delhi.

That got Majeed thinking. He tied up with India Post in 2002. “We went national. Sales increased manifold for us and India Post earned ₹20 lakh a month,” he says. The honeymoon lasted five years, until the postal department began to courier dishes like biryani by other players. “The focus on haleem diminished. We ended the partnership in 2007.”

In 2012, logistics firm Gati entered the picture, and today it guarantees same-day delivery. After the haleem is packed by Majeed’s team, by noon the consignment is airlifted for delivery to Delhi NCR, Pune, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Coimbatore and Visakhapatnam. Between 1pm and 3pm, it’s despatched by flight to ensure it reaches the destination airport by 6pm. Meanwhile, local units of Gati gear up for delivery. By 7.30pm, the haleem leaves the airport and arrives at the nearest distribution centre in each city. Lastmile delivery begins at 8pm and is completed by 10pm. “We don’t take orders after 8.30am for same-day delivery to ensure freshness,” says Majeed, who charges ₹451/kg for delivery within Hyderabad, and up to ₹651 elsewhere.

“Pure ghee acts as a natural preservative.

And we insist on consuming it the same day,” he says. Exports are a different matter though.

Haleem boiled at 90oC and sealed in an airtight container has a shelf life of 18 months.

A majority of Majeed’s customers are Hindus. “We get to eat haleem on many occasions like marriages and birthdays. But for Hindus, Ramzan is the only time they get to relish it.”

To cash in on the demand, 2,000-odd students of law, commerce and engineering set up temporary Pista House outlets across Hyderabad.

They put up banners and re-heat the haleem in a microwave to earn a share of the profits.

Despite the success, Majeed is yet to find a partner for national operations. “We need to figure out how to expand,” he says. Until his plans are firmed, Gati will ensure that Ramzan and haleem arrive together at India’s doorstep. rashmi pratap

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ON THE SHELF

The search is over. I have found it: the world’s most charming book — a collection of children’s definitions of all things

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dipankar

A book is to look

his month’s bookshelf is way down here. You’ll need to come and sit anita roy with me on the floor. Let’s have a look around shall we? From down here, adults are all knees and clumpy feet, and you can see right up their noses. Tables are to make a den under. Windows are to get someone to lift you up to see. It’s a different world, seen through a child’s eye, heard with a child’s ears, tasted with an untutored tongue. A world that’s brighter, clearer, undulled by habit or expectation. Wonder-full.

Ah, here it is. A little book full of little tiny drawings. It’s by Ruth Krauss, who’s a grownup — at least it’s her name on the cover, but all the words inside are by children. Five-yearolds mostly, I think, or thereabouts. It’s called I’ll Be You and You Be Me which is a good title, inance Minister Arun Jaitley was and magenta. In this way, he has been devel- lection of shawls,” said one of them, “This isn’t it, for a book about friends?

SHOVON CHOWDHURY is picked up early this morning from oping a visual template for post-Nehruvian sudden switch to mildly feminine waistRuth Krauss was a teacher in New York in chief Truthdigger and author his palatial New Delhi residence by India. His fashion sense has been applaud- coats can’t be a coincidence. Even more disthe 1950s. She did this amazing — even revoluof The Competent Authority senior officers of the Fashion Po- ed by eminent publications such as Time, turbingly, he chose to showcase his new tionary — thing: she listened to children. Yes, look while reading out the budget, lice. Charges against him include ‘theft of The Washington Post and Der Spiegel. Howevlistened. Not because she wanted to correct waistcoat’, ‘wilful mismatch of bag with er, his visual image is still a work-in-prothereby ensuring maximum did was change the names. The Nirmal Bhathem, or tell them how things really are, but clothing’ and ‘attempt to impersonate the gress. It needs to fully develop before visibility. He went on to wear rat Abhiyan has become the Swachh Bharat because she wanted to hear what they had to similar outfits in subsequent Abhiyan. The Rajiv Gandhi Rural Electrificaprime minister.’ The minister came quietly. widespread adoption by the public. For say, she wanted to find out how a child sees TV interviews. The colour of tion Scheme is now the Deendayal Upad“The PM has enemies everywhere,” said one of his own subordinates to steal his and thinks. Inspired by child psychologist Arhis waistcoat in parliament hyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana. My Expenditure sub-inspector Kapur of the Sarojini Nagar ideas and confuse people is heinous benold Gesell’s remark that a five-year-old “is a was identical to that of a kur- Reforms Commission has become the ExFashion Police, “He is constantly being un- yond belief. The waistcoats were bad pragmatist. His definitions are in terms of use: dermined by anti-national elements. But enough. We had to step in beta worn by Modiji in Gandhi- penditure Management Commission. I’m A horse is to ride; a fork to eat,” she embarked nagar on May 22, at the lucky he didn’t steal my quotations from this was very unexpected. We were shocked fore he started wearing the on a strange, whimsical project to collect chilby the brazen nature of the crime. From as short-sleeved kurtas.” inauguration of the Thiruvalluvar. The man is a kleptomaniac. dren’s definitions and transcribe them verbanew CM.” Even his boss’s clothing is not sacred.” far back as the ’90s, Modiji has been carefulThe case against Mr tim. The result was the world’s most A former UPA Swift action by the Fashion Police has ly developing a distinctive palette of col- Jaitley has been dewhimsical dictionary called (she was brilliant ours and textures, combining a variety of scribed as ‘damnminister, who chose prevented the situation from deteriorating with titles) A Hole is to Dig, and included gems elements, old and new, including Bhagal- ing’ by informed to remain anony- further. “We received news that he was like: “A face is something on the front of your pur silk, brushed linen, organic cotton, insiders. “Until mous, has wel- about to reveal top-secret experiments with head” (as well as “a faces is so you can make comed the move. hats,” revealed sub-inspector Khurana, “inhandcrafted cattle-horn buttons and inde- just the other faces”), and “Mud is to jump in and slide in “As it is, he stole cluding an adorable white fedora that terminate shiny material. He has made day, Jaitley was and yell dooleedooleedoo”. fearless colour choices, such as peach, fawn known for his colmy ideas. All he looks quite fetching.”

When she sent the manuscript to her publishers, they scratched their heads. One of the illustrators they sent it to returned it saying that it was impossible to illustrate ‘so fragmentary and elusive a text.’ Luckily, they found a young man whose day job was doing window displays in a New York department store. His name was Maurice Sendak, and he n news described as ‘highly encourag- galand. Despite being stuck to a chair for so found in these fragments something magical ing’ by Helpage International, long- long, this intrepid veteran has displayed exand inspiring. He and Ruth became fast time New Delhi resident Mrs Sheila traordinary agility.” friends and collaborated together on many of Insanely simple brokenhonoured fence to you, swing for themHer nagara gopal became necessary after both Dikshit hasAbeen bya Lonely move her books, and Sendak himself went on to cretake like more thanthe fiveWild to six days,Are. I will sell Planet magazine. In a glittering ceremony she and Gujarat governor Kamla Beniwal look at the bullock. The bullock looks atenot classics Where Things After my is bullock, ticket on the bullet at me. I see the fear in his eyes. I would A Hole tothose resign, though asked nicely.

Be- have held outside police formerfa- refused to Dig, buy theyaworked together on train, I’ll be contains what art jurisdiction, critic Robertthe Hughes sure or other semioticians would have given him shelter in our van, but Youand brighter CM received luggage signedofbythe Louis Vuithas transferred Mizoram. andride Youtowards Be Me, awhich wasfuture.’ published in mously termed ‘the shock new’.

And niwal made of abeen text like Krauss’s, to where there is the “What the bullock?”

I ask, “How sometimes we had to sell it because of budget 1954, and V Purushothaman was ton and a gift hasabout remained in print ever since. it voucher hits you from with MakeMyTrip a quiet forcefor bor- Mizoram tiniest governor gap between signifier and signified, cuts. He eyes me in silence, yet another Why will his be increased?” to Nagaland, but has resigned. her comprehensive victory in the didspeed this book, and her others, become dering on spiritual revelation: youcategory, might call transferred where ‘différance’ barely exists, where things “We had the optionThey of using mute victim of progress.

Senior Citizen, a result, Dikshit mayisnow be shifting such ‘timeless classics’? are roller skates. Long Distance it ‘innocence’ but Dothat’s a poor As are what they do. This not seeing through a But they were too His owner looks happy. “We were told the insanely from Kerala Nagaland. an exciting stage simple.

Oneexpensive,” of my fa-says the farm- mestic. During approximation really. There’s glass darkly,to but experiencing the world face bullet train requires feeder service,” er, “Our local policesesuggested this, show developed for the occasion, The — news has met with universal acvourite pages shows a picture something about the pre-linguis- to face as a child does. hasand given them good re- audience members he says, “I thought they meant claim, especially from members of the repeatquence of a which little girl a little tic statewere which is so much closer So rather than putting away childish things, fodder, but this was not the He of holds up a chilli. edly sprayed Commonwealth Games Organising boy standingsults.” in front a mirdon’t know, samadhi, en- I recommend that you pick up this book, and Mud isThe to jump in lathicharged and to — Iand bullock shifts case. Instead, government is “At a adult meeting on the with while something acror. In the first frame, thenervously. girl lightenment, truly read Committee. it. Take off those glasses and see slide in and yellwater cannons, true There tors dressed Other providing us alloy wheels outskirts ofthe Buckingham Palace, up as Delhi Police muses, “I think I’ll It’s grow upwhat to bethey say.

Worldly.

These are words with a child’s eye — child you once were. Sedooleedooleedoo without provided verbal and aerodynamic yet attracabuse. unanimously voted —toor an a bunny before I can growbeupno to progress be a from the ‘mouths of babes and riously, we it’ll have take about four minutes sacrifices.cavort Some make protive rear spoilers at high“In her new career as little a long-disshift the next games to Kohilady.” Her reflections sucklings’, beings on the entire lifetime. ly subsidised prices. gress.

Others its make Mrs Dikshit is an in- of signs ma,” saidasalike member. “Several along with her, flapping longsacrifices. I get tance traveller, threshold of language, “love is the same back into my waiting autorick- spiration to and We may also require have applied for us all,” said a Lonely ears and twitching its cottontail, civilisation, and they still Only youNaga spellvillages them different — shaw, avoiding theInmournful seatbelts, to ensure pastheof position of of CommonPlanetwith representative.

“Firstthe she much to their mutual delight. the last glow a touch of the wild, pre-linguisOnly more the same sort — of thewith: bullock, andI’ll ask the tic. senger safety. Once I reach tookBuddhist the bold monk step ofThich moving to Kerwealth Village. A deciframe, the boyeyes counters “I think grow Nhat Hanh writes Love has more Games stuff in it!” driver to take usthat’s home. the station, which should sion should be taken shortly.” ala. Now shefooled could by be signs moving Na- When up to be a steam-shovel.”

And that. that “we are or to notions.

The fragmentary and elusive text reads like we see the signless nature of signs, we see the anita roy is a writer and director of Young Zubaan The Investigator is a fortnightly round-up of all things newsy. arewith personal.

Reallyitpersonal t@shovonc artdroll — itand makes youAll seeviews things fresh eyes, Buddha.”

I wonder what Ferdinand de Saus- anita@anitaroy.net

JAITELY ARRESTED

BY FASHION POLICE!

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BULLOCK CARTS TO RECEIVE BULLET UPGRADE!

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MRS DIKSHIT WINS LONELY PLANET AWARD!

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THE CRITICAL ISSUE

Sisters in arms The early years of feminist activism in India gave us a host of remarkable women

Lonely battle Bhanwari Devi, a victim of gang rape, chose to fight violence against women r eswarraj

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Urvashi Butalia is an editor, publisher and director of Zubaan

n a hot afternoon nearly 40 years ago, I stepped out onto the balcony of our house in Jangpura in Delhi and noticed a woman in a white sari standing in the shade of a tree. In her hand she clutched a crumpled piece of paper and she seemed to be looking up, as if at our house.

Was she looking for something? Even as I began to frame the question, my mother followed me out and the woman saw her and asked: is this the address for Stree Sangharsh?

Stree Sangharsh was the name of a women’s group of which both my mother and I were a part, and on the previous day, it was this group that had organised an anti-dowry demonstration in north Delhi. Copies of the leaflet printed for the campaign had been widely distributed, and it was one of these (which incidentally had the wrong address) that she now held.

Satya Rani Chadha, the woman mentioned above, died a couple of weeks ago in Delhi.

That afternoon, long ago, she had come looking for the women’s group named in the leaflet to seek help in the case she wanted to file against her son-in-law and his parents for having killed her daughter Kanchan Bala. Until the end of her days, Satya Rani tried every possible avenue to secure justice for her dead daughter whose graduation photo she carried in her hand like an icon. The daughter’s husband, however, remarried and went on to make a new life for himself.

During the early years of feminist activism in India, feminists were regularly accused of being middle class, urban, deracinated, west-

ernised — perhaps because people only ever to north India. You only need to scratch the saw the most visible battles and the most visi- surface of feminist struggles, and you will ble faces. Yet it was these years that also gave meet many Satya Ranis and many Shahjahan us women like Satya Rani and her long-term Apas. In Rajasthan, Bhanwari Devi, victim of sister-in-arms, Shahjahan Apa. Both mothers gang rape at the hands of upper caste men, who had lost their daughters in violent and and denied justice by the courts, chose to fight abusive marriages, these women came to ac- a lonely battle and began work with poor, Dalit tivist groups seeking help and, over time, they women — something she continues to do to too became part of the struggle. this day.

For many years in the ’80s and ’90s, women What does it take for this kind of commitlike Satya Rani and Shahjahan Apa put their ment to take root and grow? Many of these own lives on hold, and launched themselves women did not have family support, so the into the activism of the women’s battle must have extended into movement, fighting not only for the home as well. They were nevjustice for their daughters, but er in proper ‘jobs’ so they did not also for hundreds of other womearn salaries that could help alen. The first non-government lay family antagonism. Many did Many of the early women’s shelter, Shakti Shalini, not have house ‘help’ so there feminists did not had both these women as foundwas no rest after long days of have family support, ing members. In their activism dusty activism — families had to so the battle must they were following a long tradibe catered for, husbands, if they have extended into tion set by other women such as were around, had to be dealt the home as well Shanti (who, like her compawith. How did they gather the triots, never used a second courage to pursue the causes name) and campaigner, activist, they espoused? How did — and singer; and performer Bharti, how do — they hold fast to them? who, even as her health failed her, gave everyFeminists across the world often talk of thing she had to the movement. And then ‘burnout’ and exhaustion at waging a battle there was Shardaben, diminutive and assert- that seems so relentless, sometimes so unwinive, who spent long days campaigning in the nable. For women like Satya Rani and Shahjabastis. Every demonstration and protest han Apa, exhaustion must have been a luxury march in the city saw this clutch of women for they could not afford, but perhaps the femiwhom feminism was not something they nist movement provided them both a home learnt from books or conferences, but gained and a family. from the very ground they lived on.

Nor was this limited only to Delhi, or indeed blink@thehindu.co.in

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Don’t judge the lawyer Writing with a trowel

Headlines that say ‘Amit Shah is now BJP president, his lawyer a judge’ evidently distort not just the truth, but the very justice delivery system

somasekhar sundaresan

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he debate over the proposed appointment of criminal lawyer Uday Lalit as a judge of the Supreme Court has brought to the fore an issue that goes beyond how judges are chosen and appointed. It underscores how dangerously erroneous society can be in judging lawyers, thereby risking the very rule of law. lan Sealy’s latest genre-busting purports to be “a natural and social history of The insinuation is that Lalit is inappropribook may be literary non-fiction, 433 square yards of India”. The pedantic deate for judgeship since he was lawyer for forbut it is not without a plot. Well, 433 scription provides Sealy the advantage of a litmer Gujarat Home Minister Amit Shah in square yards to be precise. The Sealy erary rattlebag in which he can stuff all his cases involving allegation of illegal police killfamily house ings of Sohrabuddin Sheikh and Tulsiram Pra- stands on this piece of land in narrative odds and ends and stylistic playjapati. It has not helped thatDehradun.

Lalit wasOn the portico of the house, he things. So this natural and social history also builds a pagoda he had seen in the Chinese has poems and drawings and dialogues with proposed as a replacement of Gopal Subramacityto ofbe Xi’an. nium, who withdrew his candidature ap- The book is a masonry almanac in his other selves such as the Housedweller and which Sealy, the mason’s apprentice, records the Ascetic (the grihastha and the vanaprastha pointed as a judge. When the government the construction of the pagoda and leaps from from the Hindu life of man). curiously singled out Subramanium’s candiThe Small Wild this plotthe into the past to narrate family histodature for re-consideration, he attributed By refusing to write a novel about a man Goose Pagoda Allan Sealy Trust Sealy government’s mistreatment to hisry.display of to invent a form that allows easy who builds a pagoda in a north Indian small indirection integrityAleph and independence as amicus curiae for his roving imagination. town, Sealy is playing a hermeneutic trick. In Non-fiction in the same the form of an almanac, he is providing the ₹595encounter killings case. In cities, construction sites are walled off with tin sheets to contain the flying dirt, grat- reader the bare bones of a novel, the rough There have been conflicting reports about ingShah. sounds whether Lalit at all appeared for Amit Af-and jarring visual detail. By choos- notes, so that as he builds the pagoda in the inghas construction as a theme, Sealy sets himself book, the reader is building a novel in his ter days of controversy, a news report india challenge cated that Lalit chose not to respond or clarify,to craft high art out of a banal, dre- mind with Sealy as its protagonist. The cunactivity but that Lalit never held a brief forary Amit Shah.few writers would find promising. ning so typical of postmodern fiction comes Fair target? Even if Shah was his client, it would certainly not have been his sole high profile brief surya sridhar Regardless, Amit Shah would notWith have his beengeometrical prose and polished effortlessly to him.

Lalit’s sole high-profile brief. He is thought, reported he to proves that bricklaying is not as He has admitted the influence of Laurence remote to his representing lapidary art Kasab as it may seem: have represented Congressman and former Sterne, the father of the quirky, shapeless postbeing physically assaultreluctant to consent for judgeship since it can is a gesture insuch bricklaying whenthat the willmodern Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder “There Singh (who novel.mean But his relationship with the ed. It is intimidation lead to decontroversy. mason is fillinggeneration in the gap between two bricks and incidentally defeated Arun Jaitley in Amritsar) West is rule not as direct Arundhati Roy’s bor- to accept any of constitutionalism the Everyaslawyer is duty-bound needs the mortar spilling rowing in a corruption case, actor Salmanand Khan in ato stop from James andconsistent Vladimir Naboof law, and worse,from will dehumanise our society brief Joyce at a fee with her standing. out.Khan It’s made with the back of two fingers, kov. In The Trotter-Nama, wildlife poaching case, Hasan Ali in as by turn merging the controversial a whole.

