Blink issue 63 april11 2015

A HOUSE FOR KIPLING If all goes well, a forlorn wooden bungalow in Mumbai could be the city’s new tourist attraction p3 saturday, april 11, 2015

ollyy/shutterstock.com

Beauty is not just skin deep in India. The country’s colour prejudice and obsession with light skin is a constant, unfair presence in the lives of others p9

Diary of a dark girl

ELEPHANT IN THE CITY Assam’s gentle giants pay with their lives as humans eat into their territory p12

NOT JUST ANOTHER FACE A new documentary reveals Shazia Ilmi as a creature of the camera p14

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Of tails and limbs The colourful tails of skinks are designed to attract predators; (below) limbless glass lizards can survive in any environment, including parking lots jonathan suh

Out in the open A participant at Meet to Sleep, a ‘napping’ event blank noise; (below) members of Yoga Mat-ters at Cubbon Park yoga mat-ters

This space is mine CREATURE FEATURE

It’s not just morning walkers who are thronging Cubbon Park, Bengaluru’s green lungs. It is now the stage for various activities — yoga, theatre, stand-up comedy and even napping

Electric blue-tailed skinks

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t’s 7am on a Sunday and Cubbon Park is unusually abuzz for a weekend morning.

Amidst the picnicking families and aspiring photographers is a group immersed in ‘slacklining’ — an activity that involves f youacrobatic know anything about lizards, it’s graceful moves on a slack rubber that two they supports. can lose their tails. line probably tied between Similar to Some lizards eject their tails iseven tight-rope walking, slacklining justwhen one faced slightest danger.

Others among thewith manythe ways in which the people of consider their a little Bengaluru aretails using the more sereneprecious, environsbut of will let them a predator grab Cubbon Parkgo toifreclaim theirhappens right totopublic hold of them.

Once detached, these and tails yoga conspaces.

Theatre, stand-up comedy tinue twitch and wriggle, and the lizard are thetoother activities on the list. hopes that this amovement will distract Joel Louzado, self-proclaimed ‘slacker’,the depredator, allowing tailless lizard to clares Cubbon Parkthe onenow of the best venues in make its escape.

Bengaluru to try your hand — in this case, feet But in the last month, as I’ve searched liz— at slacklining.

“On weekends, there arefor quite ards observe anda measure, been disa fewtolines up, and bunch of I’ve us practising. tracted by wriggling remnants butsafe by We werenot initially worriedtail whether it was the intact tails of skinks.

Mytocurrent research for the trees, which we use secure the lines. focuses brown anole lizards, and while We thenon discovered tree protectors,” he says. these animals’ are fascinating, Blank Noise,behaviours a collective committedI’m to the first to admit that they aren’t the most visually striking creatures. Sure, the males have beautiful red-and-yellow throat-fans, and the females are sometimes patterned with stripes and diamond-shapes, but they’re solidly built and coloured a respectable and unexciting brown. So as I search among brown leaves and on brown tree trunks for these brown lizards, I can’t help but be distracted by flashes of brilliant, electric blue as the skinks slither past.

In a world where “don’t get eaten today” tops most animals’ to-do lists, such obvious conspicuousness demands explanation. The usual causes of crazy colouration simply don’t apply to skinks. These blue tails are found only in young skinks that don’t yet need to bother about attracting mates with flashy colours. Also, skinks aren’t poisonous or venomous, so the colour can’t function to warn away potential predators. In fact, some biologists have proposed exactly the opposite — that these colourful tails attract the attention of predators.

For this to make sense, these young skinks

building safe spaces, recently organised a nounce that we’re starting the show and be‘Meet to Sleep’ event at the park as part of its gin my set. People get curious and drift larger campaign ‘I Never Asked For It’. At the toward us. It’s like busking, except that we use meet, a group of women — all participants are jokes instead of music.” called ‘action heroes’ in Blank Noise lexicon — In mid-March, a group called Yoga Mat-ters camelive together to nap. Catching fortyworld, winks in in and must in an especially dangerous led aAfrica charity-driven event to raise awareness and Europe, legless geckos in Auspublic being is not attacked uncommon the Indian male, tralia, which by afor predator is practiand encourage funding againstThese childsinuous traffickand snakes everywhere. but few would associate it with women. cally inevitable.

Their tails would then allow reptiles ing. Theinitially event saw 120 people theirecoyoevolved to fill spread one of two Jasmeen Patheja, founder of situation.

Blank Noise, skinks to make the best of a bad Af- logical ga matsroles at a tree-covered spot in the park be — either burrowing into thetosoil saysall,the act of almost womencertainly sleepinggoing in a to public ter if you’re find or guided through the arduous task Today, of performswimming through the grass. howspace creates a new visual and memory, which ever, yourself in the talons or jaws of some larger, ing 108 thesuryanamaskars. most diverse group of legless reptil“puzzles beast, and even raises itquestions pas- es, Radhika stronger wouldn’t be best iffrom the part of Yoga Matnamely Chaliha, snakes, co-founder include ocean-dwellers, sersby.”

Whilegrabbed they napped, a security of you they was the one partguard you tree-climbers, ters, is in awe of the park’sthat ability to satiate so and species glide through came readily to tell the to stop an because it the could get women rid of? Having electric many appetites.

“Evendefined if the park is crowded forest.

For a group by absence, the wasn’t them.an“We exblue tailsafe nowfor becomes advantage, because limbless reptiles at times, it’sbeen a great space haven’t heldgreen back at all. plained we are safe, and it enticesthat predators into attackforThat Bangalore.

I do as we’ve seen soacro-yoga many shifts questioned where else could inwe ing something expendable well as conductinfree-of-cost sesto limblessness, different habfind such beautifulimportant. green trees stead of something A sionsand forin the Mat-ters.

I’veoftried itats different types lizEven if there are few to sleeplizard under, tailless is thereby still aliveinitiaand slacklining here, and the slackers ards, indicates that there’s room people around, I ting still a conversation can reproduce, that and made from have soil-burrowing joined our yoga classes.

We for or grassLizards familiar stand onare a bench and himperspective see and understand our the of natural selecalways try to clean up area we swimming reptiles in the all sorts of with loss of another announce that we're side of the all story.” tion, that’s that matters. use,” she says. I was reminded of environments. sort — the gradual starting the show.

It isn’t the ‘sleeping’ who The lossjust of lizards’ tails occurs known as Sri ChamathisOfficially in the most un-scenic of localoss of fingers and People get curious have been scrutinised the toes, of arms and legs tions on small time scales — a at lizard rajendra Park, Cubbon regularly — a parking lot. A colleague and drift toward us park.have Bardolators of Bangalore, may a tail today and lose ita makes it to Bengaluru headlines saw a slithering creature out of group thatbut recently performed tomorrow, its offspring will for corner good and badeye, reasons.

Safety the of his and tried to Shakespeare’s Ado with About almost certainlyMuch be born a of women isita was major concern,inas convince me something Nothing Cubbon, wasperiods met by tail.

Overatmuch longer is sewage Given waterour from offices Iand teresting. location, recurious onlookers and aare brief inquisition by fused of time, however, lizards familiar with loss restaurants around Morning other walkto believe thatthe it park. was anything theanother security. concernsloss were about than of sort“Their — the gradual of fingers ers have proposedofa snakes. ban on But the entry of the also commonest he prowhether wearms hadand obtained permission, and toes, of legs. Lizards have lostand di- ceeded vehiclestoon weekends and public holidays. catch the animal in question, and I wereand making out of performance. gits limbsmoney more than 25the times, including couldn’t So far, no official has come in the way have been hurdle more wrong.

It was a glass When10we explained that it was free, they sat lizard over evolutionary transitions to limblessof those using Cubbon for group activities.

De— limbless and superficially serpentine, down watched the play alongand withaour au- but ness inand different species of skinks single spitenot several no entry fee hasnot been too proposals, common and definitely a dience of close It was good to see snake. transition that to led50toheads. the evolution of 3,000 introduced by the authorities.

As I stood among the cars with this delthem make an effort to understand what we icate species of snakes (which makes snakes a type Theanimal person sliding in charge of Cubbon Park, Ma-I through my fingers, were trying to do,”skinks says Shruthi Chandrasekhof lizard).

Though are not very closely hoped hantesh Murgod, deputy director of horticulthat it would not shed its beautiful tail aran, anto actor withtheir the Bardolators. related snakes, propensity to evolve and ture,marvelled says, “We at aim to this keepgorgeous the park creature free and how Cubbon is also the stagelends for credence a bunch to of had into a snake-like appearance we want ensure that itparking is kept clean. onmadetothis unseemly lot itsThe home. stand-up who try out routines the name comedians they are often called in new Hindi: saanp It ly convinced restrictionme is the ban on commercial activthat neither tails nor limbs inmausi front of a floating audience. “Sometimes it’s have ki (snake’s aunt). ity and the necessary collection of We are to been in money. the spread of open lizards just of us taking turns forabout 10 minutes Butthree what’s really remarkable these across everything else.” the planet. each,”to says Aamer Peeran, comic is who recentshifts limblessness in alizards just how kamath studies isorganismic and evolutionary tara rachel thomas a freelance writer based in ly moved they to Bengaluru.

“Even if thereinare few ambika common are. They’ve occurred every at Harvard University Bengaluru people around, I stand on a skinks bench in and an- biology continent — there are legless India

Neither tails nor limbs are necessary in the proliferation of lizards

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Talking point This bungalow is said to be only a “few yards away” from where Rudyard Kipling was born paul noronha

In a lonely place Lovingly known as Kipling Bungalow, this historic structure on a prime Mumbai campus awaits a much-needed lease of life

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decrepit wooden bungalow that stands in the heart of Mumbai’s JJ School of Art holds a special pride of place in the sprawling campus.

Apart from being amongst the oldest surviving structures in Mumbai, it is also associated with the Kipling family, which spent a significant part of its life in the city. Most importantly, The Jungle Book author Rudyard Kipling once confirmed during his later trips to Mumbai that he was born “a few yards away” from where the house stands today. This connection with the Nobel Prize-winning author has made the home a frequent talking point. Every now and then, the future of the over 100year-old ‘Kipling Bungalow’, as it is commonly referred to, gets called into question. The structure has bravely stood the test of time as plans for its restoration have fallen through time and again.

Over the past few weeks, talk of putting the house to good use has been revived. State education and cultural affairs minister Vinod Tawde told a city tabloid that he plans to pump in funds to convert Kipling Bungalow into a tourist attraction. There may be another plan in the works as well. Smita Parikh, who recently organised Lit-o-Fest, a literature event, at JJ School, has a plan of her own. “Why not use this space to have events on literature, art and music? We can have free book readings for authors as well. I have spoken to the JJ School faculty and they are on board. This is also a great opportunity to highlight the JJ School as a heritage building,” she says, adding that she will be putting forth her proposal to the state culture department in the next few days.

There isn’t much enthusiasm about these casionally spot foreign tourists surveying the plans within the college campus. “There’s just property or a few students painting nearby, one speculation after another,” says one of the there isn’t much activity around it. It wasn’t alteachers. Given the number of plans that have ways so. Till the late ’90s, the spacious bungafallen through, the scepticism is understanda- low was reserved for the dean of JJ’s fine arts ble. Professor M Dalvi of the architecture de- department and his family. The deteriorating partment points out that none of these plans condition of the bungalow may have caused are of any worth till the crumbling structure the break with this tradition. is conserved — a process that requires a fair Constructed in 1882, Kipling Bungalow is a amount of time, effort and money. “No matter rare example of the buildings of the time. “It is what you wish to make of it, what comes first one of the last surviving examples of what we is conservation. It’s a matter of preserving it as call the bungalow or ‘bangla’ style of architecit was. You have to get the building in shape, as ture. The house has an internal core of stone close to its original design and or brick but is wrapped around intent. Only when that is done in by wood framework. It has deep, the best manner possible can sloping roofs which protect it one see what use it can be put against our kind of tropical clito,” he says. mate — harsh sun, lot of rain — No matter what you A few years ago, conservation and at the same time allows for wish to make of it, architect Vikas Dilawari was sea breeze to pass through. Bewhat comes first is commissioned the responsibilicause of the manner in which it conservation ty to restore the property. The is designed, it’s already stood for plan was to convert it into a mu130 years,” explains Dalvi. seum, which would showcase The front verandah of the twothe hundreds of rare paintings storey structure is fitted with a and artefacts lying with the arts department. bust of Rudyard Kipling and a plaque honourThe initiative even received financial support ing him. This often misleads people into befrom Jindal Steel. Dilawari says he had started lieving the home was the author’s birthplace. the groundwork, but the project never took Various books on him confirm that while he off. He doesn’t comment on the exact reasons did live on the campus after his father John for the hold-up, but it is said there were issues Lockwood Kipling was appointed Master of Arwith getting the requisite permissions. “It is chitectural Ornament, the family moved out unfortunate that no one has attended to the years before the bungalow came up. Some property. When something is not used in so teachers and students feel that if not for the long, the decay is much faster. It’ll be really sad Kipling connection, no one would have spared if the building breaks down,” says Dilawari. a thought about its fate.

For years now the vacant bungalow has been under lock and key. Though one can oc- mohini chaudhuri

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Tales from No Man’s Land An organic farm in north Karnataka becomes the ticket to R&R for the city-weary

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he sun is a tiny speck, tenaciously ganic farm, I realise it is truly a no man’s land. Ghats and called it No Man’s Land. grappling its way out of the rain The approach road leading to the house, a As soon as I settle in the cottage, the winclouds of the previous night as we stretch of three kilometres, is a slush of thick dows of which overlook the dense forests, I fall arrive in Islur, 10km north of Sirsi red mud even during summer. That’s because for the charms of the farm. No Man’s Land is town in North Karnataka. The only bus stop in rains are a persistent presence in the thickly along the periphery of the forests of Western the village, a spot near a pond hugged by a wooded forests of the Western Ghats — where the farm ends, the massive banyan tree, is gradually filling with Ghats. To beat the family’s moforest land begins. George and children clad in white and blue school uni- notony of living in a remote corSusheela are trying to fill their form. The cattle egrets, roosting in the tree, ner of the Western Ghats, property with trees native to in the Made India Like rains, birds are contrast the bright green of the tree’s tender Varghese and his family invite region. There are indigenous The 2014 CAG report the other constant in shoots as they slowly stir to life. We are waiting people over to their homestay — trees like the kokum alongside notes that SEZs have this corner of the not hadlike any significant for George Varghese, the owner of No Man’s a roof-tiled cottage with interiother common fruit varieties impactcuson economic world. An olive Land, the organic farm we are headed for. ors in earthen colours and furniguava, gooseberry, pomelo, growth, trade, sunbird whizzes It isn’t difficult for Varghese to find us even ture from wood salvaged from tard apple and sapota. They are, infrastructure or inside the cottage without the cellphone signal. After all, how the forest — located on a slope in however, deprived of the yields employment one day pv sivakumar hard is it to spot two, backpack wielding, city- his property. of these fruit trees. Each mornbred men in the middle of a village in north Varghese, like many city ing I wake up to the raucous calls Karnataka that is only waking up to the morn- dwellers, had dreams of buying of the vernal hanging parrot and ing? He drives down in his sturdy, weather- a farm in a remote jungle for his brown-headed barbets devourworn jeep with his three home-schooled, mar- family, of growing his own food, ing the fruits of the guava tree vellously articulate children in tow. Sleep has of raising cattle and keeping dogs, of waking facing the cottage. barely left their eyes but they are not can- up to the chirping of birds squabbling over Like rains, birds are the other constant in tankerous. “We don’t study or go to school,” fruits on a tree. But unlike every man that this corner of the world. An olive sunthe elder one, Amrita, says. The middle one, has the dream, George acted upon it. bird whizzes inside the cottage one Deepu, corrects my vocabulary. “No, there is He took a deep breath, took his day, perhaps in her drunken stuno river… but there is a stream around our equally crazy and matter-ofpor, and immediately becomes house.” The youngest of them all, Mridu, tells fact wife’s hand, gathdisoriented. To help her find Specialwith Economic Zones ered (SEZs) me their dog’s namehe is Silk(u) child-faced donesian his life’s savingsSalim SEZ in Nandigram, West the way out, I open the approved by dad’s both houses nonchalance. She isBill notwas clued in on her Bengal. aAs violence escalated in November and of bought Parliament two days in May in curious custom of naming theirwithin animals after 2007 property thewith an unclear number of people dead 2005, discussion dis- (accounts controversial figures; theywith havelittle another dog or vary from seven to 100), the state thickets of sent. Introduced as policy by the National called Veerappan. government eventually moved the SEZ out of the WestDemocratic Alliance (NDA) in 2000, As we arrive at the Vargheses’ eight-acre or- the ernSEZ the area. Similarly, under immense pressure law was enacted by the United Progressive Alli- from widespread protests, the Chief Minister ance (UPA), at the time supported by the Com- of Goa announced a ‘new year gift’ on Decemmunist Party of India (Marxist). Like similar ber 31, 2007, cancelling all 15 SEZs in the state. achievements were established prior to the zones in the Americas, Southeast Asia or Chi- By November 2009, one of the most ambitious SEZ Act 2005. Overall, while 56.64 per cent of na, the Indian SEZs aimed at creating export- SEZs on the outskirts of Mumbai, the Mumbai SEZs caters to the IT/ITES sector, only 9.6 per led enclave economies with tax and duty con- SEZ, failed to secure even a quarter of the cent is for manufacturing multi-product SEZs. cessions. Ostensibly, the Indian SEZ model was 11,300 hectares of land ‘approved’ for it, and of- The report notes the disturbing trend that premised on the Chinese model comprising ficially ceased operations. while developers sought allotment of vast arseven large State-owned SEZs with targeted inAs the resistance to medium and large SEZs eas of land for SEZs, they notified only a fraccentives for specific industries. unfolded across the country between 2007 tion as SEZs, even denotifying SEZ land to But the Indian model went much further. and 2010, the message was loud and clear — benefit from price appreciation. In six states, Superseding the existing 11 Export Processing people would not give up their lands; SEZs had 14 per cent of SEZ land was diverted for comZones in the country, it envisioned no ceilings to go. While resistance to land acquisition has mercial purposes. on the numbers and sizes of SEZs. It eschewed proved to be one of the biggest stumbling The number of approved SEZs has reduced targeted incentives for blanket concessions to blocks for SEZs, the insistence of from 584 in 2011 to 491 in 2014 industry. And its comprehensive scope includ- the current government on ex(see table). A study of meeting ed most economic activities — mining, agri- panding manifold the scope of minutes reveals that almost evculture, manufacturing and services. By April land acquisition is intriguing. ery Board of Approval (BoA) According to CAG, 52 2011, the Government had ‘formally approved’ As SEZs became political hot meeting for SEZs receives reper cent of the land a whopping 584 SEZs (with 377 ‘notified’ to be- potatoes, 2011 saw a near-freeze quests for withdrawals from deapproved for gin operations). This number rose from 366 on the enthusiasm for new provelopers. SEZs are widely allotment to SEZs formally approved (and 142 notified) in Au- posals. The Minimum Alternate portrayed as failures and victims remains idle gust 2007. The ‘global financial meltdown’ did Tax (MAT) levied by the Finance of the UPA’s ‘unstable policy envievidently little to dampen the enthusiasm for Ministry in 2011 imposed 18.5 per ronment’ by industry represenIndia’s SEZs. cent tax on booked profits, amid tatives and in the media. The In stark contrast, in less than two years of industry hue and cry over ‘polidecision by the SEZ Board of Apenactment, tenacious resistance against SEZs cy reversal’ (incidentally, the same industry is proval to discontinue any forcible land acquierupted across the country from peasants’ perfectly happy with policy reversals in the sition for SEZs has also been a big blow for and citizens’ groups, forcing the central and land acquisition act). The current government developers. Herein is a piece of the political state governments to respond variously with has been unable to reverse the MAT, pointing puzzle behind the Land Acquisition Ordiviolent repression, tactical reversal, negotia- to sources of friction within central ministries nance and Amendment Bill. Without the State tion and deferrals. In Gujarat, Maharashtra, (particularly Finance and Commerce) over acquiring commons and private properties, Goa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, revenue loss from SEZs. there can be no large private project — this ilOrissa, West Bengal and Haryana, land and reAccording to the Comptroller and Auditor liberal contradiction of India’s growth story source acquisition for SEZs emerged as a cen- General (CAG) of India, 52 per cent of the land overturns the liberal holy grail of ‘the free tral contention between state forces, approved for allotment to SEZs remains idle market of willing buyers and sellers’. corporate developers and peasants’ and citi- and SEZs have not had any significant impact zens’ groups. In the ensuing furore, in March on economic growth, trade, infrastructure, in- preeti sampat is a public policy scholar at The Hindu 2007, 14 people died in police firing while pro- vestment or employment. The 2014 CAG re- Centre for Politics and Public Policy and teaches at the testing the acquisition of 25,000 acres for In- port notes that SEZs with notable Department of Sociology, Delhi School of Economics

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R story Revisiting the SEZ

Resistance to land acquisition is a big stumbling block for SEZs, but the insistence of the current government on expanding the scope of acquisition is intriguing

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Home turf The cottage at No Man’s Land; inset, a feathered visitor prathap nair

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STATES OF MATTER

We’ve got the (soft) power Prime Minister Modi’s travel itinerary suggests a certain subtlety about India’s authority, but strategic insecurities continue to trump soft power

sukumar muralidharan

Though the UNDP Human Development Report (HDR) is generally not a document India looks forward to, the 2004 edition with its focus on “cultural liberty” had a number of honourable mentions of the country. India was described as a “champion of cultural accommodation” where citizens remained “deeply committed to the country and to democracy, despite the country’s diverse and highly stratified society”.

