Blink issue 27 july26 2014

WHILE GAZA BURNS India’s moral bankruptcy on the West Asia conflict is not entirely unexpected p3

saturday, july 26, 2014

shutterstock/lorelyn medina

We dive into the worlds of urban, affluent teenagers and emerge heartened and afraid p9

Who are they?

MAKING THE 6PM SLOT What young Hindustani musicians lack is the support from the sabhas p15

NO WETTER HOLIDAY The charms of a sodden and slushy vacation in the hills of Cherrapunji p20

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Time-space continuum The ancient Annamalaiyar temple in Tiruvannamalai; and (below) snuff offerings for the samiyar bijoy bharathan

THE COMPASS CHRONICLES

volunteer of European descent hands them a plate of curd rice, sambar rice, an ounce of pickle and a leaf bowl of fruit salad.

Gaman Palem, an illustrator from Chennai, is a regular visitor to these parts. He narrates an interesting experience he had here. “I once veered off the main Girivalam path and entered a dirt road in the middle of the reserve forest. I spotted a group of piglets in a thicket and picked one up... it was a wild piglet with two white stripes on its back. I didn’t see that behind me was its mother and her intimidating tuskers. I lowered the piglet onto Lo and behold A The town first drew the ground. took after 1728But chartshe of the the world’s attention me for a few metres beEast hundred Indian Ocean through iconic images fore giving up.theSo, yes, it from Islands of helps if of Ramana Maharshi Maldivy to you stick to the designated path.” shot by Henri CartierCambodia One town, many quests. Rararemaps.com Bresson in the 1940s mesh Babu, who runs a tea shop near Ramana Ashram, tells me about Mookupodi Samiyar, known for his affinity for mookupodi (snuff), which devotees readily offer him. The samiyar (holy man) is also known to have a weakness for deep-fried mixture, which would perhaps have earned him the nickname farsan baba in north India.

Every day, at the crack of dawn the samiyar arrives at the Thiruner Annamalai Koyil to meditate. He keeps to himself, never talks, doesn’t accept money and, occasionally, waves his wooden stick in blessing or his trisulam (trident) to ward off pesky devotees. But the devotees aren’t leaving anytime soon. Babu says, “Years ago, a trader from Coimbatore fell on hard times and paid a visit to the samiyar.

Soon, his business turned around and in gratitude he gifted him a sedan worth ₹8 lakh. He also employed a full-time chauffeur for him.”

The samiyar now uses the car to make a fortnightly trip to Rameswaram or Kanyakumari.

The rest of the time, the sedan idles nearby. meteors an attempt by an invisible god to us Not for the East the India College — his for usual training fu-I finding holy man at spot, mark places for pagodas like the Buddha ture included both enlistservants the helpofofthe anCompany, enterprising auto driver, preached long ago? Or were they remnants of Oriental and down Newton’s Principia.

Natarajan.literature We track him to a municipala comet that was passing the orbit of Earth? However, hisininfluence South Asia went ity school the area.over The samiyar sleeps in Was it possible that such a comet would col- far beyondone the of pages Principia becauseat Newthe of vacant classrooms the lide with their planet someday? ton was at a crucial master the end oftime eachtheday and ofthat’s A Burmese prince once wrote to the journal mint in London. where I find him. Waiting of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, for he was Simon Schaffer tells us, at “Newton also stood ahead, the fast-asleep sa“anxiously looking out for a Comet that is to at the centre of the miyar’s financialfeet, revolution thata is Rajam, appear this month, and which I believe by the saw the establishment of the Bank of England middle-aged woman calculations of some French Astronomer is to in 1695, the recoinage from of 1696 as a response to Puducherry.

After destroy the earth.” The philosopher prince the circulation of badanmetal, the emerhour, and we decided to further posits a few very intergence of leave paperwithout credit and the meeting esting questions to the journal growth of theThis stock marketsevin him. is Rajam’s (to which they indeed replied London. enth He was one to of meet the few attempt the with entire calculations). He East India Company proprietors man.

She tells me, “The co-founder of data the Ekalokam asks, “on what does Sir Isaac who owned moreIthan ten Ithoufirst time came, was Witnesses of the Trust forfound Photography.

Set to of Newton his hypothesis sanddrowning pounds inin stock.” debt. My best meteorite shower begin on of August 15, it’ll provide the heat a Comet being 900a were interrogated as A symmetric question friend, who was also mywould busi360-degree view of the hill and the if the strewn field ness times greater than red-hot be associate, to investigate influence hadthe cheated me of of changing town sprawled around iron?”

Andface “Is of notthe the height of India on theofworks Newton.had One my of cheques were ait. crimelakhs sceneof rupees.

Incidentally, the town first drew the atmosphere increased atthe world’s at- bounced, leading Edmund Halley, whose obserto legal action against me. tention thein iconic images of Ramana The samiyar shooed new andthrough full moon the same vationsme were Newton, awayused then.by I went back Maharshithat shotthe by the legendary manner waters of thelensman Hen- dejected. Butwas well-travelled with the ships soon, things started looking up. ri Cartier-Bresson in the ocean are raised, but to 1940s. a much East India andwere “he The case wasofdropped andCompany my finances In a bid to capture the town’s enduring rai- exploited greater extent?

If so why does the barometer information networks ofmonths.” the tradback on track.

I now come every six son d’être, I arrive Tiruvannamalai and am ingBut not indicate it byinrising?”

Both questions corporations andalone dockyard experts,people such it’s not faith that draws promptly directed to the gates of today. the Ramana as might be worth considering even those used in hisAzad friend Orienhere.

Abul Kalam andJohn his Seller’s team decided Ashram a college masterwork student I meetPhilosophiæ on the bus tal Isaac by Newton’s pilot.” Halley was often “conversing with to kickstart the community photo project in from Tindivanam. first thing that Naturalis Principia The Mathematica (Latingreets for navigators acquainted with parts of Tiruvannamalai because “weall wanted to India, begin you at the ashram is the call of the peacocks Mathematical Principles of Natural Philoso- and a considerable timefive in the our having journeyspent keeping in mind the eleand primates seemingly free run of phy) was firstthat published in have 1687,awhence it Tropicks...” which suggests the web of ments, starting with fire and that its manifestation the place. started While the serious pilgrims, in- East gradually its more journey across the world.

Company Thiru was fully by at theIndia Annamalaiyar Koyil.”exploited “Tiruvannacluding severalproposition expats, walkisnonchalantly to- these An interesting to trace how its crowdsource data. malaiscientists is one ofto the few places scientific where ancient wardsspread the meditation hall Asia or the sanctum ideas across South along with The recordsand of tidal patternsare from over monuments landscapes stillallintact. sanctorum, other selfie-obsessed are the agents of the British Empire, andvariants other Euneeded and Newton Theworld regionwere is also homebytoHalley rituals (including busy photographing everything sight. ropean visitors. Or, when did thein first copy of to provepractices) his theory ofare gravitation, andofwho tantric that on the verge disDressed in white kurtaspeninsula? and saffron dhotis, could Principia enter the Indian do the says job better sailors of the appearing,” Azad, than as technology andEast tradevotees forinfamous hours. During the annaAs earlymeditate as 1718, the ex-governor of India ditionCompany? find an unlikely new idiom to define daanam—each day, scores line up near cour- and remember the temple town by.

Madras Elihu Yale (after whom Yalethe College tyard, waiting for atheir meal.

Rich is named) donated copy mid-day of Newton’s book to rohit gupta explores the history of science as t@fadesingh bijoy bharathan and poorAs alike their turn, as an ashram Harvard. lateawait as 1801, an establishing syllab- Compasswallah

Newton on the Ganges

Science has crowdsourced information for ages; Newton even tapped into the resources of the trusty sailors of the East India Company

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Meditating on T he British Raj in India is of particular importance to the history of science because — writes David Arnold: “... the English East India Company was as old as modern science itself. Founded in 1600, the Company shared its early years with the Scientific Revolution, and by when the Royal Society of London was founded, was already a flourishing concern with trading bases at Surat, Madras and Masulipatnam.”

Of the colonial sciences, one of the most dominant was geology, since a survey of India’s natural resources was of direct commercial importance to the Company. However, the survey unfolded with many tangential explorations by hobbyists, a good example being their t’s interest in meteorites.

One ofwith these fell at an ancient town dotted numerSherghati near Patna in Bihar, on August—25,a ous temples along the Girivalam 1865, and analysis the rock use show to 14kmrecent pathway thatofdevotees toitcirhave originated on the the Annamalai planet Mars.hills before cumnavigate Commenting on the culture of science in entering the town’s main temple, the centuIndia at that time, KevinThiru Kichinka writes about ries-old Annamalaiyar Koyil, where the this in the an essay called Fall of deitymeteorite Shiva takes form of fire. ‘The Believed to Shergotty:’ wasthe considered an Tiruunbe rich with“India rare herbs, hill has given equaled venue observe falls. skies and vannamalai, into Tamil Nadu, its Clear reputation as a acentre densefor population allowed for obSiddha medicine andmultiple yoga. Every servations a single event.

As soonarrive as a metefull-moon of night, lakhs of devotees here orite researchers, government officials, for thefell, holy girivalam (perambulation). even the police were sent to retrieve speciAlongside the siddhars (mystics) and the yomens. haste made towith collect pieces begis, theAlltown is was choc-a-bloc ashrams, nofore indigenous had a chance tablythethe Ramanapopulation Ashram dedicated to to worship or destroy meteorite.

WitnessRamana Maharshi, thethe Seshadri Ashram close es interrogated if the strewn field were bywere and the ashram ofas Yogi Ramsuratkumar, alasocrime behind knownscene, as theleaving Visiri (fan) Baba.observations Followers arboth accurate andthe dubious an excellent rive from across world, but including many historic record of times.” This be who renounce all the possessions andwould relationtantamount in modern terms truth. to crowdsourcships in the quest for a higher ingAnd science citizens. now,through in an attempt to capture the many In the events naturally facets of 19th this century, spiritualsuch centre, 25 photogratriggered about the origins of mephers willspeculation embark on a year-long photo-arteors andinitiative, causes using the365. well-known framechiving Project At the heart of work of Newton’s gravitation.Abul Were the fall of this effort is photojournalist Kalam Azad,

a town

Tiruvannamalai in Tamil Nadu attracts spiritual seekers of all hues, and is now the focus of a unique photo-archiving project

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No man’s land A Palestinian family heads to a UN school in Gaza City to seek shelter after evacuation from the north of the strip afp/thomas coex

Gandhi at the time of Gaza What explains India’s current moral bankruptcy on the West Asia conflict?

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nternational mediation efforts have stepped up a notch, but the Israeli offensive against the population of the Gaza strip shows no signs of abating. As this goes to press, the death toll among Palestinians on the Gaza Strip had crossed 700, and a staggering one-third of the civilian casualties were reported to be children.

When a debate on the Gaza situation was scheduled in the Rajya Sabha on July 21 after much handwringing — earlier stalled by the BJP-led government on July 16 — it was under a procedural rule that disallowed a vote or a resolution. As Ghulam Nabi Azad of the Congress rose to initiate proceedings, he appeared to be in didactic mood, launching into an extended history tutorial, beginning with the Balfour declaration of 1918.

That reference perhaps had an unintended relevance. And once opened for exploration, history was a terrain that seemed to offer much by way of an ironic retrospection in the centenary year of World War I. A conflagration, which bequeathed to Palestine and its wider region, not merely the Balfour declaration, but also the Sykes-Picot accord, a clandestine and conspiratorial deal to divide up the territories of the Ottoman Empire as it slipped rapidly towards defeat.

West Asia’s current political geography was created by two acts of imperial arrogance. The State Balfour created has since enjoyed absolute impunity to push its territorial claims while insisting it would remain a nation exclusively of the Jewish people. Sykes-Picot’s legacy, the modern nation-states of Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan, are in contrast, being torn apart by strife or hovering perilously on the brink of cataclysmic rupture.

History though, was not where the Rajya Sabha was headed, as one speaker after another sought to nudge the discussions towards current partisan obsessions. At the end of it all, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj performed the triangulation manoeuvre that has served her recent predecessors well. India would support the Palestinian cause with sincerity, but at the same time consolidate and deepen relations with Israel.

The refrain at every conclave involving Is- dented success in converting imagined inserael and India is that these are nations with a curities into an identity of interests with Israel shared interest in defeating terrorism. There and the US. In May 2003, Brajesh Mishra, nais in the rote repetition of this theme, a tacit tional security adviser to Prime Minister Vajreproach of the just Palestinian struggle. payee, in an address to the American Jewish This mood originates in the early 1990s Committee (AJC), effectively stripped the supwhen India was in a moment of extreme inse- posed struggle against terrorism of all subtlecurity, with Kashmir in a state of insurrection ty and political content. It was “nonsense”, he and the US closely bound up with Pakistan. US said, to argue that “terrorism (could) only be ardour deepened after Pakistan arranged the eradicated by addressing its ‘root causes’”.

Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 1996, causSoon after, Ariel Sharon, a military coming spasms of extreme anxiety within India. mander who ascended to Israel’s prime minisThe BJP’s ascent in 1998 changed things tership in the atmosphere of heightened around. In 2000, LK Advani as home minister national paranoia following a mass Palestimade an official visit to Israel to establish the nian uprising in 2000, arrived in India. It was framework for an extended series of interac- a visit replete with official rituals, including a tions between security and intelligence agen- visit to the Gandhi samadhi at Rajghat in Delhi, cies in the two countries, centred around and an entry in the visitors’ book recording a ‘cross-border terrorism’. Inher“message of peace”. ent ironies were brushed aside As some remarked, it was a moin the enthusiasm of entering ment of tumultuous retreat into a new and potentially transfrom history. It was an unintendIn the 1930s, Gandhi formative strategic relationship. ed outcome of the sterile debate called it a “crime Despite its vast, continental on Gaza in the Rajya Sabha, that against humanity” size, India has borders that have Gandhi’s famous locutions from in most part been settled with the 1930s have gained renewed its neighbours, giving the term currency, that it was a “crime ‘cross-border terrorism’ a sense against humanity” to impose the that can be grasped easily. Israel in contrast is Jewish people upon Arab lands under the proa tiny country implanted in alien territory in tection of British imperialism. Those remarks deliberate defiance of history. Its boundaries came in the context of a mass upsurge against have remained undefined since the moment Jewish colonisation, put down by the British of its birth, allowing it to define ‘cross-border colonial administration with an iron hand. terrorism’ in protean and flexible ways.

In the years that followed, Gandhi reJaswant Singh, the then external affairs mained engaged. In 1946, and 1947, he prominister, quickly followed Advani’s mission posed that there was a rather simple solution implausible. With a display of piety at a site to the violence and bloodshed breaking out in the Jewish call the Wailing Wall to mourn lost Palestine: for the Jewish settlers to cease their glories, Singh brushed aside the contested cul- terrorism and for the US and Britain to stop tural and political context of a location that all aiding their relentless conquest of Arab lands. three Semitic religions claim as hallowed Those warnings from a man still honoured space. He then unburdened himself of the wis- as the nation’s most revered moral preceptor dom that India’s commitment to the Palesti- have of course been thrown aside. No need to nian cause through the years gone by was a look further, it would seem, for the reasons beconsequence of domestic “vote-bank politics”. hind India’s current moral bankruptcy on an The trade in military hardware was show- issue of global consequence. ing an upturn by this time. And the truly transformative moment arrived on September 11, sukumar muralidharan is a fellow at the Indian 2001. From that date on, India had unprece- Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla

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Cloud ice cream

Joint ventures The CWG in Glasgow, Scotland, hopes to generate advertising and tourism revenues for the host and new business opportunities among the participating countries

Must holidays always involve clear blue skies and sunscreen, rather than shades of grey and afp/andy buchanan gumboots? Ask the clouds in Cherrapunji

A walk in the clouds Taking in the pictureperfect, rain-soaked Khasi-Jaintia Hills

ritu raj konwar

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covered that our driver Bah Arky shared their But what happens to this vast volume of watastes in music they cheered up. And we were ter? We got our answer as we drove along the soon ascending the emerald slopes of Megha- East Khasi Hills and passed Lower Cherrapunji laya — the abode of the clouds — in the unlike- — an unlovely cluster of restaurants, backly company of Pitbull and Taylor Swift. packers’ digs and permanently incomplete Outside the windows, the views were char- structures — and into the dense jungles and ming. Red hills mantled in exuberant green- bowls of mountains. Everywhere were fast ery — gigantic bamboos and unruly banana and furious streams of water. Little rivulets trees, lacy ferns and frivolous creepers. Along gushed across the road. The mountains were the highway were sudden clusters of pictur- streaked with bright, white cascades tumesque stalls, with women in traditional bling down the steep slopes and into the sorchecked Khasi shawls selling heaps of pineap- rowful, flooded plains of Bangladesh. From ples, jackfruit, bananas and bottles of bamboo every direction came the roar of water rushpickles. And an occasional village, with its ing past rock. bamboo-fenced houses perched precariously This rather ominous roar has greeted vison the hillside, beauty parlours, ladies’ tailors itors to these gentle hills for centuries. Cherraand music schools. In short, all the things that punji was one of the first hill-stations built by make Meghalaya a pop music and fashion hub the British in the Northeast — but many newin India. comers found the weather opWe drove through light drizpressive. The first person to zles and watery sunlight — and measure and broadcast the exmy daughters gazed longingly at traordinary rainfall was a Mr neighbouring hills shrouded in Yule. He noted that in August As burial in the swirling mists. “Do you think 1841, the town witnessed an inspongy ground was we’ll drive through clouds?” they impossible during the credible 22 feet of rain and that asked hopefully, before squab“during five successive days, 30 monsoon, the Khasis bling about whether it was possi- addressed conference at Glasgow University fell every 24 hours”.opporevents, is lining up events to promote used to embalm their inches ble to eat cloud ice cream. by global luminaries such as the Bankdead of EnVery soon, Cherrapunji betunities investment, and the educain honey till in trade, My twins, Nisha and Carney Naima, andconditions gland Governor Mark English improved came a holy destination for metion and tourism sectors. who’ve completed a Class II businessjust magnate Richard Branson, and atteorologists and their rain project onover the 200 weather, wanted tended by CEOs and heads of govern- Calling ‘Swamy gauges Army’— fascinated not just by to know if Cherrapunji was still ments, including China and European “For each match, the we perennial rains, but alsoa seby will focus on holding the wettestCurrently, place on earth.

“We the Com- ries of business countries. trade within theround local tables, customs.

As burial in where we hope learnt that it’s monwealth is Mawsynram,” estimated at they £300announced. billion an- the sodden during the to have topground Indian was and impossible Australian businesses Mawsynram is aconference town 16km looked from Cherrapunji, nually, and the for ways to monsoon, the Khasis used to embalm their talk about how they can collaborate and form and the locals the annual competition ve- dead augment this.take The focus was on issues and ophoney till conditions improved. joint in ventures and also supply one another ry seriously.common “Some years Mawsynram gets portunities to all countries, such as with In new 1990,products British and writer Alexander Frater services,” says Nicola more rain, and some years Cherrapunjidevelgets wrote employment and skills, infrastructure a compelling travelogue called Watkinson, Austrade’s senior trade andChasing investmore rain,” explained Bah Arky, indulg- the opment, financial services andbefore the developMonsoon: A Modern ment commissioner for Pilgrimage South Asia.through Ining in of some nostalgia ment smart cities. over his soaking Cherra- dia.

In thatofhe followed the will monsoon from A range industry sectors be in focus. punji childhood. “We used to get rain for 13 Kerala to Mumbai to Delhi and finally Cherra“Premium food and wine, particularly for days and common 13 nights.wealth We’d go to school with wet punji.

Creating In his book, described theand majestic South Australia, andhealso resources eneruniforms andScotland come home with wet uniforms.

Further, the House Conference Cen- sight that greeted whenand he areas arrived — gy, IT particularly in him Victoria… such But nohosting longer. 11 Though sometimes we still get “Plumes tre is business event programmes of white water sheeted off the elabogreen as education and research,” Watkinson seven days and nights rain.” showcasing keyseven sectors suchofas cliff, vanishedrates. into There a cloud and in will bereappeared tailored visits Indeed, manyrenewable locals sighenerover the wet-old- a foaming burn food and drink, went plunging to andthat meetings for eachdown Indian days.

Cherrapunji gets a whopping nourish the tropical gy, oilBut andstill, gas, financial services gardensinand top up delegatefruit arriving Australia annual average of 11,000mm. it and creative energies, besides Last year, the Bangladeshi floods.” during the cricket world cup.

Visiting Indian crossed 13,000 mm. (Whichsuch is more than five cross-sector opportunities This was exactly view from CherrapunThe our organisers also plan to businesses will times thesporting rain Mumbai gets, 15 times explore the rain tie-ups as global events. jee Resorts —hold standing a high shelf a golf on tournament thatoverwill — Delhi gets and about eight times the rain Workshops and events schedlooking the silvery, waterlogged fields of pit former Indian Test greats collaborations and Chennai gets.) the CWG this joint ventures uled around Bangladesh and hills wreathed in pewter their Australian — with against month promote partnerships counterparts.