That a brief can politically sometimes It’s a premoney laundering charges, and cricketer Nav- just one. with Mughal Muck-raking around any appointment to a postmodern is not grounds forthe refusing a brief. A lawyer is emptive gesture, a closing off is natural. Accusations and narrative jot Singh Sidhu for culpable homicide chargholds a mir- and honouraprestigious office obligedstyle, to useSealy all fair, legitimate half that es. When his potential elevation as that’s a judge wasphilosophical to means westerntofiction. objections(atare flung at the candidate — in rorble uphold her client’s interests remoment the universe is divided making news earlier this month, he was conWhile masonry in the book is Her loyalty is much the same way complaints flood the cap- gardless of her personal opinion.

Few are willing to get between that ital gapmarkets’ and everyducting a trial as a prosecutor in the high-prometaphor for guilt is the regulator when a draft offer doc- also to an theextended law. Judging her client’s sand in their eyes... thing crosselse) halfument aesthetic (ballefile 2G spectrum allocation trial, writing, one asks if a meta novel gets uploaded on the court’s role. The lawyer is but one Sealy’s message: be rinas useHeit). It’s a gesture of the factors examining former telecom minister A Raja. lurks within this book?

Heofininternet.

However, of the officers that court. good apprentices and greatlawyer beauty, and have seen Ha-to a judicial ofis said to have been on a government deed compares The Trotter-Nama forIappointment If having had a controversial dirty your hands bilis make it in reverie.

You and dispaspanel for years. to the great wild goose pagoda ficea (a professional client becomes a disqualification can’t do it yourself; it has bequite different Yet, at a time when it is difficult to convey and the present book to the sionate role)toare for judgeship, particularly when If society can be witnessed any message longer than 140 characters, head-side-on. small pagoda. He his politically sigfromPerhaps, those forthe appointment to a theeven clientlikens becomes indifferent to the time a dancer it such is lines that say ‘Amit Shah is now BJPonly president, square yards to the map of In-profession will politicalsees office as a governificant, the legal morality of433 a doctor when is beside his lawyer a judge’ evidently distort notshe just describing plots as Pa-against merely nor herself.” (where an incumbent can dia, who saves thethe lifeneighbouring of a be intimidated Sealy writes in present with tenseoffice so that the truth, but the very justice delivery system.

Bangladesh, etc.

Dhani, bethe rewarded atthe the kistan, carrying out abent professional duty. patient accused of a Is mason is not distracted his delightful There can be no worse an injury reader to a lawyer with crime, age, under apprenpleasure offrom the elected political double Not Sealy too long ago, Kerala Conheinous it whom prose by the conventional a story: tices,shouldn’t than associating her identity with a client. a symbolbe oftoo native narrative tradition? executive). promises A judge isofrequired gressmen were upset that party happens before next. TakWhen a society equates charges ofwhat crimehappened with toand is the erranttomason (after Homo rulewhat on matters her, And spokesman Abhishek Manu complicated see Habilis ing away the benefit of holding the reader tothe a Habilis, findings of criminality, it is totalitarian.

When the dexterous man) the modern styldispassionately applying Singhvi represented a local lotlegal representation future promise or atopast the or presociety equates the profile of integrity and law is alight writer’s vision and masonry factsrevelation, without fear fa- ist? Pagoda tery distributor.

The Bharatiya Jain similar tense the burden of writingfor entirely competence of its lawyers with thesent profile andputsvour put in day and uncaring conse- the messy hard work he must nata Party hadafter once expelled Ram the moment.

And every moment in thisof day to realise it. The romantic political position of their clients, iton inexorably reverie and quences outside the realm Jethmalani for the representing conbook is still vivid a painting: “A little pushes for a breakdown of the rule of law, by and together in thisGandhi assassilaw andlike justice.

If she has inter- tedium of word-making come victs in the Indira the first of At that the monsubverting access to effective legalfrog, representathe fancieststhe or monsoon. connections could allegory of writing. Sealy estranges nation case.

One of them was soon’s end. It hops onto the shingleher andjudgement, sits ful byunimtion. Here is how. bringingactually the exotic pagodain toappeal. a mofussil potentially impact absolved Both these politicvery still.

So still it’s thereconduct at the end of breakA lawyer aspiring to be a judge would then power cuts, ian-lawyers hardware shops and the Atlas peachable would demandof that she rehad stood their ground. fast. acceptI go out and seefrom whether it’s not a dead cycle, while he embellishes have to think a hundred times before thewant earthy routine cuses the matter.

Clients who a lawyer who would assoleaf after If all, must rightStates over it the has ing any brief that could turn controversial. of masonry his and marvellous Thelean United of till America institu- with ciate identifydescription. herself with their identities morning in its eye.”

Even amidst the society can be indifferent to the morality ofglitters a tionalised In by anyprocase, Sealy does seem speak to the to themselves the process of mud-slinging and fortunes do to a big disservice dirty disarray of the shingle and the shutterdoctor who saves the life of a patient accused pagoda builders who disrupt belong the to the Indian that is critical viding for conformational hearings, where — they objectivity ing,too Sealy situate apoliticians daily world lumi-andwriting of a heinous crime, it should not be com-can elected English IWE, the acronym so evocanofraise resolveinall for aorlawyer to do her best.

When society idennous discoveries. plicated to see legal representation in similar cative the tifies shrivelling of Indian sorts of issues and confirm or reject theofapa lawyer’s meritsliterary by who her clients Sealy’slife. prose pointment, is so astonishingly smooth light. Indeed, doctors saved Ajmal Kasab’s Fewabare willing get itself sand in if necessary, byand a vote.style.

In the were, ittodoes antheir even eyes bigger disservice — level thatKait seems he of hassuch written it withwe a maThey hardly made news. However, with and lawyers grit in theiritears.

Sealy’s message toand them: sence a system, leave our erodes the objectivity fearlessness critison’s trowel. Since he hasvulnerable so painstakingly sab’s trial, even senior lawyers and educated be good apprentices your and judges and defenceless when cal forand the dirty rule of law.hands. plastered the cement, you can is miss the brickcitizens rooted for a death penalty without their integrity sought to be tarnished at dharminder is a Delhi-based journalist is a lawyer who can be somasekhar sundaresan and the building blocks of Not the book trial. On the streets of Mumbai, thatwork translated such a juncture. only that is society’s trust in kumar into any lawyer who dared to do her duty by the judiciary disturbed, good lawyers become accused of defending politically incorrect clients

In a masterful book, Allan Sealy crafts high art out of seemingly banal brick and mortar

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deal

Package Amazon, the world’s largest online retailer, is shaking up the Indian market and rewriting many of its ‘inviolable’ rules

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mit Sarda is just beginning to discover India. After selling organic handmade bath salts, essential oils and soaps in the cities for over 13 years, he has suddenly realised that a whole other world exists beyond them. Orders for his company Soulflower’s products have started coming in from Tinsukia, Dibiyapur, Bidar, Sundargarh, Mansa and many more small towns, throwing open markets Sarda hitherto had no inkling of. And his ally in conquering the many nooks and corners of the country is the $75-billion American giant Amazon, which entered India last year.

In Mumbai, Beta Dave, marketing and ebusiness development manager at Sia Jewels, is elated by her company’s partnership with Amazon, which has tripled its online sales within a year. The jewellery is sent to Amazon, which takes care of warehousing, packaging, delivery and after-sales service, freeing up Sia to focus on new designs. Moreover, the big-town brand now finds adFor the last month, Amazon has been in a ditional customers in Tier II and III cities. wrangle with “The kind of brand recall Amapublishing major, zon has in rural India is amazing.

Hachette People know it delivers the world over, and that helps,” says Sarda, who co-founded Soulflower with Natasha Tuli in 2001.

What has allowed Amazon to deliver anywhere from Dibiyapur in Uttar Pradesh to Mansa in Punjab is its tie-up with India Post.

This masterstroke has given the e-commerce major access to nearly 20,000 pin codes across India. This is the core of Amazon’s India strategy — retrofitting to suit local conditions, rather than replicating its hugely successful global model in the $2.3 billion Indian e-commerce space, which is expected to grow to $32 billion by 2020 (Technopak Advisors). “Our global mission is to build the earth’s most customer-centric company. While Amazon’s vision and mission are global, we have localised our execution,” says Amazon's country chief, Amit Agarwal Globally, the giant is currently caught in catfights. For the past month, Amazon has been in a much-watched wrangle with publishing major Hachette. As the online retailer is the largest seller of books, Amazon asked Hachette to cough up more money on e-book sales. Hachette refused and, so far, the book industry has been split down the middle. Some big authors have sided with their publishers but a large number of authors who have found success through Amazon — it is now also a publisher — have aligned themselves to it.

Amazon, by discounting books heavily, bled

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the brick-and-mortar bookstores, eventually leading to major chains like Barnes & Nobles shutting down outlets and Borders winding up business altogether. In order to protect its bookstores, in January this year, the French government passed a bill which banned online bookstores from offering free delivery. In the Gallic world, which does not believe in mincing words, this ban is called the Amazon tax. On the tails of these troubles — minor and major — India is a market that is now primed for the company. And Agarwal is here to make sure that as more Indians begin to shop online, their first site of call is Amazon.

the company has retrofitted multiple processes. It has the mechanisms to offer over 17 million products across 28 categories in a country as diverse as India — all within a year of starting operations.

While tailing Bezos, Agarwal learned that customers care about three things — a large selection to choose from, value pricing and convenient delivery options. And over the past few years in India, he has focused on creating a differentiating factor in all three. And that, in turn, led to local innovation.

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diction for that capital investment is often wrong. Amazon essentially absolves sellers of all that risk,” he adds. This offering is a hit with small and medium enterprises that are hungry to go national but lack working capital. It’s also a service that no other e-commerce player has been able to replicate so far.

Analysts estimate that sellers save 30-40 per cent of their cost. And this, says Agarwal, allows Amazon to offer discounts to end-users.

“We look at the cost structure of every seller, reduce the costs and allow them to keep a larger share for themselves. So they can pass it on to customers at low prices,” he says.

Airwaves of change

Doing the once unthinkable, a new channel beams Pakistani serials directly to Indian homes and finds an enthusiastic following for its slick productions Ideas for India

In India, Amazon offered the cash-on-delivery Tailing Bezos option, something it doesn’t do elsewhere. Home run many Indian fansyears, are (The Agarwal learnedow from the best.

For two “Zindagi has is had an considering unbelievableextending start. We While it costs Amazon to offer such services, company now Zindagi GulzarfounHai were 2007-09, he waswatching the shadow to Amazon confident of tapping the markets of Pun- Agarwal says it is compensated by the growth the concept to China and Japan.) across the border?” is a jab, der Jeff Bezos — (ZGH) a role that involved travelling Delhi and other met- in volume. “The cost per unit goes down…

ItsHimachal Easy Ship Pradesh, facility was created exclusively question posted on meetings the Face- ros with the top boss, attending all his there is abenefits culturalsmaller affinity, sellers but it’swho the Good customer experience drives traffic, for as India and book page ofthe theminutes, serial, which ranks amongst and taking and conferring with positive response from the East that which attracts sellers and helps us bring in don’t want to send products toand the South fulfilment the hitsofoneach Pakistan himall-time at the end day. television. has beenAmazon uplifting,” saysup Shailja Kejriwal, chief centres. picks the packages from more selection. This, in turn, improves cusRajat Chhabra one of those Indians who creative Fifteen monthswas before Amazon India went Zeedelivers Entertainment and the driving the sellerofand to customers.

“We inject tomer experience. This flywheel is spinning watched it and to share ahis feedback: website that force live, Agarwal setwanted up junglee.com, thedelivery,” venture. says Zindagi has proin thebehind last-mile fast for Amazon,” he explains.

“Fan from India! to Really a mesmerising, fantasallows buyers compare offerings and cured overThis 200 concept, hours of content Agarwal. too, is and is using And the results are showing. tic show.before Great directing story. Superb acting.

Fabulous choose them to the seller’s this airing episodes likelytoto its be advantage exported tobyother Munendra Singh, working with a cast!

What Indian TV shows can’t express in through website.

This non-profit venture has given the week. countries. private bank in Mumbai, says he thousands of episodes, they did it 26! Hats Amazon truckloads of analytics — in handy amWith melodramatic, poorly In theassembly-line, second, and more succan pick up his parcels, ordered In e-commerce, off!

May you munition for itsmake Indiamore battle.like these. Good plotted soaps clogging local en- is as crucial cessful, saas-bahu part of Amazon’s strate- theanalytics through Amazon, from a nearby work!”

What Chhabra perhaps didn’t as expect In e-commerce, analytics is as crucial R&D tertainment bandwidth, realistic storiesas from gy, the ‘Fulfilment

by Amazon’ store. “That’s a big convenience, R&D is for a was gushingcompany. response Ittoidentifies his comment is forthe a product what across border have to been welcomed.

“Tu- company offeringthe allows sellers stock as my wife and I both work and product from fans the other for, side what of thethey LOC — with- ning buyers areonsearching choose Pakistaniatdramas is a sublime expetheir into inventory its warenobody is at home to take delivin 24 hours like his and postwhy. and rience. from, whereover they1,650 buy,would at what price Though storylines are similar, the houses in Mumbai and Bangaeries during the day,” he says.

121 would onnot it. only And customise of- lore. Amazon ships That helpscomment companies direction is subtle, with every the products Amazon has tied up with Bharat Chhabra was not thebuyers only one ferings for potential but also ensures for them and charges characteronleaving a per an impact.

Petroleum Corporation Limited who replied to the products poser — pop up every unit basis, irrespective that their preferred Plus, these arenumbers finite producof the sold. to use its In & Out stores in Mumbai, Delhi, 5,850 others besides the time they logdid ontoo, to the internet. tions wrapping about 25 Bangalore, Ahmedabad and Manipal to make “They have taken the stressup ofinpackaging I got a daily peek into 91,540 whohas ‘liked’ question. the company and shipping off Junglee alsothe familiarised episodes, that if we deliveries to customers. my head.ensuring I just focus on creatlife in Lahore and If numbers tell a story,athis is expansion of ing the best products,” with sellers, facilitating rapid do see asays start, see an Tuliwe of will Soulflower.

Its same-day delivery is a huge hit too. relished the Punjabi the narrative of an at India-Pakisproduct categories Amazon. “Amazon had Apart from stress, end sellers too,” are declares Kolkataalso spared the Shreya Krishnan ordered three kurtas from dialect the Dadi spoke, tan connect,incourtesy Zindagi.

A it launched costs of warehousing, customers India even before based Rekha Seth, a PRpackagofficer Myntra on June 14 and was disappointed to maintenance, which is similar to ours general entertainment channelunderstanding ing, delivery and here. It has built an analytical with a private firm.service. Such learn about the cancellation of the order on even after-sales from Entertainment, of theZee Indian customer Zindabase through many expenses vanish From among Zindagi’s ini- June 25. “I got a mail from Myntra about the from the seller’s profit-andgi is the first ofagain, its kind, years.

Junglee, is aexclurich source of data loss account, totial prime-time offerings of cancellation, without any reason for it. Since I be replaced by a simple variasively broadcasting contentDutta, chief ex- ble cost per unit, and learning,” says Devangshu foursays back-to-back shows, ZGH Agarwal, terming it as had to leave for a holiday at the month-end, I from Pakistan.

Goingfirm

by Third initialEyesight. reports, Zee and ecutive at consulting Aunn Zara topped charts. Pakistani ac- ordered from Amazon. And got the delivery ‘cloud computing’ for the sellers. hasFrom pulled offway a coup of sorts. the Amazon sources products tors, too, have notched up for an instant fanis base, “The warehousing cost five items dif- the same day,” she says.

Thesellers launchto onhow Juneit23reaches was pan-India and, al- the from out to buyers, most the lissom Sanam ferent frompopular that forbeing five million, and the premost immediately, an overwhelming re- Saeed (Kashaf in ZGH), whose Facebook fan- Competition kill sponse from audiences followed. Social media pages are overflowing with comments from “Amazon has certainly forced its competitors sites began buzzing with feedback and many a Indians, as are Fawad Khan’s (Zaroon in the to re-think their strategy. Flipkart, the homeviewer confessed returning to television after same serial). Khan, incidentally, will soon be grown e-commerce company founded by forgiving up on the dumbed-down entertain- seen in his debut Bollywood film. mer Amazon employees, is hard at work to ment churned out in India. The channel’s “With Zindagi we have created a new ‘pre- outdo the US giant. Within days of Amazon packaging, a mix of slick productions inter- mium mass category’, its target audience es- launching same-day delivery, Flipkart replicatspersed with promos touching on sentiments sentially being the upwardly mobile youth, ed it; however, it’s unlikely to match Amazon’s attached to the fractured political history of the new-age woman and the globetrotter, all reach in the hinterland anytime soon. both countries, has proved to be its drawing of whom are seeking alternative content,” More importantly, Amazon India is backed power. That emotions have no sarhad, or fron- says Kejriwal. The other key section of viewers by a strong parent, which reported revenues tiers, and that hearts can always meet, are re- are those affected by the Partition. Those who of nearly $75 billion in 2013 and is expected to inforced by its tagline, Jodey Dilon Ko. narrate tales of a shared past and the subse- touch $100 billion by the end of this year.

“Amazon has been an outlier in every counquent separation.

“My parents would try. It is the first pure-play e-tailer toreminisemerge ce lives in So I had theabout worldtheir over.days It isand focused onLahore. execution and awill deep to visit the didn’t miss any bedesire a competition tocity. the Iexisting players. of theso episodes just-concluded ZaMore becauseofitthe doesn’t have capitalAunn issues,” ra. It gave me a daily peek into life in Lahore, and I relished the Punjabi dialect the Dadi (Nasreen Qureshi) spoke in, which is similar to ours,” says 65-year-old Chennai resident Amrita Malik.

Watching Pakistani serials is not exactly new for many viewers. It was during the mid’80s that Pakistan Television (PTV) classics such as Ankahi, Tanhaiyaan and Dhoop Kinarey left an impression on drama buffs in India who watched these on pirated VHS borrowed from video parlours. The internet revolution of the ’90s saw the VHS give way to online viewing. Zindagi has modified it further by doing the once unthinkable and beaming conOpen-door policy tent from the neighbour, across our border, Amit Agarwal, VP and directly into our homes.

“H

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Telly-port Stills from Pakistani TV series Zindagi Gulzar Hai and Aunn Zara, which aired on the channel Zindagi, taking viewers on a cross-border soap sojourn

brinda suri is a Chandigarh-based journalist

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Two-way street Riding high While Jeff Rajinikanth’s Bezos, chief fans pour milk on hisof executive officer cut-outs, heunveils gives out Amazon, its messages that they smartphone Fire bloomberg/mike take seriosuly kane; r ravindran (below) motorbikeborne delivery boys in India

PICTURE THIS

That working-class fan

says Ankur Bisen, senior vice-president of re- though. Flipkart was expensive and with the kind of capital and analytics at its disposal, it tail and consumer products at Technopak.

In contrast, Flipkart is backed by private eq- made better sense for Amazon to invest in

uity funds, which invest only to look for an ex- own operations than pay big bucks for it.

Hottest sellers This has unsurprisingly created a flutter in it through an IPO or sale to another player.