Among the practices meriting special mention were: the three-language formula of education that India has long been following; the pluralist choice of national holidays, which recognised all faiths while foregrounding the republican commitment to a non-denominational polity; and the effective use of affirmative action to remedy the historical injustices suffered by certain cultural groups.

These experiences offer ample learning possibilities for countries within the near neighbourhood and beyond. Sri Lanka is believed to have taken an active interest in the three-language formula since the civil war. And Nepal is Lessons to learn Sri Lanka is taking an active interest in the three-language formula of education followed by seeking to assimilate key lessons from India’s India. Here, a Sri Lankan Tamil holds a portrait of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of his visit to Jaffna experiments in devolution of power across a afp/lakruwan wanniarachchi vast and varied land.

Nepal’s efforts to write a republican constiugil is a very real character, (TNA), the broad coalition of forces that re- tution have repeatedly come up against the though identified by a false tains representative legitimacy despite efforts roadblocks of ethnic rivalry. The competing name, in Rohini Mohan’s intim- by Sinhalese ruling cliques to foist puppets, demands on the character of the national polately observed account of ordi- were mixed in their attitude. India’s support is ity — between secularism and a denominanary lives caught in the brutality of Sri Lanka’s needed for their political ends, but an extra- tional state — have proved difficult to quarter century of civil war (The Seasons of territorial agenda could compromise the case reconcile. The constitutional process now apTrouble, Harper Collins India, 2014). Once a for a fair deal. The system of provincial coun- pears to have run aground on account of one fighter for a Tamil homeland, she is, for several cils itself emerged out of India’s moral pres- side’s insistence on a federal polity and the months after the war, lodged in the giant Ma- sure, but the Northern Province remains a other’s fear that this would be the first step tonik Farms camp for the internally displaced. poor relative within the map of political devo- wards disintegration.

As she lines up one day for rations, her mother lution, with a governor appointed by ColomPotential soft power applications by India shouts out a warning to refuse any of the fetid bo retaining decisive powers. have been complicated by stratestuff sent as relief supplies from India.

At Jaffna, Modi oversaw the gic calculations. Rivalry with ChiFollowing their release from the camp and a handover of a housing project as na has perhaps been the main hard slog trying to regain a life, Mugil, her part of India’s aid for post-war spoiler, creating in Sri Lanka an In the 2004 edition husband and children decide to travel to India reconstruction. He met with the incentive for undue appeaseof the UNDP Human to start afresh. There are worries over the un- local TNA leadership and heard ment of the Sinhalese elite in the Development Report, certainties ahead, but Mugil sees India as a complaints about predatory exsouth. Similar strategic calculaIndia was described large, if not always hospitable, space where cursions by Indian boats into tions led in Nepal to the “buffer as a “champion opportunity could be created even if it did not the waters off Jaffna, which enwithin a buffer” policy that has of cultural already exist, where she could lose herself in danger the livelihoods of scores deeply alienated the people of accommodation” the multitude and not be the continual focus of Tamil fishermen. the plains from the hills and not of suspicion.

Modi’s travel itinerary since won India friends in either place.

Mugil did not make it to Indian shores. She assuming office suggests a cerThrough all this, relations was picked up on the testimony of a brother, tain subtlety about projecting with the two most populous who, under torture, revealed her one-time al- India’s authority. An effort to seek a niche neighbours — Pakistan and Bangladesh — relegiance to the Tamil Tigers. Her life’s subse- within dominant power cliques is evident in main contentious. Half-hearted overtures are quent course remains to be documented. visits to the US, Japan and the Asia-Pacific sum- made, but soon withdrawn. Political constituPrime Minister Narendra Modi visited Sri mit in Australia. So too is a focus on South Asia, encies have been created on maintaining a Lanka mid-March, in the third leg of a tour in a fresh bid for the pre-eminence that has al- tough posture and there is too much riding that took him to two other island republics of ways been an aspirational state. There has also on that stance. Aside from the stop-and-go cathe Indian Ocean, the Seychelles and Mauriti- been an effort to draw in the loyalty of coun- reer of the dialogue with Pakistan, the comus. It was the first visit by an Indian prime min- tries with long-settled populations of Indian pulsions of nurturing this constituency were ister in 28 years, since Rajiv Gandhi was given a origin, like Mauritius and Fiji. evident in Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s bishockingly unceremonious send-off by a “Soft power” is the term of art that describes zarre exhortation recently to the Border Securogue honour guard whose sense of national some aspects of these diplomatic initiatives. rity Force to redouble the vigil against pride was offended by what he saw as a neigh- As conceived by its author, the Harvard politi- cross-border cattle movements, so that rising bour’s intrusive attentions. Modi also became cal scientist Joseph Nye, soft power is an amal- prices would compel Bangladeshis to give up the first Indian prime minister to visit Jaffna, gam of a nation’s culture, political values and their dietary beef habit. capital of the Northern Province and the focus foreign policies. And the strongest prop for Inof the country’s beleaguered Tamil culture. dia’s soft power perhaps lies in the overlap- sukumar muralidharan is a fellow at the Indian Institute of Advanced Study in Shimla Leaders of the Tamil National Alliance ping domains of culture and political values.

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Ear to the ground reality

tions of “the rings that divided and ruled the city… the movement of money involving placement, concealment and laundry.” But it is also deeply invested in its characters — JW the social climber, Mrado the crazed Serbian thug and Jorge, a Latino convict on the run.

And that is the biggest strength of Lapidus.

He knows his characters. Not by pilfering the traits and personalities of his clients, but by probing the question ‘why do people choose crime?’ In interview after interview, he has recounted the exact incident that sparked off his writing Three young men acqueries,”career.

Shukla says.

One of had herbeen major cused of armedisrobbery were facing achievements a weeklyand phone-in show long with prison sentences.

At “Where the endgetting of the direct trial, the the district collector. acjudge “Where do you see yourself cess toasked the them, collector is virtually impossible, in years?”

He villagers wanted to share checktheir whether ourfive show enables conthey themselves as upright citicernsenvisioned with him, one-on-one,” says the proud zens.

Instead of answering they stood upduin station manager, as she efficiently juggles their andthe guards had to hold them ties atchairs home and workplace. down. They said, “You don’t understand anything.

This is the only way to live a life.”

Hear the woman’s voice For the Lapidus judge’s incomprehension From dusty the terrain of western UP to Azamsmacked society’s ignorance the garh on itsofeastern border, anotherabout inspiring crime ThatSeema nightBharti he gotSrivastava, home and stationworld. manager, is started explains, go towaves. my jobShe at creatingwriting. quite aHe stir on the “I radio nine in the morning, they go at nineLucknow at night. left her cushy job at All India Radio They commit is something to become thecrime.

‘VoiceThis of Azamgarh’ on they 90.2 choose.

This is how make their MHz. “Very early on, I they had decided that Iliving. wantThese are normal peopleallow in some ed a career that would me sense…” to influence Lapidus ‘normalises’ the criminals of Anhis real progress,” she says. Broadcasting from world by giving them the richstation family lives.

In Easy jaan Shaheed village, has enabled Money, JW is obsessed with finding his misher to if understand the people of Azamgarh, sing sister Camilla,athen Mrado is desperate to widely considered hotbed of extremist activget his daughter. people ities.custody “InitiallyofI was hesitant toThese relocate, but might be moving cocaine smashing soon realised my fears were and unfounded.

Alskulls against sinks,isbut they are also vulnerathough the milieu conservative — they were ble to theto pulls home. shocked seeofa family single and woman living alone This emphasis on character is also and not observing the purdah — Lapidus’s everyone method to move away thebecause typical Icrime eventually warmed upfrom to me gave fiction trope.

He to says, wanted to lives take and the them the chance talk“Iabout their adha Shukla (43) cannot remember ment has allocated ₹100 crore under a Plan Scandinavian tradition the issues close(crime to theirfiction) heart,” she says. and the last time she took a holiday. “It’s Scheme to provide infrastructure support to turn 180 degrees.”Srivastava There are identifies no cops ingenhis Notit surprisingly, so long since I celebrated a festival upcoming stations, he says. books.

These as aren’t whodunits on der disparity a major problem premised in the region. with my family. But I don’t mind; my “Be it women’s empowerment, disaster discovering the murder motive.

Instead “Girls can’t move around and without restrictions, work is important,” she insists. management, education or health, this sector they capture conflagration when health different talk freely onthe subjects like menstrual or Courts, cases and pages Bestselling author Jensas Lapidus’s nextbeen courtable case deals with identity theft To Shanta Koshti (50), the years spent a has to spread awareness,” says R worlds Sweden, Lapidus elaborates, is hope tocollide. stay in school beyond Class VIII. I try to anna-lena ahlstrom poorly-paid beedi worker seem like another Jaya, joint secretary in the Ministry. atalk society that in status dramas quo. Unlike in about thebelieves biases through or dislifetime. “At present, my entire focus is on moRecently, Shukla, Koshti and Gandhimathi the US, where climb up the cussions, and people I am starting to and see adown definite tivating people to stand up for their rights. On were among the representatives from nearly social in Sweden “you stay where you shift inladder, the mindset,” she—adds. an average, I spend three to four days every 165 community radio stations who had gath- belong”. as JW in Easyfor Money Koshti Characters is bringingsuch people together creweek travelling around villages, and my fam- ered in the Capital to discuss their role in tak- fascinate him as they attempt to “create a camative problem-solving through ‘Rudi No Raily is supportive of my decision,” she says. ing good governance to the people. The ouflage, to fit in…and accepted.” dio’, run under thebeaegis of SEWA (Self Happy to help local women farmers uncov- occasion was the Fifth National Community Employed But Lapidus isn’tAssociation) one to pick philoWomen at apart Manipur viler their inherent abilities and gain self-confi- Radio Sammelan, jointly organised by the sophical questions district, with hisGujarat. clients.People His perlage in Ahmedabad in dence, G Gandhimathi (43) says it is “very Ministry of Information and Broadcasting sonal understanding of justice is legal 40 villages tune in to 90.4 MHz for daily rather shows gratifying when someone comes up to me and and the non-profit OneWorld than moral. He very clear: courts likemakes Saptarangi, which“the showcases appreciates my efforts”.

Foundation India. Rajiv Tikoo, should not and aremusic, not interested in justice or folk and Vadlo Bole Che, Shukla, Koshti and Gandhimathi are no or- Director of OneWorld Foundatruth. Courtswhere deal with what can elders be proved… community share dinary women. They rule the airwaves in rural tion India, points out that “one Being a defence you defend this and systheirlawyer life experiences.

Koshti India and have a finger on the pulse of their lo- doesn’t have to be literate to eitem. And thisher system is supposed be afrom just all-woman teamto go Seema Bharti cal community. As managers of their respec- ther set up a radio station or crelawyerlytoability to stay clear of hamlet for content.

Srivastava system.” left her His hamlet e meet in Slussen, side posterior of athat city connects intrigue him If Stocktive community radio stationsa posh in Uttar ate content withmore.cushy is probably why he is child a popular “Lack of high schools, marjob atjudgements All India is one of the safest capitals world, Stockholm, dotted with holm Pradesh, Gujaratofand Tamil Nadu, they don’t the people.

What is essential is in the writerthe amongst thedrug underworld.

Hisamong books the are riage, addiction Radio to become it is also one of the most ‘Voice segregatboutique travers- Lapidus mind trading ‘normal life’shops, for an and opportunity passion says and commitment.” also the mostDurbar borrowed in the prison library community and caste diof Azamgarh’ by men ininred sneakers and ed.Shukla “If youhas are no in Slussen will see mostly to make a real ed difference society.

“I have dearth you of eisystem.

An undercover cop, working mainly vide are just some of the serious on 90.2 MHz Butofif you take the on drugs, once women in artisanal clothing. you2009 have and the ethnically been running a radio station “If since ther. The Swedish Station people.

Manager told him that every they problems around here,”time she says.

Taliban on one say side, then the other you get offin eight can confidently that it is on truly a medium of tube ‘Waqtand Ki Awaaz’ Bairystations Dariyaosouth or nine made a bust, orListeners broke into house with warina58 villages ofaThanyou willdistrict think have Slussen,” Lapidus.

It issustainaa catchy stations the masses andsays canJens aid in achieving village innorth Kanpur Dehat rant a gangTamil member infondly south javurofdistrict, Nadu, are inPradesh Somaliahas or the Middle statement and onesays thatKoshti. sets up the world in you ble development,” of Uttar no qualms Stockholm they would findMadtwo refer to Gandhimati as “FM extremes. If the Taliban with its draconian re- East. is each builtday on on is- her Scooty to am”. The Periyar aboutStockholm riding 33km things — the poster of Almotto Pacino Community Radio’s is either on“The the isgime exists on the extreme right, then on the lands.

Tune in to empowerment reach You her are workplace. station can be “Think-Innovate-Transform”. from Scarface on the and one “Wewall broadcast Stockholm is built on other you have of Swethe island.

Theproduce news the success stories Of theside country’s 179neighbourhoods community radio sta- land heardorinoutside 300 villages and we of hisofbooks onfarmers the shelf.

This women as examislands. You are are very clear be- in Awadhi ples of emancipation den, this, where inclusion and freetions,such someasbroadcast to the most remote and boundaries magazines, quiz shows and—dramas troubled and Lapidus because Adhe empowerment. either on the island or water dom are lived Here is cause backward areas.principles.

The decision to everyone give educadialect.ofOur focus—is socially on healthand and agriculture, ditionally, we doesinterview not wish experts to be accused of on new outside the island decidedly equal. Lapidus, of children he says, slowly tional institutions licencesfather to set up commu- psychologically,” which makes us very popular with female lis- innovations in glamourising agriculture,”violence. she says. What he aged seven, stations five and 13 two, says ago that was herelater you sipping nity radio years teners,” his shecoffee. says. is guilty of isisstriving being authentic Each of these women to achievetoa will be greeted with disdain you dareorganikeep a Author the Stockholm Noir such as fre- common good. extended to civil society and if voluntary Despite of operational challenges details and true to life.

And if“The his As Shukla signs off aptly, his profession nanny even the hirefirst helpstation to spring clean. sations.orSince went on air in Trilogy, quent Lapidus power in failures and financial con- true potential reader, sitting in his/her armof community radio will be rehis fiction, delvesone intolive worlds Forty-year-old Lapidus however not inter- and 2004, the sector has flourished all is the way. straints, she manages showthat per seem week chair, for hisgain characters then he alisedfeels whenempathy rural women the confidence ested in this all-too-perfect face — which and the un-Scandinavian to the outside world. In Easy Bimal Julka, secretary, Information and produces seven hours of engaging con- believes he has succeeded as a writer. to ask questions — of themselves, of their com(2006), the the trilogy, he munity, rest of the world looks up to with disbe- Money Broadcasting Ministry, says, “The equal community tent together withfirst herpart fiveofteam members.

(The author was ingovernment.

Stockholm on We the invitation and their can then lief and aspirationhas — ofemerged Sweden. as As aancriminal bareisthe anatomy of the for criminal world, of radio movement impor- lays “Health a major concern the women. the Swedish Institute.) proudly say our work here is done.” merely thehow crime. book is abrasive defence lawyerfor and crime fictioninformation writer, the and tant medium disseminating Theynot don’t know to The access government nairvyas Women’s Feature Service bhanu priya cusses, with action and all descripworld of drugs, psyche of theThe mafia, the with to people in theirthe own language.” governschemes, so dizzy we patiently address their nandini

Women running community radio stations in some of the most backward parts of the country are stirring the locals to action, catalysing change and development

Her megahertz Heard in 58 villages of Thanjavur district, Tamil Nadu, Periyar Community Radio airs programmes that reinforce the social impact of poverty alleviation efforts, and promote women’s health and education.

courtesy: periyar community radio

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Crime writer and criminal defence lawyer Jens Lapidus on the social fissures in Sweden and the workings of the mafia

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Hungry for change Jesse van de Zand and Apeksha Porwal (in the foreground), cofounders of Janta Meals, dine at an outlet in Sheetla Mata Mandir, Gurgaon; (below) mechanised vegetable slicers cut time and labour at the centralised kitchen; (bottom) the lowpriced meal is popular with several schools in Gurgaon janta meals

Pocket-friendly people’s meal Selling 9,000 plates a day, Janta Meals is well on way to becoming India’s first food chain for the urban poor

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anoj Mahto, a rickshaw puller in Gurgaon’s Dhanwapur area, spends ₹30 for his lunch every day. That fetches him hygienically prepared dal, chapattis, rice and vegetables along with some salad. For dinner, he opts for the ₹20 plate, which has five chapattis, a vegetable, salad and chutney. Under ₹50 a day, this migrant worker from Bihar has two square meals a day, minus the risk of falling ill from consuming unhygienic dhaba food.

For Ranjit Galsinh, a 35-year-old private security guard, it is the freshness of vegetables and affordable pricing that draw him to the Sikanderpur outlet of Janta Meals every day. The low-priced food seller is popular with schools, NGOs, factory sites, cafeterias, and small and medium enterprises in Gurgaon.

In a market saturated with quick-service restaurants and high-end dining options alike, a Dutch entrepreneur sensed an opportunity in providing quality food to low-income groups in Indian cities.

And going by the number of plates Janta Meals sells every day — 9,000 — it might well be on way to becoming India’s first food chain for the urban poor.

“We expect to serve up to 20,000 meals a day by October 2015,” says Jesse van de Zand, the Dutchman who cofounded Janta Meals along with Prabhat Agarwal and Apeksha Porwal in 2013.

It was Agarwal, in fact, who had first felt the need for such nutritious and hygienically prepared affordable meals while running his NGO, Aravali Scholars, in Sikanderpur Basti.

When he met Zand in 2013, the latter was looking for opportunities to invest in early-stage social enterprises.

“I liked the idea (of providing hygienic food ation involves standardising the recipes to enat economical prices) and started a pilot in sure consistent taste and further reduce June as a restaurant,” says Zand. The team manpower. “We are working on a standard opsoon discovered that running the business in eration procedure (SOP), which will involve slum areas was not easy as the people’s ability using measured quantities of ingredients for to pay fell far below the eatery’s operating any dish,” says Zand. costs. Moreover, water and electricity connecMoreover, under the franchise model, each tions were unreliable. franchisee orders a certain numThe trio instead opted for the ber of meals based on demand centralised kitchen model, with and any leftovers are its loss. “Endeliveries made to outlets. The trepreneurs who run the outlets centralised kitchen in Gurgaon order from us in advance. They Under ₹50 a day, this is run jointly by Janta Meals and can usually predict the requiremigrant worker in Akshaya Patra, the largest supments fairly well,” he adds.

Gurgaon has two plier to the country’s mid-day Janta Meals trains these microsquare meals a day meal schemes. “We can mainentrepreneurs in the hospitality and avoids unclean tain low prices through efficient and basic accounting skills needdhaba food cooking and large volumes. ed to run an outlet. It also assists Since Akshaya Patra produces in with capital to set up the outlet. very large quantities (for mid“We inspect the franchisee outday meal), their supplies are lets regularly to ensure that hycheap, giving us the benefits of scale,” says giene levels are maintained, and impose a fine Zand. The food is packed in insulated boxes for violations.” and distributed to the franchises.

