BLink_Issue-64_18-04-2015

THE BODO BALLOT The trail of the election campaign in Bodoland Territorial Area Districts (Assam) tells of old battles, new scars and trouble in paradise p2 saturday, april 18, 2015

arunangsu roy chowdhury

Many villages in Uttar Pradesh have never had electricity.

While inhabitants compromise and innovate, family squabbles are plenty and prospective spouses few p10

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FREE FOR ALL With the campaign for net neutrality, India’s online activism comes of age p7

FOOD FOR THOUGHT A whiff of a dish can evoke memories and take you back in time p20

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Suffrage against suffering Bodo women line up to vote during elections to the Bodoland Territorial Council in Kokrajhar, Assam; (bottom) a Bodo tribesman exercises his franchise by candlelight at a remote polling booth in Dakhin Gangiya vivek singh

A troubled paradise votes Pitch perfection BEYOND THE FIELD

reserved seat and won by a huge margin of 3.47 lakh votes. As he gave voice to the alienation that non-Bodos feel, Sarania — described by the media as a ‘dreaded’ ULFA member — was rewarded handsomely by voters.

In a similar attempt to cash in on the nonBodos’ resistance to the 2003 Bodo accord (under which the minority rules over the majority), the national parties, Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party, made non-Bodos the focus of their campaign, but it fetched no dividends. The Congress drew a blank and the BJP mustered a single seat.

The BJP flew in Kiren Rijiju, Minister of State (Home), Union Sports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram to address multiple rallies. The crowds at these rallies were more enamoured thefrom helFair playby Apart icopters ferrying the leaders than in hearing being a keen observer, them speak. On April 3, a 5,000-strong Richie Benaudcrowd was also Chief respected for his circled the chopper of Assam Minister getty Tarun Gogoi at Bijni, Chirangimpartiality district, as heimages ate lunch nearby. Barely minutes after he flew off, the venue was empty, with only scattered pieces of paper and plastic to indicate that a political rally had taken place here.

Glue and bridges A day after the results were announced, we met Hagrama Mohilary, the chief of the Bodoland Territorial Council, at the Aie-Afa (mother-father in the Bodo language) strawberry and potato farm. Dressed casually in a striped, polo-neck t-shirt, he had a relaxed air about him and stood up to briskly clear from the tassam’s capital Guwahati glitters reached under an accord signed with the Cen- ble the plates of paan and water bottle to with malls, multinational stores tral government in March 2003. make space for my notebook.

2005: England arethe on the Nevertheless, anddgbaston, flyovers; in stark contrast, needed accounting, and he of rarely, if conever, felt With this tiny corner Assam boorish and partisan, and as is manner generally a his shaven head, soft-spoken cuspofofAssam’s a famous Ashes triumph, capital autonomous Bo- tinues thetoneed to plug by thekillings glorious void of silencesand product be wracked and displaceof incompetence, prefer clichés easy smile, he looked morethey a monk than nearlyArea twoDistricts decades (BTAD), after having doland Territorial Kok- lastment. that produce.

In only 2012,cricket clashescan between the Bodo tribe politician. and platitudes thelittle power silence. his There is to very toofindicate secured the historic test series, need-and Bengali rajhar appears like a town lost in time.

A lone Consider his description todaymilitant Muslims left at leastof77what deadwe and When spoke, his dreaded words were always past,Benaud as the chief of the Bodojustsnakes a lone through wicket tothe claim thethe win.tiny Austra-uprooted maining road town, knowmore as the “ball the century”.

Shanelandmeasured, than fourof lakh people; the foloccasionally Liberation tranquil, Tigers, which waged awitty brutaleven. lia,lining though, onlythan three runs away fromlowing shops it notare more single-storeyed.

Warne’s first delivery in an Ashes Test Match.decade-long two years saw Bodoland erupt with To him, cricket commentary just an insurgency against was the not Indian thwarting England’s grandare plans.

Steve By 9pm, the wooden shutters down andHar-greater Theviolence batsman: Mike Gatting. As Warne camestateart, and displacement. butthe also2003 a science; in with that itthe notcentre. only needafter accord mison empty runs in, with purpose and desire, the streets out.

In the decade since the and on, Benaud began with a portrayal of the fieldThe plough ed preparation, but also involved particular is his party symbol — far removed digs the ball in quick and assumed short to Michael Bodoland Territorial Council power, Kas-Flying (something wea cannot netas create flutter see on the video, andfromskills.

He had the following to say on his rules the gun. prowicz, whoespecially fends awkwardly at theacrisingThree-fourth the inhabitants, in rural areas, something rarely described days). The ofthat’s the 40 council seats these are reforprevious cricket day, commentary, when askedhim

by Wisas we waited to meet deliverythere and, have before youserious know it, the wicket-served knowledge been attempts “He’ll with antribe orthodox field atBodos the start,”at hisden forbowl scheduled candidates, in 2003: everyone should develop a party office,One, he was watching the results keeper Geraint Jones divingroads to hisand left to(the Benaud to build infrastructure — is mainly said, “atribe slip,ofa short cover, threeDiotherunfold largest plains Assam), Rabhas, distinctive style. channels.

Two, put your brainworkinto gear on local news His party claim a catch. bridges, and bring development to the region. masas men onsmaller the off-side saving the single, they three oners and and tribes, even though before opening erupted your mouth.

Three,cheers never say supporters into loud Whencurfews you watch these images even today,make But strikes, and violence have marred the upon lessand thanaa deep-backward-square.” third of the population. Thenas the ‘we’ if referring to a team.

Four, discipline is esleads turned into definite wins. seepedhitting in drama as theypeople are, they all efforts, common therequire hardestlittle The came the trademark prolonged more than 20 lakh voters in BTAD have sential; concentration Mohilary is literally thefierce glue holding Bodo- is Theybusinesses. tell their own story. And Ri-consistently and explanation. steadily bleeding pause, which allowed us totrends. soak In the land together. Forneeded defied national at allhetimes.

Five,the try to the Bodos, is a hero, Benaud, the perfect man for such It’schie peace that everyone here yearns for,an es-occa-2014in theSabha pictures, beforethey he added, Lok elections, chose an inde- revolutionary who avoid allowing past your lips: “Of fought the army to bring sion,the as adivasis, he so often recognised during pecially who were brought over hispendent as Warne sauntered in,Sarania; “The first candidate, Heera the former them their long-sought course”...

“As you to can see on the autonomy; the nonillustrious career in 100 the years media, knew this bet-United by the British more than ago to work ballLiberation in test cricket inof England Front Assam for (ULFA) mili-Benaud screen”...

“You know...” orhe “I tell Bodos, who are the majority in the region, was tergardens than most.

On air atTheir the time, his wordstant Shane in tea and logging. long-pendWarne.”

And there, the contested against Bodo candidates on a is the one you what,” “That’s a The tragedy...” they support.

Ben- or exemplifying theBodo leader summing the finaletribe werestatus laconic and pre- moment finally arrived. “He’s ing demand forup scheduled denies “a disaster...” (The Titanic was a finest virtues of a expressively delivered. he ex- done it,” Benaud said, with typi- ‘show, don’t tell’ form tragedy, the Ethiopian drought a themcise, thebut opportunity to contest the“Jones,” 30 seats claimed, as the keeper claimedcouncil. the catch. reserved for STs in the 40-member As And cal restraint and minimal voice disaster, but neither bears any reof journalism then, after a typically pregnant pause, as the modulation. “He’s started off Shibu Hasda, a young adivasi boy from Pakhrilation to a dropped catch). And to umpire Billy Bowden, guri,cameras who lostturned his mother and brother to bul-who with the most beautiful delivery. six, above all: when commentatright-finger lifteditcrookedly “Bow- Gatting has absolutely no idea lets had on his December 23, put ahead ofup, the ing, don’t take yourself too seriden,” he said.

He “We continued slowly: “Kasprowjust-concluded polls, only have Bodo canwhat has happened to it. He still ously, and have fun. icz the man to go and Harmison has done it. doesn’t know. He asked the [umpire] Kenny didates to choose from.”

Benaud’s style and his rules for commenthe faces of accept the batsmen and joy Palmer on the way out. Kenny Palmer just gave tary ought to remain relevant. Perhaps the HeDespair has noon choice but to the newly for every England player the field.”

This elected representatives to theonlocal council of was him a raised eyebrow and a little nod. That’s modern-day commentator’s penchant for cricket commentary at its very best.reSadly, all it needed.” the BTAD, one of the country’s most volatile noise over quiet is a product of how cricket we’ll hearthree its like again. Benaud, ever the gions overnever the past years.

Gatting was flummoxed. Today’s commen- has evolved. Yet, when we watch Benaud’s dea doyen It arch was aminimalist, narrow victory for amongst the rulingcommentaBodotators would have filled the air with banalities scription of some of the most iconic moments a master calling the game of cricket, landtors, People’s Frontat(BPF), which won 20 seats is and noise. But Benaud was always looking to the game has seen, it reminds us that cricket is no more. at the age of 84 on April to emerge as He thedied single largest party but re- 10. see how he could add value to the pictures. In best enjoyed when we’re allowed to ruminate records as a cricketer andSince as a cap- pointing us to Gatting’s facial communica- through its silences. Unfortunately, today’s lot mainedBenaud’s one short of a simple majority. tain of Australia both excellent; the council electionsare were first held inenough, 2005, in tion with the umpire, Benaud was exemplify- cares little for such joys. their rights, to place him amongst the ing the finest virtues of a ‘show, don’t tell’ the BPF hasown been in power.

(This monthly column examines sports through pantheon of the greats.

But,the as Ina com- form of journalism. And it’s here that modern- the lens of history, politics and culture.)

Militant groups hadgame’s for years battled heindependent was simply Bodoland, nonpareil.leavHe was day commentators seem to so often fail. Aldianmentator, state for an to theuntil tee, hea allowed thewas cricket most none of them is trained in media stud- suhrith parthasarathy is a Chennai-based lawyer ing understated, thousands dead, ceasefire to speak for itself, describing only that which ies, and it shows. They are frequently loud, and writer t@suhrith

On the trail of an election in one of the country’s most The commentator in Richie Benaud, one Territorial of Australia’s greatest all-rounders and skippers, volatile regions, the autonomous Bodoland Area spoke in only when he felt he could add to the picture on the field. With his death, cricket has Districts Assam lost one of the few voices of reason and restraint suhrith parthasarathy

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galis, Biharis and the Marwaris, who own almost all the shops in the region, see him as someone who can speak for them and treat non-Bodos fairly. “If he loses, Bodoland will go back 10 years,” said a shop owner in Kokrajhar, who then sent me multiple messages, begging me not to quote him. “You will go back after the results, I have to stay for life, please,” his message screamed in capital letters.

With the BPF barely scraping through, Mohilary will have to build more bridges, literally and figuratively, with non-Bodos. “I want a Bodoland where everyone is together,” he said.

“Our dream of Bodoland can only be realised when all communities here support it.”

Barely-contained violence Many people blamed the local government for the violent incidents, but these were committed by the militant faction National Democratic Front for Bodoland-Songbijit (NDFB-S), which is opposed to talks with the government. Since December 24, 2014, when defence forces resumed operations, more than 230 militants have been captured or killed. In the run-up to the election there were multiple incidents of violence, two people were killed and many injured as party workers clashed.

Heavy security presence, including 50 companies of central paramilitary forces backing the Assam police and armed counter-insurgency operations, kept the pot from boiling over during the elections. The NDFB-S members are holed up in the jungles bordering Bhutan. “There is an 800km-long border with Bhutan and the forest is dense and vast, so thick with trees that it is impossible to see far, let alone police,” explained Sunil Kumar, the Superintendent of Police in Kokrajhar.

Fuelling resentment and the militant cause in Bodoland, as also Assam in general, is the unchecked migration from neighbouring Bangladesh and other parts of India.

The Bodos fear they will soon be outnumbered by outsiders and deprived of their land.

Like most tribes in the region, the Bodos for long practised shifting agriculture and never bothered with land documents. Now they feel threatened as reserve forests are cleared and ‘outsiders’ (Bengalis and adivasis) settle permanently in what used to be ancestral Bodo lands and forests.

Barely two weeks ago, on March 31, the Supreme Court slammed the Assam government for “dragging its feet” and rejected its “vague” and “highly unsatisfactory” steps taken to stop the influx of illegal Bangladeshi nation-

Road show BJP supporters arrive atop a bus for an election rally in Chandrapara, Kokrajhar vivek singh

Byte the ballot Hagrama Mohilary, chief of the ruling Bodoland People’s Front and a former rebel, addresses mediapersons after casting his vote vivek singh

als through the porous international border.

On election day, April 8, our vehicle got In Baksa, 200km from Kokrajhar, we visited stuck in the wet mud on our way to Lungsung, NK Khagrabari and Narayanguri villages. In about 20km from the highway. In January, we May 2014, a settlement of Bengalis here was at- had met the adivasis there after automatictacked by armed militants, who killed 32, weapon wielding militants attacked and mostly women and children, and burned killed eight people on December 23, 2014. In down homes. all, 72 were killed in co-ordinated attacks at The villages can be reached only by crossing different locations in the region. the fast-flowing Beki river in a leaky wooden The settlement at Lungsung has been exboat, the 40-minute ride powerpanding into the jungle towards ed by a smoke-belching diesel the Indo-Bhutan border; the resigenerator. A small police picket dents cut and sell the wood after currently watches over the paying a ‘tax’ to the militants camp, made up of canvas tents hiding in the forest. As we drive Come and see our covered in mould. Many of the into forest settlements, our drivsituation next year, 300-plus people who lived in the er, Kashi, repeats over and over, we will still be living targetted villages are currently “this used to be a huge sal forest, in this hell scattered across the country as with more than 100-year-old migrant workers. trees” — now it is only tree The ones who could not leave stumps and gaping wounds in cling to their memories, and fadthe earth. ing photos, of loved ones killed by militant Elephants and other local wildlife are inbullets. They cut wood or gather stones from creasingly boxed into smaller pockets of forthe riverbanks and these are carted away for estland. Two days before the elections, on our construction, leaving gaping holes in the tree way back from Sorolpara, on the Indo-Bhutan cover and deep pits in the riverbed. border, we see a large troop of golden langurs swinging across the road to treetops more A hellish paradise than 10m away. Native to this small part of When I asked Mohilary about his biggest western Assam and the foothills of the Black achievements, he listed the Central Institute Mountains of Bhutan, they are listed as an enof Technology, Kokrajhar, and other educa- dangered species. We were very fortunate, tional institutions the council has set up in Kashi told us, as he had never seen a troop as the last 10 years. large as this one in the 42 years he has lived “I want to set up an IT park, and attract here. It felt like these amazing athletes were businesses here to generate employ- putting on a show for us, to remind us that ment for people,” he said. The project they too belonged here. is listed as awaiting sanction from The beauty of nature contrasts sharply with the Union government for the cruelty inflicted by humans in this verwant of State approval. dant paradise. Rohul Ameen’s words, shouted “There is no major in- across the Beki river in Baksa, ring in my ears: dustry in Assam, except “Come and see our situation next year, we will oil and tea, and there still be living in this hell.” are only three tea estates in this area,” saurabh yadav and vivek singh are an SP Sunil Kumar had independent writer-photographer duo based out of Delhi, working on indepth reportage projects pointed out.

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Who’s next? For decades, victory has oscillated between Labour and the Conservatives in British party politics. With most polls putting the Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron (right) and Labour’s Ed Miliband in a dead heat, a coalition government seems almost inevitable reuters/stefan wermuth

Shift in the wind Fragrant flashbacks

iravgustin/shutterstock.com

The 2015 elections in the United Kingdom will see the emergence of new kingmakers and a new political trajectory Rustled up by sights, sounds and aroma, food memories are lifelong companions

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t seems strangeand thatCowdenbeath, while you mayastrugirkcaldy Scotgle totish remember familiar places the constituency north of orEdinnames of oldhas friends, the fragrant whiff burgh, long been a stronghold of a particular food can arouse vivid of the Labour Party.

Even by methe mories of of amazing clarity.

It mayand be crucial the restandards Scotland, a reliable membrance a favourite chocolate source of MPsoffor Labour inaunt’s UK general eleccake comforting vadastatus pav. Alternatively, a tions,oritahas enjoyed the of an ironclad book, a blue sky oron thethe sound smellsofassosafe seat, drawing solidand support votciated with familiar may ers who once workedorinforgotten the localfoods coal, linorake oldtextile memories. leumup and industries. In the past four food memories are equated UKHappy general elections, Labour’s majority with over love and a sense of well-being, connected with the second largest party in the constituency the olddipped and familiar. triggered never below These 23 percould cent, be while at the more often byinthe ordinary, everyday foods of last election 2010, former Prime Minister early years thanwho grand of epic the proporGordon Brown, hasfeasts represented area tions.

Both won feasts and abstinence provide a since 1983, a whopping 64.5 per cent of lifetime the vote.of shared memories: the gluttonous bingeing of aBritish Christmas or Diwali meal, But as the general election set the for austere pleasures fasting during Holy May 7 draws close,of a poll hasfoods predicted a major Week, feastscould at dusk, all deeply in upset: iftar the seat be won by theetched Scottish the mind,Party to be(SNP), brought upsupport at will. for Labour National with Wondering if food memories were an extrafalling to around 30 per cent. (Fortunately for vagance forwill those the luxury time Brown, he notwho be had the face of the of defeat, and self-indulgent to having announced ruminations, his decision toI decided step down ask around.

I questioned a daily labouras an MP). This is not the Seenu, only potential major er from Andhra Pradesh, about his earliest meelectoral upset for Labour in Scotland, accordmories of food; heconducted replied shyly, “my mother’s ing to the survey

by Lord Ashcroft pulusu” and then asseats though havPolls: the party is walked also set away to lose in Glasing too much.

I imagined his Amind was gow,said once prime Labour territory. separate far in thepredicted chilli fields of the his childhood pollaway last week that SNP could home, as images of out” his mother’s sweet-sourpretty much “wipe Labour in Scotland, spicy pulusu teased him withinhappy memowinning a staggering 55 seats the Westminries.

Ayyamma, my feisty gardener, was ster parliament, where it previously hadmore six. A vocal; rasa-vadas at agive wedding she and had atstrongthe showing could the SNP, its tended as a child. mustSturgeon, have been seven charismatic leaderShe Nicola the roleor of

eight, she guessed. described kingmaker for theShe first time in the thebullockUnited nised of theDemocrats, crumbs of the madeleine erationthe of taste the Liberal Consercart ride toparliamentary the temple, her red pavadai, the soaked Kingdom’s history. her decoction of partner. lime flowers which vative’sin current coalition Being part fragrant jasmine strands on the her UK tight braids.

The significance of this for cannot be my aunt used to give me — immediately the of the ruling coalition, a path that saw the parAs each fragment of memory to the party next, old overstated.

For many decadesledBritish grey house upon the street, where her ty quickly execute a number of U-turns on she painted picture of a tiny villagetrajectory, in South room politics has afollowed a predictable was, rose uppromises, like the scenery of a theatpre-2010-election has sounded their India, all thisoscillating evoked by between a rasam-soaked with victory Labourvada and re… and with the house the town, from mornelectoral death-knell. eaten more than 50Inyears the Conservatives.

1950,ago. over 85 per cent of ingThe to night inexpected all the weathers, thethe Square SNP isand now to replace Libvoters opted for either the Conservatives or La- where I was sent before the streets dems as the third largestluncheon, parliamentary party, Flavours of fictionas 2001, their combined sup- along bour; as recently which I used to run errands, country with another regional party, the the Democratic Food memory at its best port stood at 73isper cent.

Thein fiction. Who roads we took Unionist when it was fine.” as he conParty of And Northern Irehasn’t Enid Blyton’s Liberalread Democrats pickedbooks up and salivated tinues with the details of Combray, a little villand (DUP), also possibly playat the ofmemory of picnics and much the remaining electolage visited a child, its little ing he a key role.as DUP leaders have midnight of tinned sarrate whilefeasts smaller parties, dwellings thewillingness parish church indicatedand their to dines, buns and boiled such asjammy the Greens, garnered and surroundings take Labour shape for work alongside either or Adding to the eggs-with-a-screw-of-salt all uncertainty is the near- the little support. thereader.

Conservatives, unlike the washed with beer Whiledown the SNP hasginger long held SNP, which has made it clear As each fragment obliteration of theof or lemonade?

Or, devoured sway over Scottish politics Lau(it that itsand ownhappy anti-austerity agenmemory led to the Liberal Democrats, the Hungry ra Ingalls Wilder’s memoirs, leads the government in the Mahatma da wouldGandhi, align itwho onlyreportedwith the next, she painted a Conservative’s current when table was the crowded ScottishtheParliament, delyLabour had no favourite once party — andfoods, only under picture of a tiny coalition partner with ham, berry volvedhickory-cured legislature created in “Pleasurable feeling comes certain conditions. village in South India, said: pies maple sugar power candy?

1999 and giving Scotland from satisfaction of real hunger.” all this evoked by a Pippi Longstocking’s over health, education pancakes and the Food memories from a time of Headline grabbers rasam-soaked vada prompted me to environment), it try has her thusmanic far deprivation maythere’s oftenthe beparty the Then of course eaten more than 50 approach to cooking.

Reading politics. years ago had little impact on Westminster most evocative recollections of a that has caught the most headlines globally: about the election adorableseems William’s The 2015 set to change that. the UK Independence time when life(UKIP), was simpler, food Party ferociously passion for bull’s eyes,Prime liquorice While Conservative Minister David anti-immigration more and meaningful — in that, the anti-European Union. sticks, acid-drops and gooseberCameron and Labour’s Ed Miliband remain Forecasts differ pleasurable feeling came from, wildly on their likely performry Richmal Crompton’s theeyes onlyin realistic contenders to be prime min- ance (between in four Gandhi’s and 30words, seats),the andsatisfacthere is William me wantoftothe taste each tion ister, theseries, shapemade and ideology governrealdoubt hunger.