Books, consumer electronics, baby Flipkart is said to be in talks again for raising the Indian e-commerce space. In an industry products, shoes and watches most businesses were built to sell, Indi-a that, you have to wait for him to open his $500nmillion fromdarkness, a clutch the of investors in a where the grainy young man’s cessfully cultivated distinct images, reveal

companies have of missed theinbiggest oppor- mouth, for the dialogue. But the real basis on deal that could theancompany at light $5 bilface is lit upvalue only by eerie green — an remarkable degree overlap the characterShop onthe theargument go to exit.

“Now they to doby something lion, and or ₹30,000 crore. Butofvaluation its tunity by his memories the video on theatistics for which they arehave praised their fan which Rajini wins is that there perfor cent of traffic from to stay in the business, and stay own doesn’t mean much. res in which he spent his childhood. A club members: generosity, compassion, hu- aren’t fan 35 clubs Amitabh likecomes there are for mobile relevant,” says Dutta.

A classic case is that of Indian ticket was ₹10, and every night of the week mility, “the heart of a child”, strength and viril- Rajini. Rajini givesdevices out ‘messages’ that his fans telecom operators and tower were for ac- ity and talent in the dramatic arts. Crucially, take seriously, like when he told autowallahs had a genre allotted to it: Mondays Repackaging businessfor his (low- to always Pincode companies, which tion, Tuesdays forcommanded romance, Wednesdays the star is believed to feel concern stop andsearch give pregnant women a Indian companies It delivers thedon’t pin code some large billion-dollar valuations might be horror.

“You gotaround to see new films, old er-class) fans,Already, to recognise theire-commerce “deserving free ride. “Even thosetowho listen to their have missed the 790002, which isYou forcan a remote businesses have shutfamous down Rajidue families, listen 2006-07. films, andForeign even veryinvestors old films.enBut even watch- but less influential” status.

As the to Rajini.” see how the biggest opportunity village called in the cash goes, crunch or the were ac- wheel of fandom tered withwe cash. however, ing films hadToday, already seen was fun for us,” nikanth songtoinaBasha “I am heart turnsBalemu full circle: it isWest Rajinito exit Kameng District Arunachal quired by bigger players.

Fliponly a handful of them are prof- could say his that feels, I am he chortles.

“Before Rajinikanth the friend of the poor.

I will al- kanth’s relationship withofhis fans, his perkart bought Myntra in May while ceived ability itable.

A we majority are itmaking dialogue, would say for him.” ways be the friend of the poor.” to influence their behaviour Pradesh losses and looking sell. SimiThe young man istoSagairaj, he is a film buff Sushma Allschoolstuff.com Veerappa’s Whenand Indiapla that makes them even more declosed after failing to za.comAsking larly, continuing fan, losses and lim-minutes into Shankar Nag Comes and Rajinikanth and a few (2012), votedgratification fans.

Instant another round of funding, ited finances Krishnan’s will only make the going tough Jagannathan remarkable 2010 doc- raise another documentary that ex- as did ChhoWhat is products striking about 3,00,000-plus are Sagaiand for Flipkart.Videokaaran (roughly translatable tu.in, umentary plores Hushbabies.com, film fandom as a Miraistore.com way to raj’s relationship with the stars is available for next-day delivery In Sagairaj’s amongmale others. now, the bigger e-commerce as Until Video-fellow, or Video-wallah), we learnfirms that Koolkart.com, understand urban workrelationship with its quicksilver quality. One mo“Investors can’toffers run companies long if you see an have entered India through acquisition he grew up to run a video parlour himself. — ing-class culture, glimpses forcinema, ment he is talking about Rajini Baazee.com, while Monster.com don’t enough for operations.

This has forced companies to relook ebay Butbought since the demolition of Mumbai’s Ra- they of how thishave belief in thecash star’s beingIndian responsible for his interintimacy that people acquired Jobsahead.com.

Amazon was general expect- Amazon has stayed of the cash-raising their with business Flipkart hul Nagar Video in 2006, and the “good nature” andahead welcoming estmodel. in being a kriyadiscontinued yogi, a deep usually only have ed to do theon same with Flipkart, but that Unless Indian businesses theytheysale of consumer likeconnection TVs, audio crackdown semi-legal video theatres likedid it, curve. behaviour is circulated by fans. do that, senseelectronics of spiritual gods truly not happen. for lack of movies trying will run outfilm of cash,” sayson Dutta. white goods neither Sagai It norwasn’t his friends watch Veerappa’s focuses auto dates back(air-conditioners, to his troubled believe in —systems they’re and that washing refrigerators) withinI days much. “People here earn ₹10 a day, some earn drivers in Bangalore, and their childhood: “As a child, had close enough to machines, of Amazon launching in India.

It also cut ₹50. They’re not going to go to multiplexes!” particular adoration of the late problems with my family.

Whendismiss occasionally down on the massive discounts it once offeredI He mentions a local single-screen cinema director-actor Shankar Nag, who ever I saw Rajinikanth movies, on mobiles, tablets and their Its where tickets are ₹80. “How is a man like that legendarily played an auto drivgot strength.”

Theaccessories. next moment, focus now is on high-volume going to take his family to the theatre? Film er in the superhit film Auto Raja hehigh-margin is describingand how all the acsegments liketors apparel, as into borne out by its Mynhas been snatched out of his hands.”

(1980). Among the central char“enter him” when he’s acquisition.

For much of the 20th century, cinema was acters in Veerappa’s film is Ramanna, an autor- tra picked up by a cop and wants to pretend to be Bisen points to cop two will kinds players in thethe eamong the few pleasures that the poor man in ickshaw driver who is also president of the badly hurt so the letofhim go. Here, companies FlipIndia could afford. (And I say ‘man’ deliberate- auto drivers’ section of the Kannada Protec- commerce channellingspace of —his heroes such is aspurely Jabong and Snapdeal, which have built ly here, because women did not — could not — tion Front. A film buff who came to Bangalore kart, instrumental. equity, achieved some with scale cinema, and demongo to theatres anywhere near as much as men with dreams of becoming an actor, Ramanna brand In Sagairaj’s relationship you a viable future growth model; andhave the could and did.) The film industry — whether remembers that he once chased after Shankar strated see an intimacy that people usually only companies, which pursuing Tamil, Telugu or Hindi — needed the urban Nag and his brother Anant’s car: “Anant Nag second-rung with gods they truly believe in: are they’re close but occasionally. are struggling to progress poor to watch its films. And the strongest con- remained in the car, but Shankar Nag stepped differentiation enough to dismiss beyond the initial round of funding.

As long as nection between that audience and the indus- out. A real gentleman.”

But the world upon which Videokaaran casts economy is growing, both these willdisextry were its stars.

Rajinikanth too, famously played an auto the its brief but compelling light of has largely along with the millions brick-and-morFilm scholar Sara Dickey, who worked on driver in Basha, immortalised by the song ist, appeared.

The god of cinemaofno longer needs Eventually, will fan clubs in Tamil Nadu, has argued that the Naan autokaaran (I’m an auto-wallah). Early in tar the retailers. poor. So the poor havesomething been robbed of have cinegive. its history in other countries is anisin-a masculine hero in south India is always de- Videokaaran, we see a conversation between to ma, andIfeven of video theatres.

Television Amazon picted as sharing “either the attributes or the several young men dissolve into an only half- dicator, poor return gift. is likely to be the one taking desires of the urban poor”. Figures as far apart jokey competition between Amitabh fans and us into this post-apocalyptic world. in time as MG Ramachandran, Sivaji Ganesan, Rajinikanth fans. Rajini’s entry speeds up the trisha gupta is a writer and critic based in Delhi pratap t@chhotahazri Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan, who have suc- movie, says Sagai; with Amitabh, it’s not like rashmi

The fine print

The god of cinema no longer needs the poor. So the poor have been robbed of cinema, and of video theatres with ₹10 tickets

trisha gupta

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Assembly lines Believers gather for the Jumma-tul-wida, the noon prayer offered on the last Friday of Ramzan

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Inflight entertainment Children play after the afternoon prayer, driving the pigeons away at the Mecca Masjid, west of Charminar

Through the looking glass Women watch men offer prayers near the Mecca Masjid.

Fresh start People perform a cleansing ritual in preparation for prayer. Here, they gather around a tank behind a smaller mosque

The rank and file Crowds await the muezzin’s call to prayer

The sacred lanes A brief interlude in the humdrum of Hyderabad’s old city, Ramzan fills its warren of streets with faith and festivities

T

he old city of Hyderabad has always fascinated me. I grew up in Chennai, but Hyderabad was home to my mother, so we visited often. As a child, I had never quite explored the warren of lanes in the shadow of the Charminar. But I had heard stories, of course — of endless conversations over Irani chai and Osmania biscuits, of feeding pigeons outside Mecca Masjid, of the discovery of vintage ebonite pens in a hole-in-the-wall bookstore on Pathergatti Road, of how the streets never sleep in the month of Ramzan.

I finally paid a visit last year during the holy month. As the sound of the azaan echoed in the air, Muslims from all over gathered for the Jumma-tul-wida, the noon prayer offered on the last Friday of Ramzan. I arrived to find that all the roads leading to the Charminar were cordoned off. People of all ages were heading that way though — men in spotless white, women in all black.

Slowly, the trickle of people onto the green carpet on the streets turned into a steady stream. The crowd assembled on the roads leading up to Charminar and in the inner alleys lined with shops on either side. Before long, the faithful arranged themselves into neat files, facing in the direction of the Mecca Masjid, to the west of Charminar; young, old, rich and poor, standing shoulder to shoulder, heads bowed and hands folded. The carpet had nearly disappeared from view.

The prayer began and, suddenly, the old city was no longer a bustling marketplace but a sanctuary.

After a few minutes of quiet, the last salaams were exchanged as were the customary hugs. Charminar was open to the public again, and the sea of humanity dispersed as quickly as it had assembled. Carpets were rolled off the road, hawkers returned with their paraphernalia and the old city was thrumming with its diurnal rhythm again.

ravikiran vissa is a commercial photographer based in Chennai

Hot caps A child peddles crocheted taqiyahs from a cart. The caps sell rapidly, like steaming cups of Irani chai on a rainy day

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the brick-and-mortar bookstores, eventually leading to major chains like Barnes & Nobles shutting down outlets and Borders winding up business altogether. In order to protect its bookstores, in January this year, the French government passed a bill which banned online bookstores from offering free delivery. In the Gallic world, which does not believe in mincing words, this ban is called the Amazon tax. On the tails of these troubles — minor and major — India is a market that is now primed for the company. And Agarwal is here to make sure that as more Indians begin to shop online, their first site of call is Amazon.

the company has retrofitted multiple processes. It has the mechanisms to offer over 17 million products across 28 categories in a country as diverse as India — all within a year of starting operations.

While tailing Bezos, Agarwal learned that customers care about three things — a large selection to choose from, value pricing and convenient delivery options. And over the past few years in India, he has focused on creating a differentiating factor in all three. And that, in turn, led to local innovation.

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diction for that capital investment is often wrong. Amazon essentially absolves sellers of all that risk,” he adds. This offering is a hit with small and medium enterprises that are hungry to go national but lack working capital. It’s also a service that no other e-commerce player has been able to replicate so far.

Analysts estimate that sellers save 30-40 per cent of their cost. And this, says Agarwal, allows Amazon to offer discounts to end-users.

“We look at the cost structure of every seller, reduce the costs and allow them to keep a larger share for themselves. So they can pass it on to customers at low prices,” he says.

Airwaves of change

Doing the once unthinkable, a new channel beams Pakistani serials directly to Indian homes and finds an enthusiastic following for its slick productions Ideas for India

In India, Amazon offered the cash-on-delivery Tailing Bezos option, something it doesn’t do elsewhere. Home run many Indian fansyears, are (The Agarwal learnedow from the best.

For two “Zindagi has is had anconsidering unbelievableextending start. We While it costs Amazon to offer such services, company now Zindagi GulzarfounHai were 2007-09, he waswatching the shadow to Amazon confident of tapping the markets of Pun- Agarwal says it is compensated by the growth the concept to China and Japan.) across the border?” is a jab, der Jeff Bezos — (ZGH) a role that involved travelling Delhi and exclusively other met- in volume. “The cost per unit goes down…

ItsHimachal Easy Ship Pradesh, facility was created question posted on meetings the Face- ros with the top boss, attending all his there is abenefits culturalsmaller affinity, sellers but it’swho the Good customer experience drives traffic, for as India and book page of the serial, which ranks amongst and taking the minutes, and conferring with positive response from the East that which attracts sellers and helps us bring in don’t want to send products toand the South fulfilment the hitsofon Pakistan himall-time at the end each day. television. has beenAmazon uplifting,” saysup Shailja Kejriwal, from chief more selection. This, in turn, improves cuscentres. picks the packages Rajat Chhabra one of those Indians who creative Fifteen monthswas before Amazon India went Zeedelivers Entertainment and the driving the sellerofand to customers.

“We inject tomer experience. This flywheel is spinning watched it and to shareahis feedback: website that force live, Agarwal setwanted up junglee.com, thedelivery,” venture. says Zindagi has proin thebehind last-mile fast for Amazon,” he explains.

“Fan from India! to Really a mesmerising, allows buyers compare offeringsfantasand cured overThis 200 concept, hours of content Agarwal. too, is and is using And the results are showing. tic show.before Great directing story. Superb acting.

Fabulous choose them to the seller’s this airing episodes likelytoto its be advantage exported tobyother Munendra Singh, working with a cast!

What Indian TV shows can’t express in through website.

This non-profit venture has given the week. countries. private bank in Mumbai, says he thousands of episodes, they did it 26! Hats Amazon truckloads of analytics — in handy amWith melodramatic, poorly In theassembly-line, second, and more succan pick up his parcels, ordered In e-commerce, off!

May you munition for itsmake Indiamore battle.like these. Good plotted soaps clogging local en- is as crucial cessful, saas-bahu part of Amazon’s strate- theanalytics through Amazon, from a nearby work!”

What Chhabra perhaps didn’t as expect In e-commerce, analytics is as crucial R&D gy, tertainment bandwidth, realistic storiesasfrom the ‘Fulfilment

by Amazon’ store. “That’s a big convenience, R&D is for a was gushingcompany. response Ittoidentifies his comment is forthe a product what offering across the border have to been welcomed.

“Tu- company allows sellers stock as my wife and I both work and product from fans the other for, sidewhat of thethey LOC — with- their buyers areonsearching choose ning into Pakistaniatdramas is a sublime expeinventory its warenobody is at home to take delivin 24 hours his and postwhy. and houses from, whereover they1,650 buy, would at whatlike price rience. in Though storylines are similar, the Mumbai and Bangaeries during the day,” he says.

121 it. only And customise of- lore. Amazon ships Thatwould helpscomment companiesonnot direction is subtle, with every the products Amazon has tied up with Bharat Chhabra was not thebuyers only one ferings for potential but also ensures for them and charges characteronleaving a per an impact.

Petroleum Corporation Limited who replied to the products poser — pop up every unit basis, irrespective that their preferred Plus, these arenumbers finite producof the sold. to use its In & Out stores in Mumbai, Delhi, 5,850 others besides the time they logdid ontoo, to the internet. tions wrapping about 25 Bangalore, Ahmedabad and Manipal to make “They have taken the stressup of inpackaging I got a daily peek into 91,540 whohas ‘liked’ question. the company and shipping off Junglee alsothe familiarised episodes, that if we deliveries to customers. my head.ensuring I just focus on creatlife in Lahore and If numbers tell a story,athis is expansion of ing the best products,” with sellers, facilitating rapid do see asays start, see an Tuliwe of will Soulflower.

Its same-day delivery is a huge hit too. relished the Punjabi the narrative of an at India-Pakisproduct categories Amazon. “Amazon had Apart from stress, end sellers too,” are declares Kolkataalso spared the Shreya Krishnan ordered three kurtas from dialect the Dadi spoke, tan connect,incourtesy Zindagi.

A it launched costs of warehousing, customers India even before based Rekha Seth, a PRpackagofficer Myntra on June 14 and was disappointed to maintenance, which is similar to ours general entertainment channelunderstanding ing, delivery and here. It has built an analytical with a private firm.service. Such learn about the cancellation of the order on even after-sales from Entertainment, of theZee Indian customer Zindabase through many expenses vanish From among Zindagi’s ini- June 25. “I got a mail from Myntra about the from the seller’s profit-andgi is the first ofagain, its kind, years.

Junglee, is aexclurich source of data loss account, totial prime-time offerings of cancellation, without any reason for it. Since I be replaced by a simple variasively broadcasting contentDutta, chief ex- ble cost per unit, and learning,” says Devangshu foursays back-to-back shows, it ZGH Agarwal, terming as had to leave for a holiday at the month-end, I from Pakistan.

Goingfirm

by Third initialEyesight. reports, Zee ‘cloud ecutive at consulting and Aunn Zara topped the charts. Pakistani ac- ordered from Amazon. And got the delivery computing’ for sellers. has pulled offway a coup of sorts.

From the Amazon sources products tors, too, have notched up for an instant fanisbase, “The warehousing cost five items dif- the same day,” she says.

Thesellers launchtoonhow Juneit23reaches was pan-India and, al- ferent from out to buyers, the most the lissom Sanam frompopular that forbeing five million, and the premost immediately, an overwhelming re- Saeed (Kashaf in ZGH), whose Facebook fan- Competition kill sponse from audiences followed. Social media pages are overflowing with comments from “Amazon has certainly forced its competitors sites began buzzing with feedback and many a Indians, as are Fawad Khan’s (Zaroon in the to re-think their strategy. Flipkart, the homeviewer confessed returning to television after same serial). Khan, incidentally, will soon be grown e-commerce company founded by forgiving up on the dumbed-down entertain- seen in his debut Bollywood film. mer Amazon employees, is hard at work to ment churned out in India. The channel’s “With Zindagi we have created a new ‘pre- outdo the US giant. Within days of Amazon packaging, a mix of slick productions inter- mium mass category’, its target audience es- launching same-day delivery, Flipkart replicatspersed with promos touching on sentiments sentially being the upwardly mobile youth, ed it; however, it’s unlikely to match Amazon’s attached to the fractured political history of the new-age woman and the globetrotter, all reach in the hinterland anytime soon. both countries, has proved to be its drawing of whom are seeking alternative content,” More importantly, Amazon India is backed power. That emotions have no sarhad, or fron- says Kejriwal. The other key section of viewers by a strong parent, which reported revenues tiers, and that hearts can always meet, are re- are those affected by the Partition. Those who of nearly $75 billion in 2013 and is expected to inforced by its tagline, Jodey Dilon Ko. narrate tales of a shared past and the subse- touch $100 billion by the end of this year.

“Amazon has been an outlier in every counquent separation.

“My parents would try.

It is the first pure-play e-tailer toreminisemerge ce about lives in So I and had the worldtheir over.days It isand focused onLahore. execution a deep to visit the didn’t miss any will be desire a competition to city. the Iexisting players. of theso episodes just-concluded ZaMore becauseofitthe doesn’t have capitalAunn issues,” ra. It gave me a daily peek into life in Lahore, and I relished the Punjabi dialect the Dadi (Nasreen Qureshi) spoke in, which is similar to ours,” says 65-year-old Chennai resident Amrita Malik.