With 30 outlets, Janta Meals is breaking Twelve people, including four cooks and a even within two years of launching. Zand is manager, run the kitchen. The Janta Meals hopeful that the number of outlets will inkitchen is completely mechanised — from crease to 100 by 2015-end. He is more than washing, peeling and cutting vegetables to ready to feed that ambition. “The centralised making chapattis. “We don’t need anyone for kitchen is big enough for 15,000 meals in one these tasks,” says Zand. This reduces manpow- batch. I am sure we can handle the volumes,” er cost to a fraction of what is incurred by he says. small restaurants.

Yet another step in running a low-cost oper- rashmi pratap

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Everyone plays a part Immersive opera Clive & Other Stories, designed by Nayantara Kotian andreas grieger; (inset) Aruna Ganeshram’s Re:Play explores mythology, history and current affairs through traditional Indian games

PRESENT IMPERFECT

No denying Delhi’s racism

single date. That is the difference between

for anby hour, Delhi’s veneration for the white skin — and abhorrence of the blackwatching — is theatre exposed itsor immersing yourself in a daylong, nightlong, or monthhypocritical reaction to Giriraj Singh’s comment on Sonia Gandhi’slong complexion piece of alternative reality.”

That includes the use of realistic space and design, as well as multi-sensory elements. The audience gets to decide the course of the performance and the interpretation, becoming co-creators in the process. In Ganeshram’s Re:Play, for instance, themes from Indian mythology, history and contemporary events were explored through traditional Indian games such as Lagori (seven stones) and Paramapadam (snakes and ladders). At different points, the audience became players.

“For some, the play triggered pure nostalgia, for others it was about power-play and bureaucracy. Some also interpreted it as the bigger game of politics where citizens are pawns,” says the director. Grover seconds this: “When people with different backgrounds, histories and prejudices participate, an expespotin Khirki rience isBlack created which there are multiple Extension, a narratives, collisions of philosophies, impasneighbourhood in sioned claims being made on versions of New Delhi, grabbed truth,” he says. last year headlines when AAP minister

Bharti Theatre Somnath of possibilities conducted Immersive theatrea also presents a radical alraid at a ternativemidnight to traditional proscenium theatre, house rented by a which, apart from having a passive audience, group of Nigerians ahlawat can also meeta be classist.

“In a proscenium setup, more money ometime last month, I was in the Delhi street, the fact that you could go to a restau- ism, it seemsatofront-row me that people make the means seat. Lesser, andmost you are metro when a woman of African ori- rant where no guns went off, that no one killed of their collective orderistoabehave pushed to thestrength balcony.inThere politics begin entered the compartment. She you because of road rage, robbed you because worse thanimmersive they otherwise would.

If they areaudihind theatre: you treat your walked in – tall, lithe, dressed in a it was dark and the streetlights were predict- so bad here, how would they neighbours ence equally.

There is be noasneed to put the printed long top and a pair of jeans, head- ably off, or raped you because well, you hap- or employers of on black people?pedestal either,” says performer a higher phones wedged firmly into her ears, and stood pened to be there. While these are all events What contrasts this abhorrence Delhiites Deepan Sivaraman, director and scenograjust inside the door, leaning on the silver pole. that have a fairly reasonable statistical proba- openly demonstrate to the Portuguese black community pher, who is adapting writer Jose A hundred pairs of unblinking eyes in the bility, the one thing I find myself constantly is their veneration of white skin.inThere once Saramago’s novel Blindness the immersive compartment were lodged on her, some being grateful for is the fact that I am not a was aformat. noticeThe in story my building advertising has people in a townan slowly mouths hanging a little open, some noses black person riding the metro. The abject and apartment to let.

After listing thedisease. size, the losing sight from an unknown The aucrinkled in disgust. unapologetic racism the city demonstrates ev- viewsdience and the of its woodwork, will beauty be blindfolded for most of the play, The girl, perhaps a veteran of many such ery day is so disturbing that it is impossible to landlord had usedita through large, bold fontother to add, experiencing their senses. rides, kept her eyes on her phone and did not do anything but swallow the potent anger ris- “Past tenants were all also foreigners”.

At a by dinner They will be guided the perlook up once. At the next station, when a seat ing in you. with a neighbour that week, formers.

“Blindness is notI just became available, she walked over and sat When the middle-class, edumentioned andable laughed aboutthe notnote being to see; it down. Immediately, the two people on either cated, employed occupants of at the has notion that someone a deeper philosophical side of her sprang up and walked away to an- the metro compartment lock would rent a place purely the play relevance, whichforthe The one thing I find photograph moment captured, other corner. People nodded is atathem, companin spaces ranging theirances eyes with each other over privilege ofwill using the same loos bring out,” he explains. myself constantly a fragment of and the past relived. The ionably, sympathetically squeezed from cafes and homes to the alarming presence of a black that a foreigner hasseveral previously While immerbeing grateful for is of some it, however, often themselves andmemory eked out place ison the hazy garages, this format co-it is person in the compartment, used. One sive personproductions at the partyhave the fact that I am not — whatthe ledtwo. to it, seat to accommodate Thewhat blackhappened girl with opts the audiences.

With an utter lack of self-conquipped, “For all you know, the leaned towards a politicala black person riding then, whatemptily happened afterwards? there sciousness. a no concept sat on, looking in front of her. AsIsthe of ainstage eiI have, the past, foreigner might have been a nephilosophical exploration the metro behind picture? train story stopped andevery started, many people got triedther, thea point old theatrical to make by getting gro!” Everyone laughed. He spotof contemporary society, In would 2013, theatre director and designer Aruna on. Most race to the two empty seats contract broken. off my seat andisgoing and sitting ted theKotian odd taps unsmiling, into her childcreated a playaway. titledFinally, a at the vacant spot next and, Ganeshram on seeing the girl, slink “Immersive to the perdiscomfited and explained, hoodface fascination with science Visual which aimed woman whoRespiration, looked to be in her 60s, simply son, but it only getstheatre peoplecombines scam“Arre,fiction. because they is are also ‘for“There a myth that scito bring images to “Wea seat go pering for the seat couldn’t bear still the thought of life. letting the Irealism of film, vacated, eigners’ no?” making elaborate beence fiction is ‘unstageable’ a bunchherself of photographs waste.took She perched right at the edge of making it even more the liveness theatre andto air quotescause obviousof and hurtful around the word it calls for tooforeigner. great a suspension of In a proscenium and in projected onto ourfrom the the person they are the seat, a cornerthem farthest away theshunning interactivity of gaming. purely on the The Alldisbelief of this is thethe reason I was baffled acclimalast from viewer.

Audiences, setup, more money bodies, andbody we told the stories of her. I basis of the colouraudience girl, her whole turned away from of skin. have the agency to weektised at the that people felt when to outrage the visual effects of films, expecta that means a front-row converting can’t those be surephotographs, but it looked like she was holding ownitnarrative, I write about thechoose metrotheir because seems to and videofrom showed Singh, BJP’sImmersive minister for sci-fiGiriraj theatre as well. makes seat. In immersive the digital analogue,” she her breath.

When to at last the girl alighted, you me that if there ishence theyplace are in participants ever any this city in micro, small and medium this possible to a greatenterprises, extent,” shesaying, says. theatre you treat your took theairaudience on a couldsays. feel Itthe very in the compartment control.

Thisto aspect very empowhere people seem to be able leaveisbehind “if RajivSivaraman, Gandhi had a Nigerian lady, beonmarried the other hand, strongly audience equally heavejourney a sigh ofacross relief.countries, Strangersstreets looked at each their prejudices and wering,” says it Nayantara Kotian, bad habits, is in the airsomeone Conlievesnot thatwhite-skinned, “theatre is thewould kind ofthe place where immersed in not otherand andspaces, smiled.

It felt like we’djust survived a conditioned coachwho currently seeking crowdof aismetro compartment. gressyou have her aslife, its and leader?” the an- it re-look whenBecause life is performed, the sights sounds but also gunman.

Or the and plague. funding herlitter, sci-fipeople immersive No one spits, there is very for little swer needs is no, forget political party, one in Illuto be any as experiential as no possible. smell, taste and “That is you end willingly and smilingly Living in Delhi, it is touch. inevitable that play Bliss of Solitude. the el- this country accommodate would have heramaze as leader. sionist theatre might you,And likewe magic. when the idea of immersive up making a significantly long list oftheatre things hapMaking the observation that in life we—transderly, the disabled and the delicate.

Kids all know thatisvery well. With our gasps of disBut life not magic, it’s real.” pened,” says for Ganeshram. you are grateful every day. A typical one however formunruly slowly, not suddenly, Amitesh Grover, as— are indulged.

Pregnant belief and calls fortemplates the minister’s head, who are While the for inspiration would involve thanks for not being run over women sistant professor School of are given seats.atInthe the National metro at least, are we kidding? many, the desired outcome is always a fasciBreaking fourth walla signal and thun- the average by a public busthe that jumped Drama,Delhi-ite invites people themselves aspirestotoimmerse be a better pernating experience. Just the right amount of t@veenavenugopal linesdirection betweeninperformer deredBlurring down thethe wrong a one-way and fullynot into thedoes time-expansive events he cre- magic to keep it both real son. But, only this not extend to racand exciting. spectator, immersive theatre is pushing the ates. “Think of a long-term relationship or roboundaries of innovation. Locating perform- mantic love, and how that is different from a niharika mallimadugula

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Caught in the act Audience meld into the cast, as immersive theatre comes to a cafe, a home, even a garage near you

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Dark and prejudice P

erched on what could easily substitute as a gynaecologist’s chair — legs splayed, hands spread outwards against each arm rest, dress hitched high enough to barely cover my delicates — I suddenly encountered the extent of my darkness. It wasn’t the state of almost nakedness that prompted this unprecedented discovery.

The two women on either side of my body made a fair contribution. The one on my right lifts the powder puff from its receptacle and rubs it over my ankle. The talc contrasts sharply against my skin, like a shock of whipped cream over a thick layer of caramel. “Arms pehle karte hain,” said the woman on my left. A firm strategy now in place, both women proceeded to first spread hot wax over my skin, after having sufficiently powdered it, and then rip it off with a white paper strip, removing, in the process, all the unwanted hair that had sprouted across its surface. At least two months had passed since I was last deforested, which meant there was a fair amount of hair to pull off. The women performed the procedure simultaneously; I am usually asked each one adopting one side of my one of two things: body, and despite their dexterity, to either bleach my face or get a fairness- my cutaneous nerves smarted from each erasure. When the orinducing facial deal was finally over, the woman on my right wiped each of my limbs with a wet cloth before baptising me with astringent. My skin gleamed.

It was only later in the middle of a bath that I realised this was my most pleasant experience to date at a beauty parlour. As I revelled in the silken feel of my waxed body, I actually wore a smile. Apart from my epiphany about the density and extent of my darkness, there was nothing exceptional about this particular session, which is precisely what made it extraordinary. Perhaps the women were too eager to have lunch to be their usual inquisitive selves, or perhaps it was that they had mistaken me for a married woman (I was wearing a sari and a bindi when I had come in an hour before to make an appointment, something they asked me about later). Under normal circumstances, 10 minutes into being waxed, I am usually asked one of two things: to either bleach my face, or get a fairness-inducing facial. “Look at your skin, it’s all tanned,” one such “professional” once told me. “That’s the colour of my skin, you idiot,” is what I wanted to say. Instead, I placed one waxed arm against my face to show her the colours matched.

“Your whole body is tanned,” she said, now alarmed. “We can make it lighter.”

Having put up with this manner of inane

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The skin I live in Rosalyn D’Mello at her Delhi residence pallavi gaur

Crude talk from politicians about complexion is just one angle of the endemic colour prejudice in India. For a self-aware dark-skinned woman, the struggle often begins at home and continues to even salons and bus-stops

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Black and white The market for fairness products in India benefits hugely from the demand for fair-skinned brides afp; (below) students in Bengaluru come together to protest the introduction of a ‘racist’ wax crayon — a shade of peachish pink labelled ‘skin’ colour k murali kumar

No religion, please Shazia Ilmi, seen here in a still from An Ordinary Election, repeatedly appealed to voters to see her as ‘just a citizen’ rather than a ‘Muslim face’

PICTURE THIS

Chasing politics Following Shazia Ilmi through the Delhi assembly election, a new documentary offers a glimpse into the struggles of theHues Aam Aadmi Party observation for most of my life, I know better and cry the privilege of taking as a given. It seems to trisha gupta

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than to let it get to me. The politically correct ‘dusky’ is an understatement when it comes to 2015 documentary An my skin alit tone.Vachani’s Mocha brown is more accurate.

Ordinary Election, shot out in the run-upI Its denseness makes me stand wherever to the 2013 Delhi assembly go. If random bystanders do notelections, call me politician Shazia beauty,” Ilmi’s cam“blackie,”tracks “nigger,” “Kali,” “black “nepaign in“Kali southMaa”, Delhi’s RK Puram gro” or they ask meconstituency. if I’m either Screened last South week in Mumbai, at from Kenya, India, or SriKolkata Lanka.and Once, least three different venues in the Capital, two women who were walking towards methe on film attracted an audience a street in Mumbai actuallylargely foundcomprising themselves activists, journalists anddrew academics.

Vain a quandary.

As they nearer,While they nochani couldmy notcolour have predicted it, the fact that ticed how resembled a black cat Ilmi left the Aamamount Aadmi of Party (AAP)manoeuin May and spent a fair energy 2014 joined in avoid January (after vringand their gait the so BJP as to my2015 crossing losing the RK seat narrowlywomen, to the BJP their path.

LikePuram these superstitious no contender) formstoan overarching frameselffor one knows what make of a confident, the way we view thewoman. film. And given that the aware dark-skinned much-publicised exit of at Yogendra Yadav and A year ago, at a dinner the Dhaka Art SumPrashant Bhushana French from the Executive mit, I recognised art AAP dealer I’d met Council was before taking in place the We week Vachani just a week Delhi. were both chose to screen his many sawpoolside it as a presstanding in front offilm, the bar at the tercient comment on theresidence.

AAP’s present. race at The Samdanis’ From the start, Ilmi alone in a Me: I know you.when I met we yousee in Delhi. seemingly emptyI room, being recorded for TV He: Of course. love your work. even she is recorded for Vachani’s film, itveis Me:as(Obviously flattered) Thanks. That’s clear that she a creature of the camera. As ry generous of is you.

TheHe: Economic Times recognised in a 2011 profile Don’t you also show in Paris? of her, on TV isembarrassed) Ilmi’s core competence.”

Me: “being (Now clearly Oh. You’ve Having worked a political mistaken me foras Mithu Sen. correspondent and news for 15You years, Ilmi “isso not flusHe: Oh. anchor I’m so sorry. both look alike. tered shout astwat,” loudlyisas nec-I “Noby werudeness, don’t, youcan half-blind what essary gain theWe anchor’s attention, speaks shouldto have said. just share the same skin fast tone.and without gaps so that others can’t sneak parallel commentary, appears have His in observation was as daft as sayingtoKareeanacultivated disregard for Rai punditry, and has Kapoor and Aishwarya are doppelganthe capacity to smile beatifically the gers,rare or that all black people look alike;for it was entire the stupid, debate.”revealing deepracist, duration colourist,ofand We have had more occasions to watch seated predispositions to prejudice.

Just Ilmi like in and by Vachani her puttheaction recentsince, comment Union shows minister Giriraj ting impressive abilities to use onprivithe Singhthese about Sonia Gandhi’s white-skin campaign trail, continuing to hold the beatiflege that not only undermines everything she ic smile while being told by aaccomplish Vasant Vihar managed to independently asunan cle that she should haveher stayed a journalist, or outsider who adopted husband’s country hearing news of the her cause electoral defeat.

In a but also the evangelises of racial prejuQ&A after one Delhi screening,that Vachani said dice by targeting a nationality has often that considered tracking at least one other beenhe the victim of colourist aggression in Incandidate, fromthe another party, but dia. It is no perhaps surprise that Nigerian governfor various reasons, including budgetary conment feels insulted.

L

Singh’s callous remark was a startling remind- lie too disadvantageously in the eyes of beer that one’s inherited darkness becomes a holders. The entire advertising industry profstraints, decided to stick with Ilmi, he ers characteristic; a trait; something onewhom is identirang my truer for me her attempts to its from being notthan acceptably beautiful, knew her student days atthe Jamia Millia Is- learn fied by.from It made me remember many times fromanomalously Tamil-speaking slum-dwellfrom Tamil my being dark.

I’m their lamia. now docu- ers, people(Vachani had come up teaches to me tocourses tell meon I looked which evoked anrefuses Indira to Gandhi of target consumer who buy in style to their mentary the University of Basu, Göttingen, politics. like eitherat Nandita Das or Bipasha What is harder to pinpoint — and yet spiel.

Ergo, I deserve all the humiliation Germany.)

But while makes good use of his crystal-clear asI face both of whom I bearheabsolutely you watch film — is how at theirthe expense, simply unfettered accessto to whatsoIlmi, and her ease before class operates as a dividing no resemblance within paid the parbecause line I actually atthe heme spends ever.camera, It forced to re-equal time talking to ty, causing invisible fractures that eventually tention in science class her three of different campaign managers and break the campaign, damaging call some the other Ilmi’slearned chancwhen we volunteers, lessons I’ve providing learned a rare picture of AAP es. We see the removal of two campaign manabout the properfrom the inside out — a point I shall return to. as a black-skinned agers. The first, OmendratiesBharat, an IIT of melanin.

A documentary feminist: like doesn’t have to lay out its ar- graduate and an inspired orator, is replaced guments a thesis does, which can be a by Siddharth (no last name), another how thelikeconLaughtercomputthe strength. the two axes along which Vacha- er engineer, who lasts until a best junctive But ‘but’ TV sting shows medicine? ni’s interests can be used aslie a seemed clear to me: religion him willing to accept donations reHowwithout does one and class. Religion is perhaps the more obvi- ceipts. (The sting was later dismissed compensatory as manufight this socieous wordone, to given sting-that Ilmi, whose factured.) AnjanatalMehta, who predisposiname ing identifies effect her as Muslim, replaces Siddharth, comestoacross tion be was standing from a constituen[“You’re beautias a much-morecharacterised English-speakcy only 4.5 ful,where but dark” or per cent of the ing figure, who first dismisses both as black?

By What the film also population Muslim. AAP’s “You’re dark,isbut Omendra and Siddharth as “ponseeking refuge in catches, though, is choice was a rejection of vote you have great featificating” rather than working, humour?

When I Ilmi’s multifarious bank politics, Ilmi repeatedtures”].

The and otherand casts aspersions on their loyfirst decided to presentation ly appeals to voters wise simple act toofsee her as alty. Vachani captures the anger adopt this subversive of self ‘just a citizen’ rather than Ia ‘Musaccepting a compliment, of several volunteers believe policy, I did sowho at my own lim face’. continues What the film also realised, to be thatexpense. these decisions were taken I laughed at myself. catches, though, is Ilmi’s cleverfraught with anxiety, mostly the undemocratically, including MoIt was the only way I could parly multifariousofpresentation of consequence my mother’s hanji, whoinstops working in proticipate the joke I was seen to self, in which references to dark biryani (cooked by test, only to return conditioning.

“You look so once leaves. be. So if Ilmi some eager friend one of her poorer by side in this colour,” sheconstituents) often said if Isit side One revealing disagreement breaks out wanted to take a photograph of Beauty is something I with project a “But subliminal Hindu woreremarks anythingthat non-pastel. over why Ilmi should besunset, called ‘Ma’am’ me after I’d laughrather it off don’t have the privilege worldview: bahut jaata as a people have“Jab told me Izyada look adharm nice badh than

by It her first Gender, of course, is andname. tell them I would get camof taking given. hai, toh safai ke tareeke hain”.I In one revealin this [navy blue] hote dress,” the elephant in the room.

Ilmi talks of men’s ouflaged by the night sky.

“You seems to lie too ing scene, contradict disadvantageously a temple inabilityinto deal would saysheindoes mynotdefence. witha very a woman asflash,” boss. Omenneed strong I’d say. priest who says, “Brahmin honge tohof beholders “They’re just saying that, prasann they dra’s carload of is to entirely male Orcampaigners if I’d arranged meet an acthe eyes bhagwan honge (If Brahmins are and North Indian, don’t reallyprasann mean it,” she would while Siddharh quoted as quaintance that hadisyet to meet pleased, god will bethis pleased too)”. When she unselfconsciously assure me.