Perhaps, theleader, memory of even of some whether their Nigel one them. would Literaryhead flashbacks perhaps mentofeither remainare hazy.

With foods times has Farage,consumed will win in the seatofhereal is hunger contesting. epitomised best inthe Marcel Proust’s Rememmost polls putting two main parties in a sharper edges and brighter the smells While both main parties havehues, stated their unbrance of Things Past. Aroughly bite ofa athird Madeleine dead heat (indicating of the and flavours more aromatic and intense.

Does willingness to enter a governing coalition arouses memories so powerful that the reader vote each), a coalition government seems al- that that not having ‘real hunwith mean UKIP, its influence overknown the election canis transported most inevitable.to the setting of evening teas ger’, as underestimated.

Gandhi defines it,For deprives you ofittruly not be one thing, conwith his aunt Leonie: “And once I had recog- significant Adding to the uncertainty is the near-oblitmemories? tinues to fan the widely held but misplaced

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New kingmaker Scotland’s First Minister and leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP), Nicola Sturgeon waves to delegates following the party’s spring conference in Glasgow, Scotland reuters/russell cheyne

notion that immigration is out of control. The SNP and the Green Party aside, none of the major parties have been willing to emphasise the positive role played by immigration, choosing instead to pander to fears that immigrants both take away jobs and seize the lion’s share of benefits (claims that contradict one another). Labour too seems to have jumped on the bandwagon: it has made an immigration limit one of its five main electoral pledges, and has been purveying on its website a campaign mug bearing the motto “immigration cap”.

There is, of course, no simple explanation for the shift that appears to be occurring in British party politics.

As in much of the world, changing class dy- austerity programme brought in by the Connamics have meant that contemporary Brit- servatives in 2010 and largely supported by Laons are less tied to parties than were previous bour. Combating austerity is welcomed by generations, but that has been a gradual shift. those in traditional Labour strongholds such While UKIP’s rise has often been attributed as Glasgow, where deprivation is rife and to a sharp rise in immigration — from the EU many have felt abandoned by the political esand beyond — since the start of the 21st centu- tablishment, says Nighet Nasim Riaz, an SNP ry, the fact that many UKIP strongholds are member and campaigner in the city. (A report towns or regions with low immigrant popula- last year suggested that as many as a third of tions appears to belie this. Research suggests children in Glasgow were living in poverty.) that UKIP draws its support not only from dis- “We’ve set out our vision for a progressive enchanted Conservative voters but also La- Scotland — even though we didn’t get indebour ranks. pendence, we still want to work towards that The latter is, perhaps, more surprising, but vision of a nation of hope and progress where points to that party’s increased focus in the social justice is not sidelined,” she said. past 20 years on middle-class voters, alienating working-class voters, many of whom have Ripples in India shared little in the economic revival that has The repercussions of the coming elections will taken place since the 2006/7 ficlearly be felt in India. The rise of nancial crisis. The Eurozone UKIP has undoubtedly pushed imcrisis that subsequently unmigration up the agenda and folded has strengthened antiwhile the focus remains largely on While both main EU sentiment, with UKIP delivincomers from the EU, neither of parties have stated ering a strong performance in their unwillingness to the two major parties seem likely last year’s European parliato make life easier for those from enter a governing mentary elections.

India who wish to visit Britain or coalition with UKIP, The SNP’s rise is equally comits influence over the do business with it. plex. According to John CurThen there’s the fact that the election cannot be tice, a professor of politics at Conservatives have pledged, underestimated Strathclyde University, what is should they win the election, to involved is not simply a surge hold an in-out EU referendum by in support for the SNP, which 2017. Their initial promise to camhas performed very well in repaign in favour of Britain staying cent local and Scottish parliamentary elec- in the EU seems to be steadily morphing into tions. While voters in Scotland previously the threat that Britain will leave in the absence differentiated between what they thought of major reforms. This will not be music to the was right for Scotland, and what was right for ears of the roughly 700 Indian businesses that the UK as a whole, often voting in different have chosen to make the UK their European ways in Scottish and Westminster parliamen- headquarters, in part because of access to the tary elections, that seems to have ended with European common market. last September’s ‘in-out’ referendum. “The refIn a recent seven-way televised debate beerendum has turned the question of Scot- tween the leaders of the main political parties, land’s constitutional future into the principal SNP’s Sturgeon urged voters to opt for change. dividing line between political parties,” he “You can vote for the same old parties and get says. Those in favour of independence are no the same old politics… or you can vote for longer content to remain with Labour, which something different, better and more progrescampaigned alongside the Conservatives and sive,” she said. Whether, and to what extent, Liberal Democrats for Scotland to remain in British voters heed her call will not be apparthe UK. ent until May 8. But the times, it would seem, In addition, the referendum provided the are a changin’.

SNP with an opportunity to highlight its wider messages on social justice and an end to the vidya ram

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Reaching out Research suggests that UKIP and its leader Nigel Farage draw support not only from disenchanted Conservative voters but also Labour ranks reuters/toby meliville

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Remote control Most players of the national team are from Ladakh, a region that remains frozen for more than six months a year kamal narang

India’s ice warriors

The country hasn’t quite warmed up to ice hockey, even though a team of 22 players is ready to battle the odds at an international tournament starting today

Same old story India may have had a few Dalit chief ministers, but lakhs continue to be harassed by the upper-castes shiv kumar pushpakar

Divided we stay

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n ice skating rink at a Gurgaon mall, activity in Ladakh.

Bihar and Uttar Pradesh,” says Vedank Singh, barely one-third the size of a stanBoth locals and army men from Ladakh better known as @bhaiyyajispeaks. Singh dard one, is not where you would have made it to the national team. Tsewang used his twitter clout (23,000 followers and expect to see any national-level Gyaltson, the 23-year-old spirited captain of counting) to spread word about the team, team practising for an international tourna- this team, picked up the game after watching helping it raise ₹3.5 lakh, the money it needs ment. But this is the best venue India’s ice many tournaments in Ladakh. “Every year to travel to Kuwait, in just six days. “We can’t hockey team could find as it preps for the there are at least two or three tournaments blame the government because it’s not just ice he RightCup to Equality wasOne, enshrined Asian Challenge Division which of teachers her for her dirty, old hockey. There are hundreds of sports that are apart fromwho the rebuked senior and junior national Aaydan inKuwait the Constitution in 1950. Yet, 64 clothes kicks off in today. while handing over her scholarship; tournaments,” says Gyaltson, who has taken crying for immediate attention.

We want to The Weave of years later, a survey by the National Adam Sherlip, the team’s American coach, is but worse awaited her of when leavefar from his encounters BTech classes to be part the use this platform to spread awareness, get My Life: A Dalit Council Economic Re- she clearly the centreofofApplied attention.

A motley moved to a town after marrying. team.

“Ladakh Scouts is the best ice hockey more people from the rest of the country inWoman’s Memoirs Urmila Pawar search found thattoone inin four Indians bunch (NCAER) of 22 players listen him rapt atten- team In the town where Scala her husband worked, the volved in the game,” says in the country.

Club and the Devil’s Singh, who is also across all religious groups to prac- house-owner’s tion. Barring two players — admitted one from Uttarakdaughter was friendly, and of- the team’s digital media(Translated Hockey Club are quite good too. Every year, head. Thefrom biggest sucMarathi by tising untouchability. hand and a staff member of the rink as the ten borrowed her the saris.

Once, when borrowmany expats from Canadian embassy and cess stories of the twitter campaign were Maya Pandit) Stree Noted Dalit writer andisactivist Urmila Pa- ing goaltender — the team from Leh-Ladakh. a brocade sari, thecome girl got a few other countries to to know of cricketer Gautam Gambhir do₹450 and industrialist war’s book Aaydan — The Weave of MyHaqim Life only That explains the presence of Abdul Gi- Pawar’s caste thanks to the white wedding participate in — the tournaments.” nating ₹4 lakh confirms this. Itassistant superimposes the concerns of sari ri, a temporary to Sherlip, at the practypical her community.

“She left withIndia’s iceofhockey squad has 45 Anand Mahindra pledging supan urban Indian woman with the discriminatice.

He translates the coach’s instruction to out a word; the brocade was returned afcompetitive games to itssari credit, port for the team. These would A twitter campaign tion subtle anddialect overt —spoken that anin educated Bhoti—(a Tibetan Ladakh)Daat ter long time, soiled and dirty.” The visits Even her husband, who inithe ahighlight being a resoundfund theHarishchandra, team’s future expenses. helped raise lit experiences in everyday life. mind-boggling speed. and the her to study and complete ing 5-1 victorystopped over Macau in couple soon tially encouraged India’s only Olympic-size ice ₹3.5 lakh, money the Born into aChallenge poor, rural famThe Asian Cup Division One is a 2012, the team’s had to move a house owned her graduation, eventually resented her decionly win sotofar. hockey rink at Dehradun has team needs to travel ily Ratnagiri, where few in levels down the rung her from the Interna- The single victory by a woman coun- sion to enrolbeen for ashut postgraduate degree.

Perhasn’t municipal desince it hosted the 2012 to Kuwait mother woveHockey baskets Federation’s to suptional Ice marquee terred India from cillor.

Buta regular the attitude was no haps the yoke of patriarchy against being Challenge Cup. worked “If the governplement their income, to Pawar events, but a gateway the premier different.

Theythe could change his better self.ment provides incentives for at theofChallenge Cup and Thelevel. insensitivity uses basket (aaydan in Ma- for teachers “Thisthe tournament is especially countrieswhoteam not the Pawar recounts the many tragedies in and her is takinghomes, small but stepscertainly tomaintaining infrastructure rebuked rathi) as warmer a metaphor forthe theworld, where from the parts of attitude towards life — from losing heritson to a railway accident ward old becoming a more profes-them. makes easier for federations her forice her dirty, weave Unlike thesport,” vil- says hockeyofisher notlife. a traditional Akshay Years later, in a city apart- to her husband’s death from cancer — but her outfit. like ours to get funding, it’ll help in taking the clothes whilesional handing lage’s upper-caste that Kumar, director offamilies the 13-year-old Ice Hockey ment block, a neighbour rainstory is devoid of rancour.

She appears bewilsport to the next level,” says Kumar. over her scholarship enjoyed lavish spreads, DaAssociation of India andthe one of the brains be-withOdds ed insults on her daughter dered, rather thanfinish bitter, at aday’s world where stacked up As the players their training, stayed Pawar lits on marketing a bare dietsuccess of hindsurvived the team’s in the last The other teams after discovering caste.

The caste matters more than merit. bookinends at the Challengeher Cup include they pose for photographs to beThe shared othgreens, fish“You stock andsay chillies. few weeks. could it’s like the Ranji Tro- Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, worst Singapore, was when Pawar realised a hint of positivity as Pawar’s daughter Malaysia and with er crowd-funding campaigns.

They might not Their thrift the made phy inlifestyle cricket. and It’s where smaller guys find Oman. “Kuwaitwhat young man who importook caste-based to ice hockeypromotions only three marries look likea world-beaters butattaches they areno not lackthem the says butt Kumar. of jokes, but their feet,” mean.

Armed a tance caste. years ago. They would are already making a lotwith of proing intoconfidence.

Most players in Sherlip’s their caste was a bigger humiliation. She re- postgraduate holding which a governIn India we might have chief minisgress and are degree trainingand in Sweden, has team are already in their 20s,Dalit which makes it a calls Noteshow fromupper-caste the past girls in school would ment as branch butfor tragedies as the Khairlanji masone ofjob, theher bestpromotion teams in the world,”manager says Ku- ters, bit late them tosuch become professionals.

But not to touch foodgames they cooked at bred “Theallow first her recorded icethe hockey in India resentment amongst colleagues, ir- sacre rear their head “The continually.

This book mar. “So this is what we’re her up against.

It’s far Sherlip is full of hope. game is expanding get-togethers, although ultimately were held in Shimla moreeveryone than 100 years ago,” respective usthe understand psyche ofhockey discriminafrom easy.”of the fact that she had put in more helps beyond region…the I believe ice is an ate a group. saysinKumar.

“More recently though the Indian than years of requires service. The resentment was tion andpassion resentment by upper-caste In aten game that as much equipment Indian that ispractised yet untapped.

I see the Her especially family hadthe Muslim tenants, rela- more Army, Ladakh Scoutswhose Regiment, pronouncedthe when she earned fame as a Indians for centuries. as commitment, Indian team lacks any potential for professional hockey players from tive “for notpopular having writer. tookloudly to thereprimanded game and it them is extremely likemindedsupport. writers did notcost desist kind ofEven institutional The of the country,” he says. found a better toover stayfor than Mahar’s in Ladakh now.”place Frozen halfa the year, from making disparaging comments equipment is more than ₹30,000 per about head. dr rina mukherji is a Kolkata-based journalist, who in sustainable development and gender issues sibi arasu house.”

Equally indelible awas the insensitivity ice hockey is considered major recreational her “Ice‘culture’. hockey is to Ladakh what gilli-danda is to specialises

A Dalit woman’s memoir tells of everyday discrimination and ingrained hostility

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No mincing words All India Bakchod's nine-minute video is inspired by John Oliver's comic activism aib/youtiube

AGENDA

Rapid connection With the campaign for net neutrality, India’s online activism has come of age

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t’s only fitting that All India Bakchod (AIB) is having a bigger impact on the evolution of India’s internet policy than the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). After all, much of our telecom and internet policy is stand-up comedy gold. Ask A Raja. Or ask the officials who wrote TRAI’s 118page, bombastically titled Consultation Paper for Regulatory Framework for Over-the-Top Services. “In the present licensing regime,” reads a section of the paper, “Internet Telephony is a licensed service permitted only under the UAS/ISP or Unified License granted under Section 4 of the Indian Telegraph Act 1885.”

So, the law governing internet in India predates the birth of the internet by a century.

Can you think of better stand-up comedy material? I think not.

“If the date of your Act falls before the invention of moving image capture itself,” AIB puts it neatly, “maybe you shouldn’t get to regulate video streaming through it. Just maybe.”

Trolling for a cause No wonder then, AIB’s nine-minute YouTube video on net neutrality has got about two million more views than TRAI’s consultation paper. Led by four stand-up comics, India’s online activists have pushed back hard at the intimidating axis of the country’s telecom regulator, it’s biggest e-commerce company and biggest telecom operator.

With over 6,00,000 emails sent against TRAI’s plans, the regulator and the government will find it very difficult to create the internet superhighway for the rich, which is at the centre of the fight. The slow lane would have killed competing start-ups and smaller businesses, which could not afford to pay millions of dollars to be on the superhighway.

Social media pressure has made Flipkart pull out of Airtel Zero, the net neutralitybreaking scheme whose future now looks in serious doubt. In fact Flipkart has completely

flipped its position on net neutrality. Even as angry customers started uninstalling the app from their phones as a sign of protest, it came out with a pledge to fight for a free and equal internet, the exact opposite of its earlier plans with Airtel Zero.

“Thanks to all the #NetNeutrality supporters out there,” tweeted Flipkart’s Chief Technological Officer Amod Malviya. “Watching you, I truly believe that our Internet’s future is in safe hands.” This was a big olive branch to the committed online activists who were rapidly bringing down the brand image of the company, valued between $10 billion and $15 billion.

telecom giants Verizon and Comcast. Supercorporations like Amazon and Google had to side with public opinion, joining in the net neutrality march to protect their image.

In India, start-up entrepreneurs and venture capitalists were some of the earliest faces of the net neutrality campaign. Prominent among them were Nikhil Pahwa of Medianama and entrepreneur/VC Mahesh Murthy. Pahwa’s team was the first to break down the 118-page TRAI document into a crisp readable version. Murthy’s viral LinkedIn posts had colourful headlines — “How Airtel, Voda and TRAI are trying to screw Indian internet users” — which were reproduced by many popular onStart-ups to the fore line publications.

This is the second time in the last couple of “The TRAI paper is trying to make a make-bemonths that an AIB online video lieve case that telcos and ISPs has had mass impact and who chose not to innovate opened up serious policy deshould be compensated for their bates. Their roast of Bollywood incompetence,” Murthy wrote.

So, the law governing celebrities had pushed the enve“To start with, the airwaves are internet in India lope on acceptable free speech: ours, the people of India’s… predates the birth of their cuss-fest got more than What we do with the bandwidth the internet by a eight million online views, gufmust be up to us, not up to some century. Can you faws and howls of protest, beprofiteering telecom tycoon in think of better standfore being taken down.

Gurgaon or Mumbai.” up comedy material?

The Supreme Court’s annulMurthy particularly influenI think not ment of Section 66A would have ced and organised the start-up come as a booster shot for many community: tech geeks quickly like AIB who are treading on the created advocacy websites and edges of hypersensitive society, simplified procedures for the which often prefers to shoot the messenger public to respond to TRAI. than tackle the problem.

But the credit for making the movement AIB’s latest video is clearly inspired by John truly mass goes to AIB. They added the spice Oliver’s comic activism when net neutrality that was needed for Indians to try this bland was under threat in the US last summer. sounding dish called net neutrality. OtherThrough his highly popular show, Oliver mo- wise, as they explained in their video, “You pay bilised thousands of Americans to log on to roughly the same amount of attention to an the Federal Communications Commission internet activist that Arvind Kejriwal pays to website and crash it with user comments sup- an open letter from Prashant Bhushan.” porting net neutrality.

Both the regulator and the White House had sambuddha mitra mustafi is the founder of to back down from giving in to the lobbying of The Political Indiant@some_buddha

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Through a forest darkly dipankar

An absorbing tale of man-animal conflict that isn’t free of potholes

HOME MINISTRY DISCOVERS TASK FORCE IN BASEMENT!

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SHOVON CHOWDHURY Many heads The is chief Truthdigger and author of The Competent elephant is an Authority equal object of fear and veneration in the their children, in order foreststoofensure India continui-

is beard is long and white. He tives. I noticed the resemblance immediate- he started appearing on bank notes. That’s ma sriram clutches a tattered file to his ly. At The Hindu, they train us to be keenly when we began to suspect that he may no ty of service.” breast and eyes me suspiciously. observant. Once a week, they show us a pic- longer be with us. Many such cases are goThe young man in front of me smiles. His He blinks, unaccustomed to the ture of the editor, very fleetingly, after ing on. Our record is very good. Solution is father puts out a trembling hand, trying to ichael Crichtonus was the first nov- to asrare. the For Master Executioner, was also once reachJames, authorbut of Atlas of Unknowns and Aerovery example, when it comes to demy wallet, I manage to evade bright light. The young man supporting which they interrogate closely, asking I devoured.

I spent days worshipped as the great grammes, obviously concerns “Myselfquite Raman Kumar,shares son ofthe Raman him smiles at me. “He’s part of the Task questions elist such as, “Do you believe his smile fence corruption cases, CBISooryamangalam record is com- him. reading passages from Jurassic Sreeganeshan.

The anarrative of profiteering, of her says character.

Inadvertently Force for Surveillance of Anti-National Ele- was heavenly, or merely encouraging?” pletely clean. Not single case has been Kumar,” the young man. “Headmitting gave me that Parkand and Congo.

It wasn’t just the however, fast overshadows arguably ev- same anyname human solved sincethese Independence. tocomprehension avoid confusionofinanimals govern-can at ments,” says my guide proudly. “He’s never “So Netaji his relamiffed T-Rex or maniacal gorilla that fired my eryday sentiments.

Kingpin of the ivory trade, best be limited, she avoids the indulgent They had a narrow escape ment records. Please don’t be concerned, missed a day’s work, mainly because he was tives have been under surretrospect, I’d like to think I Communist Chacko ironically cites anthropomorphism uses a locked in the basement. They lost the key in imagination. veillance?”In I ask.

“Since 1942, in 1997, when the Jeepscripture Scam mytropes fatherofbriefed me thoroughly.and From processing mattersas more profound. to justify his corruption “Andwas God said unto childhood, third-person to tell the story of the GraI wasvoice shown pictures of Netaji.

1962. There has been some delay in process- waswhen he was classified an Case of —1948 almost tales bestial mayhem were un- Man, Be fruitful and multiply and have vedigger.my Themother mammoth’s ritual of ing their application for a replacement. The Crichton’s enemy of theof British Emsolved, but luckily thedominoffi- Sometimes wouldelaborate draw a beard mistakably cautionary in tone.

When humans ion... over every living thing that moves upon burying his victims does call for a human-cencer concerned was transand moustache with a felt pen, so that, if task force was The rediscovered only recently, pire,” says my guide proudTusk that did withIndependence, animals and their of man and beast necessary, tric empathy, but at no point does James the Damage when we were cleaning the Home Ministry interact ly. “After the habitat, a thin the earth.” The co-existence ferred to Gadchiroli in the I could penetrate his disguise.

To-claim Tania James linenecessary separates intervention so much

by As marauding tusk- day toI invoke some infinite pachyderam an expert.

You restreservoir assured, of if Netaas per Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.” instructions and to invasion. Man is threatened notnick of time. you can see, Vintage errs.

It doesn’t on which ers, but by huntsmen their rifles knowledge. to essayist Wendy reappears, we According will apprehend him “Gloople,” says the ancient bureaucrat. invariably stop were never issued.matter In due towho longuse durations of to ji mal Fiction side.

Tania James certainly strings a better senstamp an unlawful dominance.

