Talk Magazine by Suhas Shankarappa

the intelligent bangalorean’s must-read weekly

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talk Volume 1 | Issue 35 | April 11, 2013 | Rs 10

BATTLE ROYALE Locked in a tussle with the state for ownership of the 450-acre Palace Grounds, descendants of the Mysore maharaja complain the government has turned particularly nasty in the last six months A young scion’s lament: Don’t harass us, we’re normal people ML VARCHUS VIN SS RAJE URS 12-15

AYYOTOONS Parties gear up for poll-time fun 5

EAT STREET Great breakfast deals 16 Also: Yum Ugadi recipes 19

IPL CRICKET Dev Sukumar on why it’s junk 22

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Your take on Katju made for interesting reading Read the latest issue of Talk, and found a good mix of feature stories and news reports. I particularly liked CK Meena’s piece on Justice Markandeya Katju’s plan to make formal qualifications compulsory for all journalists. It talked about an aspect of the issue that few seem to have noticed. Jagannath Prakash, registrar, Karnataka Chalanachitra Academy

One of the few magazines to focus on science Talk has some great science stories. Your's is one of the few publication with so much focus on science. And did I mention that I really love reading about all the plays that take place across the city? I didn’t know Bangalore had so much to offer! I enjoy your book reviews too— especially useful for those with busy lives. I just wish that there was more focus on food and perhaps fitness. I would love to know about new restaurants in town. Jayalakshmi, by email

Where are the travel stories? As a regular reader of Talk, I have only one complaint —the lack of travel or outdoor stories in your magazine. I don’t say this as a great outdoors person, but as an armchair (Check out our round-up of breakfast deals and Ugadi enthusiast of most things, recipes in this issue—Ed) who particularly likes to read about interesting Let’s have Katju on the places. Vineeth Babu, comics page! Whitefield Nice cover story on

team talk EDITORIAL

EXECUTIVE TEAM

SR Ramakrishna Editor Sridhar K Chari Consulting Editor Prashanth GN Senior Editor Sajai Jose Chief Copy Editor Savie Karnel Principal Correspondent Basu Megalkeri Principal Correspondent Prachi Sibal Senior Features Writer Sandra Fernandes and Maria Laveena Reporters and Copy Editors Anand Kumar K Chief of Design Shridhar G Kulkarni Graphic Designer Ramesh Hunsur Senior Photographer Vivek Arun Graphics Artist

Sumith Kombra Founder, CEO and Publisher Abhay Sebastian Asst Manager - Sales Mithun Sudhakar Asst Manager - Sales Kishore Kumar N Head - Circulation Vinayadathan KV Area Manager - Trade Yadhu Kalyani Sr Executive Corporate Sales Lokesh KN Sr Executive Subscriptions Prabhavathi Executive Circulation Sowmya Kombra Asst Process Manager

Printed and published by Sumith Kombra on behalf of Shakthi Media Ventures India Pvt Ltd FF70, Gold Towers, Residency Road, Bangalore -560025 and printed at Lavanya Mudranalaya, Chamarajpet, Bangalore-560018. Editor: SR Ramakrishna. Editorial Office: FF70, Gold Towers, Residency Road, Bangalore 560025 Email: info@talkmag.in Phone: 08040926658. © All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without permission is prohibited.

libraries by Margot Cohen. I am glad my library at the Indian Institute of World Culture was mentioned. By the way, I think you should do an Ayyotoons on Justice Markandey Katju. The best thing about him is, even if he is furious and files a case against you, you have

nothing to fear. He will probably appeal for a pardon on your behalf! Balaji Narasimhan, Hosakerehalli Write to letters@talkmag.in

COVER: ML Varchus, mother Meenakshi Devi, wife Sushma, and daughters Samikshaa (left) and Jayadrithi.

political diary

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editor talk

HERE WE GO KJP insiders say that Yeddyurappa confidante Shobha Karandlaje’s entry into the party has upset the rank and file

Highway to doom KJP leader BS Yeddyurappa has sworn to destroy the BJP; now it looks like his own domestic troubles are getting in the way The BJP’s one-time-hero BS Yeddyurappa has wrought enough damage on the party already. The results of the recent civic elections, where the ruling party was pushed to the third place, showed yet again how he could erode the party’s base. Yeddyurappa has vowed to bring the

BJP to its knees. “Keep watching what happens to the BJP without me. I will ensure its destruction,” Yeddyurappa says at public meetings. Notwithstanding much speculation about his return to the BJP, his party, the KJP, is all set to field candidates from many constituencies, and split the ruling party’s votes. Yeddyurappa used the knowledge and experience of 40 years to bring the BJP to power. He is now using them to cause its downfall. Yeddyurappa has enough of his own problems hounding him, though, with the CBI and cabinet colleague Shobha Karandlaje being chief among them. The Congress, observers say, has set the CBI on Yeddyurappa and made him

kow tow to its wishes. At the same time, Shobha’s dominance has been leading to internal fights in the KJP. A KJP member told Talk, “Our party was doing well before Shobha madam joined it. Now, there are fights every day. Madan Patel and Pooja Gandhi left because of her. Raghavendra has also complained against her to his father Yeddyurappa.” Shobha, it seems, is thwarting Kapu Siddalingaiah’s chance of getting a ticket. This has led to confusion in the ranks. If she is not stopped now, the KJP will do so badly Yeddyurappa will have to hang his head in shame, insiders say.

BASU MEGALKERI

Pledge your votes, get a set-top box free The Supreme Court has made set-top boxes mandatory for all metros from April. TV viewers will have to switch from the analog TV signals provided by cable TV operators to digital signals, using set top boxes. Cable TV

operators have appealed to the court to postpone the deadline for implementation of digital TV. A set top box costs about Rs 1,200. Candidates contesting elections see an opportunity here.

They have been distributing free boxes to poor voters and families living in slums. Party leaders who can’t afford these giveaways are cribbing in private. When Talk asked an official of the Election Commission about this violation of the poll code, he said he hadn’t received any written complaint.

It is easy to be an apologist for princely Mysore. Its kings come across as philosophers in the Platonic mould, ruling with benevolence and foresight. The first city in India to get electricity, way back in 1905, was Bangalore. Many pioneering ideas flourished under the benign eye of the Wadiyar dynasty. MV Gopalaswamy, a psychology professor, set up a private radio station in 1936. This is the station we know today as Akashvani and All India Radio. Take urban planning. Malleswaram and Basavangudi, two of Bangalore’s best neighbourhoods, were planned by the maharaja’s trusted ministers. By contrast, our elected representatives routinely allow developers to flout every single rule of urban planning and make city life hell. The last king of Mysore, Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar, was highly regarded for his patronage of music and the arts. Bangalore has named after him, among other things, a huge neighbourhood (Jayanagar), an arterial road (JC Road), and a polytechnic. But then, perspectives vary. The Mysore kings have also been ridiculed as flunkeys of the British (by radical Left historians such as Saki). Once the heady winds of democracy blew across these parts, the idea of a privileged dynasty became unacceptable, but then, politicians then were willing to allow the kings their ceremony. After India became a republic, Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar was made governor of the new state of Mysore. Times have changed since. His five children are today fighting the state government over ownership of the Palace Grounds. They feel betrayed and humiliated. It is this conflict, over prime real estate, that we bring you this week. The British indulge in nostalgia and sentiment when it comes to their monarchy—they have just given their queen a big pay hike—but our politicians are no admirers of the Wadiyar dynasty. A palace, even in decline, is a source of fascinating stories. Read on. SR Ramakrishna ram@talkmag.in

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Slumming it out Urban Development Minister Suresh Kumar is a three-time MLA from Rajajinagar. He now hopes to win again.

Siddaramaiah now loves Ambarish contest the assembly elections, has had a tiff with SM Krishna. He knows without Krishna’s support he cannot win from Mandya. Siddaramaiah has But the final word remains with the been paying him some attention, since Congress high command. Delhi usually Ambarish not only has influence over favours a chief minister who enjoys the Vokkaligas, but also enjoys a fan the support of a good number of following among other communities. MLAs. All three in the fray for the CM’s He has asked Ambarish to contest post—Mallikarjun Kharge and G Parameshwar, have been trying to get from Mysore district’s Chamundeshwari constituency. This tickets for their supporters. has put Ambarish in a dilemma. Siddaramaiah is worried about the SM Having earned the name, Mandyada Krishna-DK Shivakumar group. He has gandu (Man of Mandya), he feels it been wooing workers who have fallen will be an insult to contest from out with the other groups. He is Mysore and not Mandya. On the other promising them tickets, and his hand, if he contests from Mandya and wholehearted support. loses, that will be difficult to stomach as well. Actor Ambarish, who also wants to Siddaramaiah is optimistic the Congress will come to power and he will become chief minister.

He has a clean reputation, follows Hindutva ideals and is cordial with the media. But his opponents say they have found his Suresh Kumar Achilles heel. In his current term, he has done nothing to improve the lot of those living in the slums of Rajajinagar. The six slums have been in the same miserable condition for 15 years. His opponents feel they can use this to their advantage. Shobha Karandlaje from the KJP, Manjula Naidu from Congress, TV star Malavika from the JD(S) and film star Rakshita from the BSR Congress are all contesting from Rajajinagar. Shobha has already visited the slums and begun her campaign. She has also visited second line BJP leaders neglected by Suresh Kumar. A BJP party worker from Rajajinagar said, “Shobha has garnered the support of both the Vokkaligas and the Lingayats who have fallen out with Suresh Kumar. She has paid Rs 2 crore to each corporator, and distributed silver lamps in the slums. She has resolved to defeat Suresh Kumar even if she has to spend Rs 25 crore.”

Chorus: Paapi Parameshwar Some of the biggest leaders in the Congress have been denied tickets, and they are blaming it all on KPCC President G Parameshwar. Insiders say the doctor-turnedpolitician remembers old grouses, and is using his influence G Parameshwar with the high command to sideline those who had, at some point or the other, spoken out against him. Thus, heavyweights such as Shamanur Shivashankarappa have lost out in the clamour for tickets. What is leaving old-time Congressmen livid is the allocation of tickets to film producers, such as Kobri Manju and Muniratna, with no record of distinguished public service. Muniratna, to jog your memory, is also a contractor who works with the BBMP. His substandard work had caused the crashing of a wall, and led to the death of a college girl. With Parameshwara playing such a blatantly partisan game, the Congress is already assured of enough enemies within its own ranks.

Siddaramaiah

How Ramya’s mom became a candidate

happened in Delhi. “Sonia madam asked why there were no women candidates contesting the polls in Karnataka. SM Krishna pulled out a notepad from his pocket and showed it to her. The women leaders were delighted at his gesture. Actually, Krishna had recommended just one name, that of actor Ramya’s mother Ranjitha,” he said.

There are few women in politics. Even in the Sonia Gandhi-led Congress, women leaders are a rarity.

Recently, women Congress workers from Karnataka went to Delhi. They staged a protest outside Sonia Gandhi’s house and demanded tickets for 29 women. They said the party should give tickets in at least 10 per cent of the constituencies to women—22 of the 224 seats. In the 2008 assembly elections, the Congress gave tickets to 11 women, but not one won. Despite the demand for more representation, the Congress is fielding only seven women this time. A Congress leader revealed what

Ranjitha, recommended by SM Krishna

So, Ranjitha will now contest from Hebbal constituency in Bangalore. Do voters in Hebbal know Ranjitha? Nope. Not one from among the women demanding better representation got a ticket. And as for those who have toiled over the years in their constituencies... well, keep toiling, ladies!

Ex-cop Bidari’s multi-hued loyalties Retired DGP Shankar Bidari is a Lingayat close to former chief minister Yeddyurappa. But he chose to join the Congress—with “no expectations,” he claimed. Bidari wanted to contest from Teradala constituency in north Karnataka. But actor Umashree, who lost from the constituency last year, has been in touch with people there. This has ensured her a ticket. When he realised he wouldn’t be able to contest from Teradala, Bidari repeated he had no expectations from the party.

police connections to help Parameshwar. The Congress high command relies on central intelligence agencies to understand what its leaders in the states are up to. The Congress camp is abuzz that Bidari, who has friends and juniors working in the agencies, is using them to send reports in favour of Parameshwar. Reports will also be filed against those who objected to him, like Siddaramaiah, SM Krishna and Mallikarjuna Kharge.

Bidari’s actions have left observers confused. They wonder if he is pro-Lingayat, proYeddyurappa or proNow, Bidari seems to be using his Parameshwar. Congress leaders like Siddaramaiah had objected to Bidari joining the party. KPCC president G Parameshwar, on the other hand, had supported Bidari.

Shankar Bidari

fun lines

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echwalk

Lenovo’s new laptop that comes with a twist For a product that was originally designed after a Japanese lunch box, Thinkpad laptops have come a long way in design and functionality—the new ThinkPad Twist underscores this ow this is what I call mixing business with pleasure. The IBM ThinkPad is an iconic product, and can claim its own fan base, especially among corporate users. (Not for nothing is it known as the CEO’s laptop). Lenovo’s Chinese owners, have kept the product—originally modeled after a Japanese lunch box—going strong, with all kinds of new avatars.

And the ThinkPad Twist is an intriguing addition. Priced at Rs 71,000 upwards, it will set you back some. But you can flaunt its ‘open and twist to tablet’ form factor, and its 12.5 inch HD IPS (InPlane Switching) screen with Gorilla Glass protection. Dolby audio technology adds to movie watching experience. ThinkPads are known for their boxy appearance, but some can be quite thin—the Twist is 20 mm though. And weighs 1.6 kg.

improve the way they service their premium Think range of customers though. While online support requests get responses, they are inadequate. I had to recently take recourse to their phone support, and waited a long time listening to just one line — “to confirm that your product is in warranty, visit www. etc.” And did

KS Bevinamarad Officer on special duty, State Election Commission

I get the solution I was looking for —an HDCP upgrade to my Thinkpad X201? I’ll let you know next week once I try it out. And also what HDCP is and why it matters.

