Blink issue 39 october25 2014

TIME TO RISE Seven hundred girls in Rajasthan lock their school gates and stage a protest to demand teachers and better resources p5 saturday, october 25, 2014

Police on their way to a polling booth during Panchayat elections in Birbhum district, 2013 pti/subhashis basu

West Bengal earns the dubious title of the state with the highest number of political murders. Even after a change in power, a tussle for superiority leaves a trail in blood p10

Murder Central

BLUE BIRD IN INDIA The 140-character message becomes a crucial tool in the way we do business p6

ACROSS THE BRIDGE Home isn’t where we die, but where we raise our kids, writes Amitava Kumar p17

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Guts, glory and glamour History retold

The players bask in national attention, and the sponsors and team owners are pleased but Afzal is a villain Maharashtra loves to hate, but history tells a more complex story willKhan the mushrooming private leagues help Indian sports grow?

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ays before Maharashtra went to spired directly by the Goddess Bhavani. Each once IWell-known football commentator Novy had zoned out the boisterous families, a Kapolls on October 15, the 25-year-old town in Maharashtra will have an equestrian beautiful padia sight prefers to be more optimistic — “The ongreeted me: the lush monsoon alliance between the BJP and Shiv Shivaji statue in its main square, and in the green going ISL stretched has attracted the miles crowds back to valley out for below, Sena came to an end. Even before capital city of Mumbai, its airport, its largest dotted Indian stadiums; sonki 35,000 in Mumbai withfootball the canary-yellow flowers.

If the results confirmed victory for the BJP in the train station, largest park and principal mu- youand 30,000 Delhion areNovember impressive8,figures were at thisinplace 1659 in state, it was clear that the break-up was going seum, are all named after the Chhatrapati. cities awhich not have fans.preHopehowever, more do sinister sightfanatical would have to hit the Shiv Sena hard. So bitter was Sena Given the popularity of Shivfully these fans, many to Indian sented itself.ofInthem the new Radtondi chief Uddhav Thackeray that he equated Na- aji, it is not surprising that his football, will support domespasscontinue below, to you wouldthehave rendra Modi and members of his party to the history is often pressed into sertic game watched when thethe I-League starts in January massive Bijapuri ararmy of 17th-century Bijapuri general Afzal vice whenever it is convenient next year.myAlso, Indian playerstoseem to be rumble by, headed PratapKhan. Now, if you are acquainted with Maha- for politicians. So, way back in learning garh by observing levelwas. of commitfort wherethe Shivaji Given the popularity rashtra, you’d know that Afzal Khan is a villain the ’50s, Jawaharlal Nehru had of the foreign stars. The For a long time, the Bijapur of Shivaji, it is ment not and training the state loves to hate. As the war of words es- to actually apologise for making seriously develop Sultanateshould — Deccan’s most powsurprising thateight his franchises calated during campaigning, I embarked on a some allegedly disparaging regrassroots programmes and academies in the erful state — had ignored Shivaji, history is often journey to Pratapgarh — the site of the legend- marks about Shivaji in his The near future.” even as his men captured one Bipressed into service ary encounter between Shivaji and Afzal Khan Discovery of India and when politIndia’s japuri success atafter the inaugural World fort another inT20 the Sa— to revisit a tale that continues to rear its con- ical cartoonist Bal Thackeray Cup was followed by the launch and mired success of hyadri hills.

With Bijapur tentious head in every election. wanted a name for his new chauthe IPL. But can hardly credited for the in IPL internal strifebeand conflict In 1659, despite being outnumbered and vinist party, he simply called it country’swith successful showing in the shortest a belligerent Aurangzeb, outgunned by Afzal Khan’s men, Shivaji led his ‘Shivaji’s army’. This tradition lives on till to- Shivaji format the game.

West Indies great hadof a free run. Finally, in 1659, theMichael sularmy to victory over the troops of the Bijapur day and more than three centuries after his tanate Holding put itone candidly, can’t Afzal improve dispatched of its top“IPL generals, Sultanate, in what came to be known as the death, Shivaji is an active part of Maharash- Khan, anyone’s cricket.” to confront Shivaji.

Battle of Pratapgarh. This triumph marks the trian politics.

Similarly, the Hockey India League (HIL) En route to Pratapgarh, Khan’s army adoptbeginnings of the Maratha Empire. Synonycannot be held policy responsible for the statedeof the ed an unexpected of intimidation, mous with Marathi pride since then, Shivaji The battle site game,several good or mediocre, in the As the stroying Hindu temples in country. their path, became a household name. Every school child The town closest to Pratapgarh fort today is including formerthe hockey great Zafartemple Iqbal said, “It has famous Vithoba in Pandin the state learns of his heroic exploits and Mahabaleshwar. Situated on a plateau, the co- harpur. helped lift theStewart profile Gordon of hockey.

It keeps Historian writes that the Maharashtrian bakhars (traditional histories) lonial-era hill-station has various ‘points’ that “thisgame in thewas news and some foreign players behaviour unprecedented for a Bijan a country that loves to play cricket treat Shivaji as a quasi-divine figure, often in- inoverlook Leaguethe (ICL), setting off At a sporting valley below.

Bombayrevolution Point, puricome and compete with our youngsters. force,” given the kingdom’s past syncre- Imevery available space — parks, streets and of sorts when the league’s first ball was bow- portantly, hockey players can earn money, too, fields — sports merchants are increasing- led. The country’s first major private sporting which was not so when we were playing.” ly peddling football, tennis and hockey league saw players, many of them unsung and dreams. Private leagues have mushroomed in unknown, signing fruitful contracts. Every Limited goals recent times, promising India a place in the FI- cricketer looked to earn a spot in the ICL and The success of ISL, IPL, HIL, ITL (tennis) or KIL FA World Cup or the opportunity to host a ten- the authorities smelled the threat instantly. (kabaddi) will not have any impact on India’s nis event on the scale of a Grand Slam. But The cricket board scrambled to counter it by progress in the international sports arena. The these are clearly far-fetched and misplaced launching the Indian Premier League (IPL). franchises will pick the best and offer attracnotions.

The business and cinema world was roped tive contracts to bolster their respective The recent Asian Games at Incheon gave us a in to lend glamour and money, and attract the teams, but will they invest in developing talrealistic assessment of Indian sport. India youth. On offer was an entertainment package ent at the grassroots level? That responsibility emerged with 11 gold medals, two of them in of cricket, song and dance that proved a roar- is with the government and that role remains kabaddi, behind China’s staggering 151, Ko- ing success in the very first season. Spectators unsung. For the 2012 London Olympics, the rea’s 79 and Japan’s 47. Even Kazakhstan, with flocked to the venues and the IPL government spent ₹260 crore on a population smaller than Kerala’s, claimed turned even mediocre cricketers the preparation of sportsmen. I 28. The difference is huge, not to mention the into household names. don’t think any corporate would disparity in facilities. spare that kind of money.

IPL attracts the best Meanwhile, the brewing new sporting cul- The me-too games Dev too, while excited about because India has ture attempts to grab the attention and loyal- The business of sport was buzzthe opportunities, is circumsome of the best ty of the country’s youth through private ing like never before, forcing the spect about some of the ground players in the world. leagues. The sponsors are all visible, of course. administrators of other sports realities. “There is nothing Can we say the same They have to be, having invested in the teams like hockey, kabaddi and footwrong in these private leagues. for hockey and and players in the franchise-based ownership. ball to sit up, take notice and emThey provide entertainment and football?

The trouble is that their association with sport ulate the success. The cocktail I believe there is scope for every is purely commercial. remained unchanged — a heady sport, not just cricket. But sucIf cricket is big in India, I would credit it to mix of business and Bollywood. cess depends on role models. IPL the catch Kapil Dev took at Lord’s in June 1983 Cutting-edge coverage from attracts the best because India to dismiss the marauding West Indian great Star Sports saw hitherto low-profile sports has some of the best in the world. Can we say Viv Richards. India won the match and the such as kabaddi, football and hockey challeng- the same for hockey and football?” he asks.

World Cup, propelling cricket to new heights ing cricket for prime-time attention. The TRP Moreover, while it is exciting to play against on home soil. ratings are reportedly encouraging and all ap- or watch the likes of a Roger Federer or Del PieKapil Dev also blazed a trail for Indian pears hunky dory. The players are basking in ro, it is equally true that merely competing sportsmen inking lucrative commercial con- national attention, and the sponsors and with stars past their prime cannot lead to imtracts. He was the first to use a logo on sports team owners have little to complain about. proved status or fortunes. For all the success of equipment, in defiance of the administration, But how does this help the sport develop? the ISL, India will struggle to earn a football alongside other stalwarts like Sunil Gavaskar The current generation has grown up ranking below 100. Despite the IPL, Indian and Ravi Shastri. “I was only looking to make watching the best of sporting action beamed cricket continues to fare poorly overseas. It my future financially steady,” Dev said. The into its drawing room from around the globe. would be naïve to expect that the IPTL alone cricket board finally relented. Cricketers It can certainly tell the best from the ordinary. will be enough to throw up an Indian tennis signed up sponsors and shared the spoils with “I will not watch the ISL (Indian Soccer League) Grand Slam winner. the board. if there is a foreign league match on at the Long after retirement, Dev, again with an same time. There is no comparison,” asserts a vijay lokapally is deputy editor, Sports, The Hindu eye on the market, created the Indian Cricket young football fan.

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A point of view On November 8, 1659, the mighty Bijapuri army headed to Pratapgarh Fort, where Shivaji and his League of legends men were hiding The chairperson of shashi ashiwal Football Sports Development, Nita Ambani, flanked by footballing superstars, unveils the Indian Super League (ISL) trophy in Mumbai pti/shashank parade

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tism. Not only was this seen as an unconscionable act, but it was highly imprudent as it alienated most of Bijapur’s civil and military bureaucracy — the Marathi Brahmins and Marathas. Even as a strategy to force Shivaji’s hand, it failed. He knew his forces would be no match for Bijapur’s well-equipped army on the plains and, wisely, retreated to the nearimpenetrable hill fort of Pratapgarh.

However, time was running out for both armies. Forced to wait at the foothills of the Sahyadri in the district of Wai, Khan’s massive army needed to be fed. Lodged inside the fort, Shivaji’s men too were grappling with limited food supplies. So, Khan sent his envoy Krishnaji Bhaskar to promise Shivaji that if he surrendered, he would be treated with respect and rewarded. The future Chhatrapati agreed to meet Afzal Khan, but on his terms — at the base of the fort, deep in the ghats. In this terrain, Bijapur’s heavy artillery would be useless and Shivaji’s men, who knew the Jawali forests around Pratapgarh intimately, would have a tactical advantage.

The encounter Greatly underestimating Shivaji, Khan accepted the offer. He moved his army to the village of Par, a few miles short of the fort. Par is today a small hamlet of about 30 shingle-roofed shacks and one tiny convenience store. When I arrived at noon, the shop attendant was quietly dozing. Interrupting his afternoon siesta, I ask him about Afzal Khan. “There is an old mazaar from that period. Talk to the caretaker, Ramzaan,” he says. In gratitude, I bought a bag of chips.

Ramzaan is 70. His wife and he are the only two Muslims left in the village. The mazaar, he informs me, is the tomb of Amir Shah Bijapuri, Afzal Khan’s maternal uncle. Shah had died the day the Bijapuri army had moved in to Par. While nothing remains of the original tomb, which had collapsed 50 years ago, a new, modern structure has taken its place, surrounded

by the graves of soldiers who had fallen in the Battle of Pratapgarh. Ramzaan, I discover, is a repository of the region’s history, rattling away names of the sultans of Bijapur, Afzal Khan’s entourage and dates of battles with ease. As it turns out, he also claims to be the descendant of one of Amir Shah’s aides. “I am the 15th generation in the family to act as caretaker of the tomb,” he says, a note of pride creeping into his voice.

Back in 1659, on November 10, Khan and Shivaji met in private, unarmed, at the base of the fort to discuss the terms of the Maratha’s surrender. What followed next is a Rashomonlike tale that depends greatly on the source. In the Marathi bakhars, the tale goes that Khan resorted to treachery, attacking Shivaji with a kataar (dagger) hidden on his person. Parrying his blow, Shivaji hit back, disembowelling Khan with a concealed weapon of his own — a set of tiger claws. In the Persian accounts of the Mughals and Bijapuris however, histori-

ans such as Khafi Khan claim Shivaji was the first to attack. No matter the means, the end result was that Shivaji ended up killing Afzal Khan. Immediately after, Shivaji’s forces attacked the unsuspecting Bijapur army in Par. In the ensuing Battle of Pratapgarh, victory came swiftly for Shivaji — one of many instances when his intelligence combined with his remarkable personal bravery resulted in an improbable win.

Khan was buried at the base of the fort and, chivalrously, Shivaji even had a tomb constructed for his fallen opponent. Time passed, and the tomb became a local shrine for the area’s Muslims.

In the name of Khan In 2004, all this came to a grinding halt when, right before the general elections, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad made an issue of the tomb’s existence. They threatened to demolish the structure. The place was rife with tension and “for months, no tourists came to Pratapgarh,” says Tanaji, my guide. Bowing to pressure from political parties, the police closed down the tomb for visitors and it remains shut to this day. Even now, a garrison of nearly 30 policemen stand guard outside Khan’s tomb. Ironically, 10 years after the VHP’s call for the demolition of Afzal Khan’s tomb, it is the sister outfit — the BJP — that is being compared to the Bijapuri general. Both incidents indicate how history has Ten years after the been twisted to conform to VHP’s call for the modern politics. Once distortdemolition of Afzal ed as a Hindu versus Muslim Khan’s tomb, its sister battle, the Battle of Pratapgarh outfit, the BJP, is being now is being presented as a compared to the Maharashtrian vs non-MahaBijapuri general rashtrian one. Both the armies, Bijapur’s and Shivaji’s, were made up of a mixture of faiths, as was the norm in the Deccan at the time. Shivaji’s closest confidant was a Muslim called Nur Khan Beg; his line of defence began with Sidi Ibrahim; Afzal Khan’s most trusted aide, Krishnaji Bhaskar, was a Marathi Brahmin. And both opposing armies consisted primarily of Marathi-speaking Marathas. Religious or linguistic identity was not equated with political loyalty as is often imagined these days.

Our politicians may not care much for history but this is one comparison that Uddhav Thackeray might regret making. Afzal Khan’s army came to Maharashtra only to be soundly defeated — the BJP, on the other hand, has swept the state.

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The monuments men (above) In 2004, the VHP called for the destruction of Afzal Khan’s tomb. Shut down since then, even today, a garrison of 30 policemen stands guard pti; (right) Shivaji is synonymous with Marathi pride, equestrian statues have sprouted across Maharashtra

shoaib daniyal is based in Mumbai and writes on politics, history and linguistics

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Sit-down from sitcom Supper theatre inspired by the British farce Fawlty Towers, is brought to high tables in India

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ou can’t refuse squirrel-faced Manuel. Not even when he holds out a salver of almonds and says — in his thick Spanish accent — “Would you like my nuts?” Mangling the English language in ways that are endearingly his own, Manuel, or the ‘alter ego’ of the waiter who first bumbled through the 12 episodes of the British television classic of the ’70s, Fawlty Towers, was recently spotted in Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai. He was part of the Australian tribute show Faulty Towers: The Dining Experience; a fixture at fringe festivals for 17 years, and a runaway hit

at venues like London’s Royal Albert Hall and the Faultys and told them they were doing it the Sydney Opera House. all wrong, until the clueless cast learnt to enDriving diners to distraction at sit-down quire about sun signs of prospective brides. meals at Taj properties in India — featuring asBut bringing down the third wall between paragus and toasted pine nut soup, country the players and the audience can have its perroast chicken, baked polenta, forest mush- ils. Although Scottile only weakly complains room ragout and French opera cake — the per- about the serial bottom-pinching of Manuel formances were largely impromptu. Barely by 70-year-olds, audiences often arrive as charone-third of the production relied on set piec- acters from the sitcom, demanding to be ‘ines from its small screen namesake like the dis- cluded’. At performances in India, however, no covery of Manuel’s ‘hamster’ rat. And they Lord-without-a-first-name or Polly, the chamBypass Patients who always ended in a sound thrashing of Manuel bermaid, made a special appearance. pay upfront at (Anthony Scottile) by his employer and owner In a show ‘stuck’ in thecannot ’70s, resisting words private find for of the fictional Faulty Towers hotel Basil Faulty like Tourettes or seriously (as ahospitals rhetoric) themselves redirected (Robert Langston), and much tut-tutting by years, the meal is incidental.

Often an introto government the latter’s wife Sybil (Karen Hamilton). duction to theatre — for fans of sports orthe televifacilities, even as Hamilton, who has been with the show the sion in Australia, or gourmands golden hourwho ticks rarely s mahinsha downTowers longest and travelled to about 20 countries watch plays in India — Faulty uses food with it, claims audiences in India are hard to as a prop. But for the hotel staff, who keep the offend and “naughtier”. Whether they are fans drinks and dishes coming, there’s plenty of of the original sitcom or oblivious to it, they unlearning to do. With minute-by-minute inseem primed for supper theatre that feeds off structions to make sure the false teeth appear diners’ interjections and (coaxed) reactions. in the soup on table X, or the fork goes missing In Mumbai, for instance, when the banquet from table Y, the real waiters, in whose DNA it manager had to be summoned to redress a re- is to do things ‘right’, must be prepped for disal situation on the first night, Sybil’s screeches ruption and unscripted pandemonium. and the ensuing mayhem generated such Yet, as producer Divya Palat says, “There is eventy-year-old Ram Gopal Ojha was mirth in the audience (who were tweeting the most pathetic conditions, without any no normal inlist.

India,” andpublic so it must follow that concurrent In fact, health should travelling with his family to the Vaish- about it),staff thatto the castfor had to repeat theAmit ‘act’ abefaulty medical care them,” says Dr meal will be par and for the Indian course. a fundamental right there should be a no Devi Mandir in Faridabad for his every was alsoAIIMS a spot of ‘matchGupta,night. a dutyThere doctor at the Trauma Care national law.” banerjeeare a state subject, the onus is nephew’s wedding when their car col- making’ for aprivate lawyer,hospitals whose mother chided Centre. “Most are really well- soity As hospitals lided with an over-speeding truck. Ojha was equipped. But when they realise that the pa- on individual states to mandate good practiccritically injured and bleeding profusely. His tients cannot pay anymore, they start telling es at healthcare centres under their jurisdicfamily rushed him to the nearby BK Govern- the carers to take them to a government hos- tion. Currently, only Assam has a law ment Hospital. “We were made to wait for two pital. As AIIMS is the apex centre, most of the mandating free emergency services at all hoshours,” says his nephew, Naveen Ojha. “Finally, people end up here.” pitals, private or government. they said they didn’t have the infrastructure to The 200-bed centre receives nearly 400 paIn other countries like the US, laws such as treat my uncle and sent us to Fortis, Farida- tients every month; the additional 200-odd the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor bad, where we were asked to pay ₹2 lakh up- patients redirected to it from other hospitals Act (EMTALA) require hospitals to accept Medifront. We didn’t have the money, so we took burdens it further. “If each private hospital in care (national social insurance) to provide him to AIIMS, by which time he had died.” the NCR allocates 20 free beds, that will be a emergency healthcare to anyone needing it, In July, eight-year-old Surya (name changed combined corpus of around 670 beds. This is regardless of citizenship, legal status or the on request) fell from the fourth floor of a something they are already obligated to do ability to pay. The situation in India is a far cry housing complex in Bhiwadi, Rajasthan. The under the 10 per cent rule,” says Dr Gupta. In from that. nearest private hospital demanded payment September 2011, the Supreme Court had di“People need to make it a parliamentary upfront to start the treatment. Unable to pay, rected all hospitals that had received govern- and public issue.

Get the government interestdisplay of booze, food, muthe family took the child to AIIMS in Delhi, but ment land at a concessional rate to reserve 10 ed in sic legislative changes,” says Agarwal. “The and adrenalin without he was declared brought dead. per cent of their bed strength current situation is so grave that the mandatory sex apAt 9.30pm on September 23, Fakhruddin, a and 25 per cent of the outpatient many ofthe thewaitcases I deal with, I peal? Soinyou have sari salesman in Bhajanpuri, east Delhi, was load for patients from economjust come an agreement with ers, waitresses andtomost of rushing his son Rehaan to the nearest hospi- ically weaker sections. the dressed hospitals concerned, and the visitors in traIf private hospitalsditionally in work tal. Rehaan had slipped down the stairs and Gagan D Bharti of charitybedon a case-by-case basis. Paalluring Bavarfractured his hand. According to Fakhruddin, s.com finds the situation way the NCR each allocate tients, too, have no choice but to ian costumes.

Men strut the private hospital, Shanti Mukund, told him better than it was some years 20 free beds, that will deal with the private sector betheir stuff in lederhosen that “the outpatient department was free only ago, but still sees a long road be a combined corpus mostand government setups (leathercause breeches) red of about 670 beds... till 9pmpeople. and heThe would have tovisitors returnbook the next ahead. Charitybeds helps arin an appalling or blue are shirts with suspen-state.” happy OCD-type they are alreadyders; traditional morning he wanted free service”.

A man Incidentally, several Supreme hats and tables iniftheir preferred tents months in of range healthcare for those who obligated to do this modest means, he decided to take(public his son toshutterstock/tancha cannot afford it by liaising with Court up cases set clear preceshoes round the did smart advance.

Me and my buddies the government hospital in Karkardooma, both government and private dentslook. for Women the enforcement of slim-fitted shout out here to Goo, Blue, Nik and which treated afterup a three-hour “I thinkup, theto problem is lawsfitting such asdress, EMTALA litre, bottoms the raucous wear an extremely tight a in India, but Shroffy) — wethe justchild showed at the the hospitals. wait.

Complaining that the doctors donecheering on both sides.

ManyOver people are mil- dirndl, with an apron so fararound they remain tied it. Theonly on paper ground each morning and went had from of the crowd. seven atent poortojob, Fakhruddin “There were aware of what are entitof concrete legisis the frillyabsence and white tent, squeezingsays, in wherever weonlylionnot litres of beers and they 5,00,000 chickens blouse of the dirndl in junior doctors available to and, at the same some hos-is usually lation.cut When a scooterist to his inextremely low. succumbed Which could find some space. and my son’s handare led consumed during thetime, festival.

It’sprivate a and hasThe stillthousands not healedof properly.” pitals capitalise on people’s ignorance.was The juries the nearest all taken inbefore good stride by thehospital six mil- dealing with orgy. people in each of the calorie only meaningful waycan forward is through stric-plusmedico-legal could be found for him, in Outside the tent, one amuse one- lion visitors whocases attended.

Other tents are all essentially doing the same Money ordrinking nothing buckets of beer, eating self ter rules imposed top-down byhoops, the directorate the apex court ruledre-in the Paramathan an 1989, annoying group of had Indian thing — with carnival-style games — Of the 4,667 arrived at theIt’s AIIMSshooting, generallucky of Health Services and tipsier other monitornandkept Katara vs. Union of India case that the oblidraws, etc. The porters who clicking their cameras buckets of patients food andwho getting drunk.

Trauma Care Centre in Isouth Delhi’s Safdar-folksing committees.” gation of Cleavage!” medical professionals “OMG! every time to provide awesome; how else do describe it? Beer brave some of the many gravity-de- and going jung areaserved till August this year, during an emergency overrode the served a beer. is only in one-litre beernearly steins 30 or perfying amusement park rides around the they weretreatment cent were from private astake well asfairground.

Legally speaking professional to refuse The tipsiest pass out drunk Oktoberfest 2015. freedom Book your ticketspatients. mugs.

Oneredirected has two choices.

Take it or government hospitals elsewhere. biggestorproblem that public healthnow. Prost!The value of such a golden rule in the preit. A fantastic brass band belts out local for a“The few hours more, onisthe sidelines Until August, people were broughtindead— there care is an afterthought in India,” says advocate cious golden hour is now felt all too keenly by were over 600 such bierliechen drinking songs20 and popular numbers —the anbackground, average of 2.5 patients(beer Ashok Agarwal, of therishi NGOpiparaiya Naveenis Ojha.

“I wish at least the author of Aisle Be one of the hospianddead-on-arrival every few minutes, corpses) at thefounder-member fest this year. per month.gets Doctors AIIMS sayand that, more of- And Social whoround has worked medico-legal tals had treated my uncle earlier… he would rishi@aislebedamned.com Damned howJurist, can one up thison grand someone ontoatthe table drinks ten than not, private hospitals redirect the pa- cases for the last two decades. “Three funda- have surely been alive today.” tients when they cannot profit from treating mental changes are required in the law, and them. “We have seen patients who were sent in healthcare legislations should be put on the sibi arasu

Callous in the ER

Without a law, emergency healthcare is too often denied to those who cannot afford it

Dinner droll Karen Hamilton as Sybil Faulty regales diners at Taj Mahal Hotel in Delhi

rishi piparaiya

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Gone drinking

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At Oktoberfest… Eins, zwei, drei litres of beer

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declare I’ve not been commissioned by the kulturstifstung-des-bundes for this article. Nor is the adorable Ms Merkel a family friend. But I’ve just returned from the world’s biggest annual carnival held in Munich and I need to rave about it. Oktoberfest rocks!

Visualise a kick-ass fairground in the heart of Munich and a bunch of breweries pitching dozens of tents there for a fortnight. Not dingy camping-style tents mind you — humongous, circus-size tents. The smaller ones hold a couple of hundred people, the larger ones can go up to as many as 6,000 guests. So at any point, there can be close to a lakh people at the fair. Ek lakh. Ein hundert tausend.

The gaily-decorated tents are packed with communal tables, each seating 10

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When girls rise The girls have no toilets, drinking water or a steady supply of books and teachers radhika ganesh; (below) a protesting student makes a speech joseph reny

Fight the good fight Seven hundred girl students in a small town in Rajasthan choose civil disobedience to demand more teachers at their school

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n schools across the country, on October 2, crisp white uniforms and perfectly polished shoes are in order. Students stand through mandatory flag hoistings with closed ears and minimal attention, eagerly awaiting the tricoloured sweets distributed at the end. I had come to believe that the day had turned into yet another ritualistic holiday sans any real meaning. Until, a group of 700 young girls in Bhim dragged me out of my scepticism. Bhim is a small town located about 100km from Ajmer. With only 55 per cent literacy, most people here work irregular or seasonal jobs.

This October 2, the students of Government Girls Higher Secondary School (Bhim Kanyashala), in Bhim, a block headquarter in Rajsamand district of Rajasthan took to the streets, to set right a wrong — embodying Bapu in thought and action.

Their demand: more teachers. This school, attended by over 700 rural girls, has not had more than a maximum of three teachers for the past four years. The post of the principal has been vacant for eight years, and subjects like history and political science have been abandoned for over 17 years.

Having raised the issue with their school authorities and with district authorities, located in an office a mere 300 feet away from the school, the students decided to raise their voice one

more time. Not within the four walls of the ram, dear god, please give the government school where they could be ignored, but out brains!)” awoke the slumbering town. Tents, on the street, in full public view. With a resolve durries, drinking water, and even biscuits for to get their demands heard, the girls reached the young fighters generously poured in from out to the Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangatan the shops and houses around. Girls aged (MKSS) for moral and logistical support. The merely 13 and 14 held the mike and articulated day witnessed the power of civil disobedience their plight and the strength of young voices. The district “I am the eldest of three girls. My mother is officials who had until then turned a deaf ear a widow and a daily wage labourer. Coming to to this issue stepped out and assured the girls school my sister and I spend ₹40 every day on of the appointment of three more teachers by travel, which is almost half my mother’s daily October 7. wage. She sends us to study and hopes that we October 8 came and went without the arriv- will get educated and achieve a life that is difal of new teachers. This time the girls locked ferent from hers. A life without hunger and the school gates and declared a struggle. Not having teachers is peaceful protest until the deshattering our dreams and mand for teachers was fulhopes,” said an emotional Hemfilled. Seven hundred girls lata Kumari, a Class XII student. flooded the street outside Pinky, a Class X student, eloThe boys’ school has the school, immediately toilets, clean drinking quently brought to light the difattracting the attention water and a supply of ference in importance our of not just the vendors society accords to the education books and teachers. in the bazaar or curiof boys and girls. She said, “We do Why don’t we? Why ous passers by, but of not get clean drinking water or this inequality? the police, soon folhave toilets within our school lowed by the Tehsilcampus. The boys’ school has toidar and the Block lets, clean drinking water and a Development Offisteady supply of books and cer. But no amount of khaki or lal teachers. Why such inequality? How are they batti would deter these young superior to us? With enough teachers, we will iron-willed women. They refused get better marks than the boys do.” to listen to excuses and resolved This time around, the girls’ strength, deterthat the only acceptable solution mination and absolute solidarity made them would be the arrival of at least heroes. The next day when the gates opened three more teachers. and classes resumed, there were four new Their rallying cry of “Hamari teachers. They had won the battle with grace sankhya saat sau hai, padhane wale and courage. A worthy tribute to the memory teen hai! (We are 700 and have only of Mahatma Gandhi. three teachers!)” and “Raghupathi raghav raja ram, sarkar ko buddhi de radhika ganesh is a democratic rights activist with bhagwan! (Raghupathi raghav raja MKSS and School For Democracy

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India on a birdsong Literature as enchantment ON THE SHELF

Rishi Jaitly, head of Twitter’s India operations, is here to ensure that 140-character messages change the way India conducts business

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n Bangalore’s Koramangala fourth block

That objective saw, for instance, Jaitly’s team

subscribers constitute a huge audience, and market on handheld phones. And it is this opportunity that Twitter is tapping for itself and its partners.

A case in point is MTV, which uses Twitter extensively to reach its target group — young auFrrole, has clients ranging from Disney UTV er it’s to do with elections, cricket, Bollywood diences who tune into social media at least and Snapdeal to Asian Paints, which use these or even the Prime Minister’s Office, Twitter is thrice a day. “We talk to consumers using TV Clocks is David insights he to Bone understand what is Mitchell’s currently increasingly becoming a necesand they talk to each other sixth novel since heattention first burstofupon trending or dominating the peo- sary presence in India, and that through social media. It has bethe literary scene,beasa they say, with ple everywhere — it could celebrity or a must be music to the ears of its come an important part of the Ghostwritten in 1999.

And for a writpolitical campaign or even a sports event.

No CEO, Dick Costolo. ecosystem. Whenever we do a er who just has become of a byword for longer anothersomething social networking avenue, The little blue bird’s fastshow or campaign, it is imporJaitly’s team spent cross-referential meta-stories, his Twitter in India isinterlinky becoming indispensable for spreading wings in the region days with ISRO ahead tant for us to have content that is latest booksmall is theand most businesses big.cross-referential and can be attributed to Jaitly’s Twitter-friendly and social of the Mars Orbiter interlinky notinjust unto itself (like GhostFurther yet, north Nagpur, Maharashtra, an three-pronged strategy: driving media-friendly to add to the chatMission butwoman with allpresses his previous works. on In partnerships with everyone written) 80-year-old a few buttons ter,” says Sumeli Chatterjee, the Bone Clocks, youchannel have to read ev- from media houses to governfact, with Thephone her mobile and TV Aaj Tak head of marketing, media and inerything David Mitchell hasmessages. ever written sends herthat news tweets as phone She ment departments; making sights for MTV India. like it’s one big, interlinked, multi-stranded, remains updated with the latest news without Twitter more accessible on a For its Rock the Vote campaign Meta writer To read pan-dimensional, of to allthe Meta-narraeven knowing howMother to log on internet. wide range of devices and networks; and edu- last summer to make voting cool, MTV partMitchell onethe value of Twitter. tives.

It’s enough make your brain hurt.

This woman mayto not be Twitter-savvy, but her catingDavid brands about nered with Twitter to launch “dial the hashmust read all of But before we get to the meta-level, theits bare grandson, Rishi Jaitly, happens to head In“WeDavid driveMitchell partnerships with India’s biggest tag”, a programme that allowed youngsters to bones of the plot: story begins that in 1984, dia operations and The wants to ensure the mediabloomberg/murdo companies,macleod the cricket federation, film participate in #rockthevote discussions even with 15-year-old Holly Sykes anlives almighty 140-character messages touchinthe of ev- production houses and news organisations,” if they were offline, through a missed call (3)eager section Cloud At- from about?

Environmental strop.

Having her boyfriend is the Cavendish ery citizen anddiscovered corporatethat entity.

Butawhat’s it all saysTimothy Jaitly. Both sides are for of more audisimple feature phone.

This took apocit beNeurotic authors, psychopathic publishThe natureaudience of consciousness? having it off withof herour bestfastest mate, Holly clutches “India is one growing mar- las. ences, and Twitter markets itself as a tool that alypse? yond the affluent segment. Or just a and more than a touch of Martin Amis very spin EM Forster’s her broken heart, wounded pride and awhere soon- ers, kets… a strategic user-growth market can engage mass mobile audiences.

Forpost-modern any new show or on a different kind ‘everyof stoschtick?

At its most basic, to-be-frisbeed-into-a-lake favourite to about both. The ageing, bitter novelist Crispin thing’s our number one objective is record audience rytellingconnected’ in a particular episode, the music (4) befriends Holly, who by this time The Boneuses Clocks is just a hugely enjoyable her chest and home.Jaitly, Stomping through growth,” says leaves 31-year-old the South and Hershey Mobile chirrups channel hashtag contests and other Twitwritten a memoir her earlymobile child- romp with thetonotion that the weirdest of shit the Kent countryside, she has at a Twitter. strange en- has Southeast Asia market director At nearly 800 million, about the country’s ter content gauge audience responses. counter with an elderly lady called Esther Lit- hood psychic encounters and become some- coexists with the mundanest of lives — owing more to Doctor Who than David Lynch. tle and then hitches a lift from two friendly thing of a celebrity.

But reading his whole oeuvre as one overAnd then, 10 years later, the psychic shitactivists who, shortly thereafter, are brutally arching project, I think Mitchell is exploring murdered by an evil time-travelling carnivore. storm hits the fan, big time. the idea of the creative process of writing, and We learn that: One of them is zombified back into action in a) Alongside ordinary mortals are atempo- of reading. A writer inhabits his or her characthe nick of time by the aforementioned Esther, who saves Holly’s life, tinkers with her memo- ral beings who selectively inhabit people. ters much as an atemporal ingresses into their ry, and (bear with me) takes up clandestine They do this by transmigrating to the bodies souls — and Mitchell is a master of the art. He is of recently deceased children (as brilliant at historical detail and can really, as residence in Holly’s brain.

Xi Lo does with Holly’s little one critic pithily put it, “do the voices”. And This is not the first time brother Jacko) or by taking up the telepathic communication between the “weird shit” (as she calls it) has residence in a willing host (as psychoterics of The Bone Clocks is nothing happened to Holly. As a child she Esther does with Holly). Or, if more (or less) than a metaphor for reading, as heard voices, and had strange The book is just a they are Anchorites — aka The we ‘hear’ characters speak, eavesdropping sivisitations from a ghost? imagihugely enjoyable nary friend? called Miss Conromp with the notion Shaded Way, acolytes of the Blind lently on their thought processes, or those of Cathar of the Chapel of the Dusk, the author, across time and space, without stantin. Holly is cured of her that the weirdest of in short: the baddies — they pre- anyone’s lips moving at all. childhood psychic tendencies by shit coexists with Literature as sorcery, some kind of magic — vent the ageing of their bodies a Chinese doctor called Dr Marithe mundanest by drinking the decanted souls maybe not one of the Dark Arts, but a gift pernus (1), who returns later, in a of lives different body, to save her (and haps, a blessing and an enchantment. of their child-victims.

Esther) in the weird shitstorm b) Some, or all, Atemporals are 1 Yes, the same Marinus who plays a pivotal role in The which characterises the rest of ‘psychoterics,’ who can subcomthe book. municate by subchatting with Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet (2010). At that In the second section (1991), we meet a most each other in subdialogue (aka ‘italics’). A few point, he’s on his 35th body. In 1872, when he first meets Esther Little, he’s onto his 36th — a mere stripling composh, amoral Cambridge undergrad called ordinary folks (like Holly) also have this gift. pared to Esther, whose soul is around 7,000 years old.

Hugo Lamb (2). He encounters the same bec) The good Atemporals are Horologists, a “When she scansioned me, I felt like a third-rate poet guilingly beautiful lady who had appeared 15 secret society dedicated to “assassinate carni- showing his doggerel to Shakespeare,” he explains. years earlier on Holly Sykes’s bed. She — to cut vorous Atemporals — like the Anchorites — “When I scansioned her, I felt like a minnow tipped from a a long story short — recruits Hugo to the Dark who consume the psychovoltaic souls of inno- jar into a deep inland sea.”

Side, to join a team of (bear with me again) cent people in order to fuel their own 2 Cousin of Jason Taylor, stammering protagonist of Black Swan Green (2006) in which Hugo also makes a atemporal beings who feed on the souls of immortality”. children. Yes, that’s right. Oh, but not before d) Holly has a key part to play in their plan passing appearance. he has a brief but passionate encounter with to “psychodemolish the Chapel of the Dusk”.

3 And just so you know, his brother, Denholm CavenHolly in the Alps.

The last section sees Holly, aged 73, in a dish, is the owner of company’s luckless financier Neal By 2004, Holly is married to her childhood world torn to shreds not by psychodemolition Brose (who also appears as a teenager in Black Swan friend Ed, a war-reporter, who spends most of but by climate change and sheer human Green) and works for in the Hong Kong section of Cloud Atlas. Keeping up? his time dodging bullets in Iraq. Ed is a nice short-sightedness and greed. It’s a chilling, 4 Who turns out to be the novelist who wrote ‘The guy, but the strain of being a bit of a conflict and all-too-believable future that awaits us, junkie is beginning to tell on his relationship when the oil has run out, rations are back, gov- Voorman Problem’, a story from number9dream, Mitchwith Holly, and with their six-year-old daugh- ernments are collapsing, travel has become ell’s second novel, published in 2001. ter, Aoife. impossible, and the country is ravaged by looanita roy is a writer and director of Young Zubaan The next section takes place in 2015, though ters and vigilantes. anita@anitaroy.net in tone and character, it loops us right back to Phew. area,Mitchell’s a group of people are greatly interspending David latest novel is one big,days with the Indian Space Research ested in what everyone else is tweeting. Organisation (ISRO) ahead of the Mars Orbiter They have developed a software that that explores Mission. As soon interlinked meta-narrative theas the Mangalyaan spacecraft scans about 10 million tweets each day and entered the Martian orbit, its Twitter account creative process ofTheir writing, and ensured of reading generates various insights. employer, the whole world took notice. Wheth-

anita roy

The flock Twitter doesn’t reveal country-specific data, but its total monthly active users (MAU) in the June 2014 quarter was 271 million reuters/kacper pempel

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Driving conversation (left) Rishi Jaitly, director, South and Southeast Asia, Twitter shashi ashiwal; and (right) Ronita Mitra, Vodafone India’s senior VP and head of brand and consumer insights

engagement scores have been very high and the cost much lower than other international initiatives,” Mitra adds. Engagement scores refer to the number of people who clicked, or viewed the communication or clicked on the hashtag, besides other parameters.

“Twitter impacts conversation and interactivity with the content. It definitely drives affinity to a show or campaign because the more you talk about it, the more you are attracted to it,” says Chatterjee.

Start-ups too are hopping onto Twitter’s growth bandwagon. Frrole, for instance, allows its customers to integrate real-time social data into their television shows and marketing campaigns. It analyses the tweets for the brands and companies. As a track partner of Twitter, it has access to data beyond what is in the public domain. “Twitter doesn’t require us to buy data,” says Frrole co-founder Nishith Sharma.

Frrole charges for the data it analyses for clients using a measure called data stream. “Data stream generally costs $100 per month, but it can vary depending on the complexity and size of the engagement,” says Sharma.

He describes the arrangement with Twitter as not financial, but mutually beneficial.

“When the Twitter India team finds a customer in need of a Twitter-based solution, it introduces Frrole to them. We help execute campaigns and create products to amplify the Twitter engagement,” he adds.

Like Frrole, ZipDial, BrizzTV and Unmetric are enterprises that have created revenue streams using Twitter. Bangalore-based ZipDial forwards tweets from specific Twitter accounts to customers who give a missed call for them. A number is assigned for, say, Amitabh Bachchan’s Twitter account and anyone dialling it gets the actor’s tweets as messages on his or her phone.

Little birdie on telly “The environment here (in India) is quite complex,” says Jaitly. More than 99 per cent of phone users use pre-paid connections and mainly feature phones, forcing Twitter to provide access on a range of devices through the missed call service.

It has also taken the first steps to reach TV audiences on their remote controls. Airtel DTH customers can view on their TVs what ce-

Dominating conversations Improving this score for corporates forms the third element of Jaitly’s India strategy. “We are educating brands about the value of Twitter.

Think of Twitter as a town square. If you are a brand, it is a great place to be in as a part of the conversation, as so many people are talking about mobile phones or fitness or restaurants or other things. It helps brands develop a lebrities are tweeting about popular shows. voice and personality,” he says.

Viewers too can tweet about shows across During the IPL, Pepsi took on the persona of channels even as they are watching them by a real person with whom Twitter-users could simply pressing a green button on the remote. play cricket. Pepsi would ‘bowl’ to a user, who This technology comes from BrizzTV, another would then tweet a shot for which Pepsi Bangalore-based start-up. would give the result. “You play the game of Jaitly is well aware of the potential in TV- Twitter with a brand. We have seen brands usTwitter partnership, where broadcasters can ing Twitter to showcase their personality and engage live with the audience. While the talk to the consumer when he is most interestbroadcast medium is not two-way, Twitter ed in their product. We point people to where helps make it interactive. “We describe Twitter they make money,” he adds. as the world’s biggest sofa, where everyone is Twitter gets about 85 per cent of its revewatching TV together. Twitter is now the sec- nues from the advertising on its site. A compaond screen for TV broadcasters in India.” ny or individual can advertise by promoting a That persuaded him to bring in the Twitter tweet, which will appear in people’s timelines Amplify programme, which or promote a trend. lets broadcasters publish conIf a restaurant wants to take its tent directly to Twitter and amnew menu to users who have inplify its reach. This content is terest in food, travel or leisure, it Last year, there was a then monetised through sponcan arrange to send tweets into 600 per cent increase in sorship packages. their timelines. While this marthe conversation on To begin with, Star Sports keted tweet is not paid for, if a uspolitics in India was tweeting replays from the er opens the tweet, clicks on the Indian cricket team’s England ad’s picture, or shares or favoutour in August. As the sponsor, rites the tweet, the restaurant Vodafone got a 30-second slot will pay Twitter. in those replays.

As things stand, Twitter is growing its user Everyone benefits here — from Star to Voda- base globally. While it does not share countryfone and Twitter. Ronita Mitra, Vodafone In- specific numbers, its total monthly active usdia’s senior VP and head of brand and ers (MAU) in the June 2014 quarter stood at 271 consumer insights, says her company uses million, with a net addition of 16 million. Its Twitter regularly for brand engagements and ad revenue grew 129 per cent during the quarcommunications. “Of late, a lot of product ter on the back of higher quality ads, imcommunication is being done on Twitter, proved prediction and targeting, and the whether it is for international roaming or Vo- growing use of rich media by advertisers, acdafone Red (an integrated post-paid plan for cording to Mike Gupta, Twitter’s CFO and sevoice and data).” nior vice president for strategic investments.

The telecom company even uses Twitter to In India, Jaitly says people are coming to manage customer grievances. “We are very Twitter ‘in loads’. Last year, there was a 600 per quick in our first response to the consumer cent increase in the conversations on politics through Twitter. This is a well-running ma- and 100 per cent increase in conversations rechinery by now,” she adds. lated to TV. “I don’t know any other company As part of the Twitter Amplify programme, that is live, public and about conversation. We Vodafone got a pre-roll for a product commu- have a big job ahead of us, but the good news nication before a cricket snippet came on. A is that Indians are flocking to the platform.” customer clicking on it would be taken to the Vodafone webpage. “This has worked well. Our rashmi pratap

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Shedding the veil dipankar

In Burq Off! comedian Nadia Manzoor uses humour to hold a mirror up to Pakistan and the UK

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he cognitive dissonance experi- spitting, resentful young man who becomes enced by minority communities in ultra-Islamicised at university. (He has since culturally different lands has often moved away from radical groups.) been best portrayed through comeManzoor is unsparing in her portrayal of dy. Over two decades BBC’s Goodness Gracious the contradictions and absurdities that Me entertained audiences across the world — abound in her life, growing up in a rather unwith its sharp but endearing portrayal of the diverse part of England. No topic is off British Indian community — poking fun at it bounds. “There is no such thing as a vagina in and the wider British society in the process. a Pakistani family,” she explains as she chroniHumour is also the tool adroitly used by Nadia cles the tactics and euphemisms used to P Manzoor, a 32-year-old British-Pakistani co- shield children from anything relating to sex. median, to portray the challenges, absurdities In one scene, Maulvi sahab, brought in by Manand heartbreak experienced by a young girl zoor’s father to rein in the children, masturgrowing up in England in an orthodox Pakisbates to a porn magazine found in her tani family. father’s briefcase.

Burq Off!, Manzoor’s oneManzoor’s portrayal of wider woman show, which she British society is also sharp. wrote and performs herWhite friends, while friendself, made its debut in ly, make little attempt to New York late last year, theis culture SHOVONunderstand CHOWDHURY where it proved to be she comes from or help chief Truthdigger and author of The Competent Authority an instant hit. Now she her reconcile with it. has brought the show A painful scene A bearer for-scorns he bearer dusts me off with a Instead, they’ve been cutting welfare pro- should understand.

Karunanidhi is dark. corner. They put it down.where to London, and after rea leaps parent feather duster, and wipes my face grammes, and not bringing back black Jayalalithaa is it white.

Do you do partiality? ward and sprays it withthe Colin liquid. He scent turning with to the fresh-samosa with a moist tissue. “You look money. How do you explain this?”

Both are hopes gettingshe chances. of notes.

US, she will Besides, who says opens it and takes out bundles that clouds her He mother, spraysremind them one by audispotless,” he whispers encourag“Explanation is very simple,” says the we have notbedone eventually ableanything? to take We had prom- removes the notes andhelps the would see less black money. We one. “Elections are coming,” ingly, before leading me to my chair. I sit op- spokesman. “After the outbreaks of vio- ised it to India and Pakistan. ence thatexplains it is not the just her you can see,isthe money for posite the government spokesman, who is lence against Africans, we have created While she the has₹5,000 never note. had What would spokesperson, “As family that responsible clean.” also spotless. “Cleanliness is a big priority have decided to any formal theatrical require training, a steel used will be verythe sense of isolation they feel, now,” he says, “may I offer you a currency take a stand trunk will now fit “Does this mean that her nonefather of theisblack Manzoor told me that she had alor why adamant back?”

I ask. be accepted note? They’re very clean.” He picks one up against racin aaperbriefcase, as money is ever coming ways been something of that she will “never thing it as soon as theThere file re-is no such “Of course, is!”British.” says theHer spokesperson, from the pile on his table. I politely decline. ism. It is morformer. The class clown, doing response to her as a vagina a mustpredicament Corruption is considered a big sin at The ally repugnant Reserve Bank “Whatinwe do is removeis the accents, making peopleaches laugh, firststigma. to lie — prefamily, must seetending that it is to justEnglish like anyfriends other that Hindu Business Line. I proceed with my re- to discriminate India. In Pakistani this People and dancing (even if it of involved explains as thisholidays portage. It is time for me to ask Probing on the basis of way,Janet you will see Manzoor, money. Once happens, automatically it Kahiding in her room doing take them to LA not theback. rachi much less.” she chronicles will come Before—you will She Questions, as taught to me by Ms Subrama- colour.

Why Jackson routines). andknow thenit,towe escape. euphemisms used towith chooses Two men struggle be flooded black money.

In 2018, there niam. I lean forward. My gaze is steely. should black These skills are put to masterly a university 300 miles fromelection.

“This government had promised to bring money be singled into the room,shield carry- children is another arehides hoping thatshe by leads effect in BurqOff!. Manzoor tells away,We and the life sexual back all black money within 100 days,” I say, out? What about white ing 20-odd a huge trunk.anything He then, the whole process of repatriation her story by portraying there from her family. will “In order to use it for welfare programmes. money? This is partiality. As a Madrasi, you characters in her life waves — from them her to the be complete.”

Manzoor, who now lives in often-exasperated, conservative, Brooklyn, New York, says the Dear Venkoots, and conflicted father, to her show — and the writing she did You think the Cyclone Hudhud got congentle, Dallas-watching, that preceded it — have been key trolled just like that? Suddenly, out of the peace-keeper mother, and even her pa- to helping her contend with her identity blue, Virat Kohli scored a century? What has tient, understanding Irish boyfriend, struggles. It also appears to have helped those been holding up the Sensex? Just the handwho she eventually moves to the US around her: her father, now one of her biggest someness of Raghuram Rajan? Plus Flipkart with. Dialogues (where she, of supporters, joins her on stage for applause at and Pakistan were causing so much troucourse, portrays both characters) the end of each show. It’s not uncommon for ble. What does it take to satisfy you people? would—shame in this backgrounds way, that too — to n news are described as “not our fault” by cleverly interspersed with shepeople from us different But perhaps, I am being unduly harsh. a hologram.”

Honda, one Mona Ben fromthat Vadodara dance routines prevent with confess at the end of a performance that the It’s true that he has not been solving everyhas giventough, birth to aemotional healthy, weightless wewas started watching on moments “Ever story since she told one that was allporn too familiar. thing. This is mainly due to the Mars Orbiphones, there all, hasit’s been a danger ofloss, our love, hologram.

“Thebecoming baby is semi-transfrom overdramatic ourShe says, “After about family, ter Mission. Because so many people from parent and doing well,” said her phygetting tooand involved with electronic or soppy. self-acceptance the ability to transcend reMadras were involved, he could not sit idle. sician, “After receiving sociologist electric The tensions in Manzoor’s life ligion.” Wedevices,” turn thesaid conversation toAshattitudes A lot of his time was consumed by this. Even shocks initially, ish Nundy.

“Add tothere that are the risks we’re now are palpable.

The show begins towards Islam and whether for Rajini Sir, transporting a vehicle to an- wearing rubber Its holograms, with gloves. a dream-filled seven-year- that dramasrapid such spread as hers of could play into the other planet is no easy task. Periodically, it diet consists lack of opportunities for “It’s bottled old of Nadia bubbling away about hands of Islamaphobes.

She disagrees: required momentum. Asteroids had to be milk, mixed a mild she and doll Chan- not about pointing younga people mingle, thewith adventures finger attoone culture or Ally Subramaniam was born in the southwest deflected. Sometimes, he would rotate on puree of dramukhi poor policing, and this AA Eveready intend to have as astro- saying it’s worse [than the other].

I am a yo-yo Sundarbans, but was blown away by a one foot in outer space, with a heavenly batteries.nauts. was bound to happen.”

We had tried Contemptuous and loud, her in these cultural worldviews.” cyclone and washed up on the shore near smile on his face, and gently correct the tra- Duracell, but itlaughs prefers the Dinafather in‘Made disbelief. “Arey beta…

“But there is aScientists genuine from reluctance in many Chennai. He was adopted by a poor Brahmin jectory. These things take time. Also atmo- in India’.” nath Batra Institute for they women can’t be astronauts… Who will cases for immigrants to adjust because family from Tirupur. He can answer all your spheric pollution has been hampering his “We are very Scienceand are unknown curcook, cleanshocked,” and feed said your husband, if you are comingTrustworthy to a culture foreign questions. Just send them to re-entry. rently studying both Hrishikesh, father Mona, are floating aboutofin space?”

— the fear is understandable — butwoman within famaskallysubramaniam@gmail.com Laughter the But rest assured, Rajini Sir is always work- “AndWhile anddon’t child. theissues,” baby was I don’t mean just touchher family setfrom about preparing her ilies we talk“Initially, about these she says, best medicine ear Ally, ing on your behalf. You may not see him, or ing responding stimuli,” said inter-generaone of the baby. daughter was agoal genuine for what theyOur see as her primary in life — not adding, “There to need to be more British-Pakistani feel his presence, but always he is with you. beauty.

Why is Rajinikanth not doing “Butconversations after we gavetoit encourage a toy microWeanamed herhusband Mona, after Mona acquiring suitable — the clearLi-dif- them, tional undercomedian Nadia Yours Affectionately, anything? sa.

After investing so much money in her phone, and put it under some limelight, it ferences in treatment meted out to her and standing.

Being able to laugh at our culture is Manzoor’s candid Ally food andbrother clothing, I neverapparent. imagined to be doing fine.” her twin become Hethat too is seems something we all need to do a lot more of.” show has been a Regards, Venkoots, Singapore hit in the US and wonderfully portrayed by Manzoor, first as a van stelten is a fortnightly round-up of all things droll and newsy. All views are personal. Really personal UK leslie cocksure schoolboy, and towards the end, as a vidya ram The Investigator t@shovonc

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THE CRITICAL ISSUE

Choice to be free During Partition, women were seen as incapable of making their own decisions. Six decades later little has changed

Till sameness do us apart An internal policing system seems to make people marry within their own groups ranjeet kumar

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Urvashi Butalia is an editor, publisher and director of Zubaan

arlier this month, I stayed for a week with a German friend in her home in Frankfurt. Towards the end of my stay, her husband — a Senegalese Muslim — arrived and we spent many hours talking. Inevitably, the conversation turned to mixed marriages. My friend and he had met, fallen in love, talked about their differences, wondered if they would manage to make a go of things, and then decided to try.

It wasn’t easy — there were many adjustments to be made. But it wasn’t difficult either.

Perhaps the one thing that worked against ‘normalising’ things for them was that there were not many such marriages around them — so theirs stood out a bit.

The conversation made me think: despite the amazing diversity of our world, marriage in many ways still remains an institution where like seems to join with like. Look around you: how many mixed marriages are there? Take the so-called ‘developed’ countries — the numbers of inter-racial or inter-class marriages are small in comparison with samerace and same-class ones. Take Indians who live abroad — it’s rare to find them marrying outside the ‘community’. Clearly there’s an internal policing system in place.

This is nowhere more clearly evident than in the marriage advertisements that daily fill our newspapers. Indeed, in India, we take this likeness to every possible and impossible extreme: you cannot marry outside your clan, or outside your religion, or outside your caste, or

outside your class and so on. Families and What’s common between that moment and communities create these boundaries, selec- today is that in both instances it was men — tively using religion and often spurious tradi- self-appointed or otherwise — who felt they tion to solidify them, State institutions had the right to decide for the women. Womsometimes help to legitimise them — and now, en, clearly, were — and are — not seen as having more recently, men on motorbikes with saf- either the intelligence, or the capability, or infron flags have added their coercive tactics to deed the desire, to make their own decisions. police them — and to punish those who dare to Naïve and innocent, they can do little but lay assert choice. themselves open to misuse.

I am reminded of the history of Partition.

The motorcycle gangs are also selective in It’s well known by now that during the vio- their opposition. They are only against nonlence, arson, loot and displaceHindu (read Muslim) men marment of that time, thousands of rying Hindu women. Clearly, women were abducted and this means, in their book that it raped. Even though today our safis all right for Hindu men to Despite the diversity fron warriors are claiming that marry Muslim women: presumof our world, there was no abduction or rape ably because Hindu men are too marriage remains an

by Hindu men, we know the truth good to use the women’s institution where like to be otherwise. There’s plenty of wombs to create terrorists or seems to join evidence of this in the stories of pollute religious purity — simiwith like women themselves, in the police lar arguments were made durrecords, in the Constituent Asing Partition. sembly records.

While we may find this someIt’s also known that abducted what amusing, and indeed danwomen often married their abductors — some- gerous, what is more disturbing is the silence times by choice but mostly due to the lack of on these extra-legal, anti-Constitutional coerit. Or, out of pragmatism, many women claim- cive tactics that are being deployed to prohibit ing that marriage was like an abduction so choice, which should be every citizen’s right. why should this be any different? These cross- But there’s also an irony to this that seems to religious marriages were frowned upon by the have escaped the motorcycle gangs: if like State and for years after Partition, attempts should indeed marry only like, they should be were made to ‘recover’ women in such mar- firmly on the side of same sex marriages! riages or liaisons and ‘restore’ them to their re blink@thehindu.co.in ligious groups — another sort of policing.

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Bloodiest of them all

A potent mix of a violent history and current animosity makes West Bengal the state with the highest number of political murders in the country

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Constitution. These murders tell a different His master’s voice story.” The human rights activist adds that killIrvine ings by political parties oftenActor get Jeremy disguised as as Albert Narracott private murders. He says, “this figure of 26 in War Horse murders only represents thereuters/david nature ofappleby investigations. A political killing might not always be viewed in that precise bracket. The extent of political violence may be far greater.” Dhawan’s deduction is endorsed by much of the state’s Opposition.

While Congress leaders insist that 26 should be multiplied three times over for the sake of accuracy, the CPM claims to have lost over 157 leaders, activists and supporters since Mamata Banerjee became chief minister in 2011. In June this year, the BJP said that West Bengal had witnessed more than 150 political killings since the TMC came to power. They racott ends up selling Joey to a soldier (Mor- have In anow magisterial 1977 essay called ‘WhyRahul Look revised their estimate to 300. purgo has spoken of how he was inspired by at Animals’, the critic John Berger out Sinha, BJP’s state president, assertspointed that meman old man he met in a pub who had worked that were just combers animals of his party arenot now theman’s main first target for with horses in the Devon Yeomanry regiment, panions, but alsoisour first symbols, ourestabfirst what he believes a murderous ruling and another who remembered Devon villag- metaphors.

As the anthropologist Levilishment. “The more insecure theClaude TMC feels, ers selling horses to army men).

Strauss famously explained, the human the more killings take place. With the CPMpracand It is through Joey’s eyes and ears that we tice of using animals totemic symbols for the Congress renderedasinsignificant, the rulcatch our first glimpse of an army camp, and different emerged because thereal visible ing party tribes has understood we are the prithe windswept madness of the first cavalry differences mary threat.”between animal species made charge at Salisbury Plain. Watching him sail them “good to think with”.Chowdhury’s Berger cites HomeSinha refers to Sourav murinto battle with his new owner, the youthful r’s one of the human texts Rawe der,Iliad, and quickly addsearliest the names of Sheikh Captain Nicholls, it is suddenly clear that no have, as full of examples where human qualihim and Sheikh Enamul to his list of political soldier can politics. charge ifHis his activism horse doesn’t to. ties ment, not was awant factor, are evoked through martyrs.

Rahim was killedcomparisons a few weeks with after There mustmy befather’s an uncanny unity between animals: but I think work for the Bharatiya “Menelaus bestrode his body like a the Lok Sabha elections this summer.

Enamul horse man. of the bat- fretful Janataand Party (BJP)Spielberg’s made himstaging a real target.” mother cow standing over the calf was found murdered in Birbhum on first October tleSaroj scenes is enormously powerful, that conveying Chowdhury, 57, confesses in an she hasTMC brought into the “He was 9. “The is worried thatworld.” the BJPOr is even takthe carnage ofmarked war without be- his support ing away its Muslim environment by vendetta, like a vote mountain lion men whocombebase. Their ing gory, by showfor the BJPoften maysimply have taken his son’s life. “But mit such crimes lievesand in his ownfreely, strength...” roam while our ing us Ihow harmony how can prove the that my son died because I members are the One could examples. ones whomultiply get implicated,” he between man and animal helped campaign for theis conBJP? Think of the manythe yoga says. Surprisingly, BJPasanas leadAnimals were not just tinually and this renewed.

How can broken I prove that was a derived from the postures of er’s contention is corroborated man’s first We do not see Captain Nicholls political murder?” he asks. birds beasts — bhujangasana, by a and Congressman.

Omprakash companions, but also die,The butdistraught we see a riderless Joey father’s quescobra cat Mishra,pose; generalmarjariasana, secretary of West our first symbols, our flying overwell the challenge cannon fire tion could theinto Napose; vyaghrasana, tiger pose; baBengal Pradesh Congress ComPolitical violence is first metaphors German hands, Records and we know. tional Crime Bureau kasana, crane pose; kakasana, mittee, details the advance of never just about In thewhen German camp, Joey and (NCRB) it tries to verify the crow — the list“Misuse is endless.

Or TMC’spose dominance, of the ideology. It is also a Topthorn, jet-black compannumber ofhis political murders reAmerican names, that police andIndian administration for battle for economic ion from are corded in the WestBritish Bengalside, during emerged in a world partisan purposes has where becomethe so supremacy adopted two teenage brothers, 2014. Forby now, though, the NCRB who on be- only references were natural, giving us dom‘Bear extensive that Trinamool ing decide has ordered released to its separate, figures for 2013. to desert. In making dust’, ‘Wildis dove’, ination allowed‘Salmon to stampwhose itself one movie’smurders, most affecting Withof26the political West scenes, the head rises above water’without or ‘Coyote with long in Bengal resistance.” brothers are found Bengal accounts for and moreshot; thanwe a watch their ears flapping’. Mishra contests NCRB’s figure time runofout behind thedocumented slowly turning quarter thefrom 101 such cases na- of Today anthropomorphism may number, feel embar26 political murders. The real he blades a windmill.

Having Joey re- rassing, tionally.of Having earned the watched ignoble distincthat awkwardness arises from the believes,but is far higher.

But he isn’t surprised to fuse separated Topthorn, onechart, can- fact tion to of be topping thefrom political killings no proved longer live animals. hearthat thatwe 2013 to bewith a grisly yearThe for not helpis but ofbehind the poor dead boys as post-industrial Bengal fast think leaving states that were world is a elections world shorn ofheld aniWest Bengal. “Panchayat were young colts,notorious. who were Bihar, only trying to stay toonce more for instance, re- mals, barring purely spectacular domain here last year.the That’s always a violent affair. gether.

And as film murders progresses, corded ‘only’ 12 the political lastand year.you of the zoo or the fetishisedcontracts domesticity pets.

Government patronage, andofaccess watch the Dhawan, horses turned into of cannon fodder To Harish member the People’s War to enter, however briefly, to watch funds — allHorse are atisstake.

Political violence is as much the men inRights, trenches, further forms Union ofas Democratic believes that the into where an animal’s faceacould nevera world just about ideology.

It is also battlestill for of equivalence mana utoand hold figures released emerge

by NCRBbetween help negate up a mirror to the human condition. economic supremacy.”

Just before the fourth beast.

The war is an insatiable thatthat de- phase of the state’s panchayat polls compian assumption.

“We’d like toogre believe is a writer critic based in Delhi Nurmands fresh meat, both human animal. parliamentary political parties and abide by the trisha mencedgupta in July, two and Congress workers,

A different beast

Only recently did I see a film that brings the terrible pathology of war home to us through eyes that I have never before considered — those of an animal

trisha gupta

Bullets and ballots Police recover the body of a voter after a bomb blast at a nearby polling station during panchayat elections in Birbhum District, West Bengal, on July 22, 2013 afp

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his year marks 100 years since World War I began. There have been several great films made about the Great War, as it was called, until it was superseded (in the worst possible way) by World War II. Some of the most famous of these place us terrifyingly in the midst of battle: All Quiet on the Western Front (1930), or Stanley Kubrick’s withering Paths of Glory (1957). Others, like August Renoir’s humanist masterpiece La Grand Illusion (1937), are set away from the frontlines, in a POW camp. The 2001 film A Very Long Engagement he provided the rare perspective of a phone rang late that Friday night woman: she does not go to war, but mustiswait in Kulberia.

Saroj Chowdhury a faendlessly for one face who does. miliar in this village in West It was only recently though, that I saw a film Bengal’s North 24 Parganas.

His son, that brings pathology of by wara he was told, the wasterrible being dragged away home togoons. us through that I have party neverhad beband of Hourseyes later, a search fore considered those ofnext an morning, animal. War returned without—hope.

The on Horse (2011) is adapted Steven Spielberg July 5 this year, the body by of 21-year-old Sourav from Britishfound. writerNine Michael Morpurgo’s 1982 was finally pieces of a dismemnovel children, into an near epic film, whose bered for corpse lay strewn the railway staging of one marvellous set piece after antracks. The neck showed signs of strangulaother somehow rings Like the most fation. Devastated by thetrue. morbidity of his son’s mous ever written about horses, death, book Chowdhury says, “If he were ill orAnna had Sewell’s still-bestselling classic he died in an accident, I1877 might haveBlack beenBeauable ty, Morpurgo’s book written in the voice he of to console myself, butisthe manner in which Joey, the thoroughbred chestnut at its was murdered doesn’t allow mestallion any comfort centre.

Spielberg’s film does haveofthe whatsoever.

Even animals aren’tnot capable vihorse is certainly the unifying olencespeak, that isbut thisJoey hideous.” element a cinematic journey that takes him Police ininvestigations and eyewitness re(and from the open moors of Devon to the portsus) both held Shyamal Karmakar responsibkilling fields of France Germany. le for Sourav’s brutal and murder.

Karmakar, an Bought Communist in a stubborn moment of(Marxist) whimsy erstwhile Party of India by a near-penniless farmer called (CPM) henchman, had switched his Narracott, allegiance Joey starts out as the proud possession Narto the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in of recent racott’s Albert. In an early scene ofintenmanyears. A son committed activist, Sourav had animal would theliquor stonsified aconnection campaign that against hismove illicit iest the teenaged Albert manages to densheart, in the area.

Vengeance, however, may not coax “fancy” young horse ploughing a have the been Karmakar’s only into motive.

Sourav’s field that’s brother more stone than earth. this 24-year-old Sandip says, “My But brother near-magical not nearly enough worked with ploughing the Vishva is Hindu Parishad and to their bad luck, and the elder Nartheend TMC. Herun wasofinterested in social advance-

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August company Deepika Padukone seemed a tad out of her league with Catherine Deneuve at the Mumbai Film Festival pti

Behind the numbers (clockwise from top left) Saraswati Ghosh (sitting) wife of Sagar Ghosh, who was murdered after the panchayat polls pti; BJP camp office allegedly ransacked by Trinamool Congress workers during a bypoll campaign in North 24 Parganas district pti; Polling booth in Jamalpara during the third phase of the panchayat polls on July 19, 2013 ashoke chakrabarty

mohhamad Sheikh and Ahad Ali were killed after being hit with crude bombs. Pairuddin Sheikh was shot dead and CPM cadre Phatik Sheikh died of a splinter injury. If the CPM’s figures are to be believed, bombings, arson and clashes cost them the lives of 24 workers.

While no party can claim absolute innocence, the Opposition blames the TMC for making the election a no-holds-barred contest.

date from the village of Kasba, a seat he eventually won. Named in the FIR and plagued by the possibility of a CBI investigation, Mondal appears unfazed. Seeking absolution in deflection, a source close to the TMC leadership said, “We aren’t in the business of giving clean chits, but the media is greedy for headlines.

When they’ve nothing else, they’ve invention.”

Sagar Ghosh isn’t the only reason why Anubrata Mondal has been making headlines. On October 12 this year, four contract killers were arrested for the murder of Mondal’s aide Ashok Mukherjee. Mukherjee’s killing in August was intended as retaliation for the 2013 assassination of Ashok Ghosh, leader of a rival TMC faction. According to human rights activist Sujato Bhadra, “If you are to take the NCRB figure of 26 murders in 2013, you can say that six to seven resulted from inter-party conflicts. The rest are all intra-party killings.” Bhadra, who has co-authored the book Political Killings in West Bengal (1977-2010), believes that the TMC is divided into two distinct halves — the old and the new. “Some of those who operated on behalf of the CPM came to join the TMC. That’s your new TMC. The old TMC accepted them with their weapons, their old tendencies and their vested interests, but this created a clash.

Now both sides wanted to work in the real estate, construction and syndicate businesses.

There just isn’t enough room.”

Staying alive

The enemy within When it comes to advocating violence, Tapas Paul, actor turned TMC MP, leads the pack. An eye for an eye Long before he threatened his opponents with Diptiman Basu also questions the intent of rape, he had urged his followers to take the those who switch sides from the CPM to the but he emphatically defendswould the TMC fight to the CPM panchayat here wasduring still anthe hour to go forelecthe TMC, announcing that the festival be its leader.

“When Mamata came tions. Addressing last July,Linklater’s he thun- and screeninga rally of Richard scrapped this year, owing to aBanerjee lack of funds. power 2011, she did soReliance with theEntertainslogan — dered, “Beat senseanticipated into them Boyhood, with yourbut shoes. highly the to With theirinbiggest sponsor noy, badal want change, not Straightenendless them out withofa enthusiastic thrashing.” Later queue film ‘Badla ment pulling outchai’. of its(We five-year association she notAcademy contained the Moving resentthat Manirul Islam, a TMC took revenge.) buffsmonth, had almost spilled beyond theMLA, confines with MAMIHad (Mumbai of the that hadleft built upcity’s against the CPM, the stage at yet another “The opposition of the Cinemax theatrerally. in Andheri.

As the ment Image), it was to the powerful filmwe ina river of blood should remember the MLA of Labhpur, would have seen clock struck 8pm,that the I,straight dustry to swoop inflow and through save the isn’t time. We have trampled three death. I can quash the state. Three line morphed into amen mobtopushday.years And so theyenough did. As generous of CPM misrule to fight against,” any opposition with the a blink ofofan eye.” Islam, have 34 years donations ing its way through gates poured in from the president of Jatiyotabadi who is accused of being the theatre.

People flunginvolved their in a 2010 says Basu, thelikes of Karan Johar, FarhanJuba AkThe crowd barked, murder ofthe three, also threatened bodies on red seats, crushing a Congress Parishad, a youth htar,organisation.

Aamir Khan, Vidhu Vinod “What are youLargely doing nonviolent a few posters Hirani, rendered leader: your ways or came it’ll be far easier to anyone“Mend and anything that Chopra and Rajkumar to here?” Imran Khan Jadavpur University (JU) The agitations sinister behead you.” in the way.

Those left behind, setname a few. festival was resadmitted, “I’m not by their chancelIt might haveon been to dismiss these last month. Frustrated tled for a seat thesimpler staircase. urrected within twovice weeks. sure what I’m a student’sevent complaint of threats as bluster if the The lights dimmed andefficacy all wasof democratic lor’s apathy towards The week-long saw an doing here” some students started demandprocesses remained unaffected.

Evidence, molestation, impressive forgiven. Some three hours later, line-up of contempoEducation Chathowever, otherwise.

Anubrata Mon- ing his death.rary tempers suggests had cooled and the FrenchMinister films, aPartha tribute to thiscinema moment intervene. dal, TMC chief of state’s Birbhum district, terjee choseArab crowd united in the giving a thunand atofew interestwill fight tooth and nailthe to was taken seriouslytowhen he reportedly asked “People of Bengal derous applause Linklater’s ing panel discussions.

From thecinema evil designs of Ken thoseLoach’s who want to for the housescoming-of-age of independent candidates to foil mesmerising saga. world line-up, Jimmy’s back the politics of murder,” warned. beThe burnt down. after Mondal chaos andFour risk days of physical injury made aside, bring Hall, Dardenne Brother’s Two Days,he One Night, Banerjee, all-India general his speech, Sagar the Ghosh shot Ritabrata the provocative spirit of those attending 16thwas edition Kim Ki-Duk’s One on One and Xaviersecretary Dolan’s the Students Federation of India, says that at 21. HeFilm diedFestival two days later.

Ghosh’s of of on theJuly Mumbai was heartening.

Mommy, which have been favourites at other he welcomes Chatterjee’s son hadfestival quit thedirector TMC to Srinivas contest the Not Hriday long ago, Na- while international film festivals, were alsorhetoric, among heavy-handedness tells another reality. panchayat elections to as drafting an independent candi- TMC’s rayan had admitted a press release the most well-attended screenings here.

While the Mumbai Film Festival’s future looks rocky, it continues to make cinema the true hero

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It was particularly crucial for upcoming indie and regional filmmakers that the festival see the light of day. Tamil filmmaker Jayakrishnan Subramanian was present at the Indian premiere of his film Amma and Appa, which got an encouraging response at the Berlinale earlier this year. The film, which Subramanian has co-directed with his German wife Franziska Schoenenberger, explores the complexities of a cross-cultural marriage.

Among the participants of the India Gold competition was filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri, whose political drama Buddha in a Traffic Jam was being screened for the first time at MAMI. Known for making mainstream Bollywood films in the past (such as Hate Story, 2012), Agnihotri’s latest is a far smaller project. A group of students at Hyderabad’s Indian School of Business, where Agnihotri is a professor, had to raise funds for this film in just a week. “I call Making the case that TMCand hoodlums were these festivals the research development allowed to enter JU campus in September, labs of India.

Thisthe is where people bring their Banerjee compares Westhave Bengal chief minexperiments.

If wethe don’t festivals like ister Hitler.

“Helike hadours his Gestapo Germathis, to then films will haveinno platny.

Shesaid hasAgnihotri, her ownbefore Schutzstaffel (SS) in form,” the screening.

Bengal. The TMC is trying to control every aspect of the not political sphere. Political murders Bollywood wanted are a manifestation.” a CPM RaTheonly Bollywood folk weren’tBanerjee, exactly welcomed jya Sabha might doing more than with openmember, arms during thebefestival.

Day two of borrowing analogy history.

He is the festival,an which was from thrown off gear byalso the revising it.

Maharashtra elections, went further downPunctuated by theImran bloodstained hill.

A sharp suited Khan wastragedies literally of Singur CPM’s rise andirate fall booed outand of Nandigram, Chandan Cinema by an in the state both bracketed by violent epicrowd thatare barked, “What are you doing sodes.

1970, are believed to here?”In “I’m notCPM suremiscreants what I’m doing here,” he have hacked members the invited Congress-suphumbly admitted.

Khan,ofwas to preporting Sain family to pieces.

TheyOne were thena sent Dardenne Brother’s Two Days, Night, accused of soaking rice in about. the blood their film he was clearly clueless The of film bevictims and feeding it towent the women they hada gan late, the subtitles missing, and spared. in 2009, 100 CPM cadres reporthapless Again Khan found himself in the firing line. edly Yudhistir Doloi in the state’s JanLater,attacked the ‘intellectuals’ and ‘serious’ students gri village.

They burnt the TMC block of cinema continued to complain that the fespresident’s house, forcing hisfine family to then tival was meant to appreciate world cinewitness ma, andhis notdismemberment. to gawk at Bollywood stars.

The of politicalpanel violence is seemingEveniniquity a distinguished of filmmakers ly a legacy ofVishal successive regimes in Bengal. comprising Bhardwaj, Vikramaditya During a crackdown necessitated the escaMotwane and Rakeysh Om PrakashbyMehra welation of Naxalite the 1970s, Siddharren’t spared at arevolt panelin discussion on the tha Shankar Ray’s Congress government is dearth of good scripts in Bollywood.

Budding said to have 1,000 CPM writers ruedkilled aboutmore beingthan underpaid andworkpoorers.

Assumed sympathy for Naxaltocause ly treated by filmmakers whothe refused take was enough for the writer state to gunoffense down theirreason calls. An angst-ridden took rivals in broad three decades latat Bhardwaj fordaylight, makingbut three films on plays er, Bengal as bloody. written byremained a man who was “long dead” when On January 7, original 2011, nine residents the youngsters with ideas like himofwere state’s Netaitovillage were killed by script mercenarstruggling find work.

“If your was ies who allegedly with the sanction good enough, weworked would have heard about of it.

CPM’s leadership.

While thereplied Left tersely. blamed Obviously, it is not,” Motwane Maoists, Mamata insists that thewho vilAnd then there Banerjee was Deepika Padukone harmad lagers had been massacred

by CPM’slong waltzed into the opening ceremony after (hired killers). vahini it had wrapped up. The following day, the star Debabrata Bandyopadhyay, Trinamool Raproved to be quite a misfit at the Master Class jya believes that West Bengal had withSabha iconicMP, French actress Catherine Deneuve, witnessed political murders who has a 55,408 50-year-long career with between over 100 the 1977 and One 2009.

He says, “This state filmsyears to her credit. could see members of has had a tradition of as violence.

Take the examthe audience snigger Padukone confidently ple of Khudiram He smilingly went to named duds like Bose.

Aarakshan and Khelein Hum the gallows having mistakenly murdered Jee Jaan Se asfor “socially-relevant” films. theYet, wifesuch and discord daughterdidn’t of a barrister.

Gandhiji deter film buffs applied an ointment, yes, but then refrom turning up in droves forthe theLeft screenings. turned with its along-standing commitment to But Motwane, trustee of MAMI, warns that cruelty.

Weto have lived under they need be always better prepared forthe theshadnext ow of“It terror.”

Why then hadagain the overthrow of year. shouldn’t happen that we are the Left not impacted the trend political left in this situation because peopleofare not gomurders in Bengal? retired IAS officer was ing to donate everyThe year for the same purquick — “Power change hands pose,”to heanswer says. While the may fate of the festival in a state.unsure, That doesn’t always mean a state remains this year proved that it is will one change its mindset.” that continues to make cinema the hero. shreevatsa nevatia is a Kolkata-based writer mohini chaudhuri

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Power play Visakhapatnam engulfed in darkness after Hudhud made landfall

Tangled A college bus lies overturned and entangled in electricity wires

Bending the rules Wind speeds touched 200kmph

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House of cards Fishermen’s homes reduced to rubble at Jalaripeta, near the ďŹ shing harbour

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Wind and fury It is a long road back to normalcy for Visakhapatnam, after cyclone Hudhud tore through its streets

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city stripped of its green cover, ravaged houses, broken boats, beaches and roads engulfed by ferocious waves — the Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Hudhud has left in its wake a battered landscape. Visakhapatnam is still struggling to come to terms with its aftermath.

With wind speeds of up to 200kmph, the cyclone, which made landfall on October 12, hammered the coast for more than 10 hours. Several large trees were uprooted (depleting 625 sqkm of green cover), transformers were damaged and petrol pumps smashed, even as residents floundered without essentials such as water, power and milk.

The devastation at the fishing colonies in particular, underlines the intensity of the storm — roofs blown away, boats sunk or damaged and hungry families awaiting food trucks and help. While it’s too early to gauge the overall impact of Hudhud, losses may amount to ₹60,000 crore, with the fishing harbour alone accounting for about ₹200 crore.

Yet the loss is not monetary alone. Several heritage sites in the city and its surrounding regions of Vizianagaram and Srikakulam lie ravaged. The Buddhist sites of Thotlakonda, the popular beach at Rushikonda and the Kailasagiri park once abuzz with activity, are now engulfed in a resounding silence.

kr deepak

sse dive Half-sunk fishing trawlers dot the harbour

n nger pangs Voluntary organisations feed children on the footpath

Survival of the fittest A milk van is raided by a mob at the fishing colony of Pedda Jalaripeta

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Bloodiest of them all

A potent mix of a violent history and current animosity makes West Bengal the state with the highest number of political murders in the country

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Constitution. These murders tell a different His master’s story.” The human rights activist adds thatvoice killJeremy Irvine ings by political parties oftenActor get disguised as as Albert Narracott private murders. He says, “this figure of 26 in War Horse murders only represents thereuters/david nature ofappleby investigations. A political killing might not always be viewed in that precise bracket. The extent of political violence may be far greater.” Dhawan’s deduction is endorsed by much of the state’s Opposition.

While Congress leaders insist that 26 should be multiplied three times over for the sake of accuracy, the CPM claims to have lost over 157 leaders, activists and supporters since Mamata Banerjee became chief minister in 2011. In June this year, the BJP said that West Bengal had witnessed more than 150 political killings since the TMC came to power. They racott ends up selling Joey to a soldier (Mor- have In anow magisterial 1977 essay called ‘WhyRahul Look revised their estimate to 300. purgo has spoken of how he was inspired by at Animals’, the critic John Berger out Sinha, BJP’s state president, assertspointed that meman old man he met in a pub who had worked that animals were just combers of his party arenot now theman’s main first target for with horses in the Devon Yeomanry regiment, panions, but alsoisour first symbols, ourestabfirst what he believes a murderous ruling and another who remembered Devon villag- metaphors.

As the anthropologist Levilishment. “The more insecure theClaude TMC feels, ers selling horses to army men).

Strauss famously explained, the human the more killings take place. With the CPMpracand It is through Joey’s eyes and ears that we tice of using animals totemic symbols for the Congress renderedasinsignificant, the rulcatch our first glimpse of an army camp, and different emerged because thereal visible ing party tribes has understood we are the prithe windswept madness of the first cavalry differences mary threat.”between animal species made charge at Salisbury Plain. Watching him sail them “good to think with”.Chowdhury’s Berger cites HomeSinha refers to Sourav murinto battle with his new owner, the youthful r’s one of adds the earliest human texts Rawe der,Iliad, and quickly the names of Sheikh Captain Nicholls, it is suddenly clear that no have, as full of examples where human qualihim and Sheikh Enamul to his list of political soldier canpolitics. charge ifHis his activism horse doesn’t to. ties ment, not was awant factor, are evoked through with martyrs.

Rahim was killedcomparisons a few weeks after There mustmy befather’s an uncanny unity between animals: but I think work for the Bharatiya “Menelaus bestrode his body like a the Lok Sabha elections this summer.

Enamul horse man. of the bat- fretful Janataand Party (BJP)Spielberg’s made himstaging a real target.” mother cow standing over the calf was found murdered in Birbhum on first October tleSaroj scenes is enormously powerful, that conveying Chowdhury, 57, confesses in an she hasTMC brought into the “He was 9. “The is worried thatworld.” the BJPOr is even takthe carnage of war without be- his support ing away its Muslim environment marked by vendetta, like a vote mountain lionmen whocombebase. Their ing gory, by showfor the BJPoften may simply have taken his son’s life. “But mit such crimes lievesand in his ownfreely, strength...” roam while our ing us I how harmony how can prove the that my son died because I members are the One could examples. ones whomultiply get implicated,” he between man and animal helped campaign for theis conBJP? Think of the manythe yoga says. Surprisingly, BJPasanas leadAnimals were not just tinually and this renewed.

How can broken I prove that was a derived from the postures of er’s contention is corroborated man’s first We do not see Captain Nicholls political murder?” he asks. birds beasts — bhujangasana, by a and Congressman.

Omprakash companions, but also die, butdistraught we see a father’s riderlessquesJoey The cobra cat Mishra,pose; generalmarjariasana, secretary of West our first symbols, our flying overwell the challenge cannon fire tion could theinto Napose; vyaghrasana, tiger pose; baBengal Pradesh Congress ComPolitical violence is first metaphors German hands,Records and we know. tional Crime Bureau kasana, crane pose; kakasana, mittee, details the advance of never just about In thewhen German camp, Joey and (NCRB) it tries to verify the crow — the list“Misuse is endless.

Or TMC’spose dominance, of the ideology. It is also a Topthorn, jet-black compannumber ofhis political murders reAmerican names, that police andIndian administration for battle for economic ion from are corded in the WestBritish Bengalside, during emerged in a world partisan purposes has where becomethe so supremacy adopted two teenage brothers, 2014. For by now, though, the NCRB who on be- only references were natural, giving us dom‘Bear extensive that Trinamool ing ordered to has released its separate, figures fordecide 2013. to desert. In making dust’, ‘Wildis dove’, ination allowed‘Salmon to stampwhose itself one movie’s most affecting Withof26the political murders, West scenes, the head rises above water’ or ‘Coyote with long in Bengal without resistance.” brothers are found and shot; Bengal accounts for more thanwe a watch their ears flapping’. Mishra contests NCRB’s figure time runofout behind thedocumented slowly turning quarter thefrom 101 such cases na- of Today anthropomorphism maynumber, feel embar26 political murders. The real he blades a windmill.

Having Joey re- rassing, tionally.ofHaving earned the watched ignoble distincthat awkwardness arises from the believes,but is far higher.

But he isn’t surprised to fuse separated Topthorn, onechart, can- fact tion to of be topping the from political killings noproved longer to livebewith animals. hearthat thatwe 2013 a grisly year The for not help ofbehind the poor dead boys as post-industrial Bengal is but fast think leaving states that were world is a elections world shorn aniWest Bengal. “Panchayat wereofheld young colts,notorious. who were Bihar, only trying to stay toonce more for instance, re- mals, barring purely spectacular domain here last year.the That’s always a violent affair. gether.

And as the film murders progresses, corded ‘only’ 12 political lastand year.you of the zoo or the fetishisedcontracts domesticity pets.

Government patronage, andofaccess watch the Dhawan, horses turned intoof cannon fodder To Harish member the People’s watch — War to enter, however briefly, to funds allHorse are atisstake.

Political violence is as much the men inRights, trenches, further forms Union ofas Democratic believes that the into world where an animal’s faceacould nevera just about ideology.

It is also battlestill for of equivalence mana utoand hold figures released emerge

by NCRBbetween help negate up a mirror to the human condition. economic supremacy.”

Just before the fourth beast.

The war is an insatiable thatthat de- phase of the state’s panchayat polls compian assumption.

“We’d like toogre believe is a writer and critic based in Delhi Nurmands fresh meat, both human animal. parliamentary political parties and abide by the trisha mencedgupta in July, two Congress workers,

A different beast

Only recently did I see a film that brings the terrible pathology of war home to us through eyes that I have never before considered — those of an animal

trisha gupta

Bullets and ballots Police recover the body of a voter after a bomb blast at a nearby polling station during panchayat elections in Birbhum District, West Bengal, on July 22, 2013 afp

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his year marks 100 years since World War I began. There have been several great films made about the Great War, as it was called, until it was superseded (in the worst possible way) by World War II. Some of the most famous of these place us terrifyingly in the midst of battle: All Quiet on the Western Front (1930), or Stanley Kubrick’s withering Paths of Glory (1957). Others, like August Renoir’s humanist masterpiece La Grand Illusion (1937), are set away from the frontlines, in a POW camp. The 2001 film A Very Long Engagement he provided the rare perspective of a phone rang late that Friday night woman: she does not go to war, but must in Kulberia.

Saroj Chowdhury iswait a faendlessly for one face who in does. miliar this village in West It was only recently though, that I saw Bengal’s North 24 Parganas.

Hisa film son, that brings pathology of by wara he was told, the was terrible being dragged away home togoons. us through that I haveparty neverhad beband of Hourseyes later, a search fore considered those ofnext an morning, animal. War returned without—hope.

The on Horse (2011) is the adapted Steven Spielberg July 5 this year, body by of 21-year-old Sourav from Britishfound. writerNine Michael Morpurgo’s 1982 was finally pieces of a dismemnovel children, into annear epic the film,railway whose bered for corpse lay strewn staging of one marvellous set piece after antracks. The neck showed signs of strangulaother somehow by rings Like the most fation. Devastated thetrue. morbidity of his son’s mous ever written about horses, death, book Chowdhury says, “If he were ill orAnna had Sewell’s still-bestselling classic he died in an accident, I 1877 might haveBlack beenBeauable ty, Morpurgo’s book written in the voice he of to console myself, butisthe manner in which Joey, the thoroughbred chestnut at its was murdered doesn’t allow me stallion any comfort centre.

Spielberg’s film does haveofthe whatsoever.

Even animals aren’tnot capable vihorse is certainly the unifying olencespeak, that isbut thisJoey hideous.” element a cinematic journey that takes him Police ininvestigations and eyewitness re(and from the open moors of Devon to the portsus) both held Shyamal Karmakar responsibkilling fields of France Germany. le for Sourav’s brutal and murder.

Karmakar, an Bought Communist in a stubborn moment whimsy erstwhile Party of Indiaof(Marxist) by a near-penniless farmer called (CPM) henchman, had switched his Narracott, allegiance Joey starts out as the proud possession Narto the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in of recent racott’s son Albert. activist, In an early scene ofintenmanyears. A committed Sourav had animal would theliquor stonsified aconnection campaign that against hismove illicit iest the teenaged Albert manages to densheart, in the area.

Vengeance, however, may not coax “fancy” young horse into ploughing have the been Karmakar’s only motive.

Sourav’sa field that’s brother more stone than earth. this 24-year-old Sandip says, “My But brother near-magical not nearly enough worked with ploughing the Vishva is Hindu Parishad and to their bad luck, in and the elder Nartheend TMC. Herun wasofinterested social advance-

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August company Deepika Padukone seemed a tad out of her league with Catherine Deneuve at the Mumbai Film Festival pti

Behind the numbers (clockwise from top left) Saraswati Ghosh (sitting) wife of Sagar Ghosh, who was murdered after the panchayat polls pti; BJP camp office allegedly ransacked by Trinamool Congress workers during a bypoll campaign in North 24 Parganas district pti; Polling booth in Jamalpara during the third phase of the panchayat polls on July 19, 2013 ashoke chakrabarty

mohhamad Sheikh and Ahad Ali were killed after being hit with crude bombs. Pairuddin Sheikh was shot dead and CPM cadre Phatik Sheikh died of a splinter injury. If the CPM’s figures are to be believed, bombings, arson and clashes cost them the lives of 24 workers.

While no party can claim absolute innocence, the Opposition blames the TMC for making the election a no-holds-barred contest.

date from the village of Kasba, a seat he eventually won. Named in the FIR and plagued by the possibility of a CBI investigation, Mondal appears unfazed. Seeking absolution in deflection, a source close to the TMC leadership said, “We aren’t in the business of giving clean chits, but the media is greedy for headlines.

When they’ve nothing else, they’ve invention.”

Sagar Ghosh isn’t the only reason why Anubrata Mondal has been making headlines. On October 12 this year, four contract killers were arrested for the murder of Mondal’s aide Ashok Mukherjee. Mukherjee’s killing in August was intended as retaliation for the 2013 assassination of Ashok Ghosh, leader of a rival TMC faction. According to human rights activist Sujato Bhadra, “If you are to take the NCRB figure of 26 murders in 2013, you can say that six to seven resulted from inter-party conflicts. The rest are all intra-party killings.” Bhadra, who has co-authored the book Political Killings in West Bengal (1977-2010), believes that the TMC is divided into two distinct halves — the old and the new. “Some of those who operated on behalf of the CPM came to join the TMC. That’s your new TMC. The old TMC accepted them with their weapons, their old tendencies and their vested interests, but this created a clash.

Now both sides wanted to work in the real estate, construction and syndicate businesses.

There just isn’t enough room.”

Staying alive

The enemy within When it comes to advocating violence, Tapas Paul, actor turned TMC MP, leads the pack. An eye for an eye Long before he threatened his opponents with Diptiman Basu also questions the intent of rape, he had urged his followers to take the those who switch sides from the CPM to the but he emphatically defendswould the TMC fight to the CPM panchayat here wasduring still anthe hour to go forelecthe TMC, announcing that the festival be its leader.

“When Mamata came tions. Addressing last July,Linklater’s he thun- and screeninga rally of Richard scrapped this year, owing to aBanerjee lack of funds. power 2011, she did soReliance with theEntertainslogan — dered, “Beat senseanticipated into them Boyhood, with yourbut shoes. highly the to With theirinbiggest sponsor noy, badal want change, not Straightenendless them out withofa enthusiastic thrashing.” Later queue film ‘Badla ment pulling outchai’. of its(We five-year association she notAcademy contained theMoving resentthat Manirul Islam, a TMC took revenge.) buffsmonth, had almost spilled beyond theMLA, confines with MAMIHad (Mumbai of the that hadleft built upcity’s against the CPM, the stage at yet another “The opposition of the Cinemax theatrerally. in Andheri.

As the ment Image), it was to the powerful film we ina river of blood should remember the MLA of Labhpur, would have seen clock struck 8pm,that the I,straight dustry to swoop in flow and through save the isn’t time. We have trampled into threeamen death. I can quash the state. Three line morphed mobtopushday.years And so theyenough did. As generous of CPM misrule to fight against,” any opposition with the a blink ing its way through gatesofofan eye.” Islam, have 34 yearsdonations poured in from the president of Johar, Jatiyotabadi who is accused of being in a 2010 says Basu, thelikes the theatre.

People flunginvolved their of Karan FarhanJuba AkThe crowd barked, murder ofthe three, also threatened bodies on red seats, crushing a Congress Parishad, a youth htar,organisation.

Aamir Khan, Vidhu Vinod “What are youLargely doing nonviolent a few posters Hirani, rendered leader: your ways orcame it’ll be far easier to anyone“Mend and anything that Chopra and Rajkumar to here?” Imran Khan Jadavpur University (JU) The agitations sinister behead you.” in the way.

Those left behind, setname a few. festival was resadmitted, “I’m not by their chancelIt might haveon been to dismiss these last month. Frustrated tled for a seat thesimpler staircase. urrected within twovice weeks. sure what I’m a student’sevent complaint of threats as bluster if the The lights dimmed andefficacy all wasof democratic lor’s apathy towards The week-long saw an doing here” some students started demandprocesses remained unaffected.

Evidence, molestation, impressive forgiven. Some three hours later, line-up of contempoEducation Chathowever, otherwise.

Anubrata Mon- ing his death.rary tempers suggests had cooled and the FrenchMinister films, aPartha tribute to thiscinema moment dal, TMC chief in of the state’s Birbhum district, terjee choseArab crowd united giving a thunand atofewintervene. interestwill fight tooth and nailthe to was taken seriouslytowhen he reportedly asked “People of Bengal derous applause Linklater’s ing panel discussions.

From thecinema evil designs of Ken thoseLoach’s who want to for the housescoming-of-age of independent candidates to foil mesmerising saga. world line-up, Jimmy’s back the politics of murder,” warned. beThe burnt down. after Mondal made bring chaos andFour risk days of physical injury aside, Hall, Dardenne Brother’s Two Days,he One Night, Banerjee, all-India general his speech, Sagar the Ghosh shot Ritabrata the provocative spirit of those attending 16thwas edition Kim Ki-Duk’s One on One and Xaviersecretary Dolan’s the Students Federation of India, says that at 21. HeFilm diedFestival two days later.

Ghosh’s of of on theJuly Mumbai was heartening.

Mommy, which have been favourites at other he welcomes Chatterjee’s son hadfestival quit thedirector TMC toSrinivas contest the Not Hriday long ago, Na- while international film festivals, were alsorhetoric, among heavy-handedness tells another reality. panchayat elections to as drafting an independent candi- TMC’s rayan had admitted a press release the most well-attended screenings here.

While the Mumbai Film Festival’s future looks rocky, it continues to make cinema the true hero

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It was particularly crucial for upcoming indie and regional filmmakers that the festival see the light of day. Tamil filmmaker Jayakrishnan Subramanian was present at the Indian premiere of his film Amma and Appa, which got an encouraging response at the Berlinale earlier this year. The film, which Subramanian has co-directed with his German wife Franziska Schoenenberger, explores the complexities of a cross-cultural marriage.

Among the participants of the India Gold competition was filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri, whose political drama Buddha in a Traffic Jam was being screened for the first time at MAMI. Known for making mainstream Bollywood films in the past (such as Hate Story, 2012), Agnihotri’s latest is a far smaller project. A group of students at Hyderabad’s Indian School of Business, where Agnihotri is a professor, had to raise funds for this film in just a week. “I call Making the case that TMCand hoodlums were these festivals the research development allowed to enter JU campus in September, labs of India.

Thisthe is where people bring their Banerjee compares Westhave Bengal chief minexperiments.

If wethe don’t festivals like ister Hitler.

“He hadours his Gestapo Germathis, to then films like will haveinno platny.

Shesaid hasAgnihotri, her ownbefore Schutzstaffel (SS) in form,” the screening.

Bengal. The TMC is trying to control every aspect of thenot political sphere. Political murders Bollywood wanted are a manifestation.” a CPM RaTheonly Bollywood folk weren’tBanerjee, exactly welcomed jya Sabha might doing more than with openmember, arms during thebefestival.

Day two of borrowing analogy history.

He by is also the festival,an which was from thrown off gear the revising it. elections, went further downMaharashtra Punctuated by theImran bloodstained hill.

A sharp suited Khan wastragedies literally of Singur CPM’s rise andirate fall booed outand of Nandigram, Chandan Cinema by an in the state both bracketed by violent epicrowd thatare barked, “What are you doing sodes.

1970, are believed to here?” In “I’m notCPM suremiscreants what I’m doing here,” he have hacked members theinvited Congress-suphumbly admitted.

Khan,ofwas to preporting Sain family to pieces.

TheyOne were thena sent Dardenne Brother’s Two Days, Night, accused of soaking rice in about. the blood their film he was clearly clueless The of film bevictims it towent the women they hada gan late,and thefeeding subtitles missing, and spared. in 2009, 100 CPM cadres reporthapless Again Khan found himself in the firing line. edly Yudhistir Doloi in the state’s JanLater,attacked the ‘intellectuals’ and ‘serious’ students gri village.

They burnt the TMC block of cinema continued to complain that the fespresident’s house, forcing hisfine family to cinethen tival was meant to appreciate world witness ma, andhis notdismemberment. to gawk at Bollywood stars.

The of politicalpanel violence is seemingEveniniquity a distinguished of filmmakers ly a legacy ofVishal successive regimes in Bengal. comprising Bhardwaj, Vikramaditya During a crackdown necessitated the escaMotwane and Rakeysh Om PrakashbyMehra welation of Naxalite the 1970s, Siddharren’t spared at arevolt panelindiscussion on the tha Shankar Congress government is dearth of goodRay’s scripts in Bollywood.

Budding said to have 1,000 CPM writers ruedkilled aboutmore beingthan underpaid andworkpoorers.

Assumed sympathy for Naxaltocause ly treated by filmmakers whothe refused take was enough for the writer state to gunoffense down theirreason calls. An angst-ridden took rivals in broad three decades latat Bhardwaj fordaylight, makingbut three films on plays er, Bengal as bloody. written byremained a man who was “long dead” when On January 7, original 2011, nine residents the youngsters with ideas like himofwere state’s Netaitovillage were killed by script mercenarstruggling find work.

“If your was ies who allegedly with heard the sanction good enough, weworked would have about of it.

CPM’s leadership.

While thereplied Left tersely. blamed Obviously, it is not,” Motwane Maoists, Mamata insists that thewho vilAnd then there Banerjee was Deepika Padukone harmad lagers been massacred

by CPM’s waltzedhad into the opening ceremony long after (hired killers). vahini it had wrapped up. The following day, the star Debabrata Bandyopadhyay, Trinamool Raproved to be quite a misfit at the Master Class jya believes that West Bengal had withSabha iconicMP, French actress Catherine Deneuve, witnessed political murders between who has a 55,408 50-year-long career with over 100 the 1977 and One 2009.

He says, “This state filmsyears to her credit. could see members of has had a tradition ofas violence.

Take the examthe audience snigger Padukone confidently ple of Khudiram Bose. He smilingly went to named duds like Aarakshan and Khelein Hum the gallows having mistakenly murdered Jee Jaan Se asfor “socially-relevant” films. theYet, wife and discord daughterdidn’t of a barrister.

Gandhiji such deter film buffs applied an ointment, yes, but then refrom turning up in droves forthe theLeft screenings. turned with itsalong-standing commitment to But Motwane, trustee of MAMI, warns that cruelty.

Weto have alwaysprepared lived under they need be better forthe theshadnext ow terror.”

Why then hadagain the overthrow of year.of“It shouldn’t happen that we are the Left impacted the trend left in thisnot situation because peopleofarepolitical not gomurders in Bengal? retired IAS officer was ing to donate everyThe year for the same purquick — “Power change hands pose,” to heanswer says. While the may fate of the festival in a state.unsure, That doesn’t always mean a state remains this year proved that it is will one change its mindset.” that continues to make cinema the hero. shreevatsa nevatia is a Kolkata-based writer mohini chaudhuri

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Shedding the veil dipankar

In Burq Off! comedian Nadia Manzoor uses humour to hold a mirror up to Pakistan and the UK

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he cognitive dissonance experi- spitting, resentful young man who becomes enced by minority communities in ultra-Islamicised at university. (He has since culturally different lands has often moved away from radical groups.) been best portrayed through comeManzoor is unsparing in her portrayal of dy. Over two decades BBC’s Goodness Gracious the contradictions and absurdities that Me entertained audiences across the world — abound in her life, growing up in a rather unwith its sharp but endearing portrayal of the diverse part of England. No topic is off British Indian community — poking fun at it bounds. “There is no such thing as a vagina in and the wider British society in the process. a Pakistani family,” she explains as she chroniHumour is also the tool adroitly used by Nadia cles the tactics and euphemisms used to P Manzoor, a 32-year-old British-Pakistani co- shield children from anything relating to sex. median, to portray the challenges, absurdities In one scene, Maulvi sahab, brought in by Manand heartbreak experienced by a young girl zoor’s father to rein in the children, masturgrowing up in England in an orthodox Pakisbates to a porn magazine found in her tani family. father’s briefcase.

Burq Off!, Manzoor’s oneManzoor’s portrayal of wider woman show, which she British society is also sharp. wrote and performs herWhite friends, while friendself, made its debut in ly, make little attempt to New York late last year, theis culture SHOVONunderstand CHOWDHURY where it proved to be she comes from or help chief Truthdigger and author of The Competent Authority an instant hit. Now she her reconcile with it. has brought the show A painful scene A bearer forhe bearer dusts me off with a Instead, they’ve been cutting welfare pro- to should understand.

Karunanidhi is dark. corner. They put it down.where London, and after rea leaps parent scorns feather duster, and wipes my face grammes, and not bringing back black turning Jayalalithaa white.

Do you do partiality? ward and sprays it with liquid. Hescent withis it to the theColin fresh-samosa with a moist tissue. “You look money. How do you explain this?”

Bothshe are hopes gettingshe chances. of notes.

US, will Besides, who says opens it and takes out bundles that clouds her He mother, spraysremind them one spotless,” he whispers encourag“Explanation is very simple,” says the eventually we have notbedone able anything? to take We had prom- removes the notes andhelps theby audiised India and would see less black money. We one. “Elections are coming,” ingly, before leading me to my chair. I sit op- spokesman. “After the outbreaks of vio- it to India Pakistan. ence that explains it is not the just her you can see,isthe money for posite the government spokesman, who is lence against Africans, we have created While she the has₹5,000 never note. had What would spokesperson, “Asfamily that responsible clean.” also spotless. “Cleanliness is a big priority have decided to any formal theatrical require training, a steel used will be verythe sense of isolation they feel, now,” he says, “may I offer you a currency take a stand trunk will now fit “Does this mean that her nonefather of theisblack Manzoor told me that she had alor why adamant back?”

I ask. be accepted note? They’re very clean.” He picks one up against racin aaperbriefcase, as money is ever coming ways been something of that she will “never thing it as soon as theThere file re-is no such “Of course, is!”British.” says theHer spokesperson, from the pile on his table. I politely decline. ism. It is morformer. The class clown, doing response to her as a vagina a mustpredicament Corruption is considered a big sin at The ally repugnant Reserve Bank “Whatinwe do is removeis the accents, making peopleaches laugh, firststigma. to lie — prefamily, must seetending that it is to justEnglish like anyfriends other that Hindu Business Line. I proceed with my re- to discriminate India. In Pakistani this People and dancing (even if it of involved explains as thisholidays portage. It is time for me to ask Probing on the basis of way,Janet you will see Manzoor, money. Once happens, automatically it Kahiding in her room doing take them to LA not theback. rachi much less.” she chronicles will come Before—you will She Questions, as taught to me by Ms Subrama- colour.

Why Jackson routines). andknow thenit, towe escape. euphemisms used towith chooses Two men struggle be flooded black money.

In 2018, there niam. I lean forward. My gaze is steely. should black These skills are put to masterly a university 300 miles fromelection.

“This government had promised to bring money be singled into the room,shield carry- children is another arehides hoping thatshe by leads effect in BurqOff!. Manzoor tells away,We and the life sexual back all black money within 100 days,” I say, out? What about white ing 20-odd a huge trunk.anything He then, the whole there process of repatriation her story by portraying from her family. will “In order to use it for welfare programmes. money? This is partiality. As a Madrasi, you waves characters in her life — from them her to the be complete.”

Manzoor, who now lives in often-exasperated, conservative, Brooklyn, New York, says the Dear Venkoots, and conflicted father, to her show — and the writing she did You think the Cyclone Hudhud got congentle, Dallas-watching, that preceded it — have been key trolled just like that? Suddenly, out of the peace-keeper mother, and even her pa- to helping her contend with her identity blue, Virat Kohli scored a century? What has tient, understanding Irish boyfriend, struggles. It also appears to have helped those been holding up the Sensex? Just the handwho she eventually moves to the US around her: her father, now one of her biggest someness of Raghuram Rajan? Plus Flipkart with. Dialogues (where she, of supporters, joins her on stage for applause at and Pakistan were causing so much troucourse, portrays both characters) the end of each show. It’s not uncommon for ble. What does it take to satisfy you people? would—shame in this backgrounds way, that too — to n news are described as “not our fault” by cleverly interspersed with shepeople from us different But perhaps, I am being unduly harsh. a hologram.”

Honda, one Mona Ben from Vadodara dance routines that prevent with confess at the end of a performance that the It’s true that he has not been solving everyhas giventough, birth to aemotional healthy, weightless wewas started watching on moments “Ever story since she told one that was allporn too familiar. thing. This is mainly due to the Mars Orbiphones, there all, hasit’s been a danger ofloss, our love, hologram.

“Thebecoming baby is semi-transfrom overdramatic our She says, “After about family, ter Mission. Because so many people from parent and doing well,” said her phygetting tooand involved with to electronic or soppy. self-acceptance the ability transcend reMadras were involved, he could not sit idle. sician, “After receiving sociologist electric The tensions in Manzoor’s life ligion.” Wedevices,” turn thesaid conversation toAshattitudes A lot of his time was consumed by this. Even shocks initially, ish Nundy.

“Add tothere that are the risks we’re now are palpable.

The show begins towards Islam and whether for Rajini Sir, transporting a vehicle to an- wearing rubber Its holograms, with gloves. a dream-filled seven-year- that dramasrapid such spread as hers of could play into the other planet is no easy task. Periodically, it diet consists lack of opportunities for “It’s bottled old of Nadia bubbling away about hands of Islamaphobes.

She disagrees: required momentum. Asteroids had to be milk, mixed a mild she and doll Chan- not about pointing younga people mingle, thewith adventures finger attoone culture or Ally Subramaniam was born in the southwest deflected. Sometimes, he would rotate on puree ofdramukhi poor policing, and this AA Eveready intend to have as astro- saying it’s worse [than the other].

I am a yo-yo Sundarbans, but was blown away by a one foot in outer space, with a heavenly batteries.nauts. was bound to happen.”

We had tried Contemptuous and loud, her in these cultural worldviews.” cyclone and washed up on the shore near smile on his face, and gently correct the tra- Duracell, but it prefers the Dinafather laughs in‘Made disbelief. “Arey beta…

“But there is aScientists genuine from reluctance in many Chennai. He was adopted by a poor Brahmin jectory. These things take time. Also atmo- in India’.” nath Batra Institute for they women can’t be astronauts… Who will cases for immigrants to adjust because family from Tirupur. He can answer all your spheric pollution has been hampering his “We are clean very shocked,” Scienceand are unknown curcook, and feed said your husband, if you are comingTrustworthy to a culture foreign questions. Just send them to re-entry. rently studying both Hrishikesh, father Mona, are floating aboutofin space?”

— the fear is understandable — butwoman within famaskallysubramaniam@gmail.com Laughter the But rest assured, Rajini Sir is always work- “AndWhile and child. theissues,” baby was I don’t just touchhermean family setfrom about preparing her ilies we don’t talk“Initially, about these she says, best medicine ear Ally, ing on your behalf. You may not see him, or ing responding stimuli,” said inter-generaone of the baby. daughter was agoal genuine for what theyOur see as her primary in life — not adding, “There to need to be more British-Pakistani feel his presence, but always he is with you. beauty.

Why is Rajinikanth not doing “Butconversations after we gavetoit encourage a toy microWeanamed herhusband Mona, after Mona acquiring suitable — the clearLi-dif- them, tional undercomedian Nadia Yours Affectionately, anything? sa.

After investing so much money in her phone, and put it under some limelight, it ferences in treatment meted out to her and standing.

Being able to laugh at our culture is Manzoor’s candid Ally food andbrother clothing, I neverapparent. imagined to be doing fine.” her twin become Hethat too is seems something we all need to do a lot more of.” show has been a Regards, Venkoots, Singapore hit in the US and wonderfully portrayed by Manzoor, first as a van stelten is a fortnightly round-up of all things droll and newsy. All views are personal. Really personal UK cocksure schoolboy, and towards the end, as a vidya ram Theleslie Investigator t@shovonc

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saturday, october 25,25, 2014 saturday, october 2014

Home for now A bridge over the Hudson looking across to Poughkeepsie

THE CRITICAL ISSUE

Choice to be free

shutterstock/colin d young

During Partition, women were seen as incapable of making their own decisions. Six decades later little has changed

HOME SPUN

Changing homelands From Patna to Poughkeepsie — the map of my belonging belongs to family rather than place

amitava kumar

“I

was relieved then, at the appearance changed. The men and women who dominat- graphs of the facilities. The crematorium was shortly afterward of Poughkeepsie. ed world news when I left Patna are now dead a bit like a suburban two-car garage with its I’d visited the town, with its merry and buried. Patna hasn’t gone the way of Mar- wide doors. There was a picture of the adjoinname that sounds like a cry in a chil- garet Thatcher or Ronald Reagan but it isn’t re- ing “viewing room,” a plain space with three dren’s game — Poughkeepsie! — for first time ally my home anymore. I have been living in chairs and a painting on the wall that showed that summer.” the US for close to 30 years. I teach at Vassar a rushing brook in a forest. Only two or three This line occurs on p. 60 of Joseph O’Neill’s College in Poughkeepsie and rent an apart- close family members would be allowed to sit marvellous 2008 novel, Netherland. ment in faculty housing across the street from with the body; later, they could be present Till sameness do us apart system seems tocampus. make people own groups ranjeet kumar when the body was put in the container that Poughkeepsie is An a internal small policing town in upstate Newmarry Yorkwithin City istheir a two-hour train ride New York. For the past 10 years, I have been liv- away. I’d rather be living in New York, but it is slides into the crematorium. ing here. Hence my interest in finding the more convenient, and certainly cheaper, to reThe receptionist said, “You can stay for arlier this month, I stayed Netherland. for a week The name mentioned in O’Neill’s outside your class and so on. andto do What’s main in Poughkeepsie.

I goFamilies to the city between moment aboutcommon 15 minutes to saythat your prayersand but not with athat German friendcame in her home in read summer the novel out, I had communities boundaries, readings create or to these attend editorial selecmeetings. todaylonger. is thatOtherwise in both instances it was men it ties things up.”

The—ashes Towardshad thebought end ofthe mybook. thatFrankfurt.

President Obama tivelyWhen usingI religion andatoften tradireturn late nightspurious on Metro North, self-appointed a could be collected or otherwise — who the next day. I felt was they told that stay, was her woven husband — aa Senegalese The story around banker’s friendtion few to lights solidify them, institutions shine on theState waters of the Hudson had the tothe decide for the was women. the right cost of cremation $350Wom(but only Muslim arrived and we spent many hours ship— with a charming Trinidadian huckster sometimes help to legitimise themon — and from the windows of houses thenow, opposite en, clearly, were — and are —10). not seen as having $250 for a child under talking.

Inevitably, conversation toto innamed Chuckthe Ramkissoon, whoturned wanted morehillside. recently,Mymen on shows motorbikes saf-midwatch that itwith is past either the intelligence, or the capability, in-State I was also informed that the New or York mixed marriages.

Mytofriend and he had met, fron night. troduce cricket America. flags have added The idea of their homecoercive for me istactics to deed the desire, tolaws make their own require any decisions. corpse being fallen in love, talked about differences, Cricket!

In that, too,their I heard the call of police them — and punish those who dare to Naïve and innocent, nothing but to the image of the they can but lay by cremated to do be little accompanied wondered they would manage to makethe a goname home.if And in Netherland, when asserttwo choice. rooms where my children themselves open to misuse. and registered funeral a licensed of things, and then decided try.

Poughkeepsie was firstto mentioned, there was I am reminded of Partition. sleep.

The mapofofthe myhistory belonging The motorcyclehome gangs director. are also selective in Two minutes The idea of home for It wasn’t easy — line: there“Inwere many adjustthe following its bucolic outskirts It’s a well now that during is noknown larger by than that.

It is dark the vio- their opposition. away They from are only against my home is anonmedical me is nothing but the ments to be made.

But it wasn’t difficult either. field colony of Jamaicans maintained a cricket lence,outside arson,and loottheand displacetrain is carrying Hindu (read Muslim) men marclinic where I’ve often gone for image of the two Perhaps thing that worked against mentme on athe lushone hillside.” of back that time, of to twothousands faces illuminatrying Hindu women. small ailments and Clearly, right next rooms where my ‘normalising’ for them When Ithings first came to thewas US, Ithat usedthere to obseswomen ed bywere the dimabducted night-light.and thisdoor means, in their bookPthat it Fuis the Timothy Doyle children sleep were sively not many marriages around themof my tracksuch the appearance of the name raped. Even though todaymy ourmother safEarlier this year, is all right for Hindu neral Home.

I drovemen theretonext.

Despite the diversity — so theirs stood Patna out a bit. hometown in anything I read. As I refron passed warriors areinclaiming thatI reaway Patna. When marry TheMuslim funeralwomen: directorpresumtold me that of our world, Theported conversation me think: despite recently made in A Matter of Rats, Patna octhereturned was nofrom abduction or rape her funeral I asked ablyabecause Hinduismen are special casket used fortoo Hindu marriage remains an the amazing diversity of our Roy’s world, marriage curs once in Arundhati The God of Small

by Hindu men, we know the truth myself a question.

What would good to use An the women’s cremations. open casket, with institution where like in many still In remains an institution Thingsways (p. 259).

Anita Desai’s Fasting, Feastto behave otherwise.

There’s plenty of living with me its top off,wombs happened if she had been to create or He so that rituals can terrorists be performed. seems to join where to joinupwith Look ing,like theseems name comes earlylike. (p. 5).

In her evidence this the stories of And somewhere would also and of died ininPoughkeepsie? pollute religious purity — simiarrange for a priest from the local with like around you: how many marriages daughter’s book, Themixed Inheritance of Loss,are there’s women themselves, the police beneath it was in another question. Will I die Hindu Samaj. lar arguments were durI asked about themade cost and the dithere? thefrom so-called ‘developed’ a Take “fellow Meerut” (p. 217)countries but, alas, not records, the town Constituent Asherein in this in America? rector goting upPartition. and began typing numbers with — thePatna. numbers inter-racial or inter-class In hisof epic novel A Suitable Boy, writing semblyArecords. few months ago, a stranger sent me a link both handsWhile we may find on a calculator thethis waysometeenagers marriages comparison after with sameaboutare ansmall Indiainimmediately independ- It’stoalso known that abducted a grave in Poughkeepsie where the ashes of text fast on what amusing, indeed48dantheir phones.and “Between and 51,” race ence, and same-class ones.

Take his Indians who Vikram Seth describes elderly characwomen often married abductors — someAnandabai Josheetheir are interred.

Joshee was the gerous, whatquickly. is moreSo, disturbing he said $5000. is the silence live abroad it’s rare toMahesh find them marrying ter, the—politician Kapoor as being timesfirst by choice mostly to the lack of deIndianbut woman todue obtain a doctor’s on these extra-legal, anti-Constitutional Death can make one anxious; it iscoergood to outside the ‘community’.

Clearly in-or so “pulled towards Patna everythere’s secondan day it. Or,gree. out of pragmatism, women claim-Rural Her gravestone,many in Poughkeepsie’s cive tactics that are being deployed have some numbers to counttoitsprohibit cost. I realternalbypolicing system inevents place.occurring there” (p. the momentous ing that marriage was “Anandabai like an abduction Cemetery, reads: Joshee,so M.D, choice, which should every citizen’s ised, however, thatbe I hadn’t answeredright. the quesThis is nowhere more clearly 816).

Then, Patna fades fromevident view tillthan we come why should this be Brahmin any different?

These cross-India 1865-1887 First Woman to Leave But there’s anWhere irony to this Ithat seems toI will tion of also home. would want to die? in thetomarriage advertisements fill religious Siddharth Chowdhury’sthat finedaily bildungsromarriages were frowned upon by the havelet to Obtain an Education.” escaped the motorcycle if like death decide.

At least, it gangs: offers the comfort our newspapers. in India, thisis an man, Patna Indeed, Roughcut.

“Patnaweintake 2004 State and for years after Partition, attempts Poughkeepsie Rural Cemetery is a nineshould indeed marry only like, they should be of an eternity to make peace with its choice. likeness tocity, every impossible ex- is open likepossible Sarajevoand in 1992, like Baghdad wereminute made todrive ‘recover’ in such marfromwomen my apartment.

After my firmly on of same sex marriages!

(Inthe thisside monthly column authors chronicle the treme: younow” cannot right (p.marry 129). outside your clan, or riages or liaisons andI‘restore’ them to the their re- Ru- cities they call home.) mother’s death, discovered that same blink@thehindu.co.in outsideBut your religion, or outside your for caste, ornow.

I’ve been gone from Patna ages ligious — another policing. ralgroups Cemetery housessort the of local crematorium. I During this time, entire countries have van- went to visit it and the receptionist in the amitava kumar’s next book, Lunch with a Bigot, ished from the map. Homelands have small office showed me laminated photo- releases in May 2015 t@amitavakumar

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Urvashi Butalia is an editor, publisher and director of Zubaan

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saturday, october 25,25, 2014 saturday, october 2014

India on a birdsong Literature as enchantment ON THE SHELF

Rishi Jaitly, head of Twitter’s India operations, is here to ensure that 140-character messages change the way India conducts business

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n Bangalore’s Koramangala fourth block

That objective saw, for instance, Jaitly’s team

subscribers constitute a huge audience, and market on handheld phones. And it is this opportunity that Twitter is tapping for itself and its partners.

A case in point is MTV, which uses Twitter extensively to reach its target group — young auFrrole, has clients ranging from Disney UTV er it’s to do with elections, cricket, Bollywood diences who tune into social media at least and Snapdeal to Asian Paints, which use these or even the Prime Minister’s Office, Twitter is thrice a day. “We talk to consumers using TV he Bone Clocks is David insights to understand what is Mitchell’s currently increasingly becoming a necesand they talk to each other sixth novel since heattention first burstofupon trending or dominating the peo- sary presence in India, and that through social media. It has bethe literary scene,beasa they say, with ple everywhere — it could celebrity or a must be music to the ears of its come an important part of the Ghostwritten in 1999.

And for a writpolitical campaign or even a sports event.

No CEO, Dick Costolo. ecosystem. Whenever we do a er who just has become of a byword for longer anothersomething social networking avenue, The little blue bird’s fastshow or campaign, it is imporJaitly’s team spent cross-referential meta-stories, his Twitter in India is interlinky becoming indispensable for spreading wings in the region days with ISRO ahead tant for us to have content that is latest booksmall is theand most businesses big.cross-referential and can be attributed to Jaitly’s Twitter-friendly and social of the Mars Orbiter interlinky notinjust unto itself (like GhostFurther yet, north Nagpur, Maharashtra, an three-pronged strategy: driving media-friendly to add to the chatMission butwoman with allpresses his previous works. on In partnerships with everyone written) 80-year-old a few buttons ter,” says Sumeli Chatterjee, the Bone Clocks, youchannel have to read ev- from media houses to governfact, with Thephone her mobile and TV Aaj Tak head of marketing, media and inerything Mitchell hasmessages. ever written sends herthat newsDavid tweets as phone She ment departments; making sights for MTV India. like it’s one big, interlinked, multi-stranded, remains updated with the latest news without Twitter more accessible on a For its Rock the Vote campaign Meta writer To read pan-dimensional, of to allthe Meta-narraeven knowing howMother to log on internet. wide range of devices and networks; and edu- last summer to make voting cool, MTV partMitchell onethe value of Twitter. tives.

It’s enough make your brain hurt.

This woman may to not be Twitter-savvy, but her catingDavid brands about nered with Twitter to launch “dial the hashmust read all of But before we get to happens the meta-level, theits bare grandson, Rishi Jaitly, to head In“WeDavid driveMitchell partnerships with India’s biggest tag”, a programme that allowed youngsters to bones of the plot: story begins that in 1984, dia operations and The wants to ensure the mediabloomberg/murdo companies,macleod the cricket federation, film participate in #rockthevote discussions even with 15-year-old Holly Sykes anlives almighty 140-character messages touchinthe of ev- production houses and news organisations,” if they were offline, through a missed call (3)eager section Cloud At- from about?

Environmental strop.

Having her boyfriend is the Cavendish ery citizen anddiscovered corporate that entity.

Butawhat’s it all saysTimothy Jaitly. Both sides are for of more audisimple feature phone.

This took apocit beNeurotic authors, psychopathic publishnatureaudience of consciousness? having it off withof herour bestfastest mate, Holly clutches “India is one growing mar- las. ences, and Twitter markets itself as a tool that alypse? yond theThe affluent segment. Or just a and more than a touch of Martin Amis very spin EM Forster’s her broken heart, wounded pride and awhere soon- ers, kets… a strategic user-growth market can engage mass mobile audiences.

Forpost-modern any new show or on a different kind ‘everyof stoschtick?

At its most basic, to-be-frisbeed-into-a-lake favourite to about both. The ageing, bitter novelist Crispin thing’s our number one objective is record audience rytellingconnected’ in a particular episode, the music (4) befriends Holly, who by this time The Boneuses Clocks is just a hugely enjoyable her chest says and leaves home.

Stomping through growth,” 31-year-old Jaitly, the South and Hershey Mobile chirrups channel hashtag contests and other Twitwritten a memoir her earlymobile child- romp with thetonotion that the weirdest of shit the Kent countryside, she has ata Twitter. strange en- has Southeast Asia market director At nearly 800 million, about the country’s ter content gauge audience responses. counter with an elderly lady called Esther Lit- hood psychic encounters and become some- coexists with the mundanest of lives — owing more to Doctor Who than David Lynch. tle and then hitches a lift from two friendly thing of a celebrity.

But reading his whole oeuvre as one overAnd then, 10 years later, the psychic shitactivists who, shortly thereafter, are brutally arching project, I think Mitchell is exploring murdered by an evil time-travelling carnivore. storm hits the fan, big time. the idea of the creative process of writing, and We learn that: One of them is zombified back into action in a) Alongside ordinary mortals are atempo- of reading. A writer inhabits his or her characthe nick of time by the aforementioned Esther, who saves Holly’s life, tinkers with her memo- ral beings who selectively inhabit people. ters much as an atemporal ingresses into their ry, and (bear with me) takes up clandestine They do this by transmigrating to the bodies souls — and Mitchell is a master of the art. He is of recently deceased children (as brilliant at historical detail and can really, as residence in Holly’s brain.

Xi Lo does with Holly’s little one critic pithily put it, “do the voices”. And This is not the first time brother Jacko) or by taking up the telepathic communication between the “weird shit” (as she calls it) has residence in a willing host (as psychoterics of The Bone Clocks is nothing happened to Holly. As a child she Esther does with Holly). Or, if more (or less) than a metaphor for reading, as heard voices, and had strange The book is just a they are Anchorites — aka The we ‘hear’ characters speak, eavesdropping sivisitations from a ghost? imagihugely enjoyable nary friend? called Miss Conromp with the notion Shaded Way, acolytes of the Blind lently on their thought processes, or those of Cathar of the Chapel of the Dusk, the author, across time and space, without stantin. Holly is cured of her that the weirdest of in short: the baddies — they pre- anyone’s lips moving at all. childhood psychic tendencies by shit coexists with Literature as sorcery, some kind of magic — vent the ageing of their bodies a Chinese doctor called Dr Marithe mundanest by drinking the decanted souls maybe not one of the Dark Arts, but a gift pernus (1), who returns later, in a of lives different body, to save her (and haps, a blessing and an enchantment. of their child-victims.

Esther) in the weird shitstorm b) Some, or all, Atemporals are 1 Yes, the same Marinus who plays a pivotal role in The which characterises the rest of ‘psychoterics,’ who can subcomthe book. municate by subchatting with Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet (2010). At that In the second section (1991), we meet a most each other in subdialogue (aka ‘italics’). A few point, he’s on his 35th body. In 1872, when he first meets Esther Little, he’s onto his 36th — a mere stripling composh, amoral Cambridge undergrad called ordinary folks (like Holly) also have this gift. pared to Esther, whose soul is around 7,000 years old.

Hugo Lamb (2). He encounters the same bec) The good Atemporals are Horologists, a “When she scansioned me, I felt like a third-rate poet guilingly beautiful lady who had appeared 15 secret society dedicated to “assassinate carni- showing his doggerel to Shakespeare,” he explains. years earlier on Holly Sykes’s bed. She — to cut vorous Atemporals — like the Anchorites — “When I scansioned her, I felt like a minnow tipped from a a long story short — recruits Hugo to the Dark who consume the psychovoltaic souls of inno- jar into a deep inland sea.”

Side, to join a team of (bear with me again) cent people in order to fuel their own 2 Cousin of Jason Taylor, stammering protagonist of Black Swan Green (2006) in which Hugo also makes a atemporal beings who feed on the souls of immortality”. children. Yes, that’s right. Oh, but not before d) Holly has a key part to play in their plan passing appearance. he has a brief but passionate encounter with to “psychodemolish the Chapel of the Dusk”.

3 And just so you know, his brother, Denholm CavenHolly in the Alps.

The last section sees Holly, aged 73, in a dish, is the owner of company’s luckless financier Neal By 2004, Holly is married to her childhood world torn to shreds not by psychodemolition Brose (who also appears as a teenager in Black Swan friend Ed, a war-reporter, who spends most of but by climate change and sheer human Green) and works for in the Hong Kong section of Cloud Atlas. Keeping up? his time dodging bullets in Iraq. Ed is a nice short-sightedness and greed. It’s a chilling, 4 Who turns out to be the novelist who wrote ‘The guy, but the strain of being a bit of a conflict and all-too-believable future that awaits us, junkie is beginning to tell on his relationship when the oil has run out, rations are back, gov- Voorman Problem’, a story from number9dream, Mitchwith Holly, and with their six-year-old daugh- ernments are collapsing, travel has become ell’s second novel, published in 2001. ter, Aoife. impossible, and the country is ravaged by looanita roy is a writer and director of Young Zubaan The next section takes place in 2015, though ters and vigilantes. anita@anitaroy.net in tone and character, it loops us right back to Phew. area,Mitchell’s a group of people are greatly interspending David latest novel is one big,days with the Indian Space Research ested in what everyone else is tweeting. Organisation (ISRO) ahead of the Mars Orbiter They have developed a software that that explores Mission. As soon as the Mangalyaan spacecraft interlinked meta-narrative the scans about 10 million tweets each day and entered the Martian orbit, its Twitter account creative process ofTheir writing, and ensured of reading generates various insights. employer, the whole world took notice. Wheth-

anita roy

The flock Twitter doesn’t reveal country-specific data, but its total monthly active users (MAU) in the June 2014 quarter was 271 million reuters/kacper pempel

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The Bone Clocks David Mitchell Hachette ₹699 Fiction

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saturday, october 25,25, 2014 saturday, october 2014

Driving conversation (left) Rishi Jaitly, director, South and Southeast Asia, Twitter shashi ashiwal; and (right) Ronita Mitra, Vodafone India’s senior VP and head of brand and consumer insights

Travel log Get there

The nearest airport is Bagdogra (120km from Gangtok). Flights to Bagdogra are via Kolkata.

The nearest station is New Jalpaiguri in Siliguri (117km from Gangtok).

Where the wildflowers are

Tip

Walk by the snow-covered banks at Yumesamdong.

You will freeze by the time you count till 50, but it’ll be a good excuse to indulge in overpriced Maggi and coffee/brandy.

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e are on the eastern range of the Himalayas in north Sikkim. Winding, potholed roads “Twitter impactscrisscross conversation andslopes, interactivisteep with ty with the content.

It definitely drives affinity our destination nowhere in sight.

Waterfalls to a show or campaign because the morethan you and brooks appear more frequently talk abouteateries it, the more are attracted it,” roadside andyou villages; one is to even says Chatterjee. nicknamed the Amitabh Bachchan waterfall.

Start-ups tooofare hopping ontothe Twitter’s The tributaries Teesta, and often Teesta growth bandwagon.

Frrole, for instance, herself, are our silent companions, flowing alat lows customers to and integrate real-time sotimesits along the road, at others, gushing cial their television shows and in thedata deepinto ravines below. marketing campaigns.

It analyses the tweets Nepali songs play in the background as vilfor thesnow-capped brands and companies. a track partlages, peaks and As Buddhist flags ner it hasa access to data beyond passof usTwitter, by. We make quick stop for momos what is inAnd the public doesn’t and chai. then it domain. begins all“Twitter over again.

Larequire to buy data,” chung isus a long way off. says Frrole co-founder Nishith Sharma.

Frrole charges for thean data it analysesvillage, for cliachung, primarily agricultural entsopened using a for measure called dataearly stream. tourists in the ’90s.“Data And stream costs $100 peramonth, it what it generally offers is rather simple: chance but to go can varygrid depending on the complexity and off the and explore nature’s contradicsize ofThere the engagement,” Sharma. tions. is no networksays coverage — save for He describes the arrangement Twitter some sporadic BSNL connectivity with — making it as not financial, butthose mutually beneficial. a perfect hideaway for who seek quiet.

“When the Twitter India team finds a customer in need of a Twitter-based solution, it introduces Frrole to them. We help execute campaigns and create products to amplify the Twitter engagement,” he adds.

Like Frrole, ZipDial, BrizzTV and Unmetric are enterprises that have created revenue streams using Twitter. Bangalore-based ZipDial forwards tweets from specific Twitter accounts to customers who give a missed call for them. A number is assigned for, say, Amitabh Bachchan’s Twitter account and anyone dialling it gets the actor’s tweets as messages on his or her phone.

L

Lofty ideals (above) A stark corner of the Lachung Valley mahima jain; and (below) Yumthang overrun by tube lousewort thingnam girija

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e leave Yumesamdong and descend to the more welcoming Yumthang Valley and the Shingba Sanctuary. There are various flower-trails here and a day is too short to explore everything. Over the years, these valleys and the Lachungpas have hosted many botany enthusiasts, who have visited the region to record and collect samples of plants.

The first such explorer to travel through Sikkim was Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker, a Victorian botanist and former director of Britain’s Kew Gardens, who was also known for his collaborations with Charles Darwin and Sir James Clark Ross, who explored the Arctic and Antarctic regions.

The Joseph Hooker Correspondence Project, currently underway and supported Kew, is engagement scores have been very by high and nowcost working towards digitising his letters the much lower than other international and other works.

A postEngagement

by Virgina Mills, initiatives,” Mitra adds. scoresthe reproject coordinator, fer to the number ofexplains people that whoHooker clicked,was or in Sikkim 1848 and or 1849, looking for viewed thebetween communication clicked on the ‘plant treasure’ sendparameters. back to his father Wilhashtag, besidestoother liam Hooker, Kew’s first director. He discovered 25 newconversations species of rhododendron that Dominating were addedthis to the collection at Kew. forms the Improving score for corporates Joseph Hooker, an India amateur artist third element of Jaitly’s strategy.

“Wewho are sketched the flowers andthe landscapes he saw educating brands about value of Twitter. and made Sikkim’s map, is also believed Think of Twitter as afirst town square.

If you are a to haveitstarted and fuelled craze forofrhobrand, is a great place to bethe in as a part the dodendrons inasBritish gardens.

Lachung, or small pass, is almost 110km conversation, so many people are talking The mobile fascination for or rhododendrons and Hifrom Gangtok, and the eight-hour journey re- about phones fitness or restaurants malayan diminished in the 21sta quires a permit because of the village-town’s or other flowers things.hasn’t It helps brands develop lebrities popular century. home, I he search proximityare to tweeting the Chinaabout border.

Locals,shows. called voice andBack personality,” says. for and find a Viewers too mostly can tweet about across Hooker.

Qureshi, Lachungpas, Bhutias andshows Lepchas, say modern-day During theJoseph IPL, Pepsi took onTabish the persona of channels as they arepeople watching by aprofessor of physics at Jamia Milia Islamia in there are even less than 2,500 andthem around real person with whom Twitter-users could simply pressing a green button on the remote. play Delhicricket. and self-professed visited 400 houses in Lachung.

At 8,200ft, resources Pepsi wouldanthomaniac, ‘bowl’ to a user, who This technology comes from BrizzTV,heavy. another would Yumthang the Sanctuary June are scarce and the military presence thenValley tweetand a shot for whichin Pepsi Bangalore-based 2011 to observe document thethe flowers.

It is evening bystart-up. the time we make it to La- would give theand result.

“You play game of Jaitly The is well aware of the potential TV- Twitter Rhododendrons bloom in April-May, Himachung. ‘hotel’ is small.

After handinginover with a brand.

We have seen brands usTwitter where broadcasters can ing layan flowers in June. their Qureshi, who is and the the keys,partnership, the sole manager-cum-housekeeper Twitter to showcase personality engage live withif the While and the talk founder ofconsumer the website flowersofindia.net, says warns, “Madam, you audience. look for luxury to the when he is most interestbroadcast medium is not two-way, hisin companions andWe he spotted the rare Himacomfort, this is hell, but if you look for Twitter nature ed their product. point people to where helps makethis it interactive.

“We describe layanmake Yellow Poppy he in full bloom. In one visit, and peace, is jannat (heaven).”

His Twitter former they money,” adds. as the turns world’s sofa, where everyone is lasting only a couple he noticed claim outbiggest to be too self-deprecatory.

The Twitter gets aboutof85hours, per cent of its flowrevewatching together.

Twitterset, is now the secers such asthe white and blueon avens, Griffith’s coplace has aTVdecent television running wa- nues from advertising its site.

A compaond screen forbeds TV broadcasters in India.” braor lily, yellow buttercups and by cinqefoils, pinka ter and clean and towels, though there is ny individual can advertise promoting persuaded to bring and pedicularis (or noThat room heater, him hot water orin the Twitter tweet, which geraniums will appear in people’s timelines Amplify programme, which louseworts), red room service. or promote aforget-me-nots, trend. lets broadcasters publish conHimalayan strawberries, HimaIf a restaurant wants to take its ext morning, we and head tent directly to Twitter am-to layan rosesto and Webb’s rose, into new menu users who have Yumthang Valley plify the its reach.

This content is name terest ainfew. food, travel or leisure, it Waterfalls and Last year, there was a (13,800ft), the Shingba then monetised through RhodosponEven if onetoneeds handbook arrange sendatweets into brooks appear morein can 600 per cent increase dendronpackages.

Sanctuary and Yumesorship to identify the flowers themarvast their timelines.

Whileinthis frequently than the conversation on samdong Point To begin (Zero with, Star Sportsat valley, the is simple pleasure of keted tweet not paid for, if a usroadside eateries politics in India 15,300ft).

These destinations are was tweeting replays from the walking to theclicks river, sitting er opensdown the tweet, on the and villages only a couple hours England away and Indian cricketofteam’s on boulder surrounded by ad’s apicture, or shares or favouthe drive is a visual the tour in August.

As the treat, sponsor, blooms and watching the clouds rites the tweet, the restaurant scenery alternating between Vodafone got a 30-second slot playing hide-and-seek with the will pay Twitter. monochrome and technicolour. in those replays.

Himalayas is unparalleled.

As things stand, Twitter is growing its user The sanctuary andhere the Yumthang are base globally. While it does not share countryEveryone benefits — from StarValley to Vodaspent more active time ada riotand of colours. and Himafone Twitter. Rhododendrons Ronita Mitra, Vodafone In- specific numbers,aving its total monthly usmiring the stood Himalayan layan wildflowers, Buddhist flags, and ers (MAU) in the June dia’s senior VP and head prayer of brand 2014 quarter at 271 peaks, wewith are left with little time formillion. the flower tiny huts made of wood tincompany dot the grassy consumer insights, saysand her uses million, a net addition of 16 Its trails in Yumthang. these are largely deriver banks and slopes.

Localengagements stalls offeringand Ti- ad Twitter regularly for brand revenue grew 129Since per cent during the quarserted it is mandatory to returnads, by late betan and Buddhist“Of memorabilia, Maggi noo- ter communications. late, a lot of product on areas, the back of higher quality imnoon. Weprediction are just beginning to appreciate dles, Old Monk, isand winterwear hire, proved communication being done onfor Twitter, and targeting, and the valley anduse theofwalk the river, when we are slowly give way sombre military outposts. whether it is forto international roaming or Vo- growing rich to media by advertisers, acushered to back to our car. Twitter’s CFO and seYumesamdong is grave, black and white.

A cording dafone Red (an integrated post-paid plan for Mike Gupta, The next day, during the arduous journey perpetual cover of clouds casts a shadow over nior voice and data).” vice president for strategic investments.

Gangtok, am reminded of coming how HooktheThe freezing course of uses the river that telecomupper company even Twitter to back In to India, Jaitly I says people are to er must‘inhave travelled more than century makes itscustomer way across a rocky plain manage grievances.

“Wewith are bare very Twitter loads’.

Last year, there wasaa 600 per ago, and the thought makes the badonroads apsnow-capped framing feeding cent quick in our mountains first response to theand consumer increase in the conversations politics pear100 lessper hostile.

A few hours out of Lachung, it. A gloomy path to nowhere lies ahead. ma- and through Twitter.

This is a well-running cent increase in conversations rethe mobiles buzzing, andother the silence ofThe temperature Lachung and its sur- lated chinery by now,” she in adds. to TV. “Istart don’t know any company feredisby the monochrome technicolour rounding areas be sub-zero winter. But that As part of thecan Twitter Amplifyinprogramme, live, public and aboutand conversation.

We landscapes is ahead now far behind.

It good is time to Yumesamdong is colderfor still.

Often, snow and have Vodafone got a pre-roll a product commua big job of us, but the news switch on and stay connected. thick ice abruptly road leading to it. nication before a block cricketthe snippet came on.

A is that Indians are flocking to the platform.”

No one lives near or regionto—the ofcustomer clicking onbeyond it wouldthis be taken mahimapratap a jain ten referred to as ‘no man’s — so no Our one rashmi Vodafone webpage.

“This hasland’ worked well.

In the sleepy valleys and villages of north Sikkim, the landscape may be cold, stark and imposing, but the people are quite the opposite

Get around

Set aside at least two days and one night for Lachung.

Packages cost ₹1,500-2,000 per person (inclusive of food, stay and travel), if using shared cabs; personal cabs cost up to ₹20,000.

We stayed at the Silver Lion (snowlionhotel.com).

Treks in north Sikkim, which cover Lachung and Lachen, require up to two weeks (including the journey from Gangtok/ Bagdogra) and cover several other places; bookings are made in groups of four (minimum) and cost up to ₹90,000.

Arrangements must be made through travel agents (try worldmarcopolo.com) or your hotel in Gangtok.

really bothers to clear the road either. The landscape is cold, stark and imposing, but the people are quite the opposite. It is perhaps, the warmth of the Lachungpas alone that keeps the place humane.

Little birdie on telly “The environment here (in India) is quite complex,” says Jaitly. More than 99 per cent of phone users use pre-paid connections and mainly feature phones, forcing Twitter to provide access on a range of devices through the missed call service.

It has also taken the first steps to reach TV audiences on their remote controls. Airtel DTH customers can view on their TVs what ce-

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Sit-down from sitcom Supper theatre inspired by the British farce Fawlty Towers, is brought to high tables in India

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ou can’t refuse squirrel-faced Manuel. Not even when he holds out a salver of almonds and says — in his thick Spanish accent — “Would you like my nuts?” Mangling the English language in ways that are endearingly his own, Manuel, or the ‘alter ego’ of the waiter who first bumbled through the 12 episodes of the British television classic of the ’70s, Fawlty Towers, was recently spotted in Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai. He was part of the Australian tribute show Faulty Towers: The Dining Experience; a fixture at fringe festivals for 17 years, and a runaway hit

at venues like London’s Royal Albert Hall and the Faultys and told them they were doing it the Sydney Opera House. all wrong, until the clueless cast learnt to enDriving diners to distraction at sit-down quire about sun signs of prospective brides. meals at Taj properties in India — featuring asBut bringing down the third wall between paragus and toasted pine nut soup, country the players and the audience can have its perroast chicken, baked polenta, forest mush- ils. Although Scottile only weakly complains room ragout and French opera cake — the per- about the serial bottom-pinching of Manuel formances were largely impromptu. Barely by 70-year-olds, audiences often arrive as charone-third of the production relied on set piec- acters from the sitcom, demanding to be ‘ines from its small screen namesake like the dis- cluded’. At performances in India, however, no covery of Manuel’s ‘hamster’ rat. And they Lord-without-a-first-name or Polly, the chamBypass Patients who always ended in a sound thrashing of Manuel bermaid, made a special appearance. pay upfront at (Anthony Scottile) by his employer and owner In a show ‘stuck’ in thecannot ’70s, resisting words private find for of the fictional Faulty Towers hotel Basil Faulty like Tourettes or seriously (as hospitals a rhetoric) themselves redirected (Robert Langston), and much tut-tutting by years, the meal is incidental.

Often an introto government the latter’s wife Sybil (Karen Hamilton). duction to theatre — for fans of sports orthe televifacilities, even as Hamilton, who has been with the show the sion in Australia, or gourmands golden hourwho ticks rarely s mahinshauses food downTowers longest and travelled to about 20 countries watch plays in India — Faulty with it, claims audiences in India are hard to as a prop. But for the hotel staff, who keep the offend and “naughtier”. Whether they are fans drinks and dishes coming, there’s plenty of of the original sitcom or oblivious to it, they unlearning to do. With minute-by-minute inseem primed for supper theatre that feeds off structions to make sure the false teeth appear diners’ interjections and (coaxed) reactions. in the soup on table X, or the fork goes missing In Mumbai, for instance, when the banquet from table Y, the real waiters, in whose DNA it manager had to be summoned to redress a re- is to do things ‘right’, must be prepped for disal situation on the first night, Sybil’s screeches ruption and unscripted pandemonium. and the ensuing mayhem generated such Yet, as producer Divya Palat says, “There is eventy-year-old Ram Gopal Ojha was the mirth in the audience (who were tweeting most pathetic conditions, without any concurrent no normal inlist.

India,” andpublic so it must follow that In fact, health should travelling with his family to the Vaish- medical about it),staff thattothe castforhad to repeat theAmit ‘act’ be care them,” says Dr a faulty meal will be parand for the Indian course. a fundamental right there should be a no Devi Mandir in Faridabad for his Gupta, every night. alsoAIIMS a spot of ‘matcha dutyThere doctorwas at the Trauma Care national law.” banerjeeare a state subject, the onus is nephew’s wedding when their car col- Centre. making’“Most for aprivate lawyer,hospitals whose mother chided are really well- soity As hospitals lided with an over-speeding truck. Ojha was equipped. But when they realise that the pa- on individual states to mandate good practiccritically injured and bleeding profusely. His tients cannot pay anymore, they start telling es at healthcare centres under their jurisdicfamily rushed him to the nearby BK Govern- the carers to take them to a government hos- tion. Currently, only Assam has a law ment Hospital. “We were made to wait for two pital. As AIIMS is the apex centre, most of the mandating free emergency services at all hoshours,” says his nephew, Naveen Ojha. “Finally, people end up here.” pitals, private or government. they said they didn’t have the infrastructure to The 200-bed centre receives nearly 400 paIn other countries like the US, laws such as treat my uncle and sent us to Fortis, Farida- tients every month; the additional 200-odd the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor bad, where we were asked to pay ₹2 lakh up- patients redirected to it from other hospitals Act (EMTALA) require hospitals to accept Medifront. We didn’t have the money, so we took burdens it further. “If each private hospital in care (national social insurance) to provide him to AIIMS, by which time he had died.” the NCR allocates 20 free beds, that will be a emergency healthcare to anyone needing it, In July, eight-year-old Surya (name changed combined corpus of around 670 beds. This is regardless of citizenship, legal status or the on request) fell from the fourth floor of a something they are already obligated to do ability to pay. The situation in India is a far cry housing complex in Bhiwadi, Rajasthan. The under the 10 per cent rule,” says Dr Gupta. In from that. nearest private hospital demanded payment September 2011, the Supreme Court had di“People need to make it a parliamentary upfront to start the treatment. Unable to pay, rected all hospitals that had received govern- and public issue.

Get the government interestdisplay of booze, food, muthe family took the child to AIIMS in Delhi, but ment land at a concessional rate to reserve 10 ed in sic legislative changes,” says Agarwal. “The and adrenalin without he was declared brought dead. per cent of their bed strength current situation is so grave that the mandatory sex apAt 9.30pm on September 23, Fakhruddin, a and 25 per cent of the outpatient many ofthe thewaitcases I deal with, I peal? Soinyou have sari salesman in Bhajanpuri, east Delhi, was load for patients from economjust come an agreement with ers, waitresses andtomost of rushing his son Rehaan to the nearest hospi- ically weaker sections. the dressed hospitalsin traconcerned, and the visitors If private hospitalsditionally in work tal. Rehaan had slipped down the stairs and Gagan D Bharti of charitybedon a case-by-case basis. Paalluring Bavarfractured his hand. According to Fakhruddin, s.com finds the situation way the NCR each allocate tients, too, have no choice but to ian costumes.

Men strut the private hospital, Shanti Mukund, told him better than it was some years 20 free beds, that will deal with the private sector betheir stuff in lederhosen that “the outpatient department was free only ago, but still sees a long road be a combined corpus mostand government setups (leathercause breeches) red of about 670 beds... till 9pmpeople. and heThe would have tovisitors returnbook the next ahead. Charitybeds helps arin an appalling or blueare shirts with suspen-state.” happy OCD-type they are alreadyders; traditional morning he wanted freetents service”.

A man Incidentally, several Supreme hats and tables iniftheir preferred months in of range healthcare for those who obligated to do this modest means, he decided to take(public his son toshutterstock/tancha cannot afford it by liaising with Court up cases set clear preceshoes round thedid smart advance.

Me and my buddies the government hospital in Karkardooma, both government and private dentslook. for the enforcement of slim-fitted Women shout out here to Goo, Blue, Nik and which treated afterup a three-hour “I thinkup, theto problem is lawsfitting such asdress, EMTALA litre, bottoms the raucous wear an extremely tight a in India, but Shroffy) — wethe justchild showed at the the hospitals. wait.

Complaining that the doctors donecheering on both Many Over people are mil- dirndl, with an apron so fararound they remain tied it. Theonly on paper ground each morning and went had from of sides. the crowd. seven atent poorto job, Fakhruddin says, “There were aware of what are entitof concrete legisis the frillyabsence and white tent, squeezing in wherever weonlylionnot litres of beers and they 5,00,000 chickens blouse of the dirndl in junior available to and, atduring the same some hos-is usually lation.cut When a scooterist to his inextremely low. succumbed Which could doctors find some space. and my son’s handare led consumed thetime, festival.

It’sprivate a and hasThe stillthousands not healedof properly.” pitals capitalise on people’s ignorance.was The juries the nearest all taken inbefore good stride by thehospital six mil- dealing with orgy. people in each of the calorie only meaningful waycan forward is through stric-plusmedico-legal cases could be found for him, in Outside the tent, one amuse one- lion visitors who attended.

Other tents are all essentially doing the same Money nothing buckets of beer, eating self ter rules imposed top-down byhoops, the directorate the apex court ruledre-in the Paramathan an 1989, annoying group ofhad Indian thing or — drinking with carnival-style games — Of the 4,667 arrived at theIt’s AIIMSshooting, generallucky of Health Services and tipsier other monitornandkept Katara vs. Union of India case that the oblidraws, etc. The porters who clicking their cameras buckets of patients food andwho getting drunk.

Trauma Care Centre in Isouth Delhi’s Safdar-folksing committees.” gation of Cleavage!” medical professionals “OMG! every time to provide awesome; how else do describe it? Beer brave some of the many gravity-de- and going jung areaserved till August this year, during an emergency overrode the served a beer. is only in one-litre beernearly steins 30 or perfying amusement park rides around the they weretreatment cent were from private astake well asfairground.

Legally speaking professional to refuse The tipsiest pass out drunk Oktoberfest 2015. freedom Book your ticketspatients. mugs.

Oneredirected has two choices.

Take it or government hospitals elsewhere. biggestorproblem that public healthnow. Prost!The value of such a golden rule in the preit. A fantastic brass band belts out local for a“The few hours more, onisthe sidelines Until August, people were broughtindead— there care is an afterthought in India,” says advocate cious golden hour is now felt all too keenly by were over 600 such bierliechen drinking songs20 and popular numbers —the anbackground, average of 2.5 patients(beer Ashok Agarwal, of therishi NGOpiparaiya NaveenisOjha.

“I wish at least the author of Aisle Be one of the hospianddead-on-arrival every few minutes, corpses) at thefounder-member fest this year. per month.gets Doctors AIIMS sayand that, more of- And Social Jurist, whoround has worked medico-legal tals had treated my uncle earlier… he would rishi@aislebedamned.com Damned how can one up thison grand someone ontoatthe table drinks ten than not, private hospitals redirect the pa- cases for the last two decades. “Three funda- have surely been alive today.” tients when they cannot profit from treating mental changes are required in the law, and them. “We have seen patients who were sent in healthcare legislations should be put on the sibi arasu

Callous in the ER

Without a law, emergency healthcare is too often denied to those who cannot afford it

Dinner droll Karen Hamilton as Sybil Faulty regales diners at Taj Mahal Hotel in Delhi

rishi piparaiya

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declare I’ve not been commissioned by the kulturstifstung-des-bundes for this article. Nor is the adorable Ms Merkel a family friend. But I’ve just returned from the world’s biggest annual carnival held in Munich and I need to rave about it. Oktoberfest rocks!

Visualise a kick-ass fairground in the heart of Munich and a bunch of breweries pitching dozens of tents there for a fortnight. Not dingy camping-style tents mind you — humongous, circus-size tents. The smaller ones hold a couple of hundred people, the larger ones can go up to as many as 6,000 guests. So at any point, there can be close to a lakh people at the fair. Ek lakh. Ein hundert tausend.

The gaily-decorated tents are packed with communal tables, each seating 10

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THE HUNGRY READER

Nero Wolfe’s Eggs a la Suisse

Pancake envy

4 servings

When Bertie Wooster tackles “toothsome eggs and bacon which Jeeves had given of his plenty” or Nero Wolfe starts his day with a strawberry omelette, I feel a stab of jealousy

2 tbsp butter, melted 1 cup Gruyere cheese 9 eggs 1/4 cup heavy cream Red chilli flakes and salt to taste

1 Preheat the oven to 325°F/160°F. 2 Grease an 8”x8” baking dish with melted butter. Then scatter about 3/4 cup cheese over the butter and crack eggs into the dish carefully, keeping the yolks intact.

3 Season with red chilli flakes and salt.

4 Pour heavy cream over the eggs.

Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.

5 Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the egg whites are set and the yolks are cooked to your liking.

bread, crispy bacons, squirty sausages, fried potatoes and a mug of super-strong Builder’s Tea — is the epitome of the early morning meal. It is the fuel on which countless paperback characters function. And is the reason When girls rise The girls have no toilets, drinking water or a steady supply of books and teachers radhika ganesh; (below) a protesting makes a speech joseph reny why I would student cheerfully spend all my vacations at an English Bed and Breakfast — waiting all night for next morning’s fry-up.

My favourite fictional breakfasts are, however, the ones consumed in books in which guests assemble in an English country house — setting the scene for a gruesome murder, or grand passion or gentle comedy. Not to mention morning meals featuring polite conversation and strange delights like kedgeree and bubble and squeak. Admittedly, kedgeree — a British version of good old khichdi made with flaked fish, boiled rice, hardboiled eggs, curry powder, cream and sultanas — may be a bit n schools across the country, on October more time. Not within the four walls of the much ram, dear please give the government for agod, constitution more accustomed to 2, crisp white uniforms and perfectly pol- school where they could be ignored, but out toast brains!)” slumbering town.

Tents, and awoke muesli,the while bubble and squeak— ished shoes are in order. Students stand on the street, in full public view. With a resolve made durries, water, and even biscuits for bydrinking frying leftover vegetables from dinthrough mandatory flag hoistings with to get their demands heard, the girls reached ner the young fighters generously in from — sounds way better than itpoured tastes. But that closed ears and minimal attention, eagerly out to the Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangatan doesn’t the shops and from houses Girls aged detract the around. joys of the country awaiting the tricoloured sweets at (MKSS) n general, I’m content withdistributed my lot. There for moral logistical support. The house Brie, fruit, bananaand bread — inveigles merelybreakfast 13 and 14 held the mike articulated — served up inand works like The the end. comemoments to believe that the day had are,I had however, of grouchy dis- day witnessed the power of civil disobedience Forsyte The appetite of each potluck guest… their plight Saga by John Galsworthy: turned into yet —another ritualisticwhen holiday satisfaction often triggered fic- and the all, strength young voices.

The district After I’m a of breakfast person.

The kind “I am the eldest of down three girls.

My mother is When Dinny came to breakfast on the sans tional any real meaning.

Until, me a group of 700 who characters around are snarfing officials who had until turned a deaf ear Wednesday wouldn’t dream ofthen ordering lunch or dina widow and a daily wage Coming morning — the labourer. shoot being timed to youngagirls in Bhim dragged me out my ner down fabulous breakfast.

A bacon andofaprito this issue stepped out and assured the girls if there’s an ‘All Day Breakfast’ option on start school ₹40all every day exon at my 10 —sister three and of theI spend ladies and the men scepticism.

Bhim is a Or small town cot omelette, perhaps. eggs à lalocated Suisse the of the appointment of three teachers by cept menu.

The sort who can more imagine no greatravel, which iswere almost halfsitting my mother’s daily Hallorsen already or wandering about 100km from Ajmer.

55 per ter served with oatmeal cakesWith andonly croissants October 7. than a fancy hotel throwing in a to felicity wage.

She sends study and the side tables.us Shetoslipped into hopes a chairthat nextwe to cent literacy, peoplejam. hereOr work irregular slathered in most blackberry even James free October came and—went arriv- Lord buffet 8breakfast one without of thosethe spreads will get educated life the thatword: is difSaxenden, whoand roseachieve slightlyawith or seasonal jobs.brown egg from a French Ma- that Bond’s speckled al of feature new teachers.

This the girls 12 types of time muffins, sinfullocked hash ferent from hers. A life without hunger and “Morning!”

This October the exactly students of Govrans hen, boiled2, for three and a third browns the school and men declared a andgates smiling in white toques to struggle.

Not having teachers is “Dinny,” called Michael from a sideboard.

“Cofernmentand Girls Higher Secondary minute, served with wholewheat toast, a cook peaceful the deup theprotest perfectuntil egg. And then a selection fee, cocoatinashattering our dreams and or ginger beer?”

School (Bhim Kanyashala), in selection of preserves and a “pat mand for of teachers was fulfive herb-infused sea salts an emotional Hem“Coffee andhopes,” a kipper,said Michael.”

Bhim, block Jersey headquarter of deepayellow butter”. in filled. Seven withhundred which togirls season those lovlata Kumari, a Class XII student.

“There are no kippers.”

Rajsamand of RajasThere’s nodistrict getting away from flooded ingly the street outside coddled or shirred eggs.

Class X student, eloLord SaxendenPinky, lookedaup.

“No kippers,” he mutThe boys’ school has than took to the streets, to set it.

When Blomkvist tucks into bathe school, immediately Which is why I feel so dequently brought to light the diftered and resumed his sausage. toilets, clean drinking An encounter with a rightpancakes a wrong with — embodying Bacon lingonberries attracting thewhen attention prived the characters in a supply in importance our “Haddock?” said Michael. water and of ference squinty stranger with puThe in Girl thought action. in with theand Dragon Tattoo, of notEnglish just the vendors novels step sobooks casually society accords to the education “No thank you.” and teachers. a butcher’s knife is a Their demand: more teachor Bridget Jones cheers herself in the curi-greasy intobazaar their or local spoon of you, boysAunt and Wilmet?” girls. She said, “We do “Anything for Why don’t we?

Why small price to pay for a ers. with This school, attended up an elegant cappuccino ousand passers by,abut order fulloffry up. this Or the “Kedgeree.”not get clean drinking water or inequality? meal such as this by over 700 rural girls, I feel an and chocolate croissant, the police, soon folhardboiled detective in my toiletsKidneys, withinbacon, our school “There is nohave kedgeree. scramhas not had moreofthan unseemly twinge envy. Just as lowed by thewhodunnit TehsilAmerican — after a bled egg, haddock, campus. school has toiham,The coldboys’ partridge pie.” a maximum of three when Bertie Wooster tackles “the dar andofthe Block night hard driving and delets, clean drinking water and a “Well, Dinny?” teachers for the pastand four bacon toothsome eggs Development Offitecting — stops at a diner and steady supply of books and “Just some jam please, Michael.” years. The post of given the prinwhich Jeeves had of his plenty” or Nero wolfs downcer.

But no of khaki or lal teachers. a stack of amount pancakes, scrambled Why such inequality?

How are they “Goose-gog, strawberry, black currant, cipal has been for a strawberry om- eggs and endless Wolfe starts hisvacant day with batti would these young cups ofdeter coffee, topping it marmalade.” superior to us? With enough teachers, we will eight years, elette, I feel aand stabsubjects of hungry jealousy. This ex- with a wedgeiron-willed women.

They refused of cherry pie.

All breakfast lovers getThese better marks thanofthe boys do.” are the kind difficult choices that I like history political plodes into and a full-grown attack of the will agree that to listen to excuses and resolved a couple of near-death experi- would This love timetoaround, the girls’ strength, determake. And it always saddens me science have been abanmeany-greenies when the Hobbits eat their ences and an that the onlywith acceptable encounter a squintysolution strang- that mination and absolute solidarity made them characters like Dinny and Elizabeth Bendoned for over 17 years. second breakfast, or I stumble upon passages er with a sharp would be theknife arrival of at price least nett butcher’s is a small heroes. next day the and gatesclever opened — The otherwise so when sensible — Having raised issue like this one in Thethe Golden Gate that describes a to pay for athree teachers. mealmore such as this. and classes were because four new would foregoresumed, their eggsthere and bacon of with their school authorglorious Sunday potluck in San Francisco: Theirdoes rallying cryand of pancakes “Hamari foolish Clearly, nobody waffles teachers.

They had won the battle with grace matters of the heart. ities with auAndand ask Sue toodistrict “Six kinds of cereal, sankhya saat on sauahai, padhane wale and and brightly-lit diners frosty morning courage. tribute tothat the memory (This is partAofworthy a monthly series follows a thorities, located in sausage, an officejam, Waffles and syrup, teen hai! (We and have like the Americans.

Justare as700 nobody doesonly the food of Mahatma Gandhi. trail through the realm of fiction.) a mere 300 eggs, feet away Scrambled Frenchfrom toast — an imperial three teachers!)”

“Raghupathi heart-attack-on-a-plate like and the English.

The radhika ganesh is a democratic rights with minwalla is a journalist and activist author of The theRepast school, the students de- ham, next morning — bacon, raghav raja ram, sarkar ko fried buddhi de shabnam Full English Breakfast — featuring eggs, MKSS and SchoolofFor Democracy Spellmakers Dorabji Street cided raisequiche, their voice Hot to coffee, creamone cheese and bagels, bhagwan! (Raghupathi raghav fried raja Six grilled tomatoes, fried mushrooms,

Fight the good fight

Seven hundred girl students in a small town in Rajasthan choose civil disobedience to demand more teachers at their school

Quite a pile Nobody does waffles and pancakes and brightlylit diners like the Americans shutterstock/

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Guts, glory and glamour History retold

The players bask in national attention, and the sponsors and team owners are pleased but Afzal is a villain Maharashtra loves to hate, but history tells a more complex story willKhan the mushrooming private leagues help Indian sports grow?

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ays before Maharashtra went to spired directly by the Goddess Bhavani. Each once I had Well-known football commentator Novy zoned out the boisterous families, a Kapolls on October 15, the 25-year-old town in Maharashtra will have an equestrian beautiful padiasight prefers to be more optimistic — “The ongreeted me: the lush monsoon alliance between the BJP and Shiv Shivaji statue in its main square, and in the green going ISLstretched has attracted the miles crowds back to valley out for below, Sena came to an end. Even before capital city of Mumbai, its airport, its largest dotted Indian stadiums; sonki 35,000 in Mumbai withfootball the canary-yellow flowers.

If the results confirmed victory for the BJP in the train station, largest park and principal mu- you and Delhion areNovember impressive8,figures were30,000 at thisinplace 1659 in state, it was clear that the break-up was going seum, are all named after the Chhatrapati. citiesawhich do not have fans.

Hopehowever, more sinister sightfanatical would have preto hit the Shiv Sena hard. So bitter was Sena Given the popularity of Shivfully these fans, many to Indian sented itself. ofInthem the new Radtondi chief Uddhav Thackeray that he equated Na- aji, it is not surprising that his football, pass will continue domesbelow, to yousupport wouldthehave rendra Modi and members of his party to the history is often pressed into sertic gamewatched when thethe I-League in January massivestarts Bijapuri ararmy of 17th-century Bijapuri general Afzal vice whenever it is convenient next year.

Indian playerstoseem to be myAlso, rumble by, headed PratapKhan. Now, if you are acquainted with Maha- for politicians. So, way back in learning garh by observing levelwas. of commitfort wherethe Shivaji Given the popularity rashtra, you’d know that Afzal Khan is a villain the ’50s, Jawaharlal Nehru had ment and training of the stars. The For a long time,foreign the Bijapur of Shivaji, it is not the state loves to hate. As the war of words es- to actually apologise for making seriously develop Sultanate should — Deccan’s most powsurprising thateight his franchises calated during campaigning, I embarked on a some allegedly disparaging regrassroots programmes and academies in the erful state — had ignored Shivaji, history is often journey to Pratapgarh — the site of the legend- marks about Shivaji in his The near future.” even as his men captured one Bipressed into service ary encounter between Shivaji and Afzal Khan Discovery of India and when politIndia’sjapuri success atafter the another inaugural World fort in T20 the Sa— to revisit a tale that continues to rear its con- ical cartoonist Bal Thackeray Cup was followed by the launch andmired success of hyadri hills.

With Bijapur tentious head in every election. wanted a name for his new chauthe IPL. But can hardly credited for the in IPL internal strifebeand conflict In 1659, despite being outnumbered and vinist party, he simply called it country’swith successful showing Aurangzeb, in the shortest a belligerent outgunned by Afzal Khan’s men, Shivaji led his ‘Shivaji’s army’. This tradition lives on till to- Shivaji format the game.

West Indies great had of a free run. Finally, in 1659, the Michael sularmy to victory over the troops of the Bijapur day and more than three centuries after his tanate Holding put itone candidly, can’t Afzal improve dispatched of its top“IPL generals, Sultanate, in what came to be known as the death, Shivaji is an active part of Maharash- Khan, anyone’s cricket.” to confront Shivaji.

Battle of Pratapgarh. This triumph marks the trian politics.

Similarly, the Hockey India League En route to Pratapgarh, Khan’s army adopt-(HIL) beginnings of the Maratha Empire. Synonycannot be heldpolicy responsible for the statedeof the ed an unexpected of intimidation, mous with Marathi pride since then, Shivaji The battle site game,several good or mediocre, in the country.

As the stroying Hindu temples in their path, became a household name. Every school child The town closest to Pratapgarh fort today is including formerthe hockey great Zafartemple Iqbal in said, “It has famous Vithoba Pandin the state learns of his heroic exploits and Mahabaleshwar. Situated on a plateau, the co- harpur. helped lift theStewart profile Gordon of hockey.

It keeps Historian writes that the Maharashtrian bakhars (traditional histories) lonial-era hill-station has various ‘points’ that “thisgame in thewas news and some foreign players behaviour unprecedented for a Bijan a as country that loves to play cricket treat Shivaji a quasi-divine figure, often in- inoverlook League (ICL), setting off At a sporting the valley below.

Bombay revolution Point, puricome and compete with our past youngsters. force,” given the kingdom’s syncre- Imevery available space — parks, streets and of sorts when the league’s first ball was bow- portantly, hockey players can earn money, too, fields — sports merchants are increasing- led. The country’s first major private sporting which was not so when we were playing.” ly peddling football, tennis and hockey league saw players, many of them unsung and dreams. Private leagues have mushroomed in unknown, signing fruitful contracts. Every Limited goals recent times, promising India a place in the FI- cricketer looked to earn a spot in the ICL and The success of ISL, IPL, HIL, ITL (tennis) or KIL FA World Cup or the opportunity to host a ten- the authorities smelled the threat instantly. (kabaddi) will not have any impact on India’s nis event on the scale of a Grand Slam. But The cricket board scrambled to counter it by progress in the international sports arena. The these are clearly far-fetched and misplaced launching the Indian Premier League (IPL). franchises will pick the best and offer attracnotions.

The business and cinema world was roped tive contracts to bolster their respective The recent Asian Games at Incheon gave us a in to lend glamour and money, and attract the teams, but will they invest in developing talrealistic assessment of Indian sport. India youth. On offer was an entertainment package ent at the grassroots level? That responsibility emerged with 11 gold medals, two of them in of cricket, song and dance that proved a roar- is with the government and that role remains kabaddi, behind China’s staggering 151, Ko- ing success in the very first season. Spectators unsung. For the 2012 London Olympics, the rea’s 79 and Japan’s 47. Even Kazakhstan, with flocked to the venues and the IPL government spent ₹260 crore on a population smaller than Kerala’s, claimed turned even mediocre cricketers the preparation of sportsmen. I 28. The difference is huge, not to mention the into household names. don’t think any corporate would disparity in facilities. spare that kind of money.

IPL attracts the best Meanwhile, the brewing new sporting cul- The me-too games Dev too, while excited about because India has ture attempts to grab the attention and loyal- The business of sport was buzzthe opportunities, is circumsome of the best ty of the country’s youth through private ing like never before, forcing the spect about some of the ground players in the world. leagues. The sponsors are all visible, of course. administrators of other sports realities. “There is nothing Can we say the same They have to be, having invested in the teams like hockey, kabaddi and footwrong in these private leagues. for hockey and and players in the franchise-based ownership. ball to sit up, take notice and emThey provide entertainment and football?

The trouble is that their association with sport ulate the success. The cocktail I believe there is scope for every is purely commercial. remained unchanged — a heady sport, not just cricket. But sucIf cricket is big in India, I would credit it to mix of business and Bollywood. cess depends on role models. IPL the catch Kapil Dev took at Lord’s in June 1983 Cutting-edge coverage from attracts the best because India to dismiss the marauding West Indian great Star Sports saw hitherto low-profile sports has some of the best in the world. Can we say Viv Richards. India won the match and the such as kabaddi, football and hockey challeng- the same for hockey and football?” he asks.

World Cup, propelling cricket to new heights ing cricket for prime-time attention. The TRP Moreover, while it is exciting to play against on home soil. ratings are reportedly encouraging and all ap- or watch the likes of a Roger Federer or Del PieKapil Dev also blazed a trail for Indian pears hunky dory. The players are basking in ro, it is equally true that merely competing sportsmen inking lucrative commercial con- national attention, and the sponsors and with stars past their prime cannot lead to imtracts. He was the first to use a logo on sports team owners have little to complain about. proved status or fortunes. For all the success of equipment, in defiance of the administration, But how does this help the sport develop? the ISL, India will struggle to earn a football alongside other stalwarts like Sunil Gavaskar The current generation has grown up ranking below 100. Despite the IPL, Indian and Ravi Shastri. “I was only looking to make watching the best of sporting action beamed cricket continues to fare poorly overseas. It my future financially steady,” Dev said. The into its drawing room from around the globe. would be naïve to expect that the IPTL alone cricket board finally relented. Cricketers It can certainly tell the best from the ordinary. will be enough to throw up an Indian tennis signed up sponsors and shared the spoils with “I will not watch the ISL (Indian Soccer League) Grand Slam winner. the board. if there is a foreign league match on at the Long after retirement, Dev, again with an same time. There is no comparison,” asserts a vijay lokapally is deputy editor, Sports, The Hindu eye on the market, created the Indian Cricket young football fan.

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A point of view On November 8, 1659, the mighty Bijapuri army headed to Pratapgarh Fort, where Shivaji and his League of legends men were hiding The chairperson of shashi ashiwal Football Sports Development, Nita Ambani, flanked by footballing superstars, unveils the Indian Super League (ISL) trophy in Mumbai pti/shashank parade

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know scan

saturday, october 25,25, 2014 saturday, october 2014

Like a boss

tism. Not only was this seen as an unconscionable act, but it was highly imprudent as it alienated most of Bijapur’s civil and military bureaucracy — the Marathi Brahmins and Marathas. Even as a strategy to force Shivaji’s hand, it failed. He knew his forces would be no match for Bijapur’s well-equipped army on the plains and, wisely, retreated to the nearimpenetrable hill his fort Diwali, of Pratapgarh. it would appear that most companies are However, time was running out for their both employees arfloundering to give even the most basic mies. Forced to wait at the foothills thecase Sa- in Surat though. Savijbhai gifts and bonuses.

Notofthe hyadri in the Dholakia, district ofa Wai, Khan’s massive diamond exporter from the city, gave 1,200 of his army needed to be fed. Lodged inside the fort, employees not just the usual sweets and dhokla, but also cars, Shivaji’s men too were grappling with“This limited diamonds and houses. is a plan we have had since last food supplies.year.

So, Khan sent his envoy KrishnaThese workers have been loyal to the company. They ji Bhaskar to promise that if he surrenhave putShivaji in hard work, which has been reflected in their perdered, he would be treated respect andbe given the bonus. They deformance, andwith so they should rewarded. Theserve future Chhatrapati to the last few years, Dholakia it,” he told a localagreed daily. Over meet Afzal Khan, ongifting his terms at the basegenerously, but this year the hasbut been his—employees of the fort, deep in the ghats.

In this terrain, Bi- shot up by more than 1,500 number of people who benefited japur’s heavy per artillery would be 72 useless andNow, if only other employers cent, from only last year.

Shivaji’s men,would who scramble knew thetoJawali matchforests Dholakia’s generosity. around Pratapgarh intimately, would have a tactical advantage. by the graves of soldiers who had fallen in the ans such as Khafi Khan claim Shivaji was the Battle of Pratapgarh. Ramzaan, I discover, is a first to attack. No matter the means, the end The encounter repository of the region’s history, rattling result was that Shivaji ended up killing Afzal it comes to gender equality, Haryana Khan.

Immediately after, Shivaji’s forces atGreatly underestimating Shivaji, Khan accept- away names of the sultans of Bijapur, Afzal hen comes to mind only for its sad state of in af-Par. ed the offer. He moved his army to the village Khan’s entourage and dates of battles with tacked the unsuspecting Bijapur army fairs. it hasBattle the worst sex ratio of 879 the ensuing of Pratapgarh, victory of Par, a few miles short of the fort. Par is today ease. As it turns out, he also claims to be the de- ForIninstance, for every 1,000 However, a rare reswiftly formen.

Shivaji — one ofinmany instanca small hamlet of about 30 shingle-roofed scendant of one of Amir Shah’s aides. “I amwomen the came versal ofesthe situation, Haryana’s electorate when his intelligence combined withhas his reshacks and one tiny convenience store. When I 15th generation in the family to act as caretakmanaged to elect 13personal women, i.e. one woman legismarkable bravery resulted in an arrived at noon, the shop attendant was quiet- er of the tomb,” he says, a note of pride creeplator forimprobable every six male legislators. Adding up to 14 win. ly dozing. Interrupting his afternoon siesta, I ing into his voice. thewas 90-seat assembly, Haryana nowand, Khan buried at the base of the fort ask him about Afzal Khan. “There is an old maBack in 1659, on November 10, Khan per andcent of matches states like Bihar and even Rajasthan havingconShivaji had ain tomb zaar from that period. Talk to the caretaker, Shivaji met in private, unarmed, at the base of chivalrously, the moststructed representation of women in their legislafor his fallen opponent.

Time passed, Ramzaan,” he says. In gratitude, I bought a bag the fort to discuss the terms of the Maratha’s tures. While thetomb BJP accounted for shrine the lioness’s and the became a local for the arof chips. surrender. What followed next is a Rashomonshare eight women MLAs, the Congress will ea’s Muslims.

In — with Ramzaan is 70. His wife and he are the only like tale that depends greatly on the source. send three women, and the INLD and HJC will send two Muslims left in the village. The mazaar, he the Marathi bakhars, the tale goes that Khan oneaeach. yet, but it is one baby step InIt’s theearly namedays of Khan informs me, is the tomb of Amir Shah Bijapuri, resorted to treachery, attacking Shivaji with at a time towards gender equality for thehalt state, to a grinding when, Afzal Khan’s maternal uncle. Shah had died kataar (dagger) hidden on his person. Parry- In 2004, all this came which inright the 1996 elections, elected only four out before the general elections, the Vishwa the day the Bijapuri army had moved in to Par. ing his blow, Shivaji hit back, disembowelling women who had contested.

Parishad made an issue of the tomb’s a 93Hindu While nothing remains of the original tomb, Khan with a concealed weapon of his ownof—the

A diamond merchant in Surat takes festive gifting to a whole new level

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Toying around A US company is cashing in on an epidemic, selling ‘Ebola toys’

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hat better way to celebrate the festive season than to gift your near and dear ones toys representing the world’s most deadly disease yet. Giant Microbes, a US-based company that sells educational toys, has seen its cash registers ring like never before with its range of Ebola toys. Priced from $9.95 to $29.95, Ebola dolls and Ebola petri-dish are getting sold out even before it can get fresh supplies in. On its website, it says, “Since its discovery in 1976, Ebola has become the T. Rex of microbes. Share the love!” The company, which brings the “invisible world of microbes to life”, also has toys for Anthrax, Black Death, Cancer, Cholera, Gonorrhoea and Diarrhoea. Ew!

Skewed ratio?

No problem

Haryana now has the most number of women in its state assembly

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which had collapsed 50 years ago, a new, modern structure has taken its place, surrounded

set of tiger claws. In the Persian accounts of the Mughals and Bijapuris however, histori-

existence. They threatened to demolish the structure. The place was rife with tension and “for months, no tourists came to Pratapgarh,” says Tanaji, my guide. Bowing to pressure from political parties, the police closed down the tomb for visitors and it remains shut to this day. Even now, a garrison of nearly 30 policemen stand guard outside Khan’s tomb. Ironically, 10 years after the VHP’s call for the demolition of Afzal Khan’s tomb, it is the sister outfit — the — that is being compared lections bring out the best and the worst BJP in politicians.

Some vow to to Bijapuri Bothfor incibring jobs, peace and empowerment; somethe vow to fastgeneral. unto death dents how history statehood; and some vow to banish “outsiders”.

Andindicate some swear off foot-has Ten years after the been twisted to conform wear. Nine years ago,VHP’s Shiv Sena leader made a promise — to to call for theArvind Bhosale modern distortgo barefoot till Congress heavyweight Narayan Rane was politics. Once defeated. Six terms demolition of Afzal as a Hindu versus Muslim later, last Sunday, Rane losttomb, from his strongholded Sindhudurg.

While the Sena Khan’s its sister battle, the Bhosale Battle of—Pratapgarh celebrated their victory, giftsBJP, of chappals in for 400 of outfit, the is being poured is being presented as a them. When he took up the vow, to apparently, Balnow Thackeray was very pleased. compared the vs Bhosale’s non-MahaEven when Rane’s sonBijapuri Nitesh lost the Lok Sabha Maharashtrian elections this year, general the armies, feet remained sans footwear. Of several injuriesrashtrian sustainedone. overBoth the years, he Bijapur’s were is dismissive. “I don’t care about injuries. I had only oneand aimShivaji’s, — to defeat made up of a mixture of faiths, Rane.” Time for a pedicure! as was the norm in the Deccan at the time. Shivaji’s closest confidant was a Muslim called Nur Khan Beg; his line of defence began with Sidi Ibrahim; Afzal Khan’s most trusted aide, Krishnaji Bhaskar, was a Marathi Brahmin. And both opposing armies consisted primarily of Marathi-speaking Marathas. Religious or linguistic identity was not equated with political loyalty as is often imagined these days.

Our politicians may not care much for history but this is one comparison that Uddhav Thackeray might regret making. Afzal Khan’s army came to Maharashtra only to be soundly defeated — the BJP, on the other hand, has swept the state.

Best foot forward

Shiv Sena man celebrates victory, dons footwear after nine years

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Divorced wives’ club What’s the break-up capital of the world?

The monuments men (above) In 2004, the VHP called for the aving trouble with your marriage?

Can’t destruction of Afzal split your assets? Need a good lawyer? Are Khan’s tomb. Shut you a millionaire? Worry not, Londownjust sincehead then, to even don. After last week’s rulingtoday, on a Malaysian beaua garrison of 30 ty queen’s spilt from her tycoon husband, policemen stands (right) Shivaji guard pti;capital London has become the divorce of the is synonymous world. There are no absolute numbers, with but lawMarathi pride, yers say that 75 per cent of their divorce cases are equestrian statues international. Payouts are have bigger and across prenups sprouted are not legally binding. In the case of 179 Italian Maharashtra

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couples, fake British address proofs were good enough to bring their cases to London’s courtrooms. From the princess of Wales to US model Jerry Hall, the British capital has become very attractive for wives. For former Malaysian beauty queen Pauline Chai, there was a Rolls Royce plus chauffeur, 1,000 pairs of shoes and $640 million at stake. Handled by the ‘Diva of Divorce’ (good lawyers, see?) Ayesha Vardag, Chai’s case might just be the costliest divorce settlement ever.

shoaib daniyal is based in Mumbai and writes on politics, history and linguistics

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saturday, october 25, 2014

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cornerstone in-faq by joy bhattacharjya Trivia from everywhere

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n keeping with the Diwali festivities, a mixed bag of questions across disciplines. Enjoy.

In May 1979, Margaret Thatcher was sworn in as the prime minister of the United Kingdom. A congratulatory advertisement was taken out that had as its tagline a clever play on a then recent film dialogue. What is the dialogue, which has become institutionalised as a day of celebration for a group of people?

2

This was originally a popular local attraction and called Alfred Park. What was it renamed after independence, in reference to what happened there on February 27, 1931?

3 4

What happened between the following times? 6.13—9.07pm June 22, 2010; 2.05—9.09pm June 23; 3.40—4.47pm June 24.

This nation derives its name from the Turkish word for 40, in reference to the 40 clans of Manas. The sun on its flag has 40 rays in reference to the same tribes. Identify the country?

5

The first 3G networks worldwide were introduced in 1998, and 4G started to spread in 2008. But in 2008-09, the term ‘3g Houses’ were used in the US to refer to which phenomenon?

6 7

What in India comes in varieties named Sirohi, Boer, Beetal, Jamunapari, Barbari and Totapuri?

the new york times crossword-0914

all encompassing

This is primarily a Levantine Arab meat preparation. Iskandar Efendi, who lived in Bursa in the 19th century, claimed to have invented it along with his uncle and grandfather. The Greeks call it ‘gyro’. What do the Turkish call this dish, now increasingly popular in India?

8

NASA had planned four great observatories, large powerful space-based telescopes. Three of them are the Hubble, launched in 1990, the Compton Gamma launched in 1991 and now deactivated, and the Spitzer, launched in 2003.

Which is the third?

9

The Bergamot orange is a fragrant fruit, which resembles a lemon but is the size of an orange. In which specific foodstuff or beverage would you find it, which appears in almost every hotel and restaurant?

10

If it was Saketh Myneni in 2014, and Vishnu Vardhan, not as successfully, in 2010, who was it in 2006?

Answers

1. May the Fourth (Force) Be With You. She was sworn in on May 4, celebrated as Star Wars Day. 2. Azad Park, named after Chandra Shekhar Azad.

This was where he held off the police for over an hour before taking his own life.

3. The 183-games Isner-Mahut Wimbledon match, the longest in Wimbledon history.

4. Kyrgyzstan 5. Three generations living in the same house, thanks to the recession.

6. Goats bred in India 7. Doner kebab 8. Chandra — named after Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar 9. Earl Grey tea 10. Leander Paes; he won the mixed doubles Asian Games medal with Sania Mirza.

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joy bhattacharjya is a quizmaster and author of Junior Premier League — The First XI t@joybhattacharj

“Breaking Bad” 119 Them, with “the” ACROSS 1 Loaded, in Lyon 6 Hosiery hue 11 Eagles, Falcons and Cardinals 16 Last place 17 “No lie!”

18 Move out 20 Some politicians’ trips 21 Cub Scout leader 22 Salt away 24 Shrinks’ org.

25 What discoveries may yield 27 “Right you ___!”

28 Abbr. not found on most smartphones 29 JFK alternative in N.Y.C. 30 Nasty storm, e.g.

33 Film director who said, “I think an artist has always to be out of step with his time” 36 “___ be praised” 37 Paradoxical figure?

38 Fraternity member or muscle, briefly 39 Mary who introduced the miniskirt

40 Outs, in a way 42 “Law & Order” spinoff, informally 43 “Yes” 44 Ornery sorts 45 Didn’t take it lying down, say 47 ___ child (playful side) 48 Ayatollah predecessor 49 Indiana Jones menace 52 Lathered (up) 54 Game with falling popularity?

56 Native Oklahoman 59 Hit from behind 61 “Eh, any one is fine” 63 Fan of pop’s One Direction, maybe 64 Veered off course 65 Many Winslow Homer works 70 Some holiday greenery 74 The dark side 75 Kidnapping, e.g.

77 Island in Pacific W.W. II fighting 78 “The cautious seldom ___”: Confucius 79 Stone of “The Help”

80 Atomic clock part 81 Flog 83 Hightails it 86 Figure on Argentina’s flag 87 Charge 89 Period of inactivity 93 Last Oldsmobile 94 Took after 95 Org. that implemented the Food Stamp Act 97 Former Mrs. Trump 98 Southern farm concern 100 “No need to worry” 102 “Die Meistersinger” soprano 103 Brio 104 ___ lamp 106 On 107 Wyo. neighbor 108 Kind of scan 110 HBO comedy/drama 112 Way to storm off 114 Begins, as work 115 Marketing news magazine 116 Rattle off, say 117 Dutch Golden Age painter 118 Actress Brandt of

DOWN 1 He walked away with Blaine in “Casablanca” 2 Type 3 Kicks everyone out, say 4 Yoga variety 5 Synthetic 6 ___ Maria 7 Get several views 8 Big name in auto racing 9 Trendy food regimen 10 Long span 11 Expensive Super Bowl purchase 12 Polished off 13 Cousin of a zucchini 14 Boca Del ___, Fla. 15 Certain bar orders, informally 16 Rounded roof 19 West Coast city where Nike had its start 20 Aladdin’s adversary 23 Times gone by 26 “___ Mine,” 1984 Steve Perry hit 28 Winter Olympics site after St. Moritz 31 Bonny miss 32 Like lottery winners,

typically 34 Gerrymandered, e.g.

35 Verdant 41 Bright light 44 In vogue 46 X or Y supplier 48 Mister, in Mumbai 49 Creative, in a way 50 Karate instructor 51 Joyous song 53 Small flycatcher 55“___ Satanic Majesties Request” (Rolling Stones album) 56Eggy?

57Stretching muscle 58Court cry 60E.R. figures 62Inspect 66Dodo’s lack 67Weaponry 68Bussing on a bus, briefly?

69Barber who wrote “Adagio for Strings” 70To a greater extent 71Sketch show, briefly 72Caddy’s choices

731960s sci-fi series 76Blowout win 77Discombobulates 79N.B.A. Hall-of-Famer Monroe 82“___ Nagila” 83Light ___ 84Garlic segments 85Empathizes 86P.R. firm’s job 88Principal Seymour’s girlfriend on “The Simpsons” 90Fullness 91Not going anywhere?

92Stick on the grill?

94Where Excalibur was forged 96Threads 99Delight 101Philosopher Kierkegaard 105Noted Dadaist 109___ Technical Institute 110Yammer 111Britain’s ___ News 113“Monty Python and the Holy Grail” enchanter

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