Though Doniger, “No one can prove that someone ₹499 His associate lovingly wipes the drool from fact, we were doing surveilpendency, sometimes offi- immediately, before he causes any prob- else than butuntil I found it hard to James’ portrayalcers of Jayan insightful, it’sbyher lems does how animals feel.” James exhis chin. I suspect that they are blood rela- tence lance of Crichton, Gandhi also, have is been replaced fornot the know Viceroy.” shake off my nostalgia for rampaging dino- quiet critique of poaching that is incontro- ploits the uncertainty of these known unsaurs when reading her novel, The Tusk that did vertibly damning. knowns with masterful acumen. the Damage. Familiarity didn’t limit itself to While much of Tusk moves forDismissing the foresight of an the trail of destruction wrought by James’ ward with a steady urgency, the elephant, Manu tells his brother, homicidal elephant — the Gravedigger. The book isn’t entirely free of pot“It’s an animal. I doubt it has a Emma inhabits a hunter-hunted juxtaposition, the man-nature holes. Emma Lewis’ narration strategy.” A circumspect Jayan is ponderous comingdichotomy, the ethicality of conservation — begins with purpose and promquick to retort, “Then you don’t law, that unless gives the judge permishe honest officer sits down on adrama of-age is his boss these themes were reminiscent of those con- ise. Her American nationality know a thing about elephants.” packing case and wipes hisat brow. sion.with Usually his boss does not give permisclear odds scionable bestsellers. and documentary filmmaker Elephants have been protagon news described as ‘encouraging’ by senting the Young Master a full-scale shoot“All three of us are very relieved,” sion. Even after this, 40 years later, James’ otherwise Like much of Crichton’s oeuvre, Tusk is a credentials both place her on nists of many a myth. Rather family members of Sir Tim Berners- ing range, with life-size replicas of the development is not proper. Culprit is Prehe says. “The threat of falsespry casessecond novel well-paced page-turner for most part. Set in the periphery. She finds herself than rehash these tales of yore, Lee, inventor of the internet, interna- Flipkart management as targets.” was like a sword hanging over our heads. vention of Corruption Act. Finance MinisKavanar wildlife park, it constantly shifts its catapulted into ethically-quesJames chooses to invent new parThis audacious business move will not tional telecom major Airtel has anter has said that POCA is too strict. Also Now we can pack in peace.” attention from the Gravedigger to Manu Shiv- tionable terrain when an enables that see sages clip the nounced that it will be buying Sir Tim go unchallenged. As the battle to control “Could you explain for our readers what corruption problem has largely been aram, the brother of a dauntless poacher, to counter with her film’s subject, wings of mammoths and boys Berners-Lee. It will also be purchasing Al the internet intensifies, a major internaexactly has happened,” I ask. “Certainly,” solved. Hence it will be diluted, to ensure Emma Lewis, a 20-something documentary veterinarian Ravi Varma, turns sexual. Her af- transform into tuskers. Though original and tional bidding war has broken Gore and Keanu Reeves, just to be says the officer, “I am in between transfers, that honest officers are not vicitimised. Refilmmaker who has travelled from the US to fair, though, is somewhat laboured and pre- convincing, I kept thinking of a more timeon the safe side, along with Anout, with the Birlas, the Adaso I have time. In 1973, it was felt that the garding dishonest officers, he did not menKerala in search of her first break. In the chap- dictable. Her discovery of unseemly Kavanar worn story while reading Tusk, that of the nis, and Baba Ramdev in gelina Jolie, for reasons that work of national development was not pro- tion anything. In future, if an honest officer ters dedicated to the elephant and Manu we secrets and the subsequent unravelling of Var- blind men and the elephant. Saints and poets remain unclear. Sources the fray, along with several ceeding as per plan. Demoralisation was makes an honest mistake, and inadvertentfind much of the novel’s substance and the ma are both rendered dreary in her retelling. like the Buddha, Ramakrishna and Rumi are Russian oligarchs who within the company have defound to be the primary culprit. Due to fear ly causes windfall profit of thousands of graph of its central conflict. The Gravedigger For most part, Emma inhabits a ponderous all said to have used this allegory to demonchose to remain anonynied that Sir Tim is being of false prosecution, officers were unable crores of rupees for certain third parties, sees his parents brutally killed by poachers coming-of-age drama that is at clear odds with strate the perils of sectarianism and dogma. procured as a birthday premous. In related news, to perform properly, leading to inadequate he can no longer be accused of pecuniary and that violence is often revisited by his ele- James’ otherwise spry second novel.

But religious instruction apart, the fable can Google, an early supsent for the son of Sunil motive. Instead he will redevelopment of infrasphantine memory. A cycle of spiralling reMore than Emma, it is possibly the short also perhaps be of use in literary criticism. DeBharti Mittal. “There is no porter of Airtel Zero, ceive a pinch on the cheek tructure and low developvenge is set in motion when the Gravedigger mention of her childhood parakeet that re- pending on the character you follow, Tusk can whose corporate slogan is way to gift wrap a human befrom the Cabinet Secretament indices. Hence kills Manu’s cousin. The moral dimensions of mains memorable. Wondering if Daisy was either be a compelling cliff-hanger or a ‘Don’t be evil’, has claring without causing suffocary. For the next few days, Section 197 of the Criminal this death are only confused when one consid- somehow suffering depression, a 15-year-old thoughtful account of life in the wild. Sadly, it ified that the definition of tion,” said a spokesman for Procedure Code was introhis colleagues may refer ers that Manu’s brother Jayan had butchered Emma asks, “Couldn’t her mind be capable of can also be a bore at times. Emma, the incauevil has now been the company, “Also, he reduced. As per this, no govto him as ‘silly boy’, but 56 elephants for the ivory of their tusks. emotions beyond our own, like Wing Bore- tious filmmaker, only succeeds in distracting fused to get into a box. As a changed to ‘anything ernment officer can be other than that, no harm In the forest that James creates for her read- dom or Flock Joy or Plummet Buzz, things we one from the giant elephant in the room. substitute, we will be prewhich benefits Bing’. will befall him.” prosecuted in a court of ers, the elephant is an equal object of fear and couldn’t feel and, therefore, could never unshreevatsa nevatia The Investigator is a monthly round-up of all things droll and newsy. views are personal. personal t@shovonc veneration.

TheAllGravedigger, who isReally referred derstand?”

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AIRTEL TO BUY TIM BERNERS-LEE!

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HONEST OFFICERS HAIL DILUTION OF POCA

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THE CRITICAL ISSUE

Mind your own house The Purvi Patel incident tells us a great deal about the way the world looks at itself in relation to violence against women and the way in which it looks at others

Justice denied Abortion rights protesters carry pictures of Savita Halappanavar through central Dublin ap /shawn pogatchnik; (right) Purvi Patel is taken into custody after being sentenced to 20 years for foeticide and neglect of a dependent ap /robert franklin

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Urvashi Butalia is an editor, publisher and director of Zubaan

hen Purvi Patel, a 33-year-old woman from Indiana in the US, left her home one day not so long ago, and took herself to a hospital because she was bleeding profusely, she could not have known the dire future she was writing for herself. She could not possibly have imagined that one of the doctors at the hospital would take it upon himself to decide that she had deliberately tried to terminate her pregnancy, that he would rush out to dumpsters to locate the thrown away foetus and that he would then report Patel to the authorities. She could not have known that she would then be tried for foeticide and neglecting a dependent and (which, as many have pointed out, are contradictory charges) and would end up serving two decades in jail.

One might say that at least Patel is alive, and when she’s served her 20-year sentence, she will be only 53, so she’ll still have a life. One might equally say that no such possibility was available to another Indian-origin woman, Savita Halappanavar, in Ireland less than two years ago, who needed an abortion which doctors would not perform, and who died as a result. In the minds of the pro-lifers, this was the just doctrine of an eye for an eye.

There is much that remains unexplained about these incidents. Why is it that there has been such little shock, horror and outrage at what has happened to Patel? Instead, much of the writing seems to be striving for balance, establishing that the law that has been used to sentence Patel was actually meant for male perpetrators, that it was never the intention of the pro-lifers to punish women who sought abortion; instead, their intention was to save the unborn child.

Well, in this case, that did not happen. Even

for women who might be considering abor- about the way the world looks at itself in relation as Patel was said to be doing, there’s no ir- tion to violence against women and the way in refutable evidence to show that she actually which it looks at others. Violence against took steps to do this. Nor was there any excuse women, sexual violence, sexual harassment — for the doctor to take upon himself the search none of these is new anywhere in the world. for the lost foetus — but there seems to be little Recent reports speak of a medical doctor in outrage at this gross professional overreach.

Yale who repeatedly came up to colleagues Why is it that we haven’t heard much about and others and rubbed his erect penis against what was said in the courts when the case was their backs. Despite many complaints he was being argued? Further, we could ask, were the not asked to leave or held to account. prosecutor’s statements any less shocking But there’s a way in which such violence is than those of the two lawyers in the documen- seen differently depending on where it takes tary India’s Daughter, who held forth about kill- place. We Indians tend to ignore it when it ing girls who dressed the wrong way? happens elsewhere. I’d like to think we do this Why is it that media channels because we do not like to sit in are not rushing to Indiana to judgment on others, but I’m make films on this travesty of jusafraid that would not be the tice by the courts, and the support truth. Rather, we ignore it beWhy is it that media for it by the anti-abortionists? I cause we don’t really care. It’s channels across the know this is a strange thing to say, just violence against women afworld are not rushing but in all honesty it has often ter all, so why bother. to Indiana to make crossed my mind since I read The West — and I use that films on this travesty about that terrible judgment and word with some caution as one of justice sentencing. But just as hordes of can’t really generalise so easily international media zeroed in on — by and large ignores it when India, and in particular Delhi, after it happens in its own backyard. the 2012 rape case, I’m wondering But when it happens elseif we — media from India, Bangladesh, Sri Lan- where, as in a developing country, especially ka, Pakistan, Nepal, Palestine, and other coun- one that wants to see itself as a super power, tries, shouldn’t be rushing to Indiana to then ignoring it is not an option. And so beinterview people on the street about their re- gins the rush: the newspaper, the television actions to the judgment and shouldn’t we channel, the art programme, the then make films about them. I’m wondering if documentary. that did happen, whether our journalists and Perhaps it’s time we realised that no matter documentary filmmakers would get permis- where it takes place, no matter how it hapsion to visit the prison where Patel is being pens, violence against women is a violation of held, to interview her, and then to show it their fundamental rights as citizens, and that across the US as our gift to the US. After all, is where our outrage should be directed. there are a great many of us there. blink@thehindu.co.in The Purvi Patel incident tells us a great deal

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In sync with the waves A maestro who travelled with his own supply of ghee and insisted on meat for all his meals — remembering Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan

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stad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, my favourite singer, was born on April 2, 1902; he died on April 25, 1968. Here are a few anecdotes to commemorate both his musical genius and his idiosyncrasies.

was his idea of ‘mocking’ the fan.

Again, 25 Dixon Lane. Khansahib was sitting with a group of people when a buffalo in the neighbourhood let out a loud grunt. Immediately, Khansahib responded with a meend from ‘dha’ to ‘ma’ in the lower octave in raga Malkauns. He told the group that his guru and uncle, Ustad Kale Khan, had once told him that if he wants to bring jawaani (youth) to his voice, he should try to imbibe the tone of a buffalo. Khansahib had not forgotten that advice. The outcome of his riyaz was evident that day.

Ghee Khansahib spent an inordinate amount of time in Calcutta every year. Often, he was a guest at the house of the stevedore Ramchandra Banerjee. He was always accompanied by a person called Enayet. Enayet had a twin role. He accompanied Khansahib on the tabla and supervised Khansahib’s Barber dietary requirements. A key aspect Khansahib sang every waking of Enayet’s job was to people leave Lahore moment of his life. This has been Miles to go Thirty crore — nearly a quarter of India's population — live without access to electricity in India g karthikeyan (for Calcutta) with three large tins corroborated by several sources. of ghee and, once in Calcutta, to He would not stop even while warn Khansahib when the last tin getting a shave. Once, he was had been opened. Khansahib singing regular taans while bewould then proceed to procure reing shaved — the barber was turn tickets on the Punjab Mail probably accustomed to this — within a week from the warning. but suddenly he lashed out a Everybody knew that he would three-octave taan. The barber stay only till his ghee lasted. It was stopped and told him that he unthinkable for him to consume was too scared to proceed. Khanghee that did not come from his sahib assured the barber that his trusted merchant in Lahore and it face wouldn’t move, whatever Sing a song Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan could find music in everything from was, of course, unthinkable that the taan. Kumarprasad Muherjee the grunt of a buffalo to the whirring of a fan shutterstock he would eat anything that had has used this anecdote to illusnot been cooked in ghee. trate (in cricketing parlance) Enayet’s warnings once slipped by Khansa- present, that somebody once told him that ev- Khansahib’s ‘relaxed stance’ while singing. hib. When Khansahib realised, there was ghee ery note he sings has the aroma of kebabs — a cool fa- could left for just n about twoFebruary days. Ramafternoon, Banerjee, the dia livehewithout access electricity.

However, possibly sing to that way if he had to Waves dark make news. In November last year, 20km ther-of-the-bride Sharma feed host, came back home to findMukesh that Khansahib according to Census 2011, 94.6 per centfluid? of the This on grasses swimming in different fromisLucknow, Chibaukhera village with a well-known anecdote fromlitBRupDeodsupervising wedding was packedwas andbusy ready to leave. the With folded country’s villages are cook electrified, He said that he would his own leaving dinner har’s bulbsPillars and television sets for the very first time of Hindustani Music: preparations.

In ifone of the hands, he asked Khansahib there hadwider been and 32,227 villages the list dark. handed hiscompletely disciples ainlong of Under ingre- while its neighbour Sheetal were Kheraon endured yet Deodhar and Khansahib Bombay’s lanes of Mohd Sadikpur village, around any deficiency in his hospitality.

Khansahib re- dients, the latest planincluded of the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya another darkMarine which six chickDiwali. Drive Just last Chakshon week, a rainy day, 200km from Delhi, pandal being setpaid up. ens plied that it was his afault thatwas he had not Gram(for Jyoti him Yojanaand (DDUGJY, formerly known yam village, Allahabad his two districtfound got electricity which Khansahib to be the An ornate street lightthe wasghee being assembled as disciples). heed to Enayet about and that he was as Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yoja- after its transformer Since meat was not alhad stopped working 14 ‘right’ place for doing riyaz. He the centrepiece. and gulab ja- lowed now compelled toFresh leave jalebis early. Banerjee pleadna), 98inper of Uttar Pradesh’s 28,311 ‘un- years ago. Imlak thecent kitchen, he set up a village in Moradabad district began to sing Miyan ki Malhar. muns waited in two heaps, covered in chashni.

DJ stove ed with him for days, in which time heAaselectrified’ villages have been in the courtyard.

He has a similar to tell —a elecDeodhar says,story “Whenever parHe cooked, ate, had been booked.that Mukesh had spared ex- cooked, sured Khansahib he would get theno ghee electrified, and intensive electriate, belched and only belched and only then tricity through its ticularly coursed massive wave broke and penseLahore. for his daughter Ritu’s ofwedding — then from Three local samples ghee were fication been out in sethas out forcarried the concert homes for a fewout years before bewater sprayed Khansaheb’s set out for the ₹30,000 before for lights, sounds brought him. He smeltand eachdecoration, and finally where, more than 3,000had villages. listeners beenWhile waiting The villages have taan severed. rose in synchronisation and concert where and a 7.5HPone generator to power tolerable. it all. approved as temporarily The ing these arethe impressive since evening. figures, in now lived for 20 the years without descended when water casIflisteners in Haryana, hadbrides been As from the Lahore day wore on, a arrived crowd inhuddled ghee ultimately Calcut- reality nearly two-third of UP’s power.

Sadikpur residents too caded.

Water rose in a single arewaiting in shortsince supply around the later generator.

Some Airlines had brought ta three days on an Indian flight Fan. 20 crore people still have no regBuffalo share thecolumn same but fate;split electricity massive at the because of the the evening their Delhi. mobile phones, a few students lugged Sarod from ular access to power. maestro Pandit Buddha- adverse sex ratio and travels wiresslivers; around top and through fell in broken so their laptops, and others carried extension devThe blackout, which the afDas2012 Gupta has recounted them but not a unit of in current redid Khansaheb’s taan raga Miprevalence of female cords. When the festivities pick up later that following Meat fected 68 crore people across 18 foeticide, in Sadikpur aches two anecdotes: them. Sometimes, if his asyan Malhar. evening,Dhar the generator will chug toMukherjee life and so states, Sheila and Kumarprasad little difference in This made happened at 25 Dixon cending notes failed to keep pace the main problem will their appliances. (who used electronic to record his chats withThey Dharwould at the Lane UP, where nearly 40 per cent of appears — a hallowed address in Calcutta, the resi-to bewith Powerwater, and weddings the surging he was angry with the lack dance International under lights to the latest India Centre, Delhi)Bollywood have re- dence the population already liv- Ghosh. ofThis of Panditwas Jnan Prakash few again doors down Mukesh himself but Atried till it from synchronised electricity numbersthis andanecdote: charge their phones — from the house counted ing in the In maestros, rural electrifihas dark. several to say nothing of perfectly withSharma’s Arjun the surginghousehold, water. This went on same source. For people of Mohd Khansahib hadthe gone to Delhi for aSadikpur concert the cation schemes, a villageconcerts is said it hosted. for three quarters many memorable Singhofisangetting hour.” ready for his village, these Joshi’s were a(of blessing in Khansahib and wasoccasions staying atlike Nirmala Sangeet to be electrified 10 perguest. cent ofThe house had was aifregular wedding. A gangly 24-year-old, disguise.

For a few hours,Joshi’s they would un- an Natak Akademi) house. was a have vegetarall old households, public spaces fan. (Bengalis call these ‘DC fans’; their Deathbed Arjun is smeared with turmeric interrupted power supply at with no cost. ian household.

Silver thalis, seven silver speed such asofschools, health and panchayat movement hascentres also earned them the Khansahib as friends and family sit in in Hyderabad. the courtyard passed away In dishis In 1951, newly Independent India its moniker bowls in each, were placed before theheld guests. offices have access to electricity.

But for many ‘homoeopathic fan’.) Frustrated with last cussing his is lucky his hours, henuptials. called his “Mukesh son Munawar Ali Khan first general election. village Mo- its Khansahib plunged hisSadikpur thumb into eachin bowl, villages, Mohd looked Sadikpur, speed,like Khansahib up electrification at the fan and and daughter is getting She sound will move to told him that if married. he takes the of the radabad was in the early ’50s, when expecting to electrified feel a piece of meat.

When he said, simply meanstez a tangled power trans“Thoda chalna, web bhai of (Go faster, my fan a village with Arjun’s will have no as the ‘sa’power. (tonic), then bride the dogs outside a lone he electric pole was erected but the friend)”. didn’t pushed the plate awayhere, and uttered mission lines hum electricity.

Whenthat thenever fan did notwith oblige, he repli- were such luck,” says Om,‘ga’ one the friends barking in Hari ‘re’ and ofof Miyan ki Todi.in waves of that current reached itsHindustani homes. the line has never become part of Every especially around Diwali,through August attendance. “It’s easier in our village to get cated itsyear, screeching noise and speed is a Kolkata-based lawyer and music Thirty crore people — nearly a quarter 121 a15short music folklore: “Yeh gana aur yeh khana!of(My or January just re- arunabha taan in 26, ragavillages Multanithat and have kept singing daughters deb married off,” he explains.

For many shubhodeb@hotmail.com crore people — and 8 crore households In- it music, and this food!)”

He told Dhar, whoinwas ceived electricity those that the writer in sync with theand movement ofremain the fan.inThat bachelors in Sadikpur, the power-less status of

Powerless in UP The lives of those in ‘dark villages’— which have never seen electricity — tell of hardship, improvisation, family squabbles and grooms who can’t find wives

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the village is proving to be their undoing.

Bachelors are to be found in plenty, but few brides are willing to marry into the village. If in Haryana, brides are in short supply because of the adverse sex ratio and prevalence of female foeticide, in Sadikpur the main problem appears to be the lack of electricity. “Parents don’t want to send their daughters to these villages. Our bachelors are finding it tough to secure alliances,” says Hari.

In most ‘dark’ villages across UP, wedding gifts have presented a peculiar problem.

Brides arrived in droves, laden with typical ‘dowry gifts’ — spanking new television sets, fans, refrigerators, mixers and grinders. But in these villages, electrical appliances have served little purpose. Televisions and fans are stowed behind locked doors, their wrapping intact and smothered by layers of dust. Mixers and grinders have been repurposed as buckets and mugs. Refrigerators have been fashioned into shelves and safes. In Sadikpur, the problem is only getting worse. “Ninety per cent of our households have TVs, 70 per cent have fans, 20 per cent have refrigerators, but we can’t use any of them,” says Vijay Singh, manager of a private school in the village. He also remarks that increasingly, wives are abandoning husbands, and families their village in search of brighter pastures. While there are no statistics to corroborate this, Vijay confidently puts the figure at 15-20 per cent.

Arjun, however, is luckier than most men in Sadikpur. He is one of the first grooms in the village to convince the bride’s parents to gift Baap sarkar…

O lord,and our not Master! his family a generator a television.

WithHow daysyou to wield go forthe hissword, wedding, the Hercules stabs theset heart, GoldThat Generator occupies pride of place at That smashes allhome. life! Shiny and sealed in the entrance of his WithHercules one shothas of your gun,become popular plastic, already best of people arehome, downed, withThe neighbours.

At his we sit sipping the dumps! chai,Down madeinwith milk from his dairy. His busiyou did not muffle nessYet is struggling, he says,me, because of storage Showed courtesy tryice-creams me in court, issues.

“Hereme wethe don’t evento eat or How he youadds. rendered a favour unto me, paneer,” Earlier, he had even set up a O’ how you a favour toNarauli. me. mobile shop inrendered the nearby town of “It Baap sarkar…

O lord, our Master! didn’t work out. I had to cycle 30km every day, which was tough. And I’d like to run my busio sings ness in my own Narayan village.” Kamble on being released on bail. This ‘ballad of gratiexposes the violence that lies at Missing tude’ from plans thethe heart of law.

It places the machinAhead of 2014 general elections, while ery of law on aUP parChief withMinister the swords and guns campaigning, Akhilesh Yathathad ‘smash’ and ‘drown’ people, much as to it dav vowed that “we will not allow Modi may pretend be its exact opposite. turn UP into to another Gujarat.”