‘We are watching out for paid news’ What does the Election Commission plan to do about election-related advertisements and news? The law says every political advertisement must be brought to the notice of the Election Commission. The ceiling for election expenses is Rs 16 lakh for a candidate. We monitor how much candidates spend on advertisements. Candidates must also declare their wealth. It is mandatory for candidates and media houses to keep us informed about every advertisement they publish and air. We can disqualify a candidate if we find him violating these guidelines. However, we have no restrictions on news. What are you doing about paid news, or advertisements masquerading as news? We have formed a committee of four Election Commission officials to keep an eye on the media. Their duty is to scan the media every day and watch out for instances of paid news. Any citizen or candidate can file a complaint if they suspect a news report has been paid for by a candidate. We investigate such complaints. If we find the charge true, we find out how much the errant candidate has paid, and order him to credit an equal amount into the aggrieved candidate’s account.

Lenovo and IBM (they still do service support) would do well to

Blackberry Q10

Sony Xperia Tablet Z And while on tablets and HD, looks like the Sony Xperia Tablet Z would be worth checking out. Announced a few weeks ago at the Mobile World Congress, it is not clear when it will be available in India. The launch in Western markets is expected around end May. There is nothing boxy here—at 6.9 mm deep, it would be thinner than an IPad Mini. Weight is less than half a

kilo, again less than an IPad. Bloggers report that the tablet has the wow features that its smartphone sibling boasts off —it is dust and water proof. Apparently, while battery life can be bit of an issue, its resolution is pretty good at 1920 into 1200—Sony calls it HD Reality Display. It has got a quadcore 1.5 ghz chip and 2 GB Ram.

Let’s finish off with another corporate tech icon. The Blackberry. I don’t know about you, but I am still a fan. And the Q10 has the qwerty keyboard that we fans rave about. It is larger than in earlier phones, and the rows are separated by steel frets. It has still got a touch screen, so some of the Z10’s cool new features are around.

What happens to media houses that accept money for news stories? Being election officials, we don’t have jurisdiction over the media the way we do over candidates. In case we find an advertisement posing as a news story, we bring it to the notice of the Press Council of India, and file a complaint against the editor and journalists concerned. The council in turn issues a notice to them. The maximum punishment is a reprimand.

There is also an 8MP Exmor Rbased camera. Looks like if this tablet lives up to its promise, it will do some duty in the bathroom—even the bathtub. Heck, may be you will even use the camera!

BASU MEGALKERI KS Bevinamarad is the former director of the state’s Information Department

SRIDHAR K CHARI Send feedback to sridhar.chari@talkmag.in

Questions

Reactions, statements, accusations, complaints, or just straight talk—this is where you get them all

trending

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I confess Confession groups are increasingly common on the social network. They like to keep it ‘anon’, but experts are critical of their ill effects if they don't dismiss them outright

PRACHI SIBAL prachi.sibal@talkmag.in

acebook feeds are no longer about reassuringly trivial things like who has befriended who, or where the next big party is. Nor are they limited to the ‘app updates’ that used to drive the non-geeky crowd nuts. The Delhi gang rape case was perhaps what gave Facebook a turn towards the serious, with issues related to women’s rights and gender discrimination being discussed with a passion social media has rarely witnessed before. But there is also another, less visible trend, one which is making anonymous people divulge personal information they wouldn’t normally share even with friends. Welcome to the world of Facebook confession groups, which are trending so furiously that you wonder if secrets have become, like, you know, totally uncool. A simple exercise will perhaps tell you that matters have indeed got out of hand. Suffix confessions to the name of your school/college and chances are that Facebook will throw up not one but a handful of results for

ANON-ENTITIES Most schools and colleges have separate Facebook confession groups for students and alumni

confession groups already active. campuses either. Infosys Confessions, There seems to be one out there for a fledgling group, is proof enough most schools and colleges that we that corporate professionals are not know by name, and even separate immune to the urge to spill the beans. groups for students and alumni. The When asked for her view on the confessions are open to all comers, trend, Infosys employee Namrita and like other Facebook posts, open Ramesh says she is unaware of it, but to comments as well. While the sub- thinks it could have a positive impact. jects vary—from romance to politics “It is good in a way because people to group rivalries to plain whining— don’t always have the courage to so do the effects, which could range speak up about trouble at work in an office space, and this from the mildly irreverent to the shocking (see Confession 1189 could give them some The anonymous box). “I chose free relief. confessions format Perhaps not surfood makes sense too as letprisingly, the first one to over sex.” ting out names would have sparked off this guilt-driven fad was one of the IITs. have consequences,” she says. Father Praveen Martis SJ, direcOther tech colleges picked up on the trend, and it didn’t take long for the tor of the St Joseph’s College Post rest of the world to catch on. Graduate Research Centre, is firm in Bangalore colleges like St Joseph’s and saying that such forums are not Christ College are very much present healthy for students. “They take the in the ‘scene’, and the confessions are focus away from the purpose of eduflowing thick and fast on their pages. cation. People are doing it only for Amrit Vatsa, IIT Madras alum- the fun and the fad will disappear nus, wouldn’t mind making a confes- quickly,” he says. He is however, curision on one of these groups though ous about what brought on the onset he thinks the posts are at best, a mix of cyberspace confessions and adds, of truth and lies. “The pages are as an afterthought, “I think they have catching on simply because the con- their eyes set on commerce”. Ali Khwaja, a city-counsellor, fessions are fun to read. The day they stop being fun enough, people will says the groups are fundamentally a contemporary expression of the stop writing them,” he says. The trend is hardly limited to strong human need to share emo-

tions and information anonymously, which rituals like the traditional Catholic confessionals seek to give an outlet to. “All human beings have the tendency to share and more so, anonymously. Even criminals are sometimes caught because they boasted of their exploits in bars. The fear of consequences doesn’t stop people at times,” he explains. However, he warns of the emotional damage that confessions of sensitive matters can bring, despite the anonymity offered by an online environment. “Though I personally believe confessing anonymously is an escapist’s route, traditional outlets like the Catholic Church confessionals are definitely better than the new online fad. For good or bad, you had a priest sitting on the other side of the screen at the end of the day. With the online versions you may be left on your own to face the brunt,” he says. Professer Sreedhara Murthy, professor of Psychology at NMKRV College and experienced counsellor, too is dismissive of the idea of any therapeutic value attached to such confession groups. He also feels that online confessions are dominated by politically correct statements and hardly have any actual vigour in them. “It is merely a way for students to unwind. Confession in reality is an

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individual and private affair. These only induce more guilt,” he says. Both Khwaja and Murthy think that the confession groups are simply a fad and are likely to die down in a few months time. Some students too refuse to take the trend seriously. Says Ashwin Alexander, third year student at Christ, “I don’t take it too seriously even though there are people who

have mentioned me in their confessions. However, I do know of somebody who was part of many girls’ crush confessions and now lives in mortal fear of being mobbed,” he says. He sees the trend as “one like lowwaist jeans,” and bound to disappear just as fast. Fad or not, these groups are closely guarded ones and no one seems to know who the web page administrators

Confession box: tales of chicken pox, loneliness and more From confession pages of city colleges Pox trouble "I am a girl in jonas hall. i am one of the many girls who went and complained to make the girl wid chicken pox leave hostel. after reading what she went through because of this i felt ashamed.. i was just worried of being infected. I am sorry! Get well soon! :)" Lonely life I have led a very lonely life till now. i don't know why people hate me, is it because am ugly. But i am not ugly i am beautiful in my own way. why don't people accept me as i am. i have been always left out alone when i talk to people i don't know how to socialise with them. but i know i am a good communicator than anybody out there. why do people make me feel like i am a retard on earth. why don't people accept me as i am. is it because i don't flaunt around with so called money. or is it my mistake to chose this college beyond my limits. i never want to fake anything and never would try to, i want to be who i am. the problem is why don't people accept me as i am. i know people would say "first you should learn to love and respect yourself." i always do because of which i have never graced the dust of loneliness till today. i am my own best friend,

who advised, entertained, forgave, accompanied me with all the good and bad times i went through and many more things as a friend. in these three years have learnt a lot, now am ready to face the gore world out there. make friends with yourself, nobody will come by you its only you who will always stand by you till the end leaving the college now with lot of dreams and fire in my heart to achieve my goals one day i will stand there, where people once looked down upon me will have to lift their heads higher to see me #iampsyched

From an IIT’s confession page ‘You’re a sick lot’ I read a confession. Then I read comments also as they are more funny. What people think about weird things is more exciting than the confession itself. But what prevails here is the stupidity, superiority complex and 'don't give a shit' kind of comments from people who are mainly from institutes like IITs. But you know what guys (those who comment in that way), you think you look funny or cool but you are sick. You have left your grounds as you think you have cracked one of the toughest exams in the country but that doesn't make you god. Needless to say expecting some shitty comments... #A random confessions follower

really are. All of the dozen groups that Talk contacted refused to respond to our questions, despite the promise of anonymity. Interestingly, there are also groups that use online confessions to promote a cause. Recently, the nonprofit Arghyam held a water conservation initiative to mark World Water Day, where they urged people

to post their ‘water confessions’ online. The idea was to let people express their guilt over their misuse of water, and thus create awareness about the issue. Arghyam’s Priya Desai says they were surprised by the results. “Some 30-40 confessions were honest ones. Somebody even confessed to leaving the tap open while finishing their business in the

toilet so those in the next room wouldn’t hear,” she says. As of now, most of the confessions you come across on most pages tend to be ‘time-pass’ stuff. But if matters get serious, they might have the capacity to affect relationships, especially since there is no way you can verify whether they are genuine or not.

art meets law

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FAIR ENOUGH? Lahari Music successfully sued the producers of Myna (right) for using a song from a C Ashwath album they had released

Nearly a year after the law changed in their favour, composers, singers and musicians say it has made zero difference to their bank balance

here was much celebration when the law was amended to favour creative people last year, but Bangalore’s artistes remain where they were, finding no improvement in the royalties they receive. When the The Copyright (Amendmend) Act 2012 was passed in May last year, it brought cheer to music composers, singers and lyricists. But music labels soon moved court, stalling implementation of the amendment. And confusion reigns on the distribution of royalties.

Good news for the disabled

The new law empowers persons with visual impairment, dyslexia and other print disabilities, as also their families and friends, non-profit organisations, libraries and educational institutions, to take any book and convert it into Braille, audio, or large-font and digital format, without seeking prior permission of the publishers.

Before the amendment, labels bought complete music rights from producers. In many instances, where the artistes produced their own work, labels paid them a pittance, or did not pay them at all. In the case of film music, for example, producers made a one-time payment to composers, lyricists and singers, but generated perpetual revenue for themselves and their labels. Profits earned from films, album sales and other use of music (broadcast, telecast and public performances) went only to producers and the labels. The creators of the song and the singers got nothing. The law now states that 50 per cent of the royalties should be shared with the creators of the song, but neither the statute nor the industry bodies have laid down how royalties ought to be distributed.

Victory for label Recently, Lahari Recording Company, south India’s biggest music label, won a copyright case against the makers of the Kannada film Myna. The filmmakers had used a song sung by C

Ashwath in a private album. Ashwath was the superstar of sugama sangeeta, a genre that stands mid-way between film music and classical music. He drew a crowd of nearly a lakh when he performed at the Palace Grounds four years ago. Kaanada kadalige hambaliside mana (The heart yearns for an ocean it has never seen), a poem by GS Shivarudrappa, appeared in the film after its producers sought and obtained written permission from Ashwath’s family. “We had no objection. We gave them the go-ahead,” said Ashwath’s son Chandra Ashwath. But Lahari went to court, seeking compensation. “We first contacted the film makers on March 25, and they promised to pay us. We later found they had filed a caveat to refrain us from filing a case against them. We went to court on March 27, and the hearing took place the same day at 4 pm. The filmmakers appeared in court and agreed to pay us a compensation of Rs 5 lakh,” said Velu, Director of Lahari. The company does not plan to share this revenue with the poet or

I haven’t received any royalties for my song, even after the new amendment. To get royalties from the IPRS, we need to follow a cumbersome process. I have kept away from it. How do we know where our songs have been used? We have to accept whatever the IPRS gives us. There is no clarity on the procedure to be followed. Audio companies have also gone to court, which has led to the non-implementation of the new law.

Kaviraj Kannada film lyricist

the artistes involved in the creation of the song. “The rights lie with us,” Velu said. Chandra Ashwath did not want to comment on the sharing of compensation.

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This case shows how the amendment is not making any difference to music creators. “It at least takes a year for any new law to be enforced,” said Velu. But he is not happy with the changes, and has been fighting a legal battle. “If recording companies make no money, the music industry cannot survive and thrive,” he said.

Activist groups are unhappy about the lack of guidelines on distribution of royalties. “There are no specific instructions,” said Lawrence Liang of Alternative Law Forum, a Bangalore group of lawyers that supports the law changing in favour of music creators. With inputs from Basu Megalkeri

Producers and artistes are interdependent and have lived like a joint family. This family is now broken. A film producer pays his artistes. Companies like us buy song rights from the producer. When the artistes are already paid, why should they be paid again? Such rules don't apply in any other field. It's unjust to the music industry. When a building is constructed, the mason is paid just one. You don't go on sharing the profits earned from the building with the mason. This amendment to the Copyright Act is asking us to do something like this. The government has not even consulted the film industry before passing the amendment.

Velu Director, Lahari Recording Company

I haven’t got any royalties before or after the new law. Getting royalties from the IPRS is a complicated process which I don’t understand. I do not intend getting into it. BK Sumitra Singer famous for her folk-song albums

Without the efforts of the artistes, songs would not have been created at all. The lyricist has to write the words, the music composer has to make the tune, and the singers have to sing it. Many creative minds should work together to make a song. Now we hope to get our due. Shamita Malnad Dentist and singer

I have not received any increased royalties from the IPRS after the new law came into force. They still seem to follow the old pattern of distribution. Every three months, I send them the documents and covers of my album. I receive about Rs 1.5 lakh in royalties every year. The amount varies from person to person. Composer-lyricist Hamsalekha, whose songs are still very popular in the market, may be getting Rs 10 lakh a year. Things haven’t changed with the new law.