Australians during between different sectors and The 49 cricket world cup the cricket world cup assist companies venturing into matches will be divided between new markets. venues across the countries of Linda Murray, Director 2014, Australia and New Zealand.

Scottish Enterprise, sees events The 44-day event will start on a such as the CWG as a good opportunity to de- Saturday, but for fans from the Indian subconvelop new relations with countries and enti- tinent the real action will begin the next day ties and strengthen existing ones. “If we think when arch rivals India and Pakistan battle in a of Africa, it is a relatively untapped market for day-and-night match at the Adelaide Oval.

Scotland, and the Games provide a great opThe organisers are hoping a record crowd portunity to try and build strong relation- will turn out to watch it live. According to one ships, particularly around oil and gas and of the organisers, South Australia is hoping energy,” she says. that just as England arrives with its Barmy ArMeanwhile, in February, Australia and New my, India will come with its own ‘Swamy ArZealand will be in focus not only among crick- my’ to help break the record set for the largest et fans but also various businesses in India. number of spectators at an Adelaide match Match Australia, a government programme during the 1932 Bodyline series. that connects Australian businesses with global partners through major sporting ashwini phadnis

Game for profit

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rattle sporting out — even if prodded outare of a deep Global events increasingly turning venues for investment and trade promotion

sleep at 3am.

A bit like Sachin Tendulkar or Shah Rukh Khan. then, cricket andisBollyhe But action on like sporting fields now wood, thespilling monsoons a great Indian obsesoverare into the backrooms as sion. And well. whenGlobal it comes to rain,events Cherrapunji sporting — be it is the evergreen superstar.concluded football the recently Cherrapunji is the rainiest place Commonon Planet world cup in Brazil, the ongoing Earth. although it figures in countless GewealthBut Games (CWG) in Scotland or the ICC ography fill-in-the-blanks, it hasand never been a cricket world cup in Australia New Zealbig destination. becauseturning Meghandtravel in February — arePerhaps increasingly alaya and Northeast are considered venues forthe business and trade promotion.inaccessible. because usually World Perhaps events like these holidays have long been involve clear blue skies and sunscreen, rather known to generate big business from tourism than shades of grey and gumboots. and advertising.

Manchester, for instance, atThis year, however, compelled to tracted 10 lakh visitors we overwere the 10 days it hosttravel single weekimportantly, in July. We Gooed theduring 2002 aCWG. More in a gled.

Weeffect, askedanfriends.

We 3consulted spinoff additional lakh havetravel since magazines. was soon generating apparent that our visited the But cityitannually, nearly choices wereinlimited to sunstrokes in the siz£46 million revenue. zling North or the side of a dripSimilarly, thedepression 2006 CWGat fetched Melbourne py poolside.

Or, of course, we could choose about £150 million in tourism revenue, acadventure chase the monsoon all the way cording to and KPMG. to Besides its wettest destination. selling one million tickets for the Somedal it wasevents that, contested armed with raincoats and 250 by 6,500 athletes, mosquito we flew through of this year’srepellant, CWG in Scotland is being miles beamed bumpy monsoon clouds to Guwahati.

My across the 71 participating countries which, three daughters had been fivebetween them, account fordreading nearly a the third of hour drive to Cherrapunji, but when they disthe world’s population.

And the ICC cricket world cup will be watched globally by over one billion, apart from the thousands enjoying it live in Australia and New Zealand.

Kickoff for revenues But countries are now realising that these events hold out business opportunities way beyond just tourism and advertising. So, for instance, Honda MotoCorp created a huge hype in Brazil during the football world cup days after it announced the setting up of a manufacturing plant in Colombia as part of its expansion into South America. Brazil, says Pawan Munjal, managing director and chief executive officer of Hero MotoCorp, is a market that his company plans to enter in 2016, in time for the Summer Olympics hosted by Rio De Janeiro between August 5 and 21.

At the CWG, Scotland has hosted a business

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Charged up Gandharv Bakshi and Lavina started commercial operations last year gp sampath kumar

Here comes the sun-bag A Bangalore couple stitch up a successful business in solar-powered backpacks and bags

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he JSS Institution campus in Bangalore was the venue for a different kind of party last January. It was a get-together of sun worshippers, but of the kind that uses it to charge their nifty gadgets. In the spotlight was a range of USB devices — while one could keep your food warm even as you trekked in the Himalayas, another could turn your backpack into a WiFi zone or charge your smartphone to ensure you can click endless pictures of the beautiful scenery miles away from habitation.

The host was Bangalore-based start-up Lumos, which makes backpacks and travel bags that capture solar energy — solar panels are stitched into the fabric and so is a battery to store the charge. The bag’s USB port can be used to charge phones or keep coffee warm and soda cold.

In a country with abundant sunlight and a young population ever hungry for connectivity, it is no surprise that the backpacks are selling briskly — 40 per cent more every month — both locally and overseas.

“In India, Bangalore is our biggest market, followed by Delhi, Hyderabad and Pune,” says Gandharv Bakshi, who co-founded Lumos with his wife Lavina in June 2012.

The idea for the solar backpack came to Bakshi in 2011, when he was studying at IIMBangalore and was consulting at small and medium enterprises in the nearby industrial areas like Anekal, Jigani and Hosur.

“While travelling to the city’s outskirts, my There is a non-commercial factor — if you try phone would often run out of charge as I was a to involve them in the process, they get interheavy user. That would lead to embarrassing ested. Intrinsic motivation works. We told situations when a customer called and my them we will not negotiate and they agreed,” phone was unavailable,” he says. he says.

Bakshi got himself a portable charger, but The first lot of 20-odd sample bags was often forgot to charge that as well. It was ready in 2013, priced ₹5,500 each. It was a hit around then that Lavina read about solar fab- with a growing community of cyclists in Banric and it led her to the idea of a bag that can galore. Around this time, Google India MD Racharge phones on-the-go. To keep the costs jan Anandan took an interest in the concept low, she hand-stitched the circuitry into an ex- and invested ₹25 lakh in Lumos. isting bag.

“We began commercial manu“This prototype gave us the facturing in October 2013,” says proof of concept — that it Bakshi, whose suppliers can worked,” says Bakshi. At a mall a make up to 5,000 bags a month Lumos already few days later, he ran into Siva for now. gets 30 per cent of its Ramamoorthy, his former boss Among the bigger brands, orders from nine at Tejas Networks. “I told him Samsonite sells a solar backpack foreign countries, about it and he gave us the first in India, while Voltaic Systems mainly Australia and cheque of ₹4.5 lakh.” and BirkSun sell similar products Mexico With this money, the couple globally. Given the limited comdecided to test for customers. petition and a zooming demand, They began by assuming that Lumos is well poised to grab a big consultants and salespeople chunk of the market, especially would be the potential buyers. “But our as- among cyclists in European countries. It alsumption was wrong… It is the guys who cycle ready gets 30 per cent of its orders from nine to work, usually IT professionals, or those who countries abroad, mainly Australia and Mexigo on treks, who are more excited.” co. As its international sales are nearly douBakshi approached bag makers and elec- bling, Lumos is focusing on those markets for tronics manufacturers to make the first lot of now. And as long as the sun is shining, Bakshi sample bags. But convincing them proved dif- shall make hay. ficult. “Getting manufacturers interested and making them supply on time is a challenge. rashmi pratap

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People and the State Alone, not lonely PRESENT IMPERFECT

An engaging account of the political history and key players of modern Nepal

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In order to me with myself, theagainst hillsthe toChinese Mukteshwar, far away from life togethightacquaint years after a historic Jana Ando1961I headed for Tibetansup to use age that carries the reader by weaving lan overturned the old monarchic government. He chronicles how the Maoist er a compelling mix of political history, order and set the stage for Nepal to movement in Nepal then drew upon discon- profiles of personalities and anecdotes. He altransform into a secular democratic tentment against prevailing conditions and so highlights the backstories of individuals republic, the country is still without a new power equations in society, as well as police both at the leadership and cadre levels and Constitution. The promise of radical change abuses and disenchantment with ‘moderate places them in relation to historical events, has come up against the reality of political gri- left’ politics. providing a glimpse into how they would end dlock. In November 2013, stalwart political The Maoists agitated against the feudal up shaping Nepal’s future. parties — the Nepali Congress (NC) and the monarchy, an institution that was particularly An important theme throughout the book Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist- autocratic under the Ranas, and later accom- is the role of India in Nepal’s political affairs, Battles of the Leninist) [CPN (UML)] — reclaimed their hold modated democratic openings only to close and an in-depth and layered assessment is New Republic on power as the Maoists were dealt a major them. This happened under King Mahendra in provided in the second section.

A Contemporary setback in the second Constituent Assembly 1960 and again in 2002 under Both the Indian State and nonHistory of Nepal Prashant Jha (CA) elections. This shift could go a long way in King Gyanendra. Mainstream poState political organisations Aleph shaping Nepal’s political trajectory. litical parties and the parliamenhave had a major influence on ₹395 Prashant Jha’s Battles of the New Republic tary system were also criticised Nepal’s internal situation. Indicomes as Nepal is poised at a critical juncture. by the Maoists for contributing an State policy seems to be one of An important theme Jha is well placed to write this account given to a kind of ‘stable’ instability creating and maintaining a pois India’s role in his extensive journalistic coverage of Nepal. aimed at neutralising the oppolitical environment in Nepal that Nepal’s political He delves into the various historical and socio- sition and preventing progressuits its own interests, and acaffairs political forces that displaced the feudal mon- sive alternatives. tively intervenes in overt and archic order. He captures the magnitude of As the civil war escalated, accovert ways to achieve that. these changes, which is often overlooked in cording to Jha, the Maoists realConsidering the rise of Hindu the present context, and the complex issues ised that they could not capture right-wing forces in India, Jha’s the country has faced in its post-conflict tran- the State and conventionally defeat the Royal engagement with Hindutva politics and orgasition and existence.

Nepal Army, and sought to work with the nisational links in both countries is particuJha begins by recounting the most impor- mainstream parties to pressure the King. The larly relevant. Hindutva organisations in India tant moment in Nepal’s contemporary histo- decision by mainstream parties, such as the have supported their counterparts Press pause So I sat, in Nepal ry — the 2006 Jana Andolan, which forced the Nepali Congress to orient themselves against consistently, andasthis is likely the mists rolledtoin increase in monarch King Gyanendra to step aside. He King Gyanendra’s attempts to consolidate the current political According to Jha, and climate. out, and read my traces the development of the Maoist-led power, proved to be the last nail in the coffin “pressure exertedbook on shutterstock the government by the armed struggle from the first weapons they of the monarchy.

RSS and VHP” contributed to BJP Prime Minisobtained: two rifles that the CIA airdropped in Jha’s writing reads like a long-form report- ter Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s decision to back King ast weekend, for the first time in my have been a source of endless stress — “when in the world, which to be honest, was beginGyanendra’s takeover of power in 2002. life, I went for a holiday by myself. The are we going to get there”, “I’m hungry”, “I’m ning to be my default state of being. I was tired The book’s latter-half examines some of the whole exercise began when a friend bored”, “I need to use the bathroom, and of having to feel and express my outrage, exmost pressing issues in post-conflict, postand I decided to head out for a week- now”. Since I had nothing to do and no one to hausted by manufacturing an opinion on evmonarchy Nepal. At the forefront simmer ethend ‘soon’. But then we could never arrive at a meet, I just sat in the taxi and read my book, erything from Gaza to Ghaziabad. Left to nic and identity issues that the monarchic set of dates that was suitable for both of us and without once craning my neck to see if the myself, I discovered, I was more than okay, I Hindu State, dominated by upper-caste hillas the promised weekend kept slipping away, I traffic had begun to move. was happy. centric elites, suppressed. Jha examines the just decided I would go on my own. My first When at last I reached my hotel, it was to a In the library at the place where I was staypolitical assertion among Madhesis, who are thought was to go to Goa, a place I know well, beautiful view of a green reserved forest in the ing, coincidentally or otherwise, I found a mainly from Nepal’s southern plains and ethwhere even though I would be alone, it was un- foreground and snowcapped mountains in book called Solitude: A Return to the Self. Its aunically and linguistically linked with borderlikely that I would be lonely. But then, I the back. There was no one around for miles thor Anthony Storr writes, “many ordinary ining Indian states, and how caste and class thought, if anything, I should be practising be- and because it was a wet weekend, no one else terests and the majority of creative pursuits intersect with this identity formation. Madheing lonely. in the hotel either. It rained endinvolving real originality continsi and Janjati (indigenous) politics point to My refrain in my daily life is that I have too lessly on the first day, which abue without involving relationhistoric marginalisation and disenfranchisemany people to manage. A kid, a nanny, col- solved me of even making a ships. It seems to me that what ment, and the need for the State to acknowlleagues, friends and the assorted set of charac- pretence of going out for a walk. goes on in the human being edge the demand for federalism.

I was tired of having ters who are a source of both convenience and So I sat, as the mists rolled in and when he is by himself is as imfinal section, Jha presents an overto feel and expressIn theportant annoyance. Yet, of late, I have been fretting out, and read my book. When I as what happens in his view of the poorly handled demobilisation of my outrage, that I will be 60 and alone. It isn’t that I am paused, I could, it seemed for the interactions with other people.”

Liberation Army, which led to onexhausted bythe People’s worried that I’d be discovered dead days after first time in a long time, actually In a world that is now over-satly minimal integration of Maoist combatants manufacturing an the event, when neighbours complain of a hear myself think. Since I was so urated with interactions with into the Nepal Army. This section also looks at foul smell coming across the corridor. (If that far away from it and because I opinion on everything other people, I dare say, the forthe debates around drafting the Constitution, from Gaza to happens, I only hope I’m dressed well and my had nothing else to do, I could mer is in fact, more important. in which the model of federalism (ethnic or Ghaziabad hair looks alright.) No, what worries me is that pick my life apart and truly anaEven though mine was a relaidentity-based) to restructure the State turned I would be alive at 60 and literally, just bore lyse it. I discovered, to my surtively short spell with it, I am a out to be the most contentious. In Jha’s view, myself to death. And so it occurred to me that I prise, that there was no aspect of convert to the ‘renewal’ aspect of “The NC and the UML made a political choice shouldn’t go to Goa, where I know residents my life that I disliked. solitude. After four days, when I to kill the CA rather than accept identity-based and restaurant owners and where I can follow In fact, in the city, the real arrived back in Delhi, introduced federalism,” due to the lack of agreement on a my own footsteps from many trips past and problem is the utter lack of solitude. It isn’t as I now was to myself, I felt surer of my mospecific model. stay within the realm of the familiar. In order now just family and a set of close friends that tives and actions. And, certainly, much calmer.

Assessing the results for the second CA electo acquaint me with myself, I headed up the you have to deal with. It’s the 1,200 people in Which is why, I won’t end this by telling you tions, Jha draws attention to the disenchanthills to Mukteshwar. the phonebook, 800-odd Facebook friends about the man I elbowed because he tried to ment with the Maoists for not delivering a The only aspect of the holiday I planned for and the thousands of Twitter followers, all of grope me at the Delhi railway station and innew constitution and due to a growing diswhom have a story and an opinion, which you stead will leave you with these lines by Rise up Nepali riot is what I would read. Memoirs, I decided, and connect between the UCPN (M) and the peopolicemen block the packed Joan Didion, Joanna Rakoff, Lynn Bar- are privy to, whether you like it or not. With Wordsworth: ple. However, while progressive forces are not path of tens of ber and Karl Ove Knausgaard. The rest, unchar- media and social media, everything seems too When from our better selves we have too long well-positioned at the moment, Battles of the thousands of proacteristically, I left to chance. My first stab of close to home, every event something you Been parted by the hurrying world, and droop, democracy activists as New Republic points to a socio-political culture need to discuss endlessly. Without second-bySick of its business, of its pleasures tired they defy a curfew by joy at being alone was when I was held up on in Nepal that is capable of rapid change and How gracious, how benign, is Solitude. marching towards thethe road for two hours as the Public Works De- second accounts of terrorism, wars and rapes unseating well-entrenched establishments. partment removed a fallen tree from the road. — there was no reason to feel the general sense Royal Palace in Kathmandu on April If I was travelling with the child, this would t@veenavenugopal of helplessness at everything that’s going on VEENA VENUGOPAL is editor BLink rajeev ravisankar is an assistant editor with 22, 2006

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UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY

The assassin

There is a statue, built by Indians, of Lord Mayo on Viper Island, but of Sher Ali the Afridi, there is no mention anywhere

Shadows of the past A panoramic view of Viper Island, near Port Blair, with the gallows and the safe anchor for boats in the foreground r ravindran

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Omair Ahmad is an author. His last book was on Bhutan

n February 1872, an Afridi by the name of Sher Ali prepared a meal for his fellow convicts on Viper Island, part of the larger Port Blair penal colony in the Andaman Islands. Port Blair had been selected as a strategic outpost and penal colony in 1789, but had been abandoned seven years later due to malaria. Also the indigenous tribes had a habit of killing any sailor who found himself shipwrecked there. Port Blair served as a staging post for the forces of the East India Company for their attack on Burma in 1824, but no real settlement had been set up.

This changed after the 1857 Uprising and the penal colony was revived. The first 200 prisoners arrived there in 1858. They were under the powers of the first superintendent, a Dr Walker, who believed that any infraction was worthy of an execution. The prisoners built roads, buildings, and the jails that would house more of their own people. The conditions were horrible, and many died under the whip, were executed, or perished as they encountered the native inhabitants. Nevertheless more and more prisoners were sent to the Andamans as India seethed and squirmed under the heel of British rule. By 1872 there were more than 7,000 prisoners in Port Blair, with the worst of them kept on Viper island, among them Sher Ali. This was an unusual choice. Sher Ali had not been part of the 1857 Uprising, or actually he had, but on the British side, as a part of the Punjab Mounted Police that saw action in Rohilkhand and Awadh. He later went on to serve in the Peshawar Police, and was the personal orderly of Colonel Pollock of the Peshawar Police. His was no nationalist crime, but a family feud. He was accused of killing a man in 1869,

from a tribe that his family had been feuding Lord Mayo, as he was called. The Afghan fronfor years, and while he protested his inno- tier was seething, instances of assassinations cence, he was sentenced to death for the and attacks on the British were rife throughcrime. Colonel Pollock commuted his death out the Empire. He had stopped off at Burma sentence, and Sher Ali was transported to Port with great fanfare, spending the first week of Blair, specifically to Viper Island. It is odd that a February being grand before heading to the man so close to the British authorities would Andamans. Nevertheless, at the back of his be sent to share prison space with rebels, radi- mind would have been the assassination of Judge Norman, the acting chief cals and revolutionaries, the justice of Calcutta High Court on hardened edge of seething reSeptember 20, 1871. The thought bellion against British Rule. was uppermost in the mind of It did not seem to radicalise Sher Ali was the colonial authorities in Port him, though. He was known for transported to Viper good conduct, and the only Island. It is odd that a Blair. No convicts were allowed free from their work gangs, a detransgression on the records man so close to the against him was being found to British would be sent tachment of armed police moved with the viceroy, stationed before have five pounds of flour on his to share prison space and behind him, and covering person, probably stolen from with rebels and his flanks, and on Viper and Ross the kitchen. By May 1871 Sher Ali revolutionaries islands, another troop of armed was operating as barber, and infantry was added. anybody who was being trusted Thus guarded, the viceroy with a blade of sharpened steel spent the whole day touring the around the necks of others must obviously have been considered a reliable islands, including a short trek up Mount Harman. He earned a little money from this, but in riet, which made him a little late. It was eveFebruary 1872 he spent it all to buy some flour ning by the time the viceregal party reached to bake cakes for Muslim prisoners, and some the jetty. The vicerine saw them and ordered sugar to distribute among the Hindu ones. It the band to play Rule Britannia, and to those was an act of celebration, or thanksgiving, but tunes Lord Mayo and his men stepped upon no prisoner admitted to knowing why he had the jetty where Sher Ali had been hiding. Ali done so. Unlike Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, leapt up, and buried a kitchen knife once, the more famous prisoner in the Andamans, twice, into the viceroy’s neck before he was Sher Ali did not write or reveal his plans; un- torn away. The viceroy died soon after, and Ali like Savarkar he did not reconcile himself to was hanged for his crime a month later. I am told that there is a statue, built by Indians, to British justice, or plead for his release either.

A few days after Sher Ali distributed flour commemorate Lord Mayo on Viper Island, but cakes and sugar, Richard Southwell Bourke, of Sher Ali, there is no mention anywhere. the 6th earl of Mayo and the 4th viceroy of India t@OmairTAhmad arrived at Port Blair. These were tense days for

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moustache pervades reality in all forms, from car hoods to military caps, just as his thoughts have invaded the population’s minds. “Parasites living inside our heads — we are just hosts for other people’s thoughts and now, increasingly, other corporation’s thoughts, other government’s thoughts,” I say, stumbling over my explanation of memes. Appupen nods, “That is the idea behind the dragon — he is a trend, and you pretty much welcome him in, he has a very friendly approach; after you become the host, he takes you for a spin.”