Days later at Chaitanya Tamhane’s Court follows theDirector Gorakhpur rally, Narendra Modi shot back, the trial Narayan ex-mill “Do you of know whatKamble, turningan UPageing into Gujarat worker, Itnow part-time tuition teacher and means? means providing 24x7 electricity in full-time balladeer who sings at street corners, at Ambedkarite meetings, and among workers. Kamble is arrested for abetting the suicide of a sewage worker who is found dead in the gutters, just days after he had performed rousing songs in the slum of the now dead man.

The prosecution’s case is as follows: How could a man who had cleaned manholes for five years as a contract worker with the BMC, a man well aware of the hazardous gases that filled these hell-holes, descend into one without protection? The absence of any safety equipment amounted to wilful disregard of norms by the deceased. The dead worker had been coaxed and incited by Kamble’s song to inhale toxic gases to gain dignity and respect.

While it may appear to be a satire — and it almost is, given the incredulous charges against Kamble, and even flimsier evidence supplied by the police to support the prosecution’s case — the troubling thing about this plot is that it is wholly plausible in today’s India. There are shades of the Kabir Kala Manch trial as well as Binayak Sen’s, and innumerable less-reported ones. The evidence — recovery of books either never banned, or banned by the British Seeing in the dark Uninterrupted power would mean better eyesight for students and not carrying out almost vaccination programmes by the light of kerosene lamps d gopalakrishnan a century ago; a stock witness who testifies for

A song for the scavenger of jugaad Mukesh Sharma spent ₹30,000 on a generator to lightstudies up his daughter’s wedding; (right) Now running in theatres, Court,Times an award-winning multilingual drama, caste and Tarachand charges his mobile from a tractor parked in a shed priyanka kotamraju criminalisation of political dissent through the prism of judiciary

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every village.” According to rating agencies kum. “I have to warm up the iron box on the ICRA and Credit Analysis and Research (CARE), small cylinder to press the school uniforms, the four discoms in Gujarat are the country’s which makes the children late. If I had known is ita either.” dark village, I wouldn’t have best while the five UP discoms are the worst. Sadikpur mind doing Kumkum’s sisters, whoas areifmarried inUP, where forced power holidays are all too come.”

The judge shakes his head, to suggest more that is, better-lit common, has been facing an acute shortage of to that this prosperous, admission on Kamble’s part, towns of the villages, hersuch withaasong refrigerator and power for years. While the UP government has and possibility ofgifted writing in future, is Toofan fans.

“I can’tof speak ordered a complete overhaul of the power sec- two as good as an admission guilt.to them now. have quarrelled.

And Iraised can’t use gifts,” tor before the onset of summer, Sadikpur vil- WeAnti-terror laws have thetheir pursuit of Kumkum. lage appears to be missing from its plans. complains the slippery and elusive ‘intention’ into a For now, Gaurav spendsThis, a portion of his agriCurrently, the village is not even listed under weighty legal category. combined with cultural income for meaning a few hours of peace the DDUGJY’s plan for rural electrification. the widest possible of terror actsand (as much to hissays, mother’s annoyance.

A Sadikpur has also been unlucky in its pro- electricity, the public prosecutor “it could be bombs large landowner, spacious home tests. Almost a decade ago, neighbouring vil- fairly or chemical, or any otherhis means of whatever functions as ahas micro-grid for lage Dhamawali refused to nature, includes anything”), made it legalmost of the neighbourhood.

For cooperate with health officials ly possible to criminalise practically every couple of hoursmay every day, the for the polio immunisation proopinion that athe government dislike. of on hisa tractor parked in gramme. The protests lasted To those ofmotor us reared diet of Sunny Deol the about yard provides eight days, after which electriciventing “tareekh, power tareekhto aurrun taPeople always ask ushis fury all theagadgets in the and ty arrived at the village. Sadikreekh”, Court offers very calm, evenhouse resigned, what it is like to live locality.

Three dozen bulbs glow, pur has borrowed the form of look at the workings of our lower judiciary.

It here, but you tell us mobiles areskeins put on resistance, boycotting polio prounravels thenearly socially30conservative of what it is to the prosecutor television comes grammes every year, but access the judiciary:charge, the public enjoyson, an have power House in disorder A still it. from Court pump starts up and the atta to power still eludes The vil-(top), directed evening outthe watching anti-immigrant Maby Chaitanya Tamhane (above) comes to the life.judge He has also lage also missed ‘being adopted’ rathi theatrechakki and wishes that would like in20jugaad last year on account of vote bank sentence the invested accused to years indevices prison and battery-operated and gently handpolitics (not enough members the prosecution in several cases; and a letter relieve her ofthe boredom; the judge who glow-in-the-dark to following light the way from a particular community). friend in jail urging Kamble to look af- held reprimands the policedevice for not the women and search children going to the what presented your life would be like withter“Imagine his ill mother as a conspiracy in for manual during and seizure but toilet. won’t children have come up with their own inout Vijay.typical “People always ask His codeelectricity,” language —says is fairly of such cases. discard the tainted seizures; who refuses to — a palm-sized, battery-operated cardus Kamble what it sings, is like“truth to livehas here, tellBut us vention lostbut its you voice”. hear a litigant in a sleeveless dress, because it fansense for the what it is toalso haveshows power.”usUninterrupted pow- board-blade personal the film how violates his of summers. decorum.

The people of Sadikpur are naturally diser in Sadikpur village mean breathing ‘truth’ is produced inwould the courCourt is the story of the criminot running to trustful of politicians, the local administraeasily the ghoonghat, troom.under The messy and unruly nal justice system as well as those the fields to counterclaims charge mobilesenter by the tractor, and tion and media. claims and it hasNevertheless, abandoned: they’ve the deadmade gutnot out vaccination programmes plans for day electricity finally himself arrives in the carrying records through the dictacleaner who drinks to There by are shades of theter kerosene their village.insentience Vijay declares thathe households tion of lamp the light. sessions judge, so that can clamthe Kabir Kala Manch For Vijay his pupils, access willas happily take pay for who supcleaned andand flattened, in the ser- to electricity ber connections down the and manhole, trial as well will at school, the Binayak possibil- Sen’s, ply. and Tarachand, who athe villagers claim an vice mean of law.longer In hishours cross-examinthrows pebble into the filthisand ity of by homework, eyesight and a de- expert wires, for willa cockroach set up his to electrical ation the publicbetter prosecutor, appear innumerable less-with waits crease the dropout rate.

“I have noticed that shop. open mobile store.

Others Kamblein denies having written so that he aknows that there is oxreported ones Arjun will more and more are failing before will start internet cafes, there, computer or performed the students song “Manhole ygen down who stores has lostand an Class V even,” Vijay. Driver Tarachand can even auto repair Gaurav’s workers, all ofsays us should commit eye shops. to the deadlymother’s gases. proThis go back by to his original occupation have light for customers to suicide suffocating inside the of being an vision store will man’s degradation is turned into electrician.

Arjun may might havetrigbetter luck with scrutinise their purchases.

Markers of modgutters…” which have material evidence of Kamble’s his dairy. and his family will not ernity have already arrived in the village the gered theSanjay suicideSingh in question. guilt. Court shows us that law may only in rarely have tohave moveyou to Punjab. form of smartphones and thegutter Akhi“Ok, written such a song?” be about justice. It is a laptops requiem(offor For farmer Gaurav Sharma, ac- lesh Yadav education and “Not26-year-old yet.” cleaners, forscheme), the balladeers who sing theaspiratruth, cess electricity will mean peace in the tions. come to Sadikpur,” “Soto you might? You don’t mind?” for the“Development ideal of justicewill — and indeed, for all us. household.

His wife Kumkum regularly says Vijay, his hope burning brighter than the “No.” threatens leave. mother forever upset manisha sethi is the author of Kafkaland: Prejudice, overhead.

“Note,” to tells the His judge to hisistypist, “The ac- bulbs His children are always to Law and Counterterrorism in India (Three Essays with cusedthe is bahu. claiming that though he haslate never kotamraju school. can one live like this,” he asks Kum- priyanka Collective, 2014) written“How or performed such a song, doesn’t

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The rattle and hum in Sadar B Going behind the scenes at the bangle factories of Firozabad

Burning bright Bangle-making is a hazardous task as the temperatures in the furnace are maintained at around 1,500 °C

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hen the glass industry took off in Firozabad, Uttar Pradesh centuries ago, it is said workers could make only a single bangle at a time. Twisted into the circular frame in a bhainsa bhatti (wood-fired furnace) at high temperatures, these bangles without joints were called ‘kadechhal ki chudi’.

Since then, Firozabad has been home to the biggest glass industry cluster in the country. It is also the largest manufacturer of glass bangles in the world.

Nearly two million people work in Firozabad’s factories in deplorable conditions to make bulbs, chandeliers, and bangles.

We visited two factories, one in the industrial area and another located in Old Firozabad. We saw workers transforming lumps of silica into perfectly

shaped glass bangles — one every two-three minutes.

According to some estimates, a single bangle passes through as many as 45 to 50 hands before making its way to markets. Some markets are close by, like the one at Sadar Bazaar (almost as popular as Hyderabad’s Laad Bazaar), where you can find stacks of bangles in every hue. For newly married women, the market at Suhag Nagari, close to Agra, is the place to visit before the big day.

In the last decade, the glass factories of Firozabad have undergone many changes. One of the biggest is the switch from coal to natural gas as fuel for the furnaces. Workers, however, continue to toil with hazardous chemicals and toxic gases. kamal narang

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Bazaar

Fires of purgatory The technology has changed little over the last 200 years

Skills such as these Bangle workers are paid differently, with those operating the furnaces paid the most, while women who do the sorting are paid the least

Eye spy The bangles should be free from small bubbles and other minor defects

Step by step After the bangles are removed from the ďŹ re, they are cooled and sorted

Not so pretty The combination of pollution, chemicals and heat causes various medical disorders in the workers

To market, to market The basic red and green bangles are taken to smaller units for ďŹ nal embellishments

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MANJ KHAMAJ

In sync with the waves A maestro who travelled with his own supply of ghee and insisted on meat for all his meals — remembering Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan

arunabha deb

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stad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, my favourite singer, was born on April 2, 1902; he died on April 25, 1968. Here are a few anecdotes to commemorate both his musical genius and his idiosyncrasies.

was his idea of ‘mocking’ the fan.

Again, 25 Dixon Lane. Khansahib was sitting with a group of people when a buffalo in the neighbourhood let out a loud grunt. Immediately, Khansahib responded with a meend from ‘dha’ to ‘ma’ in the lower octave in raga Malkauns. He told the group that his guru and uncle, Ustad Kale Khan, had once told him that if he wants to bring jawaani (youth) to his voice, he should try to imbibe the tone of a buffalo. Khansahib had not forgotten that advice. The outcome of his riyaz was evident that day.

Ghee Khansahib spent an inordinate amount of time in Calcutta every year. Often, he was a guest at the house of the stevedore Ramchandra Banerjee. He was always accompanied by a person called Enayet. Enayet had a twin role. He accompanied Khansahib on the tabla and supervised Khansahib’s Barber dietary requirements. A key aspect Khansahib sang every waking of Enayet’s job was topeople leave Lahore moment of his life. This has been Miles to go Thirty crore — nearly a quarter of India's population — live without access to electricity in India g karthikeyan (for Calcutta) with three large tins corroborated by several sources. of ghee and, once in Calcutta, to He would not stop even while warn Khansahib when the last tin getting a shave. Once, he was had been opened. Khansahib singing regular taans while bewould then proceed to procure reing shaved — the barber was turn tickets on the Punjab Mail probably accustomed to this — within a week from the warning. but suddenly he lashed out a Everybody knew that he would three-octave taan. The barber stay only till his ghee lasted. It was stopped and told him that he unthinkable for him to consume was too scared to proceed. Khanghee that did not come from his sahib assured the barber that his trusted merchant in Lahore and it face wouldn’t move, whatever Sing a song Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan could find music in everything from was, of course, unthinkable that the taan. Kumarprasad Muherjee the grunt of a buffalo to the whirring of a fan shutterstock he would eat anything that had has used this anecdote to illusnot been cooked in ghee. trate (in cricketing parlance) Enayet’s warnings once slipped by Khansa- present, that somebody once told him that ev- Khansahib’s ‘relaxed stance’ while singing. hib. When Khansahib realised, there was ghee ery note he sings has the aroma of kebabs — a cool fa- dia left for just nabout twoFebruary days. Ramafternoon, Banerjee, the livehe without access electricity.

However, could possibly singto that way if he had to Waves dark make news. In November last year, 20km Sharma according host, came ther-of-the-bride back home to findMukesh that Khansahib to Census 2011, 94.6 per centfluid? of the This feed on grasses swimming in different fromisLucknow, Chibaukhera village upDeodwith a well-known anecdote fromlitBR supervising wedding was packedwas andbusy ready to leave. the With folded country’s villages are cook electrified, He said that he would his own leaving dinner har’s bulbsPillars and television sets for the very first time of Hindustani Music: preparations.

In ifone of the hands, he asked Khansahib there hadwider been 32,227 villages the list dark. and handed hiscompletely disciples ainlong of Under ingre- while its neighbour Sheetal were Kheraon endured yet Deodhar and Khansahib Bombay’s lanes of Mohd Sadikpur village, around any deficiency in his hospitality.

Khansahib re- the latest planincluded of the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya another darkMarine dients, which six chickDiwali. Drive Just last Chakshon week, a rainy day, 200km from Delhi, pandal setpaid up. Gram plied that it was his afault thatwas he being had not Jyoti him Yojanaand (DDUGJY, formerly known yam village, Allahabad ens (for his two districtfound got electricity which Khansahib to be the An ornate streetabout lightthe wasghee being assembled as as heed to Enayet and that he was Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yoja- after its transformer disciples).

Since meat was not alhad stopped working 14 ‘right’ place for doing riyaz. He the centrepiece. and gulab ja- na), now compelled toFresh leave jalebis early. Banerjee plead98inper of Uttar Pradesh’s lowed thecent kitchen, he set up a 28,311 ‘un- years ago. Imlak village in Moradabad district began to sing Miyan ki Malhar. muns waited in heaps, covered in chashni.

DJ electrified’ ed with him for two days, in which time heAasvillages have been stove in the courtyard.

He has a similar to tell —a elecDeodhar says,story “Whenever parHe cooked, ate, had been booked.that Mukesh had spared ex- electrified, sured Khansahib he would get theno ghee and intensive electricooked, ate, belched and only belched and only then tricity through its ticularly coursed massive wave broke and penseLahore. for his daughter Ritu’s of wedding — fication from Three local samples ghee were been out in then sethas out forcarried the concert homes for a fewout years before bewater sprayed Khansaheb’s set out for the ₹30,000 before for lights, sounds brought him. He smeltand eachdecoration, and finally more 3,000had villages. where,than listeners beenWhile waiting The villages have taan severed. rose in synchronisation and concert where and a 7.5HPone generator to power tolerable. it all. approved as temporarily The these are the impressive ing since evening. figures, in now lived for 20 the years without descended when water casIflisteners in Haryana, hadbrides been As from the Lahore day wore on, a arrived crowd in huddled ghee ultimately Calcut- reality nearly two-third of UP’s power.

Sadikpur residents too caded.

Water rose in a single arewaiting in shortsince supply around the later generator.

Some Airlines had brought ta three days on an Indian flight 20 crore people still have no regFan. Buffalo share thecolumn same fate; electricity massive but split at the because of the the evening their Delhi. mobile phones, a few students lugged ular from to power.

Sarodaccess maestro Pandit Buddha- adverse sex ratio and travels wiresslivers; around top and through fell in broken so their laptops, and others carried extension dev The blackout, which the afDas2012 Gupta has recounted them but not a unit of in current redid Khansaheb’s taan raga Miprevalence of female cords. When the festivities pick up later that fected Meat 68 crore people across 18 foeticide, in Sadikpur aches following two anecdotes: them. Sometimes, if his asyan Malhar. evening,Dhar the generator will chug toMukherjee life and so states, Sheila and Kumarprasad little difference in This made happened at 25 Dixon cending notes failed to keep pace the main problem will their appliances. (who used electronic to record his chats withThey Dharwould at the UP, nearly 40 per cent of appears Lanewhere — a hallowed address in Calcutta, the resiPowerwater, and weddings the surging he was angry with to bewith the lack dance International under lights to the latest India Centre, Delhi)Bollywood have re- the population already liv- Ghosh.ofThis dence of Panditwas Jnan Prakash few doors Mukesh himself but Atried again down till it from synchronised electricity numbersthis andanecdote: charge their phones — from the ing counted in the In maestros, rural electrifihouse has dark. several to say nothing of perfectly withSharma’s Arjun the surginghousehold, water. This went on same source. For people of Mohd Khansahib hadthe gone to Delhi for aSadikpur concert cation schemes, a village concerts is said it hosted. for three quarters the many memorable Singhofisangetting hour.” ready for his village, these Joshi’s were a (of blessing in to and wasoccasions staying atlike Nirmala Sangeet be electrified 10 per guest. cent ofThe house had Khansahib was aifregular wedding. A gangly 24-year-old, disguise.

For a few hours,Joshi’s they would un- all Natak Akademi) house. was a have vegetarhouseholds, public spaces an old fan. (Bengalis call these ‘DC fans’; their Deathbed Arjun is smeared with turmeric interrupted power supply at with no cost. ian household.

Silver thalis, seven silver such health and panchayat speedasofschools, movement hascentres also earned them the Khansahib as friends and family sit in in Hyderabad. the courtyard passed away In dishis In 1951, newly Independent India its offices bowls in each, were placed before theheld guests. have access to electricity.

But for many moniker ‘homoeopathic fan’.) Frustrated with last cussing hishenuptials. is lucky his hours, called his “Mukesh son Munawar Ali Khan first general election. village Mo- villages, Khansahib plunged hisSadikpur thumb into eachinbowl, Mohd Sadikpur, its speed,like Khansahib looked up electrification at the fan and and daughter is getting will move to told him that if married. he takes She the sound of the radabad was in the early ’50s, when expecting toelectrified feel a piece of meat.

When he simply meanstez a tangled power transsaid, “Thoda chalna, web bhai of (Go faster, my fan a village with Arjun’s will have no as the ‘sa’power. (tonic), then bride the dogs outside a lone he electric pole was erected but the mission didn’t pushed the plate awayhere, and uttered hum electricity. friend)”. lines Whenthat thenever fan did notwith oblige, he repli- were such luck,” says Om,‘ga’ one the friends barking in Hari ‘re’ and ofof Miyan ki Todi.in waves of that current reached its Hindustani homes. the line hasnever become part of Every especially around Diwali,through August attendance. “It’s easier in our village to get cated itsyear, screeching noise and speed is a Kolkata-based lawyer and music Thirty crore people — nearly a quarter 121 15 music folklore: “Yeh gana aur yeh khana!of(My or January just re- arunabha a short taan in 26, ragavillages Multanithat andhave kept singing daughters deb married off,” he explains.

For many shubhodeb@hotmail.com crore people — and 8 crore households In- ceived music, and this food!)”

He told Dhar, whoinwas electricity those that the writer it in sync with theand movement ofremain the fan.inThat bachelors in Sadikpur, the power-less status of

Powerless in UP The lives of those in ‘dark villages’— which have never seen electricity — tell of hardship, improvisation, family squabbles and grooms who can’t find wives

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the village is proving to be their undoing.

Bachelors are to be found in plenty, but few brides are willing to marry into the village. If in Haryana, brides are in short supply because of the adverse sex ratio and prevalence of female foeticide, in Sadikpur the main problem appears to be the lack of electricity. “Parents don’t want to send their daughters to these villages. Our bachelors are finding it tough to secure alliances,” says Hari.

In most ‘dark’ villages across UP, wedding gifts have presented a peculiar problem.

Brides arrived in droves, laden with typical ‘dowry gifts’ — spanking new television sets, fans, refrigerators, mixers and grinders. But in these villages, electrical appliances have served little purpose. Televisions and fans are stowed behind locked doors, their wrapping intact and smothered by layers of dust. Mixers and grinders have been repurposed as buckets and mugs. Refrigerators have been fashioned into shelves and safes. In Sadikpur, the problem is only getting worse. “Ninety per cent of our households have TVs, 70 per cent have fans, 20 per cent have refrigerators, but we can’t use any of them,” says Vijay Singh, manager of a private school in the village. He also remarks that increasingly, wives are abandoning husbands, and families their village in search of brighter pastures. While there are no statistics to corroborate this, Vijay confidently puts the figure at 15-20 per cent.

Arjun, however, is luckier than most men in Sadikpur. He is one of the first grooms in the village to convince the bride’s parents to gift O lord,and our not Master! his Baap familysarkar… a generator a television.

WithHow daysyou to wield go forthe hissword, wedding, the Hercules stabs theset heart, GoldThat Generator occupies pride of place at That smashes allhome. life! Shiny and sealed in the entrance of his WithHercules one shothas of your gun,become popular plastic, already best of people arehome, downed, withThe neighbours.

At his we sit sipping the dumps! chai,Down madeinwith milk from his dairy. His busidid not muffle me, nessYet is you struggling, he says, because of storage Showed courtesy tryice-creams me in court,or issues.

“Hereme wethe don’t eventoeat How he youadds. rendered a favour unto me, paneer,” Earlier, he had even set up a O’ how you a favour to Narauli. me. mobile shop inrendered the nearby town of “It Baap sarkar…

O lord, our Master! didn’t work out. I had to cycle 30km every day, which was tough. And I’d like to run my busio sings ness in my own Narayan village.” Kamble on being released on bail. This ‘ballad of gratiexposes the violence that lies at Missingtude’ from plans thethe heart of law.

It places the machinAhead of 2014 general elections, while ery of law on aUP parChief with Minister the swords and guns campaigning, Akhilesh Yathathad ‘smash’ and ‘drown’ people, much as to it dav vowed that “we will not allow Modi may pretend be its exact opposite. turn UP into to another Gujarat.”