V Manohar Music director of hit Kannada films

Amended law raises many concerns Talk spoke to music creators, photographers and policy experts, who offer diverse perspectives on artiste rights What about future technology? The law protects composers, lyricists and singers when it comes to ‘commercial use’, but Lawrence Liang argues the term ‘future technology’ should be incorporated in the statute book. “The secondary market from music is huge. The ringtone market itself is worth an annual Rs 1,000 crore in India,” he says. In the next four to five years, technology will advance much beyond ringtones and mp3s. Clever lawyers could draw up contracts that favour producers as newer technologies emerge. Artistes should get royalties regularly. But who will track the royalty collectors? Artistes can’t monitor where their songs are used and how royalties are collected. Music director V Manohar says, “The government recognises the Indian Performing Rights Society (IPRS), which collects royalties on behalf of companies and artistes. From royalties collected, they give 50 per cent to the audio companies. As for the rest, 25 per cent goes to the music director, 15 to the lyricist and 10 to the IPRS.” His complaint is that IPRS goes to hotels and malls where music is played, and to marriage halls where orchestras sing, to collect money whimsically. “They don’t follow rules while sharing royalty, and keep back most of the money for themselves. They have to be checked and controlled first,” he says. Should photographs enjoy 60 years of copyright protection? Copyright for photographs was earlier protected for 20 years after the death of the photographer (while it was 60 years for other creative works). The new law extends copyright for photographs to 60 years. Whenever a photo is used, the photographer or his heirs are now entitled to a royalty. Lawrence Liang believes it is fair for photographs to enjoy the same privileges as other artistes, but not for 60 years. “The aim of copyright is to incentivise creativity. Who will benefit 60 years after a photographer’s death?” he asks. Pranesh Prakash of the Centre for Internet and Society thinks photographs should be copyrighted for just 15 years after they are shot, and then made available for public use. He also says photographers don’t work for money, but to

“express themselves”. That is something professional photographers find naïve. Wildlife photographer Lokesh Mosale offers a professional photographer’s point of view. “Photographers who dedicate their lives to the art should be recognised. Children inherit their parents’ property. But what about children of creators whose life’s work is photography or literature? Shouldn’t creative art be treated like property?” he says. Famed wildlife photographer and film-maker Krupakar, whose documentaries have appeared on TV channels such as National Geographic and Discovery, has been a victim of copyright theft, but for him, fighting back has not been an option. He once saw his pictures in the French-language Geo magazine, but chose to remain silent. “It’s very difficult to trace where the picture was leaked. Even if you go to court, you have to get a certificate from the camera company that it was clicked from your camera. It’s a lengthy process,” he says. For him, the threat to his reputation, rather than loss of royalty, causes anxiety. “We take up commissioned assignments. People should not think we sell their pictures to others,” he says. The amended law benefits photographers, but he prefers commissioned assignments over royalties. “Tracking pictures is a muddle. I keep away from that, and am content with international assignments that take care of all my costs,” he says.

It is a simple process, says IPRS The IPRS has about 3000 members all over the country, and is headquartered in Mumbai. An IPRS official told Talk that according to the amended copyright act, the society has to reregister itself. “The process will take about a year, so as of now we are following the old pattern of royalty distribution. We will move to the new royalty pattern after the re-registration,” he said. The IPRS refutes some artists’ contention that the process involved in gaining membership and royalty collection is cumbersome. “It’s actually quite simple. You have to fill a form and pay a lifetime registration fee of Rs 1,000. You have to give us a list of your works and update it regularly. This has to be done, otherwise how will we know about your new works? I don’t think you can call it cumbersome,” the IPRS official said.

travel diary

talk|11 apr 2013|talkmag.in

A habba for the forest people

DEEPA BHASTHI

For the first time ever, All India Radio's Kodagu unit brought together all the major tribes in the district for a day-long mela. This was no sleepy government event but a festival that tapped into the primordial energy of the adivasis, writes Deepa Bhasthi here is something deeply intoxicating about drums. Perhaps it is that they bring to mind ancient times when shamans danced around the fire to please their ancestors or invited spirits into themselves to solve discord and cure illnesses. Or perhaps it is the repetition in the beats that puts you in a trance like state. Whatever it is, there is something heady about the beats, even if the ‘drum’ is just an overturned plastic vessel. It was the promise of those drums and the lure of actually seeing adivasi lives up close that drew me to the day-long adivasi festival in my hometown of Madikeri, Kodagu. The occasion was the Kadina Makkala Radio Habba, literally ‘the radio festival of the children of the forest’, organised last Wednesday by the local station of the All India Radio, immensely popular in the hilly district. It was also a full moon night, the day of the spring festival Holi, locally called Holi Hunnime. Before I got there, I had imagined it would be something like the Hornbill Festival in Nagaland held every December, which is a congregation of tribes put on display by the government to bring in the tourists and perk up business. The origin of

LOVE OF LIFE The Jenu Kurubas became an audience favourite at the adivasi festival

the idea might have been similar, but the Radio Habba turned out to be a celebration of pure joy that showcased the dance and music forms of Kodagu’s many tribes, and got to talk to each other, catch a bit of city life, and meet non-adivasis. It was the first time ever that the tribes, spread far and wide in the forests and in deep set villages of the district, have been brought together in one place. Meant to be a noon to midnight celebration, the programme listed stage performances, ending with dancing around three or four her mated hair hidden under a traditional flowing head cloth, until the bonfires. Three friends and I set out to the bonfires lit up later in the night and Gandhi maidan, despite the almost she broke free of the shackles of the painful afternoon heat. But the adi- headgear to dance with abandon vasis couldn’t be bothered. The around the fire. The announcers of AIR, all local women were busy checking each other’s clothes, and adjusting jew- celebrities, introduced the groups; ellery strung around their necks. The there are over 20 of them. They men had bells on their feet, long included the Jenu Kuruba, Betta Kuruba, Panjari sticks and cymbals in Yerava, Pani Yerava, their hands, and Once the full Devasoliga, swirling lengths of moon rose, the Poomalekudiya, cloth around their Te n m a l e k u d i y a , heads. The Honey audience broke Kembatti, Medha, Bee liquor bottles into dance Kapala, Kodava and were conveniently Arebashe tribes. hidden behind the dainty thatched huts erected for the Each performed a song, and or a song and dance. Almost every group event on a slope near the stage. There was an air of camaraderie seemed uncomfortable being on around each hut. Groups from differ- stage; after all, they normally sing to ent tribes practised their songs and appease their deities or celebrate dances inside, and got their dresses marriages. Most didn’t wait for a cue ready. Everyone was nervous. It was from the technicians to begin—they only one group of Jenu Kurubas, tra- were anxious to finish their number ditionally honey gatherers, who kept and get off the stage. There were songs for weddings, slipping in and out of their designated hut and breaking into impromptu harvest songs, prayer songs and songs dance throughout the day. These to abuse their Gods in unspeakable people instantly became our terms (a popular adivasis festival in the district, is called ‘Kunde Habba,’ favourite. One of them wore different the festival of abusing God). On the coloured feathers in her hair, neck- sidelines, there was a small exhibition laces of wild berries and a fancy belt of the baskets, prayer items and boxes of leaves and flowers around her they use, the wild fruits and vegetawaist. A slightly older woman seemed bles they eat, and the roots and nuts the Rastafarian of the group; she kept they use for medicines. There were

performances of Ummathat and Bolukhat, traditional dances of the Kodava women and men respectively, performed in a circle with slow, synchronised, warrior-like movements for the men, and graceful and reverential ones for the women. The most commonly recognised song “Cauveramme devi thaaye…” telling the story of River Cauvery’s birth, took me back to school days when it was a regular number at every annual day function. There was also the characteristic Valaga (pipe) recital, with its music slow and fast by turns, designed to send the dancer into a trance. By the time they took to the stage a second time, the full moon was up in the sky and the audience couldn’t resist breaking into dance. One from our little group, a Kodava, needed only a nudge before he joined the party. Then the fires. Large logs were lit and small circles formed. Different groups played for the cameras for a while, and then took their dance elsewhere, closer to their huts. Our favourite Jenu Kuruba group was still at it, with the same vigour, with the same infectious energy, for several hours. Heedless of the city people, unmindful of the town lights in the background, they raised the dust below their fast moving feet and danced round and round the fire. As we left, I for one could not help but feel incredibly jealous.

palace grounds

talk|11 apr 2013|talkmag.in

RAMESH HUNSUR

ML Varchus Vin SS Raje Urs, grandson of the last Mysore king Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar and nephew of scion Srikantadatta Wadiyar, speaks out against what he sees as an ungracious government determined to snatch away Palace Grounds from his family’s control

A royal’s lament India to sign an agreement to join the erties as public and gifted them away Union of India. My grandfather had to the government. He listed only the the vision that democracy was the Palace Grounds in Bangalore and the future, and accepting such an order palace in Mysore as private properwas in the best interests of the public- ties, and was allowed to retain them under that treaty. That is the reason and he did so with grace. In 1950, the Union of India we have legal and titular hold over the Bangalore Palace signed an agreement Grounds and the with the Mysore My grandfather Mysore Palace, the state, as it did with gifted nearly only two residences other princely states, we have in Bangalore that a list of proper200 properties and Mysore since ties would be drawn to the state then. up, and those classiEverybody has fied as public would go to the Union of India, and those forgotten the vast tracts of land my classified as private would remain grandfather gifted away to the government in Bangalore and Mysore— with the royal family. India and the princes what you see today as the Indian My grandfather was remarkably In 1950, the Mysore royal family was the first among the royal families in generous—he listed nearly 200 prop- Institute of Science, Hindustan fter the demise of my g r a n d f a t h e r , Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar (1919-74), my uncle, Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar and his five sisters—my aunts—are living a life of litigation. Government after government has been working away at us and they have made our lives hell, particularly over the last six months. The fact is: the government is trying to take away the Bangalore Palace Grounds, the last and only bit of property in Bangalore left for us by our grandfather.

A LIVING IN HOPE Varchus with his mother Meenakshi Devi at their home in Brookefield, Bangalore

Aeronautics Ltd, Tuberculosis Institute, soap factory, and the Suttur Mutt (in Mysore) were all private properties gifted away. In return, are we not entitled to hold just one tract of land in the form of the Bangalore Palace Grounds?

Layouts for the affluent Originally, the grounds were an 800acre sprawl, and extended up to Sankey Tank, and included what is now called Sadashivanagar and Lower Palace Orchards. To this day a water line runs through the grounds, supplying water to these areas. Over time, the areas coming under Lower Palace Orchards and Sadashivanagar were taken away from us for residential layouts. We were promised they

talk|11 apr 2013|talkmag.in

MADHUSUDHAN SR

would be used to house the poor, but we been a single day we have not received a saw them turning into a paradise of the notice from one government department or the other, accusing us of violating the affluent. What was left was about 450 acres. Supreme Court order. Our houses are While the battle for the grounds began in flooded with notices asking us to explain the 1970s, it intensified in the mid-90s. In these so-called violations. We feel 1996, the Karnataka government passed a harassed. We were worried. Were we going new law, seeking to acquire the Palace wrong? We then told ourselves we would get Grounds, describing it as public property that would be used to develop a botanical our activities examined by an expert. When garden. The government then claimed the we did that, we didn’t find any violation. land’s heritage value would be preserved. But the government departments kept Why did they want to take away what was accusing us of having raised permanent not only our sole property in Bangalore, structures. What we have are temporary but also the main source of income and structures that can be assembled and dislivelihood for my aunts, the daughters of sembled easily. It takes 15 days to erect a structure and seven to dismantle it, so we Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar? We then decided to move the decided we would let the structures be. Despite our best efforts to explain Supreme Court and in two orders, in 1998 and 2001, we were allowed to make use of that the structures were temporary, and that we had taken precauthe grounds for events, tions for the safety of music concerts and marThe government people, notices continue riages. Around 2000, we is offering us a to be flung at us every began organising small day. They go to such an events as we were in need mere Rs 11 crore extent that not only do of a source of income. The for 450 acres they accuse us of causing Supreme Court had stiputraffic jams but also traflated guidelines for use of the property, and we had to take the gov- fic-related deaths! Is that the respect a 600-year-old royal ernment’s permission for our events. Every time we organised an event, we had to run family and a dynasty gets? The government from pillar to post for permissions, which used our grounds for events like IT.com, involved 15 departments and several offi- Global Investors’ Meet, horticultural festicers. We had to give 30 days’ notice for each vals. The venue was popular even for politevent. There was confusion about several ical rallies. The authorities gave us no electhings. For example: Did the royal family tricity, and did not permit us to use mobile have to clear the garbage? Or was it the diesel generators, but how come they did municipality’s duty? Finally, good sense what we were barred from doing? prevailed and a single window agency was created for permissions. Things went Government hypocrisy smoothly for a while. Top officials and politicians organised weddings of their children, nephews and nieces here. One case was interesting. An Something went wrong in 2012 In the last six months things have changed IAS officer organised a wedding to which for the worse. We don’t know what went he invited the governor. The next day we wrong where, but the royal family is being got a notice asking us why the wedding was pushed and shoved around. There has not being held. Wasn’t the governor aware of what was happening? So the governor was attending an History of the Palace event that was supposedly illegal. How was Grounds battle the event organised in the first place by an  January 15, 1996: State IAS officer who should have known better? government issues an order to The Palace Grounds and the events acquire Palace Grounds. Says it we hold there are our main source of wants to convert it into a Lalbaghincome and livelihood. There is no properlike botanical garden. ty or land we have other than that. We don’t have extraordinary jobs or exorbitant  November 21, 1996: incomes. We don’t lead lavish and fancy Srikantadatta Wadiyar challenges lifestyles—we don’t have hundreds of cars the order in the High Court. as people may imagine. We have very nor March 31, 1997: High Court mal houses. We have families to run like dismisses Wadiyar's petition. others do.  April 10, 1997: Wadiyar The money we generate from the approaches the Supreme Court, events is income, but we also have to pay a which orders maintenance of wealth tax. What we generate is simply not status quo. enough to pay wealth tax. The government is charging us wealth tax at market rates—  August 10, 1998: Supreme Court so we just don’t have the means to pay itissues interim order with either from the jobs we do or from the guidelines for using the grounds. income we generate.

ROYALS AND COMMONERS Indrakshi Devi, Meenakshi Devi, Kamakshi Devi and Vishalakshi Devi, daughters of the last Mysore king. (Top) Their brother Srikanta Datta Wadiyar

My five aunts, the sisters of Srikantadatta Wadiyar, who hold 28 acres each or a total of 140 acres, have to pay Rs 2 crore every year as wealth tax since 2000—they have to pay Rs 130 crore for 13 years. The payment is outstanding. My uncle Srikantadatta Wadiyar has to pay Rs 200-220 crore for the 250 acres he holds. Even this is outstanding. We’ve approached court stating we can’t afford to pay tax at that rate. Shockingly, the wealth tax of Rs 380 crore we need to pay is dramatically higher than the compensation the government is offering us for the entire 450 acres—a mere Rs 11 crore. Are Rs 11 crore and Rs 380 crore comparable?