Watching Pakistani serials is not exactly new for many viewers. It was during the mid’80s that Pakistan Television (PTV) classics such as Ankahi, Tanhaiyaan and Dhoop Kinarey left an impression on drama buffs in India who watched these on pirated VHS borrowed from video parlours. The internet revolution of the ’90s saw the VHS give way to online viewing. Zindagi has modified it further by doing the once unthinkable and beaming conOpen-door policy tent from the neighbour, across our border, Amit Agarwal, VP and directly into our homes.

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Telly-port Stills from Pakistani TV series Zindagi Gulzar Hai and Aunn Zara, which aired on the channel Zindagi, taking viewers on a cross-border soap sojourn

brinda suri is a Chandigarh-based journalist

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Two-way street Riding high While Jeff Rajinikanth’s Bezos, chief fans pour milk on hisof executive officer cut-outs, heunveils gives out Amazon, its messages that they smartphone Fire bloomberg/mike take seriosuly kane; r ravindran (below) motorbikeborne delivery boys in India

PICTURE THIS

That working-class fan

says Ankur Bisen, senior vice-president of re- though. Flipkart was expensive and with the kind of capital and analytics at its disposal, it tail and consumer products at Technopak.

In contrast, Flipkart is backed by private eq- made better sense for Amazon to invest in

uity funds, which invest only to look for an ex- own operations than pay big bucks for it.

Hottest sellers This has unsurprisingly created a flutter in it through an IPO or sale to another player.

Books, consumer electronics, baby Flipkart is said to be in talks again for raising the Indian e-commerce space. In an industry products, shoes and watches most businesses were built to sell, Indi-a that, you have to wait for him to open his $500nmillion fromdarkness, a clutch the of investors in a where the grainy young man’s cessfully cultivated distinct images, reveal

companies haveof missed theinbiggest oppor- mouth, for the dialogue. But the real basis on deal that the at light $5 bilface iscould lit upvalue only by ancompany eerie green — an remarkable degree overlap the characterShop onthe theargument go to exit.

“Now they to doby something lion, and or ₹30,000 crore. Butofvaluation its tunity by his memories the video on theatistics for which they arehave praised their fan which Rajini wins is that there perfor cent of traffic from to stay in the business, and stay own doesn’t mean much. res in which he spent his childhood. A club members: generosity, compassion, hu- aren’t fan 35 clubs Amitabh likecomes there are for mobile relevant,” says Dutta.

A classic case and is that of Indian ticket was ₹10, every night of the week mility, “the heart of a child”, strength and viril- Rajini. Rajini givesdevices out ‘messages’ that his fans telecom operators tower were for ac- ity and talent in the dramatic arts. Crucially, take seriously, like when he told autowallahs had a genre allotted toand it: Mondays Repackaging businessfor his (low- to always Pincode companies, which tion, Tuesdays forcommanded romance, Wednesdays the star is believed to feel concern stop andsearch give pregnant women a Indian companies It delivers thedon’t pin code some large billion-dollar valuations might be horror.

“You gotaround to see new films, old er-class) fans,Already, to recognise theire-commerce “deserving free ride. “Even thoseto who listen to their have missed the 790002, which isYou forcan a remote businesses have shut down Rajidue families, listen 2006-07. films, andForeign even veryinvestors old films.enBut even watch- but less influential” status.

As the famous to Rajini.” see how the biggest opportunity village called in the cash goes, crunch or the were ac- wheel of fandom tered withwecash. ing films had Today, alreadyhowever, seen was fun for us,” nikanth songtoinaBasha “I am heart turnsBalemu full circle: it isWest Rajinito exit Kameng District quired by bigger players.

Fliponly a handful of them are prof- could say his that feels, I am he chortles.

“Before Rajinikanth the friend of the poor.

I will al- kanth’s relationship with ofhisArunachal fans, his perkart bought Myntra in May while ceived ability itable.

A we majority are itmaking dialogue, would say for him.” ways be the friend of the poor.” to influence their behaviour Pradesh losses and looking sell. SimiThe young man istoSagairaj, he is a film buff Sushma Allschoolstuff.com Veerappa’s Whenand Indiapla that makes them even more declosed after failing to za.comAsking larly, continuing fan, losses and lim-minutes into Shankar Nag Comes and Rajinikanth and a few (2012), votedgratification fans.

Instant another round of funding, ited finances Krishnan’s will only make the going tough Jagannathan remarkable 2010 doc- raise another documentary that ex- as did ChhoWhat is products striking about 3,00,000-plus are Sagaiand for Flipkart.Videokaaran (roughly translatable tu.in, umentary plores Hushbabies.com, film fandom as a Miraistore.com way to raj’s relationship with the stars is available for next-day delivery In Sagairaj’s amongmale others. now, the bigger e-commerce as Until Video-fellow, or Video-wallah), we learnfirms that Koolkart.com, understand urban workrelationship with its quicksilver quality. One mo“Investors can’toffers run companies long if you see an have entered India through acquisition he grew up to run a video parlour himself. — ing-class culture, glimpses forcinema, ment he is talking about Rajini Baazee.com, while Monster.com don’t enough for operations.

This has forced companies to relook ebay Butbought since the demolition of Mumbai’s Ra- they of how thishave belief in thecash star’s beingIndian responsible for his interintimacy that people acquired Amazon wasgeneral expect- Amazon has stayed of the cash-raising their with business Flipkart hul NagarJobsahead.com.

Video in 2006, and the “good nature” and ahead welcoming estmodel. in being a kriyadiscontinued yogi, a deep usually only have ed to do theonsame with Flipkart, but that Unless Indian businesses theytheysale of consumer likeconnection TVs, audio crackdown semi-legal video theatres likedid it, curve. behaviour is circulated by fans. do that, sense electronics of spiritual gods truly not happen.

It wasn’t for lack of movies trying will run outfilm of cash,” sayson Dutta. white goods neither Sagai nor his friends watch Veerappa’s focuses auto dates back(air-conditioners, to his troubled believe in —systems they’re and that washing refrigerators) withinI days much. “People here earn ₹10 a day, some earn drivers in Bangalore, and their childhood: “As a child, had close enough to machines, of Amazon launching in India.

It also cut ₹50. They’re not going to go to multiplexes!” particular adoration of the late problems with my family.

Whendismiss occasionally down on the massive discounts it once offeredI He mentions a local single-screen cinema director-actor Shankar Nag, who ever I saw Rajinikanth movies, on mobiles, tablets and their Its where tickets are ₹80. “How is a man like that legendarily played an auto drivgot strength.”

Theaccessories. next moment, focus now is on high-volume going to take his family to the theatre? Film er in the superhit film Auto Raja hehigh-margin is describingand how all the acsegments liketors apparel, as into borne out by its Mynhas been snatched out of his hands.”

(1980). Among the central char“enter him” when he’s acquisition.

For much of the 20th century, cinema was acters in Veerappa’s film is Ramanna, an autor- tra picked up by a cop and wants to pretend to be Bisen points to cop two will kinds players in the eamong the few pleasures that the poor man in ickshaw driver who is also president of the badly hurt so the letofhim go. Here, the companies FlipIndia could afford. (And I say ‘man’ deliberate- auto drivers’ section of the Kannada Protec- commerce channellingspace of —his heroes such is as purely Jabong and Snapdeal, which have built ly here, because women did not — could not — tion Front. A film buff who came to Bangalore kart, instrumental. equity, achieved somewith scalecinema, and demongo to theatres anywhere near as much as men with dreams of becoming an actor, Ramanna brand In Sagairaj’s relationship you a viable future growth model; andhave the could and did.) The film industry — whether remembers that he once chased after Shankar strated see an intimacy that people usually only companies, which pursuing Tamil, Telugu or Hindi — needed the urban Nag and his brother Anant’s car: “Anant Nag second-rung with gods they truly believe in: are they’re close butoccasionally. are struggling to progress poor to watch its films. And the strongest con- remained in the car, but Shankar Nag stepped differentiation enough to dismiss beyond the initial round of funding.

As long as nection between that audience and the indus- out. A real gentleman.”

But the world upon which Videokaaran casts economy is growing, light both of willdisextry were its stars.

Rajinikanth too, famously played an auto the its brief but compelling hasthese largely along with the of millions brick-and-morFilm scholar Sara Dickey, who worked on driver in Basha, immortalised by the song ist, appeared.

The god cinemaofno longer needs Eventually, will have fan clubs in Tamil Nadu, has argued that the Naan autokaaran (I’m an auto-wallah). Early in tar the retailers. poor. So the poor havesomething been robbed of cinegive. its history in other countries is anisin-a masculine hero in south India is always de- Videokaaran, we see a conversation between to ma, andIfeven of video theatres.

Television Amazon picted as sharing “either the attributes or the several young men dissolve into an only half- dicator, poor return gift. is likely to be the one taking desires of the urban poor”. Figures as far apart jokey competition between Amitabh fans and us into this post-apocalyptic world. in time as MG Ramachandran, Sivaji Ganesan, Rajinikanth fans. Rajini’s entry speeds up the trisha gupta is a writer and critic based in Delhi pratap t@chhotahazri Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan, who have suc- movie, says Sagai; with Amitabh, it’s not like rashmi

The fine print

The god of cinema no longer needs the poor. So the poor have been robbed of cinema, and of video theatres with ₹10 tickets

trisha gupta

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Don’t judge the lawyer Writing with a trowel

Headlines that say ‘Amit Shah is now BJP president, his lawyer a judge’ evidently distort not just the truth, but the very justice delivery system

somasekhar sundaresan

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he debate over the proposed appointment of criminal lawyer Uday Lalit as a judge of the Supreme Court has brought to the fore an issue that goes beyond how judges are chosen and appointed. It underscores how dangerously erroneous society can be in judging lawyers, thereby risking the very rule of law. lan Sealy’s latest genre-busting purports to be “a natural and social history of The insinuation is that Lalit is inappropribook may be literary non-fiction, 433 square yards of India”. The pedantic deate for judgeship since he was lawyer for forbut it is not without a plot. Well, 433 scription provides Sealy the advantage of a litmer Gujarat Home Minister Amit Shah in square yards to be precise. The Sealy erary rattlebag in which he can stuff all his cases involving allegation of illegal police killfamily house ings of Sohrabuddin Sheikh and Tulsiram Pra- stands on this piece of land in narrative odds and ends and stylistic playjapati. It has not helped thatDehradun.

Lalit wasOn the portico of the house, he things. So this natural and social history also builds a pagoda he had seen in the Chinese has poems and drawings and dialogues with proposed as a replacement of Gopal Subramacityto ofbe Xi’an. nium, who withdrew his candidature ap- The book is a masonry almanac in his other selves such as the Housedweller and which Sealy, the mason’s apprentice, records the Ascetic (the grihastha and the vanaprastha pointed as a judge. When the government the construction of the pagoda and leaps from from the Hindu life of man). curiously singled out Subramanium’s candiThe Small Wild this plotthe into the past to narrate family histodature for re-consideration, he attributed By refusing to write a novel about a man Goose Pagoda Allan Sealy Trust Sealy government’s mistreatment to hisry.display of to invent a form that allows easy who builds a pagoda in a north Indian small indirection integrityAleph and independence as amicus curiaefor his roving imagination. town, Sealy is playing a hermeneutic trick. In Non-fiction in the same the form of an almanac, he is providing the ₹595encounter killings case. In cities, construction sites are walled off with tin sheets to contain the flying dirt, grat- reader the bare bones of a novel, the rough There have been conflicting reports about ingShah. sounds whether Lalit at all appeared for Amit Af-and jarring visual detail. By choos- notes, so that as he builds the pagoda in the inghas construction as a theme, Sealy sets himself book, the reader is building a novel in his ter days of controversy, a news report india challenge cated that Lalit chose not to respond or clarify,to craft high art out of a banal, dre- mind with Sealy as its protagonist. The cunactivity but that Lalit never held a brief forary Amit Shah.few writers would find promising. ning so typical of postmodern fiction comes Fair target? Even if Shah was his client, it would certainly not have been his sole high profile brief surya sridhar With Regardless, Amit Shah would not havehis beengeometrical prose and polished effortlessly to him.

Lalit’s sole high-profile brief. He is thought, reported he to proves that bricklaying is not as He has admitted the influence of Laurence remote to his representing lapidary art Kasab as it may seem: have represented Congressman and former Sterne, the father of the quirky, shapeless postbeing physically assaultreluctant to consent for judgeship since it can is a gesture bricklaying whenthat the willmodern Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder “There Singh (who novel.mean But his relationship with the ed. It in is such intimidation lead to decontroversy. mason is fillinggeneration in the gap between two bricks and incidentally defeated Arun Jaitley in Amritsar) Westthe is rule not as direct Arundhati Roy’s bor- to accept any of constitutionalism Everyaslawyer is duty-bound and needs the mortar spilling rowing in a corruption case, actor Salman Khan in ato stop from James Vladimir Naboof law, and worse,from will dehumanise our society brief Joyce at a and fee consistent with her standing. out.Khan It’s made with the back of two fingers, kov. In The Trotter-Nama, wildlife poaching case, Hasan Ali in as by turn merging the controversial a whole.

That a brief can politically sometimes It’s a premoney laundering charges, and cricketer Nav- just one. with Mughal Muck-raking around any appointment to a postmodern is not grounds forthe refusing a brief. A lawyer is emptive gesture, a closing off is natural. Accusations and narrative jot Singh Sidhu for culpable homicide chargholds a mir- and honouraprestigious office obligedstyle, to useSealy all fair, legitimate half philosophical that es. When his potential elevation asthat’s a judge was to means westerntofiction. objections(atare flung at the candidate — in rorble uphold her client’s interests remoment the universe is divided making news earlier this month, he was conWhile masonry in the book is Her loyalty is much the same way complaints flood the cap- gardless of her personal opinion.

Few are willing to get between that ital gapmarkets’ and everyducting a trial as a prosecutor in the high-prometaphor for guilt is the regulator when a draft offer doc- also to an theextended law. Judging her client’s sand in their eyes... thing crosselse) halfument aesthetic (ballefile 2G spectrum allocation trial, writing, one asks if a meta novel gets uploaded on the court’s role. The lawyer is but one Sealy’s message: be rinas useHeit). It’s a gesture of the factors examining former telecom minister A Raja. lurks within this book?

Heofininternet.

However, of the officers that court. good apprentices and greatlawyer beauty, and have seen Ha-to a judicial ofis said to have been on a government deed compares The Trotter-Nama forI appointment If having had a controversial dirty your hands bilis make it in reverie.

You and dispaspanel for years. to the great wild goose pagoda ficea (a professional client becomes a disqualification can’t do it yourself; it has bequite different Yet, at a time when it is difficult to convey and the present book to the sionate role)toare for judgeship, particularly when If society can be witnessed any message longer than 140 characters, head-side-on. small pagoda. He his politically sigfromPerhaps, those forthe appointment to a theeven clientlikens becomes indifferent to the time a dancer it such is lines that say ‘Amit Shah is now BJPonly president, square yards to the map of In- profession will politicalsees office as a governificant, the legal morality of433 a doctor when is beside his lawyer a judge’ evidently distort notshe just describing plots as Pa-against merely nor herself.” (where an incumbent can dia, who saves thethe lifeneighbouring of a be intimidated Sealy writes in present with tenseoffice so thatatthe the truth, but the very justice delivery system.

Bangladesh, etc.

Dhani, bethe rewarded the kistan, carrying out abent professional duty. patient accused of a Is mason is not distracted his delightful There can be no worse an injury reader to a lawyer with crime, age, under apprenpleasure offrom the elected political double Not Sealy too long ago, Kerala Conheinous it whom prose by the conventional of required a story: tices,shouldn’t than associating her identity with a client. a symbolbe oftoo native narrative tradition? executive). promises A judge is gressmen were upset that party happens before next. TakWhen a society equates charges ofwhat crimehappened with toand is the erranttomason (after Homo rulewhat on matters her, And spokesman Abhishek Manu complicated see Habilis ing away the benefit of holding the reader tothe a Habilis, findings of criminality, it is totalitarian.

When the dexterous man) the modern styldispassionately applying Singhvi represented a local lotlegal representation future promise or atopast the or pre-fa- ist? Pagoda society equates the profile of integrity and law is alight writer’s vision masonry factsrevelation, without fear tery and distributor.

The Bharatiya Jain similar tense the burden of writingfor entirely competence of its lawyers with thesent profile andputsvour put in day and uncaring conse- the messy hard work he must nata Party hadafter once expelled Ram the moment.

And every moment in thisof day to realise it. The romantic political position of their clients, iton inexorably reverie and quences outside the realm Jethmalani for the representing conbook is still vivid a painting: “A little pushes for a breakdown of the rule of law, by andlaw together in thisGandhi assassiandlike justice.

If she has inter- tedium of word-making come victs in the Indira the first of At the subverting access to effective legalfrog, representathe fancieststhe or monsoon. connections thatmoncould allegory of writing. Sealy estranges nation case.

One of them was soon’s end. It hops onto the shingleher andjudgement, sits ful by unimtion. Here is how. bringing actually the exotic pagodain toappeal. a mofussil potentially impact absolved Both these politicstill.

So still it’s thereconduct at the end of breakA lawyer aspiring to be a judge very would then power cuts, ian-lawyers hardware shops and the Atlas peachable would demandofthat she rehad stood their ground. fast. acceptI go out and seefrom whether it’s not a dead cycle, while he embellishes have to think a hundred times before thewant earthy routine cuses the matter.

Clients who a lawyer who would assoleaf after all, rightStates over it the of ing any brief that could turn controversial.

If must his and marvellous Thelean United oftill America hasmasonry institu- with ciate identifydescription. herself with their identities morningofglitters in its eye.” amidst the society can be indifferent to the morality a tionalised In by anyprocase, Sealy does seem speak to the to themselves the Even process of mud-slinging and fortunes doto a big disservice dirtyaccused disarray of the shingle and the shutterdoctor who saves the life of a patient pagoda builders who disrupt belong the to the Indian that is critical viding for conformational hearings, where — they objectivity ing,too Sealy situate apoliticians daily world lumi-andwriting of a heinous crime, it should not be com-can elected English IWE, the so evocanof raise resolveinall for or a lawyer to acronym do her best.

When society idennous discoveries. plicated to see legal representation in similar cative the shrivelling of Indian sorts of issues and confirm or reject theofaptifies a lawyer’s meritsliterary by who her clients Sealy’slife. prose pointment, is so astonishingly smooth light. Indeed, doctors saved Ajmal Kasab’s Fewabare willing get sand if necessary, byand a vote.style.

In the were, ittodoes itself in antheir even eyes bigger disservice — level thatKait seems he of hassuch written it withwe a maThey hardly made news. However, with and lawyers grit in theiritears.