Multiply conversaying that whatever monme in the flesh, I’d tip him or then to whisper in his ear, “My ey he spends on sationleans by a over hundred such and “it’s still cheaper herAAP, off by telling them to than look mother-in-law Brahmin,” it is difficult not to dating girls”. AAP’s what you’re leftiswith is an inherbrilliantly 2015 for a tall and darkenergetic girl. Or I’d inthink of it as political opportunism, especially ent suspiciousness about any vocalised admi- campaign a party so astute about vent a storyrevealed about how some Goan ancestor of in the light Ilmi’s future ration — theofside-effect of actions. a now deep-seated class to successfully it theanunifying mine as must have had an make affair with African As for class, theone’s filmappearance, shows Ilmi traversing insecurity about which can election plank so many have failed at. Watchslave. Granted it was self-deprecating, to say the constituency of RK Puram, which make for highly stunted exchanges.

Soconsists when a ing though, one it the Vachani’s least, but film, as long as I was inworries charge that of the of middle-class jhuggis, stranger makesgovernment the effort to quarters, seek me out in a cannot prevent itself damage from being narrative, it couldn’t me.riven by it. as wellorasa posh self-possessed room streetcolonies. to tell meShe I’mis“beautiful,” my Years later, I still haven’t forgiven myself for is a writerinandmy criticself-deprecation based in Delhi and she goes, though first gracious instinct iswherever to distrust them and guard her my trisha being gupta so flippant appeals to middle upper middle-class vot- t@chhotahazri valuables.

Beauty and is something I don’t have throughout my girlhood. I hadn’t realised

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Colour blind Protesters burn an effigy of Union minister Giriraj Singh for his disparaging remarks on complexion ap; (below) most beauty parlours in India hardsell facials and bleaches to dark-skinned customers ch vijaya bhaskar

Change on the runway Nigeria’s Ugochi Igwilo is India’s first black model. Is the definition of beauty finally broadening?

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t’s a racist question. But one cannot help gles — they are asked to pay upfront before but ask Ugochi Igwilo, India’s first black meals in restaurants, denied entry to small model, “How many times do you get ap- shops and pubs, face housing troubles and are proached for drugs?” “I haven’t,” says the arbitrarily asked to show their passports in 23-year-old with a laugh. “Maybe it’s because public places. Like Igwilo, most people of colof the way I carry myself. Or because I have In- our living in India rely heavily on their frienddian friends.” ship with Indians to soothe daily turbulence.

Igwilo was a quiet surprise at the recentlySo Igwilo’s inclusion in a major fashion concluded Lakmé Fashion Week (LFW) in event is an important sign. She first came to Mumbai. She was first spotted at the opening Amity University in Noida to study interior deSabyasachi show — tall, lithe, determined jaw sign. “My father imports medical supplies to leading her strong walk. Then she was every- India and he suggested that I study here.” She where, with her bleached blonde, kinky, started modelling at college-level fashion closely cropped hair. shows. “In college, there was always exciteIgwilo, a Nigerian national, has been liv- ment around me,” she says. Her classmates ing in India for five-and-a-half years. She is and hostel mates were friendly, but she admits an important statement in a world that still she didn’t get asked out by Indian boys. She translucency orEuropean opacity? models Is it itswho relation equals beautiful.

Dark equals then how self-destructive self-deprecation relies on eastern can tosays,darkness.

“I think Fair it’s because Indian guys like to a dowry. could be. As I approached womanhood, as I pass truth, would it? Is it subterra-datehefty offasasKeats Indians.

Theyhave are the dominant Indian girls. It was not a problem.” Conis that have we assoamassed enough experience with being the notion nean, perceivable sagacious eyes?or Doestrarily,Our of beauty —only fair, to with dark brown we biggest know, amisconception Caucasian girl would ciatethem whiteness synonymous with lightit lie athair, the cusp between andand humility? subject of desire, I realised my only redemp- black sharp nosed, vanity soft jaw al- to fend off withasa chappal. have lost, in ourmodelling ignorance, is beauty only beeyes. defined tion against this deep-seated, nationwide prej- Must mond-shaped dark We by the beholder? ness. What we Igwilo started connotations inherent in it possibly be indigesomething more inher- the metaphysical udice was to embrace my blackness. That Or seecan them modelling when her parents persuaded the family word ‘light’.

What we society continued to see the world in shades of ent.

Can something be such beautinous clothing brands her. “My and friends toldhave forgotten areand thebeautiful, mystical inthere isWorld no oneand to admire black and white was the failure of humanity. ful as ifCotton W. me I am tall, thin They wanted me to beauty?

Can it be lived ferences word And I, too, was implicated, because I had inad- its They are omnipresent in as so I should giveredolent it a try,” in shethe says. understand that the In our Aryan-Dravidian vertently subscribed to that hegemony by nev- well as felt? function print and Is TVbeauty ads —ato sell After ‘black’. she completed her course, I, too, was implicated, market is run by light? hegemony, completeer questioning it, by allowing it to reduce me, ofskin and beauty products. she interned withwe anhave interior debecause I had European and Indian ly suppressed the mythical by permitting it to affect my otherwise equaFor years I’veas battled with They are just prolific onthe sign firm for two years and then siginadvertently subscribed models, so I don’t nificance words nimous state of being. However, if I embraced aphorism, the ramp. “Beauty is only skin returned on a of work visalike to kali re- or to the hegemony wonder why I am not by karuppu.

Tamil word my “unfortunate,” “inferior,” “undesirable” deep.”

Themay worldhave as it been exists awill India sumethe modelling professionally. never questioning it getting work “Is it difficult photograph notfriend, allow us the luxury and of enskin tone, I could let the light in. philosopher LFW operates with to two model skin?”

I asked a photogratertaining such a profound guide to Nelson Mande-bepoolsdark — one for the main show friend.

“It’s a question The lightness of being lief. A perfunctory glance at the la’s fight against Apararea, pher where the established de- of compensating exposure,” We all aspire to beauty, without adequately matrimonials testimony theid, butis its people to signers show; andtheanother he told me,which an answer thatcapsule was in collecsync with questioning its parameters. What constitutes the have fact that all prospective not been friendly to brides, Africansgrooms, liv- smaller area, exhibits theby reading I hadfor done online.

It depends a fair-skinned an object/subject’s beauty? Is it its context? Is and ingmothers-in-law here. People ofprefer the race are suspect-alli-tions designers online retailers, andalso on the he explained, theShe midday todrug duskier counterparts. dark-clothes it the zeitgeist of its time-bound existence? Is ance ed of dealing, violence and For piracy. by light, upcoming designers. triedsun, for for would a cricketer it subject to the vagaries of trends and shifting skinned women to stand anypresident chance in In March, Sharad Yadav, of thethe instance, first group and be wasunflattering selected. “I to think defromwant the West Indies playing a test match. they must theirsigners tastes? Is it its transience? Or its apparent marriage Janatabazaar, Dal (United), said ofdisguise south Insomething different,” she says. “Eithe white of his uniform dian women in the Rajya Sabha, Andther she you’d wouldbleach not beout wrong.

Igwilo’s stance, you’d darken hiselevated face. Youornate have toIndian compen“The women of the south are dark hairorand skin colour sate such the exposure,” reiterated.

His advice but they are as beautiful as their clothes, as AnamikaheKhanna’s bandhgala all the gravitas bodies.” The give-away conjunc- withhad a flouncy ghagra. of a maxim.

So much of how see what wewalked see is govtion is ‘but’.

Before venturing intowe Lakmé, Igwilo by unfiltered So much of how In 2008, two black cheer- the erned ramp for students ofprejudice. fashion colleges such we experience ourofown beautyTechnology. and appeal is leaders from the UK were ra- as National Institute Fashion determined by how we process external cially abused and prevented While model coordinators clamoured to bevalior their lackalways thereof.

We either err on from performing at an her dations agent, they were frank.

“The rethe was sidepositive of vanity, we wanted indulgeme in to excessive event connected to the In- sponse butorthey unhumility. ourselves unforgiving dian Premier League derstand thatWe theexpose market is run bytoEuropean andmodels, treat their of uswhy as truth.

Twenty20 tournament. andeyes Indian soassessments I don’t wonder I under-expose, believing weresident. are not worThe ‘N’ word was used. am Or notwe getting work,” says the Delhi platitudes.

A 2013 article by Mum- But thy forofnow Igwilo seems content with the If you’re dark-skinned you teach yourself bai Mirror trailed the limelight.

“LFW has just concluded.

We’ll to disregard city’s coloured resi- see...” she says.beauty entirely before you begin to think of it as light. “Light that shines through dents to witness parekh is a Mumbai-based writer from within,” the same photographer friend their daily strug- mitali once said.

As a dark-skinned woman writer and a fellow seeker of eternal truths, I’ve begun to think more and more of light and its corollaries. I’m slowly giving up the vain pursuit of beauty. I’m looking for wisdom instead.

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lakmé fashion week

rosalyn d’mello is a Delhi-based writer and editor

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Crossing the line Villagers try to chase away a herd of wild elephants near the Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary in Kurkuria village, about 45km from Guwahati. Elephants stray into villages in a desperate attempt to find food

saturday, april 11, 2015

Rude shock A forest guard displays the electric wire that killed this elephant while it was trying to enter a mustard field

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There will be blood A forest official with th h was electrocuted at Udaipur, a village that bo o Guwahati. The high-tension wires on fences

Fall of the giants In the tussle for survival between man and animal, Assam’s elephants are the worst hit

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uwahati enjoys a status that few Indian cities can boast of. It has one of the world’s highest concentrations of urban wildlife.

Sadly, little or nothing has been done to preserve the wildlife in and around the city.

Conservationists warn that doomsday for the city’s wildlife is only 10 years away, with the decade-old Guwahati Wildlife Division doing little to remedy the situation. Encroachment of forestland and unchecked spread of human habitation are pushing Guwahati’s 11 wildlife reserves to the brink.

It is a battle between two ‘beasts’ and, ironically, the odds are overwhelming against the one endowed with grace and grandeur: the elephant. More than 4,000 sqkm of reserve forest area in Assam is encroached upon. That leaves elephants little choice but to stray into human settlements.

Death express An elephant knocked dead by a train in Deepor Beel Wildlife Sanctuary, on the outskirts of Guwahati

The other big worry for elephants is the railways. Since 1987, more than 150 elephants have been killed in rail accidents across the country, many of them in Assam.

Most of these deaths have occurred near prime habitats, where the animals have been hit by trains at night or during poor visibility. Chances of survival are negligible when an elephant is hit by a passenger or goods train running at a wicked speed. Even a train travelling at 40kmph can kill a fullgrown elephant within minutes.

In the last six years, Assam has lost more than 40 elephants to poisoning, electrocution, train accidents and bullet injuries. This gruesome man-animal conflict is only likely to worsen unless drastic measures are taken by the state authorities. ritu raj konwar

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h he tusks of an elephant that o orders Rani forest outside kill many elephants

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saturday, april 11, 2015

Last rites A crane carries a dead elephant — electrocuted while foraging for food — near Guwahati

Final call Prayers and goodbye from villagers at Deepor Beel Wildlife Sanctuary

Railroad kill Villagers cover a dead elephant with salt in Kurkruia village. It was killed by a speeding train

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Black and white The market for fairness products in India benefits hugely from the demand for fair-skinned brides afp; (below) students in Bengaluru come together to protest the introduction of a ‘racist’ wax crayon — a shade of peachish pink labelled ‘skin’ colour k murali kumar

No religion, please Shazia Ilmi, seen here in a still from An Ordinary Election, repeatedly appealed to voters to see her as ‘just a citizen’ rather than a ‘Muslim face’

PICTURE THIS

Chasing politics Following Shazia Ilmi through the Delhi assembly election, a new documentary offers a glimpse into the struggles of theHues Aam Aadmi Party observation for most of my life, I know better and cry the privilege of taking as a given. It seems to trisha gupta

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than to let it get to me. The politically correct ‘dusky’ is an understatement when it comes to 2015 documentary An my skin alit tone.Vachani’s Mocha brown is more accurate.

Ordinary Election, shotout in the run-upI Its denseness makes me stand wherever to the 2013 Delhi assembly go. If random bystanders do notelections, call me politician Shaziabeauty,” Ilmi’s cam“blackie,”tracks “nigger,” “Kali,” “black “nepaign southMaa”, Delhi’s RK ask Puram gro” orin“Kali they meconstituency. if I’m either Screened lastSouth week in Mumbai, at from Kenya, India, or SriKolkata Lanka. and Once, least three different venues in the Capital, two women who were walking towards methe on film attracted an audience a street in Mumbai actuallylargely found comprising themselves activists, journalists anddrew academics.

Vain a quandary.

As they nearer,While they nochani couldmy notcolour have predicted it, the fact that ticed how resembled a black cat Ilmi left the Aamamount Aadmi of Party (AAP)manoeuin May and spent a fair energy 2014 joined BJPto in avoid January (after vringand their gait the so as my2015 crossing losing the RK seat narrowlywomen, to the BJP their path.

LikePuram these superstitious no contender) formstoan overarching frameselffor one knows what make of a confident, the way we view thewoman. film. And given that the aware dark-skinned much-publicised exit of at Yogendra Yadav and A year ago, at a dinner the Dhaka Art SumPrashant Bhushana French from the Executive mit, I recognised art AAP dealer I’d met Council was before taking in place the We week Vachani just a week Delhi. were both chose to screen his many sawpoolside it as a presstanding in front offilm, the bar at the tercient on theresidence.

AAP’s present. race atcomment The Samdanis’ From the start, we see Ilmi alone in a Me: I know you.when I met you in Delhi. seemingly emptyI room, being recorded for TV He: Of course. love your work. even she is recorded for Vachani’s film, itveis Me:as(Obviously flattered) Thanks. That’s clear that she a creature of the camera. As ry generous of is you.

TheHe: Economic Times recognised in a 2011 profile Don’t you also show in Paris? of Me: her, “being on TV isembarrassed) Ilmi’s core competence.”

(Now clearly Oh. You’ve Having worked a political mistaken me for as Mithu Sen. correspondent and news anchor for 15You years, Ilmi “isso not flusHe: Oh. I’m so sorry. both look alike. tered shout astwat,” loudly nec-I “Noby werudeness, don’t, youcan half-blind is as what essary gain theWe anchor’s attention, speaks shouldto have said. just share the same skin fast tone.and without gaps so that others can’t sneak in parallel commentary, appears have His observation was as daft as sayingtoKareeanacultivated disregard for Rai punditry, and has Kapoor and Aishwarya are doppelganthe capacity to smile beatifically the gers,rare or that all black people look alike;for it was entire the stupid, debate.”revealing deepracist, duration colourist,ofand We have had more occasions to watch seated predispositions to prejudice.

Just Ilmi like in and by Vachani shows her puttheaction recentsince, comment Union minister Giriraj ting impressive abilities to use onprivithe Singhthese about Sonia Gandhi’s white-skin campaign trail, continuing to hold the beatiflege that not only undermines everything she ic smile while being told by aaccomplish Vasant Vihar managed to independently asunan cle that she should haveher stayed a journalist, or outsider who adopted husband’s country hearing news of the her cause electoral defeat.

In a but also the evangelises of racial prejuQ&A after one Delhi screening,that Vachani said dice by targeting a nationality has often that considered tracking at least one other beenhe the victim of colourist aggression in Incandidate, fromthe another party, but dia. It is no perhaps surprise that Nigerian governfor various reasons, including budgetary conment feels insulted.

L

Singh’s callous remark was a startling remind- lie too disadvantageously in the eyes of beer that one’s inherited darkness becomes a holders. The entire advertising industry profstraints, decided to stick with Ilmi, he ers characteristic; a trait; something onewhom is identirang my truer for me her attempts to its from being not than acceptably beautiful, knew her student days atthe Jamia Millia Is- learn fied by.from It made me remember many times Tamil fromanomalously Tamil-speaking slum-dwellfrom my being dark.

I’m their lamia. now docu- ers, people(Vachani had come up teaches to me tocourses tell meon I looked which evoked anrefuses Indira to Gandhi of target consumer who buy in style to their mentary the University of Basu, Göttingen, politics. like either at Nandita Das or Bipasha What is harder to pinpoint — and yet spiel.

Ergo, I deserve all the humiliation Germany.)

But while makes good use of his crystal-clear as both of whom I bearhe absolutely you watch film — is how I face at theirthe expense, simply unfettered accessto towhatsoIlmi, and her ease before class operates as a dividing no resemblance withinpaid the parbecause line I actually atthe heme spends ever.camera, It forced to re-equal time talking to ty, causing invisible fractures that eventually tention in science class her three of different campaign managers and break the campaign, damaging call some the other Ilmi’slearned chancwhen we volunteers, lessons I’ve providing learned a rare picture of AAP es. We see the removal of two campaign manabout the properfrom the inside out — a point I shall return to. as a black-skinned agers. The first, OmendratiesBharat, an IIT of melanin.

A documentary feminist: like doesn’t have to lay out its ar- graduate and an inspired orator, is replaced guments a thesis does, which can be a by Siddharth (no last name), another how thelike conLaughtercomputthe strength. the two axes along which Vacha- er engineer, who lasts until a best junctive But ‘but’ TV sting shows medicine? ni’s interests can be used aslie a seemed clear to me: religion him willing to accept donations reHowwithout does one and class. Religion is perhaps the more obvi- ceipts. (The sting was later dismissed compensatory as manufight this socieous wordone, to given sting-that Ilmi, whose factured.) AnjanatalMehta, who predisposiname ing identifies effect her as Muslim, replaces Siddharth, comestoacross tion be was standing from a constituen[“You’re beautias a much-morecharacterised English-speakcy only 4.5 ful,where but dark” or per cent of the ing figure, whofirst dismisses both as black?

By What the film also population Muslim. AAP’s “You’re dark,isbut Omendra and Siddharth as “ponseeking refuge in catches, though, is choice was a rejection of vote you have great featificating” rather than working, humour?

When I Ilmi’s multifarious bank politics, Ilmi repeatedtures”].

The and otherand casts aspersions on their loyfirst decided to presentation ly appeals to voters wise simple act toofsee her as alty. Vachani captures the anger adopt this subversive of self ‘just a citizen’ rather thanIa ‘Musaccepting a compliment, of several volunteers believe policy, I did sowho at my own lim face’. continues What the film also realised, to be thatexpense. these decisions taken I laughedwere at myself. catches, though, is Ilmi’s cleverfraught with anxiety, mostly the undemocratically, including MoIt was the only way I could parly multifariousofpresentation of consequence my mother’s hanji, whoinstops working in proticipate the joke I was seen to self, in which references to dark biryani (cooked by test, only to return conditioning.

“You look so once leaves. be. So if Ilmi some eager friend one of her poorer by side in this colour,” sheconstituents) often said if Isit side One revealing disagreement breaks out wanted to take a photograph of Beauty is something I with project a “But subliminal Hindu woreremarks anythingthat non-pastel. over why Ilmi should called ‘Ma’am’ me afterbesunset, I’d laughrather it off don’t have the privilege worldview: adharm badh jaata as athan people have“Jab toldbahut me Izyada look nice

by It her first Gender, of course, is andname. tell them I would get camof taking given. hai, toh safai ke tareeke hain”.I In one revealin this [navy blue] hote dress,” the elephant in the room.

Ilmi talks of men’s ouflaged by the night sky.

“You seems to lie too ing scene, contradict disadvantageously a temple inabilityinto deal would saysheindoes mynotdefence. with a woman asflash,” boss. Omenneed a very strong I’d say. priest who says, “Brahmin prasann honge tohof beholders “They’re just saying that, they dra’s carload of is to entirely male Orcampaigners if I’d arranged meet an acthe eyes bhagwan honge (If Brahmins are and North Indian, don’t reallyprasann mean it,” she would while Siddharh quoted as quaintance that hadisyet to meet pleased, god will bethis pleased too)”. When she unselfconsciously assure me.