Please look at the unfairness here— the government is offering compensation of Rs 11 crore for 450 acres on the basis of government guidelines, while the wealth tax is 30 times more than that, fixed on the basis of market rates! I also ask—why is the Mysore royal family being singled out? Most other royal families in India—in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh—own 10 to 20 times the property we do and are even allowed to develop them. Many royal families run hospitality businesses on their land. I understand it may be unrealistic to expect the government to pay us compensation at market rates. That is why we are seeking a discussion where we can come to Value is at least Rs 9,000 crore It was in 1996 that the government passed a consensus. But no one is listening. a special law to acquire the grounds. The (ML Varchus Vin SS Raje Urs is the Rs 11 crore compensation amounts to just Rs 5.75 a square foot! Even in 1996, the nephew of Srikanta Datta Narasimha Raja market rates were around Rs 3,500-4,500 Wadiyar and grandson of Jayachamarajendra per square foot, and we were entitled to Rs Wadiyar. Born in 1981, he is a BA, LLB, and 3,000 crore. At current market rates, the practised as a lawyer between 2005 and 2008. royal family ought to get Rs 9,000 crore, He worked with a manufacturing company in with rates at around Rs 10,000 a square their administration and quality control department between 2008 and 2012) foot.

talk|11 apr 2013|talkmag.in

HOT PROPERTY Originally 800 acres, Palace Grounds has since been reduced to almost half its size

It hurts, it really hurts Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar's daughter and Srikantadatta Wadiyar's sister, Meenakshi Devi is one among five sisters battling for ownership of Palace Grounds. In a rare interview, she pours her heart out It hurts, it really hurts, the way the State government is treating the Mysore royal family. It just feels like being let down. I suppose we just have to live with it. I don't see other royal families in India being treated the way we are. At 61, I am not getting any younger and I've just had a heart surgery. At this age what does it mean to be called to court and issued notices day after day? I don't want to be called. I don't want to be waking up to go to court every day. I am not asking for royal treatment or royal prestige. Whether I am calledPrincess Meenakshi Devi or just Meenakshi Devi doesn't make a difference to me. I only seek respect for contributions made by our forefathers to the state. Is it too much to ask that the stature of the royal family be preserved? It may be harsh to say this, but we're not seen as normal, rightful citizens. We are being treated like criminals. We are no criminals. We've done nothing wrong and we're not running away from anyone. We want matters to be amicably settled. Why is no one working towards a solution? My message to the state government is simple: Please respect the Mysore royal family and give them their due. The family is part of the heritage and culture of the state, and like other states do, preserve this heritage and culture.

Princely property is now state property Govt can consider Political parties say there Congress: an out-of-court settlement is nothing royal or private BK Chandrashekar, former law about the Palace Grounds minister and

PRASHANTH GN prashanth.gn@talkmag.in

n the battle for the Bangalore Palace Grounds, the three big political parties in Karnataka, the BJP, Congress and JD(S), have no doubts where they stand. They want the property.

BJP: We would like an urban forest there The ruling BJP considers the Bangalore Palace Grounds public property. “All that is held by the Mysore princely state naturally passes on to the democratic state,” said party spokesman S Prakash. If the Supreme Court rules in favour of the state, the party wants to develop Palace Grounds as an ‘urban forest’, and does not favour any construction there. Prakash believes there is no question of compensating people who hold public property.

Congress spokesman, favours an out-of-court settlement, but emphasises public interest is paramount. “In case the court rules in favour of the family, the government of the day can bring in restrictions on the use of the property,” he told Talk. “The government has argued the grounds would be turned into a botanical garden. Ultimately, the public interest will have to be factored in even if it goes to the family,” he said. Chandrashekar says compensation for the royal family should be just and fair, and “close to what the market offers.”

JD(S): State is well within its rights to acquire it all Janata Dal (Secular) MC Nanaiah says Karnataka’s 1996 law acquiring the land must be respected. “The people of Karnataka and the royal family should be clear the Palace Grounds is public property. “Any private property anywhere in the country can be acquired by a government if the government states it is

necessary in the public interest. It is the sovereign right of the government and the right is provided by the Constitution,” he told Talk. In his view, the treaties the royal families entered into with the then central government no longer hold good. He is not sympathetic to the ‘royals’ over the notices they receive from the government. “If certain activities and structures go against the Supreme Court guidelines, they are bound to get notices. The family should explain how certain entertainment companies have been functioning there for the last 10 years. Is that permanent or temporary?” he said. He sees no reason why the Mysore royal family should feel singled out. “The family may think they are royal, but they are actually descendants. Where is the royal family in the eyes of law?” he argued. The veteran leader dismissed any out of court settlement. “The idea is atrocious!” On the meagre compensation being offered to the family, Nanaiah explained the nuances. “If the property had been acquired under the Land Acquisition Act, then compensation would have to be paid in market terms. But it was acquired under a special act enacted in the interest of the public. There is no need to pay market compensation.” He however felt the compensation “cannot be minimal or just notional.” His guess is the Supreme Court will uphold the acquisition and ask the government to pay a higher compensation.

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The queen who sold her jewels to build a dam Vikram Sampath Author of Splendours of Royal Mysore, a definitive account of the Wadiyar dynasty

In 1931, queen Kempananjammanni gave away her gold and diamonds to raise seed capital for the KRS dam, in a gesture characteristic of the generous Wadiyars

he foundation of the Wodeyar dynasty (the family spell it Wadiyar) in AD 1399 is attributed to one Yaduraya, son of Raja Deva of Dwaraka in present-day Gujarat. Guided by divine dispensation, they supposedly were driven by dreams to leave Dwaraka for the Mahabala mountains, cradled between the Cauvery and Kapila rivers, and worship the presiding diety, Goddess Chamundeshwari. By the time the young Yaduraya and his brother Krishnaraya reached Mahisuru (as Mysore was called then), catastrophe had struck the tiny principality. Its chieftain Chamaraja had died and a vile upstart Maranayaka threatened to abduct the pretty princess and usurp the kingdom. These two young men were approached by the helpless queen and after a valiant battle, the villain was killed and Yaduraya crowned chief-

tain. This event in the summer of 1399 marked the birth of one of India’s longest reigning houses. *** In the course of a power struggle with Vijayanagara, Raja Wodeyar skirmished with the empire’s viceroy Tirumalaraya and his subsequent tiff with his wife Rani Alamelamma led to the supposed suicide of the Rani in AD 1610. She threw herself into the Cauvery with the famous three-line curse which is said to be the reason for the submergence of Talakad in sand, a whirlpool at Malingi, and the childlessness in the Wodeyar lineage. *** With the kingdom coming under the spell of weak rulers, a common soldier in the Mysore army— Haidar Ali—rose in the ranks and in 1761 usurped the throne. He and his chivalrous son Tipu Sultan were among the first Indian rulers to offer a spirited resistance to the British East India Company. Tipu inflicted the most humiliating defeats on the British in the First and Second AngloMysore Wars. But the let-down by all his principal officers and the negotiations with the British by the lingering royal family under Rani Lakshmammanni proved to be Tipu’s ultimate nemesis. He died fighting on 4 May 1799 in the fort of Srirangapatna. *** One of the biggest peasant uprisings in India took place in the Mysore kingdom in Nagar (in today’s Shimoga district). It was a first of its

GRAND LEGACY Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar with Queen Elizabeth of England in Bangalore

kind and led to a mass movement that shook the very foundations of the Mysore kingdom. The movement was ruthlessly squashed and Mummadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar deposed by the British in 1831. The kingdom passed under Commissioners. *** Under the later Wodeyars, especially Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar (called Rajarishi or saint among kings by Mahatma Gandhi ), Mysore witnessed tremendous economic, social and cultural progress. Mysore State had many firsts to its credit and was hailed as the model State by the founding fathers of independent India. Mysore was the first state to have a democratic system of governance. Local self-government was encouraged as far back as 1918. Mysore was also the first State to provide reservations for the weaker sec(Excerpted with permission of the tions of society in government jobs. Under the amazing Dewan quar- author from a piece first posted on tet of Rangacharlu, Seshadri Iyer, Sir Churmuri.com)

Idli, dosa, piano and horses Princess Meenakshi Devi, sister of Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar, has both down-to-earth and exalted tastes

Born a princess, horse riding came naturally to Meenakshi Devi. She learnt it from age six. It was her love for horses that led her to start the Princess Horse Riding Academy at the Palace Grounds. She visits the academy twice a week to oversee the administration and, as she says, “check on the well being of my horses”. Meenakshi Devi pays personal attention to what the horses are fed, and how they are taken care

of. Whenever she feels like seeing her horses, she drives to Palace Grounds from her house in Brookefield. Her other passion is the piano, an instrument her father Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar loved and played it often. She got her lessons from him, and picked up some techniques from the nuns in Mysore during her school days. While history interested her in school, she went on to study political

M Visveswaraya and Mirza Ismail, industries sprung by the year. Irrigation and power received great priority. The Marihalla project across the Vedavati river, started by Iyer, created the Vani Vilasa Sagar (or Marikanave dam), which was the biggest reservoir in India at the time of completion. The KRS dam, completed in 1931, created the biggest reservoir in Asia, second only to the Aswan dam across the Nile in Egypt. Since the outlay for the dam exceeded the state budget’s, Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar (then a mere teenager) and his sagacious mother Regent Queen Kempananjammanni sold costly diamonds, ornaments, gold and silver plates of the royal family in Bombay to provide seed capital for the project. The Shivanasamudram hydroelectric project was the first of its kind in India, implemented in 18991900. Electricity was provided to the Kolar Gold Fields in 1902, and Bangalore became India’s first City to be electrified in 1905. The transmission line was also the first and longest in the world then. In a long and chequered history, Mysore acquired a distinct social and cultural ethos. For this, and the sound economic foundations on which the modern State of Karnataka were built, we need to give due credit to the rulers of Mysore—the Wodeyars.

science in college. A BA (Honours) from Mount Carmel College, she says she likes casual reading and keeps away from heavy books. Her typical day begins early with her favourite breakfast—idlis and dosas. Meenakshi Devi watches TV in the mornings, reads newspapers and spends the rest of the day with her grandchildren. She says she enjoys taking care of the little ones, walking them around.

food path

talk|11 apr 2013|talkmag.in

Daddy's Deli

Located in Indiranagar, Daddy’s Deli offers what might be called a ‘wholesome breakfast’. Breakfast here is indeed big (in terms of quantity), so it’s better not to try this on a working day. The non-vegetarian Big Breakfast offers egg (you can choose from fried, scrambled or poached), bacon/ham sausages, bread, a potato patty and stir fried mushrooms. Our

verdict: this is a must try. The restaurant does not have a vegetarian counterpart to the Big Breakfast, but offers dishes like pancakes, waffles, corn zucchini fritters, and ‘rosemary mushroom,’ which goes well with toast. For those who want to try something completely different from all these, you could try some of their Parsi breakfast

specialties. Or else, there are other equally satisfying options like Spanish omelette and eggs on kheema, all served with toast.  Big Breakfast: Rs 250  Pancakes/ Waffles/ French

Toast: Rs 170  Spanish omelette: Rs 120

From 9 am to 3 pm (breakfast only), Tuesday to Sunday

French Loaf French Loaf, though a chain outlet, has managed to retain the ambience of a friendly neighbourhood café. And for this reason, it attracts those who are looking for a lazy, extended breakfast. Their non-vegetarian option includes toast, chicken sausage, fruit salad, choice of omelette, and fruit juice, and does not disappoint at all. The

vegetarians, on the other hand, can settle for toast, baked beans, fruit salad and a vegetarian snack chosen from the counter.

Breakfast bounty

 Non-vegetarian breakfast:

Rs 175  Vegetarian breakfast: Rs 150

From 8 am to 1 pm (for breakfast only), on all days

Restaurants in Bangalore are offering morning menus that can match any lunch or dinner spread for variety and taste. Sandra M Fernandes picks out a few that do more than just satisfy those hunger pangs, and at a (somewhat) reasonable price RAMESH HUNSUR

McDonald's One of the more popular places that offer a breakfast menu, McDonald's offers a varied spread for vegetarians and non-vegetarians. Their non-veg fare offers combos like Sausage Egg McMuffin meal which comes along with hash browns and a cappuccino. So does the vegetarian option, the Veg Supreme McMuffin meal. Those who find a combo meal too heavy for the morning could go for individual dishes as well.  Sausage Egg McMuffin meal: Rs 110

Available at all French Loaf outlets

 Veg supreme McMuffin meal: Rs 109

From 7 am to 11 am (breakfast only) on all days Available at All McDonald's outlets

Tom’s Restaurant Located near Fatima’s bakery, Vellara Junction, this restaurant serves both an English breakfast option consisting of toasts, egg, sausages, salami, bacon and chips and a separate breakfast buffet that serves both vegetarian and non vegetarian fare (only on weekends). We sampled the English breakfast here, and found that the eggs were not completely done. The variety of meat offered

was great though. The vegetarian buffet consists of standard South Indian fare of idly, vada, kesari bhath and upma, complimented with bread (with butter or jam).  Breakfast buffet: Rs

125, on weekdays and Rs 160 on weekends  English breakfast: Rs

110, on all days From 9 am to 11 am (breakfast only) on all days

Au Bon Pain

 All English Breakfast: Rs 250

The traditional English breakfast seems to be popular among breakfast spreads in town. But for those who want to try something other than this meat-heavy treat, Au Bon Pain offers lighter breakfast options, and at surprisingly reasonable prices. For instance, you could choose the masala egg sandwich, or the fried egg and pesto sandwich that has a fried egg on a butter croissant with basil pesto. Other options include the bagel with cream cheese or the egg and cheese on a bagel. Those who wouldn’t mind trying a morning salad could opt for the corn salad or the pasta salad.

 Complete Meaty Omelette: Rs

 Fried egg and pesto sandwich: Rs 22

Monkey Bar Certainly not your grandfather’s breakfast. Monkey Bar on Wood Street has a breakfast menu that redefines the first meal of the day, and is recommended for those with an appetite two sizes too large, especially if they are non-vegetarians. Here, you get to choose from dishes as varied as Kheema Pao, pickled beef and railway masala omelette, among others. We sampled their breakfast burrito pot stickers, Mr Miyagi’s Okonomiyaki, Eggs Benedict and red velvet waffles. The pot stickers were light and didn’t feel heavy, unlike the usual dumplings. The chilly sauce complimented the chicken, bacon and sausage filled dumpling well. Mr Miyagi’s Okonomiyaki (Japanese pancake) was a surprise and totally

unexpected. The dish, which comes with a cabbage base had a generous helping of minced sausage, prawns and tempura. The pork belly was tender and delicious. Only the Eggs Benedict was a bit of a disappointment as the yolk was somewhat overdone. Thankfully, the red velvet waffles with cream cheese set our mood right. Being very light in texture, the waffles were a great way to end our meal.  Burrito pot stickers: Rs 165  Mr Miyagi’s Okonomiyaki: Rs 325  Eggs Benedict: Rs 195  Red Velvet Waffles: Rs 215

From 9 am to 12 pm, Saturday and Sunday only

Hole In The Wall Café Located in Kormangala, Hole in the Wall Café is a delight for the non-vegetarian, as well as their herbivorous brethren. Their All English Breakfast offers sausages, bacon, baked beans, sautéed mushrooms along with mashed potato, fried eggs and toast. Their Complete Meaty Omelette is a combination of omelette served with meat of your choice and other fillings like mushroom, jalapeno, capsicum, onions, spinach and more.

For eggetarians, there are plenty of options starting with The Farmer’s Breakfast, which includes baked beans, mashed potato, sautéed mushrooms, spinach, and grilled tomatoes served with fried eggs and toast. Then there’s the Sunday Morning Veg spread that includes two poached eggs layered with mushroom, onion and tomatoes garnished with cheese and coriander and served with toast. We sampled

them, and it’s thumbs up for both. Their breakfast tastes best with fresh juice.

120  The Farmer’s Breakfast: Rs

140  Sunday Morning Veg: Rs 100

From 8 am to 3 pm (for breakfast only), Tuesday to Sunday

 Masala egg sandwich: Rs 22  Egg and cheese on a bagel: Rs 45  Bagel with cream cheese: Rs 95  Corn/ Pasta salad: Rs 45

From 8 am to 11 am (for breakfast) on all days Available at all Au Bon Pain outlets

back stage

talk|11 apr 2013|talkmag.in

LEKHA NAIDU

THEN AND NOW A theatre workshop for children at the ‘workspace’, held by Rafiki’s Anish Victor. (Right) The last clean-up.

Goodbye to all that It made for an unusual farewell party when the city’s theatre community came together to bid goodbye to the Rafiki ‘Workspace’

PRACHI SIBAL prachi.sibal@talkmag.in ast weekend, most of Bangalore’s theatre crowd had gathered at the premises of the iconic Chamundeshwari Studios on Millers Tank Bund Road. The occasion was the closing of the Workspace—the rehearsal and performance space used by Rafiki, one of Bangalore’s oldest theatre groups. The group was open to everyone who wanted to do theatre. In just two years of existence, the space had taken on a special character in Bangalore’s theatre landscape, even acquiring a somewhat legendary status with everyone having a story or two to tell about their experiences there. Rafiki members and their friends came together to pay tribute to their cherished Workspace with a series of performances titled Sign Out, leading up to its final curtain call.

We have rehearsed there for many plays. What drove the space was a group like Rafiki. They opened it out to us benevolently. It was humbling and Rafiki made it more than a rehearsal space. That sort of warmth will be missing from around us until Rafiki finds another space. Prashanth Nair writer and director, Tahatto

‘I was shocked to see it’ Rafiki member Rency Philip was at first put off by the Workspace—but soon discovered that it had a charming character

did The Fabulous Adventures of Aditi and Friends, and had hundreds of children walking in for the shows.

The space has also hosted many other theatre groups, RENCY PHILIP including one from Japan. We never I first met Rafiki’s other members at this space. charged them for rehearsal space, but they’d It was literally a corridor in a film studio, so I was pay for small overheads like electricity. quite shocked when I first saw it. Rehearsing in The first ever performance at Rafiki was Anand something like this was unheard of. It was Sami’s Jannal which was also the last. We’d discovered by Sachin and Ravindra, who rented been talking about moving out due to it from the owners. management issues (also because we would all The space in itself encouraged collaboration. It be travelling in the next few months), but the had a distinct character of its own and its quirks actual decision was taken only a month ago. too. A typical day began with cleaning pigeon We got all sorts of reactions from people when poop and sweeping the floor. The roof leaked, they heard the news. People have fond and if we were there rehearsing early in the memories of the space—especially those who morning, we could hear the studio staff bathe. have rehearsed or performed there. Most of It had its own advantages. There was everything them came for the final festival, when we had from broken chairs to ladders scattered all shows for four consecutive days, to pay their around and we could easily pick up anything we tribute. People said things like, ‘Let me touch wanted for a prop. the floor one last time’. My most memorable time there was when we (As told to Prachi Sibal)

The drama there was between the actors and the mosquitoes because the space was over a drain. More than the place, I remember the generous nature of the people who ran it. That’s also why it became important to theatre groups in the city. Anmol Vellani actor and director

It had wonderful energy and 7 am rehearsals there with strands of light seeping in were beautiful. It became a personal space for many actors because of how welcoming Rafiki was. For them, it was an extension of their love for the art.

Rebecca Spurgeon actor

festival special

talk|11 apr 2013|talkmag.in

UGADI, ooru-style The festival, on April 11, is the beginning of the new year according to the traditional calendar, and celebrated widely in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Sandra M Fernandes compiles recipes of some timeless dishes. RAMESH HUNSUR

Appi Kheeru Ingredients: 1 cup maida, 2 tsp chiroti rava, 2 tsps ghee, 1 litre milk, 1½ cup sugar, 1/2 tsp cardamom powder, a pinch of salt, oil for frying Method: Take the maida in a bowl. Add rava, salt, ghee and mix well. Pour water and make it into a soft dough with the consistency of chapatti dough. Keep it aside for half an hour. In another

Mango Pachadi Ingredients: 1 raw mango (Totapuri), ½ tsp turmeric, 3-4 tsps jaggery, 1 tsp urad dal, ½ tsp mustard seeds, ½ tsp methi, 1 cup grated coconut, 20 dry chillies, a pinch of asafoetida Method: Remove the skin from the raw mango and cut into small pieces. Add the turmeric and jaggery to the mango, mix it well and keep aside. On a hot tava, roast urad dal, mustard, methi, dry red chilly and grated coconut separately and keep aside. Now grind all the roasted ingredients and mix it with the jaggery and mango that was kept aside. In a pan, heat a teaspoon of oil, add mustard seeds and a pinch of asafoetida and then pour the mix in.

Holige (Obattu) Ingredients: 1 kg jaggery, 2 kgs tur dal, 2 grated coconuts, 25 gms cardamom, 10 gms ginger (optional), 1 tsp turmeric, 1 kg maida Method: Boil tur dal till it becomes soft and then grind it to a coarse mix. Keep it aside. Roast coconut till it becomes light brown and the coconut milk dries up. To this, mix in the powdered cardamom and finely chopped ginger. Cool this mix and then add the tur dal and grated jaggery to it. Mix this thoroughly. Take the maida in a big bowl and mix a teaspoon of turmeric. Add water to the maida and knead into dough (should be slightly

softer than the consistency of chapatti dough). Roll balls of this dough and flatten using a rolling pin like a chapatti, using lot of oil. Use the coconut-jaggery mix as filling and roll it again. Flatten this ball using a rolling pin and cook on the tava using oil.

vessel, pour the milk and let it boil till the quantity is reduced to half. Keep it aside. Make small balls from the maida dough and flatten it using a rolling pin. Fry it in the oil (like puris) and take it out. Let it cool. Meanwhile, add sugar and cardamom powder to the boiled milk and mix well. Crush the puri and soak it in the milk and serve.

Mavinakayi Chitranna Ingredients: 2 cups cooked basmati rice, 2 tbsp vegetable oil, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 3-4 curry leaves, 2 green chillies slit lengthwise, 1/2 cup peanuts (roasted and unsalted), 1 tsp turmeric powder, 1/4th of a raw mango grated, salt to taste Method: Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard

seeds, curry leaves and green chillies. Fry till the sputtering stops and then add the peanuts. Fry for another minute. Add the turmeric powder and turn off the fire. To this add the grated mango and mix thoroughly. Add the boiled rice to the mixture and mix thoroughly. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.

Sugunde (Sukkinunde) Ingredients: 1/4 cup tur dal, 300 gm jaggery, 2 cups of grated coconut, 200 gm of urad dal, 100 gm rice flour Method: Soak the urad dal for four hours and keep aside. Boil the tur dal. Add jaggery and

coconut to the tur dal and grind all three till it becomes soft dough. Grind the urad dal and mix rice flour in it. Now using the dough make small balls. Dip them in the urad dal and rice flour mix and deep fry.

Recipes provided by Vijaylakshmi, Sudha Venkatesh and Malathi Sabnees

talk|11 apr 2013|talkmag.in

Rewind The week that was  Taliban killings: At least 44 people have been killed during a Taliban raid on a court complex in the Farah Province in western Afghanistan, where Taliban fighters were being held.  US warning: The Obama administration warned North Korea to halt a recent spate of “unacceptable” rhetoric and actions that Secretary of State John Kerry called “provocative, dangerous and reckless.”  Israeli strikes: Israeli aircraft carried out apparent warning strikes in the Gaza Strip hitting empty fields after a militant rocket earlier struck waste ground in southern Israel.  Anti-rape bill: President Pranab Mukherjee has given his assent to the Anti-rape Bill which provides for life term and even death sentence for rape convicts besides stringent punishment for offences like acid attacks, stalking and voyeurism.  Cancer drug judgment: The Supreme Court rejected pharma giant Novartis AG's plea to preserve its patent over a life-saving cancer drug, Glivec, drawing a huge sigh of relief from thousands of patients in India and in dozens of developing countries as the fear of an almost 15-fold escalation of drug costs recede.  NRI missing: An NRI software engineer from Guntur, P Sarath Kumar, who settled down in the United States, went missing on Sunday after his visit to the Niagara Falls.  Ambani deal: Mukesh Ambani inks a Rs 1,200 crore deal with Anil Ambani's Reliance Communications, ending the long-drawn acrimony between the two billionaire brothers.  Garbage control: Karnataka high court has directed BBMP to issue licences only to traders who are capable of managing their own garbage.

How to avoid common writing mistakes Jeff O’Neal, editor of Bookriot.com, also teaches writing at the New School University in New York. After he found himself making the same corrections over and over again, he decided to give the mistakes silly, memorable names, in the hope that it would help improve his students’ grammar. Here they are (he says they work): 1. Itso: using It’s instead of its (or vice versa) This one comes from the writer John Gruber and was the inspiration for the rest of the list. The genius of this is that there are only two options, so telling someone they have an itso in the last sentence of the second paragraph both locates the error and its needed correction. 2. Yourick: confusing “you’re” with “your.” This mistake is generally just someone typing too fast, so even the slightest of pauses

want to drink poison and stab everyone in the room.

usually prevents it. With itsos, sometimes the writer genuinely isn’t sure which one to use. 3. Theroid: using the incorrect version of their/there/they’re. This one has three possible solutions, so theroid A means replace with “their”; theroid B means replace with “there”; and theroid C means replace with “they’re.” 4. Whorum: confusing “who” for “whom” or vice versa. While noting a “whorum” does show the reader where the mistake is and how to fix it, whorums usually indicate a fundamental misunderstanding, as most of us have to pause already to figure out if we need to use “whom.” 5. Thanos: mistaken use of “then” for “than” or vice versa. It’s shocking how many people don’t even know they are

making this mistake, though nearly all of them get it once shown. This term has the highest “cure” rate on this list. 6. Plussesive: either using an apostrophe to indicate a plural or omitting a needed apostrophe on a possessive. I can only read “Hamlets indecision about whether or not to kill Polonius dooms him” so many times before I myself

Why your iPod doesn’t last ‘Planned obsolescence’ is the deliberate shortening of product life spans to guarantee consumer demand—or, in other words, designing products in such a way that they fail or get dated, forcing you to buy a new one. As an advertising magazine put it: “The product that refuses to wear out is a tragedy of business—and

a tragedy for the modern growth society which relies on an ever-accelerating cycle of production, consumption and throwing away.” The Light Bulb Conspiracy is a documentary that investigates the untold story of planned obsolescence. It uses original research and rare archive footage to trace the beginning of this practice in 1920s America to a secret deal by a cartel set up to deliberately limit the life span of light bulbs (what it finds: light bulbs could last for years, if only companies wanted them to). It also tells how the same insidious principle is at work in products familiar to us, be it consumer durables, electronics (such as the iPod) or even automobiles.

7. Layvar: confusing “lay” for “lie” or vice versa. If I don’t pay attention, this is one I can still screw up. So I built the clue into the term a little. “Lay” is a transitive verb, so it needs an object, as in “chickens lay eggs.” By having something after the word “lay” in the term name (“var”), I am reminded that if “lay” is correct, something needs to come after it (the object of the verb). 8. Effectite: confusing “effect” for “affect” and vice versa. This one also has a clue to the correct usage in its name. “Effect” is a noun, and “affect” is a verb. So since this term is itself a noun with “effect” in it, it’s a quick reminder that “effect” is the noun form. You can follow Jeff on Twitter: @readingape

Supermen in town

The film travels to France, Germany, Spain and the US to find and expose planned obsolescence, which has become the very basis of the consumer economy. It also tracks the immense damage it causes to the environment. Ending on a hopeful note, it captures the growing resistance to the practice among modern consumers.

Watch Malegaon ka Superman, the award-winning documentary at Jaaga on Double Road. The film is a poignant and well-researched take on the local film industry in Maharashtra’s Malegaon, one of the dozens of such industries in the country. An ode to human ingenuity, it is a passionate tale about making films. It proved so popular that it ran for weeks in movie theatres, despite being a documentary. For most of the audience, it might be the funniest documentary ever made. There will also be a contest that could win you some film merchandise.

You can view the film at topdocumentaryfilms.com/light-bulbconspiracy/

Ticket Price: Rs 80. For details, call Kapil Agrawal on 8095434896 or email him at kapilagrawal123@gmail.com

talk|11 apr 2013|talkmag.in

Forward

Every vote counts Karnataka will vote for a new assembly in a single phase on May 5. The counting for the 224-member House will take place on May 8. Here’s what you can do to strengthen the democratic process. Check if your name is on the voters list (Karnataka) ceokarnataka.kar.nic.in/vernacularsearch.aspx In case you don’t find your name, you can enrol at www.voterreg.kar.nic.in/ The last date to enrol is April 7.

Flaunt your vote A newly launched app on Facebook, Vote Together, is out to make voting a fad. Log on to the app and it first asks you to take a pledge to vote in the Karnataka elections on May 5. It posts the pledge on your Facebook wall for people to see and be inspired. It also lets you send invites to all those on your list urging them to vote. You can find out which friends have taken a similar pledge. A widget on the top left gives you a countdown to the upcoming elections. apps.facebook.com/votetogether. You could also visit the Facebook page of

Techies for India, who came up with the app: www.facebook.com/techiesforindia

A citizen’s march B.PAC (Bangalore Political Action Committee) is holding a citizen’s march, ‘March for Bangalore,’ ahead of the state assembly elections. The march, from Kanteerava Stadium to Freedom Park, will begin at 4 pm on April 13. It will feature, on its sidelines a host of events like street plays, music and dance programmes, flash-mobs and street magic performances, all aimed at raising awareness about citizens’ issues.

including several eminent personalities from politics, business, sports, the arts and entertainment. Their core committee includes such well-known names as Ashwin Mahesh of the Lok Satta Party, sportspeople Ashwini Nachappa and Nisha Millet, corporate leaders Mohandas Pai and Harish Bijoor, theatre director Prakash Belavadi, fashion choreographer Prasad Bidapa and danseuse Vani Ganapathy, among others.

For more information, log on to B.PAC is a collective that aims to build a better Bangalore and enhance the quality www.bpac.in or visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BPACofficial of life for all its citizens. Its core has representatives from diverse walks of life,

A unique travelogue Puttur and Timbuktu may be far apart on the map, but for eminent psychologist professor Malavika, they have a special connection. She grew up in the coastal town in Dakshina Kannada district, and later moved to the African town Timbuktu, which used to be a famous medieval trading centre, but which many people today think is an imaginary place. On April 12, she will pay a special tribute to both these places in a talk to be held at Bangalore International Centre. A former head of Nimhans, professor Kapur is widely published scholar who has also written fiction. She is particularly known for her study of child care in ancient India, based on Ayurveda. At: BIC, TERI Complex, 4th Main, 2nd Cross, Domlur II Stage Tel: 25359680

LPs @ Blossoms Blossoms Book House on Church Street— perhaps the beststocked used book store in the country— also sells LP records. We spotted two stacks on the ground floor, many of them classics. And here’s the coolest part: the records cost only Rs 250 a piece. Call Blossoms at 25320400

IPL car pooling If you are attending the IPL matches, and are worried about the traffic, here’s some help. Ridingo.com, a startup which promotes carpooling, has come forward to help cricket fans find rides. You could share your car with other fans, hitch a ride or share a cab. To find out how, log on to www.ridingo.com

The week ahead  Korea plans: South Korea's defence ministry said it had contingency plans, including possible military action, to ensure the safety of its citizens working in a joint industrial zone in North Korea.  Myanmar anxiety: Myanmar is being gripped by anxiety after fire engulfed a mosque housing school children in Myanmar's largest city on Tuesday, killing at least 13. The police, anxious over sectarian violence that has shaken the nation, blamed an electrical short circuit for the blaze.  Mulayam’s tricks: Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Mulayam Singh Yadav fired another salvo on the Congress-led UPA government for alleged misuse of Central Bureau of Investigation, and also praised BJP leader LK Advani, fuelling speculation about a possible electoral alliance with the BJP.  Crossing swords: Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh and party officials are at logger heads with Singh firm on his views that the experiment of "two power centres" has not worked well, notwithstanding the party rejecting his stand saying this is an "ideal model"  Kerala uproar: Kerala’s UDF government is expected to come under attack increasingly following minister KB Ganesh Kumar's resignation after charges of domestic violence were made by his wife.  Chennai bullish: Chennai real estate market is getting bullish with three city-based builders concluding land transactions worth nearly Rs 450 crore in the past few weeks alone.  Tiger plans: Forest department will have to ready plans to protect tigers as summer peaks. With soaring temperature, the big cats come out of hiding more often to quench their thirst at water holes, rendering them vulnerable.

t20 cricket

talk|11 apr 2013|talkmag.in

MONEY GAME As cricket becomes an extension of big business and big politics, it’s the game that loses

The tinsel thrills of IPL A fan of Test cricket explains why he remains sceptical about the T20 format, and the annual league tamasha had watched the first Indian Premier League (IPL) match in Bangalore in 2008, a match supposed to be a ‘historic’ event in Indian sport. I missed the glitzy opening ceremony but made it in time for the first ball. The match made absolutely no impression on me… There were plenty of sixes and fours and wickets, and undoubtedly there was skill in each, but I felt an unease about something else. It was hollow. That’s what I felt. They were just selling a big lemon to everybody. All the music videos and TV debates and profound columns later, you wondered… is this all? It was swing-and-hit, swingand-miss cricket. The bowlers were being carted all over the place. The true elements of the game—the mental battle between bowler and bats-

Dev S Sukumar Writer and biographer of badminton legend Prakash Padukone

pop corn

Twitterati on the opening ceremony Sir Sri Jhunjhunwala@jhunjhunwala20h This seriously sucks. Dayanidhi Maran High School annual day celebrations are better organized than this. It maketh no sense.

man, the pacing of an innings, the essential ingredient—an equal conmaturing of a relationship between test between bat and ball—was comtwo batsmen, or the evolving nature promised. Otherwise, we will be left of a spell—were conspicuously with a generation of celebrity T20 absent. It was as if an entire sport was batsmen who can’t score one good reduced to only one element: the abil- Test knock on a difficult pitch against difficult opposition. ity to hit the ball. Call me a dinosaur, but I’m a fan A lot of comparisons are made with the English Premier League, but of Test cricket. Even the One-Day the IPL doesn’t come close. The variety was unappetising, but at least EPL—or any other top football league it retained some of the original elements of the game. —is the real deal. With Twenty20, the Despite all the hype, it The players sport has become junk is still football. But the food, to be consumed IPL is not even about are just bit no thought cricket… it is a corruptactors in this feverishly, given to flavour or texed version of the real spectacle ture or aroma. To a junk thing. food nation which we What everybody was selling was the ad spots. They’d have become, Twenty20 is the right wondered where to put all this sport to follow. A friend once said Test cricket money, and then they found they could create this Twenty20 thing, and was the closest one could get to a all of them pitched their money on it. microcosm of life. There is much The money came first; the sport later. truth in that statement. It’s probably The players were just bit actors in this the only sport where one needs to spectacle, a bunch of clotheshorses understand the many meanings of around whom some tag had to be put Time and Nature (wind, sun, rain, for a price. I was bored out of my wits soil, cloud) —besides the opposition, and left some time before the end, of course. All these then are facets of Test and then I switched on the TV the next day and they said the match had cricket, and to a far less extent, One“rocked the city”. TV had created its Day cricket. T20 however is a differown world, and that was unrecognis- ent animal. I’m not one of those who initialable from the world I had experily dismissed the IPL. So many sports enced. This is not to say that a sport in India suffer from a lack of entershould not evolve. Imagine being still prise, and you wonder if they could stuck with Test cricket! The T20 is a do with a dose of cricket-style marwelcome format—but they should keting. Nor has cricket remained prisnot have skewed it so much that its tine. The dilution of cricket began

with the One-Day Internationals, and T20 was a sequel to that. The madness has been on for five years now. Controversies and scams have rocked the IPL ecosystem, but it is now a well-established industry, with publications, ad agencies, agents, TV people, and just about everybody getting on the wagon. And it’s that season again!

IPL matches in Bangalore  Tue, Apr 9 — 4pm - 7:30pm

Royal Challengers Bangalore VS Sunrisers Hyderabad  Thu, Apr 11 — 4pm - 7:30pm

Royal Challengers Bangalore VS Kolkata Knight Rider  Tue, Apr 16 — 8 pm - 11:30 pm

Royal Challengers Bangalore VS Delhi Daredevils  Sat, Apr 20 — 8 pm - 11:30 pm

Royal Challengers Bangalore VS Rajasthan Royals  Tue, Apr 23 — 4pm - 7:30pm Royal Challengers Bangalore VS Pune Warriors India  Tue, May 14 — 4pm - 7:30pm

Royal Challengers Bangalore VS Kings XI Punjab  Sat, May 18—8 pm - 11:30 pm

Royal Challengers Bangalore VS Chennai Super Kings All matches to be held at Chinnaswamy Stadium

OOKtalk

talk|11 apr 2013|talkmag.in

Launch

Namma noir, via Sweden Ravi Menezes of Goobe's Book Republic reports from the launch of pulp writer Zac O'Yeah's new title Mr Majestic wedish by origin, South Indian by choice, and with a pseudonym like Zac O’ Yeah, he is hardly the author you can put into a box. A self-professed Bangalorean, he arrived here 20 years ago as a backpacker and decided to call it his home. His latest offering, Mr Majestic: The Tout of Bengaluru published by Hachette India and launched last Saturday at the British Council, is a noir novel set in the city. The protagonist is an ace tout running a scam by luring people into the film industry. While at it, he puts great faith in karma. The launch saw many curious Bangaloreans gather to listen to the Scandinavian-born

author’s tales. From what one gathered, the book promises a fresher perspective on the city, as opposed to conditioned ones from locals. Zac used many examples to elucidate the difference in the way a foreigner looked at things. For instance, what happens when there is an accident involving a Porsche and a cow? The locals obsess over the car while tourists click pictures of the cow. The evening was full of such one-liners. Passages from the book were read out as is customary at launches and an intensive Q&A session followed. I can’t help but admit I was cast under a spell of sorts and didn’t regret choosing the event over other plans for the evening. MR PULP Zac at the launch

Obituary

City’s chronicler passes away Fondly called the chronicler of Bangalore, or more specifically that of the Cantonment, and author of Bangalore, A Century of Tales From City & Cantonment, Peter Colaco passed away last Friday, March 29, a day before his 68th birthday. The author donned many hats through his lifetime, including those of a musician, filmmaker, columnist and advertising professor. Colaco was suffering from kidney failure and had pledged his body for research purposes at St John’s Hospital a few weeks before his demise.

Sale

Discounts at Oxford Those who missed The Great Oxford Sale at all Oxford Bookstore outlets, offering as much as 80 per cent discount on many titles, can cheer up a little bit. While popular titles and several heavily discounted books may have vanished thanks to the more serious book

hunters, the stores still have three discounted book racks each. Books come with 80 per cent, 50 per cent and 25 per cent discounts. It may take some hard work to find those uncommon and interesting titles, but it may be well worth the effort.

Authorspeak

Tracking entrepreneurship In town recently to promote her latest book, Follow Every Rainbow, Rashmi Bansal says that writers from IITs and IIMs have been successful as they write in a language people can relate to. Excerpts from an interview: You started JAM, the popular youth magazine, and continue to work with the youth. What are the big trends and changes among the youth the mainstream media have ignored? The coverage is there but the youth themselves are not involved in mainstream media. Television especially does not play a constructive role.

to writing, including you. What is it that gives them the edge? Honestly, I don’t have an answer for that. I always wanted to be a writer. Though I did management I was never too keen on it. The reason why most of the writers from IIMs and IITs click with the audience is because they do not have an English Literature background. Their writing is easy and people can relate to their language.

You are known to use ‘Hinglish’ in your writing. Don’t you think that spoils the prose? It depends on why I am writing it. Usually when I interview people they speak to me in Hindi. I translate most You have written about entrepreof the text into English but I retain neurs in earlier books. What is the certain words in Hindi because if I future for entrepreneurs in India? A lot has changed in the past 10 years. translate it, it loses its flavour. I do get Being an entrepreneur is not easy. But complaints from people about Hindi if you have the confidence and the words in my writing but I can’t please everyone. I do provide translations for patience, things do work out. some of the words now. While there have been many books on the famous Mumbai slum Dharavi, If your writing career had not taken yours (Poor Little Rich Slum) was the off, what would you have done professionally? only one to deal exclusively with its I have been a writer for 25 years. I have entrepreneurial culture. What got worked as a freelancer. I have also you interested in it? The idea came from my co-author worked for TV channels. So even if I Deepak Gandhi. He found this whole hadn’t become a fullfledged writer, I entrepreneurial drive within the slum may have at least worked in a magavery interesting. Though many had zine. I would have written for somewritten about Dharavi, we wanted to thing. write a different book. We were surprised to see what goes in the slum. What is your next book going to be People must not just look at it from about? the outside. We wanted to write about I have many ideas in my mind—one of this and tell it to people and we didn’t them is to write about entrepreneurs from small towns. want it to be a depressing book. A lot of IIT/ IIM alumni have turned

SANDRA M FERNANDES

L I S T I NGS

talk|11 apr 2013|talkmag.in

food

performance  Bollywood’s own musical trio: Watch Bollywood music act Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy perform live in the city. The music composers will be the opening act at the Idea Rocks India talent hunt. The talent hunt will see performances from which winners will be chosen. Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy have composed the music for many films like Dil Chahta Hai, Kal Ho Na Ho, My Name Is Khan and more. they have won many awards including the National Award. The trio will choose the best singer at this talent hunt this weekend. Shankar is the lead singer, Ehsaan the guitarist and Loy plays the keyborad. Watch them perform some of their own hits too. NICE Grounds, Near BIEC, Tumkur Road, April 6, 6.30 pm log on to www.buzzintown.com for passes

 Make your own cheesecake: Always had a sweet tooth? Learn to make three different types of cheesecakes like baked cheesecake, blueberry cheesecake and low fat cheesecake and also get some handy tips on baking. Bow Barracks, 618/1, 2nd Main, 1st stage ,Indiranagar, April 7 9844707517

 Unusual combos: The IPL season is back and food and drinks are often a favoured combination. But, who would’ve thought of chocolate? Head to The Chocolate Room and indulge in chocolate creations during the threehour stress filled excitement. Also, screenings aren’t the only thing on offer. Get 50 per cent off

on food and 30 per cent on beverages through the season. The Chocolate Room, St Patricks Complex, 1st Floor Brigade Road 32329191

tricks of baking form experts themselves. Lavonne, #151, 2nd cross, Domlur, 2nd stage, April 6 and 7, 10 am to 4 pm 9740544443

 Sushi mania: Enjoy some authentic sushi at the Sushi Festival. The highlight of the festival will be dishes like silky salmon maki, shake kani maki a crab stick, veg dragon maki which contains crumb fried assorted vegetables and sarada batter maki . Teppan, Japanese Grill and Sushi Bar, Ulsoor Road, Sivanchetti Gardens, till April 7 32569029

 Cool off: This summer season beat the heat with some refreshing cocktails like raw mango and roasted cumin margarita, pineapple and basil daiquiri and kafir lime caiprioshka. The Polo Club Restaurant, The Oberoi, No 39, MG Road, April 10 onwards 25585858

 Pasta time: Learn to make pasta from the scratch. At this cooking demo you will learn to make pasta like ravioli and pasta sauces to complete your meal. The demo is priced at Rs 850 per person. Toscano, 2nd Floor, Whitefield , Vittal Mallya Road, April 10 41738800

 Baisakhi celebrations: Celebrate Baisakhi with your family as you feast

on dishes like murgh mast kalandar, gosht saagwala, jhinga til tikka, bhatti da murg, bharwan paneer tikka, sarson da saag, gosht di tikki, gobi adraki tikki, and rajma rassedar. 24/7, The Lalit Ashok Kumarakrupa Rd, Kumara Park East, Seshadripuram, till April 10 30412940  India at its best: If you love Indian cuisine, then head here to have your share of meat, seafood, veggies and desserts. Le Jardin, The Oberoi, 39 MG Road, Opposite Kids Kemp, April 5 onwards 25585858

 Bake your cake: This weekend, utilise all your baking skills as you take up this workshop. Here you will learn to make banana bread, marble cake, coconut macroon, temper chocolate, truffles, cupcakes and more. Learn the

music

retail

Jekyll and Hyde

out some colourful watches this summer season. Chrono Watch Company offers you a wide range of colours and designs this summer. Some of the colours you can choose from are orange, yellow and red. Available at www.chronowatchcompany. com

 Goan waves in city: Miss Goa flea markets? Then head to the Phoenix Market City this weekend to witness the Goan madness at the Great Goan Flea Fiesta where you will be able to shop, have nice food and listen to some good music. The Front Plaza, Phoenix Market City, Mahadevpura, Whitefield Road, April 6 and 7  Saree madness: Drape yourself in colourful

printed sarees from Bai lou. The collection boasts of muslins, chic line, abir, South Indian textiles and more. You can choose from colours like red, purples, pinks, and orange. Raintree, near, ITC Windsor, 25, Windsor Square, Golf Course Road, April 5 and 6, 10 am to 7 pm 22354396  Add a splash of colour: Leave your monochrome watches at home and try

 Dressed to kill: This summer look your best as Nautica unveils its Spring Summer collection. The collection is designed keeping in mind the adventurous and free spirited season. Both men and women have plenty of options to choose from like t-shirts, shorts, tops, dresses and more. Available at Nautica Stores, Orion Mall, Rajajinagar and Phoenix Market City

 Sound from the garage: Formed in college, Jekyll and Hyde have been a name to reckon with at many college festivals in South India. They have performed for many rock fests like Pub Rock Fest, The Great Indian Octoberfest, Harley Rock Riders and more. bFlat , 100 Feet Road, Above ING Bank, HAL 2nd Stage, Indiranagar, April 6 , 8.30 pm 41739250

 Bells of music: This weekend lend your ears to Jovo Bell as they perform live. The band has Jovo Bell on drums, Floyd Fernandes on guitars, Andres Rotmistrovsky on bass and Karan Joseph on keyboard. Watch them perform some funk. CounterCulture, 2D2 , 4th cross, Dyavasandra Industrial Area, Whitefield, April 5, 9 pm 41400793

 Skin care at its best: Ladies here is another reason for you to smile. Marks and Spencer has opened another store in the city. So, for all your apparel needs grab your bags and head to Koramangala. Marks and Spencer, 3rd Main, Ashwini Layout, Inner Ring Road, Koramangala

 A night of talent: Watch singers and songwriters under one roof this weekend. Sidhanth Shukla from Delhi, will perform some of his original tunes whereas Michael Dias from Mad Orange Fireworks will put his vocal chords to test along with Alexis D' Souza. bFlat , 100 Feet Road, Above ING Bank, HAL 2nd Stage, Indiranagar, April 5, 8.30 pm 41739250

 They are not fat: It's only the band name. Watch All the Fat Children perform live this weekend as they perform some of their original songs. The band has Eben Johnson on guitars and vocals, Vickram Kiran on vocals, Sachin Savio Dane on drums and Naveen Thomas on guitars. Opus, 4, 1st Main, Chakravarthy Layout Palace Cross Road, Sankey Road, April 5 9008303330

L I S T I NGS

talk|11 apr 2013|talkmag.in

theatre

art & workshops Vagina Monologues 6.30 pm 41231340

 Vagina Monologues: As the name suggests, the play is a collection of monologues by activist/ writer Eve Ensler. This hilarious play is inspired by interviews conducted by the writer over time. Directed by Avrina Joslin and it features Arundhati Raja, Rubi Chakravarthy, Rebecca Spurgeon, Akancha Karki, Indira Lakshmi Kaushik, Shraddha Srinath, Kriti Omprakash and others. Jagriti Theatre , Varthur Road, Ramagondanahalli, Whitefield, April 6, 8 pm and April 7, 3 pm and 6.30 pm 41248298  Cops, Tints And Other Things:

From the makers of Sex, Lies and Pokes and Hangover comes another play titled Cops, Tints and Other Things. The play has eight stories that show the good as well as the ugly side of Bangalore. The eight stories are Shootout at WhitefieldBosses Beware, What’s up With Bangalore Women, Tints, Heartbreak Anonymous, Thank You TV9, Shame, Swalpa Adjust Maadi and Bheja Fry Theatre. Alliance Francaise de Bangalore, # 16 GMT Road, Vasanthnagar, April 7,

in cities as a major factor affecting natural harmony in an urban context. He also addresses social issues like conflict between society and nature. Gallery Sumukha, No.24/10, 7th Main, BTS Depot Road, Wilson Garden, till April 11 22292230

 SMS: Short Mixed Stories (SMS) is a collection of eight short plays directed and written by Abhishek Iyengar. The aim of this is to bring an experience of different genres of plays all together on one single stage. You can expect a mix of emotions like joy, laughter, frustration and more. KH Kala Soudha, Hanumanthanagar, Ramanjaneya Temple Compound, April 7, 7.30 pm 42064969  Where There's a Will: The play, the first by playwright Mahesh Dattani is about the patriarchal system that exists in our society. It is about a rich businessman who even after his death tries to control his family through his will. It is directed by Ravi Kumar. Ranga Shankara, #36/2, 8th Cross, 2nd Phase, JP Nagar, April 9 to 11, 7.30 pm 26592777

 Photography workshop: Brush up your photography skills at this two-day workshop where you can hone your photography skills. Capture nature's beauty and life in the city. Ashirvad, St Mark's Road, Opposite SBI Bank, April 6 and 7 9902940474  Learn to paint: Little ones at home with nothing to do? At this ten-day workshop they will be taught the ways to sketch and paint using water colours and will also be given some tips to enhance thier artwork. Government Museum and Venkatappa Art Gallery, Kasturba Road, till April 7 9886394195 for more details log on to www.arthousebengaluru. blogspot.in/  Elements in action:

Showcasing the work of artists like John CF, Kazi Nasir, Avijit Dutta, Ravi Shah and Madhuri Rao, Elements is about the work of these artists on environment. From global warming to natural degradation, their art says it all. Kynkyny Art Gallery, 104 Embassy Square 148 ,Infantry Road, till April 11 40926206

 Fun while you learn: Bored of sitting at home? Then head to this workshop where you can learn many aspects of music, dance, instruments, theatre, shows, anchoring, personality development, play games and be a whiz at the quiz. 1515, 19th cross, Kumaraswamy Layout, for registration call 9341213345

 Urbanesque canvas: Witness the works of Nandesha Shanti Prakash this weekend. His work uses metaphors of human relations

To get your event listed, write to us at listings@talkmag.in

film  Chashme Baddoor Hindi (Remake) A remake of the 1981 comedy starring Farooq Sheikh and Deepti Naval, the film is about three guys who live together in a house in Goa. While Omi and Jai are the happy-golucky guys and the only reason they live in Goa is the women there, Sid on the other hand lives a normal life. The two womanising guys now are after the new girl, Neha. Directed by David Dhawan, it has Ali Zafar, Tapsee Pannu, Sonu Nigam, Rishi Kapoor, Juhi Chawla and Siddharth. Innovative Multiplex- 4.45 pm, 7.15 Rex theatre Brigade Road- 2.15 pm, 7.30 INOX, Swagath Garuda Mall, Jayanagar- 10 am, 4,40 pm, 6.55, 9.30 Goaplan Mall, Sirsi Circle10 am, 5.10 pm, 10  Rise of the Zombie Hindi The film is about Neil, a wildlife photographer who is in love with wildlife but neglects his personal life. As a result of this, his relationship in the real world suffers; his girlfriend walks out on him, he looks for solace in nature not expecting what lies ahead. Directed by Luke

Kenny and Devaki Singh, it stars Luke Kenny, Kirti Kulhari, Ashwin Mushran and Benjamin Gilani in the lead. INOX, Swagath Garuda Mall, Jayanagar- 12.30 pm  Chashme Baddoor Hindi (Re-release) This Hindi classic starring Farooq Sheikh and Deepti Naval in the lead is being restored and re-released to coincide with its David Dhawan remake. This romantic comedy was a blockbuster when it had released in 1981. PVR Cinemas, Forum Mall, Koramangala - 9.20 pm  The Call English When veteran 911 operator Jordan receives a call from a teenage girl who has been kidnapped she realises that she must confront a killer from her past in order to save the girl’s life. Directed by Brad Anderson, the film has Halle Berry, Abigail Breslin and Morris Chestnut. INOX, Garuda Mall, Magrath Road - 10 am, 2.45 pm, 7.45, 10 INOX, Mantri Mall, Malleswaram- 10.15 am, 5.20

Chashme Baddoor

pm, 10.05  Jurassic Park 3D English To mark the 20th anniversary of the film, Universal Pictures is releasing this Steven Spileberg’s master piece in 3D. The movie is about a scientist who genetically brings back dinosuars and wants to create an amusement park. INOX, Swagath Garuda Mall, Jayanagar- 10 am, 6.30 pm Gopalan Mall Sirsi Circle- 2,45 pm  Andar Bahar Kannada The film stars Shivaraj Kumar and Parvathi Menon in the lead along with Arundathi Nag, Shashikumar and Chaswa. It is directed by Phaneesh S Ramanathapura and the music has been composed

by Vijay Prakash. Prasanna theatre, Magadi Road- 10.15 am, 1.15 pm, 4.15, 7.15 Santosh-10.30 am, 1.30 pm , 4.30, 7.30, Navarang- 10.30am, 1.30 pm , 4.30, 7.30 Uma10.30am, 1.30 pm, 4.30, 7.30  Settai Tamil The film is a remake of the Bollywood hit Delhi Belly, starring Imran Khan. Directed by R Kannan, Settai has Arya, Anjali, Santhanam, Hansika, Premji Amaren and Nassar in the lead. Innovative Multiplex, Marathahalli- 10 pm Rex theatre- 12 pm INOX, Swagath Garuda Mall, Jayanagar- 9.40 pm Rockline cinemas, Jalahalli10.40 am, 4.30 pm, 6.50, 9.30 Lakshmi theatre- 10 am, 1 pm

Andar Bahar

memoir

Judge who jailed a ‘casual’ policeman Justice K Ramachandraiah, known for his discipline and integrity, is livid when he finds a corrupt sub-inspector repeatedly ignoring court summons would like to tell you about Justice K Ramachandraiah, who inspired not just me but a whole generation of young lawyers. Honest to the core, KR, as he was fondly called, retired as a sessions judge. After his retirement, he was appointed a High Court judge. To my knowledge, he was the first retired sessions judge in the history of the Karnataka judiciary to be appointed a High Court judge. Although he was not goodlooking, Ramachandraiah dressed immaculately. He did not tolerate indiscipline. Even a minor discrepancy in the uniform of lawyers would draw his attention and earn an admonishment. Whenever he found senior lawyers napping in the court hall, he would chide them, “This is not your bedroom. If you want to sleep, go home. You are not required for every small thing. Let your juniors learn.” Junior lawyers liked KR a lot. He was so encouraging that many times, he would grant relief to defendants if they were represented by a young lawyer. That way, seniors were forced

VIVEK ARUN

to give their juniors centre-stage. KR was accused of negligent driving would joke with the seniors: “If you and causing the death of a man. come, you can be sure your clients KR was hearing the case. The driwill be punished. If your juniors ver thought he would win him appear instead, I will give them over by dropping him at his door. But to his shock, KR got out of the relief.” The court hall was vibrant when case the very next day. He even KR sat on the bench. People felt jus- explained in his recusal request how tice in the air. Not just junior lawyers the driver had tried to please him. That was a talking point among like me, but clients also felt that way. One of my clients once said, junior lawyers for a long time. Their “Whenever I stand before this judge, regard for him went up several notches. I feel I will get justice.” In another case, a rich man Even as he encouraged young lawyers, KR was strict with police- called Muniraju drove his car rashly and killed a girl. The victim was the men and prosecutors. KR hailed from a small village in daughter of Chunnilal, a rich textile Koratagere in Tumkur district. He merchant. As both were rich, money could not bring used to visit the vilabout a comprolage during the The judge asked, mise. vacations and The case was return to his ‘Why didn’t you registered at the Rajajinagar house in handcuff Peenya police staBangalore. inspector Hamid? tion, and subThat day, as he inspector Hamid was returning home, the bus took a deviation from Khan was the investigating officer. the usual route. KR thought it was Minuraju had bribed Hamid Khan, Khan evaded court. because the road was blocked for and repair or some public event. He was Subsequently, Hamid Khan was proastonished when the bus stopped at moted as circle inspector, and transhis door, and the driver jumped out, ferred to Chitradurga. KR noticed Hamid Khan’s saluted him and said, “Sir, I knew your address. So I drove straight to repeated absence and surmised his your house.” KR was so embarrassed intentions. He issued a warrant he flounced out of the bus, and did not turn back even to catch his copassengers’ reactions. A case was pending against the driver in court. He

crime folio

talk|11 apr 2013|talkmag.in

Fabled ranconteur and Bangalore’s top-notch criminal lawyer brings you moving, sensational and bizarre stories from 40 years of his practice

CH HANUMANTHARAYA

against him. The policeman ignored the warrant, too. KR asked Chennigappa, the prosecutor, “Is Hamid Khan still in service?” Chenigappa said he was. KR was livid, but didn’t show it. This time, KR sent the warrant straight to the superintendent of police (SP) of Chitradurga district and directed him to arrest Hamid Khan and produce him before the court. Hamid Khan finally appeared in court. He was casual. KR asked him, “Where is your SP? Who arrested you and brought your here?” Caught off-guard, Hamid Khan mumbled, “Sir, I was arrested by a sub-inspector, and he is standing outside.” KR summoned the sub-inspector and asked him, “Why didn’t you handcuff Hamid Khan? Don’t you know he is under arrest?” A shivering sub-inspector said, “Sir, he is my senior. How can I….” “No excuses. Take him out, and present him before the court like any arrested offender.” The case was re-called late in the evening, at 5.30 pm. The subinspector presented a handcuffed Hamid Khan in the dock. KR said, “The court’s time is over for the day. Hamid Khan is remanded to judicial custody till the next hearing date. His behaviour with the court was not proper. The court suspects he might go absconding. Let him remain in jail.” Everyone in court was stunned. A dejected Hamid Khan was herded into the police van, which took him, with other offenders, to jail. My senior lawyer Devadas represented Muniraju, and I attended the case. This was a rare instance where an investigator got a jail term for being partisan in handling a case. (Translated by BV Shivashankar)

Letters column on Page 31 this week

talk|11 apr 2013|talkmag.in

When it's OK, it's alright

OK SAVIE KARNEL savie.karnel@talkmag.in

he most popular and commonly used abbreviation in the world is perhaps OK. It has been around much before SMS (Short Messaging Service) or OMG (Oh My God). Many older people may not know the meaning of the new abbreviations, but they certainly know what OK means. Irrespective of countries, languages or W education, OK is now wellknown. The origin of the term is very similar to the origin of modern abbreviated terms in the electronic world. Internet chat rooms and text messages on mobile phones gave rise to LOL (Laugh Out Loud). Inventing new terms like this, and using them in The Talk general conversation, column on has become a fad.

Some have survived, and some have been forgotten. In 1838, newspapers in Boston had got into a similar fad of using abbreviations. They came up with OFM (Our First Men), NG (No Go), SP (Small Potatoes) and GTDHD (Give the devil his due.) They would also occasionally adapt the voice of an uneducated person in their writings. When they did so, they deliberately misspelled words. They would also abbreviate the misspelled words. They started with OW for Oll Wright (all right), KG for Know Go (No Go) and KY for Know Yuse (No use). The next year, on March 23, 1839 the Boston Morning Post first used OK on the second page. It was an abbreviation for All Correct, deliberately misspelled as Oll Korrect. Here is the passage where it was first used: He of the Journal...would have the "contribution box," et ceteras, o.k.â&#x20AC;&#x201D;all correctâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and cause the corks to fly, like sparks, upward. The newspaper used OK again three days later. It used it a third time on April 10. In a couple of months, OK had spread to publications in other American cities.

K E Y

O R D S

word origins

HORN OK PLEASE Of all the words in the English language, OK is perhaps the most popular

For many years people wondered about the origin of OK. The mystery was solved only in 1963, by Dr Allen Walker Read of Columbia University. He wrote about it in American Speech, a quarterly academic journal of the American Dialect Society. Over time, all the abbreviations invented by the newspapers faded into

oblivion. But OK survived. This could be because OK was lucky to be used in a US presidential campaign in 1840. The Democrats in New York formed OK Club to support the re-election of President Martin Van Buren. Here, OK was short for Van Buren's nick name Old Kinderhook. Van Buren lost the elections, but his campaign led to the popularity of OK. Around the same time, there was also a false tale that a former US president couldn't spell properly and would mark documents with OK, as all correct. This tale too led to the popularity of OK. Within a few years, people used OK on documents which were cleared. In 1919, US President Woodrow Wilson marked okeh on documents he approved. His usage lent prestige to the term. A decade later in 1929, OK was spelt as Okay. This spelling has stuck around. When Greek immigrants to the US returned to Greece in the early 20th century, they were called Okay-boys. In 1932, students began using the slang Okey-dokey, which is used even now. We also use Okie. We in India have given it a desi touch with the invention of Horn OK Please!

talk|11 apr 2013|talkmag.in

The mysteries of karma Change your destiny by learning to tell the difference between pure and impure energies, says Sensei Avinash Subramanyam arma is the chain of action and reaction that drives the cycle of life in this birth and the next. Karma is ultimately neither good or bad, because our life is only a consequence of earlier actions. However, performing good deeds through self-awareness and practice can help you get out of the cycle of karma and hence rebirth. This deliverance is known as moksha or salvation. Bad deeds— pain caused to man, animal and nature generate further karma. Humans also accumulate karma indirectly, though to a smaller extent, by, say, killing ants or destroying plants. Even negative thought, intent and speech creates karma. Thoughts of lust, hate, jealousy, and greed may be intangible. But don’t they make one cause harm or even kill? They create karma not only for yourself but for others as well. If a man sleeps with a girl he lusts after, he passes on negative energy to her. This can even result in her not relating to the right man or in passing on the negativity to him. If a wife thinks negatively of her husband, his life can take a turn towards financial loss, illness and death. So be careful about your thoughts, and be careful when you enter into relationships. Being rash and impulsive can create karma too. I can drive very fast but safely. I drive fast only for a purpose, and never to appease my ego or compete with someone. Sometimes my students mimic me on the roads. I ask them, “Aren’t you putting your co-passengers at risk? If you suffer an accident, what will happen to your family?” Even seemingly harmless (but thoughtless) actions can cause great damage. In my younger days, a student-friend was interested in a girl. I was a notorious practical joker. I asked this girl to text him “Hi sweetie pie” just for fun. He went completely crazy after that. This ardent student who would listen to my every word with reverence barked at me to “shut up” because he felt I interrupted a conversation between the two. Since the girl was not interested and he wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer, their friendship came to a bitter end. I can never forgive myself for the damage I caused in their lives. A single line of text broke a friendship and a sacred sensei-student relationship.

WHEEL OF KARMA A Tibetan Buddhist painting depicting the karmic chain

Karma is the mysterious chain of events that an action triggers. But it is never just you. Karma may not let you have a beautiful life. Why else would a girl from an aristocratic family (like in Saheb Biwi aur Gangster) get into a relationship with a small-time crook? It is her karma that she finds beauty in him, falls in love with him and destroys her own life. How to get out of the karmic cycle? Start living a clean life. Burn your past and the cleansing process starts. Push away any thought or action that smacks of your past. Cleanse karma like water washes away dirt. Once clean, you will know the difference between pure and impure energies. It’s like a hygienic person who can spot dirt anywhere. Since energy is what constitutes life, be aware all the time what you emanate and absorb. Words and body language transfer energy. When this friend said, “Hi sweetie pie,” it transferred energy to my student-friend. This is not about being stiff or prudish. Build a protective shield around you. (See Talk Issue 31, dated March

Way of Budo 27

14, 2013) How to build the shield? Say you married someone for her beauty. It is likely that when a ‘more beautiful’ girl passes by tomorrow, you’ll look at her. After a year, you’ll get bored with your wife because your energy makes you stray. What should you do? Realise that what you have is extraordinarily beautiful. Only when you ‘acknowledge’ another woman will you find your wife boring. When you don’t acknowledge her, you will not absorb her energy. You will avoid karma. You will save your love and your marriage. Your destiny will change. Most important, you need to believe you can change karma. If you think you are rich even when you are poor, you’ll become rich. If you keep whining when you are rich, you will become poor. Believe right. But at the same time, be aware that karma will also not let you believe easily. For this you need training. For those sceptical about karma—this is my experience from living through unimaginable ups and downs. I know what course karma had charted for me, and how internal and spiritual training changed that course. Next week: Change karma through spiritual training or just love

T I M E P A SS

talk|11 apr 2013|talkmag.in

talk the intelligent bangaloreanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s must-read weekly

How do advertisers talk to Bangaloreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most intelligent readers? They call these numbers Abhay 95388 92618 Mithun 98864 69787

T I M E P A SS 1st Cross

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Talk’s weekly crossword for Bangaloreans who know their way about town 16 Chief Election Officer for Karnataka Anil ___ ___ (5,3) 18 Chandrasekhar Kambar's new play based on Macbeth (5,5) 19 A student from West Bengal was fleeced by touts who promised her admission in a medical college in _____ (11) DOWN 1 The use of these vehicles is being closely monitored by the Election Commission (11) 2 The High Court directed the BDA to compensate a woman for usurping her

Last week’s solution Across: 2 Eric Schmidt, 5 Trees, 7 Panacea, 8 Rex, 10 Sankey, 12 Charcoal, 16 Nool puttu, 17 Rajajinagar, 18 E-Yantra, 19 Attahasa.

ACROSS 4 Park where engineering students recently staged a protest against HCL (7) 5 Beach near Mangalore (8) 6 BBMP is in hot water after failing to deposit this (9,4) 7 He recently became the first Indian scientist to be inducted into

the Satellite Hall of Fame (1,1,3) A fake bomb recently created panic in this area (11) 11 Famous DJ who performed in the city last weekend (6) 13 ___ Temple road was in the news recently when a stalker stabbed a 14-year-old in the neck (4) 14 Director of Veera (10) 8

Down: 1 Earth Hour, 3 CounterCulture, 4 Dubare, 6 SMGH Jain, 9 Prahlad Joshi, 11 Jayanagar, 13 Abdul Kalam, 14 Thirteen, 15 Varthur.

3 9 10 12 15 17

site in ____ layout (7) Her basilica is located in Shivajinagar (4) M P _____ :Former excise minister who recently moved to the KJP (12) ____ Cinemas: Multiplex at Jalahalli Cross (8) ___ 5: Pub frequented by jazz musicians and listeners (4) Our city is located in this plateau (6) A woman passenger can now complain if a man denies her a ___ on a BMTC bus (4)

Prof Good Sense  I have a 16-year-old daughter. She has just returned from boarding school last week after her exams. I find her very different now. She is sullen and argues every time I tell her to do something. She refuses to listen to me. She sees me as her enemy. Mrs JN, Whitefield Perhaps she is bitter about being kept away from you during her formative years. Did you send her to boarding school against her wish? It could be that she has had a bad experience in school and wants to share it with you, but doesn't know how. Talk to her. Be a friend to her first and then a mother. There seems to be a gap between you and her. You have to bridge that gap and friendship can help you do that. Best of luck. Prof M Sreedhara Murthy teaches psychology at NMKRV First Grade College. He is also a well-known photographer. Mail queries to prof@talkmag.in

talk|11 apr 2013|talkmag.in

Who will bell Tehran’s rats? The hardy Iranians—who have pooh-poohed threats of airstrikes by the Israelis—are fighting a losing battle against a homegrown enemy: rats. Some of them, weighing as much as 5 kg each, are holding Tehran to ransom. The government has now deployed a team of snipers, armed with rifles fitted with infra-red sensors, who prowl the streets hunting rats. The common black rat can indeed grow big, and in Europe during the Middle Ages, was large enough to carry off

babies. Ismail Kahram of Tehran city council told the press that the rats seem to have had a genetic mutation, probably as a result of the chemicals used on them. “They are now bigger and look different. These are changes that normally take millions of years of evolution. They have jumped from 60 grams to five kilos, and cats are now smaller than them,” Kahram was quoted as saying. Time for a fatwa

Fooled ya, folks against rats, we think. Ayatollah, you listening?

The case of the psychotropic toads

If the Iranians have a rat problem, the Germans have a toad problem—of a very different kind. German teens

are increasingly getting high by, hold your breath, licking toads. Or so says an article in the country’s top magazine Der Spiegel, quoting Willi Stier, a police officer from Mannheim. “Toad-licking, that’s the latest thing,” says Stier, referring to a species of South American toad that can be ordered online. The toad has glands that secrete a psychoactive substance when squeezed. According to Stier, young people pass the animals around at parties like

joints. Psychotropic toads being used at parties have always been dismissed as an urban legend, but Stier says it’s for real. It is fairly well-known that hardcore drug addicts, including in India, get themselves bitten by snakes to get high. But since teen parties are all about having a bit of fun and some laughs, rather than getting seriously high, we guess a lickable toad would do just fine. It might even turn into a prince or princess.

You heard about Google’s big April Fools’ joke didn’t you? The search giant announced that it was shutting down its YouTube service, even announcing that it was reviewing all the videos on the website to find the best one, which would win a big prize. They even shot a video showing senior employees reminiscing about YouTube and arguing over the best video. Turned out it was Google’s idea of an April Fool joke. And it’s not just them, corporate giants like Sony, BMW, Procter & Gamble all want a share of the Fools Day action. P&G’s mouthwash brand Scope offered a new

“bacon” flavour promising “breath that sizzles.” BMW announced in the UK that to complement the impending arrival of a royal baby, it was launching the PRAM-the Postnatal Royal Auto Mobile (see pic). Ha ha, what a funny, earthy, folksy lot our corporate behemoths are. Now that the suits have taken over another folk tradition and turned it into a marketing campaign, the joke is on the rest of us. We have a request though: given that they fool us all year round, would they be kind enough to let us fool each other in peace for at least one day?