Sealy’s message toand them: sence a system, leave our erodes the objectivity fearlessness critison’s trowel. Since he hasvulnerable so painstakingly sab’s trial, even senior lawyers and educated be good apprentices your and judges and defenceless when cal forand the dirty rule of law.hands. plastered the cement, you can is miss the brickcitizens rooted for a death penalty without their integrity sought to be tarnished at dharminder is a Delhi-based journalist is a lawyer who can be somasekhar sundaresan and the building blocks of Not the book trial. On the streets of Mumbai, thatwork translated such a juncture. only that is society’s trust in kumar into any lawyer who dared to do her duty by the judiciary disturbed, good lawyers become accused of defending politically incorrect clients

In a masterful book, Allan Sealy crafts high art out of seemingly banal brick and mortar

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deal Telling Herstory

Package Amazon, the world’s largest online retailer, is shaking up the Indian market and rewriting many of its ‘inviolable’ rules Hangwoman KR Meera Translated by J Devika Hamish Hamilton; Penguin Books Literary Fiction ₹699

In Hangwoman, KR Meera doesn’t raise slogans, instead she writes to shatter readers and to remedy historical wrongs

write, I know I am going to give pleasure or shock the reader. With Aarachar, I knew I am going to make people gloomy, I am going to shatter them.”

Meera, who lives in Kottayam, became a writer somewhat by accident. Her husband Dileep, also a journalist, found a few of her stories on her computer and sent them to a magazine.

Once they were published and well received, she abandoned journalism in 2006 and transformed into an author. The translation of a collection of short stories, Moha Manja, titled mit Sarda is just beginning Yellow Is the Colour of Longing, won acclaim to fordiscover India. After selling organic its strong feminist voice. salts, essential Short stories,handmade which shebath completes in two-oils and soaps in the cities over 13 three days, novellas which don’t takefor much years, he easily has suddenly realised thatwhich a whole longer, come to her. Hangwoman, other world exists beyondinthem.

Orders for his was serialised over 53 weeks the Malayalam company Soulflower’s products started weekly Madhyamam, required far morehave persevecoming in from she Tinsukia, Dibiyapur, Bidar, rance.

Set in Kolkata, discovered the river, Sundargarh, Mansa and many with moreSubsmall alayalam author KR Meera, 44, the lanes of Kalighat and Sonagachi, throwing open markets Sarda hitherto does not write bedtime stories to hajittowns, Das Bhoumik, photographer and director, noasinkling of. And his allyShe in conquering soothe you to sleep and lull you in- who had acted guide and translator. trawled the many the country to dreams. She writes to make you through booksnooks on theand citycorners and itsofhistory.

She is the $75-billion Amazon, which writhe and weep through the darkness of the quickly found thatAmerican sources giant on Kolkata were entered India last year.on Subhash Chandra night. In Hangwoman (Aarachar, translated by J aplenty.

A bright red book In the Mumbai, Beta Dave, marketing and eDevika, Penguin India) she tells of the condi- Bose and Calcutta Municipal Corporation, business development at Sia Jewels, tion of women and the evolution of her protag- which she stumbled upon manager in a second-hand is elated by of herparticular company’s partnership onist Chetna. Born to a hangman father, the bookshop, came use.

She says, “Ifwith Amazon, whicha similar has tripled its online sales umbilical cord in her mother’s womb was the you wanted to write book about Kerala withinbe a year.

The jewellery is is sent to Amazon, first noose around Chetna’s neck. By five she — it would a Herculean task. It difficult to which there. takes In care of warehouscould make her own noose — she tested it on a find the same resources Kolkata, they ing, While packaging, delivery and afchild next door. And in idle moments this strap- are readily available.” research provided ter-sales service, freeing up Sia to ping woman finds her fingers fashioning one the scaffolding, her imagination built the story; new designs.

Moreover, from the ends of her dupatta. after focus all, sheon had never met anyone the big-town now finds When the job of a hangman is adwitnessedbrand a hanging, nev- adFor the last month,who has ditional customers in Tier II and vertised, the requirements are the inside of the gallows.

Amazon has been in er a seen simple enough. “Applicant ForIII cities.

Meera, Hangwoman isn’t wrangle with kind of brand recall Amashould be an adult, over five feet merely “The about creating a compellIt’s very difficult major, for publishing zon has in rural is amazing. four inches. Only males need apand an India unusual plot, me to tameHachette myself to ing character People know it delivers the world ply.” However, she gets the job, instead it is about remedying hisa particular over,wrongs, and thatabout helps,” writing says Sarda, and journalist Sanjeev Kumar torical framework who co-founded Soulflower with Mitra chronicles the highly pub“herstory” and shattering gender NatashaBelieving Tuli in 2001. licised build-up for television. stereotypes. that history What has has never allowed Amazon The book heaves with viodone justiceto to deliver women,anywhere from in from UttaritsPradesh lence, is lush with metaphor and that itDibiyapur erases them pages, to Mansatoincorrect Punjabthat is its tie-up Indiaby Post. shocks with details. The reader can only gasp at she hopes with this with narrative Thisthe masterstroke has given the e-commerce the surgical precision with which Meera de- making woman — and a hangwoman at that access to nearly 20,000 pin codes scribes the act of hanging. The noose, we are — themajor pivot of the story. across India. is the core Amazon’s India told, must be placed between the third and While tags likeThis ‘feminist’ canofeasily crown strategy — retrofitting to suit takes local conditions, fourth vertebrae, only then does the neck break this novel and its creator, Meera a more rather than replicating hugely successful “as easily as a portia flower from its stem, with a nuanced view, believing she isits a humanist first, global modelininthe therights $2.3 billion Indian e-comsingle pull of the cord”. one who believes of all human bemerce which expected to grow While the book errs on the side of the ma- ing and all space, creatures.

Sheisadds, “I don’t thinktoI $32 (Technopak Advisors).

“Our cabre, journalist and novelist KR Meera is any- couldbillion be partbyof2020 any political or feminist orgaglobal is to build thetoearth’s most custhing but that. She is the kind of person you’d nisation.

It’smission very difficult for me tame myself company.AsWhile Amazon’sI viwant to share a chikoo shake with in a Kerala to a tomer-centric particular framework. an individual sion aand mission are global, we have localised bakery, because you know she will fill the eve- find that severe handicap.” our execution,” says chief, ning with anecdotes and laughter. Having Tamed — she cannot be. Amazon's For the 53 country weeks that Amithung Agarwal worked for the Malayala Manorama for 13 years this book around her neck, she dwelled in Globally, theofgiant is currently caught in caton the desk and special stories (which won her the stygian world death and killing.

A wife fights. For theabandons past month, been multiple awards), she is modest to a fault. “The and mother, she the Amazon refuge ofhas Kotinto a much-watched with publishing one thing, the only thing I am proud about is tayam write, taking upwrangle a room on rent, staymajor Hachette. the online retailerand is the my language, my Malayalam,” she says. A star in ing at a hotel, or withAsfriends in Thrissur largest These seller cities of books, Amazon asked the Malayalam literary world, recipient of Kera- Ernakulam. provide sufficient dis- Hato coughtoup moreShe money on e-book la Sahitya Akademi Award, this sudden interest tancechette and proximity home. says, “That is sales.

Hachette and, sointact. far, theThere book inof the English media in her work pleases her, the best way to keeprefused relationships has been middle.

Some but also leaves her a tad bemused. can’tdustry be a writer and asplit wifedown in thethe same room… bigworked authorsashave sided with theirthe publishers The contradiction between Meera the writer Having a journalist, I have courbut a large of authors who have and Meera the person surprises Meera most of age to travel and tonumber find a room of my own.” found success through Amazon — it is now alall. “It is so depressing,” she says, with a giggle, so anair publisher — have aligned themselves to it.

“I find such a sadist within me. When I decide to nandini Amazon, by discounting books heavily, bled

“My hand stayed on the lever. I felt nothing special. A man had died. The noose tightened on his neck. The vital blood vessel between the second and third vertebrae snapped and the blood flow to his brain ceased. His blood pressure rose dramatically. His heart stopped beating. The bones of his neck shattered in a way that made it impossible to stretch the spine. His eyes bulged inside the hood and his tongue stuck out. His new white clothes were stained with shit and urine. The blood rushed into his sexual organs and he had had an erection for the very last time.”

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ON THE SHELF

The search is over. I have found it: the world’s most charming book — a collection of children’s definitions of all things

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dipankar

A book is to look

his month’s bookshelf is way down here. You’ll need to come and sit anita roy with me on the floor. Let’s have a look around shall we? From down here, adults are all knees and clumpy feet, and you can see right up their noses. Tables are to make a den under. Windows are to get someone to lift you up to see. It’s a different world, seen through a child’s eye, heard with a child’s ears, tasted with an untutored tongue. A world that’s brighter, clearer, undulled by habit or expectation. Wonder-full.

Ah, here it is. A little book full of little tiny drawings. It’s by Ruth Krauss, who’s a grownup — at least it’s her name on the cover, but all the words inside are by children. Five-yearolds mostly, I think, or thereabouts. It’s called I’ll Be You and You Be Me which is a good title, inance Minister Arun Jaitley was and magenta. In this way, he has been devel- lection of shawls,” said one of them, “This isn’t it, for a book about friends?

SHOVON CHOWDHURY is picked up early this morning from oping a visual template for post-Nehruvian sudden switch to mildly feminine waistRuth Krauss was a teacher in New York in chief Truthdigger and author his palatial New Delhi residence by India. His fashion sense has been applaud- coats can’t be a coincidence. Even more disthe 1950s. She did this amazing — even revoluof The Competent Authority senior officers of the Fashion Po- ed by eminent publications such as Time, turbingly, he chose to showcase his new tionary — thing: she listened to children. Yes, look while reading out the budget, lice. Charges against him include ‘theft of The Washington Post and Der Spiegel. Howevlistened. Not because she wanted to correct waistcoat’, ‘wilful mismatch of bag with er, his visual image is still a work-in-prothereby ensuring maximum did was change the names. The Nirmal Bhathem, or tell them how things really are, but clothing’ and ‘attempt to impersonate the gress. It needs to fully develop before visibility. He went on to wear rat Abhiyan has become the Swachh Bharat because she wanted to hear what they had to similar outfits in subsequent Abhiyan. The Rajiv Gandhi Rural Electrificaprime minister.’ The minister came quietly. widespread adoption by the public. For say, she wanted to find out how a child sees TV interviews. The colour of tion Scheme is now the Deendayal Upad“The PM has enemies everywhere,” said one of his own subordinates to steal his and thinks. Inspired by child psychologist Arhis waistcoat in parliament hyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana. My Expenditure sub-inspector Kapur of the Sarojini Nagar ideas and confuse people is heinous benold Gesell’s remark that a five-year-old “is a was identical to that of a kur- Reforms Commission has become the ExFashion Police, “He is constantly being un- yond belief. The waistcoats were bad pragmatist. His definitions are in terms of use: dermined by anti-national elements. But enough. We had to step in beta worn by Modiji in Gandhi- penditure Management Commission. I’m A horse is to ride; a fork to eat,” she embarked nagar on May 22, at the lucky he didn’t steal my quotations from this was very unexpected. We were shocked fore he started wearing the on a strange, whimsical project to collect chilby the brazen nature of the crime. From as short-sleeved kurtas.” inauguration of the Thiruvalluvar. The man is a kleptomaniac. dren’s definitions and transcribe them verbanew CM.” Even his boss’s clothing is not sacred.” far back as the ’90s, Modiji has been carefulThe case against Mr tim. The result was the world’s most A former UPA Swift action by the Fashion Police has ly developing a distinctive palette of col- Jaitley has been dewhimsical dictionary called (she was brilliant ours and textures, combining a variety of scribed as ‘damnminister, who chose prevented the situation from deteriorating with titles) A Hole is to Dig, and included gems elements, old and new, including Bhagal- ing’ by informed to remain anony- further. “We received news that he was like: “A face is something on the front of your pur silk, brushed linen, organic cotton, insiders. “Until mous, has wel- about to reveal top-secret experiments with head” (as well as “a faces is so you can make comed the move. hats,” revealed sub-inspector Khurana, “inhandcrafted cattle-horn buttons and inde- just the other faces”), and “Mud is to jump in and slide in “As it is, he stole cluding an adorable white fedora that terminate shiny material. He has made day, Jaitley was and yell dooleedooleedoo”. fearless colour choices, such as peach, fawn known for his colmy ideas. All he looks quite fetching.”

When she sent the manuscript to her publishers, they scratched their heads. One of the illustrators they sent it to returned it saying that it was impossible to illustrate ‘so fragmentary and elusive a text.’ Luckily, they found a young man whose day job was doing window displays in a New York department store. His name was Maurice Sendak, and he n news described as ‘highly encourag- galand. Despite being stuck to a chair for so found in these fragments something magical ing’ by Helpage International, long- long, this intrepid veteran has displayed exand inspiring. He and Ruth became fast time New Delhi resident Mrs Sheila traordinary agility.” friends and collaborated together on many of Insanely simple brokenhonoured fence to you, swing for them nagara gopal became necessary after both Dikshit hasAbeen bya Lonely Her move her books, and Sendak himself went on to cretake like more thanthe fiveWild to six days,Are. I will sell Planet magazine. In a glittering ceremony she and Gujarat governor Kamla Beniwal look at the bullock. The bullock looks atenot classics Where Things After my bullock, ticket on the bullet at me. I see the fear in his eyes. I would A Hole to those resign,other though asked nicely.

Be- have held outside police formerfa- refused is to Dig, buy theyaworked together on train, I’ll be contains what art jurisdiction, critic Robertthe Hughes sure or semioticians would have given him shelter in our van, but Youand brighter CM received luggage signedofbythe Louis Vuithas transferred Mizoram. andride Youtowards Be Me, awhich wasfuture.’ published in mously termed ‘the shock new’.

And niwal made of abeen text like Krauss’s, to where there is the the bullock?”

I ask, “How sometimes we had to sell it because of budget 1954, “What V Purushothaman was ton and a gift and hasabout remained in print ever since. it voucher hits youfrom with MakeMyTrip a quiet forcefor bor- Mizoram tiniest governor gap between signifier and signified, cuts. He eyes me in silence, yet another Why will his be increased?” to Nagaland, but has resigned. her comprehensive victory in the didspeed this book, and her others, become dering on spiritual revelation: youcategory, might call transferred where ‘différance’ barely exists, where things “We had the optionThey of using mute victim of progress.

Senior Citizen, a result, Dikshit mayisnow be shifting such ‘timeless classics’? are roller skates. Long Distance it ‘innocence’ but Dothat’s a poor As are what they do. This not seeing through a But they were too His owner looks happy. “We were told the insanely Nagaland. an exciting stage simple.

Oneexpensive,” of my fa-says the farm- mestic. During approximation really. There’s from glass Kerala darkly,to but experiencing the world face bullet train requires feeder service,” er, “Our local policesesuggested this, show developed for the occasion, The — news has met with universal acvourite pages shows a picture something about the pre-linguis- to face as a child does. hasand given them good re- audience members he says, “I thought they meant claim, especially from members of the repeatquence of awhich little girl a little tic statewere which is so much closer So rather than putting away childish things, fodder, but this was not the sults.”

He of holds up a chilli. edly sprayed Commonwealth Games Organising boy standing in front a mirdon’t know, samadhi, en- I recommend that you pick up this book, and Mud isThe to jump in lathicharged and to — Iand bullock shifts case. Instead, government is “At a adult meeting on the with while something acror. In the first frame, thenervously. girl lightenment, truly read Committee. it. Take off those glasses and see slide in and yellwater cannons, true There tors dressed Other providing us alloy wheels outskirts ofthe Buckingham Palace, up as Delhi Police muses, “I think I’ll It’s grow upwhat to bethey say.

Worldly.

These are words with a child’s eye — child you once were. Sedooleedooleedoo without provided verbal and aerodynamic yet attracabuse. unanimously voted —toor an a bunny before Ican growbeupno to progress be a from the ‘mouths of babes and riously, we it’llhave take about four minutes sacrifices. cavort Some make protive rear spoilers at high“In her new career as little a long-disshift the next games to Kohilady.” Her reflections sucklings’, beings on the entire lifetime. ly subsidised prices. gress.

Others its make Mrs Dikshit is an in- of signs ma,” saidasalike member. “Several along with her, flapping longsacrifices. I get tance traveller, threshold of language, “love is the same back into my waiting autorick- spiration to and We may also require have applied for us all,” said a Lonely ears and twitching its cottontail, civilisation, and they still Only youNaga spellvillages them different — shaw, avoiding theInmournful seatbelts, to ensure pastheof position of of CommonPlanetwith representative.

“Firstthe she much to their mutual delight. the last glow a touch of the wild, pre-linguisOnly more the same sort — eyes of thewith: bullock, andI’ll ask the tic. senger safety. Once I reach tookBuddhist the bold monk step ofThich moving to Kerwealth Village. A deciframe, the boy counters “I think grow Nhat Hanh writes Love has more Games stuff in it!” driver to take usthat’s home. the station, which should sion should be taken shortly.” ala. Now shefooled could be Na- When up to be a steam-shovel.”

And that. that “we are by moving signs or to notions.

The fragmentary and elusive text reads like we see the signless nature of signs, we see the anita roy is a writer and director of Young Zubaan The Investigator is a fortnightly round-up of all things newsy. arewith personal.

Reallyitpersonal t@shovonc artdroll — itand makes youAll seeviews things fresh eyes, Buddha.”

I wonder what Ferdinand de Saus- anita@anitaroy.net

JAITELY ARRESTED

BY FASHION POLICE!

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BULLOCK CARTS TO RECEIVE BULLET UPGRADE!

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MRS DIKSHIT WINS LONELY PLANET AWARD!

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Keepers of the flame Sisters in arms THE CRITICAL ISSUE

The mile-long stretch from Minara Masjid to Nagpada in Mumbai is a complex maze of Thegastronomic early years ofdelights, feministbest activism in India gave a hostof ofRamzan remarkable women sampled in the holyusmonth

Smoke signals Iftar, or the ritual of breaking the fast every evening in the month of Ramzan, gives the lanes around Minara Masjid a renewed, often meaty, purpose paul noronha

bestseller,” says Hakim, “I want to keep the tradition alive, which is why I haven’t changed anything on the ground floor, and we still cook in the utensils that were used in my grandfather’s time.”

Another venerable Mumbai landmark, the 120-year-old Taj Ice Cream in Bhendi Bazaar also opts for tradition over convenience. Founded by Tayyab Ali Icecreamwala, and now managed by the fourth and fifth generations of the family, this nondescript shop makes nearly 100kg of ice cream every day in flavours like custard apple, mango, litchi, jamun and guava, among others. The ice cream is made in a wooden tub-like contraption in which an inverted copper cylinder placed at the centre is coddled by salt-sprinkled ice. It is in this container that the ice cream is churned by hand.

“If we had let go of the traditional way of making ice cream, we wouldn’t have been so successful, and would have lost an ancient method. Perhaps, we would have also lost loyal customers,” says 60-year-old Yousuf Icecreamwala. One of the co-owners of the parlour, Icecreamwala lets slip names like Anthony Bourdain and Sonia Gandhi in conversation, but any allegation of name-dropping is preempted with a — “We’ve been in the business for over 120 years. We don’t need that kind of publicity”.