Appupen frequently returns to the tension s it possible to hold a senior position in Jamesbetween the ICreator and—the “This is Bond when was young butCreated. over time business after coming out of the closet? you invest the biggest creative people in the in twotaskforce lives and of keep your business For much of his career, Lord John and gay world heissays, the adlifeprobably,” separate. It veryreferring stressfulto and Browne, the former chief executive of eventually ends invertising field, “Many creative catastrophe.”

British Petroleum (BP), believed the answer to people cut themselves The toll that remaining in the closet tookfrom on the this question was ‘no’. Growing up in Britain him was evident to fact that “Ithe meme others. knew therecomes was off at a time when homosexuality was banned something strange. theirYou so-called were ‘creative’, far too and re- it is Aspyrus is the first (until 1967) and where legally enforced dis- served… you didn’t justified because theyfamily, are not actalk about your book that actually crimination remained in place long after, your friends, whatcountable forweekends,” any of thea outyou did on looks the way I Browne, now 66, found it impossible to open long-standing acquaintance comes of thatrecently ‘creative’”.told created it up to his colleagues in the early stages of his him. Not being able to “My is that might befear yourself inIan officeget to career. From then, maintaining the myth be- can be very undermining be really creative if I wanthe to, but to a person, came ingrained, even as society changed points out — you what I make super ad can’t if have photosthis of your around him, reinforced by the experiences of loved ones, talk about which converts people your time with them,toorsomehis own family. His mother, an Auschwitz sur- grievething reallyhappens. believe in? What is my feelwhenI don’t the worst vivor, had long warned him of the dangers ing if that happens?”

Thisthe is clearly not an And it can be harmful beyond individuthat your secrets in the wrong hands could al too, abstract fear.

I hadout, asked how hethe put the Browne points as him he makes pose, as well as the risks of being in a minority. business bread onfor the table? Hecreating started an offincluin college case employers His decision proved immensely dear. In 2007, sive environment. doing murals “They in a bar and his friends arehemanaging two frewhen a British tabloid attempted to run lives quented. a hit and, soon,with more inand they They can’t were be wholly engaged claims made by his former partner, he sought the purpose quiries started in.and His voice dips as if of the coming company therefore an injunction, in the course of which he productivity confiding terrible, terrible secret, “One goesa down.” made false statements to the court. Things 11 India months actually, I worked Weyear… turn to where, following theinSu-an adsoon fell apart, and Browne stepped down preme vertising firm.” Hein shakes his head, if at the Court decision December, gayassex as the head of BP after a 41-year career. enormity of what he has done. “Actually has been re-criminalised.

Is Indian business I just Seven years on, Browne’s answer to that held back sold myself, I wentsituation? to three ad just took by the legal “Itfirms, mustI be,” first question is an unqualified ‘yes’. Now a he says thefirmly. guy who was paying he says “Anything thatmost,” reduces inclu-with a partner at private equity firm Riverstone sion — laugh.

— he working on Moonand He it’s had not to just thiswas area but others Holdings, and chairman of ward and hadasrun outreligion of money.

He stayed such race, — holds an on shale gas developer Cuadrilla the job till he finished economy andthe a novel. society back.

Resources, he has positioned Without theare scaffolding words, his creThese things of that people himself as one of the most voations burst panels with can’t the change, and yougreat mustvividness. inAnything that cal spokespersons for homoWhat are thethem. challenges of writing ‘silent’ clude By including people, reduces inclusion sexual rights within the world of comics?you “Back in Kerala,” he says, man looks engage people, and“awhen holds an economy business. Earlier this year, he after myyou father.

He people, doesn’tyou speak English or engage increase and a society back published The Glass Closet: Why have any experience of comics. He reads my their productivity.”

Coming Out Is Good for Business, We talk about the role the busiam in the drawing room of Appupen’s an emotional and personal tale ness community can play. “Withapartment in Bangalore. I really mean of his own experience of rein a company you can be drawing room, for this is where the artist maining in the closet, and the im- uncompromising. You can say that within the creates his graphic novels. The eyrie-like mense improvement to walls of my company I am not going to allow apartment has a lone window, the light from his life he has experi- anyone to be bullied or pushed around. I want which falls on his drafting board. The view is enced since coming people to be open,” he says. The book includes obscured by residential blocks and commerout. He also chroni- examples of the efforts of a number of MNCs cial complexes. It does not matter. Appupen cles the experiences in India to create an inclusive environment, has sketched far beyond these dismal vistas, of others who have including consulting firm Bain Capital, which past unlovely piles of concrete to a land where chosen to come out annually organises a conference for LGBT staff the imagination is prized above all things. To a — stories, he hopes, from across the world, and Goldman Sachs, land made by the imagination. The land is will inspire others which has a 300-strong LGBT network in India. called Halahala. Our first reports of this terto do so, and push However, Browne is eager to stress that it is rain came in 2009 via Appupen’s debut graphCEOs to put in not just in the 77 countries where homosexic novel Moonward. Further information was place the policies uality is a crime (many of which, he notes, are received through Legends of Halahala. and systems for as Commonwealth countries, where laws were Now Appupen presses a graphic novel, still inclusive a work- brought in under the British Empire) that warm from the press, into my hands. It is his place as possible. must be of concern. In the West, there remain latest missive. “The books are looking health“I wanted to few senior people at the top of business. There ier,” he says, “I like this book, Aspyrus; it is the tell my story so are no openly gay CEOs in the US’ S &P 700, and first time the book is actually looking the way I that nobody only one in the UK’s FTSE 100. While researchGriffin and dragon Creator of Aspyrus biggest Browne fear is of being sell-out jaideep unudurti created it.” For this, he had to convince Harwould ever(above), get Appupen’s ing the book, was aparticularly surperCollins to shift printing to a press down into the same prised at the reluctance and fear of young the road, where he could supervise the pro- would replicate, an ideasituation subject toas selection I people work first. Wherever I see him not getting in their 20s to come out, pointing to it, I duction and execution. This attention to de- pressure. The joke you liked that did,”sohemuch says at a you know Istill have to iron part.”“Constant He evokes Jim how much needed tothat be done. tail makes his work so rich and immersive. had to share, the emailrecent you have to forward, meeting Woodring’s Frank, combining sophisvigilance is needed.

Intolerance can graphic pop up veThe first two graphic novels were extensive the pop tune that youatcan’t out of his get office in your tication the doodles you make at the ry quickly andwith can be very damaging.” forays in what fantasy authors call “world- head, and cats, so many cats, allLondon. of these are (Glasscloset.org central back of your college notebook. is currently collating personbuilding”, creating a living, breathing world memes. Visually, a combination dragon, “It was a bad of situawriting hiscome ownout private al storiesAppupen, of people by who chose to from mywith its own internal physics and self-consis- griffin and dinosaur,tion,” Aspyrus insinuates he says matter- itself has Contributions unlocked a world lies beacrossthology, the world. can bethat made tent logic. With the basics done, Appupen has into every crannyof-factly. of the host planet.

“I was running through tween the madness of the meme and the the website.) now taken on another ambitious theme with I was reminded of the Tintin adventure two lives, which was excit- in genius in the gene. vidya ram Aspyrus. In 1976, scientist Richard Dawkins The Calculus where the—country BorduingAffair to start with almost of like coined the term ‘meme’, for an idea that is the ria is ruled by the dictator Kurvi-Tasch, with jaideep unudurti is a Hyderabad-based writer and equivalent of the biological gene, an idea that his distinctive moustache. Kurvi-Tasch’s graphic novelist

Gay business

Lord John Browne on the importance of coming out and not running two lives

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How can I be shot in jeans?

From cruises in the Mediterranean to MDMA cakes, nudies on Snapchat to eavesdropping on pilot chatter... BLink spends time with urban, affluent teenagers, and comes away heartened and afraid

Rare pleasures Riya Sarin, 18, who likes to stay busy — spending up to four hours a day at jazz and ballet classes — saves a rare afternoon for friends and her cat Mr Monkey ramesh sharma

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anya and Dhruv Saluja, all of 16 and 13, have recently returned from a Mediterranean summer cruise. It was the best vacation of their lives and they can’t stop talking about it. They bring out their father’s computer to show me their pictures — 2,000 of them. “We aren’t allowed to touch it. We will say you asked for it,” they suggest, handing over the laptop with alacrity.

Where did you go? “Italy, France, Monte Carlo and South Africa.” South Africa? “Yes,” says Aanya. “Noooo, you idiot. You mean North Africa,” Dhruv reprimands his elder sister as they both break into laughter. Did all your Delhi school friends go on international holidays?

“Yes, most did — Europe, America, Australia.

One went to Sri Lanka, we all laughed at her.”

Why? “That is not international,” says Dhruv.

Did you like the holiday? “We looooved it.” Aanya adds, “I didn’t like Monte Carlo, it was too rich.” “It was the best,” says Dhruv, “even the cabs are Ferraris.” “No, it felt like someone from Bihar coming to Delhi,” explains Aanya.

In photo after photo, Aanya — in blue dress, of its own kind and determined most by the in black dress, in black top and red skirt — here and the now. When our children, nieces, stands against blazing sunsets and iconic nephews pass through this arena, they seem to be pioneers in a foreign land. A monuments. She says she never 1965 Time cover story ‘Today’s repeats outfits, most of which are bought from Zara, Mango or Teenagers’ described them as Forever 21. I am informed that if “worldly, interesting, informed They know so a girl repeats clothes, people will and even intellectual” — clearly, little, they know every generation considers teenthink she can’t afford new ones. so much agers of its own time with a mix Aanya says, “The day we reached Paris it was cold. My dad told me of admiration and discomfort.

Science reminds us that the to put on jeans. I cried. How can I be shot in jeans?” We duly rush bedding down of the prefrontal through the Eiffel Tower photos and linger on cortex of teenagers might explain their disorthe cruise. The holiday is long over, and now ganised and irrational behaviour. It might tell holiday homework looms large. Gone are the us that the underactivity in the right ventral days of darting through Europe and basking striatum could lead to their risky natures or by the pool. They now plunge into the world of that their overworked pineal gland is responsible for their late nights and sleep-ins. Thank timetables, exams and tuitions.

We have all been teenagers, passed through you New Scientist, but in the messiness of life, that essential stage from childhood to adult- this explains little. To spend time with teenaghood. But the experience of it makes us none ers is to be let in and to be pushed out. One can the wiser. Teenage, like no other stage of life, is turn antagonist or confidante with equal

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Coming soon to a website near you

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Imagine that! (clockwise from above) Sanay Mathur tunes into pilot communication jessu john; Aparajitha hopes to go into molecular gastronomy jessu john; and back from a summer in Europe, Aanya Saluja has Net gainer her Pawan abandoned plans Kumar (right) to be a fashiondirector of the hit Kannada designer, opting for movie Lucia, law instead experimented successfully with a pre-order online distribution model k murali kumar; (top) posters of Tamil film Idhuvum Kadandhu Pogum and the Hindi film Vivah

haste. They stun you with their innocence and their smarts — they know so little, they know so much. In an attempt to understand them, to peep into their worlds, BLink spends time with urban, affluent teenagers in Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai. We come out heartened and afraid.

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ighteen-year-old Riya Sarin is the kind of girl who might be called an ‘old soul’. Mature beyond her years, she divides her time between lectures at St Stephen’s College, dance classes, friends and Mr Monkey, her cat, who nips people he likes. When possible, she spends up to four hours a day at jazz and ballet classes. Does she plan to do this professionally? “No, this isn’t going to lead anywhere,” she says, “I just want to do something with my full energy.” She stays with her parents in south Delhi and commutes by Metro. “I don’t want to move to north campus (where most of Del-

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tional audiences. “For the last six to eight years, we have been hearing that digital distribution will change the face of film revenue models and we are all hoping this will happen sooner or later,” he says. In 2007, Vivah from Rajshri Productions was the first Bollywood film to be released online.

“As of now, the digital distribution model is more about reaching audiences than about revenue. And to that extent, I think it works well. People from across the world can see the film, which would otherwise have been unof the class.

“I onceorgot 10/20 on ahave test.watched So I had available to them, they would do 60 sit-ups...” sheKapoor. trails off, the memory atopirated copy,” says Striker, F.A.L.T.U of it still bruising. and humiliation the Abhay Deol-starrer One by Two were If Aparajitha 14, released from Bangalore among the other Sankar, Hindi films online. were to meet Medha, they would hit it off instantly, as theyfield share similar interests in books Level playing could be viewed online for free. “It was a big “It’s and too cooking. created Rick early toPercy say ifJackson this is the start ofbya new risk to release it online,” says Srihari Prabaha- film Riordan seems to be all the rage for teenagers. distribution trend,” says Bollywood proran, who had co-directed the film with Anil ducer Aparajitha is aMonga, loyal Percy — “the Percy JackGuneet whofan is the co-founder of Krishnan. “But the studio wanted to test the Sikhya son series has characters to. It’s entertainment and aI can closerelate associate of waters with a new business model, and decid- filmmaker about a boyAnurag and a girl and their adventures.”

Kashyap.

“While the theated to go the online way.”

Her loyalty leads naturally to rical release to hasreading been, and willher continue to be, While it may be a first for a major produc- the primary path of writing.

“When itthe comes mode ofShe filmadds, distribution, ontion house, online distribution has been gath- line to writing, I don’t like imagining to write. platform and the trend of building onlineI ering steam for a while now. like seeing to also write.co-exist, So I mayand sit in front of a rivcontent can momentum is er or beach and up.” take a notepad or canvas out.” already picking Indie on internet Imagination is one thing teenagers have in Yet another advantage online is that it alOver the last few years, independent filmmak- lows plenty.

Well travelled and worldly, they know filmmakers to subvert restrictions imers have taken to online distribution with a posed of different options andboard possibilities. eithercareer by the censor or the vengeance and been rewarded Aparajitha, for instance, wants to go into moincreasingly strident moral powith great payback. Among the lecular gastronomy, she says is “when lice. Thewhich challenge, however, is in biggest-ever hits in Kannada is you use an item of food inan a different form but convincing audience accusthe 2013 film Lucia, which experiit doesn’t losetomed its original taste.”copies Riya wants to to pirated to pay Viewers became their mented with a pre-order online be an archaeologist.

Dhruvonline wantsand to be a neufor watching thereby own distributors distribution model. “The viewrologist like Derek Shepherd (Grey’sproducers Anatomy). convincing big-ticket ers became their own distribuSanay Mathur, 18,italso called“IMomo bethat is viable. know Man, it’s a clihi’s colleges located). is this tors, and it are turned outItto be one big chill- cause of his love is obsessed with ché, for butmomos, the internet is the medied scene there. People parties in their planes and isum really successful for us,” go saystothe the of proud owner of 50-60 model the future when it comes pyjamas.

I like being film’s director, Pawanbusy.”

Kumar. “In this model, to film distribution,” planes. He sayseven Sunilskipped Doshi ofschool MumIf there one thingrecommended that teenevery timeisthe viewer our film bai-based Alliance the day US President Obama was Media and Entertainment. agers are, it iswho busy; they up endure to someone ended watching it, they “The Web offers to arrive in India in 2010,utilityso he the most convenient, incredible pressures — we social got a share of the revenue made out of the a glimpse Air based servicecould for thecatch consumer.

When of you’re Email is passé.

They and academic. viewing charge.”Delhi’s Medha Skype and WhatsApp Forceyour One distribution in the skies. Sanay says, making internet platform, Mathur studies Class X. Insuccessful her While Lucia in had a fairly runfriends; in it’stheir “I alisten to the chatter pilots. no longer geographical groupof that is with school, classes divided theatres in itsare home Stateinto and in the festiv- areyour Althoughbut it’s illegal in India,and, I try target audience a community phones extenfour sections.

A isinternet for the average al circuit, distribution alone eavesdrop on pilots flying into ultimately, is bound to have a wider reach.” sions of their limbs it to student, B for brilliant, C for₹52 canlakh. “Internet fetched it more than or out oflike Singapore.

I even tune And for filmmakers Kumar, the future is do better and D for distracted. distribution will become a staple for all the Web. “For into Australian pilots duringlike the independent filmmakers Medhathe — future a soft-spoken girl, an films I make,” says Kumar. of their flights…

I hear me, especiallycourse in regional cinema, a theatrical active participant in Model Unit-his film Aank- release usually Rajat Kapoor premiered them discuss conditions flyresults in more of a lossofsince ed Nations, who reading I am Malala when they hon Dekhi onisthe site Spuul for internaing, the degree thefilm flapsstay haveintothe be raised and don’t let the halls long we meet — obviously feels the weight of these enough,” the altitude he they says.are “Onat…” the internet, no one can demands. She returns from school at 2pm, has eat up the other’s space and we can co-exist of everyhouses. generation tuitions from 4 to 6pm every day, on test days with hile the teenagers big production And conthe found their adults, this generation’s fashe wakes up by 4.30am. Her tuition is not a viewer has multiple options.” place of gentle guidance and encouragement. cility with technology — be it homing into sibiexchanges arasu or living in virtual realities — Poor results lead to sit-ups performed in front pilot

The business of film distribution is slowly, but surely, unspooling on the internet with rich pickings for indie and big producers alike n Vadapalani, the heart of the Tamil film industry, Kollywood, is the country’s oldest film studio and production house, AVM. Earlier this year, AVM, which has produced more than 175 films since the ’30s, decided to experiment with a new distribution system.

The film Idhuvum Kadandhu Pogum, produced by the studio’s fourth-generation scions Aparna and Aruna Guhan, was released not in theatres but on the internet. The 55minute film, interspersed with seven 30-second ad slots,

BL

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watch cover

saturday, july 26, 2014

MANJH KHAMAJ

Glimpsing these worlds, you realise that teenagers live in fraught and cruel times. They have always snuck bits and bobs of their lives into closets, away from parental eyes, but the internet provides them with a bubble of anonymity and a freedom that is all too easy to vandalise. This is the first space to get misused and sexualised and the hardest to monitor, as teenagers are often more familiar with this terrain than adults. Photos do get passed on, comments lacerate, reputations are shredded and it is usually the girls who suffer.

The teenagers we met said that bullying existed more in the virtual Popular notes Musicthan in the real world. Butfans ‘wedgies’ to be a popular at a sabhaseems in form of hazing.

Nikhil, Riya’s friend explains, Thiruvaiyaru, “Basically,Thanjavur you takedistrict someone’s underwear and b velankanni raj pull it from the side so it really hurts and the underwear tears... and then you take out the pieces and throw them around.” Those on the basketball team and students council carry extra underwear in their bags as a precaution.

From bullying we move on to talk of ‘relationships’, where it seems like nothing has changed, and at times as if everything has.

Texting paves the way for these ‘relationships’, late-night calls cement them and alone time establishes them. In the early teens, boys and girls regard the opposite sex as something distasteful, in the mid-teens mutual interest is kindled and by the late teens you realise boys can be friends and boyfriends. Riya says, “In Class IX, the biggest controversy was if you were seen holding hands. Our batch started dating around then, by Class XI, people were in steady relationships. The longest relationship in our batch lasted six months.”

When it comes to questions of sex, the answers appear convenient rather than accurate. Everyone tells you everyone else is doing it but they aren’t. “At 14-15, boys are just emotionless creeps,” I am told, “they only want to get physical.” Further details aren’t divulged. tunga Cultural Centre in Mumbai have a wait- ability Afteralone. sex, the questions obviously lead to ing list of young artistes (who have to mark drugs. wethe meet on a winter This When is where southern sabhasafternoon, score. The time for years before the organisers listen to an 18-year-old wearing socks is in a bit organic nature of theladybird Carnatic community their demo CDs and give them the nod). Yet, a of a rush,a asseamless she is heading to a hair salon.

You creates link between the small slot at one of these recitals, however presti- see, two of and her the close friends had cut off her gatherings prestigious December fesgious, does little to further a young musician’s hair eating a slice of cake laced with tival. after An impressive performance in a sabha career. A stellar performance in a circle recital MDMA, drug commonlyslot known as ecstasy. leads tothe an early-afternoon in a December company, quickly learn of web- Iconcert, is In nottheir a ticket to thewe larger festival platform. stare into her face, and which then feigning leads to adisinterest, late-afternoon sites networks are alien to us, quickly Thereand wassocial a time when that festival organisers theand steep incline of her fringe slot the notice next year finally, if the youngster rookiemag.com (an aldaily.com for youngscouted for talent in these smaller pro- and bangs.toFeeling thea 6pm edges,ticketed she says, “It(as is continues sparkle, slot cracked.com andmusic 9gag.com (which seem sters), grammes, when the communities of not so bad, it just needsafternoon to be evened opposed to the free-entry slots),out.” vinto be Buzzfeed onand steroids) often in When Calcutta, Bombay Poonacrop wereup abuzz with her friends a few weeks later, dicatesI meet the years of dedication to his art.they Acconversations.

Whiledisplays Facebookby and WhatsApp say they don’tcording talk of promising do real drugs, maybe corporate just grass to Krishna, are commonplace young musicians. to be de rigueur, you have or marijuana.sponsors Procuring is never hard, only tooitare less philistine in to But be on Snapchat or Ask.fm.

Snapchat, I learn, the voice in their that is a thing of the past. plays spoilsport. the head South.

They would While back allows to sendare photos dissolve within those in the senior Festivalyou line-ups now that decidclasses access to someone whohave has easy shone at the one to other 10 seconds.

“ThisThe is where ed on grounds. orga- The distance between alcohol and pot, rather to earn their December festival than be girls nudiesthe to boys,” a 13niserssend of premier street cred, juniors down shots influenced by the badgering ofofa the music circle and year-old boymusic tells festival me gleefully.

Hindustani of KolRed BullKrishna in once-popular PR firm. did add thatbars, the the festival stage Have you ever received one?musi“Oh, kata habitually ask young now largely frequented unCarnatic music ecosystemby is not cannot be covered Two of her friends many he says, got cians times,” to raise funds“I once through derage Aanya practices, says, “Evbeyonddrinkers. questionable musical hadwith cut off her hair five together.” Sensing my disbeadvertisements in exchange for eryone and a but the drinks very fact thatsmokes. he usedIn the ability alone after eating a slice of lief, “All girls music send a slot.he Theadds, top Hindustani group of 10, eight and do. But don’t. word ‘ecosystem’ not I‘indusMDMA cake naked The boys feel hapfestivalphotos. of western India now Cigarettes can kill you. I don’t try’ is telling. py.

Then runsThe on agirls quidfeel prohappy. quo system. hide anything from mother Hindustani musicmy could do they break up. Thewho boylabours passes Its chief organiser, and We have a very opensysrewithaunt. a similar merit-based the photos around andhesays under the belief that is athe good musician, tem. It is heartbreaking lationship. They tell us to witness theright Sisygirl such I never to even askedother her for it.” from has is sent outa s**t a message several musito overstep.” pheanwrong effortsand of where young not musicians when they Ask.fm pops up as another trendy social cian-organisers across the country: if he isnetin- send Today’s teenagers more in emoticons demo CDs and speak resumés to tens of music work allows questions be askedheunder vited as toit perform at theirtofestival, will than words. feelknowing more than they can tell. circles everyThey month, that it leads nothe cloak ofbyanonymity.

The questions vary They reciprocate providing them an opportuniprobably 16persevere best friends rathersmallthan where.

Yet theyhave must at these from ‘What bra size are you?’

‘How festivals will you one. ty in his.

Further, most of thetomajor In many ways,itthey children, er concerts because may are wellstill be their only turn meon on?’ to ‘Do you think X is hot?’ survive corporate sponsorship; theirSchool itiner- quick and easy to believe. chancetototrust perform anywhere at all.They Theyface inconfessions much pressures aries amply pages reflecton theFacebook fact thatcaused corporations that we space never that knew, they battle dehabit the difficult British historian furore as talent they became the perfect venue for mons scout for between the second and the we have never seen.

We will described probably Eric Hobsbawm had so eloquently teenagers, canneed onlyonly wait some until online bullying.

They were quickly pulled fourth page of newspaper supplements rather never as oneknow between “poetswe who thenot Rubicon and join us in by humdown, they still as stubs and carry than inbut concerts.

Theexist larger implications of they papercross and do expect to earn a living the Andproducts together,and we the canzilliothen venomous likea more “I once pissedcontemon the drum this practiceposts call for detailed sale oradulthood. rental of their at the next generation of teenagers and squash after seven shots of Absolut plation,court but seats it has certainly rendered the gawp naire pop musicians”. vodka”, you’re such ainfructuous. d**k, I will buy smaller “X, programmes Thea gun dis- ask, who are they? and you the onemusic day” or “Y, and you the s**t,festivyour arunabha deb is a Kolkata-based lawyer and a music tanceshoot between circle nair with Jessu John and Mohini Chaudhuri writer shubhodeb@hotmail.com mother a s**t”.be covered with musical nandini al stagewas cannot

The sabha system

Young Carnatic musicians are much better off than their Hindustani compatriots as they have more avenues to thrive in

arunabha deb

C

Different strokes (clockwise from top) Mumbai’s Amol Rane, an IIT-aspirant, practises Zumba to stay fit paul noronha; basketball player Nimay Shahani, also from the city, is off to study abroad paul noronha; and Dhruv Saluja, back in the Capital after a cruise in the Med, wants to be a neurologist

arnatic vocalist TM Krishna was in Delhi earlier this month, in conversation with VK Karthika, the chief editor of HarperCollins India. The talk had been organised to promote Krishna’s book, A Southern Music, a staggering work on the evolution, aesthetics and scope of Carnatsets themKrishna apart. Email is passé. use it only ic music. was his usualThey articulate and when they have to —audience when internships and provocative self. The was particularcollege admissions it. They Skype and ly engaged when hedemand held forth on the continWhatsApp with friends, their phones areand exuing dominance of Brahmins as patrons tensions of their limbs. WhatsApp groups are practitioners of Carnatic music. However, it used discuss homework, snigger at adult was atostray remark made by Krishna that jokes stare at Sunnyme Leone’s assets.

Godanof struck,orand unsettled, the most.

While War on PS3 can entertain foraside, six-seven swering a question, he saidthem — as an realhours a young day. They share passwords with ly — that Carnatic musicians are much friends.

Aanya “My boyfriend musicians. gets jealous better off thansays, young Hindustani if IWhen talk toIothers, so heto looks at my accounts.” asked him elucidate, later over the phone, he spoke of the ‘sabha culture’ in Carnatic music. The small-to-medium organisations, usually run by members, provide young musicians regular performing spaces and discerning listeners. The gatherings, ubiquitous in Tamil Nadu, are mostly small and the pay is low. But a far richer reward awaits able young musicians who perform in sabha concerts: the corridors of Carnatic music, forever fecund with debate and differences, ensure that news of an upcoming talent travels fast and wide.

The sabhas are not unlike the ‘music circles’ or ‘music societies’ of Hindustani music.

These too run on membership, hold regular recitals (also small to mid-sized) and feature young artistes. What, then, inspired Krishna’s remark? Is he mistaken in believing that young Hindustani artistes don’t benefit from the smaller circle programmes as much as young Carnatic artistes benefit from sabhas?

Unfortunately, Krishna is right. Circle programmes do abound. They are also alive and healthy. Top organisations like the Dadar Ma-

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saturday, july 26, 2014

Before the crowds arrive A man awaits customers at his makeshift ‘shop’ of grains

Pay pal Coins get a second life as they plug holes in a bucket or even a roof

Fresh arrival Vegetables carted all the way from Periyakulam

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Natural progression Terrace f

Work flow Washing carrots by a stream near Vilpatti

Bright ideas Everyday plastic an n

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saturday, july 26, 2014

ffarms in the Palani Hills

n nd grapes from Kodai Road vie for attention

Monsoon sales A Sunday market in Kodaikanal peddles some rare, bucolic charm

Ready aim Murugan sells slingshots to ward off crows from crops

“H

ow do carrots grow?” enquires a friend, convinced I would know, since I live near terrace farms for a few months every year. I don’t. What I do know, however, is that farming has been an occupation in Palani Hills for centuries, with most vegetable and fruits grown in the lower reaches. Along the streams near Vilpatti, they wash carrots by the hundreds.

Nearby, at the Sunday market in Kodaikanal, along the Poet Thyagaraja Road, vendors come to peddle their wares — from wafers and fritters to fresh produce and oddities you won’t find in a city. Where the shandu starts, Murugan arranges slingshots in a hurry. On his chest and arms are several tattoos; one, a blue lion, he won’t talk about. He comes here from Madurai with others of his tribe. “Villagers buy my slings, ₹30 apiece, to aim at crows that peck at vegetables,” he says.

Up ahead lie curious heaps of aluminium coins. As a wiry local walks up to

buy one, P Raji from Batlagundu shows him how to melt it over a flame to plug holes in vessels or roofs: “If it’s a container for water, apply heat from inside; if it’s for dry goods, outside.” Raji makes ₹300 a day and spends ₹33 on a bus ticket.

Perhaps more prosperous, M Sultan, a seller of dry goods and grains, who also owns a store in Dindigul, is happy to part with an extra ₹20 to rent one of the covered shelters. But people like A Kariappan from Periyakulam, seated between mounds of ladies finger, lemons and kappa kazhangu (tapioca), can ill-afford them. Kariappan works as a coolie for the rest of the week, while Muruganandam, who arrives here in a group, hauling his load of avocados in a pick-up van, toils at a coffee estate.

Soon, the heaps of beans and carrots will disappear, as will Muruganandam and the rest of his party, only to return next Sunday. sujatha shankar kumar is a Chennai-based writer-photographer

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saturday, july 26, 2014

Coming soon to a website near you

I

Imagine that! (clockwise from above) Sanay Mathur tunes into pilot communication jessu john; Aparajitha hopes to go into molecular gastronomy jessu john; and back from a summer in Europe, Aanya Saluja has Net gainer her Pawan abandoned plans Kumar (right) to be a fashiondirector of the hit opting Kannada designer, for movie Lucia, law instead experimented successfully with a pre-order online distribution model k murali kumar; (top) posters of Tamil film Idhuvum Kadandhu Pogum and the Hindi film Vivah

haste. They stun you with their innocence and their smarts — they know so little, they know so much. In an attempt to understand them, to peep into their worlds, BLink spends time with urban, affluent teenagers in Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai. We come out heartened and afraid.

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ighteen-year-old Riya Sarin is the kind of girl who might be called an ‘old soul’. Mature beyond her years, she divides her time between lectures at St Stephen’s College, dance classes, friends and Mr Monkey, her cat, who nips people he likes. When possible, she spends up to four hours a day at jazz and ballet classes. Does she plan to do this professionally? “No, this isn’t going to lead anywhere,” she says, “I just want to do something with my full energy.” She stays with her parents in south Delhi and commutes by Metro. “I don’t want to move to north campus (where most of Del-

14 10

tional audiences. “For the last six to eight years, we have been hearing that digital distribution will change the face of film revenue models and we are all hoping this will happen sooner or later,” he says. In 2007, Vivah from Rajshri Productions was the first Bollywood film to be released online.

“As of now, the digital distribution model is more about reaching audiences than about revenue. And to that extent, I think it works well. People from across the world can see the film, which would otherwise have been unof the class.

“I onceorgot 10/20 on ahave test.watched So I had available to them, they would do 60 sit-ups...” sheKapoor. trails off, the memory atopirated copy,” says Striker, F.A.L.T.U of it still bruising. and humiliation the Abhay Deol-starrer One by Two were If Aparajitha 14, released from Bangalore among the other Sankar, Hindi films online. were to meet Medha, they would hit it off instantly, as theyfield share similar interests in books Level playing could be viewed online for free. “It was a big “It’s and too cooking.

Percy created bya Rick early to say ifJackson this is the start of new risk to release it online,” says Srihari Prabaha- film Riordan seems to be all the rage for teenagers. distribution trend,” says Bollywood proran, who had co-directed the film with Anil ducer Aparajitha is aMonga, loyal Percy — “the Percy JackGuneet whofan is the co-founder of Krishnan. “But the studio wanted to test the Sikhya son series has characters to. It’s entertainment and Ia can closerelate associate of waters with a new business model, and decid- filmmaker about a boyAnurag and a girl and their adventures.”

Kashyap.

“While the theated to go the online way.”

Her loyalty leads naturally to rical releaseto hasreading been, and willher continue to be, While it may be a first for a major produc- the primary path of writing.

“When itthe comes mode ofShe filmadds, distribution, ontion house, online distribution has been gath- line to writing, I don’t like imagining to write. platform and the trend of building onlineI ering steam for a while now. like seeing to also write.co-exist, So I mayand sit in front of a rivcontent can momentum is er or beach and take already picking up.” a notepad or canvas out.”

Indie on internet Imagination is one thing teenagers have in Yet another advantage online is that it alOver the last few years, independent filmmak- lows plenty.

Well travelled and worldly, they know filmmakers to subvert restrictions imers have taken to online distribution with a posed of different options andboard possibilities. eithercareer by the censor or the vengeance and been rewarded Aparajitha, for instance, wants to gomoral into moincreasingly strident powith great payback. Among the lecular gastronomy, she says is “when lice. Thewhich challenge, however, is in biggest-ever hits in Kannada is you use an item of food inan a different form but convincing audience accusthe 2013 film Lucia, which experiit doesn’t losetomed its original taste.”copies Riya wants to to pirated to pay Viewers became their mented with a pre-order online be an archaeologist.

Dhruvonline wantsand to be a neufor watching thereby own distributors distribution model. “The viewrologist like Derek Shepherd (Grey’sproducers Anatomy). convincing big-ticket ers became their own distribuSanay Mathur, 18,italso called“IMomo that is viable. know Man, it’s a beclihi’s colleges located). is this tors, and itare turned outItto be one big chill- cause of his love is obsessed with ché, for butmomos, the internet is the medied scene there. People tothe parties in their planes and isum really successful for us,”go says the of proud 50-60 the owner future of when it model comes pyjamas.

I like being film’s director, Pawanbusy.”

Kumar. “In this model, to film distribution,” planes. He sayseven Sunilskipped Doshi ofschool MumIf there one thingrecommended that teenevery timeisthe viewer our film bai-based Alliance the day US President Obama was Media and Entertainment. agers are, it iswho busy; they up endure to someone ended watching it, they “The Web offers to arrive in India in 2010,utilityso he the most convenient, incredible pressures — social got a share of the revenue we made out of the a glimpse Air based servicecould for thecatch consumer.

When of you’re Email is passé.

They and academic. viewing charge.”Delhi’s Medha Skype and WhatsApp Forceyour One in the skies. Sanay says, making internet distribution platform, Mathur studies Class X. Insuccessful her While Lucia in had a fairly runfriends; in it’stheir “I listen to the chatter of that pilots. no longer a geographical group is with school, classes are divided theatres in its home Stateinto and in the festiv-areyour Althoughbut it’s illegal in India, and, I try target audience a community phones extenfour sections.

A isinternet for the average al circuit, distribution alone eavesdrop on pilots flying into ultimately, is bound to have a wider reach.” sions of their limbs it to student, B for brilliant, C for₹52 canlakh. “Internet fetched it more than or out oflike Singapore.

I even tune And for filmmakers Kumar, the future is do better and D for distracted. distribution will become a staple for all the Web. “For into Australian pilots during like the independent filmmakers Medhathe — future a soft-spoken girl, ansays Kumar. films I make,” of their flights…

I hear me, especiallycourse in regional cinema, a theatrical active participant in Model Unit-his film Aank- release usually Rajat Kapoor premiered them discuss conditions flyresults in more of a lossofsince ed Nations, who reading I am Malala when they hon Dekhi onisthe site Spuul for internaing, the degree thefilm flapsstay haveintothe be raised and don’t let the halls long we meet — obviously feels the weight of these enough,” the altitude hethey says.are “Onat…” the internet, no one can demands. She returns from school at 2pm, has eat up the other’s space and we can co-exist of everyhouses. generation tuitions from 4 to 6pm every day, on test days with hile the teenagers big production And conthe found their adults, this generation’s fashe wakes up by 4.30am. Her tuition is not a viewer has multiple options.” place of gentle guidance and encouragement. cility with technology — be it homing into sibiexchanges arasu or living in virtual realities — Poor results lead to sit-ups performed in front pilot

The business of film distribution is slowly, but surely, unspooling on the internet with rich pickings for indie and big producers alike n Vadapalani, the heart of the Tamil film industry, Kollywood, is the country’s oldest film studio and production house, AVM. Earlier this year, AVM, which has produced more than 175 films since the ’30s, decided to experiment with a new distribution system.

The film Idhuvum Kadandhu Pogum, produced by the studio’s fourth-generation scions Aparna and Aruna Guhan, was released not in theatres but on the internet. The 55minute film, interspersed with seven 30-second ad slots,

BL

Q R Q R

W

BL

watch cover

saturday, july 26, 2014

MANJH KHAMAJ

Glimpsing these worlds, you realise that teenagers live in fraught and cruel times. They have always snuck bits and bobs of their lives into closets, away from parental eyes, but the internet provides them with a bubble of anonymity and a freedom that is all too easy to vandalise. This is the first space to get misused and sexualised and the hardest to monitor, as teenagers are often more familiar with this terrain than adults. Photos do get passed on, comments lacerate, reputations are shredded and it is usually the girls who suffer.

The teenagers we met said that bullying existed more in the virtual Popular notes Musicthan in the real world. Butfans ‘wedgies’ to be a popular at a sabhaseems in form of hazing.

Nikhil, Riya’s friend explains, Thiruvaiyaru, “Basically,Thanjavur you takedistrict someone’s underwear and b velankanni raj pull it from the side so it really hurts and the underwear tears... and then you take out the pieces and throw them around.” Those on the basketball team and students council carry extra underwear in their bags as a precaution.

From bullying we move on to talk of ‘relationships’, where it seems like nothing has changed, and at times as if everything has.

Texting paves the way for these ‘relationships’, late-night calls cement them and alone time establishes them. In the early teens, boys and girls regard the opposite sex as something distasteful, in the mid-teens mutual interest is kindled and by the late teens you realise boys can be friends and boyfriends. Riya says, “In Class IX, the biggest controversy was if you were seen holding hands. Our batch started dating around then, by Class XI, people were in steady relationships. The longest relationship in our batch lasted six months.”

When it comes to questions of sex, the answers appear convenient rather than accurate. Everyone tells you everyone else is doing it but they aren’t. “At 14-15, boys are just emotionless creeps,” I am told, “they only want to get physical.” Further details aren’t divulged. tunga Cultural Centre in Mumbai have a wait- ability Afteralone. sex, the questions obviously lead to ing list of young artistes (who have to mark drugs.

When wethe meet on a winter This is where southern sabhasafternoon, score. The time for years before the organisers listen to an 18-year-old wearing socks is in a bit organic nature of theladybird Carnatic community their demo CDs and give them the nod). Yet, a of a rush,a as she is heading to a hair salon.

You creates seamless link between the small slot at one of these recitals, however presti- see, two of and her the close friends had cut off her gatherings prestigious December fesgious, does little to further a young musician’s hair eating a slice of cake laced with tival. after An impressive performance in a sabha career. A stellar performance in a circle recital MDMA, drug commonlyslot known as ecstasy. leads tothe an early-afternoon in a December In their company, quickly learn of web- Iconcert, is not a ticket to thewe larger festival platform. stare into her then face, feigning and which leads to adisinterest, late-afternoon sites networks are alien to us, quickly Thereand wassocial a time when that festival organisers theand steep incline of her fringe slot the notice next year finally, if the youngster rookiemag.com (an aldaily.com for youngscouted for talent in these smaller pro- and bangs.toFeeling the edges,ticketed she says, “It(as is continues sparkle, a 6pm slot cracked.com andmusic 9gag.com (which seem sters), grammes, when the communities of not so bad, it just needsafternoon to be evened opposed to the free-entry slots),out.” vinto be Buzzfeed onand steroids) often in When Calcutta, Bombay Poonacrop wereup abuzz with her friends a few weeks later, dicatesI meet the years of dedication to his art.they Acconversations.

Whiledisplays Facebookbyand WhatsApp say they don’tcording talk of promising do real drugs, maybe corporate just grass to Krishna, are commonplace young musicians. to be de rigueur, you have or marijuana.sponsors Procuring is never hard, only tooitare less philistine in to But be on Snapchat or Ask.fm.

Snapchat, I learn, the voice in their that is a thing of the past. plays spoilsport. the head South.

They would While back allows to sendare photos dissolve within those in the senior Festivalyou line-ups now that decidclasses access to someone whohave has easy shone at the one to other 10 seconds.

“ThisThe is where ed on grounds. orga- The distance between alcohol and pot, rather to earn their December festival than be girls nudiesthe to boys,” a 13niserssend of premier street cred, juniors down shots influenced by the badgering ofofa the music circle and year-old boymusic tells festival me gleefully.

Hindustani of KolRed BullKrishna in once-popular PR firm. did add thatbars, the the festival stage Have you ever received one?musi“Oh, kata habitually ask young now largely frequented unCarnatic music ecosystemby is not cannot Two of be hercovered friends many he funds says, “I once got cians times,” to raise through derage Aanyapractices, says, “Evbeyonddrinkers. questionable with musical had cut off her hair five together.” Sensing my disbeadvertisements in exchange for eryone but the drinks very factand thatsmokes. he usedIn thea afterability eatingalone a slice of lief, “All girls music send a slot.he Theadds, top Hindustani group of 10, eightand do. But don’t. word ‘ecosystem’ not I‘indusMDMA cake naked The boys feel hapfestivalphotos. of western India now Cigarettes can kill you. I don’t try’ is telling. py.

Then runsThe on agirls quidfeel prohappy. quo system. hide anything music from my mother Hindustani could do they break up. Thewho boylabours passes Its chief organiser, and We have a very opensysrewithaunt. a similar merit-based the photos around andhesays under the belief that is athe good musician, tem. It is heartbreaking lationship. They tell us to witness the right Sisygirl such I never to even askedother her for it.” from has is sent outa s**t a message several musito overstep.” pheanwrong effortsand of where young not musicians when they Ask.fm pops up as another trendy social cian-organisers across the country: if he isnetin- send Today’s more in emoticons demoteenagers CDs and speak resumés to tens of music work allows questions be askedheunder vited as toitperform at theirtofestival, will than words. feelknowing more than they can tell. circles every They month, that it leads nothe cloak ofbyanonymity.

The questions vary They reciprocate providing them an opportuniprobably best friends rathersmallthan where.

Yet theyhave must16persevere at these from ‘What bra size are you?’

‘How festivals will you one. ty in his.

Further, most of thetomajor In many ways,itthey children, er concerts because may are wellstill be their only turn meon on?’ to ‘Do you think X is hot?’ survive corporate sponsorship; theirSchool itiner- quick and easy to believe. chancetototrust perform anywhere at all.They Theyface inconfessions much pressures aries amply pages reflecton theFacebook fact that caused corporations that we space never that knew, they battle dehabit the difficult British historian furore as talent they became the perfect for mons scout for between the secondvenue and the we have never seen.

We will described probably Eric Hobsbawm had so eloquently teenagers, canneed onlyonly wait some until online bullying.

They were quickly pulled fourth page of newspaper supplements rather never as oneknow between “poetswe who thenot Rubicon and join us in by humdown, they still as stubs and carry than inbut concerts.

Theexist larger implications of they papercross and do expect to earn a living the Andproducts together,and we the canzilliothen venomous likea more “I once pissedcontemon the drum this practiceposts call for detailed sale oradulthood. rental of their at the next generation of teenagers and squash after seven shots of Absolut plation,court but seats it has certainly rendered the gawp naire pop musicians”. vodka”, you’re such ainfructuous. d**k, I will buy smaller “X, programmes Thea gun dis- ask, who are they? and you the onemusic day” or “Y, and you the s**t,festivyour arunabha deb is a Kolkata-based lawyer and a music tanceshoot between circle nair with Jessu John and Mohini Chaudhuri writer shubhodeb@hotmail.com mother a s**t”.be covered with musical nandini al stagewas cannot

The sabha system

Young Carnatic musicians are much better off than their Hindustani compatriots as they have more avenues to thrive in

arunabha deb

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Different strokes (clockwise from top) Mumbai’s Amol Rane, an IIT-aspirant, practises Zumba to stay fit paul noronha; basketball player Nimay Shahani, also from the city, is off to study abroad paul noronha; and Dhruv Saluja, back in the Capital after a cruise in the Med, wants to be a neurologist

arnatic vocalist TM Krishna was in Delhi earlier this month, in conversation with VK Karthika, the chief editor of HarperCollins India. The talk had been organised to promote Krishna’s book, A Southern Music, a staggering work on the evolution, aesthetics and scope of Carnatsets themKrishna apart. Email is passé. use it only ic music. was his usualThey articulate and when they have to —audience when internships and provocative self. The was particularcollege admissions it. They Skype and ly engaged when hedemand held forth on the continWhatsApp with friends, their as phones areand exuing dominance of Brahmins patrons tensions of their limbs. WhatsApp groups are practitioners of Carnatic music. However, it used discuss homework, snigger at adult was atostray remark made by Krishna that jokes stare at Sunnyme Leone’s assets.

Godanof struck,orand unsettled, the most.

While War on PS3 can entertain foraside, six-seven swering a question, he saidthem — as an realhours day. They share passwords with ly — thata young Carnatic musicians are much friends.

Aanya “My boyfriend musicians. gets jealous better off thansays, young Hindustani if IWhen talk toI others, so heto looks at my accounts.” asked him elucidate, later over the phone, he spoke of the ‘sabha culture’ in Carnatic music. The small-to-medium organisations, usually run by members, provide young musicians regular performing spaces and discerning listeners. The gatherings, ubiquitous in Tamil Nadu, are mostly small and the pay is low. But a far richer reward awaits able young musicians who perform in sabha concerts: the corridors of Carnatic music, forever fecund with debate and differences, ensure that news of an upcoming talent travels fast and wide.

The sabhas are not unlike the ‘music circles’ or ‘music societies’ of Hindustani music.

These too run on membership, hold regular recitals (also small to mid-sized) and feature young artistes. What, then, inspired Krishna’s remark? Is he mistaken in believing that young Hindustani artistes don’t benefit from the smaller circle programmes as much as young Carnatic artistes benefit from sabhas?

Unfortunately, Krishna is right. Circle programmes do abound. They are also alive and healthy. Top organisations like the Dadar Ma-

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moustache pervades reality in all forms, from car hoods to military caps, just as his thoughts have invaded the population’s minds. “Parasites living inside our heads — we are just hosts for other people’s thoughts and now, increasingly, other corporation’s thoughts, other government’s thoughts,” I say, stumbling over my explanation of memes. Appupen nods, “That is the idea behind the dragon — he is a trend, and you pretty much welcome him in, he has a very friendly approach; after you become the host, he takes you for a spin.”

Appupen frequently returns to the tension s it possible to hold a senior position in Jamesbetween the ICreator and —the “This is Bond when was young butCreated. over time business after coming out of the closet? you invest the biggest creative people in the in twotaskforce lives and of keep your business For much of his career, Lord John and gay world the adlifeprobably,” separate. he It issays, veryreferring stressfulto and Browne, the former chief executive of eventually ends invertising field, “Many creative catastrophe.”

British Petroleum (BP), believed the answer to people cut themselves The toll that remaining in the closet tookfrom on the this question was ‘no’. Growing up in Britain him was evident to fact that “Ithe meme others. knew therecomes was off at a time when homosexuality was banned something strange. theirYou so-called were ‘creative’, far too and re- it is Aspyrus is the first (until 1967) and where legally enforced dis- served… you didn’t justified because theyfamily, are not actalk about your book that actually crimination remained in place long after, your friends, whatcountable forweekends,” any of thea outyou did on looks the way I Browne, now 66, found it impossible to open long-standing acquaintance comes of thatrecently ‘creative’”.told created it up to his colleagues in the early stages of his him. Not being able “My is that might to befear yourself inIan officeget to career. From then, maintaining the myth be- can be very undermining be really creative if I wanthe to, but to a person, came ingrained, even as society changed points out — youwhat I make super ad can’t if have photosthis of your around him, reinforced by the experiences of loved ones, talk about which converts people your time with them,toorsomehis own family. His mother, an Auschwitz sur- grievething I don’t reallyhappens. believe in? What is my feelwhen the worst vivor, had long warned him of the dangers ing if that happens?”

This the is clearly not an And it can be harmful beyond individuthat your secrets in the wrong hands could al too, abstract fear.

I hadout, asked how hethe put the Browne points ashim he makes pose, as well as the risks of being in a minority. business bread onfor the table? Hecreating started an offincluin college case employers His decision proved immensely dear. In 2007, sive environment. doing murals in a bar hemanaging and his friends “They are two frewhen a British tabloid attempted to run lives quented. a hit and, soon,with more inand they They can’twere be wholly engaged claims made by his former partner, he sought the purpose quiries started in.and His voice dips as if of the coming company therefore an injunction, in the course of which he productivity confiding terrible, terrible secret, “One goesa down.” made false statements to the court. Things 11 months actually, I worked an adWeyear… turn to India where, following theinSusoon fell apart, and Browne stepped down preme vertising firm.” Hein shakes his head, if at the Court decision December, gayassex as the head of BP after a 41-year career. enormity of what he has done. “Actually has been re-criminalised.

Is Indian business I just Seven years on, Browne’s answer to that held back sold myself, I wentsituation? to three ad just took by the legal “Itfirms, mustI be,” first question is an unqualified ‘yes’. Now a he says thefirmly. guy who was paying he says with a “Anything thatmost,” reduces inclupartner at private equity firm Riverstone sion laugh.

— he working on Moon— and He it’s had not to just thiswas area but others Holdings, and chairman of ward and hadasrun outreligion of money.

He stayed such race, — holds an on shale gas developer Cuadrilla the job till he finished economy andthe a novel. society back.

Resources, he has positioned Without the are scaffolding words, his creThese things of that people himself as one of the most voations burst panels with can’t the change, and yougreat mustvividness. inAnything that cal spokespersons for homoWhat are thethem. challenges of writing ‘silent’ clude By including people, reduces inclusion sexual rights within the world of comics?you “Back in Kerala,” he says, man looks engage people, and“awhen holds an economy business. Earlier this year, he after myyou father.

He people, doesn’t you speak English or engage increase and a society back published The Glass Closet: Why have any experience of comics. He reads my their productivity.”

Coming Out Is Good for Business, We talk about the role the busiam in the drawing room of Appupen’s an emotional and personal tale ness community can play. “Withapartment in Bangalore. I really mean of his own experience of rein a company you can be drawing room, for this is where the artist maining in the closet, and the im- uncompromising. You can say that within the creates his graphic novels. The eyrie-like mense improvement to walls of my company I am not going to allow apartment has a lone window, the light from his life he has experi- anyone to be bullied or pushed around. I want which falls on his drafting board. The view is enced since coming people to be open,” he says. The book includes obscured by residential blocks and commerout. He also chroni- examples of the efforts of a number of MNCs cial complexes. It does not matter. Appupen cles the experiences in India to create an inclusive environment, has sketched far beyond these dismal vistas, of others who have including consulting firm Bain Capital, which past unlovely piles of concrete to a land where chosen to come out annually organises a conference for LGBT staff the imagination is prized above all things. To a — stories, he hopes, from across the world, and Goldman Sachs, land made by the imagination. The land is will inspire others which has a 300-strong LGBT network in India. called Halahala. Our first reports of this terto do so, and push However, Browne is eager to stress that it is rain came in 2009 via Appupen’s debut graphCEOs to put in not just in the 77 countries where homosexic novel Moonward. Further information was place the policies uality is a crime (many of which, he notes, are received through Legends of Halahala. and systems for as Commonwealth countries, where laws were Now Appupen presses a graphic novel, still inclusive a work- brought in under the British Empire) that warm from the press, into my hands. It is his place as possible. must be of concern. In the West, there remain latest missive. “The books are looking health“I wanted to few senior people at the top of business. There ier,” he says, “I like this book, Aspyrus; it is the tell my story so are no openly gay CEOs in the US’ S &P 700, and first time the book is actually looking the way I that nobody only one in the UK’s FTSE 100. While researchGriffin and dragon Creator of Aspyrus biggest Browne fear is of being sell-out jaideep unudurti created it.” For this, he had to convince Harwould ever(above), get Appupen’s ing the book, was aparticularly surperCollins to shift printing to a press down into the same prised at the reluctance and fear of young the road, where he could supervise the pro- would replicate, an idea situation subject to as selection I people work first. Wherever I seeout, himpointing not getting in their 20s to come to it, I duction and execution. This attention to de- pressure. The joke you liked that did,”sohemuch says at a you know Istill have to irontothat part.”“Constant He evokes Jim how much needed be done. tail makes his work so rich and immersive. had to share, the emailrecent you have to forward, meeting Woodring’s Frank, combining sophisvigilance is needed.

Intolerance can graphic pop up veThe first two graphic novels were extensive the pop tune that youatcan’t out of his get office in your tication the doodles you make at the ry quickly andwith can be very damaging.” forays in what fantasy authors call “world- head, and cats, so many cats, allLondon. of these are (Glasscloset.org central back of your college notebook. is currently collating personbuilding”, creating a living, breathing world memes. Visually, a combination dragon, “It was a bad of situawriting hiscome ownout private al storiesAppupen, of people by who chose to from mywith its own internal physics and self-consis- griffin and dinosaur,tion,” Aspyrus insinuates he says matter- itself has Contributions unlocked a world lies beacrossthology, the world. can bethat made tent logic. With the basics done, Appupen has into every crannyof-factly. of the host planet.

“I was running through tween the madness of the meme and the the website.) now taken on another ambitious theme with I was reminded of the Tintinwas adventure two lives, which excit- in genius in the gene. vidya ram Aspyrus. In 1976, scientist Richard Dawkins The Calculus where the—country BorduingAffair to start with almost of like coined the term ‘meme’, for an idea that is the ria is ruled by the dictator Kurvi-Tasch, with jaideep unudurti is a Hyderabad-based writer and equivalent of the biological gene, an idea that his distinctive moustache. Kurvi-Tasch’s graphic novelist

Gay business

Lord John Browne on the importance of coming out and not running two lives

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All aflutter How can I be ELSEWHERE

Moni Mohsin’s social butterfly darkly and hysterically unravels Pakistan’s socio-political landscape

manjula padmanabhan

shot in jeans?

Yo! Dude Moni Mohsin reveals another side of Lahore; here a marketing manager at Porsche Pakistan strikes a pose outside the showroom

My loss their gain

From cruises in the Mediterranean to MDMA cakes, nudies on Snapchat to eavesdropping on pilot chatter... BLink spends time with urban, affluent and comes away When inteenagers, doubt, walk into the men’s heartened and afraid parlour for a perfect haircut

reuters/zohra bensemra

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s someone with very short hair, I am often congratulated upon my ‘low-maintenance’ hairstyle. But it needs cutting every six weeks, so it’s not really lowutterfly’s pink sandals on the ingly inadvertent insights. And, to give maintenance at all. I would love to grow it, except book jacket had me rolling out her credit, her passion for fashion is it’s much too thin. When there’s only an inch or two on the the red carpet. The least I can equally vehemently directed against the top of my skull, it stands up and pretends to look perky. The do, I thought, for either of the likes of “fundos”, “beardo weirdos”, moment it reaches the three-inch limit, it flops over and dies. delightful Mohsin sisters from across “mullahs”, the Taliban and sometimes, That’s when I begin to lurk near the doorways of hairthe border — Jugnu and Moni, creators the “guvmunt” and the generals as well. dressing parlours, fighting the urge to go in. Why fight the of hysterically entertaining characters urge, you might ask? Because I hate having to hand out monSo when Salman Taseer is gunned with an edge. ey in order to lose something! Call me weird or call me silly, down, Butterfly and Janoo are among Jugnu Mohsin’s imaginary interpreta- the few who attend his funeral and the but that’s how I think of it: I go in, sit down, get a shampoo tion of Nawaz Sharif’s reflections in Itte- following lament, in all its clever embeland then someone comes along and relieves me of six weeks’ faq Naama is, to use Butterfly’s parlance, lishments of grammatical eccentricities worth of my own dear keratin. my absolute fave with gems such as “Be- and chutney English, tells the story of a In Delhi, I’ve worked out a solution in the form of a hairnazir is such a copycatter. Just because I society that is all too wrecked by relidresser whom I like, called Shyam. He’s wonderful and he had hair transplantation, she got but- gious sectarianism. works at Blliis, near the Surya Hotel in Friends Colony, close tocks injections…” The “Mush and Bush” to where I live. I’ve been going there for the past 10 years unHere’s the Butterfly diary entry in Jaconversations she conjured up between nuary 2011: “…you know what is really, til... well... until the price of getting a haircut included the inGeneral Pervez “Perv” Musharraf and Ge- really sab say worst? That even friends of ternational airfare. So. I’ve had to find a parlour in Elsewhere. orge Bush Junior, tickle with humour as ours whose kids are in college in the US And it’s not been fun. dark as the times we live in.

There are two main problems. First, the young women and who serve drink in their home and Moni’s social butterfly, on the other would sell their grandmothers for a who work at parlours are not hand, is an entirely fictional character green card, even they are saying that he good with my very short, very whose narcissism and unconscious big- wasn’t a good Muslim because he was thin, semi-wavy Asian hair. Secotry brilliantly unravel the minutiae of too westernised and he said no to the ond, they charge about three Pakistan’s turbulent socio-political land- blasphemy law and so basically he got times of what it costs from Shyam I hate having to hand scape. Butterfly has now returned with what he deserved. I mean fundos say to out money in order to while providing less than half the yet another chronicle of a violent, unsta- mein expect karti thi (I expected this of satisfaction. Lousy deal, huh? So lose something ble society so memorable that’s why, after several gloomy the fundamentalists) but in her mispronunciations encounters in Elsewhere’s womfor God’s sake yaar, these and malapropisms in Tenen’s salons, I finally pick up the people are like us only, we der Hooks. courage to cross the street and have uthna bethna with Butterfly is not just In her Jimmy Choo step into the nearest barber’s shop. them, they come to our Bridget Jones shoes, Butterfly leads us inIt’s called Louey’s. I’ve checked online for the average price house for dinners and all. to the world of Old Bag, of a haircut and I know that it’s half of what Blliis charges. So These days... I feel like I’m anya and Dhruv Saluja, allliving of 16 and Infilm.” photo after photo, that’s Aanya great.

— in blue of its own kind andterritory? determined most by the Aunty Pussy, Furry, Jonkers, But dress, infiltrating hardcore men’s With in a horror and now.

When children, nieces, in black andexperience? red skirt —Andhere 13, have recently returned And fromsoa it goes Mulloo, Poppy and Mouse, prior no one tothe guide me?

Not our so great.

I withdress, the in blacknotop sunsets andcups iconic nephews pass through this arena, they seem Mediterranean summer of cruise.

It stands Snooky and, of course, ‘bore’ Janoo, her kidnapping to drink of coffee, eat two cupcakes and rehearse the slain leader’sagainst son blazinghave to be pioneers foreign land. A was the vacationTaseer of their monuments. never bemused, Oxford-educated husband shebestShahbaz what I’ll say many times over before I can force myselfin toalean andlives the spate of robber- She says she 1965 Time me?’ cover story ‘Today’s repeatsby outfits, and they can’t stop about bringpopulated secretly refers to as Zinda Laash (the liv-talking the open front door and whisper, ‘Uhh ... ’scuse ies not justit.inThey the areas the most ofin which their father’s computer tothe show me their are bought from Zara, Mango or want to ask, ‘Do you cut women’s Teenagers’ described ing dead) and Buddhiout Rooh (stick-in-theI didn’t hair?’ Because it them as “poors, naukars, bhuka-nanga types” Foreverkhata21. I am informed that ifvaguely Tpornographic. “worldly, interesting, pictures — 2,000 of them.

“We aren’t allowed“Mashallah mud). Actually Janoo, with his slightly sounds So instead I say, ‘Can I get a informed but even in Butterfly’s hey know so will Therelittle, and even intellectual” to provides touch it. the We perwill saypeeta you asked for it,” they a girl repeats clothes, people Mr Bennetesque quips, haircut?’ are two scissors and about — clearly, feudal” neighbourhood. theyguys knowwielding generation considers teenover the“…our laptopbackside with alacrity. sherains can’t afford new ones. fect foil to Butterfly’ssuggest, mindlesshanding musings. eight guys waiting.soThey all look up, every including the fellows wall fellthink in the much agers of its own time Aanya says, “The day we who reached go? “Italy, Monte So when ButterflyWhere sleepsdid oneyou whole are currently being served. For a moment I feel as if I’vewith a mix andFrance, the next doorCarlo neighbour had a big South Africa.”

Africa?They “Yes,” says Aa-TV, DVD, Paris computit was cold. My dadgrown told me of admiration discomfort. night without her and air-conditioner onSouth three heads and am covered in green, glowing,and zebrarobbery. lost their Science reminds us that the to put on jeans. can boils.

I youaridiot.ers, Youmobile, mean North full blast, she deducesnya. that“Noooo, winter has striped cash, Afrijewellery, silver and I cried. How be shot inthe jeans?” We dulyThen rushthe nearest of the two barbers nods, bedding down of the prefrontal ca,” party Dhruvseason. reprimands his elder sister as are theyso happy rived with wedding and “I their smiles, indicates car. But they that teenagers might explain their disorbreak and into he laughter.

Did didn’t all your Delhi through the photos andarea linger onsays,cortex told all this to Janooboth yesterday waiting and ‘Sure!of Take a seat.’ And everything robbers rape their daughter andEiffel Towerthe ganised and irrational behaviour. schoolpowers friendsofgose-on international holidays? cruise.big The holiday returns is long over, and now said that I had astounding to normal.

I wait half an hour.

I get a short, neat cut.It might tell kidnap their son that they the are doing “Yes, most did — Europe, America, holiday homework looms GoneNo arehair-dry. the us thatmy the underactivity in the right ventral duction. Or was it reduction…”

Nolarge. shampoo.

I pay dues and trot back to my shukraanay kaAustralia. khatam (thanksgiving).

Alstriatum could days of darting Europe went to Sri Lanka, weitall laughed her.”

Glimpses into thisOne rarefied world of so acrossand the basking street. Grinning all the way.lead to their risky natures or is still very at hot.

But I don’t think so throughlair by taken the pool.

They now plunge into the world of that their overworked pineal gland is responWhy? “That is wednot international,” Dhruv. parties, iftaars, choreographed I’m allowed says to say in case I’m to be sible their nights sleep-ins. Thank Did you like the holiday?

“We loooovedAmerican/Indian/Israeli it.” Aa- timetables, exams and tuitions.

MANJULA PADMANABHAN, author andfor artist, tellslate us tales of herand parallel dings and shopping extravaganzas from anti-Pakistan, marginalien.