Days later at Chaitanya Tamhane’s Court follows theDirector Gorakhpur rally, Narendra Modi shot back, the trial Narayan ex-mill “Do you of know whatKamble, turningan UPageing into Gujarat worker, Itnow part-time tuition teacher and means? means providing 24x7 electricity in full-time balladeer who sings at street corners, at Ambedkarite meetings, and among workers. Kamble is arrested for abetting the suicide of a sewage worker who is found dead in the gutters, just days after he had performed rousing songs in the slum of the now dead man.

The prosecution’s case is as follows: How could a man who had cleaned manholes for five years as a contract worker with the BMC, a man well aware of the hazardous gases that filled these hell-holes, descend into one without protection? The absence of any safety equipment amounted to wilful disregard of norms by the deceased. The dead worker had been coaxed and incited by Kamble’s song to inhale toxic gases to gain dignity and respect.

While it may appear to be a satire — and it almost is, given the incredulous charges against Kamble, and even flimsier evidence supplied by the police to support the prosecution’s case — the troubling thing about this plot is that it is wholly plausible in today’s India. There are shades of the Kabir Kala Manch trial as well as Binayak Sen’s, and innumerable less-reported ones. The evidence — recovery of books either never banned, or banned by the British Seeing in the dark Uninterrupted power would mean better eyesight for students and not carrying out almost vaccination programmes by the light of kerosene lamps d gopalakrishnan a century ago; a stock witness who testifies for

A song for the scavenger of jugaad Mukesh Sharma spent ₹30,000 on a generator to lightstudies up his daughter’s wedding; (right) Now running in theatres, Court,Times an award-winning multilingual drama, caste and Tarachand charges his mobile from a tractor parked in a shed priyanka kotamraju criminalisation of political dissent through the prism of judiciary

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every village.” According to rating agencies kum. “I have to warm up the iron box on the ICRA and Credit Analysis and Research (CARE), small cylinder to press the school uniforms, the four discoms in Gujarat are the country’s which makes the children late. If I had known is ita either.” dark village, I wouldn’t have best while the five UP discoms are the worst. Sadikpur mind doing Kumkum’s whoas areifmarried inUP, where forced power holidays are all too come.”

The judge shakessisters, his head, to suggest more that is, better-lit towns common, has been facing an acute shortage of to that this prosperous, admission on Kamble’s part, of the villages, hersuch withaasong refrigerator and power for years. While the UP government has and possibility ofgifted writing in future, is Toofan “I can’tofspeak ordered a complete overhaul of the power sec- two as good as anfans. admission guilt.to them now. have quarrelled.

And Iraised can’t use gifts,” tor before the onset of summer, Sadikpur vil- WeAnti-terror laws have thetheir pursuit of Kumkum. lage appears to be missing from its plans. complains the slippery and elusive ‘intention’ into a For now, Gaurav spendsThis, a portion of his with agriCurrently, the village is not even listed under weighty legal category. combined cultural income formeaning a few hours of peace the DDUGJY’s plan for rural electrification. the widest possible of terror actsand (as much to hissays, mother’s annoyance.

A Sadikpur has also been unlucky in its pro- electricity, the public prosecutor “it could be bombs large landowner, spacious home tests. Almost a decade ago, neighbouring vil- fairly or chemical, or any otherhis means of whatever functions as ahas micro-grid for lage Dhamawali refused to nature, includes anything”), made it legalmost of the neighbourhood.

For cooperate with health officials ly possible to criminalise practically every couple of hours every day, the for the polio immunisation proopinion that athe government may dislike. of on hisa tractor parked in gramme. The protests lasted To those ofmotor us reared diet of Sunny Deol the about yard provides power to eight days, after which electriciventing “tareekh, tareekh aurrun taPeople always ask ushis fury all theagadgets in the and ty arrived at the village. Sadikreekh”, Court offers very calm, evenhouse resigned, what it is like to live locality.

Three dozen bulbs glow, pur has borrowed the form of look at the workings of our lower judiciary.

It here, but you tell us mobiles areskeins put on resistance, boycotting polio prounravels thenearly socially30conservative of what it is to the prosecutor television comes grammes every year, but access the judiciary:charge, the public enjoyson, an have power House in disorder A still from Court pump starts up and the atta to power still eludes it. The vil-(top), directed evening outthe watching anti-immigrant Maby Chaitanya Tamhane (above) comes to the life.judge He has also lage also missed ‘being adopted’ rathi theatre chakki and wishes that would like last year on account of vote bank sentence the invested accused toin20jugaad years indevices prison and battery-operated and gently handpolitics (not enough members the prosecution in several cases; and a letter relieve her ofthe boredom; the judge who glow-in-the-dark to following light the way from a particular community). friend in jail urging Kamble to look af- held reprimands the policedevice for not the women and search children to the what presented your life would be like withter“Imagine his ill mother as a conspiracy in for manual during andgoing seizure but toilet. won’t children have come up with their own inout Vijay.

“People always ask His codeelectricity,” language —says is fairly typical of such cases. discard the tainted seizures; who refuses to — a palm-sized, battery-operated cardusKamble what it sings, is like“truth to livehas here, tellBut us vention lostbut its you voice”. hear a litigant in a sleeveless dress, because it fansense for the what it is to haveshows power.”usUninterrupted pow- board-blade personal the film also how violates his of summers. decorum.

The people of Sadikpur are naturally diser in Sadikpur village mean breathing ‘truth’ is produced in would the courCourt is the story of the criminot running to trustful of politicians, the local administraeasily the ghoonghat, troom.under The messy and unruly nal justice system as well as those the fields to counterclaims charge mobilesenter by the tractor, and tion and media. claims and it hasNevertheless, abandoned: they’ve the deadmade gutnot out vaccination programmes plans for day electricity finally himself arrives in the carrying records through the dictacleaner who drinks to There by are shades of theter kerosene their village.insentience Vijay declares thathe households tion of lamp the light. sessions judge, so that can clamthe Kabir Kala Manch For Vijay his pupils, access willas happily take pay for who supcleaned andand flattened, in the ser- to electricity ber connections down the and manhole, trial as well will at school, the Binayak possibil- Sen’s, ply. and Tarachand, whoathe villagers claim an vice mean of law.longer In hishours cross-examinthrows pebble into the filthisand ity of by homework, eyesight and a de- expert wires,for willa cockroach set up his to electrical ation the publicbetter prosecutor, appear innumerable less-with waits crease the dropout rate.

“I have noticed that shop. open mobile store.

Others Kamblein denies having written so that he aknows that there is oxreported ones Arjun will more and more are failing before will start internet cafes, there, computer or performed the students song “Manhole ygen down who stores has lostand an Class V even,” Vijay. Driver Gaurav’s proworkers, all of says us should commitTarachand can even auto repair eye shops. to the deadlymother’s gases. This go backby to his original inside occupation have light for is customers to suicide suffocating the of being an vision store will man’s degradation turned into electrician.

Arjunmay might have better luck with scrutinise their purchases.

Markers of modgutters…” which have trigmaterial evidence of Kamble’s his dairy. and his family will not ernity have already arrived in the village in the gered the Sanjay suicideSingh in question. guilt. Court shows us that law may only rarely have tohave moveyou to Punjab. form of smartphones thegutter Akhi“Ok, written such a song?” be about justice. It isand a laptops requiem(offor For farmer Gaurav Sharma, ac- lesh Yadav education and “Not26-year-old yet.” cleaners, for scheme), the balladeers who sing theaspiratruth, cess will mean peace in the tions. come to Sadikpur,” “Soto youelectricity might? You don’t mind?” for the“Development ideal of justicewill — and indeed, for all us. household.

His wife Kumkum regularly says Vijay, his hope burning brighter than the “No.” threatens to leave. mother forever upset manisha sethi is the author of Kafkaland: Prejudice, overhead.

“Note,” tells the His judge to hisistypist, “The ac- bulbs His that children are always to Law and Counterterrorism in India (Three Essays with cusedthe is bahu. claiming though he has late never kotamraju school. can one live like this,”he asks Kum- priyanka Collective, 2014) written“How or performed such a song, doesn’t

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Through a forest darkly dipankar

An absorbing tale of man-animal conflict that isn’t free of potholes

HOME MINISTRY DISCOVERS TASK FORCE IN BASEMENT!

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SHOVON CHOWDHURY Many heads The is chief Truthdigger and author of The Competent elephant is an Authority equal object of fear and veneration in the their children, in order foreststoofensure India continui-

is beard is long and white. He tives. I noticed the resemblance immediate- he started appearing on bank notes. That’s ma sriram clutches a tattered file to his ly. At The Hindu, they train us to be keenly when we began to suspect that he may no ty of service.” breast and eyes me suspiciously. observant. Once a week, they show us a pic- longer be with us. Many such cases are goThe young man in front of me smiles. His He blinks, unaccustomed to the ture of the editor, very fleetingly, after ing on. Our record is very good. Solution is father puts out a trembling hand, trying to ichael Crichtonus was the first nov- to asrare. the For Master Executioner, was also once reachJames, author but of Atlas of Unknowns and Aerovery example, when it comes to demy wallet, I manage to evade bright light. The young man supporting which they interrogate closely, asking I devoured.

I spent days worshipped as the great grammes, obviously concerns “Myselfquite Raman Kumar,shares son ofthe Raman him smiles at me. “He’s part of the Task questions elist such as, “Do you believe his smile fence corruption cases, CBISooryamangalam record is com- him. reading passages from Jurassic Sreeganeshan.

The anarrative of profiteering, of her character.

Inadvertently Force for Surveillance of Anti-National Ele- was heavenly, or merely encouraging?” pletely clean. Not single case has been Kumar,” says the young man. “Headmitting gave me that Parkand and Congo.

It wasn’t just the however, fast overshadows arguably ev- same any name human animals solved sincethese Independence. tocomprehension avoid confusionofin govern-can at ments,” says my guide proudly. “He’s never “So Netaji his relamiffed T-Rex or maniacal gorilla that fired my eryday sentiments.

Kingpin of the ivory trade, best be limited, she avoids the indulgent They had a narrow escape ment records. Please don’t be concerned, missed a day’s work, mainly because he was tives have been under surretrospect, I’d like to think I Communist Chacko ironically cites anthropomorphism uses a locked in the basement. They lost the key in imagination. veillance?”In I ask.

“Since 1942, in 1997, when the Jeepscripture Scam mytropes fatherofbriefed me thoroughly.and From processing mattersas more profound. to justify his corruption “Andwas God said unto childhood, third-person voice to tell the story of the GraI was shown pictures of Netaji.

1962. There has been some delay in process- waswhen he was classified an Case of —1948 almost of British bestial mayhem were un- Man, Be fruitful and multiply and have vedigger. my Themother mammoth’s ritual of ing their application for a replacement. The Crichton’s enemy tales of the Emsolved, but luckily thedominoffi- Sometimes wouldelaborate draw a beard mistakably cautionary in tone.

When humans ion... over every living thing that moves upon burying his victims does call for a human-cencer concerned was transand moustache with a felt pen, so that, if task force was The rediscovered only recently, pire,” says my guide proudTusk that did withIndependence, animals and their of man and beast necessary, tric empathy, but at no point James Damage when we were the cleaning the Home Ministry interact ly. “After the habitat, a thin the earth.” The co-existence ferred to Gadchiroli in the I could penetrate his does disguise.

To-claim Tania James linenecessary separates intervention so much

by As marauding tusk- day toI invoke some infinite pachyderam an expert.

You restreservoir assured,of if Netaas per Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.” instructions and to invasion. Man is threatened notnick of time. you can see, Vintage errs.

It doesn’t on which ers, but by huntsmen their rifles knowledge. to essayist Wendy reappears, we According will apprehend him “Gloople,” says the ancient bureaucrat. invariably stop were never issued.matter In due towho longuse durations of to ji mal Fiction side.

Tania James certainly strings a better senstamp an unlawful dominance.

Though Doniger, “No one can prove that someone ₹499 His associate lovingly wipes the drool from fact, we were doing surveilpendency, sometimes offi- immediately, before he causes any prob- else than butuntil I found it hard to James’ portrayalcers of Jayan insightful, it’sbyher lems does how animals feel.” James exhis chin. I suspect that they are blood rela- tence lance of Crichton, Gandhi also, have isbeen replaced fornot the know Viceroy.” shake off my nostalgia for rampaging dino- quiet critique of poaching that is incontro- ploits the uncertainty of these known unsaurs when reading her novel, The Tusk that did vertibly damning. knowns with masterful acumen. the Damage. Familiarity didn’t limit itself to While much of Tusk moves forDismissing the foresight of an the trail of destruction wrought by James’ ward with a steady urgency, the elephant, Manu tells his brother, homicidal elephant — the Gravedigger. The book isn’t entirely free of pot“It’s an animal. I doubt it has a Emma inhabits a hunter-hunted juxtaposition, the man-nature holes. Emma Lewis’ narration strategy.” A circumspect Jayan is ponderous comingdichotomy, the ethicality of conservation — begins with purpose and promquick to retort, “Then you don’t law, that unless gives the judge permishe honest officer sits down on adrama of-age is his boss these themes were reminiscent of those con- ise. Her American nationality know a thing about elephants.” packing case and wipes hisat brow. sion.with Usually his boss does not give permisclear odds scionable bestsellers. and documentary filmmaker Elephants have been protagon news described as ‘encouraging’ by senting the Young Master a full-scale shoot“All three of us are very relieved,” sion. Even after this, 40 years later, James’ otherwise Like much of Crichton’s oeuvre, Tusk is a credentials both place her on nists of many a myth. Rather family members of Sir Tim Berners- ing range, with life-size replicas of the development is not proper. Culprit is Prehe says. “The threat of falsespry casessecond novel well-paced page-turner for most part. Set in the periphery. She finds herself than rehash these tales of yore, Lee, inventor of the internet, interna- Flipkart management as targets.” was like a sword hanging over our heads. vention of Corruption Act. Finance MinisKavanar wildlife park, it constantly shifts its catapulted into ethically-quesJames chooses to invent new parThis audacious business move will not tional telecom major Airtel has anter has said that POCA is too strict. Also Now we can pack in peace.” attention from the Gravedigger to Manu Shiv- tionable terrain when an enables that see sages clip the nounced that it will be buying Sir Tim go unchallenged. As the battle to control “Could you explain for our readers what corruption problem has largely been aram, the brother of a dauntless poacher, to counter with her film’s subject, wings of mammoths and boys Berners-Lee. It will also be purchasing Al the internet intensifies, a major internaexactly has happened,” I ask. “Certainly,” solved. Hence it will be diluted, to ensure Emma Lewis, a 20-something documentary veterinarian Ravi Varma, turns sexual. Her af- transform into tuskers. Though original and tional bidding war has broken Gore and Keanu Reeves, just to be says the officer, “I am in between transfers, that honest officers are not vicitimised. Refilmmaker who has travelled from the US to fair, though, is somewhat laboured and pre- convincing, I kept thinking of a more timeon the safe side, along with Anout, with the Birlas, the Adaso I have time. In 1973, it was felt that the garding dishonest officers, he did not menKerala in search of her first break. In the chap- dictable. Her discovery of unseemly Kavanar worn story while reading Tusk, that of the nis, and Baba Ramdev in gelina Jolie, for reasons that work of national development was not pro- tion anything. In future, if an honest officer ters dedicated to the elephant and Manu we secrets and the subsequent unravelling of Var- blind men and the elephant. Saints and poets remain unclear. Sources the fray, along with several ceeding as per plan. Demoralisation was makes an honest mistake, and inadvertentfind much of the novel’s substance and the ma are both rendered dreary in her retelling. like the Buddha, Ramakrishna and Rumi are Russian oligarchs who within the company have defound to be the primary culprit. Due to fear ly causes windfall profit of thousands of graph of its central conflict. The Gravedigger For most part, Emma inhabits a ponderous all said to have used this allegory to demonchose to remain anonynied that Sir Tim is being of false prosecution, officers were unable crores of rupees for certain third parties, sees his parents brutally killed by poachers coming-of-age drama that is at clear odds with strate the perils of sectarianism and dogma. procured as a birthday premous. In related news, to perform properly, leading to inadequate he can no longer be accused of pecuniary and that violence is often revisited by his ele- James’ otherwise spry second novel.

But religious instruction apart, the fable can Google, an early supsent for the son of Sunil motive. Instead he will redevelopment of infrasphantine memory. A cycle of spiralling reMore than Emma, it is possibly the short also perhaps be of use in literary criticism. DeBharti Mittal. “There is no porter of Airtel Zero, ceive a pinch on the cheek tructure and low developvenge is set in motion when the Gravedigger mention of her childhood parakeet that re- pending on the character you follow, Tusk can whose corporate slogan is way to gift wrap a human befrom the Cabinet Secretament indices. Hence kills Manu’s cousin. The moral dimensions of mains memorable. Wondering if Daisy was either be a compelling cliff-hanger or a ‘Don’t be evil’, has claring without causing suffocary. For the next few days, Section 197 of the Criminal this death are only confused when one consid- somehow suffering depression, a 15-year-old thoughtful account of life in the wild. Sadly, it ified that the definition of tion,” said a spokesman for Procedure Code was introhis colleagues may refer ers that Manu’s brother Jayan had butchered Emma asks, “Couldn’t her mind be capable of can also be a bore at times. Emma, the incauevil has now been the company, “Also, he reduced. As per this, no govto him as ‘silly boy’, but 56 elephants for the ivory of their tusks. emotions beyond our own, like Wing Bore- tious filmmaker, only succeeds in distracting fused to get into a box. As a changed to ‘anything ernment officer can be other than that, no harm In the forest that James creates for her read- dom or Flock Joy or Plummet Buzz, things we one from the giant elephant in the room. substitute, we will be prewhich benefits Bing’. will befall him.” prosecuted in a court of ers, the elephant is an equal object of fear and couldn’t feel and, therefore, could never unshreevatsa nevatia The Investigator is a monthly round-up of all things droll and newsy. views are personal. personal t@shovonc veneration.

TheAll Gravedigger, who isReally referred derstand?”

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AIRTEL TO BUY TIM BERNERS-LEE!

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THE CRITICAL ISSUE

Mind your own house The Purvi Patel incident tells us a great deal about the way the world looks at itself in relation to violence against women and the way in which it looks at others

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ON THE SHELF

Bore me, please

Justice denied Abortion rights protesters carry pictures of Savita Halappanavar through central Dublin ap /shawn pogatchnik; (right) Purvi Patel is taken into custody after being sentenced to 20 years for foeticide and neglect of a dependent ap /robert franklin

Readers will keep turning the pages of Quicksand in a masochistic orgy of pleasure

anita roy

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eading Steve Toltz is a rollercoaster. can’t even fashion a decent story out of your me at first, then infuriated me, then made me henget Purvi a 33-year-old You thatPatel, top-of-head lifting off, for women who might considering abor- about wife’s sadism.

You’rebedone.” thethen way bored the world looks at itself in led rela-to his sick, me senseless, which woman from Indiana in therush. hyperventilating, vertiginous tion as Patel wasto said be the doing, there’s noturns ir- to In order getto past ‘done’, Liam tion to violence against women and—the way in most unforgiveable crime occasionally, US,depths left herto home onehis day not refutable The which characters evidence to show that she actually his oldest friend, the “well-known parasite which it looks others.ofViolence against when in theatprocess boring me, he’d beso long and took herself plunge is about asago, heart-stopping as the intook and stepsfailure”, to do this.

Nor was thereAldo any excuse Aldo Benjamin. becomes women, a come sexual violence, harassment — borself-aware andsexual apologise for being to a hospital because was bleeding proventive heights heshe repeatedly hits with his gefor the doctor to only take upon himself searchartismuse — not to Liam but tothe an entire noneing. of these is new anywhere the world.

‘No, no,’ I’d have to say, in feigning shock at fusely, sheturns couldof not have known direyou fu- feel nius phrase.

It also the makes for the foetus — but there seems to be littlein his ticlost community, to become a cult-figure Recent speak‘you’re of a medical doctor thereports suggestion, not boring me, in please ture she wasand writing forbit herself.

She could notthat’s giddy a little nauseous.

At least outrage this gross overreach. ownatright.

He isprofessional the ultimate anti-hero, “the Yale go who repeatedly came colleagues on.’

I sometimes haduptoto plead for Aldo to possibly that one his of the howhave I feltimagined having finished MandocBooker Why is itofthat weyou haven’t heard much about kind man might come across sharing and others andboring rubbed his erect penis against continue me. tors at the hospital would it uponofhimself shortlisted first book,take A Fraction the Whole. whatcigarettes was said in when case was their backs. inthe an courts alleyway withthe a masturbating Despite complaints he was I found myselfmany gripped by the same exasperto decide that shethat hadhis deliberately tried to about ter- to The news second novel was beinghobo.” argued? could were thebankIt’sFurther, not justwe that Aldoask, is morally not asked leavefaced or held to account. ated to ennui with Quicksand: I pleaded minate pregnancy, would rushfirst out 700be her published gavethat me he pause.

If that prosecutor’s statements anymoral less compass, shocking God Butwith rupt — along with his there’s a way which such violence is a the text toin continue boring me. About to dumpsters toalocate the Ithrown awayjust foetus pager was fraction, wondered, how far than (petty, those ofvindictive the two lawyers in thehedocumen- seen differently depending deity that where it takes third of theon way through, you get and that he would then report Patel to the auoff are we from the whole?

Halfway?

Threetary India’s held is) hasDaughter, divestedwho him of forth everyabout kill- place. We Indiansa tend to ignore it when it you marathon runner’s high: thorities.

She could notcent? have known that she ing girls quarters?