Multiply conversaying that whatever monme in the flesh, I’d tip him or then to whisper in his ear, “My ey he spends her sationleans by a over hundred such and on AAP, “it’s still cheaper off by telling them to than look mother-in-law Brahmin,” it is difficult not to dating girls”. AAP’s what you’re leftiswith is an inherbrilliantly 2015 for a tall and darkenergetic girl. Or I’d inthink of it as political opportunism, especially ent suspiciousness about any vocalised admi- campaign a party so astute about vent a storyrevealed about how some Goan ancestor of in the light Ilmi’s future ration — theofside-effect of aactions. now deep-seated class to successfully it theanunifying mine as must have had an make affair with African As for class, theone’s filmappearance, shows Ilmi which traversing insecurity about can election plank so many have failed at. Watchslave. Granted it was self-deprecating, to say the constituency of RK Puram, which make for highly stunted exchanges.

Soconsists when a ing though, one it the Vachani’s least, but film, as long as I was inworries charge that of the of middle-class jhuggis, stranger makesgovernment the effort to quarters, seek me out in a cannot prevent itself damage from being narrative, it couldn’t me.riven by it. as wellorasa posh self-possessed room streetcolonies. to tell meShe I’mis“beautiful,” my Years later, I still haven’t forgiven myself for is a writerinandmy criticself-deprecation based in Delhi and graciousiswherever she goes, though first instinct to distrust them and guard her my trisha being gupta so flippant appeals to middle upper middle-class vot- t@chhotahazri valuables.

Beauty and is something I don’t have throughout my girlhood. I hadn’t realised

Q

R Q R

BL

cover watch

saturday, april 11, 2015

Colour blind Protesters burn an effigy of Union minister Giriraj Singh for his disparaging remarks on complexion ap; (below) most beauty parlours in India hardsell facials and bleaches to dark-skinned customers ch vijaya bhaskar

Change on the runway Nigeria’s Ugochi Igwilo is India’s first black model. Is the definition of beauty finally broadening?

I

t’s a racist question. But one cannot help gles — they are asked to pay upfront before but ask Ugochi Igwilo, India’s first black meals in restaurants, denied entry to small model, “How many times do you get ap- shops and pubs, face housing troubles and are proached for drugs?” “I haven’t,” says the arbitrarily asked to show their passports in 23-year-old with a laugh. “Maybe it’s because public places. Like Igwilo, most people of colof the way I carry myself. Or because I have In- our living in India rely heavily on their frienddian friends.” ship with Indians to soothe daily turbulence.

Igwilo was a quiet surprise at the recentlySo Igwilo’s inclusion in a major fashion concluded Lakmé Fashion Week (LFW) in event is an important sign. She first came to Mumbai. She was first spotted at the opening Amity University in Noida to study interior deSabyasachi show — tall, lithe, determined jaw sign. “My father imports medical supplies to leading her strong walk. Then she was every- India and he suggested that I study here.” She where, with her bleached blonde, kinky, started modelling at college-level fashion closely cropped hair. shows. “In college, there was always exciteIgwilo, a Nigerian national, has been liv- ment around me,” she says. Her classmates ing in India for five-and-a-half years. She is and hostel mates were friendly, but she admits an important statement in a world that still she didn’t get asked out by Indian boys. She translucency orEuropean opacity? models Is it itswho relation equals beautiful.

Dark equals then how self-destructive self-deprecation relies on eastern can tosays,darkness.

“I think Fair it’s because Indian guys like to a dowry. could be. As I approached womanhood, as I pass truth, would it? Is it subterra-datehefty offasasKeats Indians.

Theyhave are the dominant Indian girls. It was not a problem.” Conis that have we assoamassed enough experience with being the notion nean, perceivable to sagacious eyes?orDoestrarily,Our of beauty —only fair, with dark brown we biggest know, a misconception Caucasian girl would ciatethem whiteness synonymous with lightit lie athair, the cusp between andand humility? subject of desire, I realised my only redemp- black sharp nosed, vanity soft jaw al- to fend off withas a chappal. have lost, in ourmodelling ignorance, is beauty only beeyes. defined tion against this deep-seated, nationwide prej- Must mond-shaped dark We by the beholder? ness. What we Igwilo started connotations inherent in it possibly be indigesomething more inher- the metaphysical udice was to embrace my blackness. That Or seecan them modelling when her parents persuaded the family word ‘light’.

What we society continued to see the world in shades of ent.

Can something be such beautinous clothing brands her. “My and friends toldhave forgotten areand thebeautiful, mystical inthere isWorld no oneand to admire black and white was the failure of humanity. ful as ifCotton W. me I am tall, thin They wanted me to beauty?

Can it be lived ferences in the word And I, too, was implicated, because I had inad- its They are omnipresent in as so I should giveredolent it a try,” she says. understand that the In our Aryan-Dravidian vertently subscribed to that hegemony by nev- well as felt? function print and Is TVbeauty ads —ato sell After ‘black’. she completed her course, I, too, was implicated, market is run by light? hegemony, completeer questioning it, by allowing it to reduce me, ofskin and beauty products. she interned withwe anhave interior debecause I had European and Indian ly suppressed the mythical by permitting it to affect my otherwise equaFor years I’veas battled with They are just prolific onthe sign firm for two years and then siginadvertently subscribed models, so I don’t nificance words nimous state of being. However, if I embraced aphorism, the ramp. “Beauty is only skin returned on a of work visalike to kali re- or to the hegemony wonder why I am not by karuppu.

Tamil word my “unfortunate,” “inferior,” “undesirable” deep.”

Themay world as it been exists awill India have sumethe modelling professionally. never questioning it getting work “Is it difficult photograph notfriend, allow us the luxuryand of enskin tone, I could let the light in. philosopher LFW operates with to two model skin?”

I asked a photogratertaining such a profound guide to Nelson Mande-bepoolsdark — one for the main show friend.

“It’s a question The lightness of being lief. A perfunctory glance at the la’s fight against Apararea, pher where the established de- of compensating exposure,” We all aspire to beauty, without adequately matrimonials testimony theid, butis its people to signers show; andtheanother he told me,which an answer thatcapsule was in collecsync with questioning its parameters. What constitutes thehave fact not thatbeen all prospective friendly to brides, Africansgrooms, liv- smaller area, exhibits thebyreading I hadfor done online.

It depends a fair-skinned an object/subject’s beauty? Is it its context? Is and ingmothers-in-law here. People ofprefer the race are suspect-alli-tions designers online retailers, andalso on the he explained, theShe midday todrug duskier counterparts. dark-clothes it the zeitgeist of its time-bound existence? Is ance ed of dealing, violence and For piracy. by light, upcoming designers. triedsun, for for would a cricketer it subject to the vagaries of trends and shifting skinned women to stand any chance in In March, Sharad Yadav, president of thethe instance, first group and be wasunflattering selected. “I to think defromwant the West Indies playing a test match. they must theirsigners tastes? Is it its transience? Or its apparent marriage Janatabazaar, Dal (United), said ofdisguise south Insomething different,” she says. “Eithe white of his uniform dian women in the Rajya Sabha, Andther she you’d wouldbleach not beout wrong.

Igwilo’s stance, you’d darken hiselevated face. Youornate have toIndian compen“The women of the south are dark hairorand skin colour sate such the exposure,” reiterated.

His advice but they are as beautiful as their clothes, as AnamikaheKhanna’s bandhgala all the ghagra. gravitas of a maxim. bodies.” The give-away conjunc- withhad a flouncy So much of how see what wewalked see is govtion is ‘but’.

Before venturing intowe Lakmé, Igwilo ernedfor by unfiltered So much of how In 2008, two black cheer- the ramp students ofprejudice. fashion colleges such we experience ourofown beauty and appeal is leaders from the UK were ra- as National Institute Fashion Technology. determined by how we process external cially abused and prevented While model coordinators clamoured to bevalior their lack thereof.

We either err on from performing at an her dations agent, they were always frank.

“The rethe was sidepositive of vanity, we wanted indulgeme in to excessive event connected to the In- sponse butorthey unhumility. unforgiving dian Premier League derstand thatWe theexpose marketourselves is run bytoEuropean andmodels, treat their of uswhy as truth.

Twenty20 tournament. andeyes Indian so assessments I don’t wonder I Or we under-expose, believing weresident. are not worThe ‘N’ word was used. am not getting work,” says the Delhi platitudes.

A 2013 article by Mum- But thy for of now Igwilo seems content with the If you’re dark-skinned you teach yourself bai Mirror trailed the limelight.

“LFW has just concluded.

We’ll to disregard city’s coloured resi- see...” she says.beauty entirely before you begin to think of it as light. “Light that shines through dents to witness parekh is a Mumbai-based writer from within,” the same photographer friend their daily strug- mitali once said.

As a dark-skinned woman writer and a fellow seeker of eternal truths, I’ve begun to think more and more of light and its corollaries. I’m slowly giving up the vain pursuit of beauty. I’m looking for wisdom instead.

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lakmé fashion week

rosalyn d’mello is a Delhi-based writer and editor

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Everyone plays a part Immersive opera Clive & Other Stories, designed by Nayantara Kotian andreas grieger; (inset) Aruna Ganeshram’s Re:Play explores mythology, history and current affairs through traditional Indian games

PRESENT IMPERFECT

No denying Delhi’s racism

single date. That is the difference between

for anby hour, Delhi’s veneration for the white skin — and abhorrence of the blackwatching — is theatre exposed itsor immersing yourself in a daylong, nightlong, or monthhypocritical reaction to Giriraj Singh’s comment on Sonia Gandhi’slong complexion piece of alternative reality.”

That includes the use of realistic space and design, as well as multi-sensory elements. The audience gets to decide the course of the performance and the interpretation, becoming co-creators in the process. In Ganeshram’s Re:Play, for instance, themes from Indian mythology, history and contemporary events were explored through traditional Indian games such as Lagori (seven stones) and Paramapadam (snakes and ladders). At different points, the audience became players.

“For some, the play triggered pure nostalgia, for others it was about power-play and bureaucracy. Some also interpreted it as the bigger game of politics where citizens are pawns,” says the director. Grover seconds this: “When people with different backgrounds, histories and prejudices participate, an expespotinKhirki rience isBlack created which there are multiple Extension, a narratives, collisions of philosophies, impasneighbourhood in sioned claims being made on versions of New Delhi, grabbed truth,” he says. last year headlines when AAP minister

Bharti Theatre Somnath of possibilities conducted Immersive theatrea also presents a radical alraid at a ternativemidnight to traditional proscenium theatre, house rented by a which, apart from having a passive audience, group of Nigerians ahlawat can also meeta be classist.

“In a proscenium setup, more money ometime last month, I was in the Delhi street, the fact that you could go to a restau- ism, it seemsatofront-row me that people make the means seat. Lesser, andmost you are metro when a woman of African ori- rant where no guns went off, that no one killed of their collective orderistoa behave pushed to thestrength balcony.inThere politics begin entered the compartment. She you because of road rage, robbed you because worse than they otherwise would.

If they areaudihind immersive theatre: you treat your walked in – tall, lithe, dressed in a it was dark and the streetlights were predict- so bad here, how would neighbours ence equally.

Therethey is be noasneed to put the printed long top and a pair of jeans, head- ably off, or raped you because well, you hap- or employers of on black people?pedestal either,” says performer a higher phones wedged firmly into her ears, and stood pened to be there. While these are all events What contrasts this abhorrence Delhiites Deepan Sivaraman, director and scenograjust inside the door, leaning on the silver pole. that have a fairly reasonable statistical proba- openly demonstrate to the Portuguese black community pher, who is adapting writer Jose A hundred pairs of unblinking eyes in the bility, the one thing I find myself constantly is their veneration of white skin.inThere once Saramago’s novel Blindness the immersive compartment were lodged on her, some being grateful for is the fact that I am not a was format. a noticeThe in story my building advertising has people in a townan slowly mouths hanging a little open, some noses black person riding the metro. The abject and apartment to let.

After listing thedisease. size, the losing sight from an unknown The aucrinkled in disgust. unapologetic racism the city demonstrates ev- viewsdience and the of its woodwork, theplay, will beauty be blindfolded for most of the The girl, perhaps a veteran of many such ery day is so disturbing that it is impossible to landlord had usedita through large, bold fontother to add, experiencing their senses. rides, kept her eyes on her phone and did not do anything but swallow the potent anger ris- “Past tenants were all also foreigners”.

At a by dinner They will be guided the perlook up once. At the next station, when a seat ing in you. with a neighbour that week, formers.

“Blindness is notI just became available, she walked over and sat When the middle-class, edumentioned andable laughed aboutthe notnote being to see; it down. Immediately, the two people on either cated, employed occupants of at the has notion that philosophical someone a deeper side of her sprang up and walked away to an- the metro compartment lock would rent a place purely the play relevance, whichforthe The one thing I find photograph moment captured, other corner. People noddedis atathem, companin spaces ranging theirances eyes with each other over privilege ofwill using the same loos bring out,” he explains. myself constantly a fragment of and the past relived. The ionably, sympathetically squeezed from cafes and homes to the alarming presence of a black that a foreigner hasseveral previously While immerbeing grateful for is of it, however, often themselves andmemory eked out some placeison the hazy garages, this format co-it is person in the compartment, used. One sive personproductions at the partyhave the fact that I am not — whatthe ledtwo. to it, seat to accommodate Thewhat blackhappened girl with opts the audiences.

With an utter lack of self-conquipped, “For all you know, the leaned towards a politicala black person riding then, whatemptily happened afterwards? there sciousness. a no concept sat on, looking in front of her. AsIs the of ainstage eiI have, the past, foreigner might have been a nephilosophical exploration the metro behind picture? trainstory stopped andevery started, many people got triedther, thea point old theatrical to make by getting gro!” Everyone laughed. He spotof contemporary society, In would 2013, theatre director and designer Aruna on. Most race to the two empty seats contract isgoing broken. off my seat and and sitting ted the odd Kotian taps unsmiling, into her childcreated a playaway. titledFinally, a at the vacant spot next and, Ganeshram on seeing the girl, slink “Immersive to the perdiscomfited and explained, hood face fascination with science Visual aimed woman whoRespiration, looked to which be in her 60s, simply son, but it only gets theatre peoplecombines scam“Arre,fiction. because they is are also ‘for“There a myth that scito bring images to “Wea seat go pering for the seat couldn’t bear still the thought of life. letting the Irealism of film, vacated, eigners’ no?” making elaborate beence fiction is ‘unstageable’ took a bunchherself of photographs waste.

She perched right at the edge of making it even more the liveness theatre andto air quotescause obviousofand hurtful around the word it calls for tooforeigner. great a suspension of In a proscenium and in projected onto ourfrom the the person they are the seat, a cornerthem farthest away theshunning interactivity of gaming. purely on the The Alldisbelief of this is thethe reason I was baffled acclimalast from viewer.

Audiences, setup, more money bodies, andbody we told the stories of her. I basis of the colouraudience girl, her whole turned away from of skin. have the agency to weektised at the people felt when to outrage the visualthat effects of films, expecta that means a front-row converting can’t those be surephotographs, but it looked like she was holding choose ownitnarrative, I write about the metrotheir because seems to and videofrom showed Singh, BJP’sImmersive minister for sci-fiGiriraj theatre as well. makes seat. In immersive the digital analogue,” she her breath.

When to at last the girl alighted, you me that if there ishence theyplace are in participants ever any this city in micro, small and medium this possible to a greatenterprises, extent,” shesaying, says. theatre you treat your took theairaudience on a couldsays. feel Itthe very in the compartment control.

Thisto aspect very empowhere people seem to be able leaveisbehind “if RajivSivaraman, Gandhi had a Nigerian lady, beonmarried the other hand, strongly audience equally across heavejourney a sigh of relief.countries, Strangersstreets looked at each their prejudices and wering,” says Nayantara Kotian, bad habits, it is in the airsomeone Conlievesnot thatwhite-skinned, “theatre is the would kind ofthe place where immersed in not otherand andspaces, smiled.

It felt like we’djust survived a conditioned coachwho currently seeking crowdof aismetro compartment. gressyou have her aslife, its and leader?” the an- it re-look whenBecause life is performed, the sights sounds but also gunman.

Or the and plague. funding herlitter, sci-fipeople immersive No one spits, there is very for little swerneeds is no, forget political party, one in Illuto be any as experiential as no possible. smell, taste and “That is you end willingly and smilingly Living in Delhi, it is touch. inevitable that play Bliss of Solitude. the el- this country accommodate would have heramaze as leader. sionist theatre might you,And likewe magic. when the idea of immersive up making a significantly long list oftheatre things hapMaking the observation that in life we—transderly, the disabled and the delicate.

Kids all know thatisvery well. With our gasps of disBut life not magic, it’s real.” pened,” says for Ganeshram. you are grateful every day. A typical one however form unruly slowly, not suddenly, Amitesh Grover, as— are indulged.

Pregnant belief and calls the minister’s head, who are While thefortemplates for inspiration would involve thanks for not being run over women sistant professor School of are given seats.atInthe the National metro at least, are we kidding? many, the desired outcome is always a fasciBreaking fourth walla signal and thun- the average by a public busthe that jumped Drama,Delhi-ite invites people themselves aspirestotoimmerse be a better pernating experience. Just the right amount of t@veenavenugopal the linesdirection betweeninperformer deredBlurring down the wrong a one-way and fullynot into thedoes time-expansive events he cre- magic to keep it both real son. But, only this not extend to racand exciting. spectator, immersive theatre is pushing the ates. “Think of a long-term relationship or roboundaries of innovation. Locating perform- mantic love, and how that is different from a niharika mallimadugula

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Caught in the act Audience meld into the cast, as immersive theatre comes to a cafe, a home, even a garage near you

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Veena Venugopal is editor BLink and author of The Mother-in-Law

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Dark and prejudice P

erched on what could easily substitute as a gynaecologist’s chair — legs splayed, hands spread outwards against each arm rest, dress hitched high enough to barely cover my delicates — I READER'S DIE JEST suddenly encountered the extent of my darkness. It wasn’t the state of almost nakedness that prompted this unprecedented discovery.

The two women on either side of my body made a fair contribution. The one on my right lifts the powder puff from its receptacle and rubs it over my ankle. The talc contrasts sharply against my skin, like a shock of whipped cream over a thick layer of caramel. “Arms pehle karte hain,” said the woman on my left. A firm now infamilies, place, both women proCB sir, I have come up with killer app J: Sir! Sugar means kiss. You didn’t know? for strategy middle-class because you to first spread idea. We had science fiction all this time, CB (sotto voce): This fellow seems to know ceeded shouldn’t borrow to…hot wax over my skin, afhaving sufficiently powdered it, and then no? I have introduced commerce more than I do about the youth. I’d better terCB: Yes yes yes yes I KNOW! ripJ:itHa offha with a white removing, in fiction. watch out. sir, you havepaper sensestrip, of humour.

I have process, all the unwanted that CB: J, my friend, I am very tired after acquirJ: There’s a little sex also but only after the the noticed in your books.

But sir,hair sorry to had say sprouted its surface.

At from least your two ing readers with my books and then writing day’s work is done. readers areacross not learning enough had passed I was newspaper columns to feed them with my CB: All right, J, tell me the story. I need to see books. Youngmonths people need to learnsince about job lastno?deforested, whichMymeant ideas. You will have to explain what commerce how much your book has in common with and industry, Also business. book was a fair amount of hair to fiction is. mine. My lawyers need to see it even more teaches themthere about real estate business. off.who Thetake women performed J: You see, CB sir, you have opened my eyes to than I do.

Also aboutpull MBAs too many risks. the should procedure simultaneously; the need to target youth aspirations through J: This is the chance I was waiting for, CBusually sir. Also that women not be too ambitious, I am asked each one adopting my books. Everyone wants to be engineer, except So Manav, you see, is a Gujarati. Money do soft jobs and then marry one menside whooflove one and of two but things: and despite their dexterity, in Gujarat. Here everyone wants to be rich and business before all. Also after all. Have to be bleach them,my thoughbody, not as much as they love money. to either mysir,cutaneous nerves smarted eat rich vegetarian food. What will they study something in life, no? But earthquake. to do, CB I have to tell truth only. face or get a What fairnessfrom each you! erasure.

When orthen? Commerce, obviously. The big mission CB: What?

CB: I said that before Naukri aurthe chhokinducing facial deal wasitfinally of their lives is to become CA. My hero Manav J: Gujarat earthquake. Deri! I said first! over, the woman onJ:my wiped eachguiding of my Modi’s also. stroys home. Plus his father has Yes right sir, you are my limbs with aAlthough wet clothsirbefore CB: (Taking notes furiously) Manav Modi made fatal mistake of borrowlight only. you baptising mehave withdone astringent.

My comes from a middle-class family and is tal- ing money to invest. I tell you, CB should not MBA. See skinto gleamed. ented but has no godfathers? Am I right? He’s sir, if you borrow…

Everyone wants be what Deepak does. Siddharth It was later him in the a bath that head over heels in love with a girl who believes CB: Yes yes, go on. asmiddle CEO forofnew project. engineer, except in onlyhires realised this wasDeepak my most pleasant experiin him but is also ambitious herself, am I J: So the boy is about to beAnd breaks the law, just Gujarat. IHere enceto tobe date at a beauty parlour.

As Ithings revelled in right? He loves his parents and they have diffi- come insurance agent, his everyone wants like his father.

These run therich silken feel of my waxed actually culties that threaten to break his dream of be- dream of becoming a CA is shatin the family.

Andbody, then IUrvi is in rich and eat Apart from she my has epiphany about coming a CA, am I right? tered. But miracle happens and in which become very vegetarianwore food.a smile.PR, thestudy density and extent my darkness, J: CB sir! How do you know all this? his father’s debt is paid off. First good, and ofthere is briberythere and What will they was nothing exceptional about this particular CB: Because I’ve read the books I write and U-turn. Now the boy gives up evcorruption and lawbreaking, then? Commerce session, which precisely and whatDeepak made go it exI’m familiar with their plots. erything except food — even andisSiddharth to traordinary. Perhaps women were tooreseaJ: Jai Shri Krishna. You are my inspiration. You that, sometimes — to study for jail, and the Manav comes to the ger to have lunch to be their usual recognised the title? The 3 U-Turns of My Life. his CA exams. cue and becomes CEO.inquisitive And Krishselves, or perhaps it was that they had mistakCB: This conversation is turning out to be Then he does so well and bena saves him.

Second U-turn. meReligion? for a married (I was wearing the fourth mistake of MY life. comes article in CA firm. Then his boss gives enCB: You’vewoman put in religion also? (Toa and aThis bindi when I had come in an hour J: But sir, I have to tell you, you were wrong him a proposition to go to Bangalore and help sari himself) fellow is dangerous. an appointment, to study for an MBA. MBAs are ruining India. a real estate company start a business abroad. before J: Ohto no,make sir. Krishna is Manav’s something friend. But asked me about later). Under normal cirAlways selling, exaggerating, taking big risks. But before that there are funny scenes. Then they Jai Shri Krishna. cumstances, 10 third minutes into Don’t beingtell waxed, See, Manav is orthodox, cautious, and pru- he succeeds. Learns to apply gel in hair also.

CB: And the U-turn? me, I The I live in Rosalyn D’Mello at her wanting Delhi residence gaur CFO’s daughter Rhea falls in love with am usually asked two things: to either dent.skin And Deepak is in a hurry, to pallaviPlus know already.

Urvione hasofvanished.

Manav finds my last face,page. or get a fairness-inducing famake money by any means. An MBA. And him. But he loves Urvi. So he gives Rhea some bleach her on the “Look at yourknow skin,everything it’s all tanned,” oneI probably non-veg also. sugar before returning to Ahmedabad and cial.

J: You already sir. But So, CB sir, I have found new demographic. I passing exam and going to Mumbai with job, such wrote“professional” epilogues also.once told me. “That’s the of my skin, an youepileptic idiot,” isfitwhat wanted have written basically commerce fiction. Ev- also because you can make most money in In- colour CB: I am getting also.I Jai MBA. to (This say. Instead, waxed against eryone in my book is either studying to be a dia in Mumbai. monthlyI placed columnone helps you arm talk about a to show the it.) colours matched.

CA, or is already a CA, or is in finance, or simply CB: (gasping) Commerce fiction. I get it now. my bookface without havingher to read wants to make money. But only commerce. No J: Then in Mumbai, son of owner of compa- “Your whole body is tanned,” she said, now arunava sinha translates and contemporary “We can make classic it lighter.” science. No love also, and a little sugar. ny where Manav works wants to build flashy alarmed. fictionput andup non-fiction into English t@arunava Having with this manner of inane CB: Sugar? They have blood-sugar? condos. Siddharth. But Manav wants homes Bengali

Avoid U-turns

A ‘commerce’ fiction that you should not invest your time and money in

arunava sinha

J:

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The 3 U-Turns Of My Life Jitendra Srishti Books ₹195

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Crude talk from politicians about complexion is just one angle of the endemic colour prejudice in India. For a self-aware dark-skinned woman, the struggle often begins at home and continues to even salons and bus-stops

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Ear to the ground reality

tions of “the rings that divided and ruled the city… the movement of money involving placement, concealment and laundry.” But it is also deeply invested in its characters — JW the social climber, Mrado the crazed Serbian thug and Jorge, a Latino convict on the run.

And that is the biggest strength of Lapidus.

He knows his characters. Not by pilfering the traits and personalities of his clients, but by probing the question ‘why do people choose crime?’ In interview after interview, he has recounted the exact incident that sparked off his writing Three young acqueries,”career.

Shukla says.

Onemen of had herbeen major cused of armedisrobbery were facing long achievements a weeklyand phone-in show with prison sentences.

At “Where the endgetting of the direct trial, the the district collector. acjudge them, “Where do you see yourself cess toasked the collector is virtually impossible, in years?”

Hevillagers wanted to to share checktheir whether ourfive show enables conthey themselves as upright citicernsenvisioned with him, one-on-one,” says the proud zens.

Instead of answering they stood upduin station manager, as she efficiently juggles their andthe guards had to hold them ties atchairs home and workplace. down. They said, “You don’t understand anything.

This is the only way to live a life.”

Hear the woman’s voice For the Lapidus judge’s incomprehension From dusty the terrain of western UP to Azamsmacked society’s ignorance the garh on itsofeastern border, anotherabout inspiring crime ThatSeema nightBharti he gotSrivastava, home and stationworld. manager, is started explains, go towaves. my jobShe at creatingwriting. quite aHe stir on the “I radio nine in the morning, they go at nineLucknow at night. left her cushy job at All India Radio They commit is something to become thecrime.

‘VoiceThis of Azamgarh’ on they 90.2 choose.

This is how theydecided make their MHz. “Very early on, I had that Iliving. wantThese are normal peopleallow in some ed a career that would me sense…” to influence Lapidus ‘normalises’ the criminals of Anhis real progress,” she says. Broadcasting from world by giving them the richstation family lives.

In Easy jaan Shaheed village, has enabled Money, if JW is obsessed with finding his misher to understand the people of Azamgarh, sing sister Camilla,athen Mrado is desperate to widely considered hotbed of extremist activget his hesitant daughter.toThese people ities.custody “InitiallyofI was relocate, but might be moving cocaine and smashing soon realised my fears were unfounded.

Alskulls against sinks,isbut they are also vulnerathough the milieu conservative — they were ble to theto pulls home. shocked seeof a family single and woman living alone This emphasis on character is also and not observing the purdah — Lapidus’s everyone method to move away thebecause typical Icrime eventually warmed upfrom to me gave fiction trope.

He to says, wanted to lives take and the them the chance talk“Iabout their adha Shukla (43) cannot remember ment has allocated ₹100 crore under a Plan Scandinavian tradition the issues close(crime to theirfiction) heart,” she says. and the last time she took a holiday. “It’s Scheme to provide infrastructure support to turn 180 degrees.”Srivastava There are identifies no cops ingenhis Notit surprisingly, so long since I celebrated a festival upcoming stations, he says. books.

Theseas aren’t whodunits premised on der disparity a major problem in the region. with my family. But I don’t mind; my “Be it women’s empowerment, disaster discovering the murder and motive.

Instead “Girls can’t move around without restrictions, work is important,” she insists. management, education or health, this sector they capture conflagration when health different talk freely on the subjects like menstrual or Courts, cases Koshti and pages Bestselling author Jensas Lapidus’s nextbeen courtable case deals with identity theft To Shanta (50), the years spent a has to spread awareness,” says R worlds Sweden, Lapidus elaborates, is hope tocollide. stay in school beyond Class VIII. I try to anna-lena ahlstrom poorly-paid beedi worker seem like another Jaya, joint secretary in the Ministry. atalk society that in statusdramas quo. Unlike in about thebelieves biases through or dislifetime. “At present, my entire focus is on moRecently, Shukla, Koshti and Gandhimathi the US, where climb up the cussions, and people I am starting to and see adown definite tivating people to stand up for their rights. On were among the representatives from nearly social in Sweden “you stay where you shift inladder, the mindset,” she—adds. an average, I spend three to four days every 165 community radio stations who had gath- belong”. as JW in Easyfor Money Koshti Characters is bringingsuch people together creweek travelling around villages, and my fam- ered in the Capital to discuss their role in tak- fascinate him as they attempt to “create a camative problem-solving through ‘Rudi No Raily is supportive of my decision,” she says. ing good governance to the people. The ouflage, in…and accepted.” dio’, runto fit under thebeaegis of SEWA (Self Happy to help local women farmers uncov- occasion was the Fifth National Community Employed But Lapidus isn’t one to pick philoWomen Association) at apart Manipur viler their inherent abilities and gain self-confi- Radio Sammelan, jointly organised by the sophical questions district, with hisGujarat. clients.People His perlage in Ahmedabad in dence, G Gandhimathi (43) says it is “very Ministry of Information and Broadcasting sonal understanding of justice is legal 40 villages tune in to 90.4 MHz for daily rather shows gratifying when someone comes up to me and and the non-profit OneWorld than moral. He very clear: courts likemakes Saptarangi, which“the showcases appreciates my efforts”.

Foundation India. Rajiv Tikoo, should not and not interested in justice or folkaremusic, and Vadlo Bole Che, Shukla, Koshti and Gandhimathi are no or- Director of OneWorld Foundatruth. Courtswhere deal with what can elders be proved… community share dinary women. They rule the airwaves in rural tion India, points out that “one Being a defence you defend this and systheirlawyer life experiences.

Koshti India and have a finger on the pulse of their lo- doesn’t have to be literate to eitem. And thisher system is supposed be afrom just all-woman teamto go Seema Bharti cal community. As managers of their respec- ther set up a radio station or crelawyerlytoability to stay clear of hamlet for content.

Srivastava system.” left her His hamlet e meet in Slussen, side posterior of athat city connects intrigue him If Stocktive community radio stationsa posh in Uttar ate content withmore. is probably he is child a popular “Lack of highwhy schools, marcushy job at judgements All India is one of the is safest capitals world, Stockholm, dotted with holm Pradesh, Gujaratofand Tamil Nadu, they don’t the people.

What essential is in the writerthe amongst thedrug underworld.

Hisamong books the are riage, addiction Radio to become says commitment.” it is also one of the most ‘Voice segregatboutique and travers- Lapidus mind trading ‘normal life’shops, for an opportunity passion and also the mostDurbar borrowed in the prison library community and caste diof Azamgarh’ by men in sneakers and ed.Shukla “If youhas are no in Slussen will see mostly to make a real ed difference inred society.

“I have dearth you of eisystem.

An undercover cop, working mainly vide are just some of the serious on 90.2 MHz Butofif you take the on drugs, once women in artisanal clothing. you2009 haveand the ethnically been running a radio station “If since ther. The Swedish Station people.

Manager told him that every they problems around here,”time she says.

Taliban on one say side, then the other you get offineight can confidently that it is on truly a medium of tube ‘Waqtand Ki Awaaz’ Bairystations Dariyaosouth or nine made a bust, orListeners broke into with warina58house villages of aThanwilldistrict think have Slussen,” Lapidus.

It issustainaa catchy stations the masses andsays canJens aid in achieving village innorth Kanpuryou Dehat rant a gangTamil member infondly south javurof district, Nadu, are in Somaliahas or the Middle statement and onesays thatKoshti. sets up the world in you ble development,” of Uttar Pradesh no qualms Stockholm they would findMadtwo refer to Gandhimati as “FM extremes. If the Taliban with its draconian re- East. is each builtday on on is- her Scooty to am”. The Periyar aboutStockholm riding 33km things — the poster of Almotto Pacino Community Radio’s is either on“The the station isgime exists on the extreme right, then on the lands.

Tune in to empowerment reach You her are workplace. can be “Think-Innovate-Transform”. from Scarface on the and one “Wewall broadcast Stockholm is built on other you have of Swethe island.

Theproduce news the success stories Of theside country’s 179neighbourhoods community radio sta- land heardorinoutside 300 villages and we of hisofbooks onfarmers the shelf.

This women as examislands. You are are very clear be- in Awadhi ples of emancipation den, this, where inclusion and freetions,such someasbroadcast to the most remote and boundaries magazines, quiz shows and—dramas troubled and Lapidus because Adhe empowerment. either on the island or water dom are lived Here is cause backward areas.principles.

The decision to everyone give educadialect.ofOur focus—is socially on healthand and agriculture, ditionally, we doesinterview not wish experts to be accused of on new outside the island decidedly equal. Lapidus, of children he says, slowly tional institutions licencesfather to set up commu- psychologically,” which makes us very popular with female lis- innovations in glamourising agriculture,”violence. she says. What he aged seven, stations five and 13 two, says ago that was herelater you sipping nity radio years teners,” his shecoffee. says. is guilty of isisstriving being authentic Each of these women to achievetoa will be greeted disdain you dareorganikeep a Author of the Stockholm Noir such as fre- common good. extended to civilwith society and if voluntary Despite operational challenges details and true to life.

And if“The his As Shukla signs off aptly, his profession nanny even the hirefirst helpstation to spring clean. sations.orSince went on air in Trilogy, quent Lapidus power in failures and financial con- true potential reader, sitting in his/her armof community radio will be rehis fiction, delvesone intolive worlds Forty-year-old Lapidus however not inter- and 2004, the sector has flourished all is the way. straints, she manages showthat per seem week chair, for hisgain characters then he alisedfeels whenempathy rural women the confidence ested in this all-too-perfect face — which and the un-Scandinavian to the outside world. In conEasy believes Bimal Julka, secretary, Information and produces seven hours of engaging he has succeeded as a writer. to ask questions — of themselves, of their com(2006), with the first the trilogy, he munity, rest of the world looks up to with disbe- Money Broadcasting Ministry, says, “The equal community tent together herpart five ofteam members.

(The author was ingovernment.

Stockholm onWe the invitation and their can then lief and aspirationhas — ofemerged Sweden. as As aancriminal bareisthe anatomy of the for criminal world, of radio movement impor- lays “Health a major concern the women. the Swedish Institute.) proudly say our work here is done.” merely thehow crime. book is abrasive defence lawyerfor and crime fictioninformation writer, the and tant medium disseminating Theynot don’t know to The access government nairvyas Women’s Feature Service bhanu priya cusses, with action and all descripworld of drugs, psyche of theThe mafia, the with to people in theirthe own language.” governschemes, so dizzy we patiently address their nandini

Women running community radio stations in some of the most backward parts of the country are stirring the locals to action, catalysing change and development

Her megahertz Heard in 58 villages of Thanjavur district, Tamil Nadu, Periyar Community Radio airs programmes that reinforce the social impact of poverty alleviation efforts, and promote women’s health and education.

courtesy: periyar community radio

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City of borders

Crime writer and criminal defence lawyer Jens Lapidus on the social fissures in Sweden and the workings of the mafia

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One last cuppa

Hungry for change Jesse van de Zand and Apeksha Porwal (in the foreground), cofounders of Janta Meals, dine at an outlet in Sheetla Mata Mandir, Gurgaon; (below) mechanised vegetable slicers cut time and labour at the centralised kitchen; (bottom) the lowpriced meal is popular with several schools in Gurgaon janta meals

Secunderabad is set to lose some old-world flavour with the demise of Garden, a restaurant much loved for its Irani chai and dum biryani

Counting days The 70-year-old restaurant in Secunderabad; (right) Kazim Bhai, owner of Garden nagara gopal

Pocket-friendly people’s meal

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ecunderabad, Hyderabad’s twin city, is door. “This spot has always been an adda (hanthe lesser-known, oft-ignored shy sib- gout), since the time of the British. They used ling. But the quieter twin has a charm to stay in the cantonment area, and on their of its own — a medley of old and new, way to visit the Nizam at Falaknuma and back, coexisting in harmony. But sometimes they they would stop here for a tea break.” Of clash, as they inevitably must, when a spank- course, the chai served here is a far cry from ing new metro rail snakes into its laidback in- the delicate teas that the English swear by. anoj casualty Mahto, a is rickshaw puller in “Not nards. The first the 70-year-old It was fact,masquerading who had first felt likeAgarwal, the hot in water as the tea Gurgaon’s Dhanwapur area, need Garden Restaurant. for such nutritious hygienically prethey serve in star hotels,”and scoffs Kazim bhai.

At spends connecting ₹30 for histhe lunch The metro section busyevery Jubi- pared running his Garden,affordable the milk ismeals boiledwhile to one-third its volThat fetches him hygienicallee bus-standday. to the railway station near Falak- NGO, Aravali Sikanderpur Basti. ume and gainsScholars, a reddishin tint before it is added ly prepared ricethrough and vegetables numa Palacedal, willchapattis, cut straight what is When Zand in at 2013, latter look- every drunken escapade of his would end at to the he teamet decoction thethe very lastwas minute. along salad. For hangouts. dinner, he The optsresfor ing one ofwith the some city’s favourite for opportunities to invest in early-stage The thick, sweet concoction is served in porce- Garden. “One biryani and kheema roti was our the ₹20 plate, which has five chapattis, a vegetaurant occupies a significant 285 yards the social enterprises. lain cups, the tea usually spilling into the sau- standard order. In fact, we picked our drinktable, chutney.for Under ₹50 a section. day, this cers. city is salad tryingand to acquire the metro “I liked theconnoisseurs idea (of providing food Some preferhygienic to drink it ation involves standardising the recipes to ening spots based on the proximity to Garden,” migrant worker from Bihar has two square at economical started a pilot in sure from the saucer,prices) usuallyand accompanied by crisp consistent taste he says.

Kazim bhai is alland too further aware ofreduce this — meals a day,legacy minus the risk of falling ill from June Sumptuous a restaurant,” says Zand.

TheOsmateam manpower. onionassamosa or the buttery, crumbly are working on a standard opmost of his“We business takes place after 10pm, consuming unhygienic dhaba “You are lucky I picked up yourfood. call,” the own- soon discovered that running the nia biscuit dipped in the hot tea tobusiness soften it.in eration procedure which involve when fewer dining(SOP), options are will available to Ranjit Galsinh, 35-year-old private se- slum er,For Mohammed KazimaShamsuddin Khorrami areassoon was not easy equally as the people’s Garden became famousability for its using measured quantities of ingredients for night birds. curity is Kazim the freshness of vegetables (betterguard, knownitas bhai) tells me, as we to pay fell farand below the eatery’s dum biryani, in the ’70s, Kazimoperating added an any dish,” says Zand.

Another Garden loyalist, Ashhar Farhan orand affordable sit down at thepricing iconic that Iranidraw cafe him to the Si- costs. Moreover, and electricity connecAC water restaurant.

Even today the ganised Moreover, under the at franchise each a “Last Biryani Garden model, Restaurant” kanderpur outlet of Janta Meals started by his father.

Besieged byevery day. The tions were unreliable. restaurant’s dum biryani is pre- event to gather franchisee a certain numregularsorders together before the low-priced calls since food the seller news is ofpopular its im- with schools, The trio instead the fire, which iconic placeber paredopted on afor wood of meals demand shut shop based forever.onIronically NGOs, factory sites, cafeterias, and small and centralised kitchen pending demolition, Kazim bhai with flavour that enough, by the lends itmodel, the special andtime any he leftovers are loss.

“Enarrived foritsthe event, medium Gurgaon. confessesenterprises he hasn’t in talked this deliveries to outlets. customers haveThe come to know they had runtrepreneurs whoKazim run the outlets out of biryani. bhai said Garden’s star patron made In aon market saturated much his phone before.with quick-service centralised kitchen in Gurgaon and love. order in advance.

They up from and heusexpected not more Under ₹50 a 300 day,had thissigned was none less than anda high-end op-painter He hasrestaurants petitioned for stay af- diningthe is run jointly by“My Janta Meals and customers know the taste worker can usually theuprequirethan 200 up. Butpredict he ended selling migrant in to show alike, a Dutch ter a revisedtions measurement lastentrepreneur Akshaya Patra, the largest supso well that agar kuch namak-mirments fairly well,” he adds.

2,000 day!

Gurgaon has twoplates that MF Hussain sensed an opportunity in pro- plier to the chi year showed that an excess of 93 country’s kam huamid-day (if there is any discre-meals a day Janta Meals trains these microsquare viding quality for food to low-in- meal schemes. yards had been earmarked “Weincan mainpancy taste), they areand the avoids first unclean entrepreneurs in the hospitality Chai-time stars come groups in Indian cities. tain low prices acquisition. Alternatively, Kazim efficient tothrough point it out,” he says. basicwas accounting skills needGarden’s starand patron none less than the dhaba food And going by the the number of cooking and Despite bhai wants the court to order large volumes. his attachment to the painter MF Hussain, ed to runwho an outlet. also assists oftenItdropped in plates Janta Meals sellsthan everyparts day Since entire structure demolished rather Akshaya produces in rooms above barefoot in his building — hisPatra parents lived in with capital to manner. set up the outlet. trademark Rumour 9,000 — it might well70-year-old be on way very of it, as the—latter would leave the large quantities mid- years — Ka- has it that he“We the restaurant during (for the initial inspect the franchisee would get off a plane at theoutold to becoming firstatfood building unstable and India’s put lives risk.chain The day meal),remains their supplies zim bhai pragmaticareabout the im- Begumpet airport lets regularly hyand walkto allensure the waythat to Garfor with the urban poor. back-and-forth the municipal corpora- cheap, us saying, the benefits of scale,” says giene pendinggiving closure, “Progress is essential. levels are maintained, den for his favourite chai. and impose a fine “We torestaurateur serve up to Zand. tion and his lawyers hasexpect left the food is packed boxes If you The refuse to move with in theinsulated times, you will forOnce violations.” he brought along the actress Madhuri 20,000and, meals

by Ocspeaking fluent legalese as aheday waits ea- and distributed get left behind.” to the franchises.

With 30 outlets, Janta is breaking Dixit to sample the chai; sheMeals was then working 2015,” says Jesse gerly to hear from the tober court, he is appreciative Twelve people,looking including fourwith cooks andtoa even He is already ahead, plans for hiswithin film. two years of launching. Zand is van de Zand, the manager, of the community’s support for his beloved run the kitchen.

Janta Meals hopeful reopen Garden at some otherThe location. number of outlets will for inKazim that bhai the recalls the crowds gathered Dutchman who co- kitchen Garden. is completely mechanised — from His customers, however, turn emotional at crease to 100 by 2015-end. is more than just a glimpse of the man. “IHe asked him once Janta In easy-flowing Dakhani, founded a trademark of the washing, peeling cutting the looming loss ofand a way of life.vegetables to ready to feed that ambition.

“The for some paintings for the walls andcentralised he said he along making region, he reminisces about Meals his restaurant, chapattis.

“WeAishwarya don’t need anyonesees for kitchen Far away in the US, S Kumar is big enough for 15,000 meals in one would instead do the décor for Garden when with Prabhat life and Irani chai. In the early 1940s, Garden these tasks,” reduces often manpowit as the end says of anZand. era. “IThis remember ask- batch.

I am sure we can handle theand volumes,” we renovated.

Sadly he was exiled passed and er began as a small teashop thatAgarwal also served to atofraction of whatfrom is incurred by he ingcost my dad get me biryani Garden on says. away before any of this could happen.”

Apeksha Por- small snacks. Thanks to its ideal location, it did very restaurants. his way home from work.” pratap elizabeth mathew wal in 2013.next well and in 1953 a restaurant was opened Yet another step in running a low-cost operHyderabad-bred Manoj E remembers how rashmi

Selling 9,000 plates a day, Janta Meals is well on way to becoming India’s first food chain for the urban poor

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Tales from No Man’s Land An organic farm in north Karnataka becomes the ticket to R&R for the city-weary

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he sun is a tiny speck, tenaciously ganic farm, I realise it is truly a no man’s land. Ghats and called it No Man’s Land. grappling its way out of the rain The approach road leading to the house, a As soon as I settle in the cottage, the winclouds of the previous night as we stretch of three kilometres, is a slush of thick dows of which overlook the dense forests, I fall arrive in Islur, 10km north of Sirsi red mud even during summer. That’s because for the charms of the farm. No Man’s Land is town in North Karnataka. The only bus stop in rains are a persistent presence in the thickly along the periphery of the forests of Western the village, a spot near a pond hugged by a wooded forests of the Western Ghats — where the farm ends, the massive banyan tree, is gradually filling with Ghats. To beat the family’s moforest land begins. George and children clad in white and blue school uni- notony of living in a remote corSusheela are trying to fill their form. The cattle egrets, roosting in the tree, ner of the Western Ghats, property with trees native toin the Made India Like rains, birds are contrast the bright green of the tree’s tender Varghese and his family invite region. There are indigenous The 2014 CAG report the other constant in shoots as they slowly stir to life. We are waiting people over to their homestay — trees like the kokum alongside notes that SEZs have this corner of the not hadlike any significant for George Varghese, the owner of No Man’s a roof-tiled cottage with interiother common fruit varieties impactcuson economic world. An olive Land, the organic farm we are headed for. ors in earthen colours and furniguava, gooseberry, pomelo, growth, trade, sunbird whizzes It isn’t difficult for Varghese to find us even ture from wood salvaged from tard apple and sapota. They are, infrastructure or inside the cottage without the cellphone signal. After all, how the forest — located on a slope in however, deprived of the yields employment one day pv sivakumar hard is it to spot two, backpack wielding, city- his property. of these fruit trees. Each mornbred men in the middle of a village in north Varghese, like many city ing I wake up to the raucous calls Karnataka that is only waking up to the morn- dwellers, had dreams of buying of the vernal hanging parrot and ing? He drives down in his sturdy, weather- a farm in a remote jungle for his brown-headed barbets devourworn jeep with his three home-schooled, mar- family, of growing his own food, ing the fruits of the guava tree vellously articulate children in tow. Sleep has of raising cattle and keeping dogs, of waking facing the cottage. barely left their eyes but they are not can- up to the chirping of birds squabbling over Like rains, birds are the other constant in tankerous. “We don’t study or go to school,” fruits on a tree. But unlike every man that this corner of the world. An olive sunthe elder one, Amrita, says. The middle one, has the dream, George acted upon it. bird whizzes inside the cottage one Deepu, corrects my vocabulary. “No, there is He took a deep breath, took his day, perhaps in her drunken stuno river… but there is a stream around our equally crazy and matter-ofpor, and immediately becomes house.” The youngest of them all, Mridu, tells fact wife’s hand, gathdisoriented. To help her find Specialwith Economic Zones ered (SEZs) me their dog’s namehe is Silk(u) child-faced donesian his life’s savingsSalim SEZ in Nandigram, West the way out, I open the approved by dad’s both houses nonchalance. She isBill notwas clued in on her Bengal. aAs violence escalated in November and of bought Parliament two days in May 2007 curious custom of naming theirwithin animals after property in thewith an unclear number of people dead 2005, discussion dis- (accounts controversial figures; theywith havelittle another dog or vary from seven to 100), the state thickets of sent. Introduced as policy by the National called Veerappan. government eventually moved the SEZ out of the WestDemocratic Alliance (NDA) in 2000, As we arrive at the Vargheses’ eight-acre or- the ernSEZ the area. Similarly, under immense pressure law was enacted by the United Progressive Alli- from widespread protests, the Chief Minister ance (UPA), at the time supported by the Com- of Goa announced a ‘new year gift’ on Decemmunist Party of India (Marxist). Like similar ber 31, 2007, cancelling all 15 SEZs in the state. achievements were established prior to the zones in the Americas, Southeast Asia or Chi- By November 2009, one of the most ambitious SEZ Act 2005. Overall, while 56.64 per cent of na, the Indian SEZs aimed at creating export- SEZs on the outskirts of Mumbai, the Mumbai SEZs caters to the IT/ITES sector, only 9.6 per led enclave economies with tax and duty con- SEZ, failed to secure even a quarter of the cent is for manufacturing multi-product SEZs. cessions. Ostensibly, the Indian SEZ model was 11,300 hectares of land ‘approved’ for it, and of- The report notes the disturbing trend that premised on the Chinese model comprising ficially ceased operations. while developers sought allotment of vast arseven large State-owned SEZs with targeted inAs the resistance to medium and large SEZs eas of land for SEZs, they notified only a fraccentives for specific industries. unfolded across the country between 2007 tion as SEZs, even denotifying SEZ land to But the Indian model went much further. and 2010, the message was loud and clear — benefit from price appreciation. In six states, Superseding the existing 11 Export Processing people would not give up their lands; SEZs had 14 per cent of SEZ land was diverted for comZones in the country, it envisioned no ceilings to go. While resistance to land acquisition has mercial purposes. on the numbers and sizes of SEZs. It eschewed proved to be one of the biggest stumbling The number of approved SEZs has reduced targeted incentives for blanket concessions to blocks for SEZs, the insistence of from 584 in 2011 to 491 in 2014 industry. And its comprehensive scope includ- the current government on ex(see table). A study of meeting ed most economic activities — mining, agri- panding manifold the scope of minutes reveals that almost evculture, manufacturing and services. By April land acquisition is intriguing. ery Board of Approval (BoA) According to CAG, 52 2011, the Government had ‘formally approved’ As SEZs became political hot meeting for SEZs receives reper cent of the land a whopping 584 SEZs (with 377 ‘notified’ to be- potatoes, 2011 saw a near-freeze quests for withdrawals from deapproved for gin operations). This number rose from 366 on the enthusiasm for new provelopers. SEZs are widely allotment to SEZs formally approved (and 142 notified) in Au- posals. The Minimum Alternate portrayed as failures and victims remains idle gust 2007. The ‘global financial meltdown’ did Tax (MAT) levied by the Finance of the UPA’s ‘unstable policy envievidently little to dampen the enthusiasm for Ministry in 2011 imposed 18.5 per ronment’ by industry represenIndia’s SEZs. cent tax on booked profits, amid tatives and in the media. The In stark contrast, in less than two years of industry hue and cry over ‘polidecision by the SEZ Board of Apenactment, tenacious resistance against SEZs cy reversal’ (incidentally, the same industry is proval to discontinue any forcible land acquierupted across the country from peasants’ perfectly happy with policy reversals in the sition for SEZs has also been a big blow for and citizens’ groups, forcing the central and land acquisition act). The current government developers. Herein is a piece of the political state governments to respond variously with has been unable to reverse the MAT, pointing puzzle behind the Land Acquisition Ordiviolent repression, tactical reversal, negotia- to sources of friction within central ministries nance and Amendment Bill. Without the State tion and deferrals. In Gujarat, Maharashtra, (particularly Finance and Commerce) over acquiring commons and private properties, Goa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, revenue loss from SEZs. there can be no large private project — this ilOrissa, West Bengal and Haryana, land and reAccording to the Comptroller and Auditor liberal contradiction of India’s growth story source acquisition for SEZs emerged as a cen- General (CAG) of India, 52 per cent of the land overturns the liberal holy grail of ‘the free tral contention between state forces, approved for allotment to SEZs remains idle market of willing buyers and sellers’. corporate developers and peasants’ and citi- and SEZs have not had any significant impact zens’ groups. In the ensuing furore, in March on economic growth, trade, infrastructure, in- preeti sampat is a public policy scholar at The Hindu 2007, 14 people died in police firing while pro- vestment or employment. The 2014 CAG re- Centre for Politics and Public Policy and teaches at the testing the acquisition of 25,000 acres for In- port notes that SEZs with notable Department of Sociology, Delhi School of Economics

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Resistance to land acquisition is a big stumbling block for SEZs, but the insistence of the current government on expanding the scope of acquisition is intriguing

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Home turf The cottage at No Man’s Land; inset, a feathered visitor prathap nair

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STATES OF MATTER

We’ve got the (soft) power Prime Minister Modi’s travel itinerary suggests a certain subtlety about India’s authority, but strategic insecurities continue to trump soft power

sukumar muralidharan

Though the UNDP Human Development Report (HDR) is generally not a document India looks forward to, the 2004 edition with its focus on “cultural liberty” had a number of honourable mentions of the country. India was described as a “champion of cultural accommodation” where citizens remained “deeply committed to the country and to democracy, despite the country’s diverse and highly stratified society”.

Among the practices meriting special mention were: the three-language formula of education that India has long been following; the pluralist choice of national holidays, which recognised all faiths while foregrounding the republican commitment to a non-denominational polity; and the effective use of affirmative action to remedy the historical injustices suffered by certain cultural groups.

These experiences offer ample learning possibilities for countries within the near neighbourhood and beyond. Sri Lanka is believed to have taken an active interest in the three-language formula since the civil war. And Nepal is Lessons to learn Sri Lanka is taking an active interest in the three-language formula of education followed by seeking to assimilate key lessons from India’s India. Here, a Sri Lankan Tamil holds a portrait of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of his visit to Jaffna experiments in devolution of power across a afp/lakruwan wanniarachchi vast and varied land.

Nepal’s efforts to write a republican constiugil is a very real character, (TNA), the broad coalition of forces that re- tution have repeatedly come up against the though by the a stream false that tains legitimacy despite efforts roadblocks of ethnic rivalry. The competing Green miles Walking trailsidentified in the forest and flowsrepresentative by the cottage prathap nair name, in Rohini Mohan’s intim- by Sinhalese ruling cliques to foist puppets, demands on the character of the national polately observed account of ordi- were mixed in their attitude. India’s support is ity — between secularism and a denominanary lives caught in the brutality of Sri Lanka’s doors thetheir cottage wide but it proves neededoffor political ends, but an futile. extra- tional state — have proved difficult to quarter century of civil war (The Seasons of She crashes into the glass panes of the territorial agenda could compromise the wincase reconcile. The constitutional process now apTrouble, Harper Collins India, 2014). Once a dow, it for an open space and counlands pears to have run aground on account of one for a mistaking fair deal. The system of provincial fighter for a Tamil homeland, she is, for several on bed.

Frazzled and tinymoral head spincilsthe itself emerged out of her India’s pres- side’s insistence Get there:on a federal polity and the months after the war, lodged in the giant Ma- ning, she the opens her slender beak, perhapsa other’s fear sure, but Northern Province remains that this be From the first step toNearest townwould is Sirsi. nik Farms camp for the internally displaced. seeking for help in bird tongue.

I hold her in wards disintegration. poor relative within the map of political devoBengaluru, the distance is about As she lines up one day for rations, her mother my palm andaseat her on appointed the bed. Should I feed lution, with governor

by ColomPotential softand power applications

by India 400km there are plenty of shouts out a warning to refuse any of the fetid her some water, I contemplate.

But she flies bo retaining decisive powers. have been overnight buses.complicated by stratestuff sent as relief supplies from India. away, merrily,Modi in a moment.

At Jaffna, oversaw the gic calculations. Rivalry with ChiFollowing their release from the camp and a handover Anotherofday, I takeproject long, asbird-watching a housing Stay:na has perhaps been the main hard slog trying to regain a life, Mugil, her walks the aid forest, waddling across the part ofinto India’s for post-war spoiler, creating in Sri Lanka an In the 2004 edition No Man’s Land husband and children decide to travel to India stream on the fringes ofwith the property.

The forreconstruction.

He met the incentive for undue appeaseof the UNDP Humanwww.nomanslandfarm.in. Tariff is to start afresh. There are worries over the un- est floor a hotbed of and activity.

In just an hour I local TNAis leadership heard ment of the Sinhalese elitefor in the ₹1,500 person/day; no charge Development Report, certainties ahead, but Mugil sees India as a spot grey hornbills, nuthatches, complaints about predatory ex-white browed south.

Similar strategic calculaIndia was describedchildren below six years, 50 per large, if not always hospitable, space where bulbuls, treepies, white bellied flycatchcursionsrufus

by Indian boats into tions led in Nepal to the “buffer as a “champion cent discount for children aged six opportunity could be created even if it did not ers yellow I exchange theand waters off wagtails.

Jaffna, which en- notes with within a buffer” policy that has of cultural to 15. Tariff includes home-cooked already exist, where she could lose herself in Susheela, also a birdingof enthusiast. danger the livelihoods scores deeply alienated the people of accommodation” vegetarian meals (breakfast, lunch, the multitude and not be the continual focus of We eatfishermen. meals with the family at the floor-levTamil the plains from the hills and not evening andfriends snacks,inand dinner). of suspicion. el Modi’s dining table. abolished flour travel Susheela itineraryhas since wontea India either place.

There is a 20 per cent discount for Mugil did not make it to Indian shores. She and their solar-powered assuming office suggestsoven a cer-has only seen Through all this, relations artists, writers, was picked up on the testimony of a brother, whole wheat. about We make risottos for dinner tain subtlety projecting with the musicians, two mostfarmers populous and — other such and self-employed who, under torture, revealed her one-time al- with rice from the farm anda mushIndia’sbrown authority.

An effort to seek niche neighbours Pakistan Bangladesh — recreative people. legiance to the Tamil Tigers. Her life’s subse- room from thecliques forest floor.

Amrita withingathered dominant power is evident in main contentious.

Half-hearted overtures are quent course remains to be documented. teaches me US, theJapan art ofand eating a passion sumfruit made, but soon withdrawn. Political constituvisits to the the Asia-Pacific Tip: been created on maintaining a Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Sri without the juice andis aseeds and encies have mit in Australia.

So too focus dripping on South Asia, Visit theand monolithic formations Lanka mid-March, in the third leg of a tour staining — you make athat tinyhas openin a freshmy bidforearm for the pre-eminence al- tough posture there is rock too much riding that took him to two other island republics of ing from and suck the There juice through ways beenthe anabove aspirational state. has also on that stance.

Aside from the off stop-and-go in the village of Yana, Sirsi. Thiscathe Indian Ocean, the Seychelles and Mauriti- the hole, she instructs. been an effort to draw in the loyalty of coun- reer of the with Pakistan, the No comcan dialogue be done as a day trip from us. It was the first visit by an Indian prime min- tries Time seems only relative, for theofdays we pulsionsMan’s with long-settled populations Indian of nurturing Land. this constituency were ister in 28 years, since Rajiv Gandhi was given a spend longer than origin,feel likemuch Mauritius and Fiji.they really are. It evident in Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s bishockingly unceremonious send-off by a seemed like weisalready knew family and zarre exhortation recently to the Border Secu“Soft power” the term of artthe that describes rogue honour guard whose sense of national the children enough.

We make trips to rity Force to redouble the vigil against some aspectswell of these diplomatic initiatives. pride was offended by what he saw as a neigh- Sirsi with the by family in the jeep.

When Susheelaughs heartily their goofiness, liftsrising DeeAs conceived its author, the Harvard politi- He cross-border cattleatmovements, so that bour’s intrusive attentions. Modi also became la her children go soft for music we pu andwould throws her inBangladeshis the air and plays word caland scientist Joseph Nye, powerclasses, is an amalprices compel to give up the first Indian prime minister to visit Jaffna, take aroundculture, the market. with Amrita.

That reaffirms my belief gam aofwalk a nation’s political values and games their dietary beef habit. capital of the Northern Province and the focus foreign By thepolicies. end of our my companion, who Andstay, the strongest prop for In- that travel changes each of us in certain ways. of the country’s beleaguered Tamil culture. revolts at power the thought of lies being chil- sukumar muralidharan is a fellow at the Indian dia’s soft perhaps in around the overlapInstitute ofnair Advanced Study in Shimla prathap is a freelance writer based in Bengaluru Leaders of the Tamil National Alliance dren, has thawed towardsand Varghese’s ping domains of culture politicalprogeny. values.

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Of tails and limbs The colourful tails of skinks are designed to attract predators; (below) limbless glass lizards can survive in any environment, including parking lots jonathan suh

Out in the open A participant at Meet to Sleep, a ‘napping’ event blank noise; (below) members of Yoga Mat-ters at Cubbon Park yoga mat-ters

This space is mine CREATURE FEATURE

It’s not just morning walkers who are thronging Cubbon Park, Bengaluru’s green lungs. It is now the stage for various activities — yoga, theatre, stand-up comedy and even napping

Electric blue-tailed skinks

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t’s 7am on a Sunday and Cubbon Park is unusually abuzz for a weekend morning.

Amidst the picnicking families and aspiring photographers is a group immersed in ‘slacklining’ — an activity that involves f youacrobatic know anything about lizards, it’s graceful moves on a slack rubber probably that two theysupports. can lose their tails. line tied between Similar to Some lizards eject their tailsiseven tight-rope walking, slacklining justwhen one faced slightest danger.

Others among the with manythe ways in which the people of consider their a little more precious, Bengaluru aretails using the serene environsbut of will let them a predator grab Cubbon Parkgo to ifreclaim theirhappens right toto public hold of them.

Once detached, these and tails yoga conspaces.

Theatre, stand-up comedy tinue twitch and wriggle, and the lizard are thetoother activities on the list. hopes that thisamovement will distract Joel Louzado, self-proclaimed ‘slacker’, the depredator, allowing tailless lizard to clares Cubbon Park the onenow of the best venues in make its escape.

Bengaluru to try your hand — in this case, feet But in the last “On month, as I’ve searched liz— at slacklining. weekends, there arefor quite ards observe anda measure, I’vepractising. been disa fewto lines up, and bunch of us tracted by wriggling remnants butsafe by We werenot initially worriedtail whether it was the intact tails of skinks.

My research for the trees, which we use tocurrent secure the lines. focuses brown tree anole lizards, and while We then on discovered protectors,” he says. these animals’ are fascinating, Blank Noise,behaviours a collective committed I’m to the first to admit that they aren’t the most visually striking creatures. Sure, the males have beautiful red-and-yellow throat-fans, and the females are sometimes patterned with stripes and diamond-shapes, but they’re solidly built and coloured a respectable and unexciting brown. So as I search among brown leaves and on brown tree trunks for these brown lizards, I can’t help but be distracted by flashes of brilliant, electric blue as the skinks slither past.

In a world where “don’t get eaten today” tops most animals’ to-do lists, such obvious conspicuousness demands explanation. The usual causes of crazy colouration simply don’t apply to skinks. These blue tails are found only in young skinks that don’t yet need to bother about attracting mates with flashy colours. Also, skinks aren’t poisonous or venomous, so the colour can’t function to warn away potential predators. In fact, some biologists have proposed exactly the opposite — that these colourful tails attract the attention of predators.

For this to make sense, these young skinks

building safe spaces, recently organised a nounce that we’re starting the show and be‘Meet to Sleep’ event at the park as part of its gin my set. People get curious and drift larger campaign ‘I Never Asked For It’. At the toward us. It’s like busking, except that we use meet, a group of women — all participants are jokes instead of music.” called ‘action heroes’ in Blank Noise lexicon — In mid-March, a group called Yoga Mat-ters came live together nap. Catching fortyworld, winks in and must in an to especially dangerous led aAfrica charity-driven event to raise awareness and Europe, legless geckos in Auspublic being is not uncommon the Indian male, tralia, which attacked by afor predator is practiand encourage funding againstThese child sinuous traffickand snakes everywhere. but few would associate it with women. cally inevitable.

Their tails would then allow reptiles ing. The initially event saw 120 people yoevolved to fillspread one of their two ecoJasmeen Patheja, founder of Blank Noise, skinks to make the best of a bad situation.

Af- logical ga matsroles at a tree-covered spot in the park be — either burrowing into thetosoil saysall, the act of almost womencertainly sleepinggoing in a to public ter if you’re find or guided through the arduous task Today, of performswimming through the grass. howspace creates a new visual and memory, which ever, yourself in the talons or jaws of some larger, ing 108 thesuryanamaskars. most diverse group of legless reptil“puzzles and even raises it questions pas- es,Radhika stronger beast, wouldn’t be best iffrom the part of Yoga Matnamely Chaliha, snakes, co-founder include ocean-dwellers, sersby.”

Whilegrabbed they napped, a security guard of you they was the one part you tree-climbers, ters, is in awe of thespecies park’s that ability to satiate so and glide through came to tell the stop an because it the could readily get women rid of? to Having electric many appetites.

“Evendefined if the park is crowded forest.

For a group by absence, the wasn’t them. an “We exblue tailsafe nowfor becomes advantage, because limbless reptiles at times, it’sbeen a great haven’t heldgreen back space at all. plained we areinto safe, and it enticesthat predators attackforThat Bangalore.

I dosoacro-yoga as we’ve seen many shifts questioned where else could we ing something expendable inwell as conductin free-of-cost sesto limblessness, different habfind such beautifulimportant. green trees stead of something A sionsand for in thedifferent Mat-ters.

I’ve of tried itats types lizEven if there are few to sleeplizard under,is thereby tailless still aliveinitiaand slacklining here, andthere’s the slackers ards, indicates that room people around, I ting still a conversation can reproduce, that and made from have soil-burrowing joined our yoga classes.

We for or grassLizards familiar stand onare a bench and himperspective see and understand our the of natural selecalways try toreptiles clean up area we swimming inthe all sorts of with loss of another announce that we're side of the story.” tion, that’s all that matters. use,” she says. I was reminded of environments. sort — the gradual starting the show.

It isn’t the ‘sleeping’ who The lossjust of lizards’ tails occurs Officially known as Sri Chamathis in the most un-scenic of localoss of fingers and People get curious have been scrutinised the toes, of arms and legs tions on small time scales — aatlizard rajendra Park, Cubbon regularly — a parking lot. A colleague and drift toward us park.have Bardolators of Bangalore, may a tail today and lose ita makes it to Bengaluru headlines saw a slithering creature out of group thatbut recently performed tomorrow, its offspring will for good and badeye, reasons.

Safety the corner of his and tried to Shakespeare’s Much Ado with Abouta almost certainly be born of womenme is it a was major concern,inas convince something Nothing Cubbon, was periods met by tail.

Overatmuch longer is sewage Given water our from offices and teresting. location, I recurious onlookerslizards and aare brief inquisition by fused of time, however, familiar with loss restaurants around Morning other walkto believe thatthe it park. was anything theanother security. were about than of sort“Their — the concerns gradual loss of fingers ers have proposedofa ban on the of thealso commonest snakes.

But entry he prowhether wearms hadand obtained permission, and toes, of legs. Lizards have lostand di- ceeded vehiclesto oncatch weekends and public holidays. the animal in question, and I wereand making out of performance. gits limbsmoney more than 25the times, including couldn’t So far, no official has come in the way have beenhurdle more wrong.

It was a glass When10we explained that it was free, they sat lizard over evolutionary transitions to limblessof those using Cubbon for group activities.

De— limbless and superficially serpentine, downinand watched the play along with au- but ness different species of skinks and aour single spitenot several fee hasnot beena too proposals, common no andentry definitely dience of close It was good see snake. transition that to led50toheads. the evolution of to 3,000 introduced by the authorities.

As I stood among the cars with this delthem make an effort to understand what we icate species of snakes (which makes snakes a type Theanimal person sliding in charge of Cubbon Park, Ma-I through my fingers, were tryingThough to do,” skinks says Shruthi Chandrasekhof lizard). are not very closely hoped hantesh Murgod, deputy director of horticulthat it would not shed its beautiful tail aran, anto actor with their the Bardolators. related snakes, propensity to evolve and ture,marvelled says, “We at aim to keep the park creature free and how this gorgeous Cubbon is also the stagelends for acredence bunch to of had into a snake-like appearance we want tothis ensure that it parking is kept clean. onmade unseemly lot itsThe home. stand-up whocalled try out routines the namecomedians they are often innew Hindi: saanp It ly convinced restriction me is the ban on commercial activthat neither tails nor limbs inmausi front of a floating audience. “Sometimes it’s have ki (snake’s aunt). ity and the collection We are to been necessary of inmoney. the spread ofopen lizards just three of us taking turns forabout 10 minutes But what’s really remarkable these across everything else.” the planet. each,” to sayslimblessness Aamer Peeran, comic who recentshifts in alizards is just how kamath studiesisorganismic evolutionary tara rachel thomas a freelanceand writer based in ly moved to Bengaluru.

“Even if therein are few ambika common they are. They’ve occurred every at Harvard University Bengaluru people around, I stand on a skinks bench in and an- biology continent — there are legless India

Neither tails nor limbs are necessary in the proliferation of lizards

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Losing faith When the common man leaves AAP

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ollowing the recent turn of events in the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), several members appear to be losing their faith. First, there was Kundan Sharma, a UK-based party supporter who tweeted, “#IDemandMyDonationBackFromAAP: My blue WagonR, bike and lacs”. The blue hatchback, like the muffler, was once Arvind Kejriwal’s constant companion. Once the Delhi CM started using a Toyota Innova, the WagonR was cast aside. Then, there is Sunil Lal, who claims to have designed the party’s broom logo and now wants it back. All is not well with the aam aadmi and his party.

A separation An impending empty nest is making Obama sad

Literally biased Women read and buy more books, but why are most reviewers male?

U

S President Barack Obama is a busy man. His travel itinerary is choc-a-block with visits to Jamaica and the Panama summit, where he hat does it say about literature when the best magawill meet 48 leaders of Caribbean zines on either side of the Atlantic are male-domnations and possibly Cuba’s Raul inated but the readership is two-thirds female? A new study Castro. The past week was packed Talking point This bungalow is said to be only a “few yards away” from where Rudyard Kipling was born paul noronha

by Vida, an organisation working for women in literature, with talks and meetings over clireveals that the literary world is heavily male-biased. The mate change and Ebola. Yet, the London Review of Books — the worst in the list — featured 527 president has been finding quiet male authors and critics compared with just 151 women. At corners in the White House to tear the New York Review of Books too, men outnumbered women up. Several times a day, in fact. The t’s good to respect your elders, but when they are offended by it, they can 677 to 242. What’s unusual about this, you ask? Gender bias thought that his 16-year-old daughbring planes down. Last week, an Air India flight was ready to take off is the norm across industries and fields. The odd thing is, at ter Malia will one day head to colfrom Jaipur when the captain asked his co-pilot to check on all the crucial least in the UK, last year’s biggest-selling authors were lege is causing him a lot of grief. “I last-minute information they require. The captain however made the cardiwomen — Hilary Mantel, Donna Tartt and Kate Mosse. Also, start tearing up in the middle of the nal mistake of referring to his co-pilot as ‘uncle’, which sent the senior-inwomen bought two-thirds of books sold last year and an day and I can’t explain it, why am I age yet junior-in-rank co-pilot into a tizzy. He not only refused to do his job, earlier survey found that twice as many women as men are so sad? They’re leaving me,” he told but also gave the captain a mouthful. The cabin crew had to step in and considered ‘avid readers’. Time for the F (feminism!) word a laughing crowd, his voice tremcalm down the duo; and all of this ensued even as passengers waited for in the literary world. bling a little. He also said he needed decrepit their wooden bungalow flight to take off.that “prayers” — not for pushing up histhe There isn’t much enthusiasm about these casionally spot foreign tourists surveying stands in the heart of Mumbai’s JJ plans within the college campus. “There’s just property presidential butnearby, for or a few approval students rating, painting School of Art holds a special pride of one speculation after another,” says one of the there isn’t his impending empty nest. much activity around it. It wasn’t alplace in the sprawling campus. teachers. Given the number of plans that have ways so. Till the late ’90s, the spacious bungaApart from being amongst the oldest surviv- fallen through, the scepticism is understanda- low was reserved for the dean of JJ’s fine arts ing structures in Mumbai, it is also associated ble. Professor M Dalvi of the architecture de- department and his family. The deteriorating with the Kipling family, which spent a signifi- partment points out that none of these plans condition of the bungalow may have caused cant part of its life in the city. Most important- are of any worth till the crumbling structure the break with this tradition. ly, The Jungle Book author Rudyard Kipling is conserved — a process that requires a fair Constructed in 1882, Kipling Bungalow is a once confirmed during his later trips to Mum- amount of time, effort and money. “No matter rare example of the buildings of the time. “It is bai that he was born “a few yards away” from what you wish to make of it, what comes first one of the last surviving examples of what we where the house stands today. This connec- is conservation. It’s a matter of preserving it as call the bungalow or ‘bangla’ style of architection with the Nobel Prize-winning author has it was. You have to get the building in shape, as ture. The house has an internal core of stone made the home a frequent talking point. Ev- close to its original design and or brick but is wrapped around ery now and then, the future of the over 100- intent. Only when that is done in by wood framework. It has deep, year-old ‘Kipling Bungalow’, as it is commonly the best manner possible can sloping roofs which protect it referred to, gets called into question. The one see what use it can be put against our kind of tropical clistructure has bravely stood the test of time as to,” he says. mate — harsh sun, lot of rain — No matter what you plans for its restoration have fallen through A few years ago, conservation and at the same time allows for wish to make of it, time and again. architect Vikas Dilawari was sea breeze to pass through. Bewhat comes first is Over the past few weeks, talk of putting the commissioned the responsibilicause of the manner in which it conservation house to good use has been revived. State edu- ty to restore the property. The is designed, it’s already stood for cation and cultural affairs minister Vinod plan was to convert it into a mu130 years,” explains Dalvi.

Tawde told a city tabloid that he plans to seum, which would showcase The front verandah of the twopump in funds to convert Kipling Bungalow the hundreds of rare paintings storey structure is fitted with a into a tourist attraction. There may be another and artefacts lying with the arts department. bust of Rudyard Kipling and a plaque honourplan in the works as well. Smita Parikh, who re- The initiative even received financial support ing him. This often misleads people into bendrew Lloyd Webber’s iconic rock opera cently Jesus Christ Superstar has had organised Lit-o-Fest, a literature event, from Jindal Steel. Dilawari says he had started lieving the home was the author’s birthplace. many fans over the years, including Pope John Paul II. The at JJ School, has opera, a plan which of her own. “Why not the groundwork, but the project never took Various books on him confirm that while he tells the story of the last seven days in the life ofthis Christ, has theon literature, art off. He doesn’t comment on the exact reasons did live on the campus after his father John use space to travelled have events world, from the Vatican to Delhi, inspiring andand stirring millions. apparmusic?

We canBut have free book readings for the hold-up, but it is said there were issues Lockwood Kipling was appointed Master of Arently not Kerala. The state, with 19 per cent Christian population, banned thespoken to the JJ with getting the requisite permissions. “It is chitectural Ornament, the family moved out for authors as well.

I have musical 25 years ago. A division bench in 1991 observed that the script School faculty andentire they are on board. This is al- unfortunate that no one has attended to the years before the bungalow came up. Some was against the fundamental beliefs of Christianity.

Multiple court staysto lat-highlight the JJ property. When something is not used in so teachers and students feel that if not for the so a great opportunity er, the Supreme Court finally overturned the ban last week, as it had outlived School as a heritage building,” she says, add- long, the decay is much faster. It’ll be really sad Kipling connection, no one would have spared its use thanks to the internet. The superstar’s show, it seems, it to ing that she willwill be make putting forth her proposal if the building breaks down,” says Dilawari. a thought about its fate.

God’s own country. to the state culture department in the next For years now the vacant bungalow has few days. been under lock and key. Though one can oc- mohini chaudhuri

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Uncle mat kaho na

In aI lonely place

It’s never a good idea to throw around the Uword, even in jest

Lovingly known as Kipling Bungalow, this historic structure on a prime Mumbai campus awaits a much-needed lease of life

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Superstar in Kerala

What’s good for the pope is good for Kottayam

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in-faq by joy bhattacharjya Salesmen

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t’s the 111th birth anniversary of KL Saigal, who started his professional career peddling Remington typewriters. Reason enough for a quiz on salesmen.

here,there & elsewhere

Tip-Tap troubles T

he new neighbour’s name is Suzie Ding-Dong. Or anyway that’s what I call her because whenever she wants to find Bins — which is always — she knocks on my front door and says, “Ding-dong! Anyone home?” Then she lets herself in on her tip-tapping heels because, of course, the door these days is always unlocked.

I know that according to strict feminist principles, One Woman Must Never Actively Dislike Another Woman Even (or perhaps Especially) When The Other Woman Is A Human Tapeworm.

In my 20s, I defined myself as a feminist.

So I worked hard to be a worthy member of the Sisterhood. In my 30s I found myself wavering: I didn’t like belonging to a collective and there seemed to be quite a few human tapeworms about, male and female.

By the time I was 40, feminism had changed a great deal and so had the gender-landscape. The simple binaries of ‘male’ and ‘female’ were breaking down. The word ‘feminism’ itself seemed sexist and I no longer liked calling myself one. Nor did I believe that women are automatically better than men. People are more likely to be kind or cruel, generous or needy, smart or stupid, based on their life experiences rather than their chromosomes. I entered my 50s

cornerstone

realising there was a great deal besides gender to think about: corrupt politicians; the stock market crash; polar bear extinction.

And now? I’m 61 and the tapeworm next door is pushing me to the brink.

Today, for instance, she comes in, asking for ‘Binnie’. Her T-shirt and jeans are so tight they look sprayed on. I say he’s not home. So she looks over my shoulder as if I might have him tied up in the closet. “Aww! I really need some help with my bookshelf,” she says. “He’s so great with his hands?” Mm-hmm, I nod. She peers at me. “Wow, you’re

1 looking really stressed out.” I guess I must be, I say. “And you should colour your hair,” she tells me. “I bet you could look 65 again if you dyed it black!” I thank her for the advice.

Just then Bins bursts in. He is laden down with stuff from the hardware store, including a step ladder and curtain rods. “Ahh, my hero!” squeals Suzie. “Where have you been?” She sweeps him out of the house. A moment later, he pops his head in the door. I am still standing in the corridor.

“Any chance of tea?” Not for you, I say, turning towards the kitchen and putting the kettle on. “Oh-oh-oh... are you mad at me?” No! I snarl. “But why?

Just tell me why!” Go away, I say.

Suzie has a bookshelf that needs fixing. “I don’t understand why you dislike her!”

That’s true, I say, in a moment of honesty. I don’t understand why either. She’s just a kid. We share a smile. The kettle hisses softly.

“Tea?” he asks again. But there’s a knock on the door and the sound of tip-tapping heels. “Bin-niiiie?” He shrugs. He grins. He leaves. manjula padmanabhan, author and artist, writes of her life in the fictional town of Elsewhere, US, in this weekly column

Victor Lustig is regarded as one of the greatest conmen in history and he even swindled Al Capone. But he is most famous for selling what — not once, but twice?

2

Who started his career as a salesman taking AGA Cooking Stoves door-to-door and later writing a legendary instruction manual distributed to other members of the salesforce?

3

Which Pulitzer-winning novel, part of a famous series, details the story of Harry Angstrom, who sold a kitchen gadget named MagiPeeler before taking over his father-in-law’s Toyota dealership?

4

A rag-and-bone man used to be a common sight in Great Britain, though less seen nowadays. However, rag-and-bone men are still common in India. By what name are they normally referred to in most of India?

5

According to its author, which work of literature that recounts the career of a certain Willy Loman was inspired by his memories of watching his father lose everything in the 1929 stock market crash?

6

Which extremely effective sales strategy was developed by Brownie Wise in the early ’50s?

It earned her an immediate promotion to the post of vice-president of marketing, but from which she was ironically fired because the owner thought it would be difficult to sell a company whose sales head was a woman.

7

The first ever online sale was made in the early ’70s, more than 20 years before Amazon, by a group of Stanford students on the Arpanet network to their counterparts at MIT. What did they sell?

8

The Singer sewing machine, introduced in 1851, is regarded as one the most useful and well-designed products ever. But what marketing innovation by its designer Isaac Merritt also helped make it one of the most successful products of the century?

9

In 2010, which Indian author printed sample copies of the first chapter of his book and persuaded bookshops and chains to distribute them for free? He even made a trailer video for YouTube featuring music by Taufiq Qureshi. It seems to have worked, as more than two million copies have sold so far.

10

Ritu Nanda is the daughter of Raj Kapoor and sister of Randhir, Rishi and Rajiv Kapoor. She is in the Guinness Book of World Records for selling 17,000 products in a single day in the ’80s. What does Ritu Nanda sell?

ANSWERS

1. The Eiffel Tower. He claimed that the government wanted to dispose of the building for scrap 2. David Ogilvy. The manual has been described by Fortune magazine as the finest sales instruction manual ever written 3. John Updike’s Rabbit series. Rabbit is Rich won the Pulitzer in 1982 4. Kabadiwalas 5. Death of a Salesman, by Arthur Miller 6. Tupperware Parties, where women invited their friends for coffee and snacks to buy Tupperware products 7. A consignment of marijuana 8. He introduced hire purchase, the first wide-scale use of instalment schemes 9. Amish Tripathi and his Immortals of Meluha 10. Insurance policies, she is India’s most successful LIC agent

joy bhattacharjya is a quizmaster and Project Director, FIFA U-17 World Cup t@joybhattacharj

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