We have all been teenagers, passed through you New but inblogspot.in the messiness of life, adds, “I didn’t Monte Carlo, it was too life in Elsewhere, US, in this fortnightly seriesScientist, Lahore to London vianya Dubai alone couldlike lover.”

“It was is the best,” says “even the that essential stage from childhood to adult- this explains little. To spend time with teenaghave you in stitches. rich.”

But Butterfly not Get Dhruv, the gist? are Ferraris.” just Bridget Jones butcabs a recorder of con- “No, it felt like someone hood. But the experience of it makes us none ers is to be let in and to be pushed out. One can poornima joshiAanya. the wiser. Teenage, like no other stage of life, is turn antagonist or confidante with equal Bihar coming explains temporary Pakistani from society in her seem- to Delhi,”

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The Return of the Butterfly Moni Mohsin Penguin Fiction ₹299

Rare pleasures Riya Sarin, 18, who likes to stay busy — spending up to four hours a day at jazz and ballet classes — saves a rare afternoon for friends and her cat Mr Monkey ramesh sharma

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People and the State Alone, not lonely PRESENT IMPERFECT

An engaging account of the political history and key players of modern Nepal

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In order to me with myself, theagainst hillsthe toChinese Mukteshwar, far away from life togethightacquaint years after a historic Jana Ando1961I headed for Tibetansup to use age that carries the reader by weaving lan overturned the old monarchic government. He chronicles how the Maoist er a compelling mix of political history, order and set the stage for Nepal to movement in Nepal then drew upon discon- profiles of personalities and anecdotes. He altransform into a secular democratic tentment against prevailing conditions and so highlights the backstories of individuals republic, the country is still without a new power equations in society, as well as police both at the leadership and cadre levels and Constitution. The promise of radical change abuses and disenchantment with ‘moderate places them in relation to historical events, has come up against the reality of political gri- left’ politics. providing a glimpse into how they would end dlock. In November 2013, stalwart political The Maoists agitated against the feudal up shaping Nepal’s future. parties — the Nepali Congress (NC) and the monarchy, an institution that was particularly An important theme throughout the book Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist- autocratic under the Ranas, and later accom- is the role of India in Nepal’s political affairs, Battles of the Leninist) [CPN (UML)] — reclaimed their hold modated democratic openings only to close and an in-depth and layered assessment is New Republic on power as the Maoists were dealt a major them. This happened under King Mahendra in provided in the second section.

A Contemporary setback in the second Constituent Assembly 1960 and again in 2002 under Both the Indian State and nonHistory of Nepal Prashant Jha (CA) elections. This shift could go a long way in King Gyanendra. Mainstream poState political organisations Aleph shaping Nepal’s political trajectory. litical parties and the parliamenhave had a major influence on ₹395 Prashant Jha’s Battles of the New Republic tary system were also criticised Nepal’s internal situation. Indicomes as Nepal is poised at a critical juncture. by the Maoists for contributing an State policy seems to be one of An important theme Jha is well placed to write this account given to a kind of ‘stable’ instability creating and maintaining a pois India’s role in his extensive journalistic coverage of Nepal. aimed at neutralising the oppolitical environment in Nepal that Nepal’s political He delves into the various historical and socio- sition and preventing progressuits its own interests, and acaffairs political forces that displaced the feudal mon- sive alternatives. tively intervenes in overt and archic order. He captures the magnitude of As the civil war escalated, accovert ways to achieve that. these changes, which is often overlooked in cording to Jha, the Maoists realConsidering the rise of Hindu the present context, and the complex issues ised that they could not capture right-wing forces in India, Jha’s the country has faced in its post-conflict tran- the State and conventionally defeat the Royal engagement with Hindutva politics and orgasition and existence.

Nepal Army, and sought to work with the nisational links in both countries is particuJha begins by recounting the most impor- mainstream parties to pressure the King. The larly relevant. Hindutva organisations in India tant moment in Nepal’s contemporary histo- decision by mainstream parties, such as the have supported their counterparts Press pause So I sat, in Nepal ry — the 2006 Jana Andolan, which forced the Nepali Congress to orient themselves against consistently, andasthis is likely the mists rolledtoin increase in monarch King Gyanendra to step aside. He King Gyanendra’s attempts to consolidate the current political According to Jha, and climate. out, and read my traces the development of the Maoist-led power, proved to be the last nail in the coffin “pressure exertedbook on shutterstock the government by the armed struggle from the first weapons they of the monarchy.

RSS and VHP” contributed to BJP Prime Minisobtained: two rifles that the CIA airdropped in Jha’s writing reads like a long-form report- ter Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s decision to back King ast weekend, for the first time in my have been a source of endless stress — “when in the world, which to be honest, was beginGyanendra’s takeover of power in 2002. life, I went for a holiday by myself. The are we going to get there”, “I’m hungry”, “I’m ning to be my default state of being. I was tired The book’s latter-half examines some of the whole exercise began when a friend bored”, “I need to use the bathroom, and of having to feel and express my outrage, exmost pressing issues in post-conflict, postand I decided to head out for a week- now”. Since I had nothing to do and no one to hausted by manufacturing an opinion on evmonarchy Nepal. At the forefront simmer ethend ‘soon’. But then we could never arrive at a meet, I just sat in the taxi and read my book, erything from Gaza to Ghaziabad. Left to nic and identity issues that the monarchic set of dates that was suitable for both of us and without once craning my neck to see if the myself, I discovered, I was more than okay, I Hindu State, dominated by upper-caste hillas the promised weekend kept slipping away, I traffic had begun to move. was happy. centric elites, suppressed. Jha examines the just decided I would go on my own. My first When at last I reached my hotel, it was to a In the library at the place where I was staypolitical assertion among Madhesis, who are thought was to go to Goa, a place I know well, beautiful view of a green reserved forest in the ing, coincidentally or otherwise, I found a mainly from Nepal’s southern plains and ethwhere even though I would be alone, it was un- foreground and snowcapped mountains in book called Solitude: A Return to the Self. Its aunically and linguistically linked with borderlikely that I would be lonely. But then, I the back. There was no one around for miles thor Anthony Storr writes, “many ordinary ining Indian states, and how caste and class thought, if anything, I should be practising be- and because it was a wet weekend, no one else terests and the majority of creative pursuits intersect with this identity formation. Madheing lonely. in the hotel either. It rained endinvolving real originality continsi and Janjati (indigenous) politics point to My refrain in my daily life is that I have too lessly on the first day, which abue without involving relationhistoric marginalisation and disenfranchisemany people to manage. A kid, a nanny, col- solved me of even making a ships. It seems to me that what ment, and the need for the State to acknowlleagues, friends and the assorted set of charac- pretence of going out for a walk. goes on in the human being edge the demand for federalism.

I was tired of having ters who are a source of both convenience and So I sat, as the mists rolled in and when he is by himself is as imfinal section, Jha presents an overto feel and expressIn theportant annoyance. Yet, of late, I have been fretting out, and read my book. When I as what happens in his view of the poorly handled demobilisation of my outrage, that I will be 60 and alone. It isn’t that I am paused, I could, it seemed for the interactions with other people.”

Liberation Army, which led to onexhausted bythe People’s worried that I’d be discovered dead days after first time in a long time, actually In a world that is now over-satly minimal integration of Maoist combatants manufacturing an the event, when neighbours complain of a hear myself think. Since I was so urated with interactions with into the Nepal Army. This section also looks at foul smell coming across the corridor. (If that far away from it and because I opinion on everything other people, I dare say, the forthe debates around drafting the Constitution, from Gaza to happens, I only hope I’m dressed well and my had nothing else to do, I could mer is in fact, more important. in which the model of federalism (ethnic or Ghaziabad hair looks alright.) No, what worries me is that pick my life apart and truly anaEven though mine was a relaidentity-based) to restructure the State turned I would be alive at 60 and literally, just bore lyse it. I discovered, to my surtively short spell with it, I am a out to be the most contentious. In Jha’s view, myself to death. And so it occurred to me that I prise, that there was no aspect of convert to the ‘renewal’ aspect of “The NC and the UML made a political choice shouldn’t go to Goa, where I know residents my life that I disliked. solitude. After four days, when I to kill the CA rather than accept identity-based and restaurant owners and where I can follow In fact, in the city, the real arrived back in Delhi, introduced federalism,” due to the lack of agreement on a my own footsteps from many trips past and problem is the utter lack of solitude. It isn’t as I now was to myself, I felt surer of my mospecific model. stay within the realm of the familiar. In order now just family and a set of close friends that tives and actions. And, certainly, much calmer.

Assessing the results for the second CA electo acquaint me with myself, I headed up the you have to deal with. It’s the 1,200 people in Which is why, I won’t end this by telling you tions, Jha draws attention to the disenchanthills to Mukteshwar. the phonebook, 800-odd Facebook friends about the man I elbowed because he tried to ment with the Maoists for not delivering a The only aspect of the holiday I planned for and the thousands of Twitter followers, all of grope me at the Delhi railway station and innew constitution and due to a growing diswhom have a story and an opinion, which you stead will leave you with these lines by Rise up Nepali riot is what I would read. Memoirs, I decided, and connect between the UCPN (M) and the peopolicemen block the packed Joan Didion, Joanna Rakoff, Lynn Bar- are privy to, whether you like it or not. With Wordsworth: ple. However, while progressive forces are not path of tens of ber and Karl Ove Knausgaard. The rest, unchar- media and social media, everything seems too When from our better selves we have too long well-positioned at the moment, Battles of the thousands of proacteristically, I left to chance. My first stab of close to home, every event something you Been parted by the hurrying world, and droop, democracy activists as New Republic points to a socio-political culture need to discuss endlessly. Without second-bySick of its business, of its pleasures tired they defy a curfew byjoy at being alone was when I was held up on in Nepal that is capable of rapid change and How gracious, how benign, is Solitude. marching towards thethe road for two hours as the Public Works De- second accounts of terrorism, wars and rapes unseating well-entrenched establishments. partment removed a fallen tree from the road. — there was no reason to feel the general sense Royal Palace in Kathmandu on April If I was travelling with the child, this would t@veenavenugopal of helplessness at everything that’s going on VEENA VENUGOPAL is editor BLink rajeev ravisankar is an assistant editor with 22, 2006

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and author of The Mother-in-Lawreuters/adrees latif

Himal Southasian in Kathmandu, Nepal

talk takeaway

saturday, july 26,26, 2014 saturday, july 2014 A BUTTERFLY BREEZE FROM MP

Water for life The assassin UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY

Should we not worry when people like the CEO of Nestlé claim that we should regard water There is a statue, built

by Indians, of Lord Mayo as “foodstuff” and give it an economic value?on Viper Island, but of Sher Ali the Afridi, there is no mention anywhere

joanna van gruisen

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ince my last column, the union budget has been announced, and I was dismayed to see the NDA Government’s continuing interest in river-linking. In his speech, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said — “Unfortunately, the country is not uniformly blessed with perennial rivers. Therefore, an effort to link the rivers can give rich dividends...

It is time we made a serious effort to move in this direction.”

India’s variety of biomes is a large part of what makes it so rich and varied, both culturally and in wildlife and habitats. If our leaders had better ecological understanding, they would see that working within these parameters, rather than resorting to artificial changes, is more productive in the long term.

However, it was reassuring to find in the budget speech some awareness of India’s failings on the water and sanitation front. Since it is estimated that over 90 million do not have access to clean drinking water and nearly 800 million have inadequate sanitation, there is Ecological bottleneck If water is sold as a commodity, the poor will have to rely on unsafe resources kk mustafah certainly much room for improvement.

In MP, we are situated next to one of India’s tation Programme estimated that this causes cate how iniquitous such policies are: the cleanest rivers, Ken, so drinking water is not India “considerable economic losses” (over 6 South African experience is perhaps one of the one of our major concerns. But one can’t be per cent of the GDP, several billion dollars worst. When a slum area of Johannesburg unaware of the rarity of such good fortune. It’s worth). When the focus is on ‘Development’ could no longer afford the high prices estimated that world over inadequate access with a capital D and access to water is recog- charged by the private water company, their to safe drinking water impacts about 900 mil- nised as a limiting factor, it’s not surprising supply was cut off, forcing them to drink lion people, over a tenth of whom live in India. that the government is giving it attention. where they could. The outcome? Hundreds Shadows of theof past view of Viper withup thein gallows and the safe anchor boats foreground r ravindran “Most theA panoramic world’s people mustIsland, walknear at Port Blair, I grew England where therefor was al-in the died of cholera and a lakh became ill. Even so least three hours to fetch water” — such a ways far more water than one there are some, like the CEO of waste of manpower, or rather woman power wanted — ‘o no raining again….’

Nestlé, whose comments went viasFebruary it generally is.an Along with times have changed and in feuding Lord Mayo, as he was ral on the The Net,Afghan who think n 1872, Afridi by this the waste name in of time called. fron- that fromBut a tribe that his family had been and energy, lack ofa sanitation andfellow access to spite of thewhile floodshethere that wehis inno- tier was seething,viewing water as a human beSher Ali prepared meal for his instances of assassinations for years, and protested India’s National clean water deathpart of six read even parts of UK for the ing’s right is “an convicts on causes Viper the Island, of lakh the chiland attacks on the British were rife extreme through-posicence, heabout, was sentenced to the death Water Policy dren under five each year.

The Water areColonel becoming water-scarce. tion”. says weoff should regard it larger Port Blair penal colony in theand An- SaniEmpire. He hadHe stopped at Burma crime.

Pollock commutedInhis death out theleans privatisation Indiaand theSher population is increas- totowards as “foodstuff” and of give it daman Islands. Port Blair had been selected as sentence, great fanfare,rather spending the first week Ali was transported Port with and water availability dean economic value. to the a strategic outpost and penal colony in 1789, Blair,ing before heading specifically to Viper Island. is It is odd that a February being grand will authorities lead to would Andamans. Nevertheless, But water is back so much but had been abandoned seven years later due man creasing, at the of hismore so close towhich the British ‘water scarcity’ by space 2025. with Presentanthe item of food, andofby into malaria. Also the indigenous tribes had a be sent been assassination to share prison rebels, radi- mind would havethan however, India is onlythe ‘water-stressed’, not ternational lawNorman, has beenthe rightly putchief in a class habit of killing any sailor who found himself cals ly, Judge acting and revolutionaries, ‘water-scarce’. there reis an enormous and of its own.

Allocating funds for Court safe drinking shipwrecked there. Port Blair served as a stag- hardened justice of Calcutta High on edge of But seething growing in its availability and dis- water is September an applaudable move, water touing post for the forces of the East India Compa- bellion 20, 1871.

Thebut thought againstinequality British Rule. tribution.

It is not scarcity of water per se. The ches all aspects of life — agriculture andof indusny for their attack on Burma in 1824, but no was uppermost in the mind It did not seem to radicalise Sher Ali was disparity accessforto water resources try, politics socialauthorities structures,inhealth real settlement had been set up. the and colonial Port and him, huge though.

He wasin known transported to Viper in consumption of the well-off happiness — so we need a holistic approach. As This changed after the 1857 Uprising and the goodand conduct, and the patterns only Island. It is odd that a Blair. No convicts were allowed and the poor, the power relations exist- UNICEF free and from othertheir organisations closely penal colony was revived. The first 200 prison- transgression work gangs, a de- conon reflect the records man so close to the inghim in a was society.

It isfound an issue waterof issues state, “since water is ers arrived there in 1858. They were under the against tachment armed police moved being to that needs careful nected with British would be sent stakeholder- used forwith multiple purposes, involving potenpowers of the first superintendent, a Dr Walk- have consideration the viceroy, stationed before five pounds ofand flouranoninclusive, his to share prison space led approach. tial usersand from the start of aand project should be er, who believed that any infraction was wor- person, behind him, covering probably stolen from with rebels and Unfortunately, India’s Water Policy made essential”. could thy of an execution. The prisoners built roads, the kitchen. his flanks,Perhaps, and on we Viper andstart Ross with

By May 1871 Sher National Ali revolutionaries not appear to recognise projects… buildings, and the jails that would house was does islands, another troop of armed operating as barber, and the complexities the river-linking and who politics thesetrusted issues and leans towards The monsoon with us; perched next to rismore of their own people. The conditions anybody infantry is was added. wasofbeing This is a most hopingthe for aviceroy good rainwere horrible, and many died under the whip, with privatisation.

Thus and guarded, a blade of sharpened steel disturbing factor ing river waters andthe indeed against National Policy. India fall, it spent is anthe appropriate time for were executed, or perished as they encoun- around whole day touring thesuch necksgoes of others must is a signatory to the UN resolution that recogcontemplations.

May trek I leave withHaranother tered the native inhabitants. Nevertheless obviously islands, including a short upyou Mount have been considered a reliable the human right to water sanitacouplemade of thoughts: waterlate. for nearly more and more prisoners were sent to the An- man.nises riet, which him a little It was two eve- lakh He earned a little money from this,and but in tion;1872 it acknowledges clean flour drinking in India is affectedparty by chemical damans as India seethed and squirmed under February ning villages by the time the viceregal reached conhe spent it all tothat buy some water and are essential the realtamination.

But discharge untreated the heel of British rule. By 1872 there were to bake the jetty.

The vicerine saw themof and ordered sewcakes forsanitation Muslim prisoners, andto some of all human This ones. means age istothe most critical water-polluting source more than 7,000 prisoners in Port Blair, with sugarisation the band play Rule Britannia, and to those to distribute among rights. the Hindu It that theactduty and obligation to provide surface in India.

One of the worst of them kept on Viper island, among was an tunesfor Lord Mayoand andgroundwater his men stepped upon of celebration, or thanksgiving, butclean drinking water and appropriate the simplest andAli cheapest solutions India’s them Sher Ali. where Sher had been hiding.toAli no prisoner admitted to knowing why hesanitation had the jetty squarely with the government. crises is waste-water — at preThis was an unusual choice. Sher Ali had not donerests up, and buried a kitchenrecycling knife once, so. Unlike Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, leaptwater Yetfamous we see institutions perviceroy’s cent remains untreated.

As with been part of the 1857 Uprising, or actually he the more twice,sent into70the neck before he was prisoner inand the companies, Andamans, even ownnot government, promoting the handing issues, solutions are not intractable; a had, but on the British side, as a part of the Sher our away. The viceroy died soon after, and Ali Ali did write or reveal his plans; un- torn other of this lifeheessential tohimself private compalittle political andavision along Punjab Mounted Police that saw action in Ro- like Savarkar for hiswill crime month later.with I amincludid notresource reconcile to was hanged nies.

The or experiment in release Nagpureither. has created sive, there transparent management are the base hilkhand and Awadh. He later went on to serve British told that is a statue, built by Indians, to rejustice, plead for his enough andAlicriticism — theflour views of quirements.

BigMayo is noton necessarily better. in the Peshawar Police, and was the personal commemorate Lord Viper Island, but A few daysconcern after Sher distributed organisations have been ignored of — Sher Ali, there is no mention anywhere. orderly of Colonel Pollock of the Peshawar Po- cakesconsumer and sugar, Richard Southwell Bourke, th earl of have while leakages joanna van gruisen is a wildlife photographer, Mayoalmost and thetrebled 4th viceroy of India lice. His was no nationalist crime, but a family the 6tariffs conservationist and hotelier based near Panna Tiger have reduced minimally.

More t@OmairTAhmad at Port Blair.only These were tense daysshocking for feud. He was accused of killing a man in 1869, arrived examples from other parts of the world indi- Reserve in Madhya Pradesh

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Omair Ahmad is an author. His last book was on Bhutan

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Cloud ice cream

Joint ventures The CWG in Glasgow, Scotland, hopes to generate advertising and tourism revenues for the host and new business opportunities among the participating countries

Must holidays always involve clear blue skies and sunscreen, rather than shades of grey and afp/andy buchanan gumboots? Ask the clouds in Cherrapunji

A walk in the clouds Taking in the pictureperfect, rain-soaked Khasi-Jaintia Hills

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covered that our driver Bah Arky shared their But what happens to this vast volume of watastes in music they cheered up. And we were ter? We got our answer as we drove along the soon ascending the emerald slopes of Megha- East Khasi Hills and passed Lower Cherrapunji laya — the abode of the clouds — in the unlike- — an unlovely cluster of restaurants, backly company of Pitbull and Taylor Swift. packers’ digs and permanently incomplete Outside the windows, the views were char- structures — and into the dense jungles and ming. Red hills mantled in exuberant green- bowls of mountains. Everywhere were fast ery — gigantic bamboos and unruly banana and furious streams of water. Little rivulets trees, lacy ferns and frivolous creepers. Along gushed across the road. The mountains were the highway were sudden clusters of pictur- streaked with bright, white cascades tumesque stalls, with women in traditional bling down the steep slopes and into the sorchecked Khasi shawls selling heaps of pineap- rowful, flooded plains of Bangladesh. From ples, jackfruit, bananas and bottles of bamboo every direction came the roar of water rushpickles. And an occasional village, with its ing past rock. bamboo-fenced houses perched precariously This rather ominous roar has greeted vison the hillside, beauty parlours, ladies’ tailors itors to these gentle hills for centuries. Cherraand music schools. In short, all the things that punji was one of the first hill-stations built by make Meghalaya a pop music and fashion hub the British in the Northeast — but many newin India. comers found the weather opWe drove through light drizpressive. The first person to zles and watery sunlight — and measure and broadcast the exmy daughters gazed longingly at traordinary rainfall was a Mr neighbouring hills shrouded in Yule. He noted that in August As burial in the swirling mists. “Do you think 1841, the town witnessed an inspongy ground was we’ll drive through clouds?” they impossible during the credible 22 feet of rain and that asked hopefully, before squab“during five successive days, 30 monsoon, the Khasis bling about at whether it was possi- addressed conference Glasgow University fell every 24 hours”.opporevents, is lining up events to promote used to embalm their inches bleglobal to eat cloud ice cream. by luminaries such as the Bankdead of EnVery soon, Cherrapunji betunities investment, and the educain honey till in trade, My twins, Nisha andCarney Naima, andconditions gland Governor Mark English improved came a holy destination for metion and tourism sectors. who’ve just completed a Class II business magnate Richard Branson, and atteorologists and their rain project by onover the 200 weather, wanted tended CEOs and heads of govern- Calling ‘Swamy gauges Army’— fascinated not just by to know if Cherrapunji was still ments, including China and European “For each match, the we perennial rains, but alsoa seby will focus on holding the wettestCurrently, place on earth.

