TALK MAGAZINE by Suhas Shankarappa

talk Volume 1 | Issue 42 | May 30, 2013 | Rs 10

magazine

the intelligent bangalorean ’s must-read weekly

ROW Phaneesh Murthy wants to return home 7 FASHION Breezy styles for late summer 16 MOVIES Mira Nair and the liberal confusion 18 BOOKTALK A bi-sexual triangle in Cobalt Blue 22

THE NEW INSIDERS

From next week, Bangalore’s private schools will start teaching poor children, as stipulated under the Right To Education Act. Some managements are happy to have them, while others would go to any length to keep them out. What exactly is happening on the ground? MARGOT COHEN finds out 11-14

AYYOTOONS Sreesanth’s spot 5

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mail

Voiceover industry in Bangalore is booming because of national radio stations I read a very engaging article by Margot Cohen on the voiceover industry in Bangalore (Boomtime in the VO biz, Issue 41) in the latest Talk. Being a part time voiceover artist and and a full-time TV artist, I really enjoyed the honesty in the article. I feel the boom is a direct contribution of Hindi and national radio channels pouring into Bangalore in the past few years. As the article states, content operators nationwide are increasingly looking to outsource work to the city. I believe this is due to the cost-effectiveness of VO work in Bangalore.

job by highlighting families which have been caring enough to invite children from the streets into their homes. Such efforts in the media go a long way in changing public attitudes towards foster care. Foster care is not without its drawbacks, but it is still, apart from adoption, one of the most effective and humane ways to address the problems of abandoned children. Nandini Sharma by email

What I liked about Talk Talk makes for very interesting and informative reading. Almost every Bangalorean can relate to it. I particularly like the informal style in which you PD Sathish Chandra present important issues by email of the day. When you take up an issue, you cover every aspect of it. For Foster care Talk's article on foster care instance, your cover story on breast cancer (No 1 in (For a home and a hug, Issue 37) has done a good breast cancer, Issue 36)

team talk EDITORIAL

EXECUTIVE TEAM

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

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

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

talked not just about the increasing incidence, but also causes and treatments. It even included the experiences of a survivor. This is one of the best features of the magazine. Anusha Rao, by email

Unusual stories around us Talk always offers some interesting stories. Long ago, I had watched a documentary on Jain nuns on BBC, but it is quite something that Savie Karnel caught such a ceremony in Bangalore and wrote about it (The

bride who turns nun, Issue 41). I made my 12-year-old daughter also read it. She couldn't believe it was for real! Bageshree S, Banashankari Write to letters@talkmag.in

political diary

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editor talk For children, the summer holidays are coming to an end. When they return to school next week, they will see some unusual sights. Children from less affluent families will join them on the campus, and study and play with them, all thanks to the Right to Education Act. On our cover is Margot Cohen ’s story about how the new law is changing the prospects of thousands of children in Bangalore. She met a Muslim woman whose fourth child will be the first in the family to attend a ‘decent ’ private school.

FRIEND INDEED Siddaramaiah loyalists like HC Mahadevappa (extreme left) now call the shots

A ministry outsourced Old faithfuls in the Congress are sulking about plum posts going to those who strayed in from the enemy camp DP SATISH

hief Minister Siddaramaiah is giving out important portfolios to leaders who walked into the party late: that’s the opinion of a growing number of Congressmen. The fact that Siddaramaiah’s 28-member cabinet includes 10 people from the erstwhile Janata parivar has caused many old timers acute heartburn. “Loyal Congressmen have been sidelined,” goes their rant. Just nine years ago, Siddaramaiah was a strong Janata parivar leader and a vocal critic of the Congress. Warming up to the theme of betrayal, they say Siddaramaiah has given plum portfolios to his old parivar pals and doled out less important ministries to “original”

ministerial berth. Congressmen. R Roshan Baig, a Congress TB Jayachandra, among the senior-most Congress MLAs, is in strongman, and mining baron Anil a funk. He thinks law, parliamen- Lad have been cooling their heels tary affairs and animal husbandry without ministerial berths. Siddaramaiah says he has aren’t as “prestigious” as the water resources portfolio he had set his been forced to keep out at least sights on. Jayachandra was in the five Congress MLAs because of the race for the post of chief minister pressure on him not to induct and had even lobbied for the post ‘tainted’ men. Those who think their loyalty of deputy chief minister. A lightweight from to the party has gone unrewarded Bangalore, KJ George is the sur- are sulking in silence. prise choice for home minister. Siddaramaiah’s critics allege he Power bloc(k) wanted a person who is “less Union ministers M Mallikarjuna assertive” as his home minister. Kharge, who lost the CM race to Some even suggest George’s Delhi Siddaramaiah, and M Veerappa ‘connections’ played Moily, who had set a big part in his gethis sights on the The new CM ting the job. CM’s chair, are also was once a Much has been closely watching said about Satish every move of the critic of the Jarkiholi getting the new government. Congress excise portfolio. As SM Krishna, Oscar one in the liquor Fernandes and BK business, he has a vested interest Hariprasad are not very comfortin excise policy, and his appoint- able with the new order either. ment has given the BJP and the A veteran Congress leader JD(S) fresh ammunition. sums up the mood as he says, DK Shivakumar, a powerful “Siddaramaiah is going too fast. If Vokkaliga leader and six-time he wants to survive as the chief MLA, was in the race for the chief minister of Karnataka, he should minister’s post until last week. He go slowly. Speed won’t work in the has now failed to secure even a Congress!”

Some school managements are willingly throwing open their doors to the poor, but others are advancing outrageous, selfserving arguments about how children who ‘smell ’ can ’t mix with children who come well scrubbed. Education is nothing without idealism, but clearly, we have amidst us mercenary ‘educationists ’ with zero social responsibility. The mess in education points to many shameful aspects. Why can ’t the government run good schools? Where are the serviceminded educationists of an earlier era? Why can ’t politicians formulate a language policy that addresses the aspirations of ordinary citizens? Why are licences to run English-medium schools allowed to become licences to extort? With no dearth of space, grants, or staff, government schools ought to have been models, but they only evoke dismay and derision. So can the new law rescue our education system? Can it create a more equal society in the class room and beyond? We bring you the ground reality from across Bangalore. As we go to press, we hear UR Ananthamurthy has missed the Man Booker International Prize by a whisker. It is a matter of pride that a Bangalorean made it to the final list. MK Raghavendra reviews Mira Nair ’s latest film, The Reluctant Fundamentalist. That, and lots more lined up for you in this edition. Happy reading!

SR Ramakrishna ram@talkmag.in

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Skeletons in the cabinet Chief Minister Siddaramaiah made news for his ‘clean ministry’, but some of his choices—as with a liquor contractor who got the excise portfolio—are nothing short of scandalous RV Deshpande Just appointed minister for higher education and tourism, this Goud Saraswat Brahmin was minister for large industries for 10 years during the tenures of three chief ministers-HD Deve Gowda, JH Patel and SM Krishna. In private, party leaders accuse him of land grab. Despite his lack of mass appeal, he nurses chief ministerial aspirations. A moneybag, Deshpande is a man many in the Congress despise but keep in good humour.

textiles, ports and inland transport minister. His excuse: Chinchanasoor belongs to the backward Koli community.

Qamarul Islam Bangalore. KPCC President G Parameshwara justified his induction saying Sonia Gandhi and Siddaramaiah want to instil confidence among the minorities.

Satish Jarkiholi

MLA from Gulburga North, Qamarul Islam was the minority welfare, Haj and waqf minister in Dharam Singh's cabinet. He is alleged to have siphoned off money allotted for Haj pilgrims. Investigations continue. Siddaramaiah gave him a berth to keep away old rival Azeez Sait’s son Tanveer Sait from his cabinet.

An MLA from Belgaum district, Satish Jarkiholi is the new excise minister. His family owns distilleries and sugar factories, and that is a Santosh Lad clear conflict of interest. Notorious for Mining scandals their violent ways, he and his brothers brought the previous strike terror in his constituency. The BJP government down, liquor business is known to work in the but miners continue to shadows, violating many rules. be in power even in the KJ George Siddaramaiah says he gave Jarkiholi a new dispensation. Santosh Lad, who Siddaramaiah's home minister is a Malayali ministership because he belongs to the has won from Dharwad district, was the original mining baron before the Christian from backward Valmiki community. Reddy brothers of Bellary came on the Kodagu's Gonikoppa. scene. The Lad brothers—Santosh and George has been a Baburao Anil—were allegedly involved in illegal Congress member since 1968. Yet, party Chinchanasoor leaders are shocked he is now home B a b u r a o mining way before the Reddy brothers, minister. As chairman of the Chinchanasoor was and enjoyed the support of SM Krishna. Kelachandra Group of Companies, his the libraries minister They are likely to try and regain lost business interests range from real in the Dharam Singh ground, and Bellary is notorious for its estate to liquor to rubber. He runs an government, and was investigated by bloody battles. Lad is your new inforoffice on MG Road, next to Hard Rock the Lokayukta for corruption. Court mation minister. Café. Party insiders say he rules over cases are pending against him. the bar and restaurant business in Siddaramaiah has now made him the BASU MEGALKERI STILL MINE Santosh Lad represents the mining lobby in the new cabinet

Why is DK Shivakumar out in the cold? Congress leader DK Shivakumar---often referred to as a ‘strongman ’ in the media —wasted no time in announcing that he was a chief ministerial candidate. His declaration created chaos in the Congress. Ironically, for one who was vying for the top post, Shivakumar did not even get a ministerial berth in Siddaramaiah ’s cabinet. In 2004, the JD(S) and Congress came together to form a government. Dharam Singh was appointed chief minister, and Siddaramaiah became deputy chief minister. Though an influential Vokkaliga leader, Shivakumar did not get a ministerial berth then. It is believed that JD(S) supremo Deve Gowda thwarted Shivakumar ’s chances. Being a Vokkaliga himself, Deve Gowda didn ’t want Shivakumar to eclipse his family. But in 2013, the Congress has won a clear majority and formed a government without any allies, yet Shivakumar is nowhere in the picture. A close aide of Shivakumar, who wished to remain anonymous, told Talk, “Siddaramaiah met freedom fighter HS Doreswamy and asked him to write to the party high command that people with corrupt backgrounds should not be inducted into the cabinet. That way, he ensured Shivakumar was not given a berth. ” Of course, Shivakumar ’s track record is far from clean. Reputed activist SR Hiremath of Samaja Parivartana Samudaya has filed a case in the Supreme Court against him for having supported illegal mining. He is seen as a camp leader within the party. Tejaswini Gowda, his former protégé and now a rival, lost the election to the Bangalore South constituency. She alleged he had worked to ensure her defeat. She reportedly complained to Rahul Gandhi and the high command in Delhi. All these things put together have kept Shivakumar outside the cabinet.

fun lines

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sporty vice

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Inside a petty gambler ’s mind After a hard day ’s work, I was heading back home when I saw some colleagues standing in the corridor. I asked them why they were in no hurry to go home. That was when I was introduced to the world of betting. It was the third season of the IPL and they were betting on a Kolkata Knight Riders VS Delhi Daredevils match. I tried to understand how it works. There were four people, divided into two groups. The first supported Kolkata and the other two Delhi. They decided Rs 500 would be the stake. I just stood around.

Betting thrives in the bylanes These boys aren’t in the Sreesanth league, but they get their thrills from staking money on the vagaries of cricket BASU MEGALKERI basavaraju@talkmag.in

A LITTLE EXTRA Some boys who ply small trades see betting as a way to supplement their income

hile mega betting goes on at a national and global level, the bylanes of Bangalore are agog with young boys betting on the IPL. Many teen and youth punters are part-time workers who earn about Rs 10,000 a month. A good number are employed part-time. They see an opportunity to make quick money through IPL betting. And then there are students who see betting as a fun activity. For the working boys, betting is a way to beat boredom. Nineteen-year-old Ravi, who helps at a battery recharge shop near Banashankari, earns a monthy salary of Rs 5,000 and gets Rs 20 as an extra daily allowance. His employer keeps running into problems whenever the IPL season kicks off.

“Not only does he ask for the daily allowance in advance, but he even asks for the Rs 5,000 salary long before it is due. He doesn’t report to work and leaves things half done at the shop,” says the shop owner. Ravi bets over every ball and over. For example, he bets Rs 20 that Suresh Raina will hit a boundary for a particular ball, or Rs 50 that Gayle will score more than 15 runs in a particular over. “It is true we lose money. But IPL betting gives us greater pleasure than even the lottery. There are ups and downs and there’s much uncertainty, but who knows what we might gain at the end of it? Sometimes I’ve earned as much as Rs 500,” says Ravi, who won’t reveal a word about the people he bets with and where they come from. “We have our own group and we get together. We bet as we watch the game,” is all he reveals. Praveen (21) belongs to a friends’ group in Basavangudi that plays tennis ball cricket all day. Its members bet on their own games and use the money for snacks and liquor. But when the IPL kicks off, they stop betting on their own games and start betting on the tournament. Each boy puts in between Rs 500 and Rs 2,000. “We bet within our own group. Even if we lose

money, we lose it among ourselves,” Praveen told Talk. He and his friends work parttime and make between Rs 10,000 and Rs 15,000 a month. “We don’t bet beyond our means. This year’s betting is far higher than last year’s,” he said. Pavan V is a final year BBM student who lives in Banashankari. He comes from a well-off family and has his own bike and his parents even give him their car. He has a big friends’ group who bet higher. Though everything is going well for him in life, betting tempts him. “We keep betting from the start of the IPL season till its end. We start on the toss and then move on to ball to ball betting. There is a network, but we don’t know where they come from. What is interesting is they help us bet over the phone, Internet and SMS. We bet a minimum of Rs 500, but it can go up to anything. We even bet chains and watches,” says Vashist. Betting has made inroads into small pockets where it was previously non-existent. Ravi, Praveen and Pavan had no clue what they were doing was illegal. Over the last three to four years, the sub-culture of staking money and tasting the thrills of gambling has crept into the inner areas of Bangalore, thanks to the IPL.

My work as a screen-printer is tough, and I always dream of earning money effortlessly. With a salary of Rs 5,500 a month, I send money to my elderly parents, who live in Madanapalli in Andhra Pradesh, and I also have to take care of my own needs. I went to a nearby shop and called my friends from a coin phone. They agreed and asked me to find another colleague to join the group. They wanted an even number. The next day, I went to office and urged a close friend to join the group. Thanks to my enthusiasm, he was ready to risk his money. All six of us met at the corridor and pledged the money to the most senior person (age-wise) in the group. My friend raised his hands for Delhi but since Shah Rukh Khan is my favorite, I went with Kolkata. That night was the most frightful night in my whole life. I was quivering, even before the match could start. I didn ’t even have a phone to be in touch with my friends. All that I could do was pray, pray, and pray for a good outcome. But as they say, God disposes. The money I had earned working under a hot sheet roof was gone in a jiffy. I was depressed, but I wasn ’t ready to give up. After a few days, I once again gambled with Rs 1,000, but ended up losing that as well. The third time, I put in Rs 2,000, expecting double. And as my luck would have it, I won Rs 4,000. RCB had helped me put myself back on track. I thanked all the gods and goddesses in the world. Last week, I staked Rs 15,000 against RCB and lost it. I know I will earn more than what I have lost. So I ’m not so worried. (As told to Maria Laveena)

corporate scandal

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The private Phaneesh Sacked iGate CEO longs to spend time with his parents in Bangalore’s Malleswaram

PRASHANTH GN

prashanth.gn@talkmag.in

WHO, ME? Phaneesh Murthy claims the two sexual harrassment cases against him were made for financial gain

haneesh Murthy, disgraced superstar of the corporate world, has a record of helping poor students of his community, Talk discovered. Back in Karnataka, he contributed to the setting up of hostels for boys from his Brahmin Sankethi says Raghunathan, is emotionally community in Bangalore, Mysore, supportive of Phaneesh. “They don’t Hassan and Shimoga. The annual know the exact details, but they are reports of the 69-year-old Kowshika aware that sometimes charges can be Sankethi Sangha—an organisation levelled for financial gain and to tarrepresenting his sub-sect—acknowl- nish the image of a person. They believe luck is not favouring their son edge his generosity. This very Sangha has and family. They are praying hoping approached BNS Murthy, Phaneesh’s Phaneesh will come out of all this.” The Murthys spend time reading father, and he has been generous, too. The family enjoys the respect of eld- the Bhagavad Gita. “They read it very ers of the community, but the scandal closely. Their nobility and pious outover Phaneesh Murthy’s involvement look comes from the learning of the with a 31-year-old colleague has sent Gita. They also read scriptures and spiritual literature. They also medishock waves in their circles. The parents of Phaneesh tate.” Raghunathan has interacted Murthy are in shock over the sacking. They are at home and haven’t visited with Phaneesh several times. “I have anyone in the last couple of days. A had several conversations with him close family friend of the Murthys, B whenever he has come to Bangalore. N Raghunathan, said: “Please under- He comes across as a very polished, stand they are in their 80s. Any news concerned and mature person”. Phaneesh’s parents take care of like this will hurt them. Asking them him whenever he comes about the incident will to Bangalore and they hurt them further more. Phaneesh’s go to his house in the US It may even upset their family is when he invites them. health”. BNS Murthy’s In his words: “The emotionally brother and sister live Murthys are very noble supportive close by and visit him and pious people. I know often. “Because all of BNS Murthy will not even take a sip of coffee without first their near and dear ones live in offering it to the others around him. Malleswaram, it is a great relief. They He will never say one word extra on have someone to talk with and share any issue. The Murthys are an their pain.” extremely courteous family.” BNS Murthy has an impeccable The earlier story professional record. “He has worked When Talk spoke to Phaneesh with Kirloskar as an electrical engi- Murthy during a teleconference, he neer. His integrity was 200 per cent.” sounded crestfallen, and said he was In this hour of crisis, the family, thinking of spending time with his

parents. “I have to come and see them soon. I want to come soon but nothing is definite yet,” he said. He was unsure of what exactly to do with his children studying in school and college in the US. “I think I have to take a vacation but I think I’ll be here right now. My son is going to school.” Murthy was in his office chambers in California around 5.30 pm on Monday (US time) when he suddenly got a call from the the iGate board chairman that he was being sacked. The board, however, released a statement that an independent investigation had not concluded occurrence of sexual harassment. As soon as the release was made public, correspondents from all over India and the US tried reaching him for his side of the story. Murthy, in a state of shock, left for his California home to break the news to his family. “We can avoid that topic please,” Murthy said, when Talk asked him how his family would take the news. By his own admission, Murthy was in a ‘personal relationship’ with Roiz, the complainant, for “the past few months”. “The relationship was normal. I just didn’t have any indication that anything was going wrong. I didn’t know if it was breaking. I had no indication whatsoever, it was so sudden.” Why would Roiz suddenly hurl charges of sexual harassment if everything was okay? That’s when Murthy instinctively told this Talk correspondent: “When you figure out women,

let me know and I will take lessons from you.” Murthy suspects a conspiracy. “It happens that she has hired the same law firm and lawyer of the person who had earlier levelled allegations against me when I was in Infosys. You understand the implications then. Without question, this is extortion.” According to iGate’s employment regulations, the management must be informed if an employee is in a personal relationship with another employee. Murthy had informed the chairman of the company, but only when the relationship with his subordinate had ended. “There is a disclosure clause. We have to disclose the relationship though there is no clause saying when you have to disclose. It’s a small handbook, with a very small line. But clearly the timing of the disclosure is what they have taken into account,” he explained. If Murthy had told the management first about the relationship, the damage could have been mitigated. From Murthy’s account, Roiz suddenly shot off a letter to the management. “She sent it straight to the company’s lawyers. I don’t know what the contents are, but claims seem to have been made about sexual harassment,” he said. Murthy had no role in the appointment of Roiz. He told Talk he had no connection with her work either. “If she goes to court, I will certainly contest. I am very sure I will win the case,” he said, adding there was “nothing to settle” if she didn’t go to court. Murthy believes he has the backing of his staff. “Many people have said what she is doing is bullshit. I don’t know what the IT community in Bangalore is saying,” he said. Why didn’t he tell the company about the relationship when it began? “I can’t give an answer to that because I don’t have an answer. I don’t know why I didn’t inform them early on,” he said.

Back then in Infosys Murthy moved out of Infosys in 2003 after sexual harassment charges were levelled against him by his former executive secretary Reka Maximovitch. He re-built his career from scratch after a glittering innings at Infosys.

veggie prices

Hopcons? Many outlets are marking up their prices and ignoring the mandatory Hopcoms price list issued every day MARIA LAVEENA

maria.laveena@talkmag.in

opcoms vendors are violating their mandate to sell vegetables and fruits at prices fixed by the marketing co-operative. When Talk published the story Case of vanishing mangoes in Issue 38, we had acknowledged that Hopcoms’ prices were far cheaper than those of market and street vendors. We had quoted prices from the main outlet, next to Lalbagh. But other Hopcoms outlets, this reporter found, are marking up prices by up to 30 per cent. Talk visited outlets in Pai Layout, Indiranagar, New Thippasandra, CMH Road, Ulsoor, Koramangala, Fraser Town, and Whitefield. Inexcusably, the prices were not only different, but the boards

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know the problem continues in many of the outlets.” Hopcoms gives out a list every day to all its vendors. It is mandatory for them to follow the prices recommended there. “If anyone finds a shopkeeper selling vegetables and fruits at higher prices, they can note down the shop number and inform us straightaway. I guarantee immediate action,” Gowda added. Hopcoms had introduced an SMS service a year ago to rectify this issue. It was an initiative to give out timely information about the fluctuating prices, but most buyers don’t know about it. Like JD Raj, who visited the CV Ramanagar outlet recently. “I wasn’t aware of the SMS system or else I wouldn’t have KEEPING IT QUIET Unlike this one, in many Hopcoms outlets the prices are not displayed got cheated. There was a special occasion with the daily prices were obscured in a keepers had rounded off the prices of at home last week and I thought buying almost all vegetables and fruits. from Hopcoms would give me good deals. I corner, or turned towards the wall. But there were a few pleasant surpris- later realised the prices were similar to At the outlet opposite Canara Bank in Ulsoor, nati carrots were sold at Rs 60 es in store. For instance, the Hopcoms out- those of the street vendors,” he said. when the Hopcoms price was Rs 52. let located at 8th Block, Koramangala, and Alphonso mangoes were sold at Rs 120 another at Whitefield, sold more or less all Prices an SMS away when they should have been Rs 96. When products—from eggs to mangoes—in To know the day ’s prices of this reporter quizzed the shopkeeper why accordance with the Hopcoms list of the vegetables and fruit, type HOPCOMS prices were different from the main outlet, day. VEG or HOPCOMS FRUIT, and send an his reply was a mumbled ‘Which main outWhen Talk took the problem to SMS to 92433 55223. You will also let?’ General Manager Doddakende Gowda, he find a regularly updated list on It was a similar story at Indiranagar said, “Three months back, we had suspendwww.hopcoms.kar.nic.in. and CMH Road too. What’s more, shop- ed six people for this violation, but I didn’t

industry calling

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Gear shift for IISc Industry has for long demanded that the Indian Institute of Science accommodate its needs as much as those of ‘pure science’. A recent career fair suggests the country’s pre-eminent science research institution might finally be responding PRASHANTH GN

prashanth.gn@talkmag.in

angalore’s premier science and engineering institute, the Indian Institute of Science, recently held its first ever career fair. Traditionally, it used to interact with industry only through its faculty and departments. The career fair was organised by the Students Council. Pramod Verma, IISc Students Council chairman, told Talk: “It was the first ever career fair to be held at IISc. Students wanted to have direct, one-to-one talks with industry heads to understand what they are looking for.” The objective of the initiative is to make graduates seek new opportunities within industry, without compromising on basic research training. In the process, industry gains insights into the benefits of basic research. According to Verma, the fair was a success with 42 public and private companies, and some 600 students, participating. Top companies like Infosys, Cisco, IBM, Phillips, TVS Motors, Robert Bosch, Motorola, Honeywell, Tata Motors, Tata Power, CPRI, DRDO, NAL, CMTI and even a few start-ups attended the fair. IISc has always had industry links, with researchers taking up projects and working for companies

HI-TECH ONLY IISc currently partners with industry in only a few areas like aerospace and computer science

from within the campus. Now, students want opportunities to do similar research work when they join companies as full-time employees. Prof CNR Rao, Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Council to PM (SAC-PM) and former director of IISc, told Talk industry should employ many more science PhDs and MS students than it is doing now. He said, “In India, the number of researchers and scientists employed by industry is low. Indian industry should have more scientists than it has now. If the career fair is an attempt to draw industry’s attention the employability of researchers, it is a good initiative.” IISc Director Prof P Balaram said that students are “legitimately concerned” about work opportunities. “Earlier any interaction would be through faculty. Coming from the students directly, it’s a first of its kind initiative. I welcome it,” he said. Prof BN Raghunandan, aerospace specialist and Chairman of the Earth and Environmental Sciences Division,

According to Padmanabhan, the private sector has not been a major collaborator, but it has had a presence in departments like supercomputers and aerospace. “Typically, after research, students go abroad. With the career fair, students now know there are hundreds of Indian companies offering jobs,” Padmanabhan said. Verma says the career fair will be an annual affair and complement the institute’s placement efforts. “Once you visit the fair and interact with company heads, it becomes easy to apply during placement,” he said.

believes the private sector has expanded vastly and most companies don’t know what IISc researchers and students have to offer. “It is in the new, vast, private, international sector today that employment opportunities exist and students are naturally anxious to understand their requirements,” he said. IISc collaborates with top public sector companies. Prof G Padmanabhan, former Industry fit director of IISc, pointed out: “The For their part, companies are eager to public sector in Bangalore emerged deepen ties with IISc, but are cautious out of IISc. In fact, HAL, NAL, HMT, and insist on a measure of alignment. ITI, CMTI and ISRO have had interPadma Dhayanand of IBM’s actions with IISc from the time of Software Technology Lab, who coortheir inception and dinated IBM’s presmany in these instituence at the IISc career ‘Public sector tions came out of IISc. fair, is optimistic. The space programme industry in the “There is plenty of had its origins within synergy between IBM city emerged IISc.” and IISc and we even out of IISc’ Balaram said: have an IBM fellow"Both the engineering ship for IISc students. and science divisions have large projects with industry. Sponsored At the career fair, we received over 80 research is strong. And we have at resumes that fit our requirements,” least two large departments dealing he said. exclusively with industry.” Sumit Rishi, Technology and Raghunandan noted that IISc Industrial Relations Manager at has played a major role in aerospace Honeywell, another US-based multiand defence projects, collaborat- national company with diverse intering with defence research labs. ests in manufacturing and technolo“If you ask whether IISc gy, says the company is interested in a has done a lot of industry-ori- long-term collaboration with IISc. ented research, we could say, yes, “IISc may help in a bits and we have. If you ask whether pieces role—it may be able to solve industry can employ more specific problems, while it may not IISc researchers, we say they have a grip on the overarching, bigger should, but they don’t know problem,” he told Talk. The compawhat research is happening ny held talks with inside,” he added.

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faculty and deans at the career fair. Whether it is local private sector, MNCs, or defence establishments, there appears to be a concern that IISc should get better at tackling the big picture, building and taking on more end-toend capability. A senior scientist from DRDO, who preferred not to be named, says IISc is still not a prime driver of research. “IISc researchers are in a position to solve specific problems, offer specific solutions. It is also good at testing systems. Overall, we cannot say IISc researchers are 100 per cent industryready, but they are also not completely unaware of industry requirements,” he concluded.

‘IISc is not an industry’ Director Prof P Balaram and former director CNR Rao share their insights on research collaboration with industry

Should IISc look at creating products, and also enhancing the employability of its students and researchers? Balaram: IISc is an academic institution to teach, train and educate. It is nurturing future teachers, trainers and educators. CNR: IISc cannot drive the creation of products. IISc can create ideas that can lead to products. I agree IISc should work with industry closely. JOB ALERT IISc students at the career fair

What should IISc’s focus be?

Is IISc industry-relevant? Balaram: We are so strong in this area that we needn’t overemphasise the need to go after industry. I am very pleased the Students’ Council arranged a career fair. CNR: There is no doubt IISc has been industry-friendly for long and CAPTAINS Profs P Balaram and CNR Rao has many credits for doing industrial Balaram: It should produce people research I am clear in my mind that who can make products, and not prod- IISc also needs to produce graduates ucts—the best people who can make who are employable. The career fair is a step towards that. the best products. CNR: Research and production of world-class graduates. The gradu- But has the IISc made any products that ates should not only be employable are widely known? Ratan Tata, who is everywhere, but also be picked up by also closely associated with the institute, world class institutions like MIT and did express his concern that IISc needed to bring out something tangible. Harvard. Balaram: If IISC gets into products, what would industry’s job be? Is IISc creating enough entrepreneurs? CNR: I understand the sentiBalaram: There aren’t many, but I would wholeheartedly welcome more ment. It is not wrong for anyone to ask students setting up companies. I agree whether IISc has produced a worldIISc should create more entrepreneurs. class product. There is very good CNR: The start-up culture defi- research happening and it has pronitely needs more push within IISc. duced very great people who have Faculty need to encourage students to gone on to build institutions. In terms take more risk. MIT’s incubation and of products we need a game changer, start-up culture and its faculty’s vision though a very good deal of utilitarian public research has happened. should become part of IISc’s culture.

education matters

talk|30 may 2013|talkmag.in

RAMESH HUNSUR

WELCOME 2,450 private schools in the city have admitted children in UKG and first standard as stipulated under the Right To Education Act

Is this a A new dawn for kids?

MARGOT COHEN

As the first day of school approaches, thousands of underprivileged city children will occupy free seats at private schools for the first time, thanks to the Right to Education Act. How will they fare?

ing and the blood is dripping, the teacher will sit quietly and chit-chat,” n Urdu medium school says Zainab*, a 35-year-old mother stands on the edge of a who sends two daughters to this perfectly square garbage school. She also sent an elder son to a dump in the Devasandra local Kannada medium government ward of KR Puram. It’s a school, which she says wasn’t much better. But the government school, choices were limited scorned by parents in ‘The mindset for this BPL cardthis low-income will change,’ holding Muslim neighbourhood for family, which must neglecting the most predicts one pay Rs 5 daily for basic needs of their educator. two plastic pots of children. Kindergarten water and can’t kids must walk all the way home to relieve themselves afford to fix a busted TV. As the wife because the school keeps the toilet of a scrap-metal collector who earns locked. Drinking water is unavail- about Rs 250 a day—on the days he able. Mid-day meals feature rice gets work—Zainab figured that priladen with pebbles, bottle shards or vate schools were beyond her reach. Now, however, her fourth child frisky worms. Teachers periodically disappear for “training,” and if they is getting ready for his first day in the do come to work, appear detached first standard in a different sort of place. He was granted a free seat at and indifferent. “Even if the children are fight- Little Bloom, a nearby private

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English medium school that offers computers, abacus lessons and karate classes for six-year olds. Not to mention drinking water, bathrooms, and teachers who actually show up. For Zainab, the news was exhilarating. “All three of my older children have been suffering. At least the younger one should be happy and get a good education,” she says. Along with many parents, she is convinced that exposure to English will lead to a solid job. Nothing illustrates the failure of Bangalore’s public schools more vividly than the radiant smile of a mother whose child has just gained entry to private school. Of course, there are a vast range of private schools in this city, and the obscure Little Bloom would rank way down on the list when compared to big shots like National Public School or Stonehill. Socially, too, Little Bloom may not be a daunting stretch for Zainab’s son. His cousin already attends the same school, born to a family more prosperous than his own. With Class One fees running to Rs 15,000 annually, the place tends to attract a variety of lower-middle class families. The new boy will not be vaulting into the ranks of an institution where children are given Nike sneakers in every color of the rainbow and spirited off to Singapore on holiday. Will Little Bloom really offer Zainab’s son an admirable education? It’s too early to say. Plenty of private schools in Bangalore suffer from underpaid and mediocre teachers, dodgy English and inadequate infrastructure. Still, the mere promise of a decent classroom environment and a modest measure of social mobility means the world to parents like Zainab. Such expectations lie at the heart of controversial Section 12 of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, known as RTE. The crucial clause—which has almost come to represent the Act itself in the public’s mind—requires 25 per cent of an incoming class to be granted free seats, with limited reimbursement by the government. The Act was passed by Parliament in August, 2009, but its validity was questioned by a petition filed in the Supreme Court by a lobbying organisation for private schools. The Court upheld the Act in April, 2012, but since the verdict came too close to the beginning of the school year, not many applications were filed under it. This will be the first year in which Section 12 will be seriously implemented in Bangalore, compelling 2,450 private institutions across the city to offer free entry-level seats in UKG or first standard to children who fulfil certain criteria as underprivileged. Kids whose parents earn less than Rs 3.5 lakh a year, or fall into the category of SC/ST and OBC, are eligible. Despite various obstacles, more than 36,000 applications have been filed in Bangalore. The final tally of seats remains uncertain. While the first round of the selection process was completed in most schools by March or April, the education department has permitted a second round up to May 30, prompting a fresh combination of hope, anxiety, and paperwork on the cusp of a new school year. In fact, RTE covers a wide range of subjects related to improving schools: it bans corporal punishment, sets standards for the teacher-pupil ratio, and outlaws child labour, just to name a few provisions. But the 25 per cent rule has caused the most tumult, mainly because it seems to propose a couple of radical ideas. The first is that society needs to make a concerted effort to reduce social stratification by encouraging kids to mix as early as primary school. The

Where the rule doesn’t apply Schools run by minorities are exempt from RTE, while some international schools have their own reasons to duck the Act. Not everyone is happy with these ‘islands’ of privilege

circular that suddenly redefined a minority school as one where 75 per cent of the student body belonged to the same minority as the institution ’s founders. But the Karnataka High Court stayed the circular, much to the relief of such schools.

A certain cluster of schools is not subject to the 25 per cent rule. These schools are classified as “unaided minority institutions, ” long protected by the Constitution from state intervention. In Bangalore, that means top schools like St Joseph ’s, Bishop Cotton and Delhi Public School (DPS) may carry on with business as usual.

In their defence, some unaided minority school operators point out that they already provide substantial assistance to needy students. At DPS, for example, board member Mansoor Ali Khan explains that they have established a community school for underprivileged children within the boundaries of the campus, and annually select about 10 promising children from that school to begin attending the more academically demanding DPS in the third standard. Their parents pay Rs 10 a year for this privilege.

Analysts point out that “unaided minority institutions ” have yet to be precisely defined under law. In the past, it was enough to show that such schools were set up and managed by people who profess a minority religion —such as Catholicism or Islam —or wish to safeguard a minority language, such as Telugu in the Kannada-majority state of Karnataka. But with all the ruckus surrounding RTE, the minority exemption has tapped a deep vein of resentment and jealousy. Some private school operators grouse that they are likely to lose business to unaided minority schools if deeppocketed parents believe that those are more secluded enclaves for the elite. Others simply find it unfair that mainstream, commercial enterprises with a mixed student body, including many Hindus, can pass themselves off as minority schools. Education officials have made no secret of their desire to dragoon the minority schools into RTE compliance. (Depending on one ’s perspective, such officials are either inspired by visions of social justice or grasping for more opportunities to extort seats for their own relatives and friends.) Last year, the Karnataka education ministry tried to impose a

Without constitutional safeguards, “We would not have the freedom to run our own institutions, ” says Father Clifford Sequeira, Principal of St Joseph ’s Boys High School, where 40 per cent of the primary and secondary students are Christians.

“Actually, there has not been a problem, as long as you integrate them properly, ” says 39-year-old Khan. Several expensive international schools have also managed to duck RTE. Not because they are run by minorities, but because they slot themselves as “boarding schools, ” which are explicitly exempted from the 25 per cent rule. This group includes the Canadian School and The International School Bangalore. But what does “boarding ” mean? Not the usual definition of pupils housed overnight in dormitories; the schools argue that many “day boarders ” count, too, even if they go home to Mommy and Daddy at the end of the school day. One scholar who remains opposed to such exemptions is VP Niranjanaradhya, a fellow at the Centre for Child and the Law at National Law School and a former member of the Child Rights Commission. “You can ’t just create islands in a federal state, ” he says. “Many of these private schools behave as though they have nothing to do with the state. ” GETAWAY? Some international schools claim exemption from the RTE Act, saying they are ‘boarding schools’, but many of their students are ‘day boarders’

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“It’s a master stroke,” says Sudhir Krishnaswamy, a lawyer who works with both the Azim Premji Foundation and the Center for Law and Policy Research. “The immediate project is to get children into a safe space where they interact with each other and learn what it takes to make a society. We need to learn this in a new way. Our traditional way is hierarchical, feudal and violent.” Krishnaswamy helped write a brief submitted to the Supreme Court on RTE. Although minority-run institutions would still be exempt, due to Constitutional protections (see box), the landmark Supreme Court decision made it clear that other schools must comply. That led to a flurry of meetings this year between Block second is that the state has the right to Education Officers (BEOs), cluster intervene in the management of private resource persons, child rights activists, schools, which previously had thrived outreach workers, private school board without much regulation at all. Jittery educators and parents want to know: are these ideas practical? Or will they lead to financial ruin for schools, greater vulnerability to state corruption and reduced academic standards? Will they produce a bunch of kids traumatised by their wealthier peers? Will officials abandon all interest in improving government schools? Such dramatic questions are being raised against the stark backdrop of state schools closing down, a rush for private education, and waning support for Kannada as a medium of instruction. members and confused parents. Each school was expected to process its own CHALLENGING HIERARCHY The 25 per cent rule does have its fair share applications, submitting the pupils’ names of supporters, who cite the need for more to the BEO for a final check of documents. meaningful social integration in the city, If the number of applicants exceeded the and India as a whole. Clearly, Bangalore’s number of seats, the rules called for a lotreal estate industry—with full support of tery at the school. Throughout the process, much critithe civic authorities—has exacerbated class distinctions by financing a rash of high-rise cism has been levelled at the taluk revenue apartments and gated communities, while officers, or Tahsildars. They have been largely ignoring the need for well-planned widely accused of collecting bribes of Rs low-cost housing. In this context, the RTE 1,000 or more for processing certificates clause could help buck the trend of that specify income and caste, which must be included in RTE applications. (BPL increasing social segregation. cards were not accepted as sufficient proof.) Which was worse—that such officials allegedly squeezed so many miserably poor parents, or provided fake certificates to some undeserving parents whose real income exceeded RTE limits? In south Bangalore, for example, the Yashasvi National Public School Mallya Aditi Valley School Sophia School Schools that are Kumaran ’s exempt Indus Delhi Public School Poorna Prajna St Joseph's Kendriya Vidyalaya Bishop Cotton Vidya Shilpa Baldwin's Vidya Niketan Canadian School MEC Public School TISB Embassy Public School Ryan International School

Schools that complied

International School has refused to accept any RTE children because its management insists that parents are simply not as poor as the paperwork claims. Yet the local BEO fumes that schools don’t have power to judge the veracity of the certificates. Meanwhile, both education officials and school managements express dismay over the rule that all SC/ST parents would be eligible to apply for seats, regardless of their income levels. Could it be fair to allow children of IBM executives or IAS officers to partake of free education under RTE? “I think the ‘creamy layer’ is working the 25 per cent rule to its advantage,” says Vikas Maniar, head of In School Programmes at the Akshara Foundation. Meanwhile, many low-income parents remained oblivious to the new opportunity. Notices were generally posted inside the private schools, past the forbidding security guards. For some genuinely poor mothers, the problem came down to lack of a cell phone. A resident of a slum community off JC Road, 31-year old Sangeeta, recounted how she took a bus to Yelahanka twice and waited for hours at the Tahsildar’s office. But the day an official came to her home to verify the information and hand over the certificates, she was out working, separating waste. While other parents were alerted to the home visit by phone, Sangeeta was clueless. Finally she returned to

Homework for next January All schools to display banners or posters outside their gates, advertising the number of RTE seats available Allow poor parents to use BPL cards instead of income certificates for proof of income Encourage volunteers to visit poor neighbourhoods and explain how to file applications Disregard ward boundaries and stick to a simple 1 km radius

Yelahanka and got the documents and rushed to file an application. But she was two days late, and the application was rejected. “I was so sad,” recalls Sangeeta. “I cried.” Now she plans to borrow money to send her six-year-old son to an aided school. Her neighbour, Annapurna, avoided loans by securing an RTE seat at Chennamma Memorial School for her daughter Lavanya, all dressed up in a pretty pink dress and silver anklets. For help with filling out the application, Annapurna turned to a staffer from Radio Active, a community radio station with a 15-km radius. “It’s good the government has done something for us,” says the mother, married to a man who earns Rs 5,000 a month at a printing press. This raises one aspect of RTE that is rarely discussed: its potential to liberate some low-income parents from the grip of moneylenders. These days, many Bangalore parents will do anything to avoid sending their children to govern-

ment schools—even risk the wrath of debtcollectors.

SHOW THEM THE MONEY KP Gopalkrishna has his own set of financial worries. As head of a network of 12 prestigious National Public Schools across the city, he has agreed to accept six RTE children in each. Yet the 72-year-old chairman derides the state’s maximum compensation of Rs 11,848 a student as “peanuts”

No cheating! First assignment: Crack down on schools demanding extra money for books, uniforms and transport. "No child shall be liable to pay any kind of fee or charges or expenses which may prevent him or her from pursuing completely the elementary education." RTE Act, Section 3(2)

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and predicts economic doom for the private sector. Fees at NPS range from Rs 75,000 to 95,000 a year. Education officials understand that this rate of compensation—which applies to all schools that admit RTE applicants — does not match what the top schools (and the regular fee-paying parents) are actually investing per pupil. Palakshaiah, a consultant for the education department’s RTE cell, concedes the cost per student for schools is much higher in Bangalore. He explains that an “average” cost had to be fixed throughout the state, for the sake of parity. “We can’t discriminate on the refund to rural and urban schools. We are not ready for that inequality. All children will flock to the city,” he argues. Gopalkrishna’s forebodings extend to the social realm. “All these children don’t even have food at home. Do you think they will sit and study? They will not,” he insists. “The underprivileged children will come in without a bath. Then the other children will say, ‘there is a smell.’ That is called social incompatibility.” He warms to his argument. “God has not created everybody equal. God has created people at different levels,” he says. Some children belong in government schools, he explains, and it is the state’s responsibility to improve those schools. Yes, some relatively disadvantaged children who obtained NPS scholarships in previous years did manage to go on to become doctors and engineers, Gopalkrishna acknowledges. But he believes this was achieved because the school could decide on its own who was worthy of a scholarship.

children got seats last year; this year the equal and live in a democratic nation.” Within the sanctum of the city’s most number will rise to 28. Parents of these children typically work as street vendors, elite private schools—where basketball construction workers, or identify as SC/ST, courts and swimming pools augment acashe says. But the school mainly attracts demics—there are also some goodwill middle-class parents, including IPS officers efforts underway. At Mallya Aditi and engineers. The airy campus features International School in Yelahanka, 46tennis courts and computer labs, and also year-old kindergarten teacher Rekha Chari offers instruction in yoga and anger man- volunteered to spend summer afternoons helping the five-year-old daughter of a agement. “We like the RTE,” says Shashikala. widowed anganwadi teacher get comfort“When we talk about abolishing poverty, able before school starts in June. They why can’t we do something that’s in our played Snakes and Ladders, and practiced colours, vegetables and numbers in hands?” She views private school operators English. Chari also helped the little girl who have resisted the 25 per cent rule as learn how to use the Western toilet at “creating unnecessary drama”. Last year, school, since she was only familiar with the she reports, socialising among the five- Indian-style loo at home. “I’m sure that the kids will accept her. year-olds was not a problem. A few kids were initially prone to crying jags, but a lit- In UKG, she’ll be fine,” Chari predicts. The school principal, Sathish tle counselling soothed them. For the first few months, they did not come to school as Jayarajan, is also looking for ways to make well-scrubbed as the other children, but the transition smoother. He has convinced then the parents started taking more care several wealthy parents to sponsor the fees of a few RTE children until graduation, so with their appearance. that he won’t need to In terms of learning, raise fees more than 10 some of the RTE children ‘Schools resisting per cent across the board. needed extra help with the RTE are creating (Kindergarten now costs alphabet and English a cool Rs 2.1 lakh at vocabulary. So the kinderunnecessary Mallya Aditi.) He also garten teachers worked drama’ plans to ask parents to with them for two periods tone down the lavish in the afternoons, even though they received no extra pay. Soon, birthday parties hosted outside. And their efforts paid off. “They are smart, actu- instead of elaborate cakes brought to ally,” notes Arun. “In the second half of the school to mark a special day, a simple piece of candy should suffice. year, they managed very well.” “For five-year-olds, you need more She is also optimistic about the RTE’s role in promoting social integration. For sensitisation of parents, rather than chilnow, the kids are too small to understand dren,” he observes. Jayarajan adds that he is also willing that they are flag-bearers for inclusive education. “First, they should develop a good to work with an NGO next year to canvas rapport,” says the principal. “By class three the neighbourhood and spread awareness or class four, they should know that all are so that more parents apply.

GETTING ALONG Not everyone buys this “social incompatibility” argument. Shashikala Arun speaks from experience. As principal of the CBSE section of Mahila Seva Samaja, a school founded in Basavangudi in 1913 to enhance the education of women (it has since gone co-ed), she was delighted to see her institution join the band of early-bird schools that began implementing the 25 OPEN DOORS Shashikala Arun (second from left), Principal of the CBSE section of Mahila Seva Samaja per cent rule in 2012-2013. Sixteen RTE school in Basavangudi, is among those welcoming RTE

Across town in Devasandra, for example, outreach workers from a group called APSA helped Zainab and other mothers secure a total of 22 seats in their locality. While Mallya Aditi offered eight RTE seats this year, six seats will go empty due to lack of applications. Education officials say the remaining seats may not be given to feepaying parents.

LESSONS FOR TEACHERS It doesn’t take repeated readings of Lord of the Flies to know that children can be cruel to each other. The Supreme Court can’t wipe out a poor child’s feelings of disappointment of not being able to host sleepover parties like another classmate, or not having a trendy tiffin box. Yet it is also unrealistic to think that children in modern India expect economic parity. Every day, they see TV ads for foods and products they can’t afford, or serials featuring families living in fancy houses. That doesn’t mean that they can’t bond with a child from a different background. There could be some social frostiness, and even dropouts. Yet it is also possible to envision a host of friendships that will flourish, over time. In kindergarten at the Indus International School, for example, several blonde expat kids became visibly close buddies with Indian children admitted last year under RTE. Apoorva Saini, head of the primary school, describes the integration process as "really smooth." This top-end institution happily accepted eight RTE pupils last year and will welcome 11 more this year. Within India, Saini expects that broad support for the initiative will gather momentum. “I think it will be a rolling stone,” she says. “When people see there is such a thing as equalising the playing field and providing opportunities, the mindset will undergo a change.” For now, much of the success or failure of the 25 per cent initiative would seem to rest on the shoulders of kindergarten and Class One teachers across the city. Will they show the dedication displayed by Chari or the squad at Mahila Seva Samaja? Or will they allow impatience to seep out, with a dismissive tone or a volley of harsh words? What many people don’t realise about RTE is that it strives to teach teachers, not just students. A gradual influx of disadvantaged children, starting at the entry level, “can allow the school to develop the professional capacity to respond to the intellectual and emotional needs of children from diverse backgrounds,” says a report issued by the Ministry of Human Resource Development in Delhi. Bangalore will be waiting for its own RTE report card. Welcome to the first day of school. *RTE parents/children’s names have been changed to protect their anonymity

talk|30 may 2013|talkmag.in

Leisure then, toil now

School SAVIE KARNEL

savie.karnel@talkmag.in

s the summer vacations come to an end, many children dread the thought of going back to school. School means strict timings, long classes, big books, home-work drudgery, and endless tuitions. With all these packed into their day, children are left with little time for themselves. It isn’t new for kids to W wish school was all leisure. The thought is etymologically right, too. For at one time, school actually meant leisure. The term comes from the Greek schole, meaning time held for oneself. It could be translated as leisure. Schole was the time left after the day’s work. This did not mean time whiled away, The Talk column on but time used to learn word origins life insights or discover

oneself or find direction. The elite Greek used schole in intellectual discussion, learning philosophy or appreciating art. This time was considered very important for one’s well being and growth. Aristotle wrote, “We work in order to be at leisure.” How true. But the modern definition of leisure is not exactly what Aristotle had in mind. For him, leisure was the basis of culture. It could include contemplation, prayer, worship and aesthetic pursuit. In his book Politics, he says, “The first principle of all action is leisure. Both are required, but leisure is better than occupation and is its end.” Since discussion was an important part of Greek life, people began gathering at a particular spot to discuss issues. The place where they came together was then called schole. The term entered Latin to become schola, with the meaning of a lecture place. It became scol in Old English, and retained the meaning, a place of instruction. Over the centuries, scol became school. In 1300, the term was not just restricted to the place where lessons were taught, but went on to include students too. A group of students at a place of learning was

K E Y

O R D S

TIME OUT For the ancient Greeks, schole was a place for contemplation and debate

also called school. For example: The school gathered for prayers. In the 1590s, the building which housed students came to be known as school: The school is located near the market place. Both these meanings are still in use. In the 1610s, school gained another meaning. People united by similar principles were also called a school. For instance, The school believed in reincarnation. This

usage led to the phrase school of thought, in the 1860s. This meaning is still use. We also refer to ideologies as schools of thought. The original Greek meaning of school now seems to apply more to those who drop out of one. People like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs left their studies to follow their passion. In doing so, they found direction in their lives. In a way, they achieved what Aristotle believed every human should.

summer style Sanchita Ajjampur (Designer) What ’s in

Prints or not

Spring summer 2013 is all about bright colours and bold prints. High contrast graphic prints are big this season for both men and women. These, layered with unconventional fabrics and combined with luxe embellishments and accessories really form the season ’s trend story.

Flaunt flower power of the 60 ’s with appliqué and broidery anglaise (English Embroidery). Experiment with stripes —candy stripes, the Breton stripe, the nautical stripe, pinstripe, regatta stripe and the humbug stripe. Also opt for camouflage prints in bomber jackets, tailored trousers that are best paired with neutral basics.

Fabric speak

Natural, refreshing and elegantly simple muslins expertly tailored to create fresh, fragile, minimal and modernist looks.

Smooth cotton, canvas, leather, suede, linen, light textured tweeds, luxe satins complemented with decorative handles like jacquards, metallics, bonded mesh, lace and organza. Natural and organic yarns and composite vegetal fibers lend themselves perfectly to fulfill the season ’s functional needs. Cotton blends, open-weave crepe, intricate weave with spacedyed cotton and floating tulle blocks work hard to combine the season ’s aesthetics with functionality.

talk|30 may 2013|talkmag.in

Fashion prescription This season is excuse enough for designers to put out their latest stuff, but you could also choose some cool cottons that let you breathe easy. Five top fashion insiders share with Supriya Pradhan their recommendations for surviving summer in style

Manoviraj Khosla (Designer) What ’s in

Sequence on short dresses.

Fabric speak Linen and light satin work just fine.

Colour watch Bright colours with lighter shades of green, yellow. Colours should suit you and contrast

Personal favourite

Summer tricks No tight fitting clothes, experiment with different fabrics. No velvets.

Prints or not? Bright prints, light fittings, denims and linen.

Personal favourite Linen jackets for both men and women.

Cut specific Favoured cuts this season include easy androgyny, fluid silhouettes, drapes and crisp separates to beat the summer heat.

Summer tricks It is all about minimalism this season, with focus on the colours and prints. Simple silhouettes are key-shift dresses, boxy shell tops, cropped trousers and colourless outerwear.

Prasad Bidapa (Fashion choreographer) What ’s in I ’m seeing a lot of relaxed shapes like kurtis for men and dresses for women making a comeback. Floral prints and flowing silhouettes look modern and comfortable.

excess sweat; it feels and looks much better and avoids wet patches.

Colour watch

Colour is a personal choice and one must not follow the dictates of fashion blindly. Choose colours that work for your skin tone and make you Cut specific look good. For me, When it comes to shapes, again, look for those that play up your good points. it ’s always white for summer, with beautiful pastels Fabric speak like cream, pale Indian summers dictate the use of natural fibres which are climate friendly. pink, mink, sky Among these, cotton and linen are your blue and peach added for interest. best bet. Frequent showers and the I call these the ice lavish use of deodrant are cream shades recommended if you want to feel fresh through the day. Men should wear a thin and they are cool to cotton t-shirt under their shirt to absorb wear.

No point in wearing tight and constricting clothes in dark winter colours. It is better to wear comfortable silhouettes that allow air to circulate over your body.

Prints or not? They say large prints look good on large people and I agree. In terms of prints, do look for beauty and elegance and avoid the garish and vulgar.

Personal favourite Cotton and mulmul is my all time favourite. They look fresh at the end of the day and float with every breeze. I love my dhoti-kurta ensembles in pristine white muslin.

What ’s in

everyone know it from their I ’m not a trend clothes. So easy breeze cuts, watcher at all! like kaftans and poncho tops for women, and linen pajamas For me, and loose fitting shirts for summer just men should work. means cool colours and Colour watch breathing fabric. Let ’s hope White, yellow, blue, green, that ’s what the trend is! peach!

Fabric speak Low gram cotton and fine linen. Mulmul (silk and cotton) is light and convenient too. For dressy affairs, organza could work for the evenings.

Cut specific/Summer tricks Too tight would make it sticky and for people who are sweaty, it can be embarrassing to have

For women: Cutouts in clothing; lace in tops, dresses and skirts; sheer panels Peplums are still in, moving from jackets to cocktail dresses and skirts Floral prints enjoy a romantic revival; so do graphic black and white checks and stripes (broader stripes). Also, brushstroke prints and paint splashes Ruffles, oversized. 60 ’s revival (mod bold prints, short hemlines and A-lines, boxy silhouettes, checks, vibrant colours, floral appliqués For men: from nautical to pinstripes to rugby, from horizontal to vertical — are a strong motif for spring Camouflage: Modern takes on the military print, even camouflage sneakers Neon colours: The soft colors we ’ve come to associate with spring are taking a back seat this season and giving the spotlight to neon colors, brighter and punchier, either as whole ensembles or just as slivers on the soles of shoes

Kaveri Sinhji (Design consultant) Summer tricks

What ’s in

Stripes: of every variety —

Colour watch Monochrome is the season ’s dominating colour story. Cheerful colour combinations with vermillion orange, brilliant blue, meadow mist and eggnog work for both men and women.

Deepika Govind (Designer)

well with each other.

Cut specific Light and Anything short and nicely brighter shaped. Long gowns with colours mixed well. ruffles and cuts.

Prints or not? Floral, but not too kitschy or loud. Plain colours with very gentle textures that are light and pleasing to the eye would work well too.

Personal favourite I love silk mul and light flowing georgette. Voil and fine cotton are also my favourite.

Fabric speak Soft mulmul is a definite alternative, offering a comfortable, relaxed drape. Several brands are now treating their fabrics with antiperspirant wash, they could be an option.

Colour watch Bright pop colours can be worn without apology, by men and women alike —either in one part of the garment, or the

accessory.

Cut specific Cuts for an Indian summer could focus on the flared silhouettes both in topwear as well as kurtas, taking the form of bias cut tops and panelled tunics. For men, it could translate into a relaxed fit for linen shirts, or soft cottons treated to minimise perspiration, taking the shape of shirts or short kurtas. Tencel shirts (tencel being a manmade cellulose fibre) are another great alternative.

Summer tricks Cuts definitely play a role —more relaxed fits that graze the body but do not cling — are ideal for the Indian summer. As for colours, if you can play with them creatively —wear bright ones and balance them off with neutrals, without being a blinding spot on the landscape. If not, play safe with whites, offwhites and soothing pastels.

Prints or not? No prints are anathema. It ’s the print size that makes the difference. Smaller prints on large-sized people tend to lay less emphasis on their build.

Personal favourite Tencel and modal are two of my favourite fabrics —both manmade wonder fibres, extracted from tree bark. Widescale production of these would help brands incorporate these in their seasonal lines, while designers could well make them a summer staple. I have been instrumental in blending these two fabrics with existent pure fabrics, to give Indian textiles a softness, lightness and pliability. For example, in 2001, I had blended khadi cotton and silk with tencel.

summer style Sanchita Ajjampur (Designer) What ’s in

Prints or not

Fabric speak

Natural, refreshing and elegantly simple muslins expertly tailored to create fresh, fragile, minimal and modernist looks.

talk|30 may 2013|talkmag.in

Manoviraj Khosla (Designer) What ’s in

Sequence on short dresses.

Fabric speak Linen and light satin work just fine.

Colour watch Bright colours with lighter shades of green, yellow. Colours should suit you and contrast

Personal favourite

Summer tricks No tight fitting clothes, experiment with different fabrics. No velvets.

Prints or not? Bright prints, light fittings, denims and linen.

Personal favourite Linen jackets for both men and women.

Cut specific Favoured cuts this season include easy androgyny, fluid silhouettes, drapes and crisp separates to beat the summer heat.

Summer tricks It is all about minimalism this season, with focus on the colours and prints. Simple silhouettes are key-shift dresses, boxy shell tops, cropped trousers and colourless outerwear.

excess sweat; it feels and looks much better and avoids wet patches.

Colour watch

No point in wearing tight and constricting clothes in dark winter colours. It is better to wear comfortable silhouettes that allow air to circulate over your body.

Prints or not? They say large prints look good on large people and I agree. In terms of prints, do look for beauty and elegance and avoid the garish and vulgar.

Personal favourite Cotton and mulmul is my all time favourite. They look fresh at the end of the day and float with every breeze. I love my dhoti-kurta ensembles in pristine white muslin.

What ’s in

Fabric speak Low gram cotton and fine linen. Mulmul (silk and cotton) is light and convenient too. For dressy affairs, organza could work for the evenings.

Cut specific/Summer tricks Too tight would make it sticky and for people who are sweaty, it can be embarrassing to have

Kaveri Sinhji (Design consultant) Summer tricks

What ’s in

Stripes: of every variety —

Colour watch Monochrome is the season ’s dominating colour story. Cheerful colour combinations with vermillion orange, brilliant blue, meadow mist and eggnog work for both men and women.

Deepika Govind (Designer)

well with each other.

Cut specific Light and Anything short and nicely brighter shaped. Long gowns with colours mixed well. ruffles and cuts.

Prints or not? Floral, but not too kitschy or loud. Plain colours with very gentle textures that are light and pleasing to the eye would work well too.

Personal favourite I love silk mul and light flowing georgette. Voil and fine cotton are also my favourite.

Fabric speak Soft mulmul is a definite alternative, offering a comfortable, relaxed drape. Several brands are now treating their fabrics with antiperspirant wash, they could be an option.

Colour watch Bright pop colours can be worn without apology, by men and women alike —either in one part of the garment, or the

accessory.

Prints or not? No prints are anathema. It ’s the print size that makes the difference. Smaller prints on large-sized people tend to lay less emphasis on their build.

box office

talk|30 may 2013|talkmag.in

YUPPIE VICTIM British-Pakistani actor Riz Ahmed as Changez Khan, the financial analyst whose life changes course after 9/11

The liberal fallacy MK Raghavendra

is the author of Seduced by the Familiar: Narration and Meaning in Indian Popular Cinema (Oxford, 2008), 50 Indian Film Classics (HarperCollins, 2009) and Bipolar Identity: Region, Nation and the Kannada Language Film (Oxford, 2011).

Engaging as it is on screen, Mira Nair’sThe Reluctant Fundamentalist also perpetuates the familiar deceit of identifying religious fundamentalism with culture

ira Nair’s new film The Reluctant Fundamentalist has Indian actors like Om Puri and Shabhana Azmi playing many key roles. Although partly set in Lahore, it was not shot in Pakistan but in Delhi. It is still a very useful document through which to understand the state of affairs in Pakistan. And what makes the film—a faithful adaptation of Mohsin Hamid’s novel—a valuable document is not what it says about Pakistan, but what it does not. Just as we find what people conceal a more reliable indicator of what they are than what they choose to reveal, a film’s silences are usually more revelatory than its rhetoric. This is an analysis of The Reluctant Fundamentalist and there is enough in the film even to assist in foreign policy decisions—but only if our statesmen knew how to read cinema!

The Reluctant Fundamentalist is perhaps Mira Nair’s most engaging film—especially after the highly praised Monsoon Wedding (2001) and The Namesake (2006), both of which I found tedious. It has some excellent music—especially the opening song Kangna by Fareed Ayaz and Abu Mohamed, which can give one goose pimples. The performances are also laudable—especially that by Riz Ahmed, a British actor of Pakistani descent in the lead role. The story is framed as a flashback, and is related by Changez Khan, a Pakistani professor in Lahore, to an American journalist named Bobby Lincoln (Liev Schreiber). Lahore is on the boil with student unrest, and Changez, because of his radical rhetoric, apparently has a following among those in the university and is respected. His story, as may be anticipated, tells us how he came to embrace radical Islam after once being a successful

pulls him along to Istanbul to evaluate and, if necessary, help wind up a non-viable publishing company which has been doing exemplary work publishing literature from the Middle-East. Changez discovers that Nazmi financial analyst in New York, and an Kemal, who runs the company, has ardent Americanophile. Changez Khan comes from an actually published his father’s Punjabi upper class family and his father is a poetry—in Turkish translation. poet in Punjabi. But the family is now Although Jim Cross sees the business in difficult circumstances financially only in terms of its financial viability, and the son landing a job in the high Changez realises there are other profile New York consultancy firm issues involved, and refuses to particUnderwood Samson is welcome. ipate in the winding up of the compaChangez is phenomenally successful ny, also breaking with Underwood and is on his way up in the hierarchy Samson in the process. Changez’s when he meets Erica accidentally and break with America brings him closer starts a relationship with her. She is to his roots in Pakistan and he begins to teach at the unian artist and belongs versity. In the presto the Underwood A film’s silences ent, Bobby is actually family. All goes well are usually more an American agent until the September and his task is to 11, 2001, when revelatory than retrieve an American America changes for its rhetoric professor teaching at him for ever. the university in After the attack on the Twin Towers, his Pakistani whose abduction Changez may have Muslim identity begins to cause him assisted. The film is structured as a trouble and he is targeted by rednecks as well as the security services. He thriller and is quite admirable for its thinks even Erica has begun to Pakistani atmosphere—chiefly the change, although she does her best to threat of violence always in attenlove him. As a gesture of solidarity dance. But even as we admire the way towards those with whom he feels it is put together, we begin to see the united, he grows a beard. At this point sleight of hand by which elements of his boss Jim Cross (Kiefer Sutherland) culture like poetry and music are

talk|30 may 2013|talkmag.in

being associated with religion and the lines between the two deliberately blurred. It takes some time before we realise that Changez is not shown as being drawn at any time towards Islam as a religion although he is born into it. His ‘radical’ lectures at the university revolve around financial issues—GDP, unemployment in Pakistan, and so on, but the students listen to him as though every word is fiery rhetoric, at the very least. His only ‘religious’ acts are to grow a beard and look around the Blue Mosque in Istanbul. He is clearly a liberal—as are his family—but the film suggests that racial profiling in the US after 9/11 was enough to turn Changez into a ‘fundamentalist’; the explicit discourse being that the side Changez chose was actually ‘chosen for him.’ The film offers us a political beginner’s view of Pakistan—a Manichean division between an authoritarian state propped up by the US and a democratically inclined public. In tune with this vision, the innocents killed in the film fall to government bullets. The American professor is killed by his abductors but his political credentials were suspect. Let us now look into some of the mendacities indulged in by The Reluctant Fundamentalist. In the first place, it is

Mira Nair

Mohsin Hamed

deceitful to identify religious fundamentalism with the cultural practices in the area where the religion is followed. For one thing, we know that the Taliban and their kind forbid music and painting as incompatible with Islam. This being the case, we wonder how Changez Khan could have been drawn to ‘fundamentalism’ by his experience with the publisher in Istanbul. Secondly, we read everyday in the newspaper of bomb blasts in Pakistan—often in places of worship—where those killed are innocent Muslims. Since many of these attacks are by suicide bombers, it looks extremely unlikely that the state is involved in their recruitment and there is little doubt that the attackers belong to the nebulous tribe called ‘fundamentalists’. Rather than the liberal giving his heart to fundamentalism on account of racial profiling in the US, it is likely that

liberals are themselves under threat from of extremists who not only recruit among those that Changez ‘sympathises’ with. To the more hapless classes but can get their drive home the difference between a liber- ‘soldiers’ to readily lay down their lives, this al and a fundamentalist who belong to the factor making them unassailable. This same religion, we should ask whether means that members of the liberal class are piloting an airplane to crash into a sky- in danger if they do not pay lip service to scraper can be the work of someone irritat- the supremacy of religious dogma, and ed by racial profiling or would require the unhesitatingly ‘support’ those who are kind of religious faith that a liberal will be threatening their power. Liberals who do not could suffer the fate of Salman Taseer, hard-pressed to summon up. Mohsin Hamid, the Pakistani author Governor of Punjab who was assassinated of The Reluctant Fundamentalist who also for questioning the blasphemy laws. wrote the screenplay, spent his childhood Enforced sympathy is essentially the kind in the US and lives most of his time in bestowed by Mohsin Hamid’s protagonist Changez Khan upon ‘funLondon now. He belongs damentalism’. to a privileged social class Pakistani liberals For some reason, in Pakistan which has are in danger Indian politicians (esperuled, but it is evidently cially in the BJP) have becoming more and more unless they pay been regarding Pakistan difficult for his class to lip service to the as a monolithic entity ‘rule’. It is acknowledged supremacy of while everything—includthat the Muslim League religious dogma ing The Reluctant under Jinnah was led by Fundamentalist—points an affluent, Westernised class while the rank and file belonged very to it being hopelessly divided. The indicamuch lower in the social hierarchy and was tions are that the Pakistani state is riding a largely uneducated. By playing the reli- tiger and, this being the case, the question gious card for strategic reasons, however, is whether India being threatened by the the ruling class appears to have gradually ‘tiger’ does not put it on the same side as yielded ground and, although nominally in the Pakistani state—rather than the oppopower, it is also increasingly at the mercy site one.

talk|30 may 2013|talkmag.in

Rewind The week that was Á Nawaz Sharif win: In the recent Pakistan elections, Nawaz Sharif ’s Pakistan Muslim League is the lead party and he is set to be prime minister of Pakistan. Imran Khan ’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf did fairly well and captured chief ministership of the KhyberPakhtunkhwa province.

Harmoniums together

Á Chinese PM visit: Chinese Premier Li Keqiang smoothed ruffled feathers in India this week, promising to ease tensions and increase trade between the two countries in his first trip overseas since taking office. Á Afghan interpreters: Around 600 Afghan interpreters who served with British forces fighting the Taliban in southern Afghanistan will be allowed to stay in Britain. Á Apple ’s tax trouble: Apple ’s CEO is disputing assertions by a Senate panel that the company avoids billions of dollars in US taxes by shifting profits to foreign affiliates. Á US tornado: Rescue workers neared the end of the search for survivors and the dead in the Oklahoma City suburb where a rare and powerful tornado claimed at least 24 lives and destroyed the town of Moore. Á Match fixing: Three cricketers from Rajasthan Royals including national cricketer S Sreesanth were arrested on charges of spot fixing in the IPL sixth edition. Á Shifted: In a surprise move, Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt was secretly shifted from the highsecurity Arthur Road Central Jail in Mumbai to Yerawada Central Jail in Pune. Á Topper: Mohd Shariq, a student from Manipal university has topped the Post Graduate Entrance Test conducted by Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS). Results were out on Tuesday.

compositions that borrow Western concepts of harmony and counterpoint. These are scarcely employed in Indian classical music, which is melodic rather than harmonic. “We have abandoned many of the things the harmonium is capable of, ” Katoti told Talk. “And those are the things we are now trying to revive. ”

The harmonium is ubiquitous in Hindustani music, but have you ever seen an ensemble of harmoniums play? The Bijapure Harmonium Foundation is trying out an experiment where four harmoniums play together. The concert is titled Anahat, and is the brainchild of the wellknown harmonium player Ravindra Katoti (in picture).

Katoti and his disciples perform at Gokhale Institute, Bull Temple Road, Basavangudi, at 6 pm on Sunday, May 26.

Perhaps for the first time ever, three regular harmoniums and a leg harmonium will play

A festival for short films Bangalore Shorts Film Festival aims to recognise and popularise the work of young and experienced filmmakers. The festival, which was launched in 2012 to mark 100 years of Indian cinema, is a platform for aspiring and professional filmmakers to showcase their talent and market their work. In the long term, the festival aspires to create a short films culture in India, and make short film production a viable commercial enterprise. The festival, to be held on June 22, is

inviting entries in the categories of Short Films, Animations, Documentaries and Music Videos. There will be a separate award for production companies. Both students and

professionals can participate. The last date to submit your entry is May 31. A ‘Filmmakers Premier League ’ will be organised on the sidelines of the festival, which includes a ‘5 Shift Film Project ’ where filmmakers get to make their own short film in just five production shifts, and a ‘21 Days Animation project ’ where you get a chance to create your own animation film in just 21 days. For more info, log on to www.miniboxoffice.com

A ‘nostalgic’ writing contest The website Little Black Book Delhi (LBBD) and Random House India present Writer ’s Bloc ‘Nostalgia, ’ an opportunity for closet writers to share their work. All you need to do to participate is send them an original piece — a poem, work of fiction or non-fiction, or screenplay of not more than 1,000 words on the theme of ‘nostalgia. ’ The entries will be reviewed by the editors at Random House India, and the top ten will be

featured in their Writers Bloc anthology. Two winning entries will get published on www.littleblackbookdelhi. com and win goodies from LBBD and Random House.

Only one entry per participant is allowed. The last date for submissions is June 20. Send your entry attached as an MS Word document to editors@ littleblackbookdelhi.com.

Elle fiction awards

Elle magazine, in association with Random House India, has announced its fourth Fiction Awards contest. The top five entries, to be selected by a panel comprising of wellknown publishers and writers, will be published as an e-book. The winner of the first prize will get a chance to visit the Random House headquarters in New Delhi to experience firsthand the working of the publishing industry. He or she will also have the opportunity of meeting a published author and a one-on-one workshop with an editor. The contest is open to men and women (Indian nationals only) above 18 years of age and restricted to one entry per entrant. The entry must be an original, previously unpublished story; there ’s no specific theme on which participants are expected to write on. The word limit is 2,500 words. Send your entry to ellefiction@ogaan.co.in. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/elleindia.

Workshop on Wodeyar’s compositions The School of Performing Arts of the Indiranagar Sangeetha Sabha is holding a sixday workshop on the musical compositions of Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar, who was the Maharaja of Mysore. A connoisseur of both Western classical and Carnatic music, Wodeyar was a practising musician who composed as many as 94 kritis, many of which are sung on the concert stage. To be held from June 9 to 14 at Purandara Bhavana, the workshop will be conducted by Padmabhushan Dr RK Srikantan. For details, you can call workshop coordinator Jayashree Narayanan on 98452 63274 or email inssevents@gmail.com

talk|30 may 2013|talkmag.in

Forward

Annual AIR music competition

A celebration of creativity

All India Radio has announced its annual music competition for discovering and encouraging new talent among young Hindustani and Carnatic artistes. The competition takes place in two stages---the prelim round will be held in Bangalore and at other regional radio stations, while the final will be held in Delhi (Hindustani) and Chennai (Carnatic). Categories include: vocals (classical, light music and folk music---Hindustani and Carnatic), light classical (only Hindustani), instrumental (classical, light music and folk music — Hindustani and Carnatic) and Vrindgaan (choral singing). The competition is open only to artistes between 16 and 24. They should not be performing music artistes on AIR or be graded in any AIR auditions. The preliminary competitions will be held from August 5 to 30, and the last date for receipt of applications is June 14. For more information, log on to allindiaradio.gov.in.

Ruins of the Renaissance (ROTR) is a one-of-its-kind “multi-discipline creativity and innovation festival ”. To be held at Innovative Film City, Mysore Road, on May 25 and 26, it will bring together talents and aspirants from across creative disciplines in one location, and is open to all. The event will have workshops, artist stalls, street and stage performances and a film festival. The organisers

are inviting artists and innovators of all stripes —from painters to theatre artistes, musicians to inventors —to participate, collaborate and exchange ideas. The ‘Laxmi Talkies Film Festival, ’ curated by filmmaker Shilpa Mudbi, will be one of the standalone attractions at ROTR. For more information, log on to www.rotr.in or write to rotr@graffitimedia.in.

Want to teach through theatre? Christ University is offering a training programme in International Developmental Drama for facilitators interested in ‘theatrein-education. ’ They are looking for female candidates who are Graduate/ Montessori/ B Ed teachers with or without experience, who are interested in using theatre and storytelling techniques in teaching. Candidates need to have a flair for drama and storytelling and must possess excellent communicative skills in English. To take part in the programme, send your resume with a photograph to: theatrecapital2012@gmail.com. For more

1. Rejoice at their good news. Don ’t minimise their bad news. A man with advanced bladder cancer says that he ’s taking his kids to Disneyland next summer, don ’t bite your lip and mutter, “We ’ll see. ” Tell him it ’s a great idea. (What harm can it do?) 2. Treat your sick friends as you always did-but never forget their changed circumstance. Keep your friend ’s illness and its constraints in mind but don ’t treat them as if their illness is who they are. 3. Avoid self-referential comments. Don ’t tell someone with brain cancer that you know how painful it

Â Immigration Bill: Farreaching legislation to grant a chance at citizenship to millions of immigrants living illegally in the United States cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee on a solid bipartisan vote. Â Iran tension: Tension is expected to mount in Iran, where authorities have barred former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a relative moderate, from running in the June 14 election, along with a protege of the current president, leaving mainly hardliners left to contest the vote. Â Pak needs power: Pakistan ’s new government is seriously considering importing 1,000 MW of electricity from India as part of a short to medium-term strategy to end power outages.

details, write to: tie@christuniversity.in or call 40129465/9945501448. The programme will be held from May 27 to 29 at Seminar Hall, Christ University.

Ten commandments for talking to a sick friend Writing in the Wall Street Journal, author Letty Cottin Pogrebin says that while talking to the ill can be awkward, following a few simple rules can make a huge difference. Here are her rules:

The week ahead

you open your mouth. Did your friend have a heart or liver transplant? Chemo or radiation? Don ’t just ask, “How are you? ” Ask questions specific to your friend ’s health. “Did the blood test show Lyme disease? ” “Are your new meds working? ”

dignity at all costs. 8. Think twice before giving advice. Your idea of a health bulletin that ’s useful or revelatory may mislead, upset, confuse or agitate your friend. Sick people have doctors to tell them what to do. Your job is simply to be their friend.

6. Help your sick friend feel 9. Let patients who are useful. Assuming they ’re up terminally ill set the to the task, ask a conversational agenda. If cybersmart patient to set up they know they ’re at the end a web page for you; ask a of life and want to talk retired teacher to guide your about it, don ’t contradict or teenager through the interrupt them; let them must be because you get college application process. vent or weep or curse the migraines. In most cases, it won ’t be Fates. seen as an imposition but a 4. Don ’t assume, verify. 10. Don ’t pressure them to vote of confidence in your Several friends of Michele, a practice ‘positive thinking. ’ friend ’s worth. Canadian writer, reacted to The implication is that they her cancer diagnosis with, 7. Don ’t infantilise the patient. caused their illness in the “Well, at least you caught it Never speak to a grown-up first place by negative early, so you ’ll be all right! ” the way you ’d talk to a child. thinking. As one hospice In fact, she did not catch it Objectionable sentences patient put it, “All I want early, and never hinted include, “How are we today, from my friends right now is otherwise. dearie? ” “That ’s a good the freedom to sulk and say boy. ” Protect your friend ’s 5. Get the facts straight before goodbye. ”

Â Vatican controversy: The Vatican is expected to remain mired in controversy following charges that Pope Francis had performed an exorcism. An Italian religious television channel said footage of the pontiff blessing a boy in a wheelchair was proof of this. Â Modi move: Gujarat CM Narendra Modi, who has been admitted into the BJP ’s parliamentary board, is expected to lead an all-out charge against the Congress, in coming weeks. Â Headley access: The US is expected to respond to India ’s demand for access to the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack convict David Headley and his accomplice Tahawwur Rana —both of whom were sentenced by a Chicago court after being found guilty of terrorism charges. Â BSY setback: In a setback to former chief minister and KJP leader BS Yeddyurappa, the Karnataka high court on Tuesday dismissed two petitions filed by him challenging the proceedings initiated against him before the special Lokayukta court, further affecting his political chances in the near future.

OOKtalk

talk|30 may 2013|talkmag.in

Interview

‘I see myself as an artisan’

Review

Sachin Kundalkar's novel Cobalt Blue, just out in an English translation by Jerry Pinto—is a compelling portrait of the parallel relationships a brother and sister have with a bisexual painter

Jerry Pinto speaks about challenges and joys of translating Cobalt Blue, and how translation and writing happens through ‘circles of trust.’

FAR FROM FILMI Sachin Kundalkar (extreme right), author of Cobalt Blue, is betterknown as a filmmaker, most recently directing the flashy Aiyyaa

A strange triangle PRACHI SIBAL

prachi.sibal@talkmag.in

Penguin India Rs 399

obalt Blue, originally a Marathi novel by writer and film director Sachin Kundalkar, was recently released in an English translation by Jerry Pinto. The intriguing subject—a bisexual man’s parallel relationships with a brother and a sister—and the fact that it was translated by a ‘name’ like Pinto, has already made the book a talking point in literary circles. A National Award-winning screenplay writer, Kundalkar is best known nationally for an unlikely work—the Bollywood potboiler Aiyyaa, which he directed. Written when Kundalkar was just 22, Cobalt Blue is set in a typical Marathi family in Pune. The Joshis’ life is what you call ordinary and normal until they decide to let a spare room on the first floor out to a paying guest. The unnamed guest is ‘shortlisted’ after the family painstakingly sifts through a number of probable tenants. Soon enough, Tanay and Anuja, two of the three siblings, grow fond of the paying guest (a painter) and get involved with him. While Anuja’s entry to the paying guest’s room is prohibited, Tanay’s access is not monitored. Tanay’s relationship blossoms within the house and his sister’s outside, which ensure that both remain unaware of each other’s association with the same man. The novel is divided into two parts that tell the siblings’ recollections of the events. Tanay’s story is in the first person, something like a long letter to the departed lover. He speaks affectionately, but often betrays the deep hurt the relationship eventually caused. The constant repetition of phrases conveys the

effect that Tanay is trying to acknowledge and reaffirm the incidents, though in a groping and often scattered fashion. There is a rough chronology to his narrative, but one that is interrupted easily. Anuja’s story, on the other hand, is in the form of diary entries written after therapy sessions. Her story begins when she returns home after a while of being abandoned by the painter-paying guest. There is no chronology to her version, which follows the natural twists and turns of reminiscence as she recreates the details and situations that defined the relationship. The elder Joshis and the older sibling Aseem are unaware of the situation and soon, deep misunderstandings begin to develop in the household. Though Anuja had defiantly left home for the painter, no confrontation follows when she returns. They interpret Tanay’s distraught behaviour as linked to the sister’s disappearance, but the turn of events slowly exposes the strained relationships in the family. The family’s inability to talk about relationships and sexuality forms the central theme. The narrative—sensitive, poetic and often descriptive—brings the setting and events alive through a series of lucid images. The siblings’ versions of the events are crisp and evocative, with the power to both enchant and disturb. Pinto’s translation is effective and seamless, almost making you forget that the book was originally written in another language. At the same time, he retains some common words from Marathi in the English text, anchoring the story firmly in its setting and context. Cobalt Blue is a refreshing read that stands out through its sensitive storytelling and uncanny lyrical quality. The translator’s note is enlightening, and worth reading for its own sake.

What was it that drew you to Kundalkar’s work? I had read an article by acclaimed Marathi writer Shanta Gokhale in The Indian Express, in which she mentioned Cobalt Blue as one of her choices when asked to select novels of interest in Marathi. I trust her judgment, since she is one of the few people who can approach a novel on its own terms. So, I went out and bought the book, and plunged in. I was immediately fascinated by the symmetry of the story, its narrative choices which seemed simultaneously natural and highly sophisticated, its exposition of the hypocrisies of a middle-class Marathi family and I thought, “I’d like to translate it.” I am fortunate enough to know Shanta well, so I called her up and asked her if anyone were translating it. Almost around the same time, R Sivapriya of Penguin Books had written to Shanta asking her if she would be interested in translating Cobalt Blue. Shanta was busy with other projects, including

the translation into Marathi of my first novel, Em and the Big Hoom, so she said she thought Sachin would be happy to have me translate his work. I emailed him and he agreed. So, we began, and slowly, all the pieces fell into place. Do you see how this works? It’s about circles of trust. What were the biggest challenges of translation for you? I think that most people who have not translated anything, think of translation as a process by which you replace one word in Language X for another word in Language Y. Actually, what you’re doing is an act of resettlement. You are taking a whole family of words from one culture and you are asking them to work in a new culture. Outside, the weather is different. The faces that look in at the window are different. So is the food, the customs, the manners, the culture. Yet, this family of words must find a way to say: “We are different from you but we are also the

BALANCING ACT Jerry Pinto says the translation was a tightrope walk, but an exhilarating one

talk|30 may 2013|talkmag.in

works best. English is a language that the whole thing aloud. And when she works best with understatement. It is a lan- approved, I gave it to Sachin who read it guage suited to irony and it is uncomfort- and came back with some suggestions. able with emotion. Cobalt Blue, as its tone That’s how it worked for me. suggests, is a novel of predominantly cool tones. It is about emotion revisited, narra- Besides ‘re’—as you mention in the translator’s note—were there other tivised, turned into a story. Tanay and Anuja have both fallen in recurring words from Marathi that you love with a painter who comes home to couldn’t find suitable English stay as a paying guest. Tanay’s section of replacements for? the novel is an apostrophe to a missing Consider festivals, flowers, fruit names, food names. All these can be lover; Anuja’s is a diary. turned into English, but Both the siblings have sufwhat’s the use? When you fered heartbreak; but both ‘Translation is read a book translated from are one step away from it, a process of Italian, do you need a translooking back at the darkest migration and lation for pizza or pasta? time of their grief. In this, Then why do we need to they have some separation resettlement’ explain what a dosa is? from the moment of pain. When you read a book And so the challenge was minimised, because Kundalkar’s tone is translated from Hindi, do you need a transalready one of introspection and detach- lation for Diwali? If you are a good, conscientious reader, you should stop at every ment. word you do not know and look up a dictionary and get an accurate meaning. If you According to you, how important is the are an ordinary reader, you guess the sense original author’s involvement in a and read on. translation? What were your own difficulties when I finished the work. I asked Neela Bhagwat, translating a story set in a traditional another friend, a gold medallist from the Did you get any criticism for retaining Marathi family? What liberties did you Bombay University in Marathi, a great clas- some Marathi words in the translation? allow yourself, and what didn’t you? The greatest problem about translating sical singer and my Marathi teacher, for Does that keep the book from appealing to from any language into another is the tonal some help with the social constructs inside a global audience? conditions within which the language the novel. Then I read it to Shanta Gokhale, Am I hearing it now? Are you saying I same. We also love and hate and argue and make up; but we do it over different things and we do it in different ways. Would you like us to make your lives richer?” As anyone who has ever thought hard about the idea of migration will tell you, this invitation is often turned down cruelly. It is often never made. And not making that invitation is what bad translation does; it stops you at the door by saying, “In the original language, we did it this way. We don’t care how this new language works; we’re just holding on to the ways of the original.” And yet, we do not read translations to be told we are all the same; we read them for difference. It is a tightrope the translator must walk and it is dizzying and exhilarating all at once. If you are to work on translation, you must love what you are translating. You must want the best for it. You must offer it the best you have. You must also remember it is someone else’s work. You cannot claim it or own it but you must behave as if it you do.

should not have? Are you suggesting that every translation must look abroad? Can we not see translation as important to India? Does this mean Sachin and I do not want an international audience for Cobalt Blue? Could we be so foolish? Yes, one writes/translates for an audience. No, one does not write/translate only for an audience. One also writes/translates as an act of homage to language. One also writes/translates for oneself. Here is a summation of the balancing act of the translation. This, I do for you, Sachin. This, I do for you, Jerry. This, I do for you, English. This, I do for you, Marathi. This, I do for you, Cobalt Blue in the original. This, I do for you, Cobalt Blue as an English novel. This, I do for you, unknown reader of blessed anticipation. And then you hope for the best. As a novelist turned translator, what sort of learning and unlearning did the act of translating Cobalt Blue demand from you? I don’t see myself a novelist. I don’t see myself as a translator. I don’t see myself as a journalist. I don’t see myself as a poet. I don’t see myself as an editor. I don’t see myself as an essayist. (I have been all these things.) I see myself as an artisan. I work with words. I do, for the words, what is needed. And then I trust that they will work.

L I S T I NGS performance

talk|30 may 2013|talkmag.in

music

their music later this week. Indian classical, jazz, funk and ethno are skillfully yet playfully blended, for global appeal. Hard Rock Café, 40, St Marks Road, May 30, 7.30 pm 9243777870

Â Blues Night: Started in 2008 to promote blues in today’s rock and metal influenced live music culture, Blue Conscience’s roots go deep into blues greats like Howlin Wolf, Muddy Waters, Jimi Hendrix, Cream, Eric Clapton and many more. Winner of the Chennai Live Band Hunt 2010, individually the band’s taste varies from rock, jazz, funk, pop and blues. It has Anek Ahuja on the vocals and bass, Aum Janakiram on guitars and Neil Smith on the drums. CounterCulture, 2D2, 4th cross, Dyavasandra Indusrial Area, Whitefield, May 25, 9 pm 41400794 Â Soulful performance: American cellist, singersongwriter and composer Ben Sollee will be giving his

innovative, genre-bending and electrifying performance this weekend. Banjo, guitar and mandolin amalgamate in his music, along with percussion and an unusual cello technique, creating a unique sound. His songs have a mix of folk, bluegrass, jazz, and R&B elements. Windmills Craftworks, 331, Road No.5B, EPI Zone, Whitefield, May 24 to 26, 8.30 pm 7259024652 Â Contemporary yet traditional: Drawing inspiration from the Indian sub-continent’s ancient music traditions, yet in touch with the contemporary Western music scene, multiinstrumentalist and composer Prem Joshua and his band are set to enchant the audience with

food

Â Fun cooking: Impress the judges at the event with your plating, presentation, health factor, innovation and most importantly taste skills and get showered with attractive gifts. All you have to do is make a unique party snack that serves 10 and bring it to the venue with the year’s theme ‘Tasty and Healthy’ kept in mind while doing so. Aroy Restaurant, No 74, 15th Main, 3rd Phase, JP Nagar, Bannerghatta, May 25, 4 to 7pm 9008391784 Â Say Balle Balle: The 10-day long festival hosted by the Leela Palace will introduce food from Punjab. The menu offers Punjabi delicacies to entice the palate of food lovers.

Ben Sollee

Monica Dogra of Shaa’ir +Func

Â Next generation shining: Siblings Bindu and Ambi Subramaniam, will be performing some of their own compositions, some of their father Dr L Subramaniam’s and some classics this weekend. Ambi, like his father and guru, carries on the violin playing tradition while Bindu’s voice can only be described as hypnotic. SubraMania also features musicians from Chennai and Bangalore like Alwyn Fernandes on guitar, Bethel Tsuzu on electric piano, Aalaap Raju on bass, Karthik Mani on drums and G Satya Sai on morsing and percussion. bFlat, 100 Feet Road, Above ING Bank, HAL 2nd Stage, Indiranagar, May 25, 8.30 pm 41739250

Â Saturday Night Fever: An accidental party meeting at five in the morning between Randolph Correia and Monica Dogra formed the band Shaa’ir +Func. While touring the world, they released three albums in four years and are considered one of India’s most successful bands in the Indie music scene for having accomplished more than most bands which have been around for much longer. Opus, 4, 1st Main, Chakravarthy Layout Palace Cross Road, Sankey Road, Palace Orchards, May 25, 9 pm 23442580 Â Dance all night: The young Ukrainian DJ/producer Omnia gate crashed into the prestigious DJ Magazine Top 100 DJs at the end of October as the highest placed new trance DJ at number 58. Self-taught in the studio, his sound has a distinctive edge and a style that refuses to be pigeon holed. The festival also features DJ Inferno, 6th Element, Answer (Arjun Nair & Stallion), DJ Nash, DJ Blaque, Rishon Bondal, B2B & Ishaan Hegde. The Chancery Pavillion, 135, Residency Road, May 26, 4 pm 9916042556

retail therapy

Also featuring is the signature restaurant Jamavar’s special Punjabi Set Menus and chef Farman Ali’s recreated magic. Come and get ready for an authentic Punjabi experience and feast on an array of the region’s flavours. Jamavar, Ground Floor, The Leela Palace, Airport Road, May 26 30571348 Â Wine on a stroll: Good food, fun and great wine is promised here! Start with a welcome drink and exquisitely crafted nibbles at Blimey, move onto pre main course, then to Graze for a true European treat and then at Le Jardin, The Oberoi awaits the season’s best on a sweet plat-

ter. Enjoy the food as you meet likeminded people through the stroll. starts at Blimey, 1 MG Mall, MG Road, 100 Feet Road, May 25, 6.45 pm to 11 pm 9844707517

bigscreen with your friends. Pitchers include draught beer, mojito, sangria, Long Island tea and margarita. Blimey, 5th Floor, 1 MG Mall, MG Road, May 26 22086777

Â Continental delight: Relish a five course Continental and Spanish feast this weekend along with unlimited draught, vodka, rum, red and white wine for Rs 999 plus taxes. Viva Arriba, 3rd and 4th Floor, 618,12th Main Road HAL 2nd Stage, Indiranagar, May 26, 12 pm to 4 pm 25212001

Â Mango magic: The king of fruits is set to make hot summers delicious, tempt and spoil its lovers of all ages. Choose from dishes like mango gazpacho, minty mango and crunchy ginger veloute and experience the special flavor in starters like Oriental mango shrimp salad, carpaccio of mango, ceviche of basa, tomato aioli, mango slaw and mango glaze. 12th Main Grand Mercure Hotel, Lobby Level, Koramangala, upto May 26, 7 pm onwards 45121638

Â Cricket mania: Pitch a pitcher accompanied with two starters from the barbecue while enjoying the T20 match on the pub’s

Â Lunches just got better: Ditch your dabbas for a quick lunch at Olive Beach with your friends and colleagues that offers dishes like mustard crusted reef cod, beetroot and goat cheese risotto, cajun chicken and more. Olive Beach, 16, Wood Street, Ashoknagar 9945565483

Â Spice up your house: Bring in drawers and rack sets in your house that can store your cutlery, books and toys. These offbeat bookshelves are available for both right and left side placements and the racks are available in rectangular and cubical arrangements. The drawers are priced at Rs 3,499 and the bookrack is priced at Rs 1,799. Available at Mother Earth store, Domlur Â Hide the flab: Worried that you can’t fit into your favourite dress because of the tummy fat? Then here’s

the solution to your problems. Choose from a range of shape wear that includes styles which slim the waist, thighs, hips and tummy. Available at www.zivame.com Â Dazzle in summer: Add a dash of style to your wardrobe as you choose from American Swan’s Spring Summer collection. It has a sailor like and American appeal to it with sailor insignia-

inspired logos, stripes, trimmings and graphics. Available at www.americanswan .com Â Time yourself: Ditch the regular blacks and blues when it comes to your watches. DKNY presents it latest Colour Burst collection that has slim watch straps in shades of purple, coral and flame orange. Available at all DKNY stores

L I S T I NGS performances

talk|30 may 2013|talkmag.in

theatre

Jujubee

Â Classical evening: Music lovers will be in for a treat at this harmonium ensemble. Exploring the world of music will be Dr Ravindra Gururaj Katoti Surya Upadhyaya on lead harmonium, Sangeet Thomas on leg harmonium, Surya Upadhyaya and Chirag Kanitkar on harmonium. Gokhale Institute of Public Affairs, Basavanagudi, May 26, 6 pm Â Celebrations galore: Chintalapalli Krishnamurthy Sangeetha Academy is celebrating its anniversary and have organised the Chintalapalli Krishnamurthy memorial award ceremony this weekend. After the ceremony, there will be a concert by Vidushi RA Ramamani. Bhoomika Auditorium, 17th Cross, Malleswaram, May 26, 4 pm to 8.30 pm 23349969

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

Sadarame. A prince falls in love with her and wants to marry her. He sacrifices his kingdom to his greedy father-in-law and leaves with his new bride. Exposed to difficult circumstances by a bunch of cunning travellers for the first time, the girl must use her intelligence to overcome them. Originally scripted by Bellave Narahari Shastry, the journey of the story is quite crazy and humorous, criticising present social situations. The play is directed by Manjunath L Badiger. Ranga Shankara, 36/2 8th Cross II Phase, JP Nagar, May 26, 3.30 pm and 7.30 pm 26493982 Â The God of Carnage: Two sets of parents whose kids have been involved in a scuffle at school meet for an amicable peacemaking meeting. But when things don't go as planned, emotions run high and etiquette runs low and the four find themselves much worse off than when the meeting began. Directed by Preetam Koilpillai, it has Deepika Arwind, Kanchan Bhattacharyya , Rajeev Ravindranathan and

Sharanya Ramprakash in the cast. Alliance Francaise de Bangalore, # 108 Thimmaiah Road, Opposite UNI Building, Vasanthnagar, May 24 to 26, 7.30 pm 41231344 Â Jujubee : This fun play engages children and adults alike with a fantastic story filled with action, colourful masks, larger than life puppets, music and dance. The

film

Â Ishkq In Paris Hindi The movie is about Akash and Ishkq who meet for the first time on a train from Rome to Paris. Both of them spend some time together in the evening and get attracted to each other. Ishkq brings up a no baggage pact between them and they part ways the next morning. Ishkq being a carefree girl, moves on, while Akash ends up falling in love with her. They meet up again in Paris but do they fall in love is the question. Directed by Prem R Soni it

premise of the play is formed by a kingdom of rules, an evil king and an unlikely heroine. Directed by Rajiv Krishnan, the cast includes Anand Sami, Karun Amarnath, Srikrishna Dayal and Sachin Gurjale. Jagriti Theatre, Ramagondanahalli, Varthur Road, Whitefield, May 24 to 26, 8 pm 41248298 Â Miss Sadarame: The story revolves around an innocent middle-class girl,

Â Bikhre Bimb: Written by Girish Karnad, this play has successfully seen more than 100 shows and been invited to all the major festivals of India. Directed by KM Chaitanya and Girish Karnad, the play stars Karnad and Arundhati Nag. Her masterly portrayal of two characters in this skillfully conceived plot has won Nag many accolades and awards. Ranga Shankara, 36/2 8th Cross II Phase, JP Nagar, May 24 to 25, 7.30 pm

2649 3982

Â Namma Robert Clive: As the title indicates, this one’s about the British Raj. It could be said that Queen Elizabeth gave monopoly rights to the British East India Company to trade with the Indian sub-continent and the Far East for gain, not glory of the British Empire. But this is not corruption. In modern governments, when such profits are shared with ministers and political brokers, it is corruption and bribery. The play is directed by Prakash Belawadi. Ranga Shankara, 36/2 8th Cross II Phase, JP Nagar, May 29 and 30, 7.30 pm 26493982 Â Re-stories of hope: The play depicts stories of survival, comebacks, rebuilding lost relations, courage and strength, where one finds the ray of hope in the darkest of nights and the light at the end of the tunnel, as the saying goes. You will be able to connect with the play instantly. Directed by Nandini Rau. Yours Truly ALMA, No 1, 1st floor, 17th E Cross, CMH Road, May 26, 7 pm 45243051

Fast and Furious 6

has Preity Zinta, Rhehan and Isabelle Adjani in the lead. Q Cinemas, Whitefield- 12 pm, 9.30 INOX, Garuda Mall, Magrath Road- 12.15 pm, 9.50 INOX, JP Nagar- 12.20 pm, 10 INOX, Swagath Garuda Mall3.10 pm, 9.55 Everest Theatre, Frazer Town- 6.30 pm, 9.30 Fun Cinemas, Cunningham Road- 10 am, 9.45 pm Â Hum Hain Rahi Car Ke Hindi The movie is about two best friends who decide to travel

from Mumbai to Pune on New Year’s eve. The trip should only take a few hours but whacky experience after the other prevents them from reaching their destination. Directed by Jyothin Goel, it has Adah Sharma, Dev Goel and Juhi Chawla in the lead. Q Cinemas, Whitefield- 5.20 pm Everest Theatre- 11.30am, 2.30 pm Fame Forum Value Mall, Whitefield- 12.40 pm

The animated cartoon character comes to the big screen with this movie. It is about Nobita who has caught a big rhinoceros beetle. The beetle promises his dad to take good care of her. Later, Doraemon’s group finds a strange island where a tribe co-exists with prehistoric creatures who were considered to be extinct. Q Cinemas, Whitefield- 10 am, 4.30 pm

Â Doraemon Nobita aur Jadui Tapu Hindi

Â Fast and Furious 6 English The movie is about a heist

where Dom and Brian left a kingpin devoid of his $100 million. On the other hand, Hobbs has been keeping a track of an organisation of lethally skilled mercenary drivers across 12 countries, whose mastermind, played by Luke Evans is aided by a ruthless, second-in-command, revealed to be the love Dom thought was dead, named Letty. The only way to stop the criminal outfit is to outmatch them at street level. Directed by Justin Lin, it has Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham and Michelle Rodriguez in the lead. Q Cinemas, Whitefield- 10 am, 10.30, 12.30 pm, 4, 5.10, 6.30 , 7.35, 9.10, 10 Innovative Multiplex, Marathahalli- 11.45 am, 2.15 pm, 4.45, 7.30, 10 Mukunda Theatre- 11 am, 2 pm, 5.30, 8.30 Rex Theatre- 10.10 am, 2.45 pm, 5.10, 7.35, 10 Vision Cinemas- 10.30 am, 4 pm, 7, 9.45 Cauvery Theatre11.30 am, 2.30 pm, 6, 9.30 Urvashi Digital 4K Cinemas- 11.30 am, 3 pm, 6.30, 9.45 Rockline Cinemas, Jalahalli- 10.30 am, 12.50 pm, 3.10, 5, 7.30, 10 Abhinay Theatre- 10.15 am, 1.15 pm, 4.15, 7.15 Manasa Digital10.45 am, 1.30 pm, 4.15, 7, 9.45

Jinke Mari

Â Election Kannada This Kannada action drama movie is directed by Om Prakash Rao. It has Malashri and Ragini Dwivedi in lead role. Hamsalekha has composed the music besides writing lyrics for this film. Santosh- 10.30 am, 1.30 pm, 4.30, 7.30 Veeresh Cinemas10.15 am, 1.15 pm, 4.15, 7.15 Â Jinke Mari Kannada This rom-com stars Yogish and Sonia Gowda in the lead roles. Avinash, Sharath lohitashwa, Shobaraj, Ramesh Bhat form the remaining cast. The film is directed by Naveen Kumar and music is composed by Sai Kartik. Anupama- 10.30 am, 1.30 pm, 4.30, 7.30

hot wheels

talk|30 may 2013|talkmag.in

The Mini rolls in Four models of this iconic British-origin car arrive in Bangalore, with prices starting from Rs 27 lakh SIDDARTH LAKSHMAN

SMALL WONDER Its makers hope that the Mini will kick off a boom in premium small cars

diesel variant too has been introduced in the lineup. So what’s the Mini’s USP? Customisation. It encourages buyers to “You-ify your Mini”. They can have the exterior tweaked with designs and tattoos while the interiors are also open to a good amount of customisation.

he Mini has arrived in Bangalore, and chances are, this small car will be the new status symbol. Officially launched in India during the Auto Expo in Delhi in January 2012, the Mini was Britain’s answer to the Volkswagen Beetle in the 1960s. In the heyday of gas-guzzling SUVs, the Mini prided itself on being A bit of history small and efficient. It’s pretty much the Designed by Sir Alec Issigonis for the same story today. British Motor Company (BMC), the Mini The Mini recently opened its show- came into production in 1959 and has room at Miller’s Road, offering four mod- been an iconic brand since, its space-savels: the Cooper, Cooper S, Cooper ing front wheel drive layout influencing a Convertible and Cooper S Countryman as generation of carmakers. completely built units (CBUs). It competes BMC and its successors built the in the premium luxury small car segment original Mini from 1959 until 2000. In with the Volkswagen Beetle, the newly 1994, the BMW group took over and launched Mercedes Benz A Class and the began developing a new Mini. Designed BMW’s own 1 series, no by Frank Stephenson, it less. was first produced in What is the The Cooper hatch2001. It captured the Mini’s USP? back is the most affordessence of the original, able car in the stable, with adding safety features Clearly, it’s an asking price of around and upgrading some customisation Rs 27 lakh. It comes with technology. It also introa 1.6 litre petrol engine duced the now famous that is good for 122 bhp at 6,000 rpm. The dual colour tone. Mini Cooper S, priced around Rs 30 lakh, The Mini transformed from a pasfeatures the same engine but with a twin senger car to a luxury car when John scroll turbocharger churning out a Cooper, owner of the Cooper Car whooping 184 bhp at 5,500 rpm. Company, managed to convince his friend The third model is the Cooper Issigonis, whose company dealt with manConvertible. Though it might be an ufacturing sports cars, that the Mini could impractical choice, given India’s extreme indeed evolve into a performance-orientweather conditions, it is the cheapest con- ed car. It led to the Mini Cooper and Mini vertible available in India today, priced at Cooper S versions. around Rs 33 lakh. The Mini hurtled into the rallying The Mini Cooper S Countryman is scene in the 1960s and won three champian ideal family car with five doors and onships. It was deprived of a fourth rally decent space for four occupants. Being a championship after being disqualified for hatchback makes it that much easier to using multiple headlamps. Far from hamnegotiate city traffic; its sporty engine pering its image, the incident made Mini does not dissapoint on the highway either. more famous. Its raised suspension, especially, is a boon At present, the Lotus team at the while travelling on potholed roads. World Rally Championship (WRC) boasts The Countryman costs around Rs 36 using a chassis provided by Mini John lakh and uses a 184 bhp, 1.6 litre tur- Cooper Works. The Mini has also been bocharged engine. Manufactured at the voted as the ‘Number One Classic Car of BMW plant in Chennai, it is the first pre- All Time’. mium small car to be made in India. A

Mileage

Variants

Price

Cooper Cooper S Convertible Countryman

Rs 27 lakh Rs 30 lakh Rs 33 lakh Rs 36 lakh

City Highway 11.5/19 11.2/20 11.2/18.8 13.6/19.2

back stage

talk|30 may 2013|talkmag.in

A polyphonic treat With young musicians from two countries, the Canadian Indian Youth Orchestra is all set to play classical and popular favourites SANDRA M FERNANDES

sandramarina.fernandes@talkmag.in

n Bangalore on an exchange programme with the Bangalore School of Music (BSM) are 32 musicians and three faculty members from the National Youth Orchestra of Canada. Their twoweek-long collaboration with 34 local musicians will culminate in a performance on Saturday. When Talk visited them during one of their rehearsals, they were delivering Bach, and followed it up with numbers such as La Cumparsita, an alltime favourite tango song. “The purpose of forming the Canadian Indian Youth Orchestra was to learn new techniques and gain knowledge from well known instructors,” said Arun Rozario, conductor of BSM who also plays the violin for the collaborative band. Last year, Rozario was among four Indian musicians selected by the NYOC to perform with its students. It was during his time in Canada that he conceived of the idea of an Indo-Canadian orchestra, which found eager support from NYOC director Barbara Smith. The two-week programme, Rozario says, has been good for musicians from both countries . “We have seen exponential growth in technique, discipline and

performance in musicians who have practiced under the guidance of these instructors,” he said. The bassoon, oboe and timpani, rare in India, are part of the orchestra. For many Canadian musicians, this was a first trip to India. For Alain Trudel, conductor of the orchestra who has taught music for 25 years, the experience has been “overwhelming”. Trudel has been following Indian classical music. “We wanted the students to share each other’s culture and what better way to do it than through music,” he said. Indian musicians are equally enthusiastic about the project. Elvina Fernandes, a viola player from Goa, says that a platform like this opens may doors. “For musicians like me this experience is wonderful. We get to learn how to maintain discipline in an orchestral set-up,” she says. Rozario says the concert is just the first step. “Some of us are going back to Canada in June to perform again. Post this we have plans for a similar concept at BSM, to have an orchestral development programme under which we will try to have about 2-3 concerts a year,” he says. CIYO performs at the Chowdaiah Memorial Hall on May 25. The event is open to all RAMESH HUNSUR

HARMONY The CIYO comprises more than 60 musicians from the two countries

LEGENDS Ray Manzarek (second from left) with his bandmates during The Doors’ heydays

Ray, the one and only The keyboardist of pioneering rock band Parikrama pays tribute to Ray Manzarek, the man behind The Doors' unique sound that held generations enthralled SUBIR MALIK

ot many know that I was actually a bass player. I remained one until I came across two wise men of the Hammond organ. One was Jon Lord of Deep Purple and the other was Ray Manzarek of The Doors. I first heard The Doors when I was in school. Initially, it was more about Jim Morrison for me, like it was for most others. But slowly, I was fascinated by the sound of the Hammond. There were other bigger players around then, but these two had completely bowled me over. At that time, there was no easy access to information, but I continued to be fascinated by the sound of Manzarek. When I heard the news of Manzarek’s death, I was deeply saddened. Jon died some time ago and now we have lost Ray as well. But for these two musicians, I would not be where I am today. I still remember hearing The Doors on a pirated PRT audio cassette when I was in high school and freaking out instantly on Light my fire, Break on through, Love me two times, The crystal ship, When the music’s over, The end…. When in college, I began exploring Ray and his music. He was playing both the bass and the keyboard. I realised his works followed no pattern of scale, yet sounded so good! Strangely, almost 25 years on, I listen to the same music, with the same passion as I did back then, and that is the magic of the music by The Doors, and we all know

that Ray played a major part in how the band sounded. People may say I haven’t grown up, but my choice in music is still the bands that dominated the 1960s and ‘70s. I still enjoy The Doors, Led Zeppelin and others. Before Parikrama’s first ever concert in 1991, I took up the challenge of playing the solo parts and the intro in Light my fire. I had just switched from bass to the keyboards, largely for my love of the Hammond organs. It took me a few weeks to replicate the parts and all through I kept thinking, if it takes that long to replicate the tunes, what it must have taken Ray to come up with it. But I could be wrong. With his genius it probably took him no longer than a few hours. I remember playing The Doors’ then controversial song The end at IIT-Delhi in 1992. I still can’t forget the vibe it created. It drove the audience into a trance. The man was a genius in every way, playing the Hammond organ with the right hand and the bass guitar with his left simultaneously; it is something that I can’t imagine being done even now. His keyboard parts can actually be converted into a great study for all those who want to learn the nuances of the organ and for those who want to think out of the box. As part of Parikrama’s annual tour to celebrate 22 years of the band next month, we plan to play a song by The Doors as a tribute to Ray. We still can’t make up our minds which one. Ray was an inspiration and will be sorely missed. I’d say to him, “Take care, buddy, and do jam up with Jim up there”. (As told to Prachi Sibal)

talk|30 may 2013|talkmag.in

Ego kills love in marriage For a marriage to last, it takes all your intellectual and spiritual strength. But, above all, it demands that you leave your ego out of it, says Sensei Avinash Subramanyam

e consistent; don’t change your behaviour with time. Say, your wife is a fun-loving person and you enjoyed her prank of hiding your shoes and didn’t mind getting late to office. Later, don’t screw up your face and say, “Don’t fool around, I’m getting late.” Similarly, if the man is not careerdriven and the woman had loved him for his happy-go-lucky attitude, she shouldn’t later pressure him to slog towards a villa and BMV. It’s all right to suggest positive changes: “Don’t use bad language.” If a man had girl friends freely lounging around the house when he was single, it’s all right to say ‘no’ after marriage. Draw the limit when it affects the relationship, but don’t change the other’s spirit. Don’t prioritise ‘things’ over love. If a boyfriend or husband showers affection, the woman shouldn’t shun a hug saying she will be late for a movie. Genuine affection can die in an instant. Sometimes people can be very finicky about cleanliness: a plate should be spotlessly clean and kept in its exact place; the bed sheet shouldn’t have a single wrinkle. True, sheets and plates need to be clean, but let them be if they aren’t perfect at times. When you are not in place in life, why worry about a plate? Remember we are not perfect. Our ears collect wax. When we have a fever and can’t take a bath, our bodies stink. Know that dirt is natural and a part of life. Also, from one unwanted obsession, others will follow. Don’t make life a list of dos and don’ts. Be sensitive about how you respond to the touch of love. A woman should never say, “Don’t touch my hair, I’ve just styled it.” Don’t make love practical. When you say, “Don’t put your leg on the new sofa,” love can break. I’ve known men who could never make

love to their wives after being insulted just once. Never lose your temper. Even if you do, do not make a fight last longer than five minutes. Don’t start a fight in a high pitched voice; use minimal words and aggression. If you begin by screaming and slapping, you will only turn more violent the next time. If you don’t fight at all, the day you say you are hurt, the other will listen. You should be able to start and end a fight with a smile and a kiss. If you fight with the right attitude from day one, your relationship will be beautiful. Try not to find fault with accusing words. Don’t say “Who’s kept the pillow here?” or “Why have you taken money from my wallet without asking?” With accusation builds fear. Insecurity and lies follow. Whatever you have to say, say nicely. Use speech only to uplift people, never to bring them down. A marriage or friendship should be characterised by complete freedom and transparency, but it grows stronger with the gentleness of formality. How to curb the habit of shouting when angry? Even before you start a fight, tell yourself to keep control. Learn to anticipate anger and prevent damage. You will become calmer over time. Even if you can’t conquer anger completely, you’ll improve. Even if the other is in the wrong, reprimand graciously, never harshly. The purpose should only be for the other’s kaizen

Way of Budo 34

(improvement) and not to punish. Learn to look at faults with humour. If your girlfriend always spills tea on herself say, “Butterfingers”, not “Can’t you…?” However angry, never abuse physically. A relationship breaks the first moment a hand is raised. Even the slightest gesture of physical abuse is a no-no. Don’t compete with each other. Never show your strength. Be magnanimous with strengths (tell your wife she’s the better cook) and gentle with your weaknesses (never feel jealous that she speaks better). Stop finding fault—with the house, in-laws, furniture, servant, weather—your happiness does not lie in them. Find it in yourself and the marriage. Physical intimacy between husband and wife should be free of any inhibition. You should live all your fantasies in, and not outside, your

marriage. Never take your marriage for granted, treat it with respect. Only then will it last. Love is the freedom you enjoy in a relationship that you never take for granted. Do as you wish done unto you. Don’t gape at the other sex, if you expect such behaviour from your spouse. Only if there’s purity in a relationship will it last. Avoid behaviour that provokes suspicion. Don’t hide messages or give special smiles. Don’t accept a Valentine’s Day gift and show it off to your spouse. I am not being institutional; I believe in freedom. But I have seen and understood the consequences of not maintaining relationships with dignity and honour. If you don’t expect permanence in love, everything is all right; but if you expect commitment, be cautious rather than carefree. It is not important that you say ‘no’ when you’re attracted to another; you shouldn’t feel the attraction at all. This sounds idealistic, but it’s the truth. Weigh your loyalty and honesty. If you live in a marriage and carry on with your affairs outside, it adds to your negative karma (see Way of Budo 27). How to deal with differences? Make a list of things that bother you. Never insult a person’s looks or body but point to negativities like anger, jealousy. Ask the other to make a similar list. Speak about it. Make changes in your life that will help you grow as an individual and nurture the relationship. If certain mannerisms— loud talking, shaking the leg—is irritating, tell the other gently. If you really want your marriage to work, give up your ego. With an ego, life will always be unhappy. If you give it up, your relationships become joful. Transcribed by Radhika P You can write to Sensei at: seefarwellnessorg@yahoo.com

food path

talk|30 may 2013|talkmag.in

Salad days Whichever way you toss it, there’s nothing quite like a salad on a hot summer afternoon. Say goodbye to the greasy and heavy for a few days and sample these nutritious, easy-to-prepare treats. Recipes compiled by Sandra M Fernandes Decadent Potato Salad Ingredients: Potatoes, preferably baby potatoes - 400 gm, celery sticks minced - 1½ tbsp, white onion grated or minced fine - 1½ tbsp, mixed cold cuts of your choice (chopped ham, different sausages sliced) - 100 gm, bacon fried crisp- 1 rasher, 1 boiled egg chopped, Tabasco sauce - a few drops, mayonnaise - 3 tbsp, cream - ½ tbsp, a pinch of pepper and chilli powder, salt to taste For the dressing Olive oil/salad dressing oil -2 tbsp, white vinegar - ½ tbsp, a large pinch of mustard, caster sugar - ¼ tsp, salt and pepper to taste For the garnish A few whole celery leaves and a few cut into thin strips, a few

Chicken Salad

Ingredients: Chicken breast- 2 nos, 1 cucumber, iceberg lettuce - about 5 leaves, Caesar salad dressing - 3 tspn, chopped Cabbage - 1 cup, boiled bacon - 3 pieces, chopped olives and grated cheese for garnish Method: Boil the chicken breasts in water. Add a pinch of salt to the boiling water. Once soft, let the chicken breast cool. Then shred it or chop into thin slices and keep aside. In a large bowl, add chopped cucumber, shredded bacon pieces and mix well. Then break the lettuce using your hands into small pieces and add it to the bowl. Add the salad dressing and little salt to taste and toss it well. Chill before you serve. Garnish with olives and grated cheese (You can add boiled potato or cherry tomatoes too).

bacon bits Method: Wash and scrub the potatoes well to remove any dirt. Boil, with the skins, in lightly salted water till tender, but not soft and overcooked. Drain, and while still hot, cut into half (or into bite-sized bites (about 1-inch × 1-inch) if using big potatoes. Mix together the dressing ingredients. Toss the potatoes in the dressing till well coated. Refrigerate for at least an hour. About half an hour before serving, mix the mayo with the salt, pepper, Tabasco sauce, cream and chilli powder. Add the ham and sausage, bacon, eggs, celery and onion. Stir in the mayo mixture and mix well. Keep in the refrigerator to chill. Serve cold garnished with the celery leaves and bacon bits.

Rajma Salad Ingredients: Soaked and boiled rajma (kidney beans) - 3/4 cup, shredded cabbage - 1½ cups, 2 carrots grated, capsicum sliced - 3/4 cup, 2 cucumbers sliced, 2 tomatoes diced For the dressing White vinegar - 2 tbsp Sugar - 2 tbsp Olive oil - 2 tbsp Mustard (rai /sarson) powder - 1 tbsp Salt - 2 tbsp

Method: Place the cabbage, carrots, capsicum and cucumber in cold water for half an hour. Boil the vinegar and sugar until the sugar dissolves. Then add the salad oil, mustard powder and salt. Arrange the vegetables and beans in a serving dish. Pour the dressing on top and leave to chill. Serve cold. Sprinkle chat masala before serving if you prefer.

Fusili with Mushrooms and Spinach Salad liquid. Wash, clean and discard spinach stems. Slice the leaves into ½inch slices. Separate the caps from the stems of the button mushrooms. Slice the caps thinly and finely chop the stems. Cook the fusilli in boiling salted water for about eight minutes or till al dente (firm but not hard). Meanwhile, heat the butter and olive oil on a medium flame. Add the garlic and cook for about 2-3 minutes or till soft. Add the chopped Method: Soak the mushrooms in hot and sliced button mushrooms, stir well water for about five minutes. Remove the mushrooms once hydrated and dice. and continue cooking till the mushrooms start to release water. Stir Reserve about two tbsp of the soaking Ingredients: Fusilli - 250 gm, olive oil - 1½ tbsp + butter - ½ tbsp (or 2 tbsp olive oil), garlic minced - 2 tbsp, button mushrooms (about 7-8 pieces) - 125 gm, dried mushrooms - 50 gm, spinach leaves - 1 small bunch, fresh thyme 1 tsp or dried ½ tsp, extra virgin olive oil to finish - 1 tbsp, salt and pepper to taste

in the chopped dried mushrooms. Toss well. Lower the heat and continue cooking. By this time the fusilli should be about done. Remove from fire, drain, but reserve about 3 tbsp of the water. Raise the flame to high. Add the hot fusilli, spinach, salt, and reserved pasta and mushroom waters. Continue cooking for about 2-3 minutes, tossing to ensure that the mushroom bits and garlic get caught in the fusilli spirals. Add the fresh thyme and pepper and remove from heat. Pour the extra virgin olive oil to finish. Can be eaten hot, but tastes better cold as a salad. Recipes provided by Antoine Lewis and Leena Fernandes

T I M E P A SS

talk|30 may 2013|talkmag.in

30 Prof Good Sense

I'm 21, and live in a closely knit joint family. I'm extremely happy and proud of the bonding I enjoy with all its members. But, recently, I noticed one of my uncles, who is 36, in a comprising position with my cousin, a 27-year-old. My uncle is married and has a nine-year-old daughter, and his marriage will surely be affected if the news spreads. My cousin will also be affected: she will be seen as a girl with loose morals. The repercussions of word getting out are going to be severe. What should I do? Vittala, Bangalore As a responsible member of the family, you might want to bell the cat sooner than later. Talk to them without making a scene. If that is difficult, rope in a senior member of the family. What they need is a discreet warning that their romance is doomed. Your uncle, his family, and your cousin will be spared a lifetime of misery and guilt if you take steps right away. Prof M Sreedhara Murthy teaches psychology at NMKRV First Grade College. He is also a well-known photographer. Mail queries to prof@talkmag.in

talk the intelligent bangalorean ’s must-read weekly

1st Cross

Talk ’s weekly crossword for Bangaloreans who know their way about town 14 Bistro for the creatively inclined at Indiranagar (9) 17 Field Marshal KM ___ : first Indian Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army? (8) 18 Chief Minister Siddaramaiah recently threatened to shut down this government organization (3) 19 Theatre on Sankey Road (7) 20 The High Court recently directed the FRRO to issue exit visas for two ____ pilots who have been unable to leave the country on account of their employers not issuing TDS certificates (8) 21 Curry containing pork (6) DOWN 2 Union minister of rural development Jairam Ramesh hopes that our new Chief Minister will implement this scheme in an effective manner (7) 3 Recent movie directed by Mallikarjuna

Last week ’s solution

ACROSS 1 Tourist destination where RK Narayanan's Malgudi Days was filmed (6) 4 Indian Railways recently introduced a new weekly train connecting Bangalore and ____ (5) 7 The number of Bangalore-based ministers in the new Cabinet (4)

Jayachamaraja Wodeyar ____ : Last king of Mysore and first Governor of Karnataka (7) 10 The kind of policing the new Government wants to clamp down on (5) 11 Kagodu ____ : Recently appointed Speaker of the Karnataka State Assembly (9)

Across: 2 JDS, 4 Banjara, 6 Lizard, 7 Lalbagh, 9 Murali, 12 Cinepolis, 13 Gokak, 14 Devi Shetty, 16 Twenty nine, 17 Hypnos. Down: 1 Coimbatore, 3 Siddaramaiah, 4 BulBul, 5 Electricity, 8 Hosur, 9 M S Dhoni, 10 Infighting, 11 Chola, 15 Varuna.

5 6 8

12 13 15

16 17

Muthalageri (9) West Indian all rounder in our IPL squad (8) The kind of netas who apparently have no place in the current Cabinet (7) A couple who swindled job seekers of crores of rupees were recently apprehended by officers from this police station (12) Women _____ have been the bane of travellers in BMTC buses recently (11) Oye ____ : Punjabi restaurant on Church Street (8) The number of years of imprisonment the the secretary and director of Kuvempu Noothana Madari Gruha Nirmana Sahakara Sangha were sentenced to (5) Actor turned politician who was recently inducted into the State Cabinet (9) The BMTC hopes to reduce crime on buses by installing these (5)

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memoir

talk|30 may 2013|talkmag.in

Accused of setting his wife on fire, trader Maruti wears a veil to appear before a judge and seek anticipatory bail

VIVEK ARUN

asanapura and Devannapalya are twin villages near Nelamangala, an hour’s drive from Bangalore. The two villages share a common deity called Patalamma. An annual fair is held on a full moon day and villagers take out her idol in a procession. That year, people started pulling the chariot at 7.30 pm. The air was festive, with pipers playing and priests chanting holy verses. A scream interrupted the festivities. A wailing, nude woman rushed towards the chariot. People thought she was possessed. They scampered in fear, and some women started crying. They blanched when they saw she was burnt. Many witnesses fled, but some brave men stayed back. They identified the woman as Manjamma, daughter of the village goldsmith Narayanachar. There was no end to Manjamma’s agony. She stumbled on a rock, tossed, and fainted as her head hit a rock. Some boys ran to Narayanachar’s house and informed him about his daughter’s plight. He and his wife came running.

Narayanachar covered Manjamma ablaze. However, a desire to live had with a shawl. Her mother gripped her soon after she had set Lakshmamma was distraught. The herself on fire. She had stripped, but boys called an ambulance and took it was too late. Seething with anger, Manjamma to the Nelamangala Narayanachar filed a complaint General Hospital. After giving her first aid, the against Maruti and his parents, doctors in Nelamangala asked the blaming them for his daughter’s villagers to shift her to Victoria death. This complaint became the Hospital in Bangalore. There, doc- basis for the police to file a murder tors declared she had been brought case. Maruti went absconding. Lawyer K Keshavamurthy, who dead. Victoria Hospital police regispracticed at the Nelamangala magistered a murder case. The post-mortem revealed that trate court, was my close friend. the body had sustained 80 per cent Maruti and his parents had burn injuries, and the death was approached him, and he referred the case to me. caused by a head injury. The police came to me after I Manjamma had married Maruti from the Tigala community, and filed a vakalath in favour of Maruti. lived in the village of Arishinakunte. They asked for his surrender, and Maruti was a grocer and a drunkard. promised they would not harm him. Manjamma’s parents had abandoned I could not believe them: they had tortured his parents her because she had in custody. I applied married out of their A wailing, for anticipatory bail. caste. I asked Maruti Manjamma nude woman to wear a burkha and could not handle rushed towards come to court along Maruti’s parents. She the chariot with a Muslim man came from a higher so that they could caste, and expected special treatment from them. As they pass off for a man and wife. Getting did not give her any special respect, wind of it, the police set up a vigil, she was depressed. She wanted to set but they could not identify him as up a separate home with her hus- many veiled Muslim women were band and was urging him to give up attending court that day. Maruti drinking. She had even threatened to sneaked into the court hall before pour alcohol on her body and set they saw him. The police had fabricated herself ablaze. Maruti had never Manjamma’s dying declaration saytaken her threat seriously. Manjamma saw an opportunity ing she had been set on fire by in the Patalamma fair and set herself Maruti and his parents. The declara-

crime folio

The man in the burqa

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

CH HANUMANTHARAYA

tion was signed by the doctor who had treated her at the Nelamangala hospital. However, I had procured a document from Victoria Hospital that said she had died of a head injury. I had also obtained the statement recorded at the Nelamangala hospital that said Manjamma had been admitted in an unconscious state. For my witnesses, I roped in villagers who had seen Manjammma fainting after banging her head against a rock. The doctor who had signed Manjamma’s dying declaration started shivering in the witness box when I showed him the documents I had procured. Justice DC Hiremath reprimanded him before deciding the case in favour of Maruti. Maruti’s eyes welled up when he walked out of the court hall. He touched Keshavamurthy’s feet and thanked me. Translated by BV Shivashankar

talk|30 may 2013|talkmag.in

Britain, a nation of secret cannibals The British have always been seen as an odd lot, even by other Europeans, but they’re odder than most people imagined, it turns out. The results of a poll on cannibalism by British television channel Eden came as a shocker even to the channel when it turned out that 25 per cent of the respondents said that they were "curious" to taste

Why an extraterrestrial war on earth is unlikely human flesh. What's more, some 14 per cent were open to the idea of eating a piece of themselves as long as it was done painlessly and hygienically; that is, by a doctor who would take a flesh sample from their bodies. Now we know what’s under those stiff upper lips. To think that one out of every four people you'd pass by on a balmy summer afternoon on a London street would actually like to bite into you... Gulp.

Boycotting Monsanto just became a whole lot easier It took 26-year-old Los Angeles freelance programmer Ivan Pardo 16 months to create Buycott, a free mobile app that scans grocery items for products by dodgy corporations like Monsanto. All you need to do is scan the barcode on any product and the free app will trace its original all the way to its parent companies, so you’ll know where your money’s going. That’s not all, you can use the app to join usercreated campaigns to boycott

companies whose business practices you oppose. No wonder the app’s a runaway hit. Considering the extent to which many corporations go to hide their tracks, often selling controversial products under the names of subsidiaries, this one’s likely to hit them where it hurts. And in case you’re wondering

why Monsanto (aka “the most evil corporation in the universe”), here’s why: they have had a hand in just about every nasty thing ever invented: from the first nuclear bomb to Agent Orange, the chemical weapon the Americans used to scorch Vietnam. In these parts though, they are most notorious for trying to push through stuff like Bt cotton and genetically modified brinjal. A fine example of geek activism, overall.

All those living in fear of a war against humankind by aggressive aliens may now breathe easy. According to a recent research paper by Janne Korhonen of Finland’s Aalto University, published in the new edition of Acta Astronautica— journal of the International Academy of Astronautics—such an event is highly unlikely. Titled ‘MAD with Aliens? Interstellar Deterrence and its Implications,’ the paper examines the factors that would motivate and demotivate aliens considering an assault against the earth. The learned scientist concludes aliens won’t come after us because we would be “too hazardous for an attacker.” For instance, any intelligence

gathered before an attack would be outdated—thanks to the limitation on the speed of light— before the offensive party arrives. Also any attack that doesn’t completely wipe out the human race would be futile, because even if 1 per cent of humans survive, we could repopulate the earth to current levels in just 700 years. Speaking for ourselves, that’s a major responsibility off our ever-vigilant shoulders. Of course, all this is assuming the hostile aliens are rational beings— and Korhonen graciously admits as much—and not a bunch of thrill seekers out to have some fun at humankind’s expense. But we’ll worry about that another time.