Talk jul 18 2013 by Suhas Shankarappa

talk Volume 1 | Issue 49 | July 18, 2013 | Rs 10

magazine

the intelligent bangalorean’s must-read weekly

SUPERCOMPS Bangalore leads the nation 10 MUSIC The rightist loudness of metal 16

RAMESH HUNSUR

BOOKS A poet’s memoir that will make you laugh and cry 20

FIGHTER TRADITION The Kayangadi Papanna clinics employ massage techniques handed down by a wrestler five generations ago

HIDDEN HEALERS

In an age of superspeciality hospitals, many Bangaloreans— including some rich and famous —are flocking to native healers. Three eye-opening profiles by BASU MEGALKERI 12-15

around town

talk|18 jul 2013|talkmag.in

RAMESH HUNSUR

Lock your faith here This is a good time to visit one of Karnataka’s oldest Sufi shrines, located in the heart of Bangalore

PRACHI SIBAL prachi.sibal@talkmag.in

he monsoon showers have left the narrow bylanes full of puddles, but they haven’t drenched the festive spirit. Many Hindu and Muslim visitors are walking into the dargah, with prayers for good health, marriage and professional goals. “This is oldest dargah in Karnataka. Caste and religion don’t count. Anybody with a wish can come here and pray,” says Naseer Ahmed, who officiates inside the shrine.

THE LEGEND The dargah houses the mausoleum of Sufi saint Tawakkal Mastan, believed to have come to Bangalore as a labourer to build a fort for Hyder Ali

During Ramzan, between 500 and 1,000 people visit the shrine every day. Those coming from out of town are offered sehri (meal eaten before dawn during Ramazan). Other visitors are offered iftaar (meal after sunset) in the evenings. And it’s all free. Many of those visiting the shrine bring locks they hang on a railing inside. Naseer Ahmed explains, “It is a belief that when you attach a metal lock to the railing, your prayers are answered”. Shops selling tea, sweets and shawls (to be offered to the dargah) are all ready for the festival crowd. In addition to the regular stalls, 50 temporary ones are erected to serve traditional festival favourites. At the nearby New Savera Tea House, business nearly doubles during the Ramzan season, and the narrow lane becomes even harder to navigate. Business thrives. A shop that prepares 20 kg of samosa on regu-

Celebs at the dargah

 Actor Amitabh Bachchan

is said to have made a trip to the dargah after an near-fatal accident on the sets of his 1983 film Coolie.  Music maestro AR

Rahman is known to visit the dargah regularly  Late Kannada film actor

Rajkumar also used to visit the dargah lar days prepares 40-50 kg during Ramzan. Stalls serving kebabs spring up during the season. The dargah holds significance for Hindus and Muslims alike. Many people go there when children are sick. During Ramzan though, the dargah is full of men who go there to break their fast with the iftaar. Muslim women are few: they stay indoors. Two buildings enclose the dargah. One is open only to men during prayer time, and the other allows people of all faiths. At least 500 people break their fast together, but the number dwindles to half if it rains. On rainy days, the dargah officials don’t serve fruit, which tends to spoil quickly. (With inputs from Sandra M Fernandes)

editor talk Just ahead of our first anniversary, we are turning into a monthly (see note on facing page). Why? Many reasons. A compelling one is that our online edition is racing ahead, and we need to put in more efforts to make it better. In our last edition in a weekly avatar, we bring you the story of Bangalore's folk healers. Old Bangalore hides many secrets. Its folk and local healers remain unknown to many. Basu Megalkeri and senior photographer Ramesh Hunsur went to the clinics of several of them. They spoke to the native doctors and their patients, and came back with interesting observations about this underground medical culture. To Basu's surprise, healers beseeched him not to write about them (that's rare in this PR age). But why not? Their answer: they only have so much time, they are already overworked, and any extra work means their families see even less of them. Local healers don't possess formal medical certificates. Yet, they are able to inspire confidence in a legion of patients. Their success rate is definitely not 100 per cent, but for many, they deliver satisfactory care. Kayangadi Papanna's clinic, which treats aches, sprains and fractures with oils and massages, is fading away from the memory of Bangaloreans even in the southern, more ‘rooted’ neighbourhoods of Basavangudi and Jayanagar. Shivanna, who works from his clinic near Nelamangala, is a folk doctor, and shows none of the sophistication of the city slickers. His patients include many VIPs. Read about Bangalore’s nearly hidden folk healers in our cover feature. For a special Ramzan story, Prachi Sibal and Sandra Fernandes went to a Sufi shrine with a history that dates back to the time of Hyder Ali (18th century). You might also like the book excerpt we publish this week, describing the life and times of Siddalingaiah, poet and unapologetic prankster. Happy reading!

SR Ramakrishna ram@talkmag.in

talk|18 jul 2013|talkmag.in

RAMESH HUNSUR

Healing and harmony Suresh Moona, an expert on Karnataka’s historical monuments, says the Tawakkal dargah remains a centre of harmony because of a respectful gesture 200 years ago would focus on two aspects regarding the Hazarath Tawakkal Mastan Vali Dargah. To begin with, it has remained a classic example of communal harmony in Bangalore Suresh Moona for the last two centuries. Hazarath Tawakkal Mastan Vali was a Sufi saint who lived in the fort area. The Karaga festival, one of Bangalore’s oldest Hindu religious festivals, was very well known even at that time. As a part of this

BRUSH WITH FAITH The dargah has traditional healers patronised by people of all religions

festival, the Karaga holder goes to various temples and offers puja. The story goes that once, as the Karaga was passing by, Tawakkal and his followers offered flowers to the Karaga, as was the custom. This saint demonstrated that he gave as much respect to the Karaga as the Hindus devotees did. His followers then made it a custom to pay respects to the Karaga, a practice which continues to this day. On the night of the Karaga, the

Karaga holder continues to visit the dargah just as his predecessors did more than 200 years ago. The second aspect that I would like to highlight is the fabled healing powers of Tawakkal Mastan Sahab, which used to draw people of all faiths and creeds. This practice of healing continues even today, kept alive by Sufi hakims. On a regular day, you can see many Hindus, especially women, going to the shrine to offer prayers

and for healing and medicines. There are many other places of worship in the city where people of all faiths are welcome. For instance, at the St Mary’s Basilica in Shivajinagar or the Infant Jesus Church in Viveknagar, you see people from other faiths. This is typical of Bangalore’s culture, where people do not worry about the place but just gather in harmony. (As told to Sandra M Fernandes)

meter down

talk|18 jul 2013|talkmag.in

RAMESH HUNSUR

RIGHTS FIGHT File picture of cab drivers staging a protest rally

One in five taxis is idle because drivers aren’t easy to come by. An old rule now being enforced is leaving both drivers and cab operators in difficulty

Where have all the drivers gone? MARIA LAVEENA maria.laveena@talkmag.in

angalore, inching close to Delhi in vehicle density, is facing a dire shortage of drivers. This has forced taxi operators to pay more to drivers. Salaries have gone up from Rs 6,000 a month to Rs 12,000. Radhakrishna Holla, general secretary, Bangalore Tourist Taxi and Owner’s Association blames it on the central government. “The 1988 Motor Vehicle Act says drivers should have a minimum qualification to be eligible for a badge, and many of our drivers don’t have the qualification. Earlier, the authorities used to be lenient with the badges, but now they have taken it seriously,” he says. One in five commercial vehicles (taxis) isn’t plying because of this new norm. Bangalore has 80,000 commercial vehicles, owned by 500 travel agencies. Tour operators are finding it difficult to pay their loan installments, says Holla, and the business is in crisis. Drivers in Bangalore come from the outlying parts—Ramanagara, Mandya, Nelamangala, and Hoskote. They typically hail from agricultural families, or families plying small trades, and are not too keen on edu-

only by those without much educacation. Many drivers have lost their jobs tion. Sometimes people earn more as and returned to their villages. An drivers than at desk-bound jobs,” he eighth standard pass makes a driver says. On average, a driver can earn up eligible for a badge. The badge is given along with the licence. Ramesh to Rs 15,000 a month, but earning can Babu of Ramesh Tours and Travels go up to Rs 25,000 if he works for an answers, “We can claim insurance in MNC, and Rs 30,000 a month if he’s case of an accident only if the driver driving his own vehicle. Drivers like has a badge.” Only drivers with the Nagesh HR, who works for a leading cab operator, doesn’t have a badge till qualification remain in their jobs. On the one hand, the owners are date. “If we had studied so much, why forced to pay more to retain drivers, will we come into this profession? and on the other, hundreds are being Won’t we find a good job in some correndered unemployed. As much as porate office?” asks Nagesh. The shortage has hit even prothe owners want to employ drivers without a badge, they’re worried fessionals who hire personal drivers N Sekar, vice president of Jagran about the insurance aspect. An Innova accident last year Publications, has always had problems retaining his drisounded the alarm vers. His last driver quit bells for operators. A cabbie who a year back and he was“A driver had n’t able to find a dropped a passendrives his own replacement for 10 ger to the airport. vehicle makes months. “It’s so difficult On his way back, up to Rs 30,000 to find a good driver. he picked up a Since I move around a couple and a child. The taxi met with a terrible accident, lot, it was very difficult for me to park and the child died. The couple sur- my car,” he says. Sekar pays his new driver Rs vived in injuries. The company couldn’t claim any money as the driver did- 12,000 a month. Alok Kumar Nathur, n’t have a badge. It had to pay up Rs 5 country head (operations) for Super Saver Services, has had four drivers in lakh,” Holla recalls. Ramesh Babu hasn’t sent away just one year. He says, “They don’t drivers without badges, though. stay however much we pay. It is really “Educated people would want fancy difficult.” He pays Rs 10,000 a month jobs, and a driver’s job is taken up plus tips.

Taxi operators have requested the government to relax the rule for two years. “I met Ramalinga Reddy, the transport minister and made a request. Not just taxi drivers, but even BMTC drivers, are in trouble as the law applies for all the commercial vehicles,” he told Talk.

Cab services 1. Jana Vahana Service Castle Street, 49177919/ 991602241 2. Jeeva and Co Vidyanarayanapura, 66816828/ 23458799 3. Lucky Driver Services Marathahalli, 66536603/ 9945118605 4. Four Wheel Driver Service Kanakapura, 49150460/ 32328833 5. CSCD Services Pvt Ltd Ramamurthynagar, 32322121/ 7795913777 6. Fast Drivers Services St Thomas Town, 49156973/ 9535540603

Freelance drivers 1. Jana Vahana services Castle Street, 49177919/ 991602241 2. Smart Drivers Sanjaynagar, 9448880524

bazaar blues

talk|18 jul 2013|talkmag.in

The changing face (and fortunes) of the Malleswaram market

RAMESH HUNSUR

It is one among Bangalore’s traditional fruit and vegetable bazaars that may soon perish to make way for a mall. Opinion is divided over its preservation

PRASHANTH GN prashanth.gn@talkmag.in

angalore’s market spaces are witnessing a battle between tradition and modernity. While it’s too early to declare a sole winner, modernity has a definite edge. The modern commercial complexes and malls that are fast replacing traditional vegetable and flower markets all over the city are a case in point. Over the years, area after area has seen these battles and most times, it is the traditional markets that fall. Now, is the High Court sounding the death knell for the Malleswaram traditional market by backing the Government agencies’ BBMP and Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) modernity drive? According to varied accounts, the Malleswaram market on Sampige Road, opposite the Kaadu Malleswara temple is between 30 and 50 years old, and houses between 200 to 250 vegetable and flower vendors. The market is spread over roughly two acres of land. According to MLA Dr Ashwath Narayana, for the past 10 years, the city corporation has been trying to realise the true commercial value of the land by planning a commercial complex. The vendors, on their part, have been resisting this move, for fear of losing business. After all, who would want to come into a complex to buy vegetables, they argue. But just last week, in a boost to the city corporation’s campaign, the High Court decreed that work on the commercial project could commence once the vendors were rehabilitated. The corporation has its own arguments in favour of the commercial project. It contends that each vegetable vendor here pays a mere Rs 150

TIME UP? The Malleswaram market, houses nearly 250 vendors, mostly selling flowers, fruits and vegetables

as rent per month while rents from ket. Shivaram, a Malleswaram resicommercial set ups like shops can dent, who has taken up the cause of fetch ten times the amount at current the vendors, told Talk, “The city cormarket rates. An official, who did not poration says vendors pay only a rent want to be named, said, “How fair is it of Rs 150 per month. But doesn’t it to collect just Rs 150 per shop, per have the right to charge market rates month on two acres in the heart of from them? Why is the corporation the city, when it can generate crores? not exercising its right? They can As the city corporation we are man- improve the structure, fix leakages, dated to utilise land in such a way as set right wiring, improve roofing and to realise its true market potential. tidy up the place to ensure that venWe have given away public land to a dors remain. This is a traditional market that has existed for nearly 30 to 50 few vendors at throwaway prices.” years. Can’t we preThe corporaserve the few local tion official argues ‘We already spaces we have in the that the vendors will city?” not be forgotten. have two malls Shivaram alleges The commercial in the area. that the real concern property that will Why another?’ “for some people” is come up on the land not the commercial will have a floor dedicated to them. “Vendors can be part complex itself, but the financial gains of the complex when ready, provided that come out of it. “I am told the they follow certain regulations. Until contract may be given to the relative the complex is built, they will be of a tainted contractor in the city. As given an alternative place to conduct BBMP and BDA are cash-strapped, they will naturally hand the land over their business.” The vendors on their part have to a contractor to build the complex submitted a memorandum to chief and then try to fork rent out of it. minister Siddaramaiah, through What part of this will be official and political leader, and former ACP BK unofficial is anybody’s guess. Who is Shivaram, seeking his intervention to to know what part will be paid off as stop the demolition of the old mar- commission to officials and politi-

cians by the contractor? In the end, the whole project will end up being profitable for the contractor and a few bureaucrats and politicians.” A senior BDA official who did not want to be named rubbished the allegations, “The BDA issued a tender, and after competitive bids one agency has emerged the winner. Only after a legal and transparent process have we appointed a contractor to begin work.” The policeman-turned-politician also alleges that while the BDA does not even have enough money to pay salaries to its staff, the fact is it has no revenue-generating work. “Won’t it therefore be convenient to start off projects that will bring in some money for it to survive? Such projects justify their existence. What money will be passed on as commission, we don’t know. My theory is that such commercial projects are meant to keep the BDA afloat which otherwise has no work in the city.” The BDA official, who did not want to be named, argued back, “BDA is in no financial crisis. The staff gets their salaries. It is a figment of imagination to state we have no work or money, and that we are creating work to justify ourselves.”

talk|18 jul 2013|talkmag.in

Meanwhile residents are rallying around to preserve Malleshwaram’s traditions. Residents around Eighth Cross Malleswaram have formed the Kaadu Malleswara Devasthana Geleyara Sangha (Kaadu Malleswara Temple Friends Association) and frequently organise cultural programmes at the temple located opposite the market. “We are desperately trying to keep the old traditions of Malleswaram alive. The market is part of this cultural ecosystem,” says Shivaram. Meenakshi Bharath, a civic activist, echoes Shivaram’s sentiment. “Malleswaram’s traditional spaces are disappearing one by one. We already have two malls—the Orion and the Mantri. Do we need another one? A city like London has preserved its old market areas that host music programmes with people gathering in the evenings over music and tea. When London is preserving its heritage, why can’t Bangalore do the same with its traditional markets? An architect could have been invited to design the market to make it come alive culturally while allowing the economic activity of the vendors. When the whole of Europe is concerned about heritage preservation despite being modern, why is Bangalore systematically destroying its tradition?”

HALF EMPTY The back of the market is vacant as traders fear they will get no customers there

MLA Ashwath Narayana is dismissive of heritage claims. “I can understand heritage concerns if the market was hundreds of years old. How can a structure that is leaking, that has no clean space, that has no proper basic amenities and that is not even occupied entirely, be called heritage space? Vendors don’t want to sit at the back of the market because people don’t come in so far to make their purchases. What is to be done with the space then? Is it not a waste of space and commercial value?” In addition, the MLA says, “We are building a car park area and floors with

shops. One floor will be given to the vendors. It will be cleaner, have electricity, better toilets. What objection can they have to this? Sampige road, he points out is packed with cars. “If we can get the cars parked inside, won’t it be a relief for vehicle users? Won’t the roads be free? When we put forward this argument, people say we’re trying to favour a contractor or we’re trying to make money.” He says he is open to exploring alternative options if they indeed exist. “Malleshwaram already has two malls, and we understand that there is no need for

another one. We have specifically suggested a car park to ease traffic congestion. People think a commercial complex means a mall.” But Shivaram draws attention to the KR Market complex and Jayanagar complex. “The KR Market complex is ugly, dirty and inconvenient. Vendors there have found people don’t come into the complex to buy anything. The Jayanagar complex, though occupied, has too many problems—from roofing, electricity, to water issues. Fortunately, the plan for a complex at KR Puram has been dropped owing to public pressure, but the traditional market at Seshadripuram has been destroyed. Only some markets in Cottonpet area have survived, but we don’t know for how long.” The High Court has in some sense brought an end to this debate by ordering the construction of the commercial complex only after the rehabilitation of the vendors. Transition can be disruptive and it is only natural that vendors feel anxious about this change from tradition to modernity. Even as they continue to sell their wares on the streets of Malleswaram, they are keeping their fingers crossed about their future. As for the BDA, only time will tell if their modern market project is a ruse to justify their existence.

hoardings scam

talk|18 jul 2013|talkmag.in

RAMESH HUNSUR

FREE RIDE? BBMP has collected only 10 per cent of the revenue due from hoardings

Ad space in our city is free for all Revenue from hoardings can generate at least Rs 198 crore a year. Though reeling under a debt of more than Rs 3,000 crore, the BBMP does little to collect this amount, or even act against agencies displaying hoarding illegally

BASU MEGALKERI basavaraju@talkmag.in

he BBMP in its 2012-13 budget statement had estimated revenue of Rs 198 crore from rentals for hoardings across the city. But an assessment of the inflow as of March 2013 reveals that the municipal body has been able to garner only a fraction of the amount, a mere Rs 20 crore. BBMP Leader of the Opposition MK Gunashekar had on June 16 writ-

ten to the BBMP Commissioner asking for immediate action to remove about 1,000 illegal advertisement hoardings. In a council meeting, Gunashekar pointed out: “Agencies seek permission to put up a specific number of hoardings. However, numerous additional ones are put up illegally because of which the BBMP is losing revenue. It needs to immediately remove these hoardings and furnish a list of authorised hoardings, and the revenue generated.” The BBMP has two main sources of revenue—property tax and advertisement tax, fees and rentals.

Middle-class citizens have consistent- under a grey area—there is ambiguity ly been paying property tax, which about whether boards can be placed translates into a steady source of rev- or not. The BBMP deputy commissionenue. The BBMP’s revenue stream is being dented because of evasion by er’s office is entrusted with monitorsome among the ultra rich. In addi- ing advertisement revenue and space. tion, its Akrama-Sakrama (illegal It has to ensure that agencies pay rent building regularisation) scheme is in time, and scrutinising that licenses caught in red tape, and revenue has are not used beyond May 31 of every not been coming in steadily over the year. It has failed on all the above counts. years. There has been only the occaRevenue comes from space allotted for hoardings on the proper- sional blacklisting—the BBMP blackties of the BBMP, the railways and the listed the ODM Media Services adverpolice department. The BBMP’s web- tising agency for not remitting over site lists 5,000 boards on its proper- Rs 1.5 crore in revenue after having ties, 199 on railway properties and 18 used public spaces for advertising. on police department properties in Jagadeesh Advertising Agency owes the city. Despite these large numbers, the BBMP over Rs 2 crore. Yet, no action has been taken the revenue from against the agency so these sources is poor ‘Defaulting ad far. and slack. agencies have A Congress corThe area under porator who wishes the agency is divided corporators to remain anonyinto A, B and C backing them’ mous alleges that the regions. Region A BBMP has failed to comprising Raj Bhavan, Vidhana Soudha and High collect almost Rs 15 crore from the Court are closed to advertisement 199 boards placed on a railway prophoardings, while region B comprising erty that comes under the BBMP. Advertisement revenue from bus MG Road, Brigade Road, Commercial Street, Rajajinagar, Basavangudi and stands too has failed to come in. After Jayanagar are allowed to display having bagged orders to build 48 bus them. Region C, comprising new stands where they could display areas of Bangalore after villages were advertisement boards, contractors incorporated into the BBMP, falls connived with some politicians and

talk|18 jul 2013|talkmag.in

LEGAL BIND Many hoardings like this one are caught in legal wrangles

went on to build nearly 94 bus stands, displaying boards at all these sites without paying any fee to the BBMP. The Dasarahalli area of Bangalore which comes under region C has caused perpetual loss of revenue for the BBMP. The area has six corporators including twice-elected Muniraju. The Peenya Industrial Estate and the BangaloreTumkur national highway fall under this region. The BBMP has issued an official

circular stating that there are no advertisement boards in the area, but a JD(S) corporator says this is shocking as these hoardings are there for all to see. “This circular is part of a conspiracy hatched by the BBMP officials, elected leaders and ad agencies to pretend there are no hoardings, when we get to see plenty of them in public.” To compound the BBMP’s problem, advertising agencies have managed to get a stay order on the removal of boards across

The mantra believed to heal, and also kill

Abracadabra SAVIE KARNEL savie.karnel@talkmag.in ometimes it is a puzzle how some words in the English dictionary are long and non-Anglicised. The term abracadabra is one such. It is not only long, but it can also be a tongue-twister. The term is used without any change in many other languages. The reason could be its association with magic, but not of the kind where you pull out a rabbit from a hat. Abracadabra was a W revered term, the power of which was believed to ward off illnesses. The term is first recorded in the second century Latin poem De medicina praecepta, by the Roman physician Quintus Serenus Sammonicus. It was believed an amulet with the word written on it could The Talk cure fevers, inflammacolumn on tions and even malaria.

He explains abracadabra was written 11 times in the form of an inverted triangle, with one letter omitted in each line. The writings on the piece of parchment started with ABRACADABRA, ABRACADABR, ABRACADAB, and so on until only A was left. Patients wore the amulet around their necks for nine days after which they tossed it over their shoulders into a stream running to the east. People believed the shortening word diminished the hold of the spirit on the patient. Roman emperors also used the incantation to cure themselves of diseases. Sceptics say most fevers run their course for a week or two and then diminish, and the word had little to do with the cure. Abracadabra owes its origin to the Aramaic language, where it was originally written as avara kedvara. Lawrence Kushner's The Book of Words, published in 1998, says avara means "to create" and kedvara is "as I speak." Though this theory is the most accepted, etymologists propose other theories, too. Some believe the word comes from the Chaldean abbada ke dabra meaning

K E Y

O R D S

word origins

the city. When asked why the BBMP failed to act, an official said, “Each agency has a corporator backing it, not to speak of the support from higher politicians. When we confront the agencies, they flash a stay order at us. Before the legal section within the BBMP can take any action, they have to work on getting the stay orders vacated, which takes anywhere from three to six months. Besides, it has to contend with the prohibitive cost of removing each board. We have estimated that there are at least 3,000 illegal boards and most of them are from agencies with political support.” Former mayor K Chandrashekar told Talk, “People at the BBMP don’t listen to anyone. They are so thick-skinned they ignore suggestions, advice, insights or even plain information. Even when there are exposes in the media, the BJP-ruled BBMP remains unperturbed. People should rise against the agency.” Mayor Venkatesh Murthy has completed his term in office. However, with the issue of appointing a candidate from the reserved category to the post cropping up, the matter of his successor is in court. Meanwhile, the BBMP’s debt has grown to Rs 3,350 crore. Yet, it appears to be in no mood to recover the Rs 178 crore from its projected 198 crore advertisement revenue. If it thinks this is too little an amount to bother about, the BBMP’s attitude can only be described as callous.

Case booked Alesh Collection Agency had managed to get advertisement slots on MG Road right from Trinity Circle to Chinnaswamy stadium and put up nearly 550 boards by generating bogus documents in the name of the BBMP. This resulted in the BBMP losing around Rs 80 lakh in revenue. Considering that MG Road is a prime area, the issue came to the notice of the BBMP which found the documents of Alesh Agency illegal on examination. The Ulsoor Gate police then booked a case against the head of the agency.

We will set things right Ramalinga Reddy, Transport minister and minister-in-charge of Bangalore told Talk, “It has come to my notice that illegal hoardings are coming up all over the city and spoiling its character. Officials are also blind to such illegal acts. I have taken note of these developments. I will slowly but surely take action and set things right.”

MAGIC CURE Abracadabra amulet that follows ancient Roman physician Sammonicus’ specifications

"perish like the word." Some say it originated with a Gnostic sect in Alexandria called the Basilidians. They based the term on Abrasax, the name of their supreme deity. The inscription abracabadra has been found on stones dedicated to Abrasax. There is also a view that the term comes from the Hebrew, habrachah meaning 'the blessing' (which was actually a euphemism for the curse), and dabra, an Aramaic form of the Hebrew word dever meaning 'pestilence.' The term entered the English language through Latin in the 16th century. Daniel Defoe in his non-fiction account of London's Great Plague of 1965, A Journal of the Plague Year, writes about the different remedies the masses resorted to. They also turned towards the occult and used abracadabra amulets. Twentieth century English occultist Aleister Crowley gave his own meaning to abracadabra. His The Book of Law outlined the principles of Thelema, the new religion he founded. In it he described abracadabra

as "the word of Aeon, which signifieth The Great Work accomplished." He also wrote, "It means by translation Abraha Deber, the Voice of the Chief Seer." However, this translation seems dubious and was perhaps made to promulgate his religion. Known as the 'Millionaires' Magician,' Steve Cohen in his 2005 book Win the Crowd, decodes abracadabra as "I will create as was spoken." He says this meaning makes it apt to be spoken by a stage magician before a trick. JK Rowling in her Harry Potter books has used 'Avada kedavra,' as a killing curse. In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, she writes: "Harry Potter, the boy who lived... come to die. Avada Kedavra!" screams Lord Voldermort. In an interview at the Edinburg Book Festival in April 2004, she claimed she based the curse on the original Aramaic form of abracadabra. She said the original meaning was "let the thing be destroyed," and "it" referred to the illness.

computing race

talk|18 jul 2013|talkmag.in

PIC FOR REPRESENTATION

POWER STATION The Indian Institute of Science uses IBM’s Blue Gene/P supercomputer

Bangalore is supercomp capital Your daily life, from flying in an aircraft to taking a break in the mountains, is being determined by supercomputers the world over. And the city now has the highest number of supercomputers in India

PRASHANTH GN prashanth.gn@talkmag.in

our personal safety while flying in an aircraft depends on how a supercomputer has designed the aircraft; your decision to take to the mountains for a break is decided by a supercomputer that has made weather calculations; your understanding of why you remember

some things and forget others depends on your neuron functioning in the brain, which the supercomputer understands better than anybody else. And, did you know, you now live in a city which has the highest number of supercomputers in the country? Yes, Bangalore has eight of them, beating Pune which has seven, Delhi six and Chennai four. On the criterion of numbers, Bangalore is the supercomputer capital of the country and has the fourth fastest supercomputer in the country at the CSIR Centre for Mathematical Modelling and Computer Simulation (CMMACS), an HP machine running at 303.9 teraflops (TF) per second, while the fastest and second fastest supercomputer run in Pune at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology which has an IBM running at 719.2 TF per second, and at the Center for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), which runs an Intel at 386.71 TF per second. The third fastest is in Delhi at the

National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting, Noida running an IBM at 318.4 TF per second. A list which has just been released by the Supercomputer Education and Research Centre at IISc, records 36 supercomputers in academic institutions across the country. Apart from Pune, Delhi and Chennai, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Indore, Bhopal, Allahabad, Ludhiana, Mohali and Thiruvananthapuram too have supercomputers. Why does Bangalore have the highest number? According to Prof S Sadagoppan of the International Institute of Information Technology-Bangalore (IIIT-B), “Bangalore has a high number of science institutions, highly specialised departments and centres, and a large number of scientific personnel which has all given it the status of being the science capital for long. A good chunk of the country’s basic and applied research happens in Bangalore.”

Where they are installed  CSIR Centre for Mathematical

Modelling and Computer Simulation (CMMACS), Capacity: 303.9 teraflops, Manufacturer: HP  Aeronautical Development Agency,

DRDO, 31.29 TF, HP  CSIR Centre for Mathematical

Modelling and Computer Simulation (CMMACS), 23.83 TF, SGI  Aeronautical Development Agency,

DRDO, 7.91 TF, HP  Centre for Atmospheric and Oceanic

Sciences, IISc, 19.37 TF, IBM  Supercomputer Education and

Research Centre, IISc, 17.81 TF, IBM  Department of Physics, IISc, 10.28

TF, IBM  Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for

Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), 8.92 TF, Fujitsu

talk|18 jul 2013|talkmag.in

Prof Haritsa explains the advantages of using Supercomputers are a series of networked computers with a massive number of processors supercomputers. “A large number of computers running into thousands that allow you to make can devote some or all of their time to solving a millions of calculations at great speed. You can sift common problem—complex analytical problems through vast amounts of data in very less time and and equations in mathematics, physics, chemistry, make rapid observations in the field of science. can be solved in record time by supercomputers. Solutions come up faster—each individThey first came into use in the 1960s ual computer receives and completes when launched by Seymour Cray at many small tasks, reporting the results Control Data Corporation (CDC), Cray to a central server which integrates the Research. In the 1970s, supercomputers task results from all the computers into used few processors, but by the 1990s the overall solution. Then it helps sift machines with thousands of processors through massive data. Data analysis is made their appearance and, by the end easier. You can feed vast amounts of of the 20th century, massively parallel data into the computers that would take supercomputers with tens of thousands Prof Sadagopan very little time to analyse them, so data “off-the-shelf” processors surfaced. Prof Sadagopan explains what you can do mining or data analytics is a great benefit. with supercomputers and why they have become Companies have, for instance, to deal with vast pervasive. “Supercomputers play an important amounts of data in generating drugs—all chemirole in the field of computational science and are cal, biological, physical reactions can be sorted out used for a wide range of computationally inten- by supercomputers. Drug generation and manusive tasks in various fields, including quantum facturing can be faster. Then there’s the question mechanics, weather forecasting, climate research, of simulations to understand the real world — if oil and gas exploration and molecular modeling we simulate aircraft movement, safer aircrafts can (computing the structures and properties of be designed. While they seem very technical and chemical compounds, biological macromolecules, academic, supercomputers now have tangible and polymers, and crystals). They also help in simula- direct benefits to life and living.” As of June 2013, China’s Tianhe-2 supercomtions—we can simulate the early moments of the universe, aerodyamics of airplanes and spacecraft, puter is the fastest in the world at 33.86 petaflops. Tianhe-2, or Milky Way-2, a superthe detonation of nuclear computer developed by China’s weapons, and nuclear fusion. China’s TianheNational University of Defense They have also come in use in Technology, was ranked the world’s counter-cryptography.” 2 is the fastest fastest on a recent list of the top 500 The supercomputers have in the world at supercomputers. The running of great impact in the area of biol33.86 petaflops Tianhe-2 for one hour is equivalent ogy. The IBM Blue Gene/P comto the computational works of 1.3 puter has been used to simulate a number of artificial neurons equivalent to billion people working simultaneously on their approximately one percent of a human cerebral gadgets for 1,000 years. Tianhe-2, which took 280 cortex, containing 1.6 billion neurons with researchers more than two years to complete, will approximately 9 trillion connections. “We can be used at the National Supercomputer Center in understand neuron activity better in the human Guangzhou for biomedicine and the development brain which has millions of neurons. It would be of new materials. The ranking is a return to the impossible to track all the neurons and map them top for Chinese supercomputers. Tianhe-2’s pre— but with supercomputers we get a form of the decessor, Tianhe-1, took the number one position neuron cluster in human brains. Neuron analysis in November 2010. Chi Xuebin, the director of the helps in understanding the source of brain-related Supercomputing Center of the Chinese Academy ailments and brain activity in general—why cer- of Sciences, has told Chinese media, “that the pertain parts of the brain act in certain ways as formance of Chinese supercomputers is 5,000 times better than it was ten years ago. American against other parts,” says Prof Sadagopan. DNA mapping is an area increasingly seeing supercomputers, by contrast, perform only 500 times better.” An American supercomthe use of supercomputers. “With puter called Titan, used by the US human genes running to anywhere Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge between 20,000 and 25,000, mapping National Laboratory, is ranked the secthe personal gene structure of a human ond fastest system in the world. A US has become crucial to be able to regulate Department of Energy supercomputer, genes. Scientists see regulation of genes called Sequoia, ranks third. as more important than the number of The combined supercomputing genes in trying to understand genetic capacity of India is 2.63 petaflops and its disorders. Supercomputers will help us Prof Haritsa first six supercomputers figure in the sift through data on billions of DNA base pairs to understand genetic structures. Data world’s Top 500. The supercomputer centres in is voluminous and all this can be mapped in one India are located in sites working on diverse areas go by supercomputers,” says Prof Jayant Haritsa of including weather and climate, biology, CFD, IISc. Weather forecasting is also done heavily by aerospace, lattice and QCD, mathematics, chemsupercomputers these days, particularly in the istry, oceanography, meteorology. IBM leads the USA. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric list as the Original Equipment Manufacturer Administration uses supercomputers to analyse (OEM), while HP leads the list as the System hundreds of millions of observations to help make Integrator (SI). Intel Xeon-based processors dominate the processor architecture. weather forecasts more accurate.

GREAT WALL China’s Tianhe-5, the world’s fastest supercomputer

World's top 5 supercomputers  Model: Tianhe-2, Capacity:

33.863 Petaflops, Manufacturer: National University of Defense Technology, Location: National Supercomputing Center, Guangzhou, Country: China  Titan, 17.590 PF, Cray, Oak

Ridge National Laboratory, United States

 Sequoia, 17.173 PF, IBM,

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, United States  K computer - Tofu, 10.510

PF, Fujitsu, RIKEN natural sciences research institute, Japan  Mira, 8.586 PF, IBM,

Argonne National Laboratory, United States

What supercomputers are used for  Designing aircraft  Weather prediction  DNA/Gene mapping  Understanding brain, brain-

related ailments and disorders  Drug development  Oil and gas exploration  Simulations of various kinds

like that of an aircraft to the

earth's movement to that of neuron activity in the brain  Analysis of complex

equations and problems in physics, chemistry, mathematics  Analysis of massive

amounts of data  Reduction of time taken in

analysis and problem solving

folk medicine

talk|18 jul 2013|talkmag.in

In Bangalore, native healers thrive alongside corporate hospitals Anxiety about allopathic methods propels some towards local medicine. Some trust native healers more than big hospitals. And the masses neither have insurance nor the money to be able to afford allopathic treatment

ecorded history tells us native and folk healers (like bone-setters) have been serving Bangalore for 200 to 250 years. The big picture is that local healing traditions in India are old, and go back several thousand years. Dr MN Balakrishna Nair, advisor, Foundation for Revitalisation of Local Health Traditions (FRLHT), Bangalore, says local health traditions are the future of health care. Western medicines, especially antibiotics, have many side effects. In his view, people in the West have realised it and are turning towards systems like naturopathy. “India has the longest tradition of local medicines. It is perhaps 3,000 to 4,000 years old. We have over 50,000 formulae in therapeutic use. Indian medicine comprises not just the scientifically acknowledged Ayurveda, Unani, Sidda and Swaralpa. We have a rich tradition of local medicines,” Dr Nair told Talk. Even now, in rural areas, primary healthcare is provided by traditional healers, and not by Western medicine. Over 63 per cent of India’s population gets its primary treatment from local medication. “Home remedies are used for mild illnesses like colds and coughs. For all kinds of chronic illnesses like arthritis, traditional medicine is the key, because it has no side effects. It is effective,” he says.

FIRST OPTION Over 63 per cent of Indians get their primary medical care from folk healers. (In pic) KV Venkatesh of Kayangadi Papanna clinics, who was also a qualified allopathic doctor

Dr Nair’s grandfather was a heal- Nelamangala, Bidadi, Doddaballapur, er of epilepsy. He treated people for Ramanagar and Kanakapura. Some over 40 years, with Dr Nair being one are in the interiors of the city too, but their numbers aren’t that high. They of those treated. “I trust local medicines,” says Dr survive because they have established Nair. The Foundation for a reputation over time,” he explains. One of the reasons such healers Revitalisation of Local Health Traditions, which he advises, is trying work from the peripheries of the city to preserve and revive local tradi- is because they get volumes of tions. “We have been studying and patients—working people who don’t testing the local medicines. We docu- earn enough to go to the big hospiment only those that are safe and reli- tals. “These healers are in some sense niche and they don’t worry about able,” he says. People say not all local healers competition from allopathy,” says Krishnan. are genuine. “But you A deep fear of have quacks in Western ‘There are modern surgery pushes medicine, too, says Dr patients towards folk Nair. “The existence of quacks in healers. People also quacks in traditional allopathy hold that allopathy medicine cannot discredtoo’ complicates ailments. it traditional medicine.” They are willing to His regret is that our education system has marginalised all endure unconventional methods, traditional medicines, and privileged Krishnan believes, because they feel Western medicine. “I am not against they may be cured permanently. Ayurveda is an ancient, indigeallopathic medicines, but we should not wipe out our traditional knowl- nous form of medicine, and has greater cosmopolitan appeal than edge,” he says. People continue to throng to folk traditions like bone-setting. “Ayurveda goes back to the Vedic native and folk healers even in the age of allopathy. “Families pass on the times and various texts mention healknowledge. While lower middle class ing through herbs and plants. India people mostly go to them, even high- has a medical tradition going back to ly educated people believe in them,” the pre-Vedic times. Records show says sociologist GSR Krishnan of the antiquity of Ayurveda. NonAyurvedic medical practices like bone Bangalore University. According to Krishnan, such setting have existed in the immediate healers get a clientele from the lower pre-colonial and colonial periods. In middle class. “You find them around all, we have a native medical tradition

that pre-dates modernity certainly,” says Krishnan. With the arrival of modernity and colonialism, native medicine began to be sidelined by modern medicine, while systems like Ayurveda gained mass appeal and became institutionalised. “Nonestablished practices like bone-setting existed as individual acts, though there were several such. Ayurveda clearly established itself as the primary indigenous medical practising system in the country,” he explains. Native healing methods survive not only because they have been passed on from generation to generation, but also because people find allopathy not delivering results. “Highly educated people go to native healers. Whether native medicine works or not, it is their last hope. Many people with cancer try traditional treatments. Traditional medicine is sometimes the first hope, but it can also be the last hope,” says Krishnan. The sociologist believes that as long as cities have vast catchments of working population, the folk healers will survive. “The lower middle class cannot afford modern medicine, they don’t have insurance and they don’t have large savings to invest in allopathic treatment. Where will they go?”

PRASHANTH GN & SAVIE KARNEL

talk|18 jul 2013|talkmag.in

Therapy with a twist and a coin RAMESH HUNSUR

BASU MEGALKERI basavaraju@talkmag.in

Coin Cut Shivanna

Ashakirana Ayurvedic Hospital, near Chamundeshwari Dhaba, Karekal Bus Stand, Near Toll Gate, Bangalore-Mangalore National Highway No 48, Nelamangala. Phone: 9448266859

hen Vijaylakshmi and Sreelata, two educated women in their mid-forties, land at Bangalore airport from Hyderabad, they seem no different from other visitors to the city. But they give a somewhat unusual destination to the cab driver: Karekal village near Nelamangala. They have come here to visit native healer Shivanna, popularly known as Coin Cut Shivanna, who practises at Ashakirana Ayurvedic Hospital. The hospital is actually a small house by the highway with a hall, two bedrooms and a kitchen. Twenty chairs are placed in the hall for patients to wait. Separate rooms are used to examine men and women. Shivanna has just one assistant, Narayanappa. When it was their turn, Sreelata enters the examination room. She tells Shivanna that she has chronic back pain. Shivanna does not ask anything further, nor looks at the medical reports she is carrying. He simply applies a specially prepared herbal oil on her back, touches the spot with his forehead and meditates for a few need to come otherwise,” is his reply. The knowledge of coin healing moments. He then lifts both her legs and sets them on the ground again. has been in Shivanna’s family for genHe applies plaster of Paris on the erations. As a child, he watched his spot. He then places four coins in grandmother Hanumakka prepare four corners around it, and applies the medicinal oil. He accompanied four to five layers of plaster of Paris. her to the forests, helping her collect “Now tell me where it was paining, herbs, and learning how to make the for how many days. Do you still feel oil. “It is the same oil that I make and use on my patients to this day,” he the pain?” he asks. Sreelata, who is now standing, says. He later learnt under his uncle says that she feels better now. She Muniyappa and father Gangayya. “It recollects her extreme back pain, is a divine gift to our family. I am of which made it impossible for her to the sixth generation practicing this technique,” he says. stand in the kitchen A simple man, even for 20 minutes. “By Shivanna Shivanna betrays no the time I could fry two hasn’t taken signs of pride, arrochapattis, the pain gance or greed. He would be unbearable. If a day off in charges just Rs 100 per I stood a little more, I 30 years consultation. His father felt I was going to colBattarahalli Gangayya is lapse,” she said. Sreelata had undergone treatment at several a famous native healer who practices modern hospitals, but had found no in his 150-bed hospital nearby. relief. When she heard of Shivanna, Shivanna worked with his father for she decided to come to Bangalore 20 years from 1982 to 2002. He then along with her friend Vijayalakshmi started his own hospital at about one who had the same problem. km from his father’s hospital in Thanking Shivanna, she asks when Karekal village by the Bangaloreshe should come next. “Come again Mangalore National highway. He treats 50 to 150 patients only if you have pain. There is no

INHERITANCE Shivanna is the sixth generation healer in his family

Timings: 9 am to 5 pm Treatment for: Fractured limbs, spinal cord problems, rheumatic pains, dislocated joints, sprains, cervical spondylitis, slip discs and back pain. Fee: Rs 100 How to get there: The hospital is located 35 km from Bangalore. There is a city bus stop close to his clinic, but services are not regular.

every day. The rush is so much that Shivanna doesn’t find time to even eat his meals. He hasn’t taken a day off for the past 30 years. “People come from as far as Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh trusting me. How can I let them down? So I try to be available to my patients every day,” he says. His family has been complaining that he doesn’t spare time for them. “When I see patients who had come moaning in pain go smiling, I feel happy. People’s love and trust is more important to me,” he says. A majority of his patients are women. Shivanna blames it on the modern tiles on the floors of houses and toilets. “They slip and fall in their own houses and have to undergo surgery,” he says. People come to him with fractured limbs, spinal cord problems, weakness, rheumatic pains, dislocated joints, sprains, cervical spondylitis and slip discs. “I have handled critical cases too. In certain cases, doctors from hi-tech hospitals had conducted two-three surgeries and had given up. But I have treated them and they started walking again,” he claims. Shivanna’s fame has spread so

wide that his clientele included Kannada film idols Rajkumar, Ambarish and Vishnuvardhan. Former Lokayuktas, Justices Sudheendra Rao and Santosh Hegde are also regulars at his clinic. Rao calls on him at least once a month, and has helped organise camps in his home town Bangarupete, where Shivanna treated hundreds of people. From 1982 to 2002, Shivanna would attend to patients out of town every Friday. He has conducted camps in Mysore, Hyderabad, Guntur, Vishakapattana, Bangarupete and Shimoga. In October 1985, Shivanna participated in the Open Challenge held in USA, where orthopaedic doctors from all over the world participated. Shivanna and his father Gangayya treated 10 patients without even seeing the X-ray. The father-son duo was awarded the Best Doctor title. His father Gangayya is 95 now and is unable to attend to patients. His assistants run the hospital in Yantaganahalli. “Many are claiming they are Gangayya’s sons are treating patients. People have to be careful,” he says. “It is fine if they are able to really treat patients.” Shivanna has three daughters and one son. He also does some farming in his five acre land, where he grows bananas, tomatoes and beans. He is unhappy that people are leaving agriculture and migrating to cities. “People are lazy. They sell their land for a pittance and spend the money on liquor. Instead of farming, they go to cities and clean toilets. The same people who would feed others, beg for food in cities,” he says. Perhaps Shivanna’s art draws on acupressure, but he only understands it his way: what he has inherited came from his loving grandmother.

talk|18 jul 2013|talkmag.in

A massage tradition from 150 years ago

Kayangadi Papanna

Near Tawakkal Mastan Dargah, Akkipet, near City Railway Station (branches in Rajajinagar, VV Puram, and Shivajinagar,) RAMESH HUNSUR

Phone: 22875156, 9845428719 Timings: 8.30 am to 1.30 pm, 4 pm to 8 pm, Sunday 9 am to 1 pm

System: Wrestlers’ folk tradition

What they treat: Hairline fractures, pulls, sprains, sciatica, rheumatic pains, dislocated joints, cervical spondylosis, spondylitis, slip disc and body aches

Fee: Between Rs 150 and Rs 500 a visit (may include massage)

How to get there: It is near Upparpet, near the City Railway Station, and is well connected by bus. If you are taking an auto, ask for the Tawakkal dargah in Cottonpet. Parking is a problem, so driving a car there may not be your best option. LEGACY OF TRUST Ravindra Babu at the Akkipet Kayangadi Papanna clinic. His clients include IT professionals.

umar (55) is an electrician. He ‘coconut shop’. Papanna, who gives fell and suffered a shoulder the clinic his name, used to run a fracture. He has taken off his shop selling coconuts in the 1860s. In shirt and sits on the floor, waiting for princely Mysore (of which Bangalore Ravindra Babu, the healer at the was a part), wrestling (kusti) was a Kayangadi Papanna Massage popular sport. The present clinic near Institute, which is actually a clinic. Tawakkal dargah in Cottonpet ( just a Today, the healer will remove the stone’s throw from the dargah), sports picture of five kattu (stick and bandgenerations of healers. age). “How are you feelTo this day, Papanna’s ing?” he asks Kumar. “I Papanna’s family continues to use am back at work,” techniques the techniques he develKumar replies. That come from oped in those glorious means the pain has wrestling years. subsided, and he is on wrestling In old Bangalore, the way to recovery. wrestling enjoyed royal For many like Kumar who suffer fractures, pulls, patronage and public support. sprains, and backaches, Kayangadi Wrestlers were respected, and Papanna’s clinic is the place to con- wrestling tournaments were a big sult, and not any modern hospital. attraction during the fairs and festiThis isn’t Kumar’s first visit. “When I vals. Papanna was an enthusiastic was young, I fell from the terrace of wrestler, and ran a garadimane my house, and my thigh swelled up (wrestling school) in Akkipet, also like a balloon,” he tells Talk. “My near the Tawakkal dargah. He had father brought me here, and I was up won many prizes, especially at interand about in about two months.” The city tournaments between Mysore healer who treated him then was KP and Bangalore, and received awards Venkatesh, a qualified allopathic doc- from the Mysore maharaja. Fractures, sprains and pulls were tor and his father. In Kannada, Kayangadi means common during training. Papanna

learnt some massage techniques from the Muslims frequenting the dargah nearby. He also picked up the art of preparing herbal massage oils. Ravindra Babu, a fifth generation healer, still works from Papanna’s coconut shop. Kiran Prakash, his son, sits by his side, learning the trade by watching him at work. “No one knows my name,” says Ravindra Babu, “but everyone knows the name of Kayangadi Papanna.” Four Kayangadi Papanna clinics are functional. Ravindra Babu’s brothers run the others: Harish Babu in

Rajajinagar, Suresh Babu in VV Puram, and Ramesh Babu in Shivajinagar. When it comes to fractures, the healers know which ones to take up, and which ones to refer to modern orthopaedic clinics. They offer massages and hand out oils that help in the healing. Bangaloreans of an older generation have heard of Kayangadi Papanna’s healing tradition. Of late, these native healers are treating many from the software sector.

BASU MEGALKERI

talk|18 jul 2013|talkmag.in

RAMESH HUNSUR

The battlefield healers the British sidelined hekhar’s biggest regret is that have healed. But his right eye doesn’t he has just two fingers he can close properly, and he can’t open his use to treat his patients. “Please mouth easily. Shekhar takes a close don’t write about me. I already get look, and tells him, “You’ve suffered a more people than I can treat,” he says. stroke. They call it Bell’s palsy”. No one has mentioned Bell’s The 54-year-old healer works from a tiny crevice in a narrow bylane of palsy to Dhanush. Shekhar can treat Balepet in old Bangalore. Balepet was it, but it takes time. He finds two the market for bangles, but today, it spots on Dhanush’s back, and presses teems with electrical and textile them with two fingers. “Open your shops, businesses far removed from mouth and scream loudly,” he instructs him. After a couple of minbangle-selling. Shekhar’s story is fascinating. utes, he asks, “How do you feel now?” He learnt his healing skills from a Dhanush is able to close his eye a lityogi, whom he served devotedly. “I tle more than before. He can move his followed him when he went to the lips better. Bell’s palsy is a form of facial forests, and he taught me these ageold healing techniques,” he explains. paralysis that results when a nerve is Shekhar used to make notes about damaged. Shekhar, a tenth standard pass, can identify many successful cases, and neurological diseases one day, realised he had Shekhar without the help of filled up 50 note books. learnt his expensive diagnostic tests. “That’s when I said I Typically, people should stop, or I would skills from who have undergone become proud.” a yogi lengthy, expensive treatMany, including ments and lost all hope doctors, go to him for neurological problems. Shekhar’s tra- come to Shekhar. D Sudhir (53), a cofdition goes back hundreds of years. fee planter from Ponnampet in “We were assigned the job of treating Kodagu, is one such patient. He is injured soldiers on the battlefield. We diabetic and hypertensive. In a busy would get them back in action within week when he forgot to take his pills minutes,” he says. With the advent of for high blood pressure, he suffered a British rule, allopathy was promoted, stroke. He suspected the cold might and this native tradition was side- have caused the onset of this problined. “The British called us quacks lem. His left hand and leg became and destroyed the trust people had in immobile. When it looked like he would remain bedridden, he rented a us.” Dhanush (20), an aeronautics house in Mysore and moved there for engineering student, is consulting treatment. Many hospital visits and Shekhar for a face injury. He was physiotherapy sessions later, he was thrown up in the air in a motorbike still in no shape to move about. Movement was painful, but he accident last week, and a part of his face is misaligned. He went to a big had to visit Bangalore for a wedding. corporate hospital, and his bruises That was when he heard of Shekhar.

ALL COMERS Many of Shekhar’s (extreme left) more affluent patients come to him after having exhausted all other options

The day he visited this self-effacing healer, his left hand started moving. Shekhar advised him to remain in Bangalore for a fortnight. Sudhir and his wife took up a room in a lodge in Balepet, and started visiting Shekhar every day. On the 12th day, Sudhir was able to get up and walk on his own. On the day Talk visited Shekhar, Sudhir came walking with the help of a stick. His wife was by his side. “Five more days, and I will be completely independent,” he said. Eyes moist and hands folded, his wife expressed gratitude to Shekhar. Keshav (35), who runs an agarbatti business in Basaveshwaranagar, is among those who swear by Shekhar. He had a spondilytis problem (spondilytis is a long-standing inflammation of the spine and joints). His shoulder had collapsed into his shoulders, and he was unable to move his hands freely. Shekhar pressed his nerve points over many sessions. Keshav now rides his scooter. A 10-year-old boy came to Shekhar with a limp. Shekhar asked his mother, “Did he have high fever?” Indeed, some months ago, the boy had suffered high bouts of fever. Shekhar treated the boy using his regular method: pressing nerve points on the back. He also recommended a diet of crab soup. Signs of recovery appeared from the very first day of treatment. The boy returned a few weeks later, complaining of pain in the leg after riding his cycle. “I told him to ride some more!” says Shekhar, explaining that he was well on his way to full recovery. Shekhar refused to take any money from the boy’s mother. “I can make out their circumstances. How can I charge

them any fee?” he said. Even otherwise, Shekhar charges a maximum of Rs 250. Shekhar’s gentle therapy, not to speak of his generosity, has won him many admirers. He is anxious he can’t pass on his knowledge to the next generation. “I spent years in the forest, collecting herbs, eating fruits and roots, and learning the art the hard way. Unfortunately, I haven’t found anyone to whom I can bequeath my skills,” he says.

BASU MEGALKERI

Marma Shekhar

Address: Opp Jain Temple, Ranganathaswamy Temple Road, Balepet Phone: Not willing to share number.

Timings: 4 pm to 6 pm, Monday to Thursday only

System: Soldiers’ tradition What he treats: Neurological problems, spondylitis, cervical spondylosis, paralysis, polio, slip disc and body aches

Fee: Rs 250 a session How to get there: Shekhar’s place sports no board, so you must ask your way about. Taking an auto may be the best way to see him. Ask for Ranganathaswamy Temple Street in Balepet and get off near the Jain temple. Parking is a problem, and the lanes are narrow and congested, so driving a car to consult Shekhar is not recommended.

music matters

talk|18 jul 2013|talkmag.in

“What is this? It’s music to get a brain seizure by.” - Ozzy Osbourne, frontman of Black Sabbath, the original heavy metal band eavy metal music invites extreme reactions from both fans and sceptics. While debates about its merits will go on, unbeknownst to most of Bangalore’s beer guzzling, by-two coffee-sipping residents, this city has emerged India’s ‘metal capital’ (Mumbai metalheads will vehemently disagree). Many factors contribute to Bangalore’s growing reputation as metal haven, but what gets the most media attention is that the city is almost the default concert venue in India for some of metal’s biggest names. Acclaimed bands like Iron Maiden, Metallica, Scorpions, Lamb of God, Megadeath, Sepultura and Opeth have all performed in Bangalore, and these are just the popular names. More arcane acts like the Swedish technical death metal band Meshuggah, Italian gothic metal band Lacuna Coil, and British extreme metal band Cradle of Filth have also performed in Bangalore. While the city’s responsive (and well-heeled) audience can take credit for this privilege, there’s much more to the local metal scene than the bigticket concerts.

I have been a fan of rock music right from my school days. I listen to bands like Scorpions, Bon Jovi and Green Day. A few heavy metal tracks are nice to listen to, the rest is mostly noise and it is impossible to decipher what the lyrics are, so I steer clear of them.

Homemade metal Take lineage, for instance. It was Bangalore that gave birth to what was perhaps the original Indian heavy metal band, Millennium. They started their journey way back in 1988, and made a mark early on when the video for their track Peace Just in Heaven won the Skull Krusher Award for video of the week on the popular MTV India show Headbanger’s Ball, the first Asian band to do so. They have also had the honour of opening for such legendary names as Deep Purple in 2001 and Megadeath in 2008. Vehrnon Ibrahim, lead vocalist of Millennium, recalls their early influences. “The New Wave of British Heavy Metal and Trash Metal were two genres that influenced us the most. We played a lot of live shows all around India,” he told Talk. Vehrnon, who quit as the national programming head of Delhi’s Oye FM a year ago, believes Bangalore is more open to musical variety than other cities. Not just heavy metal, but other niche genres like EDM (Electronic Dance Music) also find ready audiences here.

STEELY MELODY Millennium, the city-based band that pioneered metal in India. (Top) City band Kryptos is among India’s best known exponents of metal today

Roots in Britain Any music ought to be understood on its own terms; so here’s what metal means to a confirmed insider.

Riya Biswas Fashion designer

To rebel or not

A harsh form of rock is thriving in Bangalore. But why this city? Riddhi Mukherjee explores the dimensions of a music the West considers ‘rightist’

Metal kapital Metallic deluge Like in Millennium’s heydays, Bangalore today hosts successful contemporary metal acts, as well as some startup record labels. Bands like Kryptos and Eccentric Pendulum, and indie record labels like DogmaTone and Iron Fist, are helping Bangalore redraw India’s metal music map, and pull its centre of gravity down south. Kryptos, formed in 1998 by Nolan Lewis and Ganesh K in Bangalore, is arguably the most successful Indian heavy metal band. In April 2006, they became one of the first Indian metal bands to be signed by an international label, Old School Metal Records

from California, as well to be invited to tour Europe for festivals in Hungary and Germany. Nolan’s recollection of his interest in metal while growing up in Bangalore is likely to resonate with many others. “The love for metal in Bangalore goes back to the 80’s. A lot of blues rock used to be played at pubs like Pecos and Downtown, and it was getting a bit boring. Fans were looking for something heavier, and metal provided that. But it was difficult to get hold of tapes, so most listening happened at live concerts like the Freedom Jam or college festivals. The Internet and other technological advancements changed that.” Another Bangalore band, Eccentric Pendulum, who describe their music as “progressive death metal with some new influences”, performed at the prestigious German metal fest Wacken Open Air in 2011. Eccentric Pendulum got this opportunity after they won the India chapter of the Wacken Metal Battle.

Melody and lyrics are missing from metal in India today. It seems creating heavier and harder music has become the sole goal. Metal bands in the west are equally at fault.

Vehrnon Ibrahim Frontman, Millennium, India’s first metal band

space for albums by little-known bands. Says Salman of Kryptos, “Internationally, independent record labels have been at the heart of the success of niche genres like metal, and it’s just what India needs if the genre is to gain greater acceptance”. He and Kryptos front-man Nolan Lewis decided to take matters into their hand and set up their own label, Iron Fist Records, in December 2011. As Nolan puts it, “We want to sign bands that are serious about their music and are in it for the long haul.” Indie boom Iron Fist is far from being the only Major Indian record labels have their reasons for remaining ‘metal-phobic’ to this day, and Bangalore-based start-up record label with an music stores are often reluctant to provide interest in metal and rock music.

DogmaTone Records, started by techies Sunil Anand, Varun Rajagopalan, Ramprakash and Shyam Prasad, is another such independent record label. Having released a compiled album of young Indian rock acts titled The First Mutiny: Dogmas of Indian Rock, they plan to soon start offering record deals to bands winning college festival rock competitions. Many bands, however, are not waiting for labels to sign them on, and are instead using technology to produce, market and sell albums themselves. The actual creation of an album is in any case the musicians’ forte and advances in technology mean that they can now produce without burning a hole in their pocket. Vehrnon, however, believes that album sales will never be the main source of revenue for Indian bands. “An upcoming band can price their CDs at Rs 100 or 200 and expect to sell a few thousand albums. Ticket prices at live shows are in a similar range, but a lot more people attend them. Plus bands have the option of selling CDs and merchandise at the venue. Given the number of college festivals, corporate gigs, and concerts, a band can easily make more money playing at live shows than through album sales,” he points out.

Youthful rebellion, class struggle, the fight against racism and consumerism: in the West, these were the dominant themes of rock music during its golden age. But that was before the corporate fat cats woke up to rock’s commercial mojo, and absorbed it into the very culture it was rebelling against. Metal was first made by musicians who rebelled against this betrayal, and their angst fuelled much of early metal, which reflected their creators’ belief that the only way for the music to remain pure was to make the sound harder. Nolan of Kryptos is certainly aware of this when he says, “Right from the beginning, we have been lyrically inclined rather than sound or heaviness inclined. A lot of our songs are based on the occult, and on history and mythology. Iron Maiden was a major influence and that could be one of the reasons why we chose to concentrate on lyrics.” Those like Nolan believe that heavy guitars, two bass guitars, and screaming are not the only components of metal, and the current crop of bands in India are not headed in the right direction. Vehrnon agrees, but says this is not exclusive to India. Heavy metal, irrespective of the city, is loved and encouraged by a tiny minority. It will not be an accepted part of mainstream music and in certain metal pockets that is exactly the wish: to not become part of the mainstream. Bands, opportunities, and audiences have contributed to making Bangalore India’s metal capital, but as any metalhead would testify, there are other, more subtle reasons that can’t be put down in words, but can certainly be experienced in the music.

We are not really rebelling against anything. Neither are we making angry music. We live with our families and lead a very nice life and do not have much to rebel against, expect maybe something we read in the newspaper or watch on TV.

Nolan Lewis frontman, Kryptos

Master of puppets I’m pulling your strings Twisting your mind and smashing your dreams Blinded by me You can’t see a thing Just call my name ‘cause I’ll hear you scream - Master of Puppets by Metallica his eight-and-a-half-minute title track from legendary band Metallica’s third studio album Master of Puppets, perfectly describes the experience of listening to a heavy metal track. ‘Metalheads’ (as metal fans are commonly known) live for the energy that the music emanates, while sceptics like to believe that these are signs of delinquency. The evolution of metal as a genre began way back in the 1960’s. British band Black Sabbath (in pic) is widely considered the first true metal band and these Birmingham boys fronted by the eccentric Ozzy Osbourne changed rock music forever and gave rise to what would be later known as doom metal. There are various other sub-genres and sub-subgenres in heavy metal and the evolution of each can turn into an article. In India, rock music has now gained some mainstream acceptance, with Bollywood even making films about the genre (Rock On, Rockstar). Heavy metal music still has a long way to go. This in no way implies that there are no Indian heavy metal bands. On the contrary. the number of bands exploring heavy metal has grown exponentially over the past few years. The 1990s saw heavy metal bands gain a foothold. Some of the earliest proponents of metal music in India were Rock Machine (later rechristened Indus Creed), Axecalibre, Easy Meat, Holocaust and Grassroots Revival. Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi, Kolkata and the North-East are where these bands originated from.

food charities

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RAMESH HUNSUR

FREE, FOR ALL Shivakumar’s associates distributing food outside Cantonment Railway Station

Ever wondered what caterers at a wedding do with the food left over after the last guest has departed? Or what restaurants and five star hotels do with the excess food from their kitchen? Sandra M Fernandes finds out

One person’s surplus is another’s daily bread n a city like Bangalore where excessive consumerism is the norm, waste of food is only to be expected. How exactly is excess food handled in the city? Talk did a reality check and came up with some surprising discoveries. In a majority of the cases, hotels distribute the surplus food among their staff. When there is still some left over, it is sent to piggeries in the city. A great amount of food also ends up in garbage bins. But a small portion of the excess finds its way to altruistic individuals or organisations, and through them, to hundreds of hungry

RB Shivakumar

Wilma Rodruges

and homeless people in the city. Take Shivakumar for instance. For the past eight years, he has been picking up surplus food from marriage halls in Rajajinagar and its surroundings, and distributing it to people at railway stations, bus stands, and those living in slums. He is a follower of Vivekananada and runs a banana leaf business for a living. Word of his service has spread and he now gets calls to collect excess food from areas far from Rajajinagar. However, logistical issues deter him from pursuing such calls. While he worked alone earlier, he now has a team of ten supporting him in the cause. Do people have reservations about accepting leftovers? “There have been instances when some people have refused the food on those grounds,” he says. Undeterred he continues to serve the community, even changing his ways according to demand. For example, he used to pick up only vegetarian food earlier, but now he has started collecting non-vegetarian food as

date. “I collected and distributed them to the inmates of my Home. There were so many that we also gave away the biscuits to some NGOs,” he told Talk. He, however, collects only food in excess of 50 kg, as “anything lesser than that won’t suffice for the people at my Home.” He makes it a point to check the quality of the food before collecting it as he is concerned about stale food causing food poisoning. When he does find that the food has well. Like Shivakumar, Auto Raja, gone stale he dumps it in a huge comwho runs the Home of Hope for the post pit at home. Raja does not charge destitute in Doddagubbi village, too anything for collecting the excess picks excess food from marriage halls food, sometimes travelling as far as 30 and birthday parties and distributes km to pick it up. “Food left over on someone’s it. “Usually people call me after a wedding function or a birthday party plate and food that is prepared in where there’s a lot of food left over. I huge quantities and not consumed, collect this and bring it to my Home are both excess food, but of different kinds,” says Wilma of Hope, where the Rodrigues, founder of food is distributed to Raja worries Saahas, an organisaeverybody, including about stale food tion that has been my family,” he says. working towards Home of Hope houscausing food waste management es about 400 people, poisoning in the city. Wholly and Auto Raja usualendorsing the work ly picks up food once a week. However, during the mar- of Shivakumar, she says, “It is a good riage season he gets several calls a idea to distribute to the poor, providmonth. While it is marriage halls and ed it reaches the recipient in a safe people at private gatherings who call manner. For this to happen, it is him most, he has had some politi- important that caterers, marriage cians call him too, after organising halls and even hotels invest in cold storage facilities where excess food party functions. Once, the Britannia Industries can be stored.” Her organisation concentrates had offered him two full cartons of biscuits a month before their expiry on managing the huge amount of

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uneaten food that is wasted on plates. “Our main focus is on what remains on the plate after a meal. A normal tech park housing about 7,000 to 8,000 employees easily generates a tonne of food waste every day. In order to minimise this wastage, we try to create awareness by joining hands with them and putting a plan into action,” she says. Restaurants like the Higher Taste managed by the Iskcon temple serve sattvic food, and either distribute the excess food among their staff or send it to their guest house. “Since we cook twice a day, the chances of having excess food is minimal. We distribute it on the rare occasions that we have extra food on our hands,” says M Kumar, Manager, Higher Taste. Surplus food is also distributed within the temple premises on the same day. Food poisoning is a major concern for those involved in the distribution of food. Shivakumar, who has fed more than 20,000 people, says, “So far no one has fallen ill after eating the food that I have given them. I make sure that I give away the food the very same day before it spoils. The food collected is used within 2-3 hours.” Drawing parallels with the food banks in Delhi, Wilma says, “Something similar would help a lot here, provided people and organisations invest in cold storage systems, and distribute food without too much delay.” PK Mandanna, professor and head of the Department of Agricultural Marketing and Business Management at University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, along with a team conducted a study titled, Food Wastage in Bangalore City - Measures for Mitigation on the excess food generated in the city. He found out that about Rs 400 crore worth of food is wasted every month in the city. This figure does not include restaurants and hotels. “We surveyed 75 marriage halls and choultries, both expensive and inexpensive ones, and found that food is wasted on a large scale and that there is no definite method of disposing it off,” he told Talk. According to him, the work being done by way of distribution of excess food is way too little. The best way to minimise the generation of extra food is to create awareness programmes for managers of marriage halls, he says. “They must be trained to cook an accurate amount, and when there is excess distribute it to people quickly,” he adds. NGOs like Rashtra Bandhu have joined hands with the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) to spread awareness about the wastage of food. “We recently joined hands with the BMTC to support our cause. We want to create awareness among people so that they minimise food wastage,” says BN Sureshwara, President, Rashtra Bandhu. He goes on to explain that food wastage GOOD WORKS Auto Raja feeding one of the 400 inmates at his Home of Hope

can be reduced in two ways. “First, kitchen waste can be used for composting. Apartments, hotels and marriage halls can also convert raw waste to bio gas. The government needs to take some action on the excess food that is prepared and not consumed. The BBMP or some government body needs to collect this excess food

and distribute it to the poor,” he says. He agrees with Prof Mandanna that efforts of individuals and small organisations, while serving to send a message across to the government are not enough. Only a large scale distribution network will help stem the excessive waste of food in the long run.

Who to contact if you have excess food RB Shivakumar: 9844358514 Auto Raja: 9845281915 Wilma Rodrigues, Saahas: 9880124921 Rastra Bandhu: 40990806

book excerpt

talk|18 jul 2013|talkmag.in

Soldiers, lovers and murderers

hen we were still new to Srirampura, a strange fight took place in our neighbourhood. One night, at about eight o’clock, we heard people shouting and crying. The fight had apparently begun when one family insulted the other, and, not content with that, barged into their house and beat them up. Shouting “Ayyo,” the second family rushed out, chased the assailants down and thrashed them. Then it was the first family’s turn again. The onlookers, supporting one family or the other, depending on their own understanding of the problem, started fighting amongst themselves. The fight had a context. A young man from one of the families, not finding a civilian job anywhere, had joined the army. He occasionally came home to visit his relatives. His unemployed friend, the same age as himself, became fascinated with his military ways. This young man, belong-ing to the second of the feuding families, went and joined the army without telling anyone. His people started looking for him. They consulted an astrologer, in an attempt to find him; they undertook penances. And then a letter came from the army. The new recruit had written that he was well and that there was no need to worry. His people became terribly anxious when they realized where he was, and could think of nothing but war and death. Their relatives chipped in with critical commentary and added to the general panic. This was the cause of the fight; they planned and executed an assault on the parents of the young man whom they blamed for getting their son enlisted. While the two men fought a war on India’s borders, their families were at war on our street. How awesome that distant war must be, people mused, when even a fight about joining the army was so fearful. Most onlookers fled the moment someone said, “The police have come!” And so the feud ended, for the moment at least.

LAXMAN AELAY

Described as a “Chaplinesque autobiography that will make you laugh and cry,” A Word With You World is the searing and achingly funny life story of Dalit Kannada poet Siddalingaiah. Originally published in Kannada as Ooru Keri, it has been translated into English by Talk editor SR Ramakrishna and published by Navayana, Delhi. In this excerpt, the author gets a taste of life in a Dalit colony in Bangalore after his family migrates there from a village

POET-ACTIVIST Siddalingaiah is a founding member of the Dalit Sangharsh Samiti and most recently served as chairman of Kannada Book Authority

Unseen, unheard of things Several incidents, of a sort that expanded my knowledge of the world, took place in Srirampura. There was the night when a man in our colony came home much later than usual. His wife had grown anxious, waiting for him. When he finally

came home, he had wounds on his body and his clothes were soaked in blood. Robbers had waylaid him, he told us, and beaten him up near Bandireddy Circle. They had taken all his money, pushed him into a drain, and fled. With no strength to get up, he had lain there, moaning. A stranger had heard him, peered into the drain, hauled him out, and brought him to his house. Then there was the man in a neighbouring colony who murdered his wife in their bathroom. She was strikingly beautiful. When the news spread that a lover had been with her when the husband killed her, public sympathy swung in the murderer’s favour. The murder added to the atmosphere of terror in the colony. Also noteworthy were the rowdies who lived

near our colony. They would attack people indiscriminately, or in the course of some petty theft. A policeman once caught a rowdy after a great chase. Gripping his collar, he marched him towards the police station. A procession of curious people trailed them. As they walked by, the policeman looking pompous, and the rowdy surprisingly peaceful, the rowdy was in fact deftly undoing the buttons of his shirt. Suddenly, he lifted his arms, ducked out of his clothes, and escaped. To the disappointment of the crowd, only his shirt remained in the humiliated policeman’s hand. The rowdies turned confident after this incident.

Riot over a dog One night, a rowdy passing through our street

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wanted to take a shit. Our neighbours had daybreak, several men between the ages of hung a tin near their roof to carry water to fifteen and seventy had enjoyed the free the bathroom. As the rowdy sneaked up to facility. She woke up and went about her get the tin, a dog leapt at him, barking work as usual. My father and his elder brother loudly. Unable to get the tin, the rowdy started chasing the dog, which scampered worked in an arrack shop for some time. into our house. The rowdy was furious. He Their job was to fill barrels with the liquor tried to barge in, but my mother stopped that came in lorries. The owner, besides him. Tempers rose. The rowdy asked my giving them their wages, allowed them to mother whether we had a licence for the open the tap of a barrel and drink as much dog. My mother couldn’t make head or tail as they liked before they went home. When of what he was saying. Not only was the these two stood drinking, palms cupped, dog not ours, but she had never heard the the other workers waiting in line would word ‘licence.’ She assumed he was insult- have to push them away to stop them. My ing her, and stood up to him spiritedly. A father and uncle would shamble homecrowd gathered. The rowdies of our own wards, thoroughly inebriated. While my area, angry that an alien rowdy was acting father was always slightly embarrassed as tough in their territory, ganged up and fell he came in, my uncle would stand tall in the street and attract everyone’s attention on him. News of the fight reached the out- with a huge cackle. His dances and somersider rowdy’s cronies, and several of them saults were amusing, but our relatives, who rushed towards the fight, brandishing soda had lived there for a long time, were bottles. The two gangs fought savagely. ashamed of him. My father is a good-natured man—I Not to be left out, the people of our street also smashed bottles and attacked the rival have inherited some of that from him. But gang. As the screaming and wailing he was capable of thinking on his feet if reached a crescendo, my family and I man- needed. One night, he and a couple of aged to slip away. After it was all over, peo- friends were walking home from the wine ple swept away the glass shards scattered shop. They had to cross a huge ditch. on the street. No one remembered the When they got down into it, a robber lurkcause of the clash: the visiting rowdy’s ing there sprang up and brandished a knife bowels. The dog lay quietly in a corner of before them. My drunken father, walking in front, became aware of him first. The the street. group didn’t even have a few Drunks were a conodd coins to give the robber. stant problem in our I looked down They told him they had colony. Every evening, they would draw attention to to see a couple spent everything. “Don’t lie!” the robber themselves by shouting making love thundered, threatening to and dancing, and they on the street stab them if they didn’t hand were always itching for a him some cash. My father, fight. Some sang songs with whatever tunefulness they could looking at the robber more closely, noticed muster. Their love for their wives and chil- something familiar about his features. He dren brimmed over. Some would try to get believed that the robber’s father was one of intimate with their wives in public. When his friends. “Ey, wait,” my father said. “I’ll tell your they tried to hug them, the wives, annoyed, would poke them in their faces. father about you.” “Brother, please don’t!” the frightened Sometimes, sentiment welling up, they would clasp their children in their arms robber pleaded, backing away. My father and start weeping. They would take money and his friends crossed the ditch and out of their pockets and distribute it gener- returned home safely. ously among their wives and children. When their racket became unbearable, Menace of the goddesses people would force them to sit down and Some months after our arrival, cholera pour pots of cold water on their heads. broke out in the colony. Distressed by this, A woman of our colony who had no people reported that one evening someone husband or children used to drink heavily. had spotted a woman wearing a white She was past forty, but was still bewitch- blouse, with vermilion on her forehead, in ingly lovely. She went to work as a labour- one of the houses. Neither the family living er, habitually tottered home drunk, and in the house nor the others knew who she went to sleep. One summer night, she lay was. Before they could ask, “Who are you?” on the street opposite our house. She was she vanished. fast asleep, and her clothes were disShe could only have been the goddess arranged. Maaramma, the people said. They raised Some rogue, passing by, noticed her money, taking contributions from each lying there, went up close, and squeezed household, for a festival in her honour. At her. Others who saw this followed his the festival, the goddess possessed a man. example. She moaned in her sleep, but did- He drew everyone’s attention with his n’t resist them. Word got around and more bizarre facial gestures and movements. men gathered, each awaiting his turn. By Some asked the goddess angrily, “Why have

you brought cholera upon us, mother?” The goddess didn’t speak, and no matter how much the devotees begged her, tears were her only answer. What did we expect, people said, seeing that it was Kaliyuga? Evil spirits usually possessed women. There was a man whose second wife used to be possessed by an evil spirit. She would pace about, screaming. People would try to hold her down, but they couldn’t prevent her from holding her husband by the collar and thrashing him. He wouldn’t lift a hand in his own defence, knowing she was possessed. Another woman had visited Yama’s world and come back to the colony. The story goes that she had died and people had made arrangements for her last rites. Meanwhile, Yama’s messengers had dragged her away and delivered her to him. The god of death asked the woman what her name was. She told him. Which colony and which street, he enquired. She told him. He pondered a moment and then grew angry with his messengers. He had told them to bring a woman of the same name, but from the Navayana Rs 499 next street. The messengers had taken her by mistake. Yama ordered them to take her back to earth. Thinking they should at least leave a mark on her, they branded her on the back and returned her. She had been lying on the pyre when she suddenly woke up and sat upright. People started running away in fear, but she pacified them and told them what had happened. She showed them the scar. Whatever the truth of this story, I saw the scar myself, and was amazed.

Wife’s harassment

of the house across from him was a shadowy figure. “Thief, thief!” the man shouted, waking everyone nearby. People came out of their houses to see what was going on. People tried to talk the man on the roof into coming down, but he wouldn’t hear of it. Eventually, someone said he was not a thief, but the owner of the house. The crowd was intrigued. Finally, the man on the roof admitted, “I am sitting here because I can’t bear the way my wife beats me.” The crowd turned sympathetic, but no one had the guts to admonish his wife. They all went back to their houses, and the cowed husband sat on the roof till daybreak. There was a man in the colony who was married to an exceptionally goodlooking girl. He himself was far from goodlooking. Her charm filled him with great pride, but he was plagued by jealousy and suspicion as well. He ordered her never to set foot outside the house. When he went out to work as a labourer, he would lock her inside the house. He handed the key to the neighbours, who opened the door whenever she called out that she needed to go to the lavatory. The people of the colony had a pretty good idea when she would step out to answer the call of nature. They would wait for that moment to gaze at her beauty as she emerged from the house. The beautiful girl was embarrassed and delighted that so many people were willing to wait for a glimpse of her. Every summer, the storyteller Malur Sonnappa used to give harikathe discourses for a month in our colony. The discourses began at eight in the evening, and held large audiences spellbound till eleven at night. Thanks to his influence, some of his listeners became devotees of Kaiwara Tataiah. His stories from the myths were full of devotion and love. I liked his style immensely, and listened to his discourses every night. One night, around eleven, I was walking home, mulling over what he had said. People were sleeping on the streets to beat the summer heat, and I tried to tread carefully. To my dismay, and perhaps because I was lost in the myths, I stepped on someone, eliciting a scream. I looked down in fright, to see a couple making love, uninhibited, right on the street. I had stepped on the naked husband. They had not expected anyone to come walking that way. Since both of them were in a state of nirvana, they could do nothing to me, but they tried to burn me with their eyes. I ran all the way home, and only stopped, panting, when the door was closed behind me.

The colony had its share of odd conjugal relationships. Early one morning, a man Illustrations: Laxman Aelay woke up and went out to pee. On the roof Excerpted with permission from Navayana

talk|18 jul 2013|talkmag.in

Rewind The week that was  Egypt killings: At least 51 people were killed and more than 300 injured when Egyptian soldiers and police clashed with Islamists early Monday at a sit-in by supporters of former Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi. Morsi was replaced following popular unrest, and Hazem al-Beblawi appointed the Prime Minister.

Tehelka award for journalists

 China landslide: Over 30 to 40 people were buried in a landslide triggered by heavy rains in China’s rainwrecked Sichuan province.  UP floods: The flood situation in Uttar Pradesh has worsened following heavy rains, and officials said on Wednesday that 116 people have died in the disaster in the past fortnight.  Bodh Gaya blasts: A series of ten bombs exploded in and around the Mahabodhi Temple complex, in Bodh Gaya, Bihar. Five people, including two monks, were injured by the blasts. There has been no breakthrough yet.  Criminal netas: The Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that lawmakers convicted of any crime will be immediately disqualified. The ruling could lead to several lawmakers losing their seats.  Rally ban: The Allahabad High Court banned castebased rallies in UP saying they divide society.  Re 1 rice: Karnataka government has launched the much awaited ambitious rice scheme for below poverty line families. Under the scheme, every BPL family will get 30 kg rice at Re 1 per kg every month.  Women’s prison: The state’s first and only Women’s Central Jail started functioning in Tumkur. From now, all women convicts from across the state will serve their jail terms at this prison.

Tarun Sehrawat was a 23-year-old photojournalist with Tehelka magazine, who passed away last year. He had contracted cerebral malaria in the Abujhmad forest region, where he had gone to report on the Maoist insurgency. The magazine has now instituted an annual award in his name, named The Tarun Sehrawat Award For Journalism Of Courage And Conscience. According to a release put out by the magazine, “this award will honour stories and images - in any Indian language - that capture injustice, inequity, dispossession and other social, cultural, economic and political faultlines in the country.” Photographers, reporters, cameramen,

radio journalists and videographers are all eligible for the award, and applicants can submit photo features as well as print, web or television stories, irrespective of the language. However, applications will require work in other languages to be translated into English, accompanied by the original copy or clip. The award will be announced at THiNK, Tehelka’s flagship event that will be held in Goa from November 8 to 10, and the two winners will be flown there. The award consists of a Rs 1.5 lakh cash prize for the winner of the print, web or photo feature category, and the same amount for the winner of the electronic medium. Last date for submitting your entry is August 1. For more details, visit www.tehelka.com/ thetarunsehrawataward/ Incidentally, the award has already drawn flak from members of the media community, many of whom, including former Tehelka staffers, had criticised the publication’s editors for sending a young and inexperienced photojournalist on such a risky assignment. After his death, Neha Dixit, the Tehelka reporter Tarun had accompanied on his first professional assignment in 2009, wrote that the “cynicism and brazen callousness” of media organisations often added to the risks faced by young journalists on the field.

A get-together for filmmakers This is an event for aspiring and established filmmakers in the city to get together to exchange ideas and tips and support each other’s endeavours in various ways, be it giving feedback on projects, collaborating, or sharing equipment. Participants are expected to bring their movie (or short movie clip as a Quicktime file) on a flash/thumb drive so that it can be screened at the meet. Due to time limitations, and since they are trying to screen the work by as many people as possible, they have set a time limit of five minutes for the works to be screened. They also expect participants to contribute Rs 100 each to cover the cost of renting the venue and screening equipment. The event will be held at Jaaga on Double Road. For more information, log on to www.jaaga.in or email Hima B at himaphiliac@gmail.com

Open Road Review invites submissions Founded in 2011, the quarterly online literary journal Open Road Review publishes short fiction (including translations), creative non-fiction, poetry and artwork. They are now inviting submissions for their sixth issue, slated to be released on August 1. They publish new authors alongside established writers, and are planning to release a print anthology of their best published works in 2013. Guidelines - Short Fiction: They accept previously unpublished short fiction of up to 4000 words and flash fiction of 1000 words or fewer. Stories must be typed, double-spaced and in MS Word DOC format with your full name and address on the manuscript. Submit only ONE story at a time, as an attachment (and in the body of the mail) to fiction@openroadreview.in. Creative Non Fiction: Maximum of 2000 words. Send in the body of the mail to cnf@openroadreview.in. Poetry: 3-5 poems, under 30 lines. The poems should be original and unpublished. Send your entry in the body of the mail to poetry@openroadreview.in. They are also accepting entries in Photography, Visual Art and Blogs. Last day for submitting your entry is July 15. For more information and to read back issues, log on to www.openroadreview.in.

A festival for independent films The 2013 edition of the Indian Independent Film Festival will be held from August 15 to 18 at Freedom Park. The festival aims to provide a unique outlet for independent filmmaker to showcase their creativity and reach the broadest audiences possible. The festival will also see a host of seminars and workshops conducted by well-known filmmakers, apart from screening of acclaimed films from Indian and abroad. An art and painting exhibition too will be organized on the sidelines of the event. Apart from filmmakers, the festival will be attended by technicians, distributors, production houses as well

as state bodies, making it an excellent opportunity for aspiring filmmakers to network with industry professionals. The festival will have a competition section, for which they have invited entries in categories

including Feature, Short, Documentary, Animation and Experimental. Prizes include cash awards, a camera kit, and an opportunity to direct a film. For more information, log on to www.tiff.in

talk|18 jul 2013|talkmag.in

Forward

A nuclear plant in my backyard This stunning picture is part of a series of photographs by Amirtharaj Stephen on the popular resistance to the nuclear plant in Koodankulam, Tamil Nadu. Stephen, who hails from nearby Tirunelveli, was drawn to the subject since he grew up in the Atomic Energy Department township at the Heavy Water Plant, Tutucorin. In this

The week ahead  Snowden asylum: Fugitive former US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden will likely accept asylum in Venezuela to escape prosecution in the United States, Glenn Greenwald, the US journalist who first published the documents he leaked, said on Tuesday.

picture, a Coastguard aeroplane is seen flying too low over the protesting villagers who ventured into the sea as a part of their Jal Sathyagraha, in an attempt to chase them out of the water. Stephen’s Koodankulam pictures can be viewed at www.tasveerjournal.com.

 Ishrat killing: The family of Ishrat Jahan accused Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Gujarat Police and politicians Thursday of making repeated attempts to intimidate it. Their home in Mumbra, near Mumbai, has now been given police protection.

The Dalai Lama’s tryst with the tuft

Want to fell a tree? BBMP website cuts the red tape A report by Citizen Matters highlights the BBMPs’ decision to start a web service for making the often controversial process of tree-felling smoother, and more transparent, for both those who want to apply for trees to be cut in their area, as well as those who object to it. According to the report, the BBMP’s Tree Authority issues nearly 3,000 permissions for cutting trees every year, but keeps no formal records, leading to accusations of cheating, bribery, and so on. But, under the new system, an applicant can request online, for felling or pruning a tree, and if there are objections, these too can also be posted here, within a period of fifteen days of the announcement. The authority will review the responses and then take a decision on whether to axe a tree or not, which will be put up online. If there are further objections to the decision, these too can be taken up with the authority, and it will be left to the chief conservator of forests (CCF) of the BBMP Forest cell to review the petitions and decide whether to

execute or revoke the action. The article also points to the many loopholes in the system, the most glaring of all being that potential objectors would have no way of knowing if someone has applied for trees to be cit in an area. Also, since there is no official tree census, and trees are not numbered, it would be difficult to provide or receive details of the tree being cut, especially if it is one among many similar trees cut in public place.

Unlike his counterparts, the Dalai Lama, the leader of the Tibetan Buddhists, is known for his sense of mischief, something he has not lost even at the ripe age of 78. During his recent visit to the Iskcon temple in Bangalore, the (totally tonsured) Tibetan spiritual leader’s playful self was very much on display. On an impulse, he caught the tuft of Madhu Pandita Das, the Iskcon president and chairman of the Akshaya Patra foundation, twirling it around. But then, what did they expect from a Nobel Peace prize winner who is capable of saying things like: “If you want to hit your neighbour, make sure you have a calm mind. It is only then will you be able to hit him effectively and satisfyingly as well.” That was from the Dalai Lama’s speech at the National College Grounds in 2011. The Tibetan leader is in the state to attend his 78th birthday celebrations, to be held at the Tibetan settlement at Bylakkuppe, near Mysore.

Write for a literary e-journal Research Scholar is an internationally refereed quarterly e-journal dedicated to English Literature. While their primary aim is to publish new scholarly articles in the field, they also encourage literary contributions in the form of original as well as translated poetry and fiction. They have called for “authentic, scholarly and unpublished research articles, essays, short story, poetry, book review, interviews and art works from scholars/ faculty/ researchers/ writers/professors.” They also offer graduate and post graduate students opportunities to learn about and participate in literary publishing through a professional internship. For more information and to read previous issues, log on to www.researchscholar.co.in.

 Acid attacks: The Supreme Court has given the Centre one week to regulate the sale of acid in the market, in absence of which it will impose a total ban on the chemical. The court is hearing a 2006 PIL, seeking a ban on the sale of acid due to increasing incidents of acid attacks on women.  1984 riots: The Delhi high court has sought responses from the CBI and Congress leader Sajjan Kumar on a plea filed by the family of the victims challenging his acquittal in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case.  Singur land: The Supreme Court today asked Tata Motors to make its stand clear on its leasehold rights over the Singur land in the wake of changed scenario as the company had already moved its car plant out of West Bengal.  Akrama Sakrama: The Siddaramaiah government is putting regularisation of unauthorised structures, popularly known as AkramaSakrama, on the fast track for implementation, according to a statement by Bangalore city in-charge minister Ramalinga Reddy.  Women bartenders: Women can now work as bartenders in Karnataka albeit under a dress code that forms part of the government guidelines which received the high court nod.

OOKtalk

talk|18 jul 2013|talkmag.in

Review

Mushy chicken (Serves 3) Ingredients

FARZANA COOPER

500 gms chicken legs and thighs, 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp chopped ginger, 3 large garlic flakes finely chopped, ½ pack Thai red curry paste, 2 tbsp white wine vinegar or water, 1 packet (200 gms) mushrooms chopped, 1 spring onion base chopped, salt to taste, 1 tomato roughly chopped into large pieces

Garnish A pinch of dried oregano (optional), 1 spring onion green stem, chopped

Method

Don Apron Offering much more than a bunch of unusual recipes, journalist Samar Halarnkar’s The Married Man’s Guide to Creative Cooking is a treat all by itself PRACHI SIBAL prachi.sibal@talkmag.in

his isn’t the kind of cookbook you’ll want to head straight to kitchen with, and that, we’d say is a good thing. For once, there’s a cookbook that appeals not just to the kitchen enthusiast or the foodie in each one of us but the booklover too. And Samar Halarnkar’s The Married Man’s Guide to Creative Cooking and Other Dubious Adventures does this without taking away from the core of the genre, the recipe guide. Halarnkar is the former managing editor of the Hindustan Times and author Westland of a book about India’s internet Rs 495 revolution, Nirvana Under the Rain Tree. His latest book though, is a guided tour through his culinary experiments, but in language that is kitchen-friendly as opposed to connoisseur-ish. The names are familiar and, the methods welldescribed and the ingredients the kind you

won’t have to bend over backwards to procure in your neighbourhood. The recipes are creatively named, and are simple enough to put at ease even a beginner in the pots and pans department. You could choose between Chicken With No Name, Mushy Chicken or Twice-AsNice Spiced Rice, all of which are accompanied by illustrations that add a dash of humour as take on the task of cooking them head on. While a chicken leg and mushroom are caught in embrace on the Mushy Chicken recipe page, you’ll find a cow trapped in a jar in the section on beef pickle. The recipes aren’t region-specific and coastal favourites come alongside the likes of Bengali doi maach (fish in curd sauce). The vegetarian section is considerably smaller when compared to the non-vegetarian one, but the cover photograph and the author’s confession to meat addiction in the early pages ought to be fair warning. This book though is best left untouched by purists, as this creative cook doesn’t shy away from occasionally relying

Wash the chicken and drain all water. Heat the olive oil in a large pan. Fry the ginger and garlic over low to moderate heat, till light brown. Add the Thai paste and fry over moderate heat. To sauté, use white wine vinegar or water. After 2 minutes, add the chicken. Sear over high heat. Reduce heat to moderate, add the mushrooms and spring onion base. Sauté. Taste and add salt. Add the chopped tomato. Sprinkle a pinch of oregano (if you wish) and the chopped spring onion greens as garnish. Excerpted with permission

on packaged Thai paste or tossing in a ‘Maggi’ chicken stock cube into his preparations. A scribe by profession, it’s not surprising that Halarnkar’s recipes are liberal with the use of alcohol in cooking; there’s Old Monk Pork Chops, Flamed Chicken being topped with beer sauce and cognac used in plenty to flavour fish. But, it isn’t the highly adaptable recipes that set this cookbook apart in the crowd of similar ones in the genre. It is the introduction to each of the sections where Halarnkar professes food theories, talks about his predisposition to meat eating and offers exercise tips too, laced with humour that make you laugh out loud. In one such chapter he dwells on what he’s labeled the ‘the raja-beta-syndrome’ that “manifests itself in doting mothers who indulgently serve their sons and adoringly watch them eat” and which handicaps Indian men in the culinary department. In some picture-filled centre pages are stories of the author’s culinary travels, in snapshots of course. Family pictures come printed with doodles intact. The personal touch of the passionate foodie is what makes this book a must-read if not a must-do.

Books We Love

DaddyLong-Legs here was one book from my early teen years that was just as good and better as its cover promised. It showed a girl in a long, rather chaste nightgown, perched on a windowsill above a chest of drawers, slightly open for her to climb as if it were a flight of stairs, engrossed in a book. It was that cover of Jean Webster’s Daddy-Long-Legs that gave to me a lifelong penchant for choosing windowsills to read my books. In no house that I have lived in have I had windows so high that I needed a chest of drawers to reach up. And yet, when I think of how I want to spend a beautiful afternoon all by myself, it always involves an old house with wide windowsills and the rest of what that edition of the novel had on its cover. I don’t have a favourite book. Or a favourite song, for that matter. These things change, they are meant to. Yet there is something about this 100-year old novel where everything fits into a near perfect whole. Like the movie Casablanca. Perhaps it is the innocence of the story of Jerusha ‘Judy’ Abbott, an orphan who has an anonymous benefactor funding her college education. In exchange she has to write letters to him, which she fills up with childish scrawls, girlie gossip, her dreams, fears and even boy trouble. Daddy-Long-Legs is a fairy tale, a love story. Like hot milk and cookies on a cold winter afternoon, like vanilla ice-cream in sweltering May, like a butterfly flitting over a bush of wild roses, this novel is about all things nice, simple, sweet and happy. Even a century after it was written, the story remains just as fresh, and Judy, just as relatable. That is what makes it a beloved, timeless classic story.

DEEPA BHASTHI

L I S T I NGS

talk|18 jul 2013|talkmag.in

retail therapy

music  Sale is back: Make the best of the sale season. Grab your shopping bags and shop at Vans’ stores where you can avail up to 50 per cent discount on footwear, apparel and accessories. Available at Vans, Forum Mall, Kormangala and Phoenix Market City, Whitefield

 Rock in the house: Get your dose of rock music this weekend as Zedde will be performing in the city. The band, from Mumbai, has 2Blue on vocals, Claver on guitars, Chirayu on bass and Trevor on drums. Their first single Mumbai won the ‘Anthem of the year’ at the AVIMA (indie music awards) in 2010. Chowdaiah Memorial Hall, 16th Cross, 2nd Main Road, Malleswaram, July 18, 8 pm

 Neon is here: Let this year’s fashion fad raid your wardrobe. Add a dash of neon to your closet as you choose from Pop of Neon collection of dresses, scarves, accessories, clutches and more. The collection ranges between Rs 1,200 and Rs 5,699. Available at www.styletag.com

 Rock on: Lend your ears to Girish and The Chronicles this weekend. The band has Girish Pradhan on vocals, Suraz Karki on guitars, Yogesh Pradhan on bass guitar and Nagen Mongranti on drums. Their genre of music is mainly classic rock. bFlat, 100 Feet Road, Above

ING Bank, HAL 2nd Stage, Indiranagar, July 12, 8.30 pm 25278361  Cheesy night: That’s just their name but The Family Cheese means serious business when it comes to music. Their music mainly shifts between blues rock and jazz fusion. bFlat, 100 Feet Road, Above ING Bank, HAL 2nd Stage,

 Look sensual: Shop till you drop at the Avirate Sensuality sale where you can avail up to 70 percent discount on dresses. Choose from a range of short or long dresses in a range of colours. Avirate, 12th Main, Indiranagar and UB City

plan your weekend

food

 The Storywallahs are here: If your love for stories has not faded even in adulthood, then head out to Atta Galata for an evening of storytelling. Bangalore based storytelling company, Storywallahs is back with ‘An evening with the storywallahs’. They aim to revive the age old act of storytelling through their story performances. They bring to you some popular and the lesser known stories from across the world. Open to all above five years of age. Atta Galata, #134, KHB Colony, 5th Block,

 Lunchtime fun: Enjoy a five-course menu that has a variety of salads, soups, desserts, pizzas, unlimited starters and main course. This weekday lunch buffet is priced at Rs 349 plus taxes. The Island, 380, 80 feet Road, Indiranagar, weekdays

 Twice the fun: Your energy levels are sure to reach sky high as DJ Hassan and DJ Sara spin their magic from behind the console. The duo will be playing some of the

best and the latest Bollywood hits and commercial house this Saturday. So put your best foot forward and let your hair loose. iBar, The Park Hotel, 14/7, MG Road, July 13, 8.30 pm 25594666

 Make your own pizza: This weekend, put on your chef’s hat and let your cooking skills take over. Learn to make pizza from the scratch. Right from preparing the dough, the sauce and the baking, at this workshop you can learn it all. Muse Terrace Lounge, 1206, Manan Arcade 100ft Road, Second and Third Floor, Indiranagar, July 13 9686682924  Flavours of the South: Explore the culinary world of South India this weekend with Chef Amit Wadhwan at this cooking demo. Learn to prepare prawns with cashew and coconut curry in Andhra style, chicken sukkha from Mangalore, Hyderabad’s mirch baigan ka salan and more. The Oberoi, 37-39, MG Road, July 13, 10.30 am 9341123330

Indiranagar, July 14, 8.30 pm 25278361

 A night of different tunes: Watch Allegro Fudge perform this weekend. Their music is an amalgamation of rock, pop, country, celtic, folk, jazz, classical and metal. Catch Saahas Patil on vocals, Jason Zachariah on piano, Anish Nadh on acoustic guitar and Shalini Mohan on bass Guitar. Bak Bak Bar, # 1, Kira Layout, Kormangala, July 12, 8.30 pm 9243777970  Jazzy evening: A night of soulful music, is what the Rex Rozario Quintet promises you. Their music includes genres like jazz standards, blues, Latin jazz, jazz rock and pop. Take 5, #54, MSK Plaza, Second Floor, 100 Feet Road, Inidiranagar, July 14, 8 pm 9972002106

 Calling all bookworms: Make the most of the sale at Landmark this month. Choose from books, stationery, magazines, music, movies, toys, gaming, technology and more. Available at all Landmark stores, throughout this month

Koramangala, July 13, 5 pm 9632510126

kebab, grilled pomfret, banana pomegranate sheek, makai mango sheekh and aloo ke garley along with beer of your choice. Moksha, Vaishnavi Residency, #67, Kanakpura Main Road, till July 14  Kebabs and beer: Sink your teeth into a variety of kebabs at the Kebabeer Festival. Choose from a variety of kebabs like mango murgh tikka, chicken and pineapple

 Japanese fervor: This weekend head out to the Shiifuudo festival. Here you can try out a variety of sushi like salmon and avocado temaki, maguro temaki, and main course like rock lobster grilled with

lemon garlic soy, grilled Japanese scallops and more. Teppan Japanese Grill and Sushi Bar, #1, Ulsoor Road, till July 14 32569029  Fun at brunch: Make the most of your weekend as The Park offers you a day full of relaxation and fun. Witness a live and interactive cooking demo with Chef Aditya Bal as you feast on some of the specialities. The Park Hotel, 14/7, MG Road, July 14 25594666

L I S T I NGS

talk|18 jul 2013|talkmag. in

laugh out loud

theatre Noises Off Nagar, July 14, 3.30 pm and 7.30 pm 26493982  Samsa: Samsa, a one-man show is about the life of Saami Venkatadri Iyer alias Samsa, a Kannada playwright of the 20th century. The play is about Samsa, his life, his moods, his dilemmas and struggles. It is written, directed and performed by Srinivasa Prabhu. Ranga Shankara, No. 36/2, 8th Cross, 2nd Phase, JP Nagar, July 17, 7.30 pm 26493982

 12 Inches: From the makers of Love, Sex and Mocha and Sex, Likes and Pokes comes another satirical piece, 12 Inches. The play is about the objectification of men. It is about Siddharth and his 12 inches that get in the way of his relationship and instead of a blessing turn out to be a curse. The play is written by

Chaitanya and directed by Abhishek Verma. Alliance Francaise de Bangalore, Thimmaiah Road, Opposite UNI Building, Vasanthnagar, 41231345  Purushasukta-A multilingual Play: Purushasukta is a popular hymn found in the Vedas and is recited at many ritu-

als. This hymn is about the Supreme Being who permeates the universe. The world is constantly changing because it is created and destroyed every moment. A dance drama, Purushasukta is directed by Joseph John and has Vasudev, Charan CS and others. Ranga Shankara, No. 36/2, 8th Cross, 2nd Phase, JP

theatre galore

film

 Operation Theatre: Opus brings you Operation Theatre, an evening where four short plays take the centre stage. Tickets for the plays are priced at Rs 220. Fate’s Steady Hands Presented by Dramanon, this comedy is about Sam, who is standing in Richard’s office wearing just one shoe and eager to tell him something. A No Play Presented by Dramanon, A No Play is written by Sarah Provost and has Sharanya Ramprakash and Nakul Bhalla. Left Or Right Performed by Tahatto, Left Or Right has Prashanth and Venkat Raghavan Srinivasan. Aaina A flvaour of rural India, Aaina is an account of a time before the mirror. It has Kamal Pruthi and is presented by Museum Theatre. Opus, 4, 1st Main, Chakravarthy Layout Palace Cross Road, Sankey Road, July 13 7. 30 pm 9008303330

 Bhaag Milkha Bhaag Hindi Based on the life of athlete Milkha Singh, the film explores the life of the Flying Sikh, his loss and his gains in the field of sports. It also focuses on his personal life where he lost his family in a bloody massacre in Pakistan and his love interest who played a very important role in his life. Directed by Rakeysh Om Prakash Mehra, the film stars Farhan Akhtar, Sonam Kapoor and Dalip Tahil in the lead. Q Cinemas, Whitefield- 10 am, 1.20 pm, 3.10, 6.30, 9.50 Innovative Multiples, Marathahalli- 11 am, 2.30 pm, 6, 9.30 Rex Theatre- 10.25 am, 4.15 pm Vision Cinemas- 1 pm, 6, 9.30 Cauvery Theatre, Sankey Road- 6 pm, 9.30 Urvashi Theatre 4K Cinemas10.30 am, 1.30 pm Gopalan Cinemas, Bannerghatta Road10 am, 6.30 pm, 9.15 Gopalan Cinemas, Mysore Road- 10 am, 3.05 pm, 9.30 Everest Theatre- 11 am, 2.30 pm, 6, 9.30

Aaina

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

 Sixteen Hindi The film is based on the lives of school kids who fall prey to the charms of the modern life. The story of innocence lost at an early age, Sixteen portrays life in modern society where children are not innocent as they used to be. It is a story of love, betrayal, internet, page 3 and television. Directed by Raj Purohit, it has Izabelle Leite,

 Noises off: A comedy, Noises Off is about an ambitious director and his group of notso-talented-actors and aims at revealing what a disastrous show can be. The cast and crew are putting together a silly sex comedy titled, Nothing On which has sardines fly, lovers frolic, doors slam,

clothes tossed away and many such funny moments. The play is directed by Atul Kumar and is performed by The Company Theatre. Ranga Shankara, No. 36/2, 8th Cross, 2nd Phase, JP Nagar, July 18 to 20, 7.30 pm and July 21, 3.30 pm and 7.30 pm 26493982  Acting workshop: WeMove Theatre brings to you a two-day general acting workshop where you can hone your acting skills. The final day of the workshop will end with a performance by the students. We Are Here, #57, 3rd floor, 6th main, 6th cross, Nagendra Block, Near PES PU College, Above Coffee Day, Hanumanthanagar, July 14 and 15

 Laugh till it hurts: This is one show that you wouldn’t want to miss. Stand up comedians will take the city headlong this weekend. Neville Shah, Rohan Joshi and Atul Khatri bowl one googly after another that will have you in splits. Opus, 4, 1st Main, Chakravarthy Layout Palace Cross Road, Sankey Road, July 12, 9 pm 9008303330 Opus In the Creek, Mahadevapura, Brookefields Road, Whitefield, July 13, 9 pm 40943031 Barleyz, 2/3, 80 feet Road, Sony Signal, Koramangala, July 14, 9 pm  Music with laughter: Watch Kanan Gill, who is called the sensational sardar and the musical mallu, Kenneth Sebastian spin some funny tales along with some music. The event will be hosted by Sanjay Manaktala. bFlat, 100 Feet Road, Above ING Bank, HAL 2nd Stage, Indiranagar, July 13, 8.30 pm 25278361

Bhaag Milkha Bhaag Mehak Manwani, Wamiqa Gabbi, Rohan Mehra and Zakir Hussain in the cast. Vision Cinemas- 10 am Q Cinemas, Whitefield- 10.15 am, 7.15 Gopalan Mall, Old Madras Road- 3.30 pm

Gopalan Cinemas, Bannerghatta Road- 10 am, 3 pm, 7.20

 Pacific Rim English When groups of monsters known as

Kaiju emerge from the sea, there is a threat to humanity and the surroundings. To fight the giant Kaiju, a special weapon is built, robots that are controlled by two pilots who are locked in a neural bridge. Unable to fight the monster, the next option that they seek is to take the help from a former pilot and a trainee. Will they succeed? Directed by Guillermo del Toro, it has Robert Kazinsky, Brad William Henke and Burn Gorman in the lead. Q Cinemas, Whitefield- 10 am, 12.40 pm, 6.30, 9.30 Innovative Multiplex, Marathahalli- 4.30 pm, 10 Rex Theatre- 7. 35 pm Vision Cinemas- 10.30 am, 4.15 pm Cauvery Theatre, Sankey Road- 11.30 am, 2.30 pm

 Whistle Kannada This love story loaded with action stunts has Chiranjeevi Sarja and Praneetha in the lead. Directed by Santhosh Raj, the music is composed by Joshua Sridhar. Triveni- 10.30 am, 1.30 pm, 4.30,7. 30 Veerabhadreshwara10.30 am, 1.30 pm 4.30, 7.30  Ale Kannada Directed by Adhath, this love story features Tanush and Harshika Poonachcha. Music is composed by Mano Murthy. Navarang- 10.30 am, 1.30 pm, 4.30, 7.30

talk|18 jul 2013|talkmag.in

Budo Q&A Instead of coddling your children, teach them to deal with life early on, says Sensei Avinash Subramanyam

DEAL WITH IT Bullying is unavoidable in school life; the first step to tackling it is to accept it as a fact

Some hard lessons of life How to deal with kids throwing tantrums? First, realise that to have progeny is just a natural function. There’s nothing about your child that warrants special love. That is selfish. If you truly love, you will feel love for all— other children, pups, the needy, even tables and chairs. You might not want a mosquito to fly around you because it bothers you, but you won’t hate anything. Learn to treat your child like a neighbour’s child. Then, if your kid is throwing a tantrum ignore him; don’t ever look that side. Watch TV or engage yourself with other work. If you ignore, they will slowly learn to accept whatever you give. They will also learn that only asking nicely will work. Once you give them what they want, the problem begins. They have to know you mean ‘no’ when you say ‘no.’ I feel pain when my child is undergoing pain, for instance, because of bullying by older children. How do I deal with this? It is an emotional matter but be practical. It’s like if your child goes to war, you should expect him to die. You then become grateful if he comes back live. If your child goes to school, be prepared for him to be bullied and manipulated. Train the child early on to deal As a culture, we haven’t known luxury like the Americans or Japanese. Most people have with life. enough to just fend for themselves. In such circumstances, the ability to think beyond Is it all right to reward good behaviour in a oneself is difficult. Those who are well off child? Giving rewards is not good in the long run, don’t think beyond themselves. There are of and spiritually too, because that teaches chil- course a genuine few—doctors, teachers etc dren only to expect and take. You should teach who give their lives for society. Others talk big them instead to give. In fact, if your child has because they want to feel big. Some of us may a chocolate, you should tell him to give it to a feed dogs or feed the poor. But how many do poor child rather than eat it. Also if you we feed? How often do we feed? When we feed reward them for work they do—wash the car, we feel great about ourselves. But how small clean the garden—that is business. Children we actually are! Look at dogs, they only need a should help because of love for the family and bowl of rice and some affection; but our needs are endless. If we were all bigger than ourhousehold. selves, there would be no poverty. My child wants more (toys, eatables) than what my husband or I had when we were children. Are How do I keep calm in emotional situations so that I can take the right decision? today’s children different? Children are not different. We lead a more Write down in a notebook ‘I’ll be calm in emomaterial life today and children are brought tional situations.’ Read it every time you face up in this environment. Children today are such a situation and practice being calm every smarter than we were but how we direct that time. Being aware of the situation is the first intelligence is important. They can be taught step. Say, I’m fighting with X and X is shouting at me. If I know X is shouting at me rather to give to charity or be selfish. than only hear him shout, it’s different. If your brother has met with an accident and you are I am in Class 4 and have become class-leader. aware, you will not panic; you will think of How should I control my class? Become better than others so that they what to do next. You will ask, “Is he conscious? respect you. Help others. Be kind and polite. Is he bleeding? Is he speaking coherently? You will call an ambulance; go to the hospital. See the situation for what it is and do what you We know what is right (for example, throw paper in the dustbin, follow traffic rules) but we have to do. Understand that nothing in life is more important than love and happiness. don’t act accordingly. Why?

In an earlier column you said, “Do not fear the uncertainties of life; just live life.” How to overcome fear? There is no easy method or technique. The only way of overcoming fear of uncertainty is to accept death. And that can only come through spiritual awakening. The first lesson in Budo or the ‘warrior’s way’ is to accept that you are dead; every day henceforth then becomes a boon. To develop this attitude, you have to learn the spiritual art of detachment. Does life have a specific purpose? If it does, how does one know what it is? The purpose of every human being is to make the universe a better place for all. Now we are rectifying mistakes; we talk about global warming, etc. Trees, rivers, everything in nature gives life and maintains balance. You should also work to keep nature and the universe alive, not destroy it. This is the only true purpose; the rest is unimportant.

Transcribed by Radhika P Send your questions to Sensei at: seefarwellnessorg@yahoo.com

memoir

A communal brick puja is disrupted in court Some lawyers support the VHP’s position on the Ayodhya shrine, but others are outraged. An ideological battle ensues

don’t know how I became anti-BJP. I was averse to the saffron party because of the position it took on the demolition of the Babri masjid and its attempt to collect bricks from across India to build a Ram temple. I had handled many cases relating to BJP-supported trade unions and had many friends in the party. But I was disgusted with their brick worship. I am proud to say my progressive thought drew inspiration from Lankesh’s writings. I was shocked when another great writer like Shivarama Karanth supported the Vishwa Hindu Parishat’s position on the temple. A rationalist and agnostic, Karanth had sprung a surprise by taking part in the

VIVEK ARUN

VHP’s signature campaign urging the lawyers tried to brand me antiBrahmin. But many of my friends and building of a Ram temple. I had revered Karanth. He holds well-wishers were Brahmin. The a special place in the pantheon of charge failed to stick. One day, as I entered the great thinkers and writers. I was among the many influenced by his precincts of the court, I was in for a writings. The idea of Karanth being shock. Some lawyers were holding a associated with the VHP was so brick puja in the conference hall. The absurd I felt a hero was donning a vil- legal points in my mind vanished. I resolved to stop the communal forces lain’s role. Like Karanth, the celebrated active inside the court. I called my junior lawyer poet Gopalakrishna Adiga also backed the Sangh parivar. This support is a Nachappa (he later led a movement for a separate blot on their literary Kodagu state), and careers. ‘You did not asked him to Lankesh wrote mobilise lawyers to fearlessly against allow the puja, stop the puja. communalism. He so we won’t Nachappa, who had a declared in his editoallow this talk’ fighting instinct in rial column: ‘Life is him, got together a sacred, not bricks’. He exposed the vile intentions of the group of young lawyers. We took out parivar manifesto. He did not intel- a procession to the conference hall, lectualise his arguments; his thought raising slogans. The priest performflowed without any hindrance as they ing the rituals fled. We continued the came from his heart. Lankesh stood protest till evening. I tried to find out who had out because of his pro-people stands. Whenever we had some lean organised the puja. It turned out moments in court, I would criticise lawyer HL Narasimhamurthy had the VHP’s brick yatra and taunt those sponsored it. He had contested the inclined towards the BJP’s rightist Bar Association elections and lost. ideology. Some parivar-aligned There was talk that he had organised

crime folio

talk|18 jul 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

the brick puja to garner votes for the next elections. A few days after this, EMS Namboodiripad, the former Kerala chief minister and towering CPM leader, visited Bangalore. Lawyers with Leftist inclinations, such as Gopala Gowda and HN Nagamohan Das, invited him to deliver a talk. As EMS was about to start his speech in the conference hall, lawyers with Sangh parivar sympathies marched in and started screaming. “That day you did not allow us to perform the puja, and today we won’t allow you to hold this talk,” they said. Unaware of the background, EMS asked us what the matter was. When we explained it all to him, he said, “Then I won’t speak in this hall. Let’s go to the grounds outside.” The event was adjourned outdoors. We were joined by clients and citizens there. The talk was a big success. Namboodiripad explained how the brick puja was anti-national. Translated by BV Shivashankar

T I M E P A SS

talk|18 jul 2013|talkmag.in

31 Prof Good Sense

 My son is 27 years old and is a confirmed transsexual. He is also suffering from mild depression. While we are still struggling to understand and accept him, he speaks of terminating his life. How do we deal with him? Please help. Lakshmi, Bangalore Transsexuals often experience many debilitating and contradictory experiences. If they are not expressed, they would most certainly not be showing a normal transsexual behaviour pattern. In a way, depression and anger help them to maintain their focus and eventually attain a positive resolution of their state of unease. Suicidal intentions are most likely to disappear when he comes to believe that a positive outcome is in the offing. This can happen if you talk to him with caring words and find out through counselling the reasons for his suicidal thoughts. 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

18 Our city is located in this plateau (6) 19 Nearly 60 walkers congregated recently to protest against the proposed construction of a pool in this park (6) 20 Party whose members staged a protest against the recent bus fare hike (8) DOWN 2 Village on the outskirts of Bangalore (9) 3 Apartment dwellers will soon have to pay more for this essential utility (5) 5 Karnataka tourist destination known for its sculptures and red sandstone cliffs (6) 6 The editor of this Urdu newspaper was recently murdered (7)

Last week’s solution Across: 1 Umashree, 3 Laggere, 9 ABVP, 10 Krishna Rajendra, 13 Ginseng, 15 Hebbal, 16 Retro, 17 Kempe Gowda, 18 Card clubs, 19 Six.

ACROSS 1 Director of Chandra (5,4) 4 The owner of this establishment was arrested for allegedly running an illegal discotheque (3,4) 8 A section of the Congress Party want him to be appointed Deputy Chief Minister (1,12) 10 The KFCC has asked this producer

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to change the title of his movie (10) 12 Agency investigating the KPSC scam (3) 16 The mayor of Bangalore wants to step down citing his ____ status as the reason (5) 17 Pub on Residency Road synonymous with what you are solving (4)

Down: 2 Auradkar, 4 Auto Raja, 5 Gopalan, 6 Ejipura, 7 Kesaragere, 8 Uma Shivakumar, 11 Ragpickers, 12 NIMHANS, 14 Karwar.

Antiques dating back 500 years and worth crores were recently stolen from the ___ ____ of South India (4,5) 9 Hospital in the news for giving the wrong blood type to an anaemia patient (1,1,7) 11 From August 1st a ____ ration card will be a must to avail of rations (9) 13 RV Deshpande's portfolio in the Karnataka State Cabinet (7) 14 ____ Kumar: Kannada actor who passed away at the young age of 24 (7) 15 The Karnataka Examination Authority has added 416 _____ seats to the matrix for CET-2013 (7)

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talk|18 jul 2013|talkmag.in

Surveillance: The empired strike back

‘A party game for horrible people’ It’s not what we’re saying about this party game, but the proud claim its makers make for themselves. In their own words, ‘Unlike most of the party games you’ve played before, Cards Against Humanity is as despicable and awkward as you and your friends. The game is simple. Each round, one player asks a

Whistleblower Edward Snowden’s revelations about the US National Security Agency’s surveillance empire—sensational as they were— achieved very little in terms of institutional change. But it seems to be triggering public initiatives that are interesting, if not effective. Online magazine Motherboard has launched a terrorism spam generator dubbed Hello, NSA. This handy app allows you to easily generate tweets, messages, and status updates packed with NSA-alert-raising keywords, the idea being to overwhelm

surveillance filters with false positives. Designer Sang Mun has come up with ZXX, which he calls a “disruptive typeface” for its ability to elude character-recognition software used by intelligence agencies to filter the massive amounts of online traffic for certain ‘keywords.’ And here’s the fun part: Mun used to be a special intelligence guy for the NSA, where he learned first-hand how to extract information from defence targets! A third example comes from the Dutch city of Utrecht, where artists Thomas voor’t Hekke and Bas van Oerle adorned the surveillance cameras in their city in adorable party hats on the birthday of George Orwell, the writer who described a nightmarish and dictatorial surveillance state in his classic novel 1984. Three cheers, we say.

question from a Black Card, and everyone else answers with their funniest White Card.’ An example is given alongside, but having spent an unhealthy amount of time on their website, we can tell you it gets a lot worse than that (or better, if you happen to be one of the horrible people it’s intended for).

Those (sponsored) voices in your head If you thought those annoying text messages by marketers are invasive, wait till you hear this. If Sky Deutschland, a German subsidiary of the Rupert Murdoch-controlled (who else) News Corp, has its way, tired metro commuters who happen to lean their heads against the train’s window will ‘hear” adverts coming from inside their own heads, urging them to use Sky’s services. The campaign uses something called

bone conduction technology, used in hearing aids, headphones and Google’s Glass headset, to

pass sound to the inner ear via vibrations through the skull. The voice would come from a transmitter that is attached to the train window. In other words, you would hear voices in your head just like paranoid schizophrenics would, and you’d be equally helpless to do anything about it. We like to keep an eye on what old Rupert is up to, but this one seems too creepy an idea even for someone who’s attained Bond villain status.