Ten per who dressed wrongthere way? modicum of goodthe fortune happens elsewhere. likeyou’re to think we do this feelI’dlike floating, buoyed would then tried for foeticide and of neglectWhenbean uncorrected proof Quicksand Why is it that media is. Every single one channels of his busibecause do notmanhandled like to sit in and along,we buffeted, ing alanded dependent as many have on myand desk(which, with a resounding thump, are not to ness rushing ventures to fail,Indiana his relationon others, I’m surf roughhoused in thebut roiling When Quicksand judgment pointed out, arebut contradictory charges) andeager I quailed... only briefly. Like a junkie makeships films onresemble this travestymotorway of justhat and would notuntil be the of words ideas, there’s landed on my desk, I afraid would serving two decades jail. forend herup next fix, I couldn’t holdin out for long. tice by the courts, and the support pile-ups, his worst phobias (hostruth.

Rather, nothing youwe canignore do but it letbego and quailed... but briefly.

Why is it that media One might sayathat at about least Patel is alive, and is for Writing book writing a book a itpitalisation by the anti-abortionists?

I and imprisonment) cause we don’t really care. the It’s paggo with it. I kept turning Like a junkie eager for channels across the whenroad she’sthat served her —20-year she nobody really —sentence, should go down, knoware thisvisited is a strange to say, upon thing him in tripli- her next fix, I couldn’t just against women af-pleaes,violence in a masochistic orgy of world are not rushing will be 53, so she’ll still a life. Onecombutonly secondnovelistis is ahave depressingly but in allMany honesty it has cate.

— okay, someoften — peotersure. all, soLike why bother. an Anastasia Steele hold out for long to Indiana to make might equally say that no such possibility was gemon disease.

Having poured one’s creative crossed mindcrash sincetheir I read ple my might ex’s The Westin— aand I usered thatroom trapped literary films on this travesty available Indian-origin nius, to notanother to mention years of one’swoman, life, writing aboutwedding that terrible judgment and and make a damning word withforgotten some caution as one having the safe word. of justice Savitaone’s Halappanavar, in Ireland lessthe than first novel, it’s as though onlytwo subject sentencing.

But just asbefore hordes of wedding speech falling can’tAfter reallya generalise easily while, you so start to quesyearsleft ago,iswho needed an abortion which doc- You to write another about the process. international media zeroed in could on over drunk, but only Aldo — by and it sanity, when but tion notlarge onlyignores your own tors would andprotagonist who died as aLiam re- as could not seeperform, Quicksand India,end andup in in particular Delhi, after his jugular on a that of everyone ICU having nicked it happens in its own around you — inbackyard. fact, of everysult. In the minds of the thisas was the the 2012 Toltz’s alter-ego, thepro-lifers, entire book a workingI’m wondering cakerape forkcase, on the way down. elseone who’sBut everwhen lived itandhappens Aldo’s particular just doctrine an eye.angst that went inthroughof ofan alleye thefor writerly if we — The media India, SriunstoppaLan- where, onefrom thing he’s Bangladesh, left with is his as inofaexcoriating developingtheology country, starts especially brand to make There is much that remainsAtunexplained to producing A Fraction. one particularly ka, Pakistan, Palestine, andLiam otherhas counble floodNepal, of language.

Where writer’s one that wants to see as does a super power, sense.

Maybe Goditself really think of mass aboutbleak thesemoment incidents.

Why is itare thatmany theretohas (and there choose tries,block, shouldn’t be rushing Indianaterminal, to thenmurder Aldo has an acute,topossibly ignoring is not an option.

AndWhy so beasitcarpooling for heaven. didn’t beenfrom), such little shock, outrage at interview Liam faceshorror what and is euphemistically people the streetInabout their the re- seccase of verbalon diarrhoea.

Quicksand, gins He thesend rush:down the newspaper, television a daughterthe — or twins? And whatcalled has happened to Patel?

Instead, of usu‘writer’s block’: “My brain much made its actions the judgment and shouldn’t wecourt ondtosection is a full 168 pages of Aldo’s channel, the Aldo’s art final programme, the the then there’s clincher: “Why the writing seems to for balance, al pilgrimage to be thestriving mysterious land where then deposition make films — about them. wondering some of it I’m in free verse —ifas he documentary. f**k didn’t He simply make the inflictor of establishing that theMy lawimagination that has beenwas usedimpeneto that did language dies. happen, whether journalists stands (or rather sits,our as he is by nowand a para- Perhaps it’s equal time we realisedofthat matter It’s pain the recipient its no sensation? sentence actually for male trablyPatel dark,was boarded up.meant The ideas remained documentary permisplegic) onfilmmakers trial for the would murderget of his one-time where it takes place,idea, no matter howembarrassed it hapsuch an obvious I’m almost perpetrators, that it was never the Iintention of sion lover, inexpressible, penumbral. had linguistic to visit the prison where Patel is being pens,for Mimi. violence women havingagainst to suggest it!” is a violation of the pro-lifers to punish women sought thrombosis, my textual flowwho impeded by the held, toDescribing interview their her, friendship, and then toLiam show it their fundamental explains: rights citizens, andcome that out Steve Toltz. The bestasthing to have abortion; instead, was to Isave narrowing of their someintention creative vessel. sat simacross theweird US as truth our gift to the US. become After all,good “The is I’ve often is where our outrage directed. Read him of Australia sinceshould sliced be marsupials. the unborn pering child. at the desk, and thought: You f****r, you therefriends are a great of us there. disliked, and and weep. withmany people I originally blink@thehindu.co.in Well, in this case, that diddrug not happen.

Even failed to cannibalise deals, corruption, Thethe Purvi Patel incident tells us athe great deal the more I downright loathed person, murdered nurses, domestic disputes, better friends we eventually became. This is anita roy is a writer, editor and publisher drowned children, hit-and-runs, and now you certainly true of Aldo Benjamin, who irritated www.anitaroy.net

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Remote control Most players of the national team are from Ladakh, a region that remains frozen for more than six months a year kamal narang

India’s ice warriors

The country hasn’t quite warmed up to ice hockey, even though a team of 22 players is ready to battle the odds at an international tournament starting today

Same old story India may have had a few Dalit chief ministers, but lakhs continue to be harassed by the upper-castes shiv kumar pushpakar

Divided we stay

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n ice skating rink at a Gurgaon mall, activity in Ladakh.

Bihar and Uttar Pradesh,” says Vedank Singh, barely one-third the size of a stanBoth locals and army men from Ladakh better known as @bhaiyyajispeaks. Singh dard one, is not where you would have made it to the national team. Tsewang used his twitter clout (23,000 followers and expect to see any national-level Gyaltson, the 23-year-old spirited captain of counting) to spread word about the team, team practising for an international tourna- this team, picked up the game after watching helping it raise ₹3.5 lakh, the money it needs ment. But this is the best venue India’s ice many tournaments in Ladakh. “Every year to travel to Kuwait, in just six days. “We can’t hockey team could find as it preps for the there are at least two or three tournaments blame the government because it’s not just ice he RightCup to Equality wasOne, enshrined Asian Challenge Division which of teachers her for her dirty, old hockey. There are hundreds of sports that are apart fromwho the rebuked senior and junior national Aaydan the Constitution in 1950. Yet, 64 clothes kicks off ininKuwait today. while handing over her scholarship; tournaments,” says Gyaltson, who has taken crying for immediate attention.

We want to The Weave of years later, a survey by the National Adam Sherlip, the team’s American coach, is but worse awaited her of when leavefar from his encounters BTech classes to be part the use this platform to spread awareness, get My Life: A Dalit Council Economic Re- she clearly the centreofofApplied attention.

A motley moved to a town marrying. team.

“Ladakh Scoutsafter is the best ice hockey more people from the rest of the country inWoman’s Memoirs Urmila Pawar search found thattoone inin four Indians bunch (NCAER) of 22 players listen him rapt atten- team In the town where Scala her husband the volved in the game,” says in the country.

Club andworked, the Devil’s Singh, who is also across all religious groups admitted to prac- house-owner’s tion. Barring two players — one from Uttarakdaughter was friendly, and of- the team’s digital media(Translated Hockey Club are quite good too. Every year, head. Thefrom biggest sucMarathi by tising untouchability. hand and a staff member of the rink as the ten borrowed her the saris.

Once, when borrowmany expats from Canadian embassy and cess stories of the twitter campaign were Maya Pandit) Stree Noted Dalit writer andis activist Urmila Pa- ing goaltender — the team from Leh-Ladakh. a brocade sari, thecome girl got a few other countries to to know of cricketer Gautam Gambhir do₹450 and industrialist war’s book Aaydan — The Weave of My Life only That explains the presence of Abdul Haqim Gi- Pawar’s caste thanks to the white wedding participate in — the tournaments.” nating ₹4 lakh confirms this. Itassistant superimposes the concerns of sari ri, a temporary to Sherlip, at the practypical her community.

India’s iceof hockey squad has 45“She left withAnand Mahindra pledging supan Indian woman with the discriminatice.urban He translates the coach’s instruction to out a word; the brocade was returned afcompetitive games to itssari credit, port for the team. These would A twitter campaign tion subtle anddialect overt —spoken that anin educated Bhoti—(a Tibetan Ladakh)Daat ter long time, soiled and dirty.” The visits Even her husband, who inithe ahighlight being a resoundfund theHarishchandra, team’s future expenses. helped raise lit experiences in everyday life. mind-boggling speed. and the her to study and complete ing 5-1 victorystopped over Macau in couple soon tially encouraged India’s only Olympic-size ice ₹3.5 lakh, money the Born into aChallenge poor, rural famThe Asian Cup Division One is a 2012, the team’shad to move a house owned her graduation, eventually resented her decionly win sotofar. hockey rink at Dehradun has team needs to travel ily Ratnagiri, where few in levels down the rung her from the Interna- The single victory by a woman coun- sion to enrolbeen for ashut postgraduate degree.

Perhasn’t municipal desince it hosted the 2012 to Kuwait mother woveHockey basketsFederation’s to suptional Ice marquee terred India from cillor.

Buta regular the attitude was no haps the yoke of patriarchy against being Challenge Cup. worked “If the governplement their income, to Pawar events, but a gateway the premier different.

Theythe could change his better self.ment provides incentives for at theofChallenge Cup and Thelevel. insensitivity uses basket (aaydan in Ma- for teachers “Thisthe tournament is especially countrieswhoteam not the Pawar recounts the many tragedies in and her is takinghomes, small but stepscertainly tomaintaining infrastructure rebuked rathi) as warmer a metaphor forthe the from the parts of world, where attitude towards life — from losing heritson to a railway accident ward old becoming a more profes-them. makes easier for federations her forice her dirty, weave Unlike thesport,” vil- says hockeyofisher notlife. a traditional Akshay Years later, in a city apart- to husband’s death from cancer — but her outfit. likeher ours to get funding, it’ll help in taking the clothes whilesional handing lage’s upper-caste that Kumar, director offamilies the 13-year-old Iceover Hockey ment block, a neighbour rainstory is devoid of rancour.

She appears bewilsport to the next level,” says Kumar. her scholarship enjoyed lavish spreads, DaAssociation of India andthe one of the brains be-withOdds ed insults on her daughter dered, rather than bitter, at aday’s world where stacked up As the players finish their training, stayed Pawar lits on marketing a bare dietsuccess of hindsurvived the team’s in the last The other teamsafter discovering caste.

The caste matters more than merit. book at the Challengeher Cup include they pose for photographs to beThe shared inends othgreens, fish“You stock andsay chillies. few weeks. could it’s like the Ranji Tro- Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, worstSingapore, was when Pawar realised a hint of positivity as Pawar’s daughter Malaysia and with er crowd-funding campaigns.

They might not Their thrift the made phy inlifestyle cricket. and It’s where smaller guys find Oman. “Kuwaitwhat young man who importook caste-based to ice hockeypromotions only three marries look likeaworld-beaters butattaches they areno not lackthem the says buttKumar. of jokes, but their feet,” mean.

Armed caste. years ago. They would are already making a lotwith of pro-a tance ing intoconfidence.

Most players in Sherlip’s their caste was a bigger humiliation. She re- postgraduate holding which a governIn India we might have chief minisgress and are degree trainingand in Sweden, has team are already in their 20s,Dalit which makes it a calls girls in school would ment Noteshow fromupper-caste the past as branch butfor tragedies as the Khairlanji masone ofjob, theher bestpromotion teams in the world,”manager says Ku- ters, bit late them tosuch become professionals.

But not to touch foodgames they cooked at bred “Theallow first her recorded ice the hockey in India resentment amongst heragainst. colleagues, ir- sacre rear their head “The continually.

This book mar. “So this is what we’re up It’s far Sherlip is full of hope. game is expanding get-togethers, although ultimately were held in Shimla moreeveryone than 100 years ago,” respective usthe understand psyche discriminafrom easy.”of the fact that she had put in more helps beyond region…the I believe iceofhockey is an ate a group. saysinKumar.

“More recently though the Indian than years ofrequires service. The resentment was tion and resentment by upper-caste In aten game that as much equipment Indian passion that ispractised yet untapped.

I see the Her especially family hadthe Muslim tenants, rela- more Army, Ladakh Scoutswhose Regiment, pronouncedthe when she earned fame as for as commitment, Indian team lacks anya Indians potential forcenturies. professional hockey players from tive them “for notpopular having writer. tookloudly to thereprimanded game and it is extremely likemindedsupport. writers did desist kind ofEven institutional Thenotcost of the country,” he says. found a better toover stayfor than Mahar’s in Ladakh now.”place Frozen halfa the year, from making disparaging comments equipment is more than ₹30,000 per about head. dr rina mukherji is a Kolkata-based journalist, who in sustainable development and gender issues sibi arasu house.”

Equally indelible awas the insensitivity ice hockey is considered major recreational her “Ice ‘culture’. hockey is to Ladakh what gilli-danda is to specialises

A Dalit woman’s memoir tells of everyday discrimination and ingrained hostility

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SPIRITUAL SWEAT

Martini never dies A dozen books have been written on this cocktail, a constant on the list of celeb favourites. Make it with gin or vodka, it always packs a wallop shatbhi basu

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Martini/Te amo Glass: Martini 60ml gin/vodka Splash of extra-dry vermouth/ peach liqueur or syrup Garnish: green olives/almonds

1 Pack martini glass with ice. Remove ice just before drink is ready. Or pre-chill in refrigerator.

2 Fill 3/4 the shaker with ice cubes.

3 Pour in gin/vodka and vermouth/peach liqueur or syrup.

4 Stir (preferably) or shake (if you insist) and strain into the chilled glass.

5 Spear an olive or three onto a cocktail stick and dunk into drink (throw in two almonds in the peachy one).

6 Drink. Bliss.

must get out of these wet clothes so about the time that its popularity began to and into a dry Martini” — Robert Ben- wane. It could never die — 007, amongst othchley, 1935, on the sets of MGM’s Chi- ers, would ensure that. But decline it did. na Seas.

The ’90s suddenly saw a renewed interest in The martini has wet many a thirsty celebrity cocktails. Was it nostalgia for the best of the throat, from Winston Churchill to FDR, Ernest century as a new one approached? Whatever.

Hemingway to WC Fields, and finally James And there was the martini — right up front.

Bond, who quite owned it! Each one of them Back with a vengeance. Stylish, sexy, sensual, is always stirred and never shaken, unless you had a very distinct preference in and with an attitude. Not just happen to be James Bond. Shaking definitely the way it was made. the classic. In myriad hues and makes for a colder cocktail but it also dilutes it The martini has long been conflavours. Some brilliant, some and the drink loses its translucence. sidered the ultimate aperitif, the ordinary, others an affront to I have a theory about Bond and his martinis. kingpin among cocktails. Somethis glorious drink.

I idolised him growing up. Ian Fleming had Again, an expert will one once said that a martini is to tell you that a martini Although the martini started got me hooked. Then bartending happened. I No All India Bakchod's video is inspired activism aib/youtiube themincing mixedwords drink what Rolls nine-minute outOliver's usingcomic sweet vermouth, it is began to question the idol. On the other hand, is always stirred andby John Royce is to the automobile, what the dry version that is drunk in writing him off as chicken was not an option. never shaken, unless Tiffany’s is to diamonds. He knew copious quantities. How a dry So I made up these excuses — he chose vodka you happen to be AGENDA what he was talking about. It is martini should be mixed is al- as all of his targets were from behind the Iron James Bond also the only cocktail to have most a religion; very debatable. Curtain. Maybe drinking their staple helped over a dozen books dedicated to Hemingway made his with 15 him get inside their heads. He asked for it its mysteries. The martini exploparts gin to 1 of vermouth. Som- shaken — did he not like the power of a stirred sion coincided with the end of erset Maugham acknowledged drink and preferred it diluted? Damn. But prohibition. This was the time of speakeasies. only Noilly Prat vermouth. Winston Churchill then he needed to fool his opponent into Where the rich and famous rubbed shoulders made his with Boodles gin and was happy if thinking he’d had enough while still mainwith gangsters. By the ’50s it became a symbol just a shadow of the vermouth bottle passed taining equilibrium. I liked the man… of corporate success. Men were back from the over his glass. war and reclaiming their jobs from their Gin is, of course, the mother of martini. Yet, Games we play t’s only fitting that All India commonBakchod flipped women.

Martini lunches became position onhas netslowly neutrality.

Even as There aregiants two kinds of and people who order over theits years, vodka surpassed it telecom Verizon Comcast.

Super-a is having aexecutives, bigger impact on the angry place(AIB) for stressed-out succumbing customers started uninstalling the app corporations martini. Thoselike in the knowand andGoogle the ones who in popularity.

Amazon had to evolution of India’s internet policy than to being pleasantly anaesthetised.

That was al- from their a sign of protest, it came side are trying terriblyopinion, hard to impress.

Wethe watch Again, anphones expertas will tell you that a martini with public joining in net the Telecom Regulatory Authority of In- out with a pledge to fight for a free and equal neutrality out for them all the time. How you tell? march to protect theircan image. dia (TRAI). After all, much of our telecom and internet, the exact opposite of its earlier plans Elementary.

If you actually like a martini, it In India, start-up entrepreneurs and veninternet policy is stand-up comedy gold. Ask A with Airtel Zero. won’tcapitalists last too long.

They say a good martini ture were some of the earliest faces Raja. Or ask the officials who wrote TRAI’s 118“Thanks to all the #NetNeutrality support- of should be cold to the point of briefProminent and pleathe net neutrality campaign. page, bombastically titled Consultation Paper ers out there,” tweeted Flipkart’s Chief Techno- among surable them anesthesia!

A warmPahwa one is quite revoltwere Nikhil of Medianafor Regulatory Framework for Over-the-Top Servic- logical Officer Amod Malviya. “Watching you, I ma ing.and A glass that lingers then... entrepreneur/VC Mahesh Murthy. Pahes. “In the present licensing regime,” reads a truly believe that our Internet’s future is in wa’s A serious drinker of this libation always team was the first to break down the section of the paper, “Internet Telephony is a safe hands.” This was a big olive branch to the 118-page wants to TRAI be sure the bartender underdocument into aactually crisp readable licensed service permitted only under the committed online activists who were rapidly version. stands the martini.

HeLinkedIn tends toposts be cautious, Murthy’s viral had colUAS/ISP or Unified License granted under Sec- bringing down the brand image of the compa- ourful suspicious and sometimes a little supercilious headlines — “How Airtel, Voda and TRAI tion 4 of the Indian Telegraph Act 1885.” ny, valued between $10 billion and $15 billion. too. trying One evening a very imposing English genare to screw Indian internet users” — So, the law governing internet in India pretlemanwere loftily asked me:by“Hey Mspopular Bartender, which reproduced many ondates the birth of the internet by a century. Start-ups to the fore can you actually make me a martini?” line publications.

Can you think of better stand-up comedy ma- This is the second time in the last couple of I wasTRAI sizing himistoo.

Hetodrinks martini?

“The paper trying make a make-beterial? I think not. months that an AIB online video Really? And lieve so I asked, “Gintelcos or vodka?”

He case that and ISPs “If the date of your Act falls before the inven- has had mass impact and stared back.who “Shaken or stirred?”

His eyes chose not to innovate tion of moving image capture itself,” AIB puts opened up serious policy dequestioned my existence.

“How dryfor dotheir you should be compensated it neatly, “maybe you shouldn’t get to regulate bates. Their roast of Bollywood like it?” “Boneincompetence,” dry m’dear,” saidMurthy he. wrote.

So, the law governing video streaming through it. Just maybe.” celebrities had pushed the enveI reached for angled glass. in the “Tothe start with, the Tinkled airwaves are internet in India lope on acceptable free speech: ice to frost. Shaker hand.

Loadsof of clean, froours, inthe people India’s… predates the birth of Trolling for a cause their cuss-fest got more than zen cubes. A generous of iced gin. A whisWhat we slosh do with the bandwidth the internet by a No wonder then, AIB’s nine-minute YouTube eight million online views, gufper of extra-dry vermouth.

A up quick stir. must be up to us, not to some century. Can you video on net neutrality has got about two mil- faws and howls of protest, beEmptied the profiteering glass of the ice and shook it free telecom tycoon in think of better standlion more views than TRAI’s consultation pa- fore being taken down. of water. Strained in the ready drink. Speared Gurgaon or Mumbai.” up comedy material? per. Led by four stand-up comics, India’s The Supreme Court’s annulthree olives on Murthy the cocktail stick. Gently slid it particularly influenI think not online activists have pushed back hard at the ment of Section 66A would have in. Then justced to get at him,the stuck in an andback organised start-up intimidating axis of the country’s telecom come as a booster shot for many umbrella too.community: He looked attech it ingeeks horror.

With quickly regulator, it’s biggest e-commerce company like AIB who are treading on the the sweetest smile ever I offeredwebsites it to him, and saycreated advocacy and biggest telecom operator. edges of hypersensitive society, ing, “Just to simplified make sure procedures it stayed totally for dry, the With over 6,00,000 emails sent against which often prefers to shoot the messenger public what with the weather…” to respond to TRAI. TRAI’s plans, the regulator and the govern- than tackle the problem.

It’s athe good way of people as you But credit forfiguring makingout the movement ment will find it very difficult to create the inAIB’s latest video is clearly inspired by John truly watchmass them.

Observe body language, goes to AIB. their They added the spice ternet superhighway for the rich, which is at Oliver’s comic activism when net neutrality that catchwas thatneeded look. Watch for thetosubtle sarcasm for Indians try this bland the centre of the fight. The slow lane would was under threat in the US last summer. sounding in their conversation. breatheOtherdeepdish calledAnd netthen neutrality. have killed competing start-ups and smaller Through his highly popular show, Oliver mo- wise, ly, smile, andexplained sock it to ’em.

In the way “You only you as they in their video, pay businesses, which could not afford to pay mil- bilised thousands of Americans to log on to roughly can. The the smart ones will appreciate it and same amount of attention to acan lions of dollars to be on the superhighway. the Federal Communications Commission internet cept defeat with athat grin.

The stupid willpays simply activist Arvind Kejriwal to Social media pressure has made Flipkart website and crash it with user comments sup- an slink away… open letter from Prashant Bhushan.” pull out of Airtel Zero, the net neutrality- porting net neutrality. mustafiauthor, is the founder shatbhi basumitra is a mixologist, televisionofhost breaking scheme whose future now looks in Both the regulator and the White House had sambuddha Political Indiant@some_buddha and head of Stir, a bartending academy in Mumbai serious doubt. In fact Flipkart has completely to back down from giving in to the lobbying of The

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With the campaign for net neutrality, India’s online activism has come of age

sambuddha mitra mustafi

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Who’s next? For decades, victory has oscillated between Labour and the Conservatives in British party politics. With most polls putting the Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron (right) and Labour’s Ed Miliband in a dead heat, a coalition government seems almost inevitable reuters/stefan wermuth

Shift in the wind Fragrant flashbacks

iravgustin/shutterstock.com

The 2015 elections in the United Kingdom will see the emergence of new kingmakers and a new political trajectory Rustled up by sights, sounds and aroma, food memories are lifelong companions

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t seems strangeand thatCowdenbeath, while you mayastrugirkcaldy Scotgle totish remember familiar places the constituency north of orEdinnames of oldhas friends, the fragrant whiff burgh, long been a stronghold of a particular food can arouse of the Labour Party.

Evenvivid by methe mories of of amazing clarity.

It mayand be crucial the restandards Scotland, a reliable membrance a favourite chocolate source of MPsoffor Labour in aunt’s UK general eleccake oritahas comforting vadastatus pav. Alternatively, tions, enjoyed the of an ironclada book, a blue sky oron thethe sound smellsofassosafe seat, drawing solidand support votciated familiar may ers whowith once workedorinforgotten the local foods coal, linorake up oldtextile memories. leum and industries. In the past four memories are equated UKHappy generalfood elections, Labour’s majority with over lovesecond and a sense of well-being, connected with the largest party in the constituency the olddipped and familiar. triggered never below These 23 percould cent, be while at the moreelection often byinthe ordinary, everyday foods of last 2010, former Prime Minister early years thanwho grand of epic the proporGordon Brown, hasfeasts represented area tions. 1983, Bothwon feasts and abstinence provide since a whopping 64.5 per cent ofa lifetime the vote. of shared memories: the gluttonous bingeing of aBritish Christmas or Diwali meal, But as the general election set the for austere pleasures fasting during Holy May 7 draws close,of a poll hasfoods predicted a major Week, iftar feastscould at dusk, all deeply in upset: the seat be won by theetched Scottish the mind,Party to be(SNP), brought upsupport at will. for Labour National with Wondering if food memories were an extrafalling to around 30 per cent. (Fortunately for vagancehe forwill those the luxury time Brown, notwho be had the face of the of defeat, and self-indulgent to having announced ruminations, his decision toI decided step down askan around.

I questioned a daily labouras MP). This is not the Seenu, only potential major er from Andhra Pradesh, his earliest meelectoral upset for Labourabout in Scotland, accordmories of food; heconducted replied shyly, “my mother’s ing to the survey

by Lord Ashcroft pulusu” and then asseats though havPolls: the party is walked also set away to lose in Glasing said much.

I imagined his Amind was gow, oncetoo prime Labour territory. separate far away in thepredicted chilli fields of the his SNP childhood poll last week that could home, much as images of out” his mother’s sweet-sourpretty “wipe Labour in Scotland, spicy pulusu teased him withinhappy memowinning a staggering 55 seats the Westminries. parliament, Ayyamma, my feisty gardener, was ster where it previously had more six. A vocal; the rasa-vadas at agive wedding she and had atstrong showing could the SNP, its tended as a child. mustSturgeon, have been seven charismatic leaderShe Nicola the role or of

eight, she guessed. kingmaker for theShe firstdescribed time in the thebullockUnited eration nised the of theDemocrats, crumbs of the madeleine of taste the Liberal Consercart ride toparliamentary the temple, her red pavadai, the vative’s Kingdom’s history. soaked in her decoction ofpartner. lime flowers which current coalition Being part fragrant jasmine strands on the herUK tight braids.

The significance of this for cannot be of mythe aunt used to give me — immediately the ruling coalition, a path that saw the parAs each fragment of memory to the party next, ty overstated.

For many decadesledBritish oldquickly grey house upon the street, where her execute a number of U-turns on she painted a picture of a tiny village in South pre-2010-election politics has followed a predictable trajectory, room was, rose uppromises, like the scenery of a theathas sounded their India,victory all thisoscillating evoked by between a rasam-soaked with Labourvada and electoral re… and with the house the town, from morndeath-knell. eaten more than 50Inyears the Conservatives.

1950,ago. over 85 per cent of ingThe to night inexpected all the weathers, thethe Square SNP isand now to replace Libvoters opted for either the Conservatives or La- dems whereasI was sent before the streets the third largestluncheon, parliamentary party, Flavours of fictionas 2001, their combined sup- with bour; as recently alonganother which I used to run errands, the country regional party, the Democratic Food stood memory at its best port at 73isper cent.

Thein fiction. Who roads we took Unionist when it was fine.” as he conParty of And Northern Irehasn’t read Enid Blyton’s Liberal Democrats pickedbooks up and salivated tinues with the details of Combray, a little villand (DUP), also possibly playat the ofmemory of picnics and much the remaining electolage visited a child, its little ing he a key role.as DUP leaders have midnight of tinned sarrate whilefeasts smaller parties, dwellings thewillingness parish church indicatedand their to dines,asjammy buns and boiled such the Greens, garnered and surroundings take Labour shape for work alongside either or Adding to the eggs-with-a-screw-of-salt all uncertainty is the near- the little support. thereader.

Conservatives, unlike the washed with beer While down the SNP hasginger long held SNP, which has made it clear As each fragment obliteration of theof or lemonade?

Or, devoured sway over Scottish politics Lau(it that itsand ownhappy anti-austerity agenmemory led to the Liberal Democrats, the Hungry ra Ingalls Wilder’s memoirs, leads the government in the Mahatma da wouldGandhi, align itwho onlyreportedwith the next, she painted a Conservative’s current when theParliament, table was the crowded Scottish delyLabour had no favourite once party — and foods, only under picture of a tiny coalition partner with hickory-cured ham, berry volved legislature created in “Pleasurable feeling comes certain conditions. village in South India, said: pies and maple sugar power candy?

1999 giving Scotland from satisfaction of real hunger.” all this evoked by a Pippihealth, Longstocking’s over education pancakes and the Food memories from a time of Headline grabbers rasam-soaked vada prompted me to try her environment), it has thusmanic far deprivation may oftenthe beparty the Then of course there’s eaten more than 50 approach to cooking.

Reading politics. years ago had little impact on Westminster most evocative recollections of a that has caught the most headlines globally: about the election adorableseems William’s The 2015 set to change that. the UK Independence time when life(UKIP), was simpler, food Party ferociously passionConservative for bull’s eyes,Prime liquorice While Minister David anti-immigration more and meaningful — in that, the anti-European Union. sticks, acid-drops and gooseberCameron and Labour’s Ed Miliband remain Forecasts differ pleasurable feeling came from, wildly on their likely performry eyes Richmal Crompton’s the onlyin realistic contenders to be prime min- ance (between infour Gandhi’s and 30words, seats), the andsatisfacthere is William me wantoftothe taste each even ister, theseries, shape made and ideology governtion of realdoubt hunger.

Perhaps, theleader, memory of some whether their Nigel one ofeither them. would Literaryhead flashbacks perhaps ment remainare hazy.

With Farage, foods consumed times has will win in the seatofhereal is hunger contesting. epitomised best inthe Marcel Proust’s Rememmost polls putting two main parties in a While sharper edges and brighter the smells both main parties havehues, stated their unbranceheat of Things Past. A bite ofa athird Madeleine dead (indicating roughly of the willingness and flavours to more aromatic and intense.

Does enter a governing coalition arouses memories so powerful that the reader vote each), a coalition government seems al- with that mean that not having ‘real hunUKIP, its influence overknown the election canis transported most inevitable.to the setting of evening teas not ger’,be as underestimated.

Gandhi defines it,For deprives you ofittruly one thing, conwith his aunt Leonie: “And once recog- tinues Adding to the uncertainty is theI had near-oblitsignificant memories? to fan the widely held but misplaced

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In A Moveable Feast, Hemingway penned his memories of living in Paris in the 1920s, poor, happy and writing in cafes with a cafe crème. But Michaud’s was where he aspired to be. Michaud’s, frequented by the likes of James Joyce, Ezra Pound and Scott Fitzgerald.

Perpetually cold and hungry, being in the right place mattered so much that Hemingway wondered how he could work in a meal at the elusive Michaud’s. A lucky day at the races made it possible and, as they waited for a table outside the restaurant reading the menu, Hemingway wondered aloud how much of what they felt was real hunger. “There are so many sorts of hunger”, his wife said. “In the spring there are more. But that’s gone now. Memory is hunger.” But, looking into the window of Michaud’s and seeing the tournedos being served, he knew he was hungry in a very simple way.

He wrote, “You got hungry when you did not eat enough in Paris… so the best place to go was the Luxembourg gardens where you saw and smelled nothing to eat.” In the museum, he observed, all the paintings were sharpened and clearer and more beautiful if the belly was empty and hollow-hungry. But this, he concluded, was how he remembered Paris in the early days, when they were very poor, very happy and always hungry.

pressmaster/shutterstock.com

sitting. He wrote, “I was transported back to chopped parsley on top... I closed my eyes and my grandmothers’ kitchen and I could hear inhaled the rising perfume. Then I lifted a the mustard seeds bursting and smell the deli- forkful of fish to my mouth, took a bite, and cious curries brewing in the clay pots.” chewed slowly... It was a morsel of perfection,’ Writing my own cookbook memoir was an she decided, ‘and a dining experience of a experience that took me to many corners of higher order than any I’d ever had before.” It my own life. As I wrote of fish curries and ta- was the remembrance of this perfect meal pioca cooked over wood-fire hearths and jack- that inspired her to master the art of French fruit cakes steamed in banana leaves, cooking and write about it. And the rest is hisremembrances of people, stories, incidents tory, as she went on to become one of the most from the past came rushing up in bursts, each beloved food writers in recent times. sharpening and forming a new memory as I Sarla Razdan’s cookbook Kashmiri Cuisine relived them. Black coffee, sweetened with jag- Through The Ages begins thus: “Lunch was at gery and drunk in tea-shop glasses brought a 9am. This is my earliest food memory from memory of standing on a deep, shady veran- Kashmir.” And you are immediately hooked, dah feeling grown-up. Kerala and Bombay wanting to know more. She went on to tell us about waking up on a snowy winmonsoon smells, both different, ter morning and warming up by were evoked by different foods; a kangri as her mother prepared Kerala’s incessant rain was syna simple meal of rice and greens. onymous with hot plantain fritSoon, I was in a world of gushtaters; Bombay monsoons with Sound also adds to bas and yakhnis, and the faraway buttered-bread-in-sweet-hotthese memories; the milk. Later, in writing down the music associated with memory of a school-trip and hot kahwa on a snowy day came recipe for pidi, a sweet rice cake a particular food, the moulded by the hands that drifting in. words spoken at a shaped it, I would nudge the old In his memoir Pig Tails ‘n’ meal, pots and Austin Clarke lapses Breadfruit, memory of an unpleasant incipans clunking in into his mother’s way of speakdent. There’s no telling what a the kitchen ing while cooking. As he prefood memory will bring. pares a childhood favourite — New kingmaker Scotland’s First Minister and leader of theHearty Scottish National Party (SNP), Nicola Sturgeon waves to delegates following the party’s spring conference oxtails with mushrooms andinrice affair Glasgow,logic Scotland reuters/russell cheyne — far away from his beloved BarNoted food writer Julia Child’s Sound The experience of eating is multi-sensory, but own Proustian moment changed her life for- bados, his mother’s words resonate in his notion that immigration out of control. The As as in recorded much of the world, changing classfirst dy- head.

Life in France. Her “Cut up two big-big onions put in My austerity programme brought in by and the Conit has been argued that isfood memories are ever, SNP and theto Green aside, none of thethan ma- French namicsmeal haveinmeant that contemporary Britthe Restaurant La Couronne in them in the with the oxtails. Throw servatives in saucepan 2010 and largely supported

by Lamore likely cropParty up from smell rather jor parties havepicks beenup willing emphasise the Rouen ons arewas lessto tied parties thanby were previous setto the standard which all fu- in some whole cloves, enough fill one teabour.

Combating austerity is to welcomed by taste.

The nose whatto the tongue does generations, butto that beenand a gradual shift. positive rolesmell played immigration, meals were behas created judged.

Im- spoon ortraditional a li’l more; aLabour li’l salt;strongholds and as manysuch hot those in not — the of by ingredients, thechoosing dust or ture insteadintothe pander to fearsor that immigrants While UKIP’s rise hasher often been attributed it changed opinion of France red peppers aswhere you or deprivation your friends could as Glasgow, is rifebear... and damp background smoke from a portantly, both take hearth. away jobs andalso seizeadds the to lion’s share to a sharp rise in immigration — from the EU Bring its “icky-picky people where the women the ingeasements that just put esin many have felt abandoned by you the political wood-fire Sound these me- and and beyond — since the start of the nasty 21st centuof benefits that contradict anoth- were all dainty, exquisitely coiffed, little the saucepan to a boil.

TheNasim minuteRiaz, it boil, tablishment, says Nighet anturn SNP mories; the(claims music associated with aone particular ry, the factwhile that many are down er). Labour too seems to have jumped onand the creatures, all theUKIP menstrongholds were Adolphe theand heat.” member campaigner in the city. (A report food, the words spoken at a meal, pots towns or regions withwho lowtwirled immigrant bandwagon: it has made an immigration lim- Menjou-like dandies theirpopulamous- last This is suggested the best kind memoir, invityear thatofasfood many as a third of pans clunking in the kitchen, even the backtions appears to belie it one ofnoise its five main electoral pinched girls, this. and Research schemedsuggests against ing the reader into a new and foreign kitchen, children in Glasgow were living in poverty.) ground of traffic, a siren orpledges, the call and of a taches, has been or purveying on its website a campaign American that UKIP draws rubes.”its support not only from dis- rolling food-words in your as you “We’ve new set out our vision for mouth a progressive muezzin church bells. mug bearingVerghese, the motto “immigration cap”.

Conservative voterswhole: but also La- salivate The sole meuniere “arrived a large thought strange you Scotlandat—the even thoughofwe didn’tfoods get indeAbraham who reviewed my book enchanted is, Kitchen, of course, noon simple explanation bour ranks.

TheThere Suriani went a nostalgia trip as Dover sole that was perfectly browned in a may never we taste; are enjoypendence, stillnevertheless want to workyou towards that The latterbutter is, perhaps, for sat thedown shift and that read appears to be occurring in sputtering he the manuscript in one sauce more with asurprising, sprinklingbut of ing that when lidprogress is liftedwhere to revision of moment a nation of hopethe and points to that party’s increased focus in the veal British party politics. a justice meal “that is sidelined,” going to stick your ribs social is not sheto said. past 20 years on middle-class voters, alienat- and make you feel that you could move the ing working-class voters, many of whom have earth.

RipplesOrinmake India love or dipsy-doodle all night, shared little in the economic revival that has and next morning of too.”

The repercussions the coming elections will taken place since the 2006/7 ficlearly be felt in India. The rise of nancial crisis. The Eurozone Piece together UKIP has undoubtedly pushed imcrisis that subsequently unOn a recentmigration trip to Mauritius, stoppedand to up theweagenda folded has strengthened antiat a small eatery theremains edge of the sugarwhile theon focus largely on While both eat main EU sentiment, with UKIP delivfields incomers in Chamarel. de neither Barbizon’ from‘Palais the EU, of parties have cane stated ering a strong performance in their unwillingness servedtous athe platter of Creole foodseem accompatwo major parties likely last year’s European parlianied by coldtorum punch.

Greensfor with saltfrom fish, make life easier those enter a governing mentary elections.

Lima beans with mutton, cassava cooked with India who wish to visit Britain or coalition with UKIP, The SNP’s rise is equally comdriedthe shrimp, and roasted mashed brinjal do business with it. its influence over plex. According to John Curwithbelemon and bananas Thenthyme. there’sAnd thelater, fact that the election cannot tice, a professor of politics at simmered in caramel and thick, coffee.

Conservatives haveblack pledged, underestimated Strathclyde University, what is It dredged up images from read about should they winbooks the election, to involved is not simply a surge the hardships of an a slave’s distant planhold in-outlife EUon referendum by Barbados andto here in in support for the SNP, which tations in Austin 2017. Clarke’s Their initial promise camMauritius, perhaps the sugarcane behas performed very well in repaign ininfavour of Britainfields staying We were reminded cent local and Scottish parliamentary elec- yond in thethe EU little seemsrestaurant. to be steadily morphing into indentured labourers who had made tions. While voters in Scotland previously of thethe threat that Britain will leave in the absence difficult journey to Mauritius, in to ships differentiated between what they thought that of major reforms.

This will not be music the Sea of Poppies.

Ibisroughly in Amitav was right for Scotland, and what was right for like ears the of the 700Ghosh’s Indian businesses that stepped off thethe ship herEuropean lover Kathe UK as a whole, often voting in different Diti havehad chosen to make UKwith their and gone on make a newof life, perhaps in ways in Scottish and Westminster parliamen- lua headquarters, into part because access to the fields likemarket. these. tary elections, that seems to have ended with sugarcane European common The and dried shrimp also remindlast September’s ‘in-out’ referendum. “The refIn a cassava recent seven-way televised debate bemethe ofleaders the tapioca/fish/prawn combinaerendum has turned the question of Scot- ed tween of the main political parties, in my native distant land’s constitutional future into the principal tions SNP’s Sturgeon urgedKerala voterscuisine: to opt fora change. perhaps, summoned up and images dividing line between political parties,” he cousin “You can vote forwhich the same old parties get backwaters and toddy shops says. Those in favour of independence are no of thethe same old politics… or you canalong voterice for and adifferent, wedding.better I had and to shake to longer content to remain with Labour, which fields, something moremyself progresoutshe of the the campaigned alongside the Conservatives and get sive,” said.moment, Whether,and and tofaint whatmemory extent, a giggling heldcall aloft over coconutLiberal Democrats for Scotland to remain in of British voters bride heed her will notabe apparlog bridge.

I’ll go there another day, I told mythe UK. ent until May 8.

But the times, it would seem, Reaching out Research suggests that UKIP and its revisit the memory.

In addition, the referendum provided the self, are ato changin’. leader Nigel Farage draw support not only from SNP with an opportunity to highlight its wider disenchanted Conservative voters but also Labour ranks reuters/toby meliville vidya ram george is an author based in Kodaikanal messages on social justice and an end to the lathika

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Suffrage against suffering Bodo women line up to vote during elections to the Bodoland Territorial Council in Kokrajhar, Assam; (bottom) a Bodo tribesman exercises his franchise by candlelight at a remote polling booth in Dakhin Gangiya vivek singh

A troubled paradise votes Pitch perfection BEYOND THE FIELD

reserved seat and won by a huge margin of 3.47 lakh votes. As he gave voice to the alienation that non-Bodos feel, Sarania — described by the media as a ‘dreaded’ ULFA member — was rewarded handsomely by voters.

In a similar attempt to cash in on the nonBodos’ resistance to the 2003 Bodo accord (under which the minority rules over the majority), the national parties, Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party, made non-Bodos the focus of their campaign, but it fetched no dividends. The Congress drew a blank and the BJP mustered a single seat.

The BJP flew in Kiren Rijiju, Minister of State (Home), Union Sports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram to address multiple rallies. The crowds at these rallies were more enamoured thefrom helFair playby Apart icopters ferrying the leadersbeing than in hearing a keen observer, them speak. On April 3, a 5,000-strong Richie Benaudcrowd was alsoChief respected for his circled the chopper of Assam Minister getty Tarun Gogoi at Bijni, Chirangimpartiality district, as heimages ate lunch nearby. Barely minutes after he flew off, the venue was empty, with only scattered pieces of paper and plastic to indicate that a political rally had taken place here.

Glue and bridges A day after the results were announced, we met Hagrama Mohilary, the chief of the Bodoland Territorial Council, at the Aie-Afa (mother-father in the Bodo language) strawberry and potato farm. Dressed casually in a striped, polo-neck t-shirt, he had a relaxed air about him and stood up to briskly clear from the tassam’s capital Guwahati glitters reached under an accord signed with the Cen- ble the plates of paan and water bottle to with malls, multinational stores tral government in March 2003. make space for my notebook.

2005: England arethe on the Nevertheless, anddgbaston, flyovers; in stark contrast, needed accounting, and heofrarely, if conever, felt With this tiny corner Assam boorish and partisan, and as ismanner generally a his shaven head, soft-spoken cuspofof a famous Ashes triumph, capital Assam’s autonomous Bo- tinues thetoneed to plug by thekillings glorious void of silences be wracked and displaceproduct of he incompetence, prefer clichés and easy smile, looked morethey a monk than nearly twoDistricts decades(BTAD), after having doland Territorial Area Kok- last that only cricket produce. ment.

In 2012, clashescan between the Bodo tribe politician. and platitudes thelittle power silence.his There is to very toofindicate the historic test series, rajhar appearssecured like a town lost in time.

A loneneedConsider his description and Bengali Muslims left at leastof77what deadwe andtoday When spoke, his dreaded words were always militant past,Benaud as the chief of the Bodojustsnakes a lonethrough wicket tothe claim thethe win.tiny Austramaining road town, knowmore as the the century”.

Shane uprooted than“ball four of lakh people; the foloccasionally landmeasured, Liberation tranquil, Tigers, which waged a witty brutaleven. lia, though, only three runs away from shops lining it notare more than single-storeyed.

Warne’s first delivery in an Ashes Match. lowing two years saw Bodoland eruptTest with To him, cricket commentary just an decade-long insurgency against was the not Indian thwarting England’s grandare plans.

By 9pm, the wooden shutters downSteve and HarTheviolence batsman: Gatting. As Warne came greater andMike displacement. butthe also2003 a science; in with that itthe notcentre. only needstateart, after accord misonempty runs in, with purpose and desire, the streets out.

In the decade since the and on, Benaud began with a portrayal of the field ed preparation, but also involved particular The plough is his party symbol — far removed digs the ball in quick andassumed short to Michael Bodoland Territorial Council power, Kas(something wea cannot Flying netas create flutter see on the video, and He had the following to say on his rules fromskills. the gun. prowicz, who fends awkwardly at theacrising the inhabitants, especially in rural areas, something rarely described Three-fourth of that’s the 40 council seats these are re-days). The forprevious cricket day, commentary, when askedhim

by Wisas we waited to meet deliverythere and,have before youserious know it, the wicketknowledge been attempts “He’ll with an orthodox field atBodos the start,” served for bowl scheduled tribe candidates, in 2003: everyone should develop a at hisden party office, One, he was watching the results keeper Geraint Jones divingroads to his left to to build infrastructure — is mainly and Benaudplains said, “a slip,ofa Assam), short cover, three (the largest tribe Rabhas, Di-other distinctive style.channels.

Two, put your brainworkinto gear unfold on local news His party claim a catch. bridges, and bring development to the region. masas men onsmaller the off-side saving single,they three on and tribes, eventhe though before openingerupted your mouth.

Three,cheers never say ers and supporters into loud When you watch these images even today, But strikes, curfews and violence have marred deep-backward-square.” makethe up on lessand thanaa third of the population. Then ‘we’ if referring to a definite team. Four, discipline is esas the leads turned into wins. seeped in drama as they are, they all efforts, hitting common people therequire hardestlittle The came trademark prolonged morethe than 20 lakh voters in BTAD have sential; concentration Mohilary is literally the fierce glue holding Bodo- is explanation.

Theybusinesses. tell their own story. And Riand steadily bleeding pause, which allowed us totrends. soak In the land together. Forneeded consistently defied national at all Five,the try to the Bodos, hetimes. is a hero, Benaud, the perfect man for such It’schie peace that everyone here yearns for,an es-occathe pictures, beforethey he added, 2014 in Lok Sabha elections, chose an inde- revolutionary who avoid allowing past to your lips: “Of fought the army bring sion,the asadivasis, he so often recognised during pecially who were brought over his as Warne sauntered “The first pendent candidate, Heerain,Sarania; the former them their long-sought course”...

“As you to can on the autonomy; thesee nonillustrious career in 100 the years media, knew this betby the British more than ago to work ballLiberation in test cricket England United Frontinof Assam for (ULFA) mili-Benaud screen”... know...” orhe“I tell Bodos, who are the majority“You in the region, was tergardens than most.

On air atTheir the time, his words in tea and logging. long-pendWarne.”

And there, the tant Shane contested against Bodo candidates onexemplifying a is the one you what,” “That’s aThe tragedy...” they support.

Ben- or theBodo leader summing the finaletribe werestatus laconic and pre- moment finally arrived. “He’s ing demand forup scheduled denies “a disaster...” (The Titanic was a finest virtues of a expressively delivered. themcise, thebut opportunity to contest the“Jones,” 30 seatshe ex- done it,” Benaud said, with typi- ‘show, don’t tell’ form tragedy, the Ethiopian drought a claimed, as in thethe keeper claimedcouncil. the catch. reserved for STs 40-member As And cal restraint and minimal voice disaster, but neither bears any reof journalism then, after a typically pregnant as the modulation. “He’s started off Shibu Hasda, a young adivasi boy frompause, Pakhrilation to a dropped catch). And to umpire Billy Bowden, guri,cameras who lostturned his mother and brother to bul- who with the most beautiful delivery. six, above all: when commentathis right-finger lifteditcrookedly lets had on December 23, put ahead ofup, the“Bow- Gatting has absolutely no idea ing, don’t take yourself too seriden,” he said.

He“We continued slowly: just-concluded polls, only have Bodo“Kasprowcanwhat has happened to it. He still ously, and have fun. icz to thechoose man to go and Harmison has done it. doesn’t know. He asked the [umpire] Kenny didates from.”

Benaud’s style and his rules for commenthe faces ofaccept the batsmen and joy Palmer on the way out. Kenny Palmer just gave tary ought to remain relevant. Perhaps the HeDespair has no on choice but to the newly for representatives every England player the council field.” This elected to theon local of was him a raised eyebrow and a little nod. That’s modern-day commentator’s penchant for cricket at most its very best.re-Sadly, all it needed.” the BTAD, onecommentary of the country’s volatile noise over quiet is a product of how cricket hearthree its like again. Benaud, ever the gionswe’ll overnever the past years.

Gatting was flummoxed. Today’s commen- has evolved. Yet, when we watch Benaud’s dearchaminimalist, a doyen amongst It was narrow victory for the rulingcommentaBodotators would have filled the air with banalities scription of some of the most iconic moments a master calling the game of seats cricket, is and noise. But Benaud was always looking to the game has seen, it reminds us that cricket is landtors, People’s Frontat(BPF), which won 20 no more. at the age of 84 on April to emerge as He thedied single largest party but re- 10. see how he could add value to the pictures. In best enjoyed when we’re allowed to ruminate records as a cricketer and as a cap- pointing us to Gatting’s facial communica- through its silences. Unfortunately, today’s lot mainedBenaud’s one short of a simple majority.

Since tain of Australia both excellent; the council electionsare were first held in enough, 2005, in tion with the umpire, Benaud was exemplify- cares little for such joys. their to place him amongst the ing the finest virtues of a ‘show, don’t tell’ the BPF hasown beenrights, in power.

(This monthly column examines sports through pantheon of the greats.

But,the asIna com- form of journalism. And it’s here that modern- the lens of history, politics and culture.)

Militant groups hadgame’s for years battled was simplyBodoland, nonpareil.leavHe was day commentators seem to so often fail. Aldianmentator, state for anheindependent understated,dead, to theuntil tee, he cricket most none of them is trained in media stud- suhrith parthasarathy is a Chennai-based lawyer ing thousands a allowed ceasefirethewas to speak for itself, describing only that which ies, and it shows. They are frequently loud, and writer t@suhrith

On the trail of an election in one of the country’s most The commentator in Richie Benaud, one Territorial of Australia’s greatest all-rounders and skippers, volatile regions, the autonomous Bodoland Area spokeinonly when he felt he could add to the picture on the field. With his death, cricket has Districts Assam lost one of the few voices of reason and restraint suhrith parthasarathy

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Made in India

galis, Biharis and the Marwaris, who own almost all the shops in the region, see him as someone who can speak for them and treat non-Bodos fairly. “If he loses, Bodoland will go back 10 years,” said a shop owner in Kokrajhar, who then sent me multiple messages, beg- t appears that the national carrier’s woes ging me not to quote him. “You will go back af- will never end. Last year, a spate of techter the results, I have to stay for life, please,” his nical glitches resulted in Air India’s Dreammessage screamed in capital letters. liner aircrafts being late on 165 occasions.

With the BPF barely scraping through, Mo- Some flights were troubled by clogged toihilary will have to build more bridges, literally lets, while others developed snags like and figuratively, with non-Bodos. “I want a Bo- faulty air-conditioning. Some Dreamliner doland where everyone is together,” he said. jets even reported cracked windshields.

“Our dream of Bodoland can only be realised This time Air India One had a technical when all communities here support it.” snag while ferrying Prime Minister Naren-

Air India’s technical glitches mar PM Modi’s tri-nation tour

I

Skeletons in the dig

dra Modi on the Germany-Canada leg of his tri-nation tour. Air India One, whose age is comparable to that of the average Indian parliamentarian, also plies as a civilian aircraft when it is not carrying our jet-setting prime minister. Unruffled by the snag (and the reports of Gautam Adani’s unofficial presence on the aircraft), PM Modi kept calm and uploaded pictures from the Dreamliner on instagram.

Barely-contained violence Many people blamed the local government for the violent incidents, but these were committed by the militant faction National Democratic Front for Bodoland-Songbijit (NDFB-S), which is opposed to talks with the govern- Byte the ballot Hagrama Mohilary, chief of the ruling Bodoland People’s Front and a former rebel, addresses keletons are coming out of closets, factories andDecember villages in24, 2014, when defence mediapersons after casting his vote vivek singh ment. Since India. While the ones found in Uttarforces Pradesh’s biscuitoperations, factoresumed more than 230 ries tell a seedy tale, the skeletons of Haryana’s vilmilitantsRakhigarhi have been captured or killed. In the als through the porous international border.

On election day, April 8, our vehicle got lage have a story that’s at least 5,000 years old.to Atthe theelection latest digthere were multiple inrun-up In Baksa, 200km from Kokrajhar, we visited stuck in the wet mud on our way to Lungsung, in the village, where excavation begancidents in 2012,of archaeologists violence, two people were killed NK Khagrabari and Narayanguri villages. In about 20km from the highway. In January, we have found four human skeletons believed to be injured from the and many asHaparty workers clashed.

May 2014, a settlement of Bengalis here was at- had met the adivasis there after automaticrappan civilisation. Now, Rakhigarhi is the biggest Harappan Heavy security presence, including 50 com- tacked by armed militants, who killed 32, weapon wielding militants attacked and site in Asia, bigger than even Mohenjo-daro.

The carried out panies ofdig central paramilitary forces backing mostly women and children, and burned killed eight people on December 23, 2014. In last winter has revealed several facets the of Harappan life —and pot- armed counter-insur- down homes.

Assam police all, 72 were killed in co-ordinated attacks at tery, granaries, and evidence of trade. gency While the latest discovoperations, kept the pot from boiling The villages can be reached only by crossing different locations in the region. ery is great news for archaeologists over and during historians, many the elections.

The NDFB-S mem- the fast-flowing Beki river in a leaky wooden The settlement at Lungsung has been exquestions remain unanswered. For instance, what wasup theinex-the jungles bordering boat, the 40-minute ride powerbers are holed panding into the jungle towards panse of the Harappan civilisation, whose remains have been Bhutan.

“There is an 800km-long border with ed by a smoke-belching diesel the Indo-Bhutan border; the resifound in Pakistan, Gujarat, Punjab and, now, Haryana?

Mean- is dense and vast, so generator. A small police picket Bhutan and the forest dents cut and sell the wood after while, due to security and conservationthick lapseswith

by ASI, hundreds trees that it is impossible to see far, currently watches over the paying a ‘tax’ to the militants of thousand-year-old artefacts lie scattered on the mounds of let alone police,” explained Sunil Kumar, the camp, made up of canvas tents hiding in the forest. As we drive Come and see our Rakhigarhi, completely unprotected. Superintendent of Police in Kokrajhar. covered in mould. Many of the into forest settlements, our drivsituation next year, Fuelling resentment and the militant cause 300-plus people who lived in the er, Kashi, repeats over and over, we will still be living in Bodoland, as also Assam in general, is the targetted villages are currently “this used to be a huge sal forest, in this hell unchecked migration from neighbouring scattered across the country as with more than 100-year-old Bangladesh and other parts of India. migrant workers. trees” — now it is only tree The Bodos fear they will soon be outnumThe ones who could not leave stumps and gaping wounds in bered by outsiders and deprived of their land. cling to their memories, and fadthe earth.

Like most tribes in the region, the Bodos for ing photos, of loved ones killed by militant Elephants and other local wildlife are inlong practised shifting agriculture and never bullets. They cut wood or gather stones from creasingly boxed into smaller pockets of forbothered with land documents. Now they feel the riverbanks and these are carted away for estland. Two days before the elections, on our threatened as reserve forests are cleared and construction, leaving gaping holes in the tree way back from Sorolpara, on the Indo-Bhutan ‘outsiders’ (Bengalis and adivasis) settle per- cover and deep pits in the riverbed. border, we see a large troop of golden langurs manently in what used to be ancestral Bodo swinging across the road to treetops more he traffic police at the Teynampet station Chennai n most parts Aof the paradise world, BBC lands and forests. hellish than 10m away. Native to in this small were part in of a tizzy last week when Assam they realised their of wireless sets BritishI Broadcasting Barely two weeks ago, on Marchstands 31, thefor Su-the When asked Mohilary about his biggest western and thethat foothills the Black were MIA. When the beat police the police station to enpick in Mumbai apparentpreme Court slammed the AssamCorporation. governmentNotachievements, he listed the Central Institute Mountains of reached Bhutan, they are listed as an theireducaVery Highdangered Frequencyspecies.

(VHF) sets to work, ly. The Bombay High Court, reported a for “dragging its feet” and rejected its “vague” of Technology, Kokrajhar, andup other We before were heading very fortunate, found they Kashi had been daily,taken is overseeing a trademark violaand “highly unsatisfactory” steps to tional institutions the council they has set up in told us, as he had never seen a troop as stolen! “Even though tion case wherethe onelast BBC is seeking stop the influx of illegal Bangladeshi nation10 years. large as we this one in the 42 years he has lived have backup it is aItprobdamages from another.“IThe Borivali want to setBiup an IT park, and attractsets,here. felt like these amazing athletes were lem ifemploythe stolenputting VHFs fall ryani Centre has challenged the here JW to generate businesses onina show for us, to remind us that ow the entrepreneurial spirit soars on the internet! Recently, theThe wrong hands.they We too commuMarriott’s outlet Bombay Baking Comment for people,” he said. project belonged here. in Chennai, a slew of new motorcycles were being sold on allfrom kinds of information pany, claiming it was the firstisBBC and listed as awaiting nicate sanction The beauty of nature contrasts sharply with the online portal OLX, for ridiculously low prices. That should through thefor sets, the including the hotel group should pay forthe violatUnion government crueltyVVIP inflicted by humans in this verhave set off the warning bells. It turns out that the suspiciously movements, and dant it canparadise. be a huge ing its trademark. Funnily enough, want of State approval.

Rohul Ameen’s words, shouted cheap bikes were all stolen goods. The police arrested five comriskinif someone elseBeki is listhese are not the only BBCs in the city. “There is security no major across the river in Baksa, ring in my ears: puter engineers from the city’s suburbs. The techies had amassed a senior official told lo- situation next year, we will Many malls in Mumbai are home to dustry intening Assam,in,” except “Come and seeaour nearly ₹9 lakh by stealing un-registered motorcycles, slapping on However, the think the British Brewing Company, which oil andcal tea,daily. and there still bepolice living in this hell.” fake registrations and selling them on the online portal. They had this might also likes to call itself by the same acroare only three be teaan ‘internal job’ and the saurabh vivek singh are an managed to sell more than 15 bikes before the police caught suspicion has fallen on theyadav beat and cops. nym. Another infamous BBC reference estates in this area,” them. We send our sympathies to the buyers who get hoodRoger that,had we say.independent writer-photographer duo based out of in the city is to one of the special trial SP Sunil Kumar Delhi, working on indepth reportage projects winked. court’s biggest cases, the Bombay pointed out.

Blasts Case. We wonder what the original BBC has to say.

Latest discovery in Rakhigarhi dates back to Harappa

S

The IT crowd

Beware, intelligent thieves are online

H

Road show BJP supporters arrive atop a bus for an election rally in Chandrapara, Kokrajhar vivek singh

Bombay’s BBCs

Q Rgo wandering Wireless

In Mumbai, a strange legal tangle is underway

What happens when the police get robbed?

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saturday, april 18, 2015

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in-faq by joy bhattacharjya Revolutions

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n this day, 61 years ago, Gamal Abdel Nasser seized power in Egypt. Turn on, tune in and answer these 10 questions about revolutions from around the world.

here,there & elsewhere

Trio trouble M

uriel wonders out loud why she’s not seen Bins for two weeks. We’ve just completed our weekly grocery outing and are now at the Creamery, enjoying our sweet reward. “The neighbour,” I say. Muriel wants to know what that means. “Her name’s Suzie,” I say. “She’s young and hot and wears 10 -inch high heels.”

Muriel frowns. “Wait: are you saying what I think you’re saying?” I ask her what she thinks I’m saying. “You know...

I mean, is he... you know...” She doesn’t want to say the words. I grin and shrug.

“All I know is that he spends all his spare time with her and she has a lot of shelves that need fixing.”

Muriel’s frown deepens. “Does he come home for meals? Does he come home at night?” I nod. “Yes, he comes back. Eventually.

Sometimes I’m asleep. In the beginning he didn’t stay out for meals, at least not for dinner. But for the past couple of days he’s been out continuously. I don’t know when he got back last night and this morning he was still asleep when I left the house with you.”

A thunder cloud is developing directly over Muriel’s head. “And? When you do speak to him, what does he say?” I shrug. “I don’t ask him anything and he doesn’t say

cornerstone

anything either.” Lightning is starting to flash overhead. “Girl...” says Muriel, “I was going to tell you that Bins maybe needs a dose of electro-shock therapy.

But listening to you? I’m starting to think maybe you’re the one who needs brain surgery!” I make a funny gargoyle face to show that I don’t agree. “Nah,” I say. “That’s not my style. I mean, I don’t want him to think I care.” Muriel leans across the table and skewers me with a stern expression. “Do you care?”

I look at the cherry on my ice-cream.

I look out the window. I eat the cherry.

1 “Umm,” I say. “Yes. I think so. Or. I don’t know. There’s never been any point scolding Bins or arguing with him. We’ve been together for more than 30 years and that’s certainly something I’ve noticed. So yes: I frankly detest this third wheel in the bicycle of my life. I hate it that Bins is almost never home.

And at the same time...” I trail off.

Muriel bites down on that trailing remark. “It’s just easier to stay put? Is that what this is about — inertia?” I make the gargoyle face again. “As I see it? Bins is a free agent. Being married doesn’t matter to him. In his deepest heart, he’s Just Bins. A singular being. I don’t own him. He doesn’t own me. We’re together today because it suits us. But tomorrow, who knows? Everything could change. Or maybe the dayafter tomorrow. Or maybe today.”

I can see I’m losing Muriel’s respect. “Don’t you care about him enough to fight?” she asks. I look away. “I care, but I won’t fight,” I say. “His free spirit is what makes him Bins.” I look at her. “I can’t lose what I never really owned.” manjula padmanabhan, author and artist, writes of her life in the fictional town of Elsewhere, US, in this weekly column

Starting with fiction, which graphic novel and successful film features the fascist Norsefire Party seizing power in the UK in the ’90s? Hint, bulletproof question.

2

The Portuguese celebrate ‘Freedom Day’ on April 25 — the day the military dictatorship was finally overthrown in 1974. By what name is the movement known?

3

Which country in the Americas was the setting for the ‘Quiet Revolution’ in the ’60s and led to the start of a separatist movement and two referendums?

4

In 1961, he was urgently called into India by a certain C Subramaniam and used the IR8 to start one of India’s longest running revolutions.

Who, and what did he start?

5

Which country had a non-violent uprising known as the ‘Yellow Revolution’ after the assassination of a senior opposition senator in August 1983?

6

This was originally composed in 1792 by Claude De Lisle and titled ‘Chant de guerre pour l’Armée du Rhin.’ However, it got its more popular name after being sung in Paris by volunteers from another city in France during the French Revolution. Identify the song.

7 8 9

Where would you come across Old Major teaching his followers a revolutionary song titled ‘Beasts of England’?

Who led an army against the Romans in 72 BC in what came to be known as the ‘Third Servile War’?

The Stonewall riots, which erupted in June 1969 in New York in protest against an early morning police raid, are regarded as the single most important event in the history of which movement?

10

In India, the term ‘White Revolution’ is associated with Operation Flood and the development of the dairy industry. But which other Asian country had a reform movement known as the ‘White Revolution’ which started in 1963 and continued into the ’70s?

Answers

1. V for Vendetta, the cult classic authored by Alan Moore 2. The Carnation Revolution, as the celebrating crowds put carnations in the muzzles of the rifles of the soldiers after the junta was overthrown 3. Canada. It was known as the Quiet Revolution as it was peaceful 4. Norman Borlaug was invited by the minister of agriculture, and the IR8 was the first ‘miracle rice’ used for the Green Revolution. In 30 years, India has moved from being on the brink of a famine to being a major rice exporter 5. Philippines; the assassinated leader was Benigno Aquino, also a one-time suitor of Imelda Marcos 6. ‘La Marseillaise’, translated in many languages and also the French national anthem 7. In George Orwell’s Animal Farm, a thinly veiled account of post-revolution Russia. The character of Old Major, one of the oldest pigs in the farm, was based on Karl Marx 8. Spartacus, a Thracian who also served in the Roman army before becoming a gladiator 9. The Gay Liberation Movement and the modern fight for LGBT rights in the US 10. Iran. It was launched by the Shah of Iran Reza Pahlavi to strengthen his own position. Things did not go as planned as he was deposed in 1979

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

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