“We the Com- ries of business countries. trade within theround local tables, customs.

As burial in where we hope learnt that it’s monwealth is Mawsynram,” estimated at they £300announced. billion an- to thehave sodden was impossible during the topground Indian and Australian businesses Mawsynram is aconference town 16kmlooked from Cherrapunji, nually, and the for ways to talk monsoon, the Khasis used to embalm their about how they can collaborate and form and the locals the annual competition ve- joint augment this. take The focus was on issues and opdead in honey till conditions improved. ventures and also supply one another ry seriously.common “Some years Mawsynram gets portunities to all countries, such as with In new 1990,products British and writer Alexander Frater services,” says Nicola more rain, and some years Cherrapunjidevelgets Watkinson, employment and skills, infrastructure wrote a compelling travelogue called Austrade’s senior trade andChasing investmore rain,” explained Bah Arky, indulg- ment opment, financial services andbefore the developthe Monsoon: A Modern commissioner for Pilgrimage South Asia.through Ining inof some nostalgia ment smart cities. over his soaking Cherra- dia.

In that followed the will monsoon from A range of he industry sectors be in focus. punji childhood. “We used to get rain for 13 “Premium Kerala to Mumbai to Delhi and finally Cherrafood and wine, particularly for days andcommon 13 nights.wealth We’d go to school with wet South Creating punji. Australia, In his book, described theand majestic andhealso resources eneruniformsthe andScotland come home with wet uniforms.

Further, House Conference Cen- gy, sight that greeted whenand he areas arrived — IT particularly in him Victoria… such But is nohosting longer. 11 Though sometimes we still get as tre business event programmes “Plumes of white water sheeted off the elabogreen education and research,” Watkinson seven days and nights rain.” showcasing keyseven sectors suchofas cliff, vanishedrates. intoThere a cloud and in will bereappeared tailored visits Indeed, manyrenewable locals sighenerover the wet-old- a foaming burn food and drink, went plunging to andthat meetings for eachdown Indian days.

Cherrapunji gets a whopping nourish the tropical gy, oilBut andstill, gas, financial services gardensinand top up delegatefruit arriving Australia annual average of 11,000mm. it and creative energies, besides Last year, the Bangladeshi floods.” during the cricket world cup.

Visiting Indian crossed 13,000 mm. (Whichsuch is more than five cross-sector opportunities This was exactly view from CherrapunThe our organisers also plan to businesses will times thesporting rain Mumbai gets, 15 times explore the rain tie-ups as global events. jee Resorts —hold standing a high shelf a golf on tournament thatoverwill — Delhi gets and about eight times the rain Workshops and events schedlooking the silvery, waterlogged fields of pit former Indian Test greats collaborations and Chennai gets.) the CWG this joint ventures uled around Bangladesh and hills wreathed in pewter their Australian — with against month promote partnerships counterparts.

Australians during between different sectors and The 49 cricket world cup the cricket world cup assist companies venturing into matches will be divided between new markets. venues across the countries of Linda Murray, Director 2014, Australia and New Zealand.

Scottish Enterprise, sees events The 44-day event will start on a such as the CWG as a good opportunity to de- Saturday, but for fans from the Indian subconvelop new relations with countries and enti- tinent the real action will begin the next day ties and strengthen existing ones. “If we think when arch rivals India and Pakistan battle in a of Africa, it is a relatively untapped market for day-and-night match at the Adelaide Oval.

Scotland, and the Games provide a great opThe organisers are hoping a record crowd portunity to try and build strong relation- will turn out to watch it live. According to one ships, particularly around oil and gas and of the organisers, South Australia is hoping energy,” she says. that just as England arrives with its Barmy ArMeanwhile, in February, Australia and New my, India will come with its own ‘Swamy ArZealand will be in focus not only among crick- my’ to help break the record set for the largest et fans but also various businesses in India. number of spectators at an Adelaide match Match Australia, a government programme during the 1932 Bodyline series. that connects Australian businesses with global partners through major sporting ashwini phadnis

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t’s a name that almost every Indian can

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rattle sporting out — even if prodded of a deep Global eventsoutare increasingly turning venues for investment and trade promotion sleep at 3am.

A bit like Sachin Tendulkar or Shah Rukh Khan. then, cricket andisBollyhe But action on like sporting fields now wood, thespilling monsoons a great Indian obsesoverare into the backrooms as sion. And well. whenGlobal it comes to rain,events Cherrapunji sporting — be it is the evergreen superstar.concluded football the recently Cherrapunji is the rainiest place Commonon Planet world cup in Brazil, the ongoing Earth. But although it figures in countless Gewealth Games (CWG) in Scotland or the ICC ographyworld fill-in-the-blanks, it hasand never been cricket cup in Australia New Zeal-a big travel destination. because Meghand in February — arePerhaps increasingly turning alaya and Northeast are considered venues forthe business and trade promotion.inaccessible. because World Perhaps events like these holidays have longusually been involve to clear blue skies and sunscreen, rather known generate big business from tourism thanadvertising. shades of grey and gumboots. and Manchester, for instance, atThis year, however, compelled to tracted 10 lakh visitors we overwere the 10 days it hosttravel a single weekimportantly, in July. We Gooed theduring 2002 CWG. More in a gled. Weeffect, asked We 3consulted spinoff anfriends. additional lakh havetravel since magazines. was soongenerating apparent that our visited the But cityitannually, nearly choices wereinlimited to sunstrokes in the siz£46 million revenue. zling North or the side of a dripSimilarly, thedepression 2006 CWGat fetched Melbourne py poolside.

Or, of course, we could choose about £150 million in tourism revenue, acadventure chase the monsoon all the way cording to and KPMG. to Besides its wettest destination. selling one million tickets for the Somedal it wasevents that, contested armed with raincoats and 250 by 6,500 athletes, mosquito we flew through miles of this year’s repellant, CWG in Scotland is being beamed bumpythe monsoon clouds to Guwahati.

My across 71 participating countries which, three daughters had been fivebetween them, account fordreading nearly a the third of hour drive to Cherrapunji, but when they disthe world’s population.

And the ICC cricket world cup will be watched globally by over one billion, apart from the thousands enjoying it live in Australia and New Zealand.

Kickoff for revenues But countries are now realising that these events hold out business opportunities way beyond just tourism and advertising. So, for instance, Honda MotoCorp created a huge hype in Brazil during the football world cup days after it announced the setting up of a manufacturing plant in Colombia as part of its expansion into South America. Brazil, says Pawan Munjal, managing director and chief executive officer of Hero MotoCorp, is a market that his company plans to enter in 2016, in time for the Summer Olympics hosted by Rio De Janeiro between August 5 and 21.

At the CWG, Scotland has hosted a business

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Charged up Gandharv Bakshi and Lavina started commercial operations last year gp sampath kumar

Top crop A Khasi girl waits for customers at her pineapple shop on the Guwahati-Shillong road; and (top) the chiselled megaliths of Cherrapunji ritu raj konwar

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saturday, july 26,26, 2014 saturday, july 2014

clouds. The hotel was enthusiastic, friendly and clearly very proud of the rain. The dining area was covered with informative charts and REACH statistics. But equally, the hotel staff — and all Guwahati is the closest airport those living in this extraordinary corner of the world — were engaged in a constant battle and largest railhead. From there with rust and mold and slush and insects. It you can hire a car to was lucky then, that sitting in a musty room Cherrapunji. Buses to Shillong was not part of our Cherrapunji itinerary. and Cherrapunji are also available.

The next morning, after steaming bowls of Hail black-and-yellow taxis to get around porridge and fat pancakes, we headed out for Shillong and for day trips. In Cherrapunji, our grand adventure — a trek to the famous your hotel should be able to organise double-decker root bridge across the bloated vehicles for short distances.

Umshiang river. Six kilometres sounded doaSTAY ble even to an exercise-phobe-who-wearsCherrapunji sneakers-once-in-three-years like me, and we For basic accommodation, were full of excitement and cheer when we super food and great views, try jumped out of the car near the blue-and-white Cherrapunjee Resorts. They are also good church of Tyrna. with organising treks (from ₹2,230; Our guide, Pat, pointed the way and soon we were in a ridiculously fertile jungle, alive cherrapunjee.com). Or you could stay at with ‘broomstick plants’, sweet-smelling bays, the traditional accommodation of Sai-Ipurple blooms and slender betelnut trees Mika Park (from ₹2,000; saimikapark.com). with funky hairdos — clearly the fashionistas Shillong of the jungle. But 10 minutes later, I knew I was Ri Kinjai, a boutique hotel with traditional in trouble. We had barely crossed the clucking while I gazed at the moss-and creeper-covered architecture on the banks of the stunning hens and foaming-with-toothpaste villagers bridge. For hundreds of years, the Khasis have Umiam Lake (about 20km from the city) is of Lumsophie and already I was panting. Pat used the strong, distinctive roots of the ruba great, if expensive option (from ₹7,000; cheerfully informed us that our descent to the ber trees to weave bridges across waterfalls rikynjai.com). Else try the Aerodene double-root bridge involved 3,600 slippery and rivers. And it seemed incredible that this Cottage, a lovely old-style bungalow in a stone steps cut into the hillside. “The way back sturdy, 200-year-old double-decker bridge had central location (₹2,700; aerodene.in). is much more difficult because it’s uphill,” he been fashioned from the roots of a single tree.

EAT said blithely, before rushing ahead with my We took pictures, ate chocolates and I worMost restaurants in Cherrapunji frisky, surefooted daughters, ried about the trek back to Tyrna. look quite grotty, but the leaving me and my mutterings But not even my most fervent to my amused husband. prayers caused a cable car to maCherrapunji Café on the Over the next two spellbindterialise. So my daughters frolCherrapunji-Shillong Road is a Not even my most ing hours we climbed down the icked up the 3,600 steps and nice place to stop for coffee and a meal fervent prayers footpath — meeting one tourist asked if they could take a detour (though half the items on the menu were caused a cable car to and, at most, 10 villagers. We to catch a cloud — while I glared not available when we visited). materialise smelt crushed bay leaves, gigand lumbered painfully behind In Shillong, seek out Sugarise for pastries, gled over the furry grey caterpilthem. “Thank god it wasn’t rainDéjà vu for Chinese, Munchies for burgers lars, followed the vivid purple ing,” my husband said when he and Café Shillong for music, steaks and ice butterflies, and crossed two narfinally chivvied me up the last cream soda. row, swingy metal bridges that spanned tor- flight of stairs. rential streams. Eventually we crossed a small “But appa,” my older daughter Aaliya root bridge — a knobbly, mossy affair out of a wailed, “we’ve come here for the rain. We can eotype. Without warning, the rains start bangfairytale. But then, everything on that magical hardly miss it.”

That evening, while we were wolfing down a ing down on the roof. There was a ripple of morning reminded us of Snow White’s forest.

Pristine and lush though the jungle was, I delicious Khasi dinner — including the fa- excitement in the dining room. A young couwas grateful when we reached the double- mous jadoh rice, a black pork dish and a deli- ple unpacked stiff, new plastic pants and jackdecker root bridge. My daughters and hus- cious chicken roast with heaps of onions — ets and prepared to face the elements. he JSS Institution campus waterfall, in Banga- Cherrapunji finally decided to live up to sterslurped steaming soup “While travelling to the city’s outskirts, my Another band paddled in the Umshiang There is agroup non-commercial factortomato — if you try lore was the venue for a different phone would often run out of charge as I was a on the rather And the to involve themslushy, in thedrippy process,porch. they get interkind of party last January. It was a heavy user. That would lead to embarrassing rain thrummed and on through ested.

Intrinsic on motivation works.the Wenight. told get-together of sun worshippers, situations when a customer called and my them Thewe next morning, we woke in aagreed,” cottonwill not negotiate andup they but of the kind that uses it to charge their nifty phone was unavailable,” he says. wool world. An obliging cloud had parked ithe says. gadgets. In the spotlight was a range of USB right over fromwas reBakshi got himself a portable charger, but selfThe first lotour of heads, 20-oddisolating sampleusbags devices — while one could keep your food often forgot to charge that as well. It was ality. as wepriced drove₹5,500 away from readyAnd in 2013, each.Cherrapunji, It was a hit warm even as you trekked in the Himalayas, around then that Lavina read about solar fab- our views were of discombobulated withfinal a growing community of cyclists inbamBananother could turn your backpack into a WiFi ric and it led her to the idea of a bag that can boo fronds, branches, mysterious galore.

Aroundwitchy this time, Google India MD Razone or charge your smartphone to ensure charge phones on-the-go. To keep the costs paths leadingtook to nowhere, andinstrange signjan Anandan an interest the concept you can click endless pictures of the beautiful low, she hand-stitched the circuitry into an ex- boards peeking thick whiteness, and invested ₹25 out lakhof in the Lumos. scenery miles away from habitation. bearing mystifying messages: “Dumping of isting bag.

“We began commercial manuThe host was Bangalore-based start-up LuCoal on the Passing of Places is Prohibited”.

“This prototype gave us the facturing in October 2013,” says mos, which makes backpacks and travel bags proof of concept — that it During the drive whose to Shillong, Bah Arky Bakshi, suppliers can that capture solar energy — solar panels are worked,” says Bakshi. At a mall a played a songmake by local uprappers to 5,000called bagsK-Bloodz. a month Lumos already stitched into the fabric and so is a battery to few days later, he ran into Siva Along the wayfor wenow. stood in the spray of the Kyngets 30 per cent of its store the charge. The bag’s USB port can be Ramamoorthy, his former boss rem Falls and gazed at the wet plains of Among theflat, bigger brands, orders from nine used to charge phones or keep coffee warm at Tejas Networks. “I told him Bangladesh from the Pillar Rock.

Butbackpack the most Samsonite sells a solar foreign countries, and soda cold. magical partinof India, that drive our game of about it and he gave us the first whilewas Voltaic Systems mainly Australia and In a country with abundant sunlight and a cheque of ₹4.5 lakh.” hide-and-seekand with the clouds.

BirkSun sell similar products Mexico young population ever hungry for connectiviThe mists stayed with us almost all thecomway With this money, the couple globally.

Given the limited ty, it is no surprise that the backpacks are sell- decided to test for customers. to Shillong —petition a bustling full of music and andcity a zooming demand, ing briskly — 40 per cent more every month — They began by assuming that churches, cherry blossom trees and five-inch Lumos is well poised to grab a big both locally and overseas. heels. Here we stayed charming Aeroconsultants and salespeople chunk of at thethe market, especially “In India, Bangalore is our biggest market, would be the potential buyers. “But our as- dene Cottage, the wares of the little among cyclistssampled in European countries.

It alfollowed by Delhi, Hyderabad and Pune,” says sumption was wrong… It is the guys who cycle bakeries, boating onits Ward’s Lake and atready getswent 30 per cent of orders from nine Gandharv Bakshi, who co-founded Lumos to work, usually IT professionals, or those who tended a jazz evening. countries abroad, mainly Australia and Mexiwith his wife Lavina in June 2012. back in Mumbai, it is secretive go on treks, who are more excited.” co.But, As its international sales arethe nearly douThe idea for the solar backpack came to and lush junglesonofthose Cherrapunji to Bakshi approached bag makers and elec- mists bling, Lumos is focusing markets for Bakshi in 2011, when he was studying at IIM- tronics manufacturers to make the first lot of which I return in my dreams. now. And as long as the sun is shining, Bakshi Bangalore and was consulting at small and sample bags. But convincing them proved dif- shall make hay. medium enterprises in the nearby industrial ficult. “Getting manufacturers interested and shabnam minwalla is a Mumbai-based journalist rashmi pratap author of The Six Spellmakers of Dorabji Street areas like Anekal, Jigani and Hosur. making them supply on time is a challenge. and

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A Bangalore couple stitch up a successful business in solar-powered backpacks and bags

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Time-space continuum The ancient Annamalaiyar temple in Tiruvannamalai; and (below) snuff offerings for the samiyar bijoy bharathan

THE COMPASS CHRONICLES

volunteer of European descent hands them a plate of curd rice, sambar rice, an ounce of pickle and a leaf bowl of fruit salad.

Gaman Palem, an illustrator from Chennai, is a regular visitor to these parts. He narrates an interesting experience he had here. “I once veered off the main Girivalam path and entered a dirt road in the middle of the reserve forest. I spotted a group of piglets in a thicket and picked one up... it was a wild piglet with two white stripes on its back. I didn’t see that behind me was its mother and her intimidating tuskers. I lowered the piglet onto Lo and behold A The town first drew the ground. took after 1728But chartshe of the the world’s attention me for a few metres beEasthundred Indian Ocean through iconic images fore giving up.the So,Islands yes, itofhelps if from of Ramana Maharshi Maldivy to you stick to the designated path.” shot by Henri CartierCambodia One town, many quests. Rararemaps.com Bresson in the 1940s mesh Babu, who runs a tea shop near Ramana Ashram, tells me about Mookupodi Samiyar, known for his affinity for mookupodi (snuff), which devotees readily offer him. The samiyar (holy man) is also known to have a weakness for deep-fried mixture, which would perhaps have earned him the nickname farsan baba in north India.

Every day, at the crack of dawn the samiyar arrives at the Thiruner Annamalai Koyil to meditate. He keeps to himself, never talks, doesn’t accept money and, occasionally, waves his wooden stick in blessing or his trisulam (trident) to ward off pesky devotees. But the devotees aren’t leaving anytime soon. Babu says, “Years ago, a trader from Coimbatore fell on hard times and paid a visit to the samiyar.

Soon, his business turned around and in gratitude he gifted him a sedan worth ₹8 lakh. He also employed a full-time chauffeur for him.”

The samiyar now uses the car to make a fortnightly trip to Rameswaram or Kanyakumari.

The rest of the time, the sedan idles nearby. meteors an attempt by an invisible god to usNot for the East the India College — his for usual training fu-I finding holy man at spot, mark places for pagodas like the Buddha enlist ture servants included both the helpofofthe an Company, enterprising auto driver, preached long ago? Or were they remnants of Natarajan.

Oriental literature anddown Newton’s Principia.

We track him to a municipala comet that was passing the orbit of Earth? However, hisininfluence South Asia went ity school the area. over The samiyar sleeps in Was it possible that such a comet would col- far beyondone theof pages of Principia becauseatNewthe vacant classrooms the lide with their planet someday? ton was at a crucial master the end of time eachtheday and of that’s A Burmese prince once wrote to the journal mint in London. where I find him. Waiting of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, for he was Simon Schaffer tells us, at “Newton also stood ahead, the fast-asleep sa“anxiously looking out for a Comet that is to at the centre of themiyar’s financial revolution thata feet, is Rajam, appear this month, and which I believe by the saw the establishment of the Bank of England middle-aged woman calculations of some French Astronomer is to in 1695, the recoinagefrom of 1696 as a response to Puducherry.

After destroy the earth.” The philosopher prince the circulation of bad the emeranmetal, hour, and we decided to further posits a few very intergence ofleave paperwithout credit meeting and the esting questions to the journal growth of theThis stock marketsevin him. is Rajam’s (to which they indeed replied London.enth He was one to ofmeet the few attempt the with entire calculations). He East India Company man.

She tellsproprietors me, “The co-founder of data the Ekalokam asks, “on what does Sir Isaac who owned moreI than tenIthoufirst time came, was Witnesses of the Trust forfound Photography.

Set to of Newton his hypothesis sanddrowning pounds ininstock.” debt. My best meteorite shower begin on August 15, it’llbeing provide the heat of a Comet 900a A symmetric question friend, who was also mywould busiwere interrogated as 360-degree view of the hill and the if the strewn field ness times greater than red-hot beassociate, to investigate influence had the cheated me of changing the town sprawled around iron?”

Andface “Is of not the height of India on theofworks Newton. lakhs of rupees.

One my of cheques had were ait. crime scene Incidentally, the town first drew the atmosphere increased atthe world’s at- bounced, leading Edmund Halley, obserto legal actionwhose against me. tention thein iconic images of Ramana The samiyar shooed new andthrough full moon the same vationsme were Newton, awayused then.by I went back Maharshithat shotthe by the legendary manner waters of thelensman Hen- dejected. Butwas well-travelled with the ships soon, things started looking up. ri Cartier-Bresson in the ocean are raised, but to 1940s. a much East India andwere “he The case wasofdropped andCompany my finances In a bid to capture the town’s enduring rai- back greater extent?

If so why does the barometer exploited information networks the tradon track.

I now come every sixofmonths.” son d’être, I arrive Tiruvannamalai and am ingBut not indicate it byinrising?”

Both questions corporations andalone dockyard experts, such it’s not faith that draws people promptly directed to the gates of the Ramana here. might be worth considering even today. as those used in his friend Seller’s OrienAbul Kalam Azad andJohn his team decided Ashram a college masterwork student I meetPhilosophiæ on the bus to Isaac by Newton’s tal kickstart pilot.” Halley was often “conversing with the community photo project in from Tindivanam. first thing that greets Naturalis Principia The Mathematica (Latin for Tiruvannamalai navigators acquainted with parts of India, because “weall wanted to begin you at the ashram is the call of the peacocks Mathematical Principles of Natural Philoso- our and having a considerable time in elethe journeyspent keeping in mind the five and seemingly run of phy)primates was firstthat published in have 1687,a free whence it ments, Tropicks...” which that the web of starting withsuggests fire and its manifestation the place. While serious pilgrims, in- at gradually startedthe itsmore journey across the world.

East CompanyThiru was Koyil.” fully exploited by theIndia Annamalaiyar “Tiruvannacluding severalproposition expats, walkisnonchalantly An interesting to trace how toits malai these scientists crowdsource scientific data. is one of to the few places where ancient wards the meditation hall Asia or the sanctum ideas spread across South along with monuments The recordsand of tidal patterns over landscapes arefrom stillall intact. sanctorum, other selfie-obsessed variants agents of the British Empire, and other are Eu- The the world needed Newton regionwere is also homebytoHalley ritualsand (including busy photographing everything sight. ropean visitors. Or, when did theinfirst copy of tantric to prove his theory gravitation, andofwho practices) thatofare on the verge disDressed in white kurtaspeninsula? and saffron dhotis, appearing,” Principia enter the Indian could do thesays job better than sailors of and the East Azad, as technology tradevotees forinfamous hours. During the annaAs earlymeditate as 1718, the ex-governor of dition India Company? find an unlikely new idiom to define daanam each day, scores line up near cour- and remember the temple town by.

Madras — Elihu Yale (after whom Yalethe College tyard, waiting for atheir meal.

Rich is named) donated copymid-day of Newton’s book to rohit gupta explores the history of science as t@fadesingh bijoy bharathan and poorAs alike their turn, as an ashram Harvard. lateawait as 1801, an establishing syllab- Compasswallah

Newton on the Ganges

Science has crowdsourced information for ages; Newton even tapped into the resources of the trusty sailors of the East India Company

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Meditating on T he British Raj in India is of particular importance to the history of science because — writes David Arnold: “... the English East India Company was as old as modern science itself. Founded in 1600, the Company shared its early years with the Scientific Revolution, and by when the Royal Society of London was founded, was already a flourishing concern with trading bases at Surat, Madras and Masulipatnam.”

Of the colonial sciences, one of the most dominant was geology, since a survey of India’s natural resources was of direct commercial importance to the Company. However, the survey unfolded with many tangential explorations by hobbyists, a good example being theirt’s interest in meteorites.

One ofwith these fell at an ancient town dotted numerSherghati near Patna in Bihar, on August—25,a ous temples along the Girivalam 1865, 14km and recent analysis the rockuse show to pathway thatofdevotees toitcirhave cumnavigate originated onthe theAnnamalai planet Mars. hills before Commenting on the culture of the science in entering the town’s main temple, centuIndia at that time, KevinThiru Kichinka writes about ries-old Annamalaiyar Koyil, where the this in the an form essay of called Fall of deitymeteorite Shiva takes fire. ‘The Believed to Shergotty:’ wasthe considered an Tiruunbe rich with “India rare herbs, hill has given equaled venue observe falls.

Clear skies and vannamalai, in to Tamil Nadu, its reputation as a acentre densefor population allowed for obSiddha medicine andmultiple yoga. Every servations of a single As soonarrive as a metefull-moon night, lakhsevent. of devotees here orite government officials, for thefell, holyresearchers, girivalam (perambulation). even the police were sent to retrieve speciAlongside the siddhars (mystics) and the yomens. haste made towith collect pieces nobegis, theAll town is was choc-a-bloc ashrams, fore indigenous had a chance tablythethe Ramana population Ashram dedicated to to worship or destroy meteorite.

WitnessRamana Maharshi, thethe Seshadri Ashram close es interrogated if the strewn field were bywere and the ashram ofas Yogi Ramsuratkumar, alasocrime behind knownscene, as the leaving Visiri (fan) Baba. observations Followers arboth accurate and dubious an excellent rive from across the world, but including many historic record all of the times.” This be who renounce possessions andwould relationtantamount in modern terms truth. to crowdsourcships in the quest for a higher ingAnd science citizens. now, through in an attempt to capture the many In the events naturally facets of 19th this century, spiritualsuch centre, 25 photogratriggered the origins of mephers willspeculation embark onabout a year-long photo-arteors and causes using the365. well-known framechiving initiative, Project At the heart of work of Newton’s gravitation.

Were the fall of this effort is photojournalist Abul Kalam Azad,

a town

Tiruvannamalai in Tamil Nadu attracts spiritual seekers of all hues, and is now the focus of a unique photo-archiving project

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M-O-M on its way

Just grin and bear it

India’s Mars Orbiter Mission is on course as 80 per cent of its journey is already complete afp/thomas coex

In Mumbai, a teen gets not one… not two… but 232 teeth extracted

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his is one M-O-M which is right on track. Having set off on its long journey to Mars in November last year, the good folk at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) had to make a few risky course corrections, but as the saying goes, all’s well that ends well, or should we say, all’s well that ends in Mars?

Having covered a distance of 540 million km already, only 20 per cent of the journey remains for M-O-M and its payloads, which are expected to land on the red planet on September 24.

The last course correction was performed on June 11, when the spacecraft’s thrusters were fired remotely, and another course correction is scheduled next month before the final ‘thrust’ into the red planet’s orbit.

If ISRO overcomes the remaining hurdles as well, this will be a most successful mission into space, costing less than a third of a certain statue that is likely to be erected.

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hen Ashik Gavai, a 17-year-old from Vidarbha, came to JJ Hospital, Mumbai, because of an abnormal swelling in his mouth, he did not know that he would be hitting the record books. When the doctors took a closer look, they found scores of tiny teeth popping out of an abnormal molar. After spending hours, they came upon a final figure of 232, a world record perhaps. With no modern technique available to handle this cutting situation, they had to resort to the rather Victorian and self-explanatory ‘chiselmallet’ procedure.

After seven gruelling hours of surgery using chisels and whatnot, Gavai was relieved of his extra baggage, bar the 32 shineys that he was supposed to have.

No man’s land A Palestinian family heads to a UN school in Gaza City to seek shelter after evacuation from the north of the strip

Gandhi at the time of Gaza What explains India’s current moral bankruptcy on the West Asia conflict?

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nternational mediation efforts have The refrain at every conclave involving Is- dented success in converting imagined inseIndians stepped up a notch, but the Israeli offen- f you raelthought and India is that were theseconnected are nations with a curities into an identity of interests with Israel their smartphones via the umbilical sive against the population of the Gaza toshared interest in defeating terrorism. There and the US. In May 2003, Brajesh Mishra, nayou It hasofbeen strip shows no signs of abating. As thischord, is in thewere roteright. repetition this found theme, a tacit tional security adviser to Prime Minister VajIndian smartphone users are among goes to press, the death toll among Palesti-thatreproach of the just Palestinian struggle. payee, in an address to the American Jewish of data worldwide, nians on the Gaza Strip had crossed 700, and athe biggest This consumers mood originates in the early 1990s Committee (AJC), effectively stripped the supwhopping minutes an staggering one-third of the civilian casualtiesspending when aIndia was in 198 a moment ofon extreme inse- posed struggle against terrorism of all subtleaverage, every on their phones, acwere reported to be children. curity, withday, Kashmir in a state of insurrection ty and political content. It was “nonsense”, he to Swedish telecom ErWhen a debate on the Gaza situation wascording and the US closely boundcompany up with Pakistan.

US said, to argue that “terrorism (could) only be Apart from the length of arranged time scheduled in the Rajya Sabha on July 21 aftericsson. ardour deepened after Pakistan the eradicated by addressing its ‘root causes’”. on their phones, 25 per cent of causmuch handwringing — earlier stalled by thespent Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 1996, Soon after, Ariel Sharon, a military comalso anxiety check within their India.

BJP-led government on July 16 — it was under asmartphone ing spasmsusers of extreme mander who ascended to Israel’s prime minismore than a 100 times a day. procedural rule that disallowed a vote or a res-phonesThe BJP’s ascent in 1998 changed things tership in the atmosphere of heightened social mediaLK and chat as apps areminister national n Wednesday, the following Associateda Press, olution. As Ghulam Nabi Azad of the Congress While around.

In 2000, Advani home paranoia mass proved Palestiapps for visit mostto Israel peopleto with thatuprising the simple comma can make all the difrose to initiate proceedings, he appeared to be‘gateway’ made an official establish the nian in 2000, arrived in India.

It was per of the users in how a story understood. officiala in didactic mood, launching into an extendedsmartphones, framework40for ancent extended seriessay of interac-ference a visit replete withisofficial rituals,Their including it is only a small part of their phone agen-twitter @ap samadhi tweeted atabout theinDutch history tutorial, beginning with the Balfourthattions between security and intelligence visithandle, to the Gandhi Rajghat Delhi, usage.

A lot of people, 24 per cent of those aroundflight carrying bodies the MH 17,recording landing ina declaration of 1918. cies in the two countries, centred and an entry in thefrom visitors’ book to be exact, also conduct the city of Eindhoven.

Only, forgot the comThat reference perhaps had an unintendedsurveyed ‘cross-border terrorism’.

Inher- busi“message ofthey peace”. through and WeChat. ma. Being AP, numerous other news organisation relevance. And once opened for exploration,nessent ironiesWhatsApp were brushed aside ErAs some remarked, it was a mocame up with ofthis data after promptly re-tweeted them. the nine minutes — history was a terrain that seemed to offericsson in the enthusiasm entering ment of For tumultuous retreat 4,000 smartphone users in 18 till a clarificationfrom tweet with punctuation in the much by way of an ironic retrospection in thesurveying into a new and potentially transhistory.

It was an unintendIn the 1930s, Gandhi across the country.relationship. right place appeared — it seemed likesterile tragedy had centenary year of World War I. A conflagra-citiesformative strategic ed outcome of the debate called it a “crime befallen tragedy.on Seldom has missing comma tion, which bequeathed to Palestine and its Despite its vast, continental Gaza in thea Rajya Sabha, that against humanity” made such big news. wider region, not merely the Balfour declara- size, India has borders that have Gandhi’s famous locutions from tion, but also the Sykes-Picot accord, a clandes- in most part been settled with the 1930s have gained renewed tine and conspiratorial deal to divide up the its neighbours, giving the term currency, that it was a “crime territories of the Ottoman Empire as it slipped ‘cross-border terrorism’ a sense against humanity” to impose the rapidly towards defeat. that can be grasped easily. Israel in contrast is Jewish people upon Arab lands under the proWest Asia’s current political geography was a tiny country implanted in alien territory in tection of British imperialism. Those remarks created by two acts of imperial arrogance. The deliberate defiance of history. Its boundaries came in the context of a mass upsurge against State Balfour created has since enjoyed abso- have remained undefined since the moment Jewish colonisation, put down by the British lute impunity to push its territorial claims of its birth, allowing it to define ‘cross-border colonial administration with an iron hand. while insisting it would remain a nation ex- terrorism’ in protean and flexible ways.

In the years that followed, Gandhi reemember the time you and your BFF thought about clusively ofthe theexact Jewish people. Sykes-Picot’s Jaswant Singh, the then external affairs mained engaged. In 1946, and 1947, he prosame thing at the exact same time? Well, it might be more legacy, the modern nation-states of Iraq, Syria, minister, quickly followed Advani’s mission posed that there was a rather simple solution than just a co-incidence — if the results Lebanon of a new study are to are in contrast, being implausible. With a display of piety at a site to the violence and bloodshed breaking out in and Jordan, be believed. Published in the journal, Proceedings Na-or hovering perilously on the Jewish call the Wailing Wall to mourn lost Palestine: for the Jewish settlers to cease their torn apart of bythe strife tional Academy of Sciences, researchers have found the thatbrink friends to of tend cataclysmic rupture. glories, Singh brushed aside the contested cul- terrorism and for the US and Britain to stop have the similar genetic relationship as a person shares their was not where the Rajya tural and political context of a location that all aiding their relentless conquest of Arab lands.

Historywith though, fourth cousin, which roughly translates to aboutSabha one per simi-as one speaker after anoth- three Semitic religions claim as hallowed wascent headed, Those warnings from a man still honoured larity. While you probably don’t know your fourth while the discussions towards space. He then unburdened himself of the wis- as the nation’s most revered moral preceptor er cousin soughtand to nudge one per cent might seem small, in terms of genetics, it’s apparently a current partisan obsessions.

At the end of it dom that India’s commitment to the Palesti- have of course been thrown aside. No need to pretty big deal, especially if you’re unrelated. The all,research, Externalwhich AffairsisMinister Sushma Swaraj nian cause through the years gone by was a look further, it would seem, for the reasons bebased on data collected from the town of Framingham, Massachusetts performed the triangulation manoeuvre that consequence of domestic “vote-bank politics”. hind India’s current moral bankruptcy on an analysed more than 1.5 million markers of genehas variations after which served her recent predecessors well. India The trade in military hardware was show- issue of global consequence. they came to this conclusion. Further, they found thatsupport the most common would the Palestinian cause with sin- ing an upturn by this time. And the truly trans‘shared’ gene among friends was the olfactory gene, which controls a person’s cerity, but at the same time consolidate and formative moment arrived on September 11, sukumar muralidharan is a fellow at the Indian sense of smell. deepen relations with Israel.

2001. From that date on, India had unprece- Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla

Not so smart

India spends more than three hours a day on its smartphones, that is much more than the US

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A comma imperative

Even the mightiest shall fall, or should we say, forget their punctuation

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Gene-ial connection

A new study reveals that people choose friends who have DNA sequences in common

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cornerstone in-faq by joy bhattacharjya Cooks

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ince a lot of my test match viewing has been interrupted by impassioned appeals to watch Masterchef, I’ve decided to hedge my bets and set a quiz on cooks.

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Simple one to start with. What is the correct name for the tall white hat traditionally worn by chefs?

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Which classic adventure story was originally titled The Sea Cook: A Story For Boys?

Which famous 20th-century artist’s autobiography, published in 1942, starts with the following lines, “At the age of six I wanted to be a cook. At seven I wanted to be Napoleon. And my ambition has been growing steadily since”?

4

We all know of chefs and sous-chefs, but what specific role does a ‘communard’ perform in a restaurant’s kitchen?

5

Which Hrishikesh Mukherjee film, starring Rajesh Khanna was a remake of Tapan Sinha’s ’60s Bengali comedy Golpo Holeo Shotti, released in 1966?

6

This actress has hosted a television series on the food and culture of Spain. She has also written Spain... A Culinary Road Trip, My Father’s Daughter: Delicious, Easy Recipes Celebrating Family and Togetherness, Notes From the Kitchen Table and It’s All Good: Delicious Easy Recipes That Will Make You Look Good and Feel Great. Also, she named one of her children after something to eat. Identify her, before you lose interest in the question.

the new york times crossword-1103

who’s left?

7

Who, in the world of comic fiction, is a polyglot, martial arts expert and the head of the top secret crime fighting organisation Inter-Intel?

8

In the Mahabharat, who adopted the name Vallabh and worked as the royal cook in the kingdom of Virat?

9

In the ’90s , Rosie Daley sold over six million copies of a cookbook, which featured 50 favourite recipes of a famous personality who also co-wrote the book. Who was her famous co-author?

10

We all know that Nelson Wang was the man who invented the ubiquitous chicken manchurian in the ’70s. The question is, in which famous institution’s kitchen (not a conventional restaurant or hotel) did chef Wang first create this dish?

ANSWERS 1. Toque, from the Arabic ‘taquia’ for hat 2. Treasure Island, aren’t you glad Robert Louis Stevenson changed his mind.

3. Salvador Dali 4. A ‘communard’ cooks for all the staff in the kitchen, probably the most discerning audience.

5. Bawarchi 6. Gwyneth Paltrow, would you name your child Apple?

7. Hojo the cook, in the Mandrake comics 8. Bheem 9. Oprah Winfrey 10. The CCI (Cricket Club of India)

ND-X _ A

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

ACROSS

1 Etched computer component 8 Away for the summer, maybe 14 Bar food?

20 Author of “If Democrats Had Any Brains, They’d Be Republicans” 21 Fix 22 Crown cover 23 McMansion’s storage 25 Santa ___ 26 It may be stroked or crushed 27 Difficulties 28 Remove the last drop from 30 Qualifier 33 Test ___ 35 Have a balance 36 Religious office 37 Attack on sacred custom 39 Dotty?

43 Brief letter sign-off 44 ___ Nashville Records 45 “___-haw!”

47 Greek characters 48 “Camelot” co-writer 50 Piece of roadconstruction equipment

56 Grassy expanse 58 Exams with analytical reasoning parts: Abbr.

60 Grp. with the platinum album “Out of the Blue” 61 Graf ___ 62 Look for 63 Marshmallowy treat 64 Vodka with a ChocolatRazberi flavor 66 Keeps 67 Lot 69 Badgering 71 Great leveler 72 Lawyer Davis who served in Clinton and Bush administrations 73 Marseille morning 74 Buenos ___ 75 Make a big stink 77 Went undercover 78 New ID badge recipient 79 Gaffe 80 What the Red Baron engaged in 83 Sly one 85 Symbol of Horus 86 Tick-tack-toe winner 87 Big do 88 TV series for which Quentin Tarantino has

written and directed 91 Generally speaking 96 Famous 101 “Sure” 102 Clear tables 103 Jolly Roger pirate 104 Tropical vines 105 Jordan feature 109 Barn seat 111 ___ Tour 112 “Hot” dish 113 They may keep you on your toes 120 Pass 121 “You betcha!”

122 Four-star figure 123 Dishwasher, at times 124 February forecasts 125 Comes in behind

DOWN

1 Election results abbr.

2 Primitive radio receiver 3 British novelist Anthony 4 Chant after a soccer score 5 Gobbled 6 ___ center 7 Start of a Scrabble game 8 Tees off 9 One may be doll-size 10 Biter, maybe 11 ___ loss

12 One White of rock’s White Stripes 13 Like the time of Franz Ferdinand’s reign 14 Hard-to-turn vehicle 15 Before you know it 16 Designer Helmut 17 Surrounded by 18 Order 19 Stood out at stand-up?

24 One thrown at a rodeo 29 Ancient Roman king 30 Wield 31 Any Mount Olympus dweller 32 Like some rioters 34 Provider of a trip across a desert?

35 Well-financed grp.?

38 Boxer’s target 40 Rhapsodizes over 41 Be flat 42 Sources of some lethal injections 46 Second lt.’s equivalent 48 Thieves’ place 49 Major Spanish daily 50 Icon on Amazon 51 Hears again, as a case 52 Big name in online financial services

53 Cry from a balcony, maybe 54 Not so nice 55 Raccoons around campsites, e.g.

56 River of song 57 Many an actor’s second job 59 Vaio manufacturer 62 SAG’s partner 63 Kind of boom 64 Make content 65 Golfer nicknamed Tower 68 “Das Lied von der Erde” composer 69 Antlered animal 70 Stole material 73 Cat calls 76 Eastern European capital 78 “The Newsroom” channel 79 Emerald, e.g.

81 “I agree” 82 Springfield watering hole 84 Lamar Hunt Trophy org.

88 Some 99-Down 89 Curse 90 Connections

91 Bar food?

9 2Indian neighbor 93 One way to dress in drag 94 Court inits.

95 Cajun dishes 97 “Whew, that wore me out!”

98 Video-game losses 99 88-Down, e.g.

100 Brit’s diaper 106 Pen parts 107 Different 108 Raspberry 110 Carrier that owns the airline Sun d’Or 114 Rink org.

115 Cleaning solution 116 Daniels who directed “The Butler” 117 Words said before a kiss 118 Afts and eves 119 ___-mo

By Brendan Emmett Quigley / Edited by Will Shortz

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