If Taj Ice Cream is the badshaah of ice creams, Suleman Usman Mithaiwala, near the Lonely battle Bhanwari Devi, a victim of gang rape, chose to fight violence against women r eswarraj Minara Masjid, has been an institution for sweetmeats since 1936. From their famous mawa sweet to their n a hot afternoon nearly 40 years ernised — perhaps because people only ever to north India.aflatoon You only need sugar-free to scratchhalwa the in myriad colours, the shop’s display racks groan ago, I stepped out onto the balcony saw the most visible battles and the most visi- surface of feminist struggles, and you will 12-year-old Mohammad Ismail dish)Yet anditaflatoon (a rich mawa weight confections. of our house in Jangpura in Delhi ble faces. was these years thatsweetmeat) also gave on meetunder many the Satya Ranis of andwell-loved many Shahjahan rise before the the menu, find and theirher waylong-term to the restauhumble beginnings, though, andwould noticed a woman in abreak whiteof sa-dawn us women like diners Satya Rani Apas.Mithaiwala’s In Rajasthan, Bhanwari Devi, victim of can to park inIna her corner of the rants hereShahjahan all year round. in the month of traced nothands to sweetmeats but to bakery ri standing in the shadehimself of a tree. hand sister-in-arms, Apa.But Both mothers gangbe rape at the of upper caste men, and watch his father place comes alive, especially products suchby asthe naan khatai.

“This she clutched a kitchen crumpled piece of paper and mewho Ramzan, had lost the their daughters in violent andafter and denied justice courts, chose tocrisp, fight ruschanically stir the ladle in a dozen different dusk, when aromas of spices tic biscuit is very popular during she seemed to be looking up, as if at our house. abusive marriages, these women came to ac- a lonely battle and began work with poor, Dalit pots, containing a different charcoal-grilled Ramzan,” says Saaed, whose Was she each looking for something?

Evencut as Iof be-meat. tivistand groups seeking helpmeat and, crowd over time, they women — something she continues to do to He would then seal the lids with dough to trap the streets, sending out smoke grandfather started the shop afgan to frame the question, my mother fol- too became part of the struggle. this day. the out steam. aroma of the different meats Forsignals to patrons and new. ter for learning theof tricks of the lowedinme andThe the woman saw her and many years in theold ’80s and ’90s, women What does it take this kind commitBy 2003, when MF — is pichhota tail offor anStree ox), topa (hump), baRight the JJ Flyover from Many a baker in Pune. asked: this the(the address Sangharsh? like Satya Raniunder and Shahjahan Apa put their ment to take roottrade and grow? of these Husain, a loyal da paya (trotters of cow and ox), chhota paya stands Hotel Noor Mohammadi, Among the shop’s illustrious Stree Sangharsh was the name of a women’s own lives on hold, and launched themselves women did not have family support, so the pacustomer of Noor (trotters ofboth goatmy andmother sheep)and andI sukha which servedofits customer trons Nargis, group of which were a(beef into the activism thefirst women’s mustwere haveactors extended into who Mohammadi, battle with gravy) — stewing in their own juices, back in 1923.

Then a religious would ask for phirni on Ramzan part, and on the previous day, it was this group movement, fighting not only for as well. They were nevsketched a rooster the home would hang heavy in the air. demonstra- justice bookshop intobut a holeevery year, and Farooq Sheikh, that had organised an anti-dowry for theirconverted daughters, er in proper ‘jobs’ so they did not calling out for its Even after half a century, memories in-the-wall joint specialising who would drop byhelp during tion in north Delhi.

Copies of theIsmail’s leaflet printalso for hundreds of other wom- in earn salaries that could al- the nihari, the dish had are redolent with the smells of the bhel (the nalli nihari (bone marrow gravy), holy month for Mithaiwala’s suged for the campaign had been widely en. The first non-government Many of the early the lay family antagonism. Many did long acquired meaty preparations inofthe 12 pots), hisinsenses founder Abdul Khalid had to sell ary load of gulab jamuns.

While distributed, and it was one these (which women’s shelter, Shakti Shalini, not have house ‘help’ so there feminists patinadid of anot legend keen enough detectaddress) any inconsistencies his land inwomen Sambal as near Moradaandafter his siblings attempt cidentally had thetowrong that she in had both these foundwas Saeed no rest long days of to have family support, the proportion of spices and meat.

“There is bad and his wife’s jewellery to balance the traditional with now held. ing members. In their activism dusty activism — families had to the so the battle must no Rani secretChadha, recipe or in our food. it. In time, his gamble contemporary, using Satya themiracle womanspice mentioned they acquire were following a long tradibe catered for, husbands, if theysocial have extended into It’s our consistency and authentic taste that paid off.

By 1985, Noor Mohammedia and accepting above, died a couple of weeks ago in Delhi. tion set by other women such as were around, had to be orders dealt onthe home as well been bringing back Valibhai madi was like a busy Mithaiwala still depends That has afternoon, long ago, shecustomers had cometo lookShanti (who, hersit-down compa-restaurant run by line, Suleman with. Usman How did they gather the Payawala’s Barah Handi for in 150 Hakim. on word courage of mouth.to pursue the causes ing for the women’s group named theyears. leaf- My triots,Khalid’s nevergrandson used aKhalid second learnt recipe By 2003, when MFactivist, Husain, a loyal customer Given they theirespoused? legendaryHow status, not surlet tograndfather, seek help in who the case shethe wanted to from file an name) and campaigner, didit’s — and Iranian cook, shared with my father and he, of the sketchedBharti, a rooster calling out for prising that many of these restaurants against her son-in-law andithis parents for havsinger; andshop, performer how do — they hold fast to them? and in turn, it down to me,”Bala. saysUntil Ismail, as nihari, thehealth dish had long acquired the pati- Feminists shops have beenthe offered hefty sums to sell ing killed herpassed daughter Kanchan who,its even as her failed her, gave everyacross world often talk of out he of prepares to Satya roll up thetried shutters his resof had a legend.

The sketch stillAnd hangs inside over the Yet none too akeen to part the end her days, Rani everyofposthingnashe to the movement. then ‘burnout’ andyears. exhaustion atseem waging battle asdiminutive does the recipe of Chicken with their culinarysometimes heirlooms.so“People sible taurant avenue for to iftar. secure justice for her dead therethe wasrestaurant, Shardaben, and assertthat seems so relentless, unwin- still Situated in the bylanes of Mumbai’s Bohri Sanju Baba shared by actor Sanjay Dutt on Haqueue up early in the morning for our food, daughter whose graduation photo she carried ive, who spent long days campaigning in the nable. For women like Satya Rani and ShahjaIsmail’s shop amongst many younger brother Rashid’s and that is my biggest reward,” Ismail of in herMohalla, hand like an icon.

Theis daughter’s hus- othbastis.kim’s Every demonstration andrequest. protest han Apa, exhaustion must have beensays a luxury ers that, like courtesans from another era, try Usually, the Noor Mohammadi nihari is preBarah Handi, “Two years ago, an 86-year-old band, however, remarried and went on to march in the city saw this clutch of women for they could not afford, but perhaps the femilurelife customers in. Otherwise tired and pared and eaten twice but giventhey the richman from London came with his agreat grandmaketoa new for himself. whom feminism was nota day, something nist movement provided them both home world-weary, mile-long stretch from Minaness ofbooks the dish, in the month Ramzan, to have the paya. He told me that he was During the earlythe years of feminist activism learnt from or conferences, but of gained and ason family. ra Masjid to Nagpada is a complex mazeof of gasroza orthey daylong in India, feminists were regularly accused fromkeepers the veryof ground lived fasts on. prefer to con- visiting us after 70 years and yet everything delights, onederacinated, that has long earned Nor sume it before the break of dawn.

“When I blink@thehindu.co.in tasted the same. What more can I ask for?” beingtronomic middle class, urban, westwas this limited only to Delhi, or indeed its place on the city’s culinary map. With quir- took charge, I added a few more dishes to cater ky dishes like keema ghotala (a minced meat to a larger customer base but nihari remains a sayoni sinha is a Mumbai-based writer

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Urvashi Butalia is an editor, publisher and director of Zubaan

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The first rushes

A cine buff finds herself in the company of the brothers Lumière at a museum in Lyon

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Two of a kind ow very strange (and felicitous) An image of that the word ‘lumière’ should Louis and mean light in French? For the LuAuguste Lumière mière brothers illuminated the at the Museum world of cinema by creating the first motionmelanie p kumar picture apparatus used both as a camera and a projector at the turn of the 19th century. A visit to these changes blowing in the playhouses. to the Lumière Museum (institut-lumiere.org) Theatre director M Sayeed Alam, who has in Lyon, a historic city in the shadow of the steered Delhi-based Pierrot’s Troupe since the French Alps, therefore, is nothing short of a 1990s, did something unheard of in those pilgrimage for a cine buff like me. I have to days: eliminated the ‘free pass’ culture. “In Inpinch myself to believe I am here, just across dia, there is a passion for theatre, but in Delhi the metro station that also bears the brothers’ you have passes for theatre,” he says, explainname, in the company of my gracious French ing that out of the 20 people watching his first companion and hostess, Simone. play, only eight had bought tickets. For him, Though the usual practice is to start the success doesn’t mean making a mark at festivtour from the Villa, Simone suggests we take a als but having a full house for shows. “People walk in the park first, where we come upon don’t mind spending ₹2,000 for dinner but the Inventors’ Alley. One that at every step has the Winter Garden on the ground floor. hibitsdon’t like the zoetrope, cylindrical pre-cinethey want to buy atickets.

I never invite a plaque dedicated to pioneers, including GePart of the Lumière Quarter, the Film Ware- anybody. ma contraption with a our series of pictures If someone from group does, he orge Eastman, Thomas Edison and Georges house — declared a historical monument or drawn inside which creates the she pays forit,the ticket.

In the 17 illusion years of of mya Méliès — inventors who led the way for Lu- since 1995 — is now home to the Lumière Insti- career, ‘movingI’ve image’ rotated.at India Internaneverwhen performed mières’ path-breaking Excit- an tute’s cinema theatre.

The first everNearly set for60a tional Yet, fascinating as the zoetrope is, or earned the 50n the play Blame itcinematographe. on Yashraj, a character annual revenue of ₹20-25 crore.

Centre, which would’ve surely ed (and momentarily transformedofinto film,cent it served as theare backdrop for but Workers second films from 1890sthe are,who’s the greatest casually refers to a compilation songsa per of the shows sponsored, Gid- me a good name asthe it draws who of trigger-happy Japanese busy wani Leaving the Lumière (1895).on We pause revelation mewould is thatmean the brothers Lumière

by Fever 104 FM. Astourist), subtlety Iisget a virtue insists he won’tFactory compromise the con- Delhi.

But for that performing for clicking each name,with eachtheatre, plaque, such until Simone awhile in the basement which invented more than just theremains cinematograph. synonymous embed- tent.

“I always talk to my here, director andcontinwriter free.”

His Ghalib in New Delhi the longgently nudges me raise in thethe direction Villa. before uously embarking beams the on films the brothers, ac- est-running Somewhere show in the(since middle ded commercials hacklesofofthe theatre anyofbrand integration.

1997)ofinbringing India. “the Antoine father of inventors companied by commentaries, even as Simone to the whole they found thea purists.

ButLumière, producerthe Ashvin Gidwani is un- We call it ‘pipeline to lifeline’, so we plan back- world A sponsored show, world”, on the other hand, is Louis and Auguste, thelessons Villa, also translates them,on softly. time to make speakersfor and pharmaceuticals, fazed.

In fact, one of built the first his called strug- wards to check various avenues of market- profitable proposition him.

“If I do a reguLumière Castle by residents of Monplaisir, in ingNot that is on display though is designed lar including a dressing for burns is still gling years taught him was that pure theatre theall play and which brands fit well.” show which is houseful, I get that around ₹1.1 1902. give Home Lumière Company till the forSo, passive consumption.

A section its of the mu- lakh, used, called can’t youtoa the return on investments. if Central Bank is celebrating centenbut I ‘tulle have gras’! already invested ₹40,000late ’60s, cinematic still thrives its ary, seum is interactive I spend a considerable Gidwani is amonghistory the new-age theatreinproit will choose totoo. sponsor AGP’s History of In- 50,000 for the show (booking the hall, makeis a Bangalore-based writer stately corridors, its grand living roomssuccess and in dia amount of time, while for instance, fiddling with ex- melanie p kumar ducers who believe that commercial — VIRitten, an event up and so on). There is hardly cannot come only through ticket sales. Even as management company may any profit in that. But if we do a theatre struggles to keep up with changing choose Blame it on Yashraj. ₹3 lakh sponsored show, the tastes in a rapidly evolving society, most playGidwani is not alone with this margin is obviously higher,” he People don’t mind wrights and actors who dabble in theatre ad- modus operandi. In Chennai, says. In a month, his company spending ₹2,000 for mit it is more a passion than a livelihood. But Sowhat started as akids college thesis does an equal number of spon“Well, I don’t really care.

The promy soft-spoken started callingdinnerBoss: but they don’t some believe there are ways to make it com-my soon became a reality the sored and ticketed shows to ject is way more important.” hard-of-hearing parentsforwhenever want to buy tickets. mercially viable. break even. rupees “If you completely theyfounders wanted toof playEvam on theEntertainiPad. Editor:Troupe, “Well, at a few thousand At Pierrot’s ment.

“For our thesisto(atplay Ahmestophim doing regular Kids: “Dadaji, I want Temple we a month, I think we pay more than shows, you never invite Branded and blended dabad’s Mudra Institute of won’t get the sponsored ones eiRun.” you do; I’m sure he will prianybody, and if When Gidwani set up AGP in 1995, he managed Parents: Communications) on ‘Theatre as ther,” he adds. oritise us.”

“What you sayanyone does, the a few successful productions before goinging?aTalk successful loudly!”revenue model’, we person pays for And I co-opted my girlbust. It took him a while to recover, but not be- Kids: spoke to a lot Run. of people Different takes “Temple Tem-and realHe has usedthe histicket friend and ex-wife to work fore he resolved to develop a sustainable mod-ple Run.” ised that there is no established Apart from the usual logos and out my personal schedule.

‘I have writer’s block el. “No one has that pure passion for theatre Parents: revenue“Jug model in India. we standees, theatre groups see the jug jiyo, beta. What Ex-wife: “(cold hello)… so I can get out of jail anymore. If I am getting involved, I should getTakefound out was quite discouragfuture in creating When is Rishi coming tobrand awareyour sister with you as free’ card already something out of it,” he says. His productionswell.ing,” ness andfor engagement.

Get says someKarthik prasadKumar, back one of pick up the kids lunch?” now offer in-theatre brand placements simi-for all theoffounding members.

While ads are definitely cheaper in theatre Girlfriend: “(cold hello)… us.” lar to the sought-after in-programme place- AndToday, their 11-year-old on TV, reach today? is smaller. hethe coming WeBut then, theI co-opted my boss theatre company is a thanWas ments in TV and movies. In fact, even theandrare success that has even attract- atre have is a niche space and the crowd is mostly mycommercial editor to discuss matinee tickets to brands happen to be the same. AGP hasmy work ed venture capitalists.

“In the first three years, affluent and powerful.

What theatre can’t Humshakals” schedule. worked with Standard Chartered Bank, Voda- Boss: we had concentrated pure theatre achieve with numbers, can byI reaching the “Does Rishi haveon a column due and perEx-wife: “Humshakals?

Are youitmad? fone and Mercedes-Benz, to name a few. Thethisformances.

Gradually wea branched with never rightwatch kind that of audience. week? Because he has project atoutwould movie.” For instance, when ticket price remains the same. workshops for IT companies like Oracle and travel company sponsored Gidwaa single father to two youngsters, dutiful work that he’s behind on.”

Girlfriend: “Yeah well,Kuoni you India probably Apart from the regular ticketed Infosys, andhe forayed and schools. ni’sWhy The Alchemist, gained access to leading son to two oldsters, ex-husband toshows, an im- his Editor: “Yes, does into havecolleges a column. shouldn’t. don’t you ithit the gym company offers supper theatre corporatesAndWe organise festivals performance patient ex-wife, boyfriend to for a nutcase instead?”corporates of Mumbai and Delhi who were inhe has used his ‘I haveinvolving writer’s block (with concepts cateringto to the client’s needs)so I can arts.get Our to card venture intoSodifferent vited.

“It was attended byby over girlfriend, employee a demanding And for all the wisdom shared the80 corporates outaim of jailisfree’ already. and HR-oriented amongeditor others.

It haswe are spheres whereit.” we can apply theatre,” says Ku-thisand helped us reach out as to key boss, columnist events, for a psycho and expecting CEO, obviously didn’t work welldecision-makmar. Evam does live theatre shows, corporate says Commissariat, so on. And so I decided to execute one of for me asers,” it did forKashmira her. Because I was just chief opershows and HR training modules. ating angry, officerranting of Kuoni India’s outbound the many strategies that she shared. flooded with and raving “The old model of producing plays andcalls hop-from division.

Given her hectic schedule, she had coeveryone. It was an incessant ing that an audience will come to watchbarrage just onlinethreats, medium, again, promises a taropted her executive assistant to help ofThe pleas, admonishdoesn’t work anymore. The idea is to adapt to and geted investment, with parenting responsibilities. Whenevments cussreturn wordson from morningby toreaching peoany kind of space — whether it is a banquet ple of a certain desired profile. er her kids would call office, her assistant night. And so I just did what I do best — hall, a street or a pub. Wherever there is an auof social media, we are able would run through pre-defined scripts boarded a “With flight the andhelp levitated, spiritual dience,” he explains. And they can certainly toatreach outfeet to above a huge with them, tackle the issue, and then yogi-style, 38,000 seanumber level. of people, take a bow now that they have experienced a which wasn’t possible earlier,” brief her later. That’s awesome, I thought Where there is no cell phone signal. Isays Gidwani, 30 per cent jump in profits from a yearpulled ago, out who sees also as a great way — I am in the same boat — all these demy hipsocial flask.networking And I co-opted with an annual turnover of ₹2 crore. connect manding relationships and I really don’t myself a to nice, single with malt.the younger generation. KuEvam has worked with brands like Google, mar agrees: “We are driven by young energies have the time. But rather than add my asGE, HUL, Ashok Leyland and others. The brand in terms of author the people rishi piparaiya is the of Aislewho Be are watching the sistant to the khichdi, I decided to co-opt fit depends on the play, says Kumar. shows and creating the Damned rishi@aislebedamned.com content, and therein everyone to handle everyone. shutterstock lies the future.”

Passes vs passion Even traditional theatre has not been immune sayoni sinha is a Mumbai-based writer

Show must go on

Three production houses challenge the idea that there’s not enough money in the business of theatre

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WINDOW OR AISLE

Co-opting it all

Dramatic changes (clockwise from top) Ashvin Gidwani’s AGP offers in-theatre brand placements; Sunil Vishnu and Karthik Kumar, founders of Evam, Chennai k ramesh babu; and Urdu play Lal ecently I came across an interQile ka Aakhiri Mushaira staged byview of the CEO of a leading beverages company where she Delhi-based Pierrot’s her candid thoughts on Troupe, which hasshared a strict ‘no free pass’balance, why women can’t have work-life faruqui policy am it all, and so on. Now there is little in com-

Strategies for adding work to your work-life balance

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mon between her and me. She is a woman, I am a man. She is at the top of the corporate ladder, I am somewhere in the middle, climbing one rung, sliding back two. She, according to Forbes, is one of the most powerful women on the planet. I, according to Forbes, probably do not qualify for a paid subscription. Her annual compensation is well over ₹100 crore, I feel the pain of the ₹500 TDS that BLink will deduct for this column. But that said, I am also juggling multiple, complex, relationship responsibilities as

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saturday, july 19,19, 2014 saturday, july 2014

Intergalactic tuck ‘Stormtroopers’ from Star Wars buy real food in Tokyo reuters/

issei kato

Fast food of the Nizams

en you up and make you ready for a bit of the old ultra-violence.” (All of which makes the thick blue Bantha Milk in Star Wars suddenly sound incredibly organic and appealing.)

Then there’s the food dished out in the greasy, low-ceilinged canteen of George Orwell’s 1984. Winston Smith, the protagonist, meditates “resentfully on the physical texture of life. Had it always been like this? Had food always tasted like this… bread dark-coloured, tea a rarity, coffee filthy-tasting, cigarettes int is 1am in Hyderabad’s old city. Crowds three months. Banks wanted their money sufficient — nothing cheap and plentiful exthrong the markets around Charminar, back. Majeed sold his house, his share in an- cept synthetic gin.” shopping for clothes and knick knacks, cestral property and everything else he could Eeeps! Given the dreadful, cardboard-andtucking into biryanis and kebabs. Amidst muster to repay the debt. Meanwhile, sales at plastic-flavoured future they predict for Planthe gaiety of the holy month of Ramzan, the Pista House plummeted, forcing him to think et Earth, it makes sense that so many science aroma of pure ghee and spices wafts through of ways to improve revenues. He decided to fiction writers flee in their imagination to disthe Nayaab function hall. Inside, a group of add new items to his shelf. Among them was tant galaxies and worlds. In his Martian Chronmen briskly stir the contents of huge, gleam- the now famous haleem. “Then, few people icles, Ray Bradbury supplies the Earthlings ing copper cauldrons. The mix of pounded knew of haleem. It was prepared in select res- with food pills that fit in a matchbox but can wheat, mutton, spices, dry fruits, rose petals taurants in the city.” feed you “all across a wilderness of stars”. But and lentils cooks over the blazing imli fireThe earliest mention of haleem is in Ain-i-Ak- the Martians who live amidst empty seas and wood for 12 hours. By dinnertime the next day, bari, a treatise on the administration of the crystal pillars cook tempting meals by drownthis, the Hyderabadi ambrosia or haleem, is la- Mughal empire, by Akbar’s minister Abul Fa- ing meats in “hissing fire pools” and “simmerdled out at tables across India. zal. Said to have been introduced to the Hyde- ing lava”. And always seem to have an oven full Pista House, a 17-year-old eatrabad State by the Arab diaspora of warm crystal buns.

THEinHUNGRY READER ery Charminar, rents the during the rule of the Nizams, While the Mycogens on Planet Trantor — a Nayaab hall every year to prethe use of local spices made the fictional planet which Isaac Asimov places at pare haleem — a dish that origiHyderabadi haleem unique, even the centre of the galaxy in his famous Foundanated in the kitchens of emperor earning it the Geographical Indi- tion series — make magical little spheres Currently, it has Akbar in the 16th century, now cation status (GIS) in 2010, a first called Raw Dainties. “Seldon put his sphere in 32,000 orders from prepared only during Ramzan for a non-vegetarian dish in In- his mouth and felt it dissolve and disappear the US, UK, Germany and special occasions, such as dia. Under the GI status, only ha- rapidly. His mouth, for a moment, ran liquid and Australia weddings. In the holy month, leem cooked on imli firewood in and then it slid, almost of its own accord, Pista House sells hundreds of copper vessels, using standard down his throat. He stood for a moment, kilos of haleem and exports it evingredients and tested in a lab, amazed. It was slightly sweet and, for that ery day. Currently, it has 32,000 can be called Hyderabadi ha- matter, had an even fainter bitter aftertaste, orders from the US, UK, Germany and Austra- leem. The stew is continuously worked with a but and the became patron. Members of BJP’s local mainasensation eluded him.” lia, among others. As the eatery’s kitchen is wooden mallet (ghotni), which results in a unit him in Delhi.

Theregularly funniestdespatched food scenesitintosci fi, however, For the science fiction crowd invariably appear gottoa handle stuffy nose, yourorder, bed- leps. not large ou’ve enough the huge sticky-smooth consistency.

That gotinMajeed thinking.

He tied up with Inthat mad, wormhole-ridden romp and Nayaab your boss is Cruella hasToday, a gloomy, doomy takeHouse on food in its dark, the actionroom spillsleaks over into hall. a plate of Pista haleem costs by diaDouglas Post in 2002.

“We national.

Sales inAdams, Thewent Hitchhiker’s Guide to the novels. to ₹18 in 1997. Word spread Galaxy. de Vil’s twin.took Things are bad.

Proprietor MA evil Majeed a bank loanBut of futuristic ₹130 as opposed creasedHere manifold for us andpartake India Post earned the characters of bizarre just they in could There are, of course, some intriguing delica₹20 lakh to setremember up Pista House 1997be asworse. the in- and demand spiralled.

Not only did diners eat meals ₹20 lakh a month,” he featuring says. The grilled honeymoon hosted by mice, musYoufrom couldhis befamily’s suffering from that same stuflike roasted soup or qagh made out cle, come clothing business was cies at the outlet but spider they also asked for takeaways. lasted five years, untilMegaDonkey the postal department grated Arcturian and lumps fy nose, leaking nasty bosswould — and,sell on of freshly poisoned in a of insufficient.

“In wall thoseand days, clothes “They got boxes from worms home aswriggling we didn’t have began to couriermeat dishes likea biryani by other evil-smelling from bowl that turns top of that, beDiwali living and in aRamzan. dystopian future or sodas out of the secre- out mainly during Then too, brown packingsauce, facilities then,”made he says. players.

“The focusRhino’s on haleem diminished.

We to be Vegan Cutlet (which, the of alien slugs.

Andorders here’s some gratuitous dreamt by science fiction. Thecities sort ofarrived world tion vendorsupfrom neighbouring Within two years, poured in from quailing ended theEarthling partnership in 2007.”is “delicious if is assured If you Majeed find yourself in aselling post-apocalypin which killer androids leap across here, eating into our market.

I didn’tskyscrapsee a fu- advice. other cities. started through you Inlike 2012, logistics Gati entered the picthat sort of firm thing”.) ers casually snap necks.

Where oceans are tic, Blade with a rumbling tureand in that business,” he says. outlets in runner-style nearby cities,world districts and states, be- ture, and today it guarantees same-daypop delivBetween adventures, the characters indrying andMajeed the sun’s rays bring Where sure to tank up onthen the lizard At first, made and solddeath. biscuits and tummy, ginning be with Karnataka.

The primeskins min- to ery.the After the haleem is End packed

by Universe, Majeed’s Restaurant at the of the powerless folk are off to sinister colo- and of wildtasted tragh,the thehaleem gruntyatalien ani- where confectionery, butshipped there was a crisis within isterheart AB Vajpayee an event team, by noon thethe consignment is airlifted they meet Dish of the Day, before for ornies in distant galaxies. And where food is all mal in Star Trek. Otherwise you will be com- dering deliveryfour to Delhi NCR, Pune, Mumbai, Bangarare steaks. about rationing and flavourless pills. pelled to consume abominations lore, Chennai, Hyderabad, andapVi“A large Coimbatore dairy animal In short, a world in which a food writer like chickie nobs — a transgenic sakhapatnam.proached BetweenZaphod 1pm and 3pm, it’s Beeblebrox’s would be woefully short of employment. And meat product — that is used to despatched by flight to ensure it reaches the table, a large, fat, meaty quadrufoodies short of joy, macaroons and mint ju- feed the voiceless masses in Mardestination airport by 6pm.

Meanwhile, local ped of the bovine type with I am the main Dish garet Atwood’s Oryx and Crake. units gear up for delivery.

By 7.30pm, watery eyes, small horns of the Day. MayofI Gati large For those who’ve never read the haleem leaves the airport and arrives athave the and what might almost interest you in the that chilling novel, this is how nearest distribution centre in each city.

Lastbeen an ingratiating smile on its parts of my body?

Jimmy describes his first encounmile delivery lips. begins at 8pm and is completed Blue Bantha Milk, Star Wars ter with this monstrous food of by 10pm. “We don’t orders itafter 8.30am ‘Goodtake evening’, lowed and Makes 2 servings the future: for same-daysat delivery to ensure back heavily on itsfreshness,” haunches, I’m not a big one for flavourless “What they were looking at says Majeed, who ₹451/kg delivery ‘I amcharges the main Dish for of the Day. food pills or alien slug secretions. was a large bulblike object that seemed to be May within Hyderabad, to ₹651 elsewhere.

I interest you inand theup parts of my body?’

So we’ll stick to a terrestrial covered with stippled whitish-yellow skin.

“Pure ghee off actsthe as shoulder a naturalperhaps?’ preservative.

‘Something sugrecipe that seems like a fun Out of it came 20 thick fleshy tubes, and at the And we insist on consuming it the same day,” gested the animal, ‘Braised in a white wine substitute for their ET, futuristic end of each another bulb was growing. he says. Exports are a different matter though. sauce?’ counterparts. in an ‘What the hell is it?’ said Jimmy.

Haleem boiled at 90oC and ‘Er, your shoulder?’ saidsealed Arthur in airtight a horri90ml milk container has a shelf life of 18 months.

‘Those are chickens,’ said Crake. ‘Chicken fied whisper.

30ml cream A majority of Majeed’s customers are Hinparts. Just the breasts, on this one. They’ve got ‘But naturally my shoulder, sir,’ mooed the 30ml coconut rum 30ml amaretto dus. “Wecontentedly. get to eat haleem on many occasions ones that specialise in drumsticks too, twelve animal 60ml blue curacao like marriages and birthdays.

But for Hindus, to a growth unit.’

‘Nobody else’s is mine to offer.’

1. Combine all ingredients in a Ramzan is leapt the only time they getstarted to relish it.”

‘But there aren’t any heads...’

Zaphod to his feet and prodshaker with ice and shake for To cashand in onfeeling the demand, students ‘That’s the head in the middle,’ said the ding the 2,000-odd animal’s shoulder 20-30 seconds. of law, commerce and engineering set up temwoman. ‘There’s a mouth opening at the top, appreciatively.”

2. Serve in a chilled glass. outlets across by Hyderabad. they dump nutrients in there. No eyes or beak porary After Pista someHouse nervous objections the wimThis recipe is only for Jedi over TheyEarthlings, put up banners andsettles re-heaton thesteaks, haleem to in or anything, they don’t need those.’” py Zaphod the legal drinking age! a microwave to earn a share of the profits.

If that’s put you off your chicken jalfrezi, which the Dish of the Day responds, “I’ll just For the young Jedi trainees, you success, Majeed is worry, yet to sir, findI’lla then be warned. There are many more fright- nipDespite off andthe shoot myself…

Don’t can use: 1. Almond milk for the amaretto partner for national operations. “We need to ening specials in the post-apocalyptic world. be very humane.” and milk. howof to expand,”series he says.

For example, you aren’t likely to find Horlicks figure (Thisout is part a monthly that Until followshis a 2. Coconut water for the rum planstrail arethrough firmed, the Gatirealm will ensure that Ramzan or rose milk at the Korova Milk Bar. For in the food of fiction.)

3. Dilute a little orange juice with dark, violent tomorrow of Clockwork Orange, and haleem arrive together at India’s doorstep. a bit of water and add blue food innocent milk is mixed with drugs like vello- shabnam minwalla is a journalist and author of The colouring for the curacao. rashmi pratapof Dorabji Street Spellmakers cet or synthemesc or drencrom, which “sharp- Six

Every day during Ramzan, Hyderabad-based Pista House sells hundreds of kilos of haleem and exports this 16th-century delicacy across continents

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Food ofQ the future In a dystopian future dreamt up by science fiction, a food writer would be woefully short of employment. And foodies short of joy, macaroons and mint juleps

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Taste of success Columns of cooking vessels rise in front of Pista House in Hyderabad’s old city g ramakrishna; and owner MA Majeed with his sons nagara gopal

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saturday, july 19,19, 2014 saturday, july 2014

Young cagers unleashed Governing the play store

A team of unknown players make Indian basketball history by beating China in China

Government offices are launching a host of he cavernous indoor basketball sta- thing like géhu (wheat),Tripigator team and holiday. the Indian national team, adds, “The The engine, which was andand thesabIncredible chaawal (rice) India Walking Tours apps and games, and collaborating techies dium at Wuhan Sports Centre inwith that matters is that basketball by three IIT alumni, re- reziyaan (vegetables). The only sport we hadapponly thingcreated Earlier year, the Ministry of thequires China was rather empty. But the few heard of and used to play ceives mass recognition it deserves.” only a few basic inputs to was this kabaddi.” to juice up their sites Tourism launched an app as well churn out a personalised itinerhundred Chinese spectators hudWhen Amrit Pal began playing basketball

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as ahe‘trip engine’.

The dled around the court were loudly cheering due to his near 7ft height, Few takersary. According to the Ministry, was planning joined by felWalking app Yadwhich is cur- over on their team.when Facing them a quiet Basketball is a largely sport in India. one arehome the days they was hoped wouldlow “integrate 1,500 unknown users have accessed beanpolethe Amjyot Singh, 6ftTour 6” player rently available on Blackberbunch of 14 Indians 12 players, an assistant tools The Indianthe men’s 61st insince the world the Government of — India communication horizontally site team on a ranks daily basis its winder Singh and subsequently 6ft 9”only inches ry,at but be available soon coach andwere a physiotherapist — leading themthrough after launch last year’s Asiaago.

Championship websites near-exact and vertically various Singh so- Brar twoFIBA months tall Palpreet theshould Ludhiana Bas- and for Android users, acts as a virtual all was a man by thedesign name of Scott Flemming. are placed 11th in Asia. An offices overwhelming replicas of web cial media platforms”.

“Government have trulymaketball Academy in Punjab.

Set up through guide, NRI leading users of come There was no reason to expect a different its international have come software samples; where marquee Despite the shift funding in powerfrom at the of age. Whilewins we had experiPunjab’stour many wealthy im- jority through touristagainst desti- countries outcome on the ofad July 13, duringmany the 5thother Nepal, Bangladesh, elements rolled across thenight screen centre, departments mented such withasthe Google trip migrants in the UK in 2003, theprominent Ludhiana Basnations out across the country.

Cup. If anything, India’s loss inhave Sri The Lanka planner and Pakistan.

When India plays top nauseam, FIBA and Asia hyperlinks rarely, if after and ministries followed suit, has churned last year, with Tripigator ketball Academy an endless app currently maps sites 16 In-teams the opening witha host Chi- of apps Iran or South Korea, ever, trumped the ‘404game error’.to Japan, coupled launching and andlike theChina, Walking Tours app we’re supply ofgames, talented forwards to the Indian na- inAsian na’s 2-0 winning streakofmeant that nobody the for yawning gulfitbecomes apparent.

FrustratIn August last year, the Ministry collaborating with tional techiesbasketball to juice team.dian cities but plans are afoot taking to the next level,” says a another 20.Nadu, point ed at thesenior gaveand the 61st ranked team to beat poor showing the last who 80-odd Information Broadcasting seta chance up their sites.the Here areAround our picks. ministryin official, the same time, in Tamil While Walking Tour helpsyears, tour-the didn’t world’s 12th team, Basketball of India (BFI) aside a whopping ₹22.5best crore to es-that too on its own guard Akilan Pari was making wantFederation to be named.

“Bea dream-like ists on go, Tripigator assists tied turf.media When wing. the match began sibi though, it was a journey of his own. From up with powerful conarasu tablish a new One that sides,” he the adds, “there sports are two the the remote hills of finally users who are still planning their more different story. Resorting to man-to-man de- Valparai town in the Anamalais, glomerate IMGpipeline.”

Reliance in 2010. apps in the fense for four straight quarters (which re- he was invited to the NBA All Star Scott Flemming became the quires immense physical strength and Weekend in Houston, Texas. head coach in late 2012 with stamina) the Indian team raced away to a doumore than a hint of trepidation.

Similarly, other players such I’m surprised we ble digit lead in the first quarter only to find fa- as Vishesh Bhriguvanshi from A few of his foreign predecessors hadn’t beaten China vourites China mount a huge comeback and Varanasi (UP), Pratham Singh Kenny Natt, Pete Gaudet and, earlier, said the coach nose ahead 50-48 going into the final quarter. from Bhilai (Chhattisgarh), Jostrength and conditioning Scott Flemming “In the recent past, we have squandered ginder and Narender from Bhicoach, Zak Penwell had packed away first-half leads, so we had to ensure that wani (Haryana), Rikin Pethani their bags in a hurry. In India, we kept our focus this time around,” coach from Sabarkantha (Gujarat), Prawhere administrative bottleFlemming said after the match. True to his kash Mishra from Ratlam (MP) necks are aplenty, many coaches words, in the final 10 minutes of play, India and Prasanna Sivakumar from Coimbatore quit prematurely in sheer frustration. All of clamped down defensively yet again and on (Tamil Nadu) were coming together on court. them were recruited by International Manthe offensive end made some sensational These 12 young players spoke different lan- agement Group (IMG), an international sports three-pointers and alley-oop dunks to take In- guages and came from contrasting cultures, agency, financially aided by the Reliance dia to an epochal 65-58 win. but they all wanted the same goal: to change Group. The late Harish Sharma, former BFI “Toofbethe honest surprised we hadn’t bea- the way basketball is viewed and played in our CEO and a national point guard himself in the Guardians SkiesI’m (G0tS) ten earlier.Air WeForce have(IAF) always tal-Guardians ’70s, in a burst of inspiration (quite uncomReleased byChina the Indian in had earlythe July, countryofofthe more than a billion people. of thetohistoric win Skies isent,” a 3D said videoFlemming, game designed “connect to in the youth and this in- year, we beat Angola (ranked 15) mon for an Indian sporting federation) signed “Earlier 80-year-long history. crease Indian brandbasketball’s IAF’s image.” during the Lusofonia Games in Goa to win our a 30-year contract with the IMG Reliance conAvailable on Android, iOS and first major international gold medal. I still re- glomerate, essentially outsourcing all of BFI’s From Bhiwani to Coimbatore Windows platforms, GotS is a member that on our return train journey not basketball development work in India in reUntilrole-playing four years ago, all that Amrit simulator, game one person in our compartment recognised turn for all the potential commercial rights.

Pal knew was tending to fields in FaWhere the coaches before him fell short, that features a large fleet of exwho we were,” Narender said a few weeks ago. tuaaircraft. village, near Amritsar, Punjab. isting IAF His long-time teammate Joginder, Flemming succeeded because of his patience “Whenever I’m ata comhome, I join Developed

by Threye, who played with him in Bhiwani and vision. “This win has been a long time in my specialises family and in we 3D harvest pany that in- everyand then on the Indian Air Force the making, and I’m happy for these players more than myself. They are finally getting the novations, the premise of the recognition for all their hard work over the game is to engage in defence years,” he said. missions against the nation of “It is a milestone in Indian basketball,” said ‘Zaruzia’. While the first phase MS Venkataraman, a former Indian player in of the game, including one the ’50s, who held top administrative positraining mission and two opertions within the Tamil Nadu Basketball Associational missions, are accessible Click n Complain ation for over 60 years, “Our last significant to users, eight additional misIn May, the New Delhi Municitriumph over a top Asian team came in the sions will be released in Octopal Council (NDMC) launched ber this year.

Click n Complain, a rather first self- Asian Games in 1951 in Delhi, at a time when basketball was still played on mud explanatory app, which allows MEA63India courts.

So after years to register this win users to take a photograph of Thislike nifty app by the Ministry of against a team China, which is the undisany public works site that External Affairs (MEA) is meant puted champion in Asia, is a great morale Traffic apps needs repairs within NDMC’s to be abasketball.” “single window source booster for Indian Launched by the traffic police departASI Delhi area of jurisdiction and share it for allcomes information related to The closest that to the win over China ments of Delhi, Gurgaon, Bangalore An initiative of the Delhi circle with them. While it’s early days the ministry’s citizen-centric is the 2004 triumph over Korea.

That win was and Pune, these traffic apps are among of ASI, this app provides not onyet to gauge whether the app services.”

From passport, visa largely due to the individual brilliance of the the handiest tools for daily city comly basic information regarding will put an end to waiting eterand consular services to Sadman as ‘India’s Michael Jordan’ Robmuters. Available on various platthe numerous monuments in nally in queues to register a knowndresses of Indian in inson, from Puducherry, whomissions scored more forms, they provide live traffic maps Delhi but also lists information simple grievance, that it allows various countries and informain the game. and alerts from the traffic police conabout their history. The app alusers to track the status ofthan the 30 points tionmen’s on pilgrimages like KaiThe Indian basketball team, also trol rooms in each of these cities. They so allows you to pick the best complaint certainly seems like lash Yatra and Haj, the app known as the ‘Young Cagers’ has now jolted include features such as distress butroute for a ‘monument hop’. a step in the right direction. covers considerable ground.

It the Asian basketball hierarchy and awakened tons that connect directly to the womASI has also worked with “We have been witnessing also has a ‘public diplomacy’ their countrymen — ‘unathletic’, ‘short’ Indien’s helpline, help file complaints Google Street View to launch huge traffic since the launch,” section offers a primer on ans can actually be that world beaters in a sport against errant autorickshaw drivers or the Street View Trekker, says Jalaj Srivastava, chairman, the MEAThis andragtag India’sbunch foreignofaf-unother than cricket. report traffic problems to the control through which panoramic imNDMC. “A minimum of 300 fairs machinery. is rewriting Indian basketball history. room. Some even detail a list of traffic ages of 30 heritage sites across complaints come in every knowns day Launched in May, the MEA fines, potentially beating bribe takers India can be viewed on the Goothrough the app, and we adapp has over 10,000 installar ishit a travelling basketball writer at their game. gle Cultural Institute’s site. dress as many as we can.” gopalakrishnan tions already.

Q R

High five The team, which hails from various parts of India, strikes a victory pose karan madhok, for ekalavyas.com, indian basketball website

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and the co-creator of ekalavyas.com

scan know

saturday, july 19,19, 2014 saturday, july 2014

Roti is king Consumption of rice is on the wane, while that of wheat increases, says new NSSO survey

I

t is unlikely that any east or south Indian will survive too long on a roti-dal-sabzi diet, just as north Indians refuse to eat rice thrice a day. But if the results from the 68th National Sample Survey Organisation are anything to go by, it seems that now wheat-eaters have the upper hand. The survey reveals that the number of rice-eaters have declined, as wheat-eaters have increased, meaning traditional rice-states might have moved on to consuming wheat. While Bihar consumes both cereals equally, Rajasthan and Manipur are entirely wheat and riceeaters respectively. The survey also shows that across the country, rural regions consume more cereals than their urban counterparts.

The blackest of them all Stare not at this new invention for it is the heart of darkness

A

Monkeying around

British nanotech company has come up with a material so black that it has set a world record. The new material, called vantablack, absorbs all but just 0.035 per cent of light. It packs together a field of nanotubes so tight that no light particles can enter, and if they do, it is unlikely that the light will bounce back. Vantablack is already being sought for a range of applications, many of which are of the ‘military secret’ kind. Others include enabling astronomical cameras and telescopes. To stare at this “super black” is to look into a black hole-like abyss, where shapes are lost. Don’t hold your breath for a lovely Chanel number though, the cost of vantablack cannot be disclosed.

Going south

Parliament pauses for an LOL moment to ruminate on resident primates walking out with important files

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ven as the Lower House erupted over the government’s deDespite higher literacy levels, young women in Tamil Nadu are no safer than their sisters struction of 11,000 Home Ministry files, Congress MP Rajeev Shukla’s recollection of the monkey menace in the North in north India from the brutal threat of honour killings

and South Blocks left everyone in splits. The former union minister recalled incidents during Manmohan Singh’s tenure as finance minister, when monkeys created such a ruckus that they had to call in a squad of langurs to drive them away. Shukla also amya (name changed) hails from a are seen as the emblem of family honour and lationship leads to revenge killings and blood alleged that the BJP was “too soft” on the monkeys. “Files in the small village close to Virudhacha- their actions as a reflection of family values. feuds that keep communities in a state of inseHome Ministry are in such a bad condition that old files are lam in Cuddalore district of Tamil Consequently, any deviation from the ‘norm’ curity and panic.” strewn all over the corridors. Whenever a file is lost, it is said Nadu. Although her parents en- is viewed as an erosion of pride, to be preventSo, why have the slew of tough laws proved that monkeys have taken it away. There is a big monkey mensured she got the best education and are sup- ed at any cost, including killing in cold blood. ineffective in ending this crime? Advocate Aarace there and this government takes no action against them,” portive of her career in the booming IT Chennai-based social commentator and ac- shi Tirkey says the reason is that often the perhe said. industry in Chennai, each time she visits tivist Raakhee Suryaprakash sees ‘honour kill- petrators perceive ‘honour killings’ to be home she is warned against doing anything ings’ as the outcome of a complex mix of above law. “‘Honour killings’ have been dethat would disgrace the family and threat- factors: “They are a blot on our collective con- fined in several ways, but they are predominened with dire consequences if she “dares to science as they feed on the ‘lakshman rekha’ ately an extra-judicial punishment carried out behave like Selvi”. mentality and so-called societal norms. Unfor- by the family or community members against Selvi is an example for all the young women tunately, violence against women in many in- a member, most often female, who they bein Ramya’s village. She was butchered to death stances is perpetrated by the women of the lieve has brought shame to them, mostly by her brothers and father after she fell in love family too. It’s a vicious cycle fed by patriarch- through sexual- or marriage-related ‘offences’. with a man from a lower caste. al, communal and religious passions that dis- The punishment is meted out by communal Not 300km away, the district of Dharmapu- penses with all sense of right and wrong.” assemblies known as khap panchayats in the ri, is marking an anniversary. A year ago N DiGirls like Ramya, who come north and katta panchayats in vya’s husband E Ilavarasan ended his life after from traditional backgrounds to the south. What is objectionable caste-related violence and strong-arming put make a life and career in the busis subjective, and left to their days. Dangerous bullsState with capital, constantly a strain on their Hindu-Dalitight marriage.

Divya, tling warped discretion,” she says.

One in every five sharp horns.comFifteenlive killed since who belongs to the upper caste Vanniyar under a veiled threat of vioProtection against such viocases of ‘honour the 1900s.

Eightclout gored this yearSays andthe youngster, “On killings’ globally takes lence is guaranteed in the Indian munity that enjoys great political lence.

42 Katchi landed(PMK), in thehad hospital. through the Pattali Makkal oneWelcome hand, parents want to eduPenal Code, the Constitution as place in India to the Pamplona bull A 13th-cendecided to give up the fight against people in run. cate their daughters, like mine well as the Protection of Women tury tradition, the festival sees thouher village who had earlier stormed Ilavarasadid.

And yet, they want to retain from Domestic Violence Act, but courting danger complete as they tear na’s colony, torching andsands destroying property. control over the way many of the cases related to through the city’sin narrow streets This was after her father committed suicide we lead our lives by ensuring ‘honour killings’ rarely lead to chased by stampedingthat bulls.

Last we do will tarnish their reputa- prosecution owing to the undue influence the protest and ‘shame’. nothing week,one in in what hasfive been tion. described According to UN statistics, every WhenasI was initially sent to Chennai to moral police exerts over the community. As of the bestplace examples of human cases of ‘honour killings’“one globally takes study, and even now when I am a self-suffi- Tirkey says, “In August 2012, the Law Commisstupidity,” young man slowed professional, I am constantly re- sion of India had prepared a draft legislation in India. While these incidents are areported cient working down to take selfie, aheadofofmy ‘boundaries’. mostly from the Hindi heartland, theafate of inches minded Whenever I go the known the Prohibition of Interference with billion people across worldastuned in last Sunday to witness Gerthe especially charging Tamil animals. home, The “selfie young women in the south, my parents issue fresh warnings lest I Cup. theSoFreedom of Matrimonial Alliances Bill, many lift the World did the boys of La Martiniere Calcutta. man” — who alsolevwentforget.” viral as the Nadu, is no better, despite higher literacy was target the unlawful But not the girls of La Marts.which Scoring andesigned ill-timedto sexist self-goal, the 178-ac#eltontolmovil with the els and a more equitable social status(the for idiot The fact that ‘honour killings’ happenapparently de- tivities of khap panchayats andholiday punishfor honour year-old institution announced a World Cup its mobile) — is now wanted by the pothem. In fact, several gruesome incidents have spite strict laws showsboys’ thatschool this most dishon- because killings. draft the hasstudents not beendepreon Monday, theHowever, principalthe thought lice.

HeThese has been slappedourable with a fine come to light in the recent past. include of acts is, in served fact, cloaked a false sented before Parliament, andapparently the futureit of a day’s in break after watching the finals.

However, $4,100 for breaking sense rules of about the alleged murder of a of 21-year-old pregnant comity. As Suryaprakash puts it, “Any theLaproposed billGirls. looks uncertain.” was business as usual for the Martiniere Classes began at 8am, recording during woman in Ramnad, whocarrying married outside her devices decision or act againstfor one’s expectaIt may be the 21st century, but thethat medieval the family’s girls didn’t need to sleep in. This comes from a school has the run.

This of attempt narcissism community, and the retaliatory killing a 23- attion and, overnight, daddy’s little princesswomen or attitudes towards have endured with produced club-level footballers who,‘honour’ at times, have defeated went far,Madurai eh? year-old upper caste Hindu girltoo from the most beloved sisterthe becomes a stain onWhen the pressed a ferocity begs the question: how can boys next door. for that an explanation, the administrawho ‘dared’ to elope with a Dalit boy she met family’s reputation that be washed awaythatthere be invited honourmore in killing? tioncan offered a defence simply wrath. Their reason? during her post-graduate studies. only by spilling her blood.

The killing of the Girls needed to be in for cultural programme rehearsals!

In many communities across India, women boy or the man involved in the ‘forbidden’ re- kirthi jayakumar, Women’s Feature Service

R

Pamplona’s most wanted

Spanish police look for the bull runner who took a ‘selfie’

E

Q R Girls don’t watch football

Or at least that’s what a Kolkata school thinks

A

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3 23BL BL

HANG

saturday, july 19, 2014

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24

cornerstone in-faq by joy bhattacharjya Rulers, big and small

T

oday, exactly 1,950 years ago, Nero is believed to have fiddled while Rome burned. Shows the kind of press rulers get, as the violin had not been invented at the time. This quiz is all about kings, good and bad.

1

Let’s start with a mid 20th-century conversation between two rulers — Zog of Albania and Farouk of Egypt. According to Zog, Farouk said that soon there would be only five kings left. One was the king of England. Who, according to him, were the other four?

2

Fill in the blanks in the official designation of this notorious 20th-century ruler: “His Excellency President for Life, Field Marshal Al Hadji Doctor ____ _____ , VC, DSO, MC, Lord of All the Beasts of the Earth and Fishes of the Sea, and Conqueror of the British Empire in Africa in General and _____ in Particular.”

3

Which footballer, who was in the All-Star team in FIFA 2006, is known as the eighth King of Rome because of his peerless contribution to both his club and the Italian national team?

4

As of 2014, Europe has 12 monarchies, 11 of which are the seven kingdoms, two principalities, one papacy and one diarchy (Andorra). Which is the missing one?

the new york times crossword-1027

country road

5

Which north Indian, who ruled in the 7th century with his capital at Kanauj, is believed to have initiated or at any rate re-established the tradition of the Kumbh Mela when he started organising religious festivals at Prayag?

6

When it comes to royalty in Hindi films, Saif Ali Khan is obviously the first name that springs to mind, hailing from the kingdom of Pataudi. On the same note, which well-known actor is descended from the rulers of the principality of Tonk in Rajasthan?

7

Why would you be likely to know the epithet of King Harald Gormsson, son of Gorm the Old, who ruled Denmark and Norway in the late 10th century?

8

Which 2008 film is named after something the leading man saw written on the back of a truck in Rajasthan?

DOWN

9

If in the literary world, Dracula was the Prince of Darkness, which modern day musician is known by the same epithet? Very easy!

10

In which Asian constitutional monarchy is the position rotated among nine rulers of the States elected by the Majlis Raja-Raja?

ANSWERS 1. The Kings of Hearts, Spades, Diamonds and Clubs 2. Idi Amin, Uganda 3. Francesco Totti 4. The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg 5. Harshavardhana 6. Irrfan Khan 7. Bluetooth, as in the connectivity platform 8. Singh is Kinng — Akshay Kumar being the man with the eagle eyes 9. Ozzy Osbourne 10. Malaysia

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joy bhattacharjya is a quizmaster, director Kolkata Knight Riders and author of Junior Premier League — The First XI . t@joybhattacharj

ACROSS

1 In tandem 8 Decorative shoe features 15 Like some feet and envelopes 22 Bill 23 It’s often swiped by a shopaholic 24 Go from A to B? 25 Nickname for the122-/ 124-Across 28 Stops: Abbr.

29 Jazz/blues singer Cassidy 30 Shoelace tip 31 Barely make, with “out” 32 “___ two minds” 33 ___ Bell (Anne Brontë pseudonym) 35 Like eggs in eggnog 37 Class for some immigrants, for short 39 Jump back, maybe 40 With 105-Across, historical significance of the 122-/124-Across 48 It’s ENE of Fiji 49 “Wheel of Fortune” buy 50 Declined 51 It fits all, sometimes 55 Up on things 58 Part of a page of Google results

63 1796 Napoleon battle site 64 Freight carrier: Abbr.

66 Young and Sedaka 67 Italian possessive 68 Von Furstenberg of fashion 69 “___ luck!”

71 European capital once behind the Iron Curtain 73 Comic finisher 75 Ocean 76 Item dropped by Wile E. Coyote 77 Times Square flasher?

78 “So nice!”

79 Masked warrior 80 Beer belly 83 Chemistry suffix 84 Ultimate 85 Day ___ 87 They really click 92 It may be corrected with magnification 98 Piece at the Met 99 El Al destination: Abbr.

100 German cry 103 Inherit 104 Italian writer Vittorini 105 122-Across 112 Like most houses 113Expensive patio material 114 Comment before

“Bitteschön” 115 Components of fatty tissues 118 Bit of jive 119 French wine classification 120 It may leave you weak in the knees 122 & 124 Dedicated in October 1913, project represented by the 13 pairs of circled letters 126 Captain 130 ___-turn 131 “Alley ___” 132 Sports org. headquartered in Indianapolis 136 Wearing clothes fit for a queen?

138 Concerned 146 Kindle downloads 148 Follows the east-west route of the 122-/124Across?

151 Doll 152 Tropicana grove 153 Knight’s trait 154 Follows 155 Sauce brand 156 ___ of time 157 Kind of question

1 Targets 2 Weightlifting move 3 Hedgehop, e.g.

4 Many, many 5 Sue Grafton’s “___ for Evidence” 6 “Tartuffe” segment 7 TV’s Griffin 8 ___ kwon do 9 Tulip festival city 10 Web periodical 11 Cicero’s 350 12 Rhine tributary 13 For now, for short 14 Campus political grp.

15 Mt Rushmore’s home: Abbr.

16 Heavy volume 17 Bowl over 18 Sony co-founder Akio 19 Elementary 20 Kind of service 21 Intentionally disregarding 26 Keep one’s ___ the ground 27 Historic march site 34 Vivaldi’s “___ Dominus” 36 Latin 101 verb 38 In stitches 39 Caesar and others 41 Motorola phone 42 Eurasian ducks 43 Funny Garofalo 44 “You’re the ___ Love” 45 Figure on the Scottish coat of arms 46 Radio booth sign 47 Make over 51 Pueblo pot 52 Whistle time?

531 999 Ron Howard film

54 “Of course, Jorge!”

56 Group in a striking photo?

57 “This ___ a test” 59 Prefix with -scope 60 Not fer 61 Or or nor: Abbr.

62 “May It Be” singer, 2001 65 Over there 67 “So-so” 70 Sea grass, e.g.

72 Charges 74 1980s-’90s German leader Helmut 75 ___ B’rith 81 Bell Labs system 82 Try 85 Popeye’s ___’ Pea 86 Sarge’s charges: Abbr.

87 Phoebe of “Gremlins” 88 Buddhist who has attained nirvana 89 What’s a strain to cook with?

90 Stun with a gun 91 Very, in Vichy 93 Gruesome sort 94 Body type 95 Actress Graff 96 Sounds from pens 97 Jottings 100 When some local news comes on 101 Revolutionary figure 102 China cupboard 106 Sacred cow

107 London greeting 108 Something to file 109 iPhone voice 110 Promote 111 Without thinking 116 Jargon 117 ___-Off (windshield cover) 120 1945 battle site, for short 121 Big flap in 1970s fashion?

123 Dos y dos 125 Like cattle and reindeer 126 Snag 127 Follow 128 “It’s ___!”

129 Motorola phone 132 Stars bursting in air?

133 Frosty’s eyes 134 Buckeye city 135 A.L. West player 137 Some war heroes 139 Exam for jrs.

140 Hot dog breath?

141 Cabin material 142 Slay, in slang 143 CPR experts 144 TV girl with a talking map 145 Mexican transportación 147 ___ of beauties 149 Novelist Clancy 150 Draft org.

By Elizabeth C Gorski / Edited by Will Shortz

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