The Beat edition 2 by The Beat

April 2018

An IIJNM PUBLICATION

THE BEAT

Photo: Nithya Mandyam

Back to The Roots Sustainable yields over short-term returns THE BEAT

Picture credit: ScoopWhoop

Letter from the Editor The agrarian crisis has elicited very different responses from politicians, policy makers and farmers. While most have sought short-term solutions like loan waivers and increasing minimum-support prices for food grains, mainly in an attempt to buy off powerful farm lobbies for electoral gain, more thoughtful experts have questioned the very model of agriculture that has been promoted over the past half century in India. Water-intensive, chemical-dependent and credit-driven farming has devastated the land, depleted and contaminated water sources and left farmers destitute. Our cover story looks at some of the creative ways farmers have sought to escape that triple burden. The century-old, Cauvery dispute defies easy solutions. While the Supreme Courtâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recent order provides a welcome respite from an increasingly acrimonious spat between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, it has failed to resolve the underlying issue: how will they share the river water in lean years? The Supreme Court, in turn, has come under much-needed scrutiny for its poor internal governance. We look at a range of other issues including the increasing vulnerability of the banking system to fraud; the wealth that lies buried in city waste; the problems of street children; the deadly consequences of our taboo about menstrual hygiene; and the plight of male victims of domestic abuse. Along with stories on football, badminton , features on Anime, poetry and dance, besides book and film reviews, this issue of The Beat makes for a great read. We hope you enjoy reading it as much as we did putting it together.

Sreejani Bhattacharyya

April 2018

CONTENTS

Sustainable farming

Bee Business

Water Wisdom

Storing up Trouble

Judges on Trial

Bank Frauds

Awkward Silence

Street Kids

Embarrassing Truth

Raw Power Nothing goes waste

Coming of Age

Interview

Ambitious Anime

Plaintive Verse

Stepping Out

Movie Review

Book Review

Back to the Roots

Honey money

Every drop counts

Cauvery unresolved

Law unto themselves

Daylight robbery Talking about menstruation School of hard knocks

Men need protection

Football finds its feet Parupalli Kashyap Versatile medium

Resistance poetry

Rethinking classical dance Call Me By Your Name Turtles All The Way Down

THE BEAT

COVER STORY

Back to the Roots

Farmers around the world are switching to technologies that ensure long-term sustainability over short- term yields, writes Kritika Agrawal

April 2018

Shiny Kirupa

THE BEAT

limate change is forcing people everywhere to look at their choices in a new light. Every consumption decision can be measured in terms of the volume of carbon it emits, encouraging us to think of ways in which we could reduce the energy intensity of what we eat and wear and how we travel. Nowhere is the need to rationalize our resource use more urgent than in agriculture. Agriculture represents a colossal waste of resources. Industrial farming has laid waste to (and continues to devastate) the world’s forests, uses over 80% of the world’s scarcest commodity, fresh water, contributes to the chemical poisoning of land and water bodies through fertilizer and pesticide runoff, and is the single biggest source of methane, a major greenhouse gas, in the Earth’s atmosphere. The United Nations estimates that by 2050, the global population will increase to 9.6 billion. How will we meet the food requirement of this huge population without stretching our resource base to the breaking point? The answer lies in nature. “I’m unlearning all that I’ve learnt about ‘high-input’ agriculture” says Vinayak Rao, block technology officer in the government’s agriculture department in Sagar in central Karnataka, whose views on best practice carries weight with local farmers. “There Vinayak Rao believes that ZBNF will preserve the soil and reduce should be minimum human interven- farmer’s investment tion in the fields and the rest must be ZBNY has already achieved great India faces an unprecedented water left to nature.” A post graduate of the prestigious Uni- success in parts of south India. Sub- crisis. As much as 80% of India’s water versity of Agricultural Sciences, Banga- hash Palekar, a Padma Shree awardee is used in agriculture and much of it in lore, Rao practices ‘zero budget natural and a farmer from Vidarbha in Ma- a wasteful manner. Crops like red chilfarming’ or ZBNF. He farms 2 acres of harashtra, pioneered ZBNF. Andhra ies in Rajasthan, sugarcane and grapes land in his village, where he grows or- Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu in Maharashtra and rice in many rainganic pepper, coffee and coconut. By us- Naidu has appointed him as his advi- dependent areas across the country are ing Jeevaamruta, a mixture of cow dung, sor and has provided Rs. 100 crore to wasteful as they are inappropriate for water-stressed regions. Their export is cow urine and kitchen waste, Rao has in- promote his farming philosophy. Palekar believes that ZBNF is the tantamount to the export of water by creased soil fertility and controlled pests. Rao encourages farmers to mulch the solution to the agriculture crises in a drought-stricken country. Several parts of India face recurring soil by using areca leaves, husk, coco- India today. His method involves zero nut fronds and dry leaves to maintain input cost by using the natural meth- droughts. Anantpur district in Andhra soil moisture and control the spread of ods to nurture the soil and to generate Pradesh is the country’s second driest weeds. His idea of paper mulching is in- substantial produce without using pes- district and people there are finding novative as newspaper decomposes and ticides or chemical fertilizers. In this, their answers in their traditional, natubecomes food for earthworms. In win- the seeds are locally produced and in- ral farming methods. As with Anantpur district, natural ter, the mulch keeps the soil temperature tercropping plays an important role. The main nutritive components of farming has improved yields in Andhra relatively warm. A 60-strong farmers group called Cha- ZBNF include Jeevaamruta, Beejam- Pradesh’s driest districts of Prakasam, rantana Raitha Kuta in the Keladi region rutha (same as Jeevamruta but used Kadapa, Kurnool and Chittoor. Alof Sagar meets once a month to discuss to treat seeds), Acchadana (mulching) ready, 140,000 farmers in Andhra innovative farming methods. Most of the and Whapasa (moisture). ZBNF says Pradesh with 60,000 hectares of land farmers in this group have been inspired what the plant’s roots need is water under cultivation have shifted to zero by Rao’s experiment and have opted nat- vapor not water, thereby curtailing the budget natural farming. By 2024, the need for deep irrigation. state authorities believe that 6 million ural-farming methods.

COVER STORY farmers across 13 districts in the state will also switch. In an interview with online journal The Wire, Palekar points out that through the high-input Green Revolution model, the highest yields achieved were 61 quintals of paddy, 56 quintal of wheat and 26 quintal of basmati rice per hectare. “In Amritsar, there is a 50acre farm run by the Pingalwara Charitable Society,” he said. “They practice Zero Budget Natural Farming. From one acre they got 24 quintals of basmati rice. That is 61 quintals per hectare, which is more than double the production from hybrid basmati seeds.”

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team of experts from Shimla visited Guntur district of AP to study the ZBNF model at the insistence of Acharya Devvrat, governor of Himachal Pradesh, who practices ZBNF in his 200 acres farm. Around 30,000 farmers follow his example in Himachal Pradesh. State chief minister Jairam has allotted Rs. 25 crore to promote ZBNF. Once farmers adopt the monoculture practices of conventional farming for the better returns they yield, they find it difficult to return to traditional ways of farming. However, farmers in Chizami village in the Phek district of eastern Nagaland continue to practice their traditional jhum or shifting cultivation, a slash and burn type of agriculture

which involves rotation of fields rather than crops. A group of women in the village is spearheading the task of preserving sustainable-farming practices. These women maintain traditional seed banks and have a clear and good understanding of the differences between indigenous, hybrid and ordinary varieties of seeds. They pass on this knowledge to other farmers in the village and, as a result, the villagers in Chizami are finding answers in their age old traditions to ensure food security amidst changing climatic conditions. In jhum cultivation, Alder trees are planted to ensure soil fertility. Along with maize, farmers grow leguminous vegetables which play a significant role in nitrogen fixing to rejuvenate soil health. In Nagaland, March is the month of sowing seeds, May and June are the months of harvesting vegetables, July for harvesting millets and August for maize. In August they also sow seeds of rice beans. At last in October they harvest oil seeds like sesame. Millet is an important crop in the Naga culture. It is highly nutritious, healthy and requires much less water to grow. The revival of Ethsunye, a five day millet festival in the Chizami village, led to the restoration of millets in the jhum fields. Another technique, permaculture, is also gaining popularity with Indian farmers. Permaculture en-

A key feature of natural farming is the traditional method of intercropping 6

April 2018

courages farmers to design their farms to allow different plants to complement each other and help sustain each other. It seeks to create an ecosystem like a forest and nurtures the soil. This method of farming has now spread to 140 countries and around three million people are using this. It also restricts the use of chemicals and requires much less water. Down to Earth magazine profiled a farmer, Narsanna Koppula of Telangana, who has 10 acres of land and has been practicing permaculture for 30 years. He says, “All tall trees in his farm are confined to the western and southern boundaries and the eastern side has been left open. This ensures that the other plants and crops remain protected from the harsh afternoon heat and strong winds while benefitting from the morning sun.” Recently, Millets Network of India (MNI) received the Nari Shakti Award from president Ram Nath Kovind for their success in growing millets like jowar, sorghum and bajra and using permaculture and other traditional practices. Further afield, in Cambodia, floating rice cultivation serves as an alternative for the people in the Lower Mekong Region, to practice sustainable rice farming. Rice plants are grown in deep water which helps naturally resists pests. The sediments in the floodwater provide natural fertilizer. The floating rice is harvested only once a year, but it’s the major source of income for the farmers around Tonle Sap Lake. Here the focus, like with ZBNF, is not on increased yields but rather generating sustainable yields but keeping costs under control. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) promotes ‘rice-fish farming’. The fish that are raised in the flooded paddy fields are highly nutritious and help in weed and pest control. As the FAO observes, “The yields of rice, income from fishes and savings from pesticides in rice-fish farming produces income up to 400% higher than that in the rice-monoculture farming.” All these green practices are together laying a new foundation for agriculture in the 21st Century. The Green Revolution of the 1960s & 1970s was essential to solve the hunger crises of the time, but now the priority is to rejuvenate the earth and build a more sustainable model of farming in a far more uncertain world. Farmers who are going back to their roots with this mission have sparked a new revolution.

COVER STORY

Bees are Big Business

.S Bhat, a bee-keeper from Bilgi village in Siddapur taluk of Uttara Kannada district (pictured above), says he earns a tidy profit selling honey from his apiary, which consists of 10-15 bee boxes. A single box fetches him 18-20 litres of honey, which he harvests twice a year and sells for Rs. 400-500 a litre. For the past 20 years he has been rearing thuduve bees, which are endemic to the Western Ghats and claims that the honey produced by his bees are far superior in quality and have medicinal value. Moderate climatic conditions with a wide range of flora and vegetation, typical of many hills tracts across India,are best suited for apiculture. It is fast emerging as an alternative livelihood option in rural areas as farmers increasingly turn to beekeeping to supplement their incomes. The collection of wild honey from the forests has been an age-old practice among forest dwellers around the world. The commercialisation of the honey-collecting trade led to a shift

Shiny Kirupa

Apiculture has immense potential to create jobs and supplement farm incomes, says Shiny Kirupa

from “bee hunting” to what we call “beekeeping”. The process of breeding bees especially for the purpose of procuring honey and other products on a commercial scale is termed apiculture. Not only is honey used in food items as a sweetening agent but it is also used for medicinal purposes. The Khadi and Village Industries Commission has played an important role in promoting apiculture in India by setting up beekeeping units, creating training institutes and so on. It has helped establish beekeeper-cooperative societies in villages that have a high potential for producing honey. These cooperatives extend loans and supply beekeeping equipment at subsidized rates to farmers. “In return, we breed bees and give them the raw honey,” says Stephen, a member of Marthandam Beekeeper’s Society in Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu. “Local brands such as Malar and Indian Honey give stiff competition to commercial brands like Dabur, Lion etc. Though their prices vary, the

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distinct quality and flavour of each local honey is always retained, which makes them distinct.” Bee-keeping has become an ideal, sustainable livelihood option in Sikkim, providing a much-needed boost to state’s agricultural economy. Sikkim, which declared itself an “organic state” in January 2016, is moving from traditional, low-productive practices to modern beekeeping. Bees are crucial to other components of the Sikkim’s agriculture. The state contributes 53% of world’s supply of large cardamom, and although the plant is capable of self-pollinating, pollinators play a major role in cross-pollination.

ikkim’s hilly terrain, moderate climate and evergreen vegetation have proved a boon to apiculture. Over 4,000 families have been trained in beekeeping and around 7,000 hives have been distributed. Not only is the sale of honey profiting these farmers, but also those of bi-products from bee hives such as beeswax, propolis, royal

COVER STORY million farmers in India are involved in beekeeping. Considering that annual per-capita consumption of honey in India is just 8 grams, the potential for expanding the market is immense.

allied businesses such as floriculture, which is vital for a successful beekeeping industry. According to the horticulture department, Tamil Nadu, with 4.17 lakh tonnes and Karnataka with 2.8

Shiny Kirupa

jel and bee venom. With minimal investment and quick returns, apiculture is becoming a cottage industry here Apart from government initiatives to spread awareness about the benefits of beekeeping, many NGO’s are also reaching out to poorer communities to educate, train and teach them the finer points of beekeeping. Under The Mango Tree (UTMT), an NGO based in Maharashtra, has successfully promoted beekeeping in rural areas of Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh and have been giving training in the technical aspects of beekeeping. In the process, they have created additional job opportunities for both men and women. UTMT teaches carpenters to make bee boxes and uses traditional honey hunters to help farmers spot bee colonies in their localities. It has also trained local women in self-help groups to produce beekeeping inputs like swarm bags and bee veils. UTMT has ties with a UK-based NGO, Bees Abroad, which works with disadvantaged communities across Africa, in countries including Kenya, Nigeria and Ghana. Major honey producing states in the country are Punjab, Haryana, HP, UP and West Bengal. Approximately, 2.5

Bee boxes are sold at subsidized rates to farmers Apiculture is not just profitable; it is also an enormous generator of employment and a major contributor to improved nutritional standards. It benefits

lakh tonnes, were the country’s biggest producers of flowers. Not surprisingly, both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are emerging as major honey producers.

Better Late than Never

It’s never too late to stop wasting water and use it more sustainably, says Anjana Basumatary

he never-ending patchwork of fields stretching all the way to the horizon belies the sad truth that Shiggaon taluk of Haveri district in central Karnataka is fast running out of water. Farmers in villages including Baad, Shishuvinaala, Bankapur and Hubli have dug around 78 bore wells in the past 3 years to water their crops. They have spent over Rs.1 crore on these wells to irrigate the corn, cotton and chilly they grow. Despite drilling to over 800 ft., Shiggaon has been facing its worst water crisis in the last 4 years and has seen its agricultural output shrink. Maruthi Talegedi, 42, says he has spent Rs. 25 lakh over the past 2 and half years drilling 18 bore wells on his 15 acres of land. “During the initial days one bore well was enough to give water for 2 acres of land,” he says, “but from

the past 4-5 years we kept on drilling one well after another, as underground water used to come irregularly. And a few bore wells have stopped giving water despite digging it up to 800 ft. below the ground” Due to the reduced availability of water, Talegadi has had to reduce his scale of cultivation. His jowar crop has dropped by half, from 50 quintals to just 25 quintals now and he’s lost a substantial part of his earnings. He says for 25 quintals of jowar he earns Rs. 50,000, which is not enough to support his family over the course of the year. Due to water depletion, he first stopped cultivating rice, as rice requires flood irrigation and the available water is not enough for its cultivation. He says he has insured his crops, but from past 2 years he has got only Rs. 4,000 as compensation from government. So,

April 2018

Talegadi decided that he better supplement his income and started working in the off-season as a contract labourer in the city of Mumbai.

alegadi’s story is repeated across the taluk. The drop in the water table has forced farmers to drill more bore wells and now, as Shiggaon drills ever deeper, it stares at the very real possibility that its aquifer could run dry any day. In response, the government has asked farmers not to drill any more bore wells, says Vijay Kumar, agriculture officer of Shiggaon taluk. “Earlier, water was available at just 4-5 m (12-15 ft.) below the surface but now after digging up to 800 ft. below ground, water is rarely available for 24 hours,” he says. “Farmers have been digging bore wells one after another in the hope that

Anjana Basumatary

Varada river under lake-filing project initiated by B S Bommai, the member of the legislative assembly representing the area, in 2010. He said since his land can’t produce much jowar because of the water shortage, he uses urea and di-ammonium phosphate fertilizers to increase crops yields. “However, due to over use of urea, plants grew greener and attracted more insects and the crops failed,” he says. For a loss of over 10 quintal of grain he has incurred over the past 3 years, the government has compensated him just Rs. 5,000. So, he too has left his village to work as a construction worker in Bangalore, a job that fetches him Rs. 400 a day.

Khwaja Mainuddin has dug three hile some are migrating to bore wells on his land

cities and changing their occupations, those who are staying behind in drought-prone villages are shifting to non-farm occupations. Says Mangala G, agricultural training officer, Shiggaon, “To tackle these problems on a long-term basis, the government has come up with alternate-farming practices. We recommend farmers to not continue with monocultural farming since it consumes lot of water and is risky. We are promoting rainwater harvesting and the agricultural department has been distributing sprinkler and drip-irrigation systems at 90% subsidy.” To illustrate, she says that rainwatercollection ponds have been dug in the taluk, in which the runoff is collected. This allows water to percolate to the water table below. Similar measures across the taluk, including the construc-

tion of small check dams on all stream beds, afforestation of slopes along river courses and increased green cover will all contribute to regenerating the aquifer and raising the ground water table. “It is a series of small steps over time that will reverse the depletion of water reserves in Shiggaon and other waterscarce regions in the state,” she says. That could also help in reversing the out-migration of farmers from the area and lay the foundation for a more sustainable agriculture. “It’s a series of small steps over time that will reverse the depletion of water reserves in Shiggaon and other waterscarce regions in the state,” she says. That could help also reverse the outmigration of farmers from the area and lay the foundation for a more sustainable agriculture.

Anjana Basumatary

water would be available but it is not. In fact, in Bankapur and Baad villages, water is not available even at 800 ft and bore wells that were dug lie abandoned. But, 15 km away from Bankapur, wells at 500 ft are yielding water, even if it is happening irregularly.” Besides the erratic monsoon rains, there are factors which have contributed to water depletion in the region. The biggest culprit was the cultivation of rice. Because of increasingly dry conditions, the rice fields needed to be repeatedly irrigated several times. At one time, 65% of farmers to grow rice in this taluk but that has fallen to 23%, and that too only in areas that have not witnessed such a dramatic depletion of ground water. Girish, 65, moved to Bangalore from Shiggaon to drive a lorry to earn a little extra to support his family. He says he has 3 acres of land which initially yielded 15 quintals of jowar; it’s producing just 3 quintals now. He says that he has been struggling to get compensation from the insurer for the past 3 years but has been told he’s ineligible. Apparently the cover is only for crop losses of 20 quintals and above and Girish has registered a loss of 12 quintals. Khwaja Mainuddin, 45, says he has dug 3 bore wells on his 13 acres of land because none of them supply water 24 hours a day. “Government has instructed us not to drill any more bore wells but we have to do it since we need water for cultivation, and during summer it’s the only source of drinking water for Shiggaon.” Naganur Kere completely dries up despite connecting the lake with the

Rainwater collection ponds have been dug across the taluk to collect the runoff THE BEAT

FOCUS

Storing up Trouble The Cauvery dispute has been brought to a resolution, but the underlying causes remain unaddressed, says Barnana Sarkar

WRIS

ith a slight modification of the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT), the Supreme Court has brought the curtain down on the longest-running quarrel over water in peninsular India. Its order marginally reduces Tamil Nadu’s share of the river’s waters to 404 thousand million cubic feet (tmcf) a year, raises Karnataka’s share to 285 tmcf and instructs it to annually release 177 tmcf to meet Tamil Nadu’s allocation. In effect, the court has maintained a 60/40 distribution of the Cauvery’s waters between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, which roughly corresponds to their shares of river’s catchment area. Tamil Nadu straddles 44,000 sq. km. of the Cauvery basin while Karnataka’s 32,000 sq. km. spread include its headwaters. Kerala and Puducherry also receive a small share each of the water. Commentators have pointed out that even as the court has settled one problem, it might have created another. The decision has brought welcome closure to a problem that has soured relations between the neighbouring states and, on occasion, endangered the lives and property of their citizens residing in the other state. But its undoing of Article 262 of the Constitution, which vests in Parliament the exclusive right to resolve disputes over water-sharing between the states and bars courts from interfering in them, could have opened a can of worms. The Cauvery water dispute dates to 1892, when the Madras Presidency (under British rule) objected to the then Kingdom of Mysore’s proposal to build irrigation system on the Cauvery. In 1924, the two states agreed that what’s now the Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) dam would be built at Kannambadi village. Under the agreement, Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry would receive 75% of the water while Karnataka would get 23% of it. The KRS dam was completed in 1931 and Tamil Nadu built the Mettur dam in 1934. By then, both states had become dependent on the Cauvery. In 1991, the CWDT asked Karnataka not to expand its irrigated land

Tamil Nadu has a larger share of the river basin but less water in the basin beyond the existing 1.12 million acres (4,500 sq km) and to release around 205 tmcf of water to Tamil Nadu following the failure of the southwest monsoon that year. In 2002, the Cauvery River Authority instructed Karnataka to release about 9,000 cusecs per day to Tamil Nadu. In 2007, the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal’s ‘final’ distribution of the river water between the four states became the causes of several political agitations. The perception that Karnataka requires less water than its neighbour has long agitated its people. Of the 740 TMC ft, which is estimated annual flow in the river, a minimum of 726 TMC ft is already being utilized. Karnataka, which often faces severe water shortages, has repeatedly objected to having to share scarce water with Tamil Nadu. “Kolar, as a part of Karnataka, does not receive sufficient water for irrigation. As there is no system to store rain water in Kolar, we must draw water from Mandya and Bangalore. And even that water is used only for drinking purposes,” explains Nagaraj, a journalist working with Suddi TV and a Dalit right activist from Kolar. “When the demand increases in sum-

April 2018

mer, there is a problem sharing the water. Moreover, there is also the problem of irregular rainfall which hampers irrigation,” he says.

n April 2017, Karnataka had faced a severe shortage of water when Krishnaraja Sagar and Kabini faced a shortfall in storage of 4.4 tmcf. Karnataka’s growing tech hub, Bangalore which alone supports a population of nearly 12.34 million, faces frequent power cuts and water shortages. Pushpa Surendra, author of the Rural Diary column in The Hindu newspaper says, “I personally think that the final verdict of the Tribunal did not really take the concerns of Karnataka seriously.” Says Kshitij Urs, a Bangalorebased activist of the People’s Campaign for Right to Water, “All people in the riparian states have the right to water. But the situation has been deeply politicized. Probably, had it been left to the farmers the issue would have been resolved much before.” He further explains that while most farmers are cultivating water-intensive crops, it is necessary to take measures to introduce the farmers to alternative ones that require less water. “This will

only happen with time-tested practices of water-efficient agriculture.” The Supreme Court’s decision to set up a Cauvery Management Board (CMB), with representatives from the concerned states, was the next logical step. Since the CWDT based its allocation on ‘probable’ river flows with a 50% margin of error and refused to prescribe a ‘distress’ formula for sharing lower rates of flow, the Supreme Court decided that a permanent mechanism for dispute resolution would the next best alternative. The board will monitor the flow of water from the KRS and Kabini reservoirs and the other tributaries which flow below KRS up to Billigundulu, on their common border. But Karnataka is unhappy with the creation of the CMB as it could lose control over the dams in its territory. B T Venkatesh, a lawyer with Reach Law firm in Bangalore, supports Supreme Court’s decision setting up the CMB. “Although it does open up several other issues, it is quite an advanced step by the Supreme Court. The issue with most southern rivers is that they are rain-fed, unlike the rivers in the north that are mostly snow-fed. These rivers face periodic fluctuations in flows and that creates major crises between the states when their water needs have to be reconciled.” Though the Supreme Court has done well to put a rest to the agitation of farmers in both states and keep matters beyond the reach of political influence, yet it has stopped short of looking at

longer-term solutions to water shortages in the Cauvery basin. It has looked entirely at the supply side and even pointed to the groundwater potential in the basin as a factor to be considered. But it hasn’t a word to say about the waste of water and the poor management of water demand in both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

ut as Surendra points out, the CWDT looked at the problem in its entirety and its 5-volume report offers as comprehensive a take on the dispute as can be imagined. “You cannot say that water-conservation methods are not looked into. They have, but their conclusions may be biased. Now the question is whether farmers waste water. The answer is yes. I can tell you that more and more farmers have shifted to growing millets, for example. But why don’t farmers grow crops that require less water? The answer is if it’s remunerative for farmers to grow crops such as millets, they will do so. Otherwise they will grow crops like sugarcane and rice because government gives minimum support price for these crops.” “Several agricultural experts deposed before the CWDT on the issue of environment and which crop is suitable for which state and why,” she continues. “Issues of water conservation with a view of getting ‘more crop per drop’ were also discussed. International Crops Research Institute for the SemiArid Tropics (ICRISAT) experts who

deposed for Karnataka have done a wonderful job. Dr. MS Swaminathan deposed for Tamil Nadu. He argued that high yielding varieties of paddy are more suitable for Tamil Nadu, how the delta cannot go for alternative crops and that is the reason why Tamil Nadu needs more water.” But these issues find no reflection in the Supreme Court’s deliberations. As the rice bowl of south India, Tamil Nadu’s Cauvery delta requires the southwest monsoon to feed the kuruvai crops and during the early stages of samba crop. The kharif crops of Karnataka comprising millets, rice, maize, moong (pulse), ground nut, sugarcane, soya bean and turmeric require the first rains in the month of July. All these crops (with the exception of millets) are water-intensive and, over the past several decades when the Cauvery has ebbed and flowed, very little effort has been made to diversify away from them. Moreover, not only are they dependent on an increasingly erratic weather system but even the way water is used in their cultivation, almost entirely in flood irrigation, is wasteful and completely irrational. Considering the duration of the dispute, all parties have had ample time to look for long-term solutions. But they chose to focus on the immediate problem and to finesse their arguments rather than seek lasting answers. As a result, while we’ve once again successfully bought time, we have, in reality, stored up trouble for the future.

India Live Today

With a slight modification of the final award of the

Krishnaraja Sagar Dam is the principle water source for the southern districts of Karnataka THE BEAT

LAW

A Law unto Themselves

PTI

The higher judiciary has come under unprecedented scrutiny for its secretive and capricious ways, says Arlene Mathew

he New Year marked a milestone in the history of the Indian judiciary. Four of the senior-most judges of the Supreme Court, namely Justices Jasti Chelameswar, Ranjan Gogoi, Kurian Joseph and Madan Lokur (pictured above), decided to go public with their concerns about the functioning of the apex court and the leadership of the current Chief Justice of India (CJI), Dipak Misra. This was an unprecedented act for a judiciary that is respected for its transparency, independence, and more important, the ability to regulate itself. As Justice AP Shah observed in the BG Verghese Memorial Lecture delivered recently, the judiciary is one of the most powerful institutions in the country because it commands respect for its ability to maintain discipline and order in the conduct of its affairs. In a press conference held in New Delhi, the judges released a letter they had sent to the CJI explaining that while he has the power to assign cases to judges as Master of the Roster, he was no more than primus inter pares or first

among equals. Convention dictated he take his brother judges into confidence regarding the allocation of work and the assignment of cases. The letter alleged that the CJI had misused his powers in this regard, refused to discuss the objections raised and had thus lost the confidence of his peers. The conference sent shock waves through the establishment. Justice RS Sodhi, a Delhi High Court judge, responded to the news of the conference, saying that all the four judges deserve to be impeached. Former Attorney General Soli Sorabjee shared his distress over the issue through social media. “Confidence of public is important for efficient working of the judiciary,” he tweeted. “It was not a good move; I’m not in favor of this. Repercussions will not be good.” However, many supported them, calling the four judges men of integrity and adding that they would not have taken such a drastic and bold measure had there not been something seriously wrong in the inner working of the apex court. “The lack of an internal mecha-

April 2018

nism to cover such situations was unavailable,” speculated Aditya Sondhi, a senior advocate practicing before the High Court of Karnataka and Supreme Court of India. “And this, perhaps, drove the need to officially let the world know how bad things had gotten, which is actually a lot healthier than offthe record murmurings.” The Campaign for Judicial Accountability & Judicial Reforms (CJAR) in a public statement, released soon after the press conference, listed recent examples where the assignments of cases were made without adherence to convention. This included the constitutional validity of Aadhaar with respect to the right to privacy, which was slated to be heard by a five-judge constitution bench of the Supreme Court consisting of only junior judges, led by CJI Misra. Another example cited by the CJAR was the Medical College bribery case, in which a five-judge bench led by CJI Dipak Misra overturned an earlier order of a two-judge bench on the matter. The third instance where the CJAR indicated a flouting of rules was the

challenge to the appointment of Rakesh Asthana as a special director of the Central Bureau of Investigation. This challenge was dismissed by the twojudge bench that heard it. The four judges’ collective decision to speak out appears to have been taken as a last resort. The fact that the CJI didn’t deem it necessary to reply to such a serious charge from his closest colleagues on the bench in itself is indicative of an internal breakdown in the system. If disagreements at the highest level of the judiciary cannot be aired and resolved within its ranks, then the possibility of free exchange of ideas and constructive criticism that could lower down the judicial system would seem even less likely.

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lok Prasanna Kumar, an advocate based in Bengaluru, commented that it exposed the rot within the Indian judicial system. “The true underlying cause of this situation lies in the fact that the Supreme Court has long been in denial about the fundamental change in the nature of the institution,” he explained. “It is unlikely that any of the remaining problems are going to be dealt with if the underlying reasons for the present crisis are not going to be acknowledged.” Expanding upon this, he said, “This is not just a matter to be resolved between the CJI and the four senior judges. It requires the Supreme Court to convene as a full court and put in place solid institutional mechanisms to constrain the CJI’s powers. It also requires the Supreme Court to take the

chief justices of the High Courts into confidence and guide them to follow their lead on this matter.” Under the Constitution, the only remedy available to anybody outside the judicial system to remove a judge is to seek his impeachment. A judge of the Supreme Court can be impeached on the grounds of proven misbehavior. But, no judge of the Supreme Court has ever been impeached in India. Even the cases filed against judges of Supreme Court have often been met with criticism from the judiciary. But short of removal, there has long been felt the need to properly police the judiciary. Contrary to what the judiciary recommends for judges, no institution can be allowed to be a law unto itself. Senior advocate Prashant Bhushan is of the opinion that the judiciary resists accountability and transparency. There have been many instances where the judiciary has taken contempt of court action against those people who have criticized it. Contempt of court is in fact a commonly used weapon used by the judiciary to protect itself against any criticism. The late SP Sathe, former president of the Maharashtra People’s Union for Civil Liberties, had often spoken strongly about the need to hold the judiciary accountable for its actions. In a commentary on the Arundhati Roy case, regarding the freedom of a citizen to criticize the court, he wrote, “If the courts adopt an attitude of being a holy cow, they will not know how they are evaluated by the people. Arundhati Roy said that if the courts became immune

The Supreme Court has long been in denial about changes in the institution

from public criticism, they could usher into a dictatorship. A judicial dictatorship is as fearsome a prospect as a military dictatorship or any other form of totalitarian rule.”

here should also be a stronger reach for the Right to Information (RTI) Act across the judiciary. In the past, the Indian judiciary has appeared extremely reluctant to submit itself to the RTI Act. The Wire lists instances in which RTI faced resistance from the judiciary. These RTI queries included ones seeking information about the appointment of judges and about declaration of assets filed by the judges of Supreme Court and the High Courts. The Journal of Legal Studies and Research speaks of ways in which the judiciary in India could be made more accountable. First, they have suggested the formation of a National Judicial Commission, which could look into the appointment as well as the impeachment of judges. Several Law Commission of India reports have also made a similar suggestion. Second, the Judicial Accountability Bill, which was introduced in the Lok Sabha in 2010, was also cited as a solution. This bill would include a declaration of judges’ assets, investigation into cases against judges and making these investigations available to the public. The third solution that they have suggested is to have the judiciary exercise restraint, to ensure that they do not act like either the administrators or executives. Finally, modifying the hearing of contempt of court petitions could also be a way to hold the courts accountable – with contempt cases being heard by independent commissions, not by the court itself. “As the four senior judges reminded us, we need to probe beyond what is immediately evident to obtain a fuller sense of the health of our constitutional order,” AK Thiruvengadam, professor of law at the School of Policy and Governance, Azim Premji University, writes in Frontline magazine. “That order will remain stable if there is a balance of power between different constitutional institutions, with no single institution gaining a monopoly over the political power and authority for an extended period of time.” Similarly, he might have added, our institutions would become stronger fundamental and more credible if they subjected themselves to public scrutiny.

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FINANCE

Banks Headed for a Bust

The Indian Express

Why are Indian public-sector banks so vulnerable to fraud, asks Sreejani Bhattacharyya

The Nirav Modi scam is just the tip of the iceberg

he Indian banking system faces an unprecedented crisis. With a record build-up of bad loans, a near paralysis of lending by public sector banks (PSBs) and a major bailout underway by the government to recapitalize the weakest PSBs, the last thing the industry needed was another blow. But it inevitably came. With the disclosure that diamond jeweler Nirav Modi had scammed Punjab National Bank (PNB) of Rs. 2,810 crore, public confidence in PSBs hit rock bottom. A report by Institutional Investor Advisory Services says that thanks to “weak internal controls”, Indian lenders reported 12,533 cases of fraud amounting to Rs. 18,170 crore during the last financial year, with PNB at the top of this dubious list followed by Bank of India and State Bank of India (SBI). PSBs, in particular, have fared

poorly despite spending a lot more than their private peers on audit, the report says. In effect, India saw a bank fraud every 42 minutes in 2016-17. Clearly, the PSBs have learnt little from the scams of the past. In 1992, stockbroker Harshad Mehta, had defrauded SBI and a number of other banks using fake ‘bank receipts’ (unsupported by government securities) to arrange short-term bank loans to speculate in stocks. That scam cost the banking system Rs. 4,000 crore and marked what should have been a watershed in Indian bank regulation. So how did Nirav Modi scam Punjab National Bank of such a large amount? On January 29th, PNB filed a criminal complaint with the Central Bureau of Investigation against three companies and four people, which included billionaire jeweller Nirav Modi and his

April 2018

uncle Mehul Choksi, the managing director of Gitanjali Gems, saying they had defrauded the bank and caused a loss of Rs. 2,810 crore. The bank alleged that two junior employees of the bank at its Brady House branch in Mumbai issued companies which belonged to Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi, fake letters of undertaking (LoUs) without asking for any collateral as security. PNB alleges that these firms raised short-term credit from overseas branches of other Indian banks on the strength of these LOU’s. The question that arises is how, despite so many checks and procedures in place, did such a scam take place? Says Thomas Franco, president of the All India State Bank Officers’ Federation and general secretary of the All India Bank Officers’ Confederation, “There are many types of audits which

he Enforcement Directorate said that it had seized diamonds and jewellery worth $875 million after raiding Nirav Modi’s home and offices. The Reserve Bank of India wrote to banks asking them to ensure their SWIFT system was integrated with their main banking software by April 30. The finance ministry has also written to banks telling them to take effective steps to avoid any similar fraud and said it would not spare wrong doers in the PNB case. Nirav Modi, in turn, wrote to PNB from abroad saying, “I must state my position to the extent it is relevant at this stage. The media suggests that the liability of the Nirav Modi Group is over Rs 11,000 crores. As you are aware, this is entirely incorrect and the liability of the Nirav Modi Group is substantially less. Even after your complaint was filed, in good faith I wrote to you saying please sell/allow me to sell Firestar Group, or their valuable assets, and recover the moneys that may be found due not just from Firestar Group, but also from the three firms. The valuation of the business was approximately Rs. 6,500 crores which could have helped reduce/discharge the debt to the banking system.” After allowing alleged bank defrauders such as Vijay Mallya and Nirav Modi to flee the country before the law could catch up with them, the government has fi-

Youtube and DNA India

goes on in a bank. There is an internal audit, an external audit done by a chartered accountant and an audit done by the Reserve Bank of India. All these audits failed to detect this fraud. Every year, the LoUs got renewed so they did not look at the past records. If they had properly rectified the Nostro accounts, they could have found out about this fraud a long time back.” (Nostro account refers to an account that a bank holds in a foreign currency in another bank). “This shows lack of proper supervision. Every transaction in a bank has to be put through a Core Banking Solution (CBS), he concludes. “These LoUs were not linked with the CBS system. If they were linked, the fraud could have been easily detected.” Two junior employees of PNB, it turned out, had issued LoUs over SWIFT, the dedicated global inter-bank financial telecommunication messaging system, without entering it into the bank’s own internal CBS system. This had gone on for many years.

Harshad Mehta (Left), Nirav Modi nally decided to act. The union cabinet gave its nod to the Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill, which allows for the confiscation of all assets, including benami assets, both within and outside the country of declared economic offenders. The proposed law will apply to economic offences with a monetary value over Rs. 100 crore. The cabinet also approved setting up of the independent

The RBI regulates all banks, whether PSBs, private or foreign. Why are the PSBs alone so vulnerable to fraud? That is the crucial question that the government, which owns 70% of the banking system, needs to answer regulator National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA) that will have powers to act against erring auditors and auditing firms. As finance minister Arun Jaitley said, “The NFRA will act as an independent regulator for the auditing profession, which was one of the key changes brought in by the Companies

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Act, 2013.” NFRA will be a watchdog for the auditing profession and the current powers of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) to act against faulty chartered accountants will vest with the new regulator. Srinivasan, a financial analyst from Bangalore, thinks that this move is not enough. “I agree that chartered accountants have to be disciplined, but that will not solve the problem completely,” he says. “The company secretary of a company who records all the events which take place in a meeting and puts it out to the public should be held equally responsible.

he cost accountants, company secretaries and actuaries should also be disciplined to prevent such big scams from happening. Another important thing is that RBI officers are on the board of directors of the PSBs. Instead, experts in this field should replace them. That would lead to more transparency and better management of the banks.” Thomas Franco says, “These scams can be prevented by strengthening the banking system. Supervision and manpower have to increase. The RBI has a shortage of staff and so its supervision has weakened. That needs to improve.” But the RBI regulates all banks, whether PSBs, private or foreign. Why are the PSBs alone so vulnerable to fraud? That’s the question the government, which owns 70% of the banking system, needs to answer.

HEALTH

Blood on Our Hands

A public conversation about menstrual health is long overdue, says Kritika Agrawal

“I

venient and are not used to it.” Says Dr. Anupama Dubey, chief medical officer at SECL Hospital in Chhattisgarh, “I go to various villages and schools and women there complain about the lack of resources and the social stigma attached to the periods. We organize workshops to impart education on menstrual hygiene and distribute pads to the rural women. Our efforts are necessary interventions but not significant enough to bring change for the long term. Sanitary napkins are their absolute need, but we can’t provide them on a regular basis.” A recent movie, Padman, starring Akshay Kumar, portrays the stigma attached to the menstrual cycle in rural areas. The movie is based on the life of Arunachalam Muruganantham, whose invention of a low-cost, sanitary-padmaking machine radically changed public attitudes to menstruation in southern India. Padman, thanks to its extensive promotion, has succeeded in sparking a much-needed public conversation in India about a topic that was earlier ignored. But sanitary pads create their own problems. Over her life, a woman is estimated to experience 500 menstrual cycles and use around 10,000 sanitary

pads. According to doctors, conventional sanitary napkins, manufactured from plastic and chlorine bleached wood pulp, are suitable neither for the skin or the environment. Moreover, a normal sanitary napkin will take 600-800 years to degrade, say experts, and create an environmental hazard. They clog drains and incinerating them would release carbon dioxide and carcinogenic toxins like dioxin. If every menstruating woman started using pads in India, they would generate more than a million tonnes of waste a year. So, what’s the solution?

n International Women’s Day this year, the government launched its flagship Suvidha scheme, which provides oxo-biodegradable sanitary pads in rural India at the price Rs. 2.50 each. A pack of 4 Suvidha pads, available at Rs. 10, makes them the most affordable sanitary pads in India. While several large companies have taken up the challenge of menstrual health as a part of their corporate social responsibility, various NGOs and budding entrepreneurs are also making a difference through their efforts to find low-cost solutions.

Newsminute

feel embarrassed to buy sanitary napkins from the nearby kirana (grocery) store, so I use a cloth during my periods,” says Shashi from Khora village in Ghaziabad. “Women here believe that a pad is too thin to absorb the bleeding and say isn’t suitable.” A 15-year-old student complains, “During my periods, my mother tells me not to enter the kitchen or go to the temple or touch anything for 3 days.” Young girls are sometimes forced to miss schools during their periods. Myths and taboos about menstruation don’t just demean women in myriad ways but pose a threat to their health. Only 12% of Indian women can afford to use sanitary napkins, while the rest still resort to using rags, sand, ashes or any other absorbent material however unhygienic it might be. The biggest risk they expose themselves to are urinarytract infections, which are hard to get rid of. Women in villages are reluctant to use pads even when they can afford to. Says Ratna from Devegere village in Karnataka, “Three years ago I was using a cloth but now I use pads; however older women in the village still use a cloth as they do not find it con-

Myths about menstruation pose a threat to women’s health 16

April 2018

Eco Femme

Reusable pads made of organic cotton are cost effective and eco-friendly to use. Saathi Pads, an Ahmedabad-based startup, manufactures 100% biodegradable and eco-friendly pads by using banana fibre. It was founded in 2014 by four engineers from Harvard and Nirma University and the pads are available in both rural and urban India. Banana-tree fibre is easily available as it’s an agricultural waste product and unlike conventional pads, which are made from high-cost organic cotton and using a lot of water, Saathi Pads are organically and economically made and 50% more absorbent. For their ‘One Million Pads’ initiative, to make pads accessible in rural Jharkhand, Saathi partnered with an NGO and trained sevikas (healthcare workers) to educate rural women on menstrual hygiene. Women in rural India mainly rely on old cloth as an absorbent when they have periods and many use unclean cloth or rags because they are embarrassed to wash and dry them in the open.

co Femme, a company based in Auroville, creates awareness of menstrual hygiene among girls in government schools. It also manufactures and sells washable and reusable pads made of cloth and operates in 23 countries. About 20% of their pads are sold at concessional rates to rural women and the remaining 80% are sold commercially. Two types of Eco Femme pads are available, premium and rural pads. Premium costs Rs. 235 for a single pad and

Rs. 1,575 for a pack of seven pads. Rural pads are differently designed and have different price structure. Eco Femme manufactures around 7,000 pads in a month and has 80 retails to distribute it. Similarly, another company, Shomota (which means ‘Equality’ in Bengali), and Uger, make similar reusable and washable cloth pads.

“There is definitely a lot of awareness now as compared to when we started off.” Ashish Malani, cofounder, Shecup ‘Not Just a Piece of Cloth’, an initiative by Goonj, an NGO, is making a significant difference by distributing handmade cotton-cloth pads called ‘My Pads’ to rural women and urban slums in around 20 states. By imparting education regarding menstrual hygiene among young girls in the schools, it aims to create long-term solutions. Anshu Gupta, founder of Goonj in an interview with the Tehelka said, “We at Goonj stress more on education and interaction than on our product, My Pad. Goonj also believes in the theory of triple As -- Awareness, Accessibil-

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ity and Affordability. Without meeting these three points, the entire cycle is incomplete. Not to miss out on the fact that affordability is still a big issue in a poor country like India.” Women are now also shifting towards hassle free and greener ways to tackle their menstruation flow by using silicon cups. Not only is it sustainable but easy to use. Cups now-a-days have become a good alternative to disposable sanitary napkins and tampons.

hecup is a popular brand of menstrual cup in India made by Medi Aceso Healthcare and was the first of its kind to be launched in Asia. Shecup also imparts education to both rural and urban women on the biological process of menstrual cycle. Says Ashish Malani, co-founder of the Shecup, “There is definitely a lot of awareness now as compared to when we started off. We produce close to 500-600 cups a month and we certainly feel that the numbers will increase. Bangalore used to be the strong market for Shecup, but since many local brands started coming in, we have found new markets in Jaipur, Raipur, Hyderabad, Chennai and others. The demands have increased in these markets.” Using reusable cup provides an elegant and efficient solution to the problem of disposing vast quantities of non-biodegradable pads. With these greener menstrual products, women now protect themselves but not at the expense of harming the environment.

SOCIETY

School of Hard Knocks

Saket Tiwari

Street kids quickly learn to fend for themselves, but they could still use a helping hand, says Saket Tiwari

Street kids find clever ways to eke out a living

amakshi stands by the busy road in a threadbare salwar kameez, holding out a few ballpoint pens to passing motorists and pedestrians. “I must sell these pens, so I can eat,” insists the young girl, “and also feed my siblings.” Bangalore’s streets are home to thousands of children like Kamakshi. “We come across such children usually when we catch them doing some small illegal activities like theft or chain snatching,” says M Kirishna, inspector at City Market police station. “Or sometimes we find them after a missing complaint is registered against them. We straight away give them to Bosco Mane and they look after them and decide what to do with them. We help them in whatever manner we can.” Bosco Mane, an NGO that has been helping rehabilitate street children for the past 30 years in Bangalore, estimates that every day about 20 children are rescued from some of the city’s hotspots: Majestic Bus Stand, City Railway Station and City Market. Who are these children and where do they come from? The 2011 Census of India categorises

about 11 million children across the country as street children. A survey by the United Nations Children’s Fund confirmed these estimates but suspects the real numbers are significantly higher. But they both agree that these kids grow up without access to basic shelter, education, healthcare services or essential nourishment. This makes them vulnerable to exploitation and abuse and some end up living off petty crime or joining criminal gangs. “Children found on the streets are suffering from various types of problems,” says an official of Bosco Mane. “We cannot generalise, because every home has its own kind of problem. But, this is a very serious issue because childhood has been compromised due to domestic violence, economic problems, fights between parents and some other major issue due to which they leave home.” There is also the possibility that someone we met yesterday selling balloons on the street might have a home somewhere in the city to which she might return in the evening and handover whatver she earned that day to her parents.

April 2018

There are children who are part of organised begging cartels, run by adults who use them but also give them a share in the proceeds to help them make their way in the big city. “Not all of them are street children in a strict sense of being homeless. Some part of the street population also gives space to people who control begging and earn lots of money through it,” says Deepa Vasanth Kumar, an activist with Bosco Mane. One of the biggest magnets for homeless children across the country is the ‘City of Dreams’ – Mumbai. Several kids reported missing in various parts of India are later found on streets of Mumbai, either begging or playing and robbing people in crowded places. “Not all children we see on the streets are street children because most of them have a home. But, mostly the ones we see on railway stations or around bus stands, and other spots from where migration is easy, or those who have run away from their homes can be called real street children,” says Amin Sheikh, who runs an NGO for street kids. Not long ago, Sheikh was himself a

Sheikh: ‘These kids are full of innovation and creativity’ NGO named Soy Gracias a ti (I am, thanks to you) in Barcelona and has written an autobiography, Life is life: I am, because of you. It has sold nearly 35,000 copies in India and has been translated into eight languages. Sheikh has launched a café named Bombay to Barcelona in Marol, Mumbai. He employs kids from Snehasadan. Says Gopala, a boy grown up in Snehasadan, working part-time in the cafe, “I would have been forced to do different things had it not been for this. I would have spent my whole life on street because I had run away from my

home and didn’t have any place to live. Not all children have been as fortunate as me.” Every year, Sheikh takes two or three children from Snehasadan to Soy Gracias a ti, to give an idea of the distance he had to travel and to show them other children like them in the world, all of whom could achieve wonders with a helping hand. This year he is taking Gopala and Sadiya. “We need to give these children unconditional love and help as all have a right to life, and these kids are full of innovation and creativity,” says Sheikh.

Amin Sheikh

e worked making safety-pins, sold books, and worked for a tea vendor. When he was working with the safety-pin maker, he remembers he used to earn Rs. 1 for working ten hours a day while working as a tea vendor all that he could earn was 40-50 paise per day. But Sheikh’s luck changed. His life on the street ended when Snehasadan, an NGO in Mumbai that looks after street children, placed him with Eustace Fernandes as a house help. Fernandes had a sister in Barcelona would he wouldvisit every two years. Every Christmas, Fernandes would give Sheikh a present. One Christmas Day, when he asked the boy what he had wanted, Sheikh replied, “Take me to Barcelona!” Today Sheikh runs an

Amin Sheikh

street child. Sheikh’s mother left his father because of his drinking habit and remarried. He didn’t do well in his studies and his step-father would beat him regularly with whatever he could lay his hands on. He soon ran away from home and started begging for a living. “When I was a child, I didn’t have anyone around me. I had left my home as my step-father used to beat me unconscious. I don’t even remember my exact age but, I can remember that various men had raped me several times. It was a horrible and daunting time,” recollects Sheikh.

Staff at Bombay to Barcelona library cafe THE BEAT

SOCIETY

No Longer His Castle

Mel Magazine

With the rising incidence of domestic violence against men, there’s a strong case for gender-neutral laws, says Sreejani Bhattacharyya

ditya, 34, still shudders when he thinks about that dreadful night, when he was held at a police station in Bangalore along with his parents after his wife filed a dowry case against him. “The police threatened to put me behind bars,” Aditya recalls. “They were not willing to listen to me. They made me sit on a bench in front of the cell to make me realize that they have the power to put me in without even telling me on what charges they were arresting me. The police inspector asked me to write an apology letter to my wife accepting that I tortured her, took money from her, exploited her and did not care for her. Luckily, I didn’t do that because if I had, my life would have been over.” As Anant Kumar at the Xavier Institute of Social Service, Ranchi points out, “Although there is no systematic study or record on domestic violence against men in India, it is generally estimated that in 100 cases of domestic violence, approximately 40 cases involve violence against men. When men try to narrate their problems of torture, struggle, and harassment within marriage and family, no one listens to them; instead, people laugh at them. Many men are ashamed of talking about and sharing that they are beaten by their wives.” The Indian Penal Code (IPC) was amended in 1983 and section 498A was introduced to deal with matrimonial cruelty. It states, “Whoever, being the husband or the relative of the husband

of a woman, subjects such woman to cruelty shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years and shall also be liable to fine. The offence is cognizable, noncompoundable and non-bailable.” Says Deepika Bharadwaj, a men’s rights activist and documentary filmmaker, “I started as a documentary filmmaker making a film on misuse of dowry laws and 498A and started understanding men’s issues. I felt there was a need to tell the stories of men who are suffering because of biased laws and their misuse, because we don’t get to hear about a man’s side of the story. Hence, there’s a belief that men are always wrong. Many people call me men’s rights activist, some call me feminist, some equalist. I believe I am just a very ordinary storyteller who’s raising my voice for the rights and dignity of men who are getting wronged.” A study done by Save The Family Foundation (SIFF), an organization working exclusively on men’s rights, which interviewed 1,650 husbands between the ages of 15 and 49 years, reports that economic violence (32.8%) is common, followed by emotional violence (22.2%), physical violence (25.2%), and sexual violence (17.7%). The study shows that the probability of violence increased significantly with the duration of marriage, particularly if it was more than 7 years old. It also shows that husbands who experienced some form of violence during their first year

April 2018

of marriage continued to experience the same for the rest of their lives. The study argues that domestic violence is a public-health issue with far-reaching health consequences, such as mental illness and stress disorders.

“T

he problem is not with 498A per se,” Aditya says. “The problem is that these laws are not gender neutral. Once you are booked on these charges, it becomes very difficult to prove that you are not in the wrong. Women are assumed to be victims and men are declared culprits. I know that there are a lot of women who need this law badly, but not all men are guilty. Laws should be made to protect them as well. Finally, the truth prevailed, and I got justice. Fortunately, on 9th June last year, my family including my parents, my elder brother and his family were discharged from the dowry case.” Anil Kumar, founder, SIFF thinks men need to be more proactive. “Men are brought up with the mindset that they can handle everything. They need to stop being overconfident about themselves and acknowledge the problem when it rises. Government should ensure that the laws are gender neutral and not exploited for selfish ends.” Deepika agrees saying, “The need of the hour is a platform where men can also complain, laws that address crimes against men too and deterrents that save them from false accusations.”

ENVIRONMENT

A Wasted Opportunity

It makes more sense to generate power from municipal waste than to dump it, writes Kritika Arora

angalore’s garbage crisis is not Sysav’s waste to energy plant in Mal- posals have been made to it. Recently, going away anytime soon. Ev- mo, Sweden is one of the most effi- during French president Emmanuel ery solution proposed by citizen cient plant in the world. The flue gases Macron’s visit to India, it was reported groups to tackle the biggest problem released go through an advanced, six- that BBMP would partner with a French confronting the Garden City seems to stage cleaning system. At first, suspend- company to set up a similar plant in the fall on deaf ears. The city generates ap- ed particles are trapped by electrostatic city. The plant, to be located on the proximately 4,000 tons of garbage ev- precipitation. In the next three steps, city’s outskirts at Chikkanagamangala, ery day and residents find themselves the flue gases are washed in scrubbers would have the capacity to incinerate reeling from the stench of untended to remove heavy metals, acidic sub- 500 tonnes of waste per day and generrubbish, which the municipality simply stances and sulphur dioxide. ate 10 MW of power. cannot manage. The fifth step involves passing flue BBMP’s budget for solid-waste manEnvironmentalist Kshitij Urs says gases through an electroventuri filter agement for 2018-2019 is Rs. 1,000 that there seems to be total disconnect to remove leftover particles and the last crore and this includes transportation of between the Bengaluru Bruhat Mahan- filter, a catalyst, transforms nitrogen di- waste, dumping etc. If Bangalore were agara Palike (BBMP) and the scientific oxide into pure nitrogen. Without us- to incinerate the 4,000 tonnes of solid community. “But it’s essential to have ing these sophisticated filters, harmful waste it currently produces, it would an open discussion between need seven such plants and municipal authorities and cost around Rs. 5,000 crore. people who are technically This would be in addition competent if we are to deal to the cost of land to set up with the big problem.” the plants, garbage segregaThe irony is that there is no tion and transportation. dearth of scientific solutions he central governfor the mounting pile of garment’s municipal bage. The most straightforSolid Waste Manward are the ‘waste to energy’ agement (SWM) Rules 2016 technologies that use biomandate that the waste genmethanisation, gasification/ erator must segregate waste pyrolysis or incineration to at source before handing it treat the waste and generate over to the collector. But, electricity from it. Many insince the policy does not dustrialised countries includpenalize non-segregation ing France, Sweden, United at source, this basic rule States, Norway, Japan and Waste-to-energy plants could help solve Bangalore’s is hardly followed. So, the Germany have incorporated onus will fall on the BBMP such plants within their city mounting garbage problem to ensure segregation bewaste-management system. Sweden has built so much garbage- pollutants will be emitted that impact fore carbonizing the waste, compliance incineration capacity that the country human health and the environment. with which is crucial if we do not want now imports garbage to keep its power These filters, in turn, need special land- to add to the city’s air-pollution load. The seven units would generate 70 plants running! fills for disposal. When China proposed to build one Such an incineration plant would cost MW of power a day which, if sold at of the world’s biggest waste-to-energy around $110 million (Rs. 715 crore) to power- distributor Bescom’s current plant in 2016 to deal with its cities’ rap- build and require ample space for re- rate of Rs. 6 per kwh (or unit), would idly growing garbage piles, it met criti- ceiving segregated waste. India will also translate into a substantial saving on cism from environmentalists for good have to spend on technology transfer. the BBMP’s electricity bill. Add to this reason. Incinerating municipal waste The Jindal Group operated a waste-to- the saving in land needed for landfills requires proper procedures at two stag- energy plant in the Okhla belt of Delhi and the cost of their long-term ‘remees. One, when the waste is collected it but it was stalled after local residents diation’ to prevent the release of toxic must be segregated into wet and dry litigated against the use of an improper methane and the leaching of other streams and, before being fed into the incineration technology and the result- toxic waste into groundwater sources. Even if it doesn’t pay for itself, the incinerator, into combustible and non- ing emissions. combustible streams. Second, the efIn 2009, BBMP proposed to install waste-to-energy option is a better one fluents and gases liberated when waste the city’s first waste-to-energy plant than simply storing up these problems is burnt must be treated before being but, even a decade later, has been un- in the landfills.. Photo : The Hindu released into the environment. able to settle on one of the six pro-

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SPORTS

A Season to Remember The Indian Super League has become a powerful force driving the popularity of soccer in the country, says Abhishek Sarkar

ndia’s top soccer league kicked off the season on November 17 with a promise to become even bigger than before. With the introduction of two new teams, the league’s strength has jumped to 10 but all eyes were on the defending champions ATK, formerly Atletico de Kolkata, who changed their name after parting ways with their previous part-owners, Atletico Madrid. The two new teams were Jamshedpur FC and Bengaluru FC. Jamshedpur FC are owned by Tata Steel. Bengaluru FC needs no introduction as they are a very popular team after winning two I Leagues championships and two Federation Cups besides reaching the finals of AFC cup. Bengaluru FC was one of the favourites to lift the coveted ISL trophy this season. The opening match of the season at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium Kochi, featuring the home team Kerala Blasters and the defending champions ATK, turned out a damp squib, with no goals scored. ATK’s biggest advantage this season was coach Teddy Sherington, but it turned out to be one to forget

for the defending champions as they finished second last on the table, leaving their fans crushed. Last year’s runners up, Kerala Blasters, were looking quite decent before losing an important match to Bengaluru FC, which knocked them out of the semifinals. Jamshedpur FC looked quite impressive, but they too failed to make the semifinal cut. Bengaluru FC, however, had its finger on the domination button right from the first game all the way to the semifinals. The ‘boys in blue’ went on a rampage, crushing almost every team in their way and finished with the highest number of wins in the league stage by an ISL team in a season. The biggest advantage Bengaluru FC had was that they had managed to retain a lot of their players who have played at the AFC Cup level, which meant they had the cushion of experience. Sunil Chettri was absolutely brilliant. Right from when he stepped on the field he meant business and showed no mercy to any team who came in way. Another amazing performer in the forward lineup was Edu Garcia, popularly

called Miku. Chhetri and Miku proved a deadly duo throughout the season and were instrumental in getting Bengaluru into the final. But once there, Bengaluru FC were blown away by a resurgent Chennaiyin FC. Chennaiyin FC had won the ISL in 2015 but struggled in 2016 when they finished at the bottom of the table with only 3 wins. But this season they came in with a bang, ultimately beating the favourites on their home ground. Now that ISL has been recognized by the Asian Football Confederation, they have automatically qualified for the AFC Cup next year. The fans had a blast. Said football fanatic Digant, “ISL has surely picked up and now is on par with the (cricket) IPL and it is great to see football get so much love and popularity.” Added Pratith Shetty, “ISL this season was exciting because of the addition of two new teams Bengaluru and Jamshedpur. This season saw many young lads come up with brilliant goals and assists. Another plus point is the experience the Indian players get playing alongside international players. But unfortunately, the quality of referring was not up to the mark as there were a lot of poor decisions. I would suggest the AIFF use the video assistant referee system in the ISL.”

Indian Express

Bengaluru Football Club celebrates ISL’18 semis’ victory 22

April 2018

nother fan, Nithin Neelakanta, also blasted the referees, saying referee selection was not very good, but he was all praise that football in India is finally reaching a wide audience. The longer season was a challenge, but FC Goa midfielder Bruno Pinheiro said it was good as it gave teams adequate breaks between matches. Bengaluru FC coach Alberto Roca also said that they wanted the league to be bigger, adding that it was like a sprint run where one must start well to end well. For Bengaluru FC, they started brilliantly and continued in the same form through the championship only to fizzle out in the final. But preparations are afoot for the next season and there’s plenty of time to make amends.

SPORTS

“I still believe that I belong to the Top 5 or 10 players in the world”- Kashyap

arupalli Kashyap won the Badminton men’s single Gold medal in the 2014 edition of the Commonwealth Games.In a career spanning 13 years, Parupalli Kashyap has been on what can only be described as a roller-coaster ride, having tasted career-defining highs and crushing disappointments.The 31year-old, who won his first title since 2015 at the Austrian Open in February 2018, spoke to Shankar Narayan about missing out on the Commonwealth Games squad, an event where he won Gold in 2014, the growth of his fellow players and much more. Excerpts Q: You are a two-time medallist at the Commonwealth Games, the reigning champion in the men’s singles event, but you are not a part of the Indian contingent this time around. Why? A: I think there is only one factor: I got injured. In 2015, I got injured. I had a calf muscle tear and I missed two months. Then I twisted my knee and fell down, I missed another 6-8 months. I returned in January 2017, was ranked 50th in the world at the time and then in the Premier Badminton League (PBL), I dislocated my shoulder. I lost another four months. I returned from a completely dislocated right shoulder, which is my dominant hand but for the next 4-5 months, I struggled with small niggles in my shoulder. I have counted two years for you.If for two years you are injured and also have niggles, then you can’t expect to qualify. I don’t think I had a chance. I tried my best, came close in certain stages. Credit to the current group, who made the cut. Kidambi Srikanth and HS Prannoy have

players by providing them with (better) support facilities. The number of physios has risen in the national training centres. But it should continue to rise further, simply because the number of players taking part is increasing with each passing event. All the credit goes to Gopi Sir (Pullela Gopichand), who has been trying to make the best of funds and facilities that are at his disposal.

played very well. I still believe that I belong to the Top 5 or Top 10 players in the world. Q: During this phase when you were injured, what kind of support did you get from the Badminton Association of India (BAI)? A: They have been very supportive. When I returned from injury, my rankings were down. There are a certain set of rules like the Indian players ranked in the Top 50 get funded. I was ranked in the 200s. I asked them for a buffer of about 6-8 months to support me. If I get back my rankings, then I will be a part of the team, if not then they could cut me off. This is what I wrote to them and they helped me during that period. They took care of my expenses, they funded me, which was of great help. I also got support from the Olympic Gold Quest (OGQ) as well. However, the BAI can still improve in dealing with the injured

THE BEAT

Q: The last 12 months has been extremely good for Indian badminton, in particular the men’s singles shuttlers. Srikanth won four Superseries titles in 2017, Prannoy and Sai Praneeth performed very well in tournaments. What do you think has helped them develop consistency in their game? A: I do not see a sudden change because I was the India Number 1 for a long time before they came onto the scene, but I trained with them and always believed that they were capable of being in the Top 10 and the Top 20. They had the skills, they had the attitude to work hard and were smart. Fortunately, they had someone like me and Gopi Sir with them. I was performing consistently, and they got the confidence from there. Saina Nehwal, as well, was doing very well at the time and subsequently, P V Sindhu started to perform. I think they had the (quality) in them. It was just a matter of time that they got enough experience and understood how to play against certain players and how to remain consistent. It will only keep getting better. Photo :sportsprince

VISUAL ARTS

The Genius of Anime Japanese animation is versatile enough to cover the entire canvas of human emotion, writes Anirudh Chakravarthi

from that one-line synopsis, one would be tragically off the mark if you do so. Hideaki Anno, the creator of Evangelion, grappled with depression in the beginning of his career and poured that experience into the show, imbuing it with an existential angst that gave the show a philosophical edge over others. The teenage characters had to keep making tough choices and take quick decisions that adults usually make. They are in constant fear and resent the great responsibility that life had forced them to shoulder. Unlike a cartoon where the protagonists manage to fend off the villains without a scratch, there are real consequences in this show. The aliens that attack earth are symbols of destructive thoughts that are caused by depression. The giant robots that the characters use to defend the planet are metaphors of hope and the human spirit that drive us to keep on living. All of it plays out like a sweet bedtime story that subconsciously turned into a nightmare after

falling asleep. With fluid animation and an art style that is full of subtext and symbolism, Evangelion uses the artistry of animation to the fullest and tells a human story that resonates with anime fans to this day (there have been two reboots of it post-2000).

wo more landmark shows that were created during this period are Serial Experiment Lain and Revolutionary Girl Utena. The latter is a show that subverts the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;girls with magical powersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; genre and shockingly introduces elements of the horror and psychological thriller in parts where they are least expected. Serial Experiments Lain is another philosophical show about technology and what it means to mankind; it was made during the infancy of the Internet and predicted many current trends in the virtual world. A young man walks into the office of an upcoming filmmaker who just started his own studio. The young man takes out a number of drawings from

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here is a widespread misconception that animation works from Japan (well known as anime) are cartoons aimed at kids and adolescents. This is because, when anime was first discovered by global audiences in the eighties and nineties,the most popular animated shows were aimed at the most likely audience to watch them: teens. Toonami, a timeslot on Cartoon Network channel, aired shows like Dragon Ball Z, Card Captors, Naruto, Once Piece and Bleach. These shows initially fit the cartoon tag and then some of them slowly evolved into something more ambivalent, harder to define. Naruto, Bleach and One Piece are the best examples of this transition. Their characters journey from one fantastical place to another, slightly darker and more realistic fantasy places in a gradual progression, going through experiences that changed them. In the process, their viewers also changed. In the hundreds of episodes that have been produced (episode 824 of One Piece is currently airing), the storylines became increasingly complex, multiple plotlines cropped up, new worlds that the characters travelled to revealed rich histories and vibrant cultures. One Piece, written by Echirio Oda, managed to do this most successfully. That explains its incredible longevity, as many of the middle-aged people in Japan and other parts of the globe have spent the better part of their lives contemplating its themes, making it a cultural phenomenon. This is how both teenagers and adults could simultaneously get into these shows. They have both wackycartoonish humor and serious adult themes co-existing in the same fictional environment, creating a unique experience. They connected with kids and kept tempering the storytelling to their young-adult concerns and beyond. These aside, there were a number of works that also shot to modest fame in the nineties for their thematic depth and artful storytelling. Neon Genesis Evangelionis a show about teenagers using giant robots to fight off aliens. Though it is tempting to call it juvenile

Miyazaki and his works at Studio Ghilbi April 2018

Japanese Film director Satoshi Kon and his many works sembles a brothel of the Edo era. If we take the thought further, and look back at the movie again, we will identify the various subtle ways in which Miyazaki has woven another dark story right at the edges of the seemingly innocent fairytale we were watching all along. The film is a cunning tapestry that

tells you a sex-workerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tale in the guise of a fairytale. The director has verified this interpretation of the movie on many occasions. Other films of the master with similar adult themes include Princess Mononoke and Nausica of the Valley of the Wind. He later made simple films with equally

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s we follow Chihiroâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s adventure and finally see her parents turn back into humans, we might not notice what the film is about. A keen viewer with some knowledge of Japanese culture and history would notice that the inn Chihiro works in re-

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his bag and places them in front of the filmmaker. The filmmaker examines the drawings with his experienced eye and is highly impressed. He decides to give the young artist a break and hires him for his second feature film. The young man is Hideaki Anno, the creator of Evangelion, and the filmmaker is the Oscar-winning Japanese animation legend, Hayao Miyazaki. This is how the two met in the 80s and seared their names on anime history. Though Miyazaki had been directing films since 1979, it was after 2001 when he made Spirited Away and won an Oscar for it that he cemented his status in the international arena. Spirited Away became the highest grossing film in Japan beating Titanicâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s record. It is about a girl named Chihiro whose parents turn into pigs when they stop by at a deserted shrine and she discovers a spirit world hidden in the place. In this world, Chihiro ends up in an inn where many strange creatures dwell. She strikes a deal with a fat lady who is the owner of the inn and works for her.

Popular protaganists from DBZ, One Piece, Naruto and Bleach THE BEAT

exquisite artistry such as Ponyo, Castle in the Sky, Howls Moving Castle and Porco Rosso. Today, he is popularly known as the Spielberg of Japan. His studio, named Ghibli, has supported directors who have made many other great films like Arriety and the gut-wrenching film about the Second World War’s toll on a brother and sister, Grave of the Fireflies.

atoshi Kon’s work, Paprika, inspired Christopher Nolan’s Inception. He is a venerated artist who has made only four animated films and one TV series until he met his untimely death in the year 2010. Kon’s films are known for their surrealism and layered storytelling feature. Certain anime connoisseurs and critics have put him on a pedestal higher than the one Miyazaki stands on. His seemingly modest filmography is more than what meets the eye. Each of his works has been subjected to extensive study by film students in Japan and the world over. Paprika, a puzzle of a film with dazzling animation and endless visual surprises throughout its 86-minute runtime, is a masterpiece. It explores the concepts of dreams, fantasy and reality leaving us wonderstruck rather than confused. Inception took so much from it that it would not exist without this movie. But, Nolan’s film is in no way a match for the visual splendor of Paprika, as animation’s inexpensive and limitless possibilities combine with Kon’s imagination and his artistic skill. His earlier film, Perfect Blue, inspired the Oscar-winning film Black Swan by Darren Aronofsky. It is a mystery thriller that deals with the dangers and the drawbacks of stardom. Aronofsky actually

wanted to remake Perfect Blue but could only buy the rights to certain scenes in the film. Millenium Actress, his swan song to the Japanese film history, is about two journalists who go to interview an aging superstar. Once the actress starts narrating her life story, we are drawn into a story of Japanin the 1930s and its film industry which Kon picturizes with such nostalgic tenderness that is completely immersive. But it is not a straightforward story. Kon jumps forward and backward and to all the points in between, showing us similar incidents in different phases of her life and drawing thematic parallels between them. He also makes references to the cinema of each era where we see the actress at different points of her career.The ending of the movie is the logical conclusion of all the strands of her past and hits us with explosive emotional power. His Tokyo Godfathers is a light hearted movie about three homeless men finding a baby and their hilarious struggle to return it to its family. Paranoia Agent is a hard to explain surrealistictale that explores psychotic tendencies in human beings in 11 episodes. When Kon was working on Dream Machine, a movie he had almost completed drawing storyboards for, he discovered he had been diagnosed with cancer. Kon wrote a blog post titled Sayonara (goodbye) explaining his ordeal to his fans. He had given up on the project as his health would not permit him to finish it and he struggled to accept that his movie was not ever going to be made. His final words to his fans:“With my heart full of gratitude

April 2018

for everything good in the world, I’ll put down my pen.Now excuse me, I have to go.” Naoki Urasawa’s Monster is the story of a neurosurgeon who operates on and saves the life of a 12-year-old boy. But he’s struck with deep guilt when he realizes, many years later, that the child he saved has become a serial killer. He decides to take responsibility and embarks on a quest to slay the monster he unleashed onto the world. On the way, what we get is a compelling thriller that reveals twists and turns that make us rethink everything we previously took for granted. Monster is a Hitchcockian work with a lot of heart put in. Death Note is also a thriller, but a modern-day take on Dr.Faustus.

hat would a person do if he has a death notebook that can kill people 40 seconds after writing their name on it? Is it okay to pass judgement, play god and kill criminals? Aside from these moral questions, Death Note is a detective story, a cat-and-mouse game that is nothing short of extraordinary. We can see characters plotting and counter-plotting in such a complex storyline that we never know who has the upper hand. The show pushes the viewer to the edge of her seat with its suspense and shocking reveals. Anime contains an inexhaustible reserve of work that cannot possibly be covered in its entirety, no matter how much is written.It is simultaneously cartoon, wacky and silly,anddeadly serious and heart-rending. It accommodates every human situation, every human emotion, it’s the most flexible form of storytelling in existence.

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Neon Genesis Evangelion: an allegorical show about the need for spirituality

ARTS AND CULTURE

Voice of the Voiceless

The resurgence of resistance poetry foretells troubled days ahead, says Debanjali Kabiraj They cannot snuff out the moon, so today, nor tomorrow, no tyranny will succeed, no poison of torture makes me bitter, if just one evening in prison can be so strangely sweet, if just one moment anywhere on this earth -A Prison Evening by Faiz Ahmed Faiz

oetry has long been a prominent voice of resistance in India. Whether it was the struggle for independence, protests over state brutality in Kashmir, JNU’s fight against fascism or the outcry against atrocities committed against women, each of these efforts at mass mobilisation has fuelled and been supported by resistance poetry. Resistance poetry has bridged the gap between leaders and the led and has brought people together around a single cause like no other. Says Rudraksh Pathak, a poet and social activist from Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, “Poetry that exists in India right now has shades of all kind of social movement. Resistance poetry usually exists more in Urdu and Hindi and young poets are severely criticizing the

system and the governance.” Faiz Ahmed Faiz (1911-1984) was a Pakistani poet activist who wrote poetry against the political structure and the establishment in Pakistan. His poem Hum Dekhenge was sang by Iqbal Bano, a Pakistani classical singer, and performances would resound with Inquilaab Zindabaad. That is how Faiz’s poetry moved the masses to raise their voice against the establishment. Sarojini Naidu (1879-1949) was a freedom fighter and a poet of Indian origin. She was a major leader in the Indian Independence movement and had written many poems during the freedom struggle. The nations that in fettered darkness weep Crave thee to lead them where great mornings break... Mother, O Mother, wherefore dost thou sleep? Arise and answer for thy children’s sake! Kamala Das (1934- 2009) was a poet activist from Kerala, who wrote poems on subjects ranging from women-centred issues to politics. Her poems gave voice to the generations of women who were confined within their households, unable to break away from the social structure of prevailing patriarchy. In her poems she spoke about social stigmas like menstruation, infidelity, child marriage and many more. She was one amongst the first to write about female sexuality. Gift him what makes you woman, the scent of Long hair, the musk of sweat between the breasts, The warm shock of menstrual blood, and all your Endless female hungers. -The Looking Glass by Kamala Das

THE BEAT

Agha Shahid Ali (1949-2001) was a Kashmiri American poet whose poetry is inspired by the conflict in Kashmir. One of his most famous poems, The country without a post office, was penned in 1997 when the Kashmiri revolt against the state became increasingly violent. The poem talks about the horrors of living amidst the bloodshed. Spoken-word poetry is a preferred form of expression among Resistance poets. This form of poetry differs in writing and performance. Spokenword poetry depends on the pitch of the voice and the recitation of the poet. Resistance poetry has adopted this form as it helps in better conveying the emotions contained in the poems. It helps the poets express their anger, hope, sadness and many more emotions. Spoken-word poetry helps connects to the audience in an effective way.

ne of the most fearless poets bringing resistance poetry on the streets of the country, particularly in Delhi, is Sabika Abbas Naqvi. Known for her fiery brand of poetry that talks about the position of a woman in a patriarchal society, she often brings up the issues that Indian women face living behind closed doors. The subjects of her poetry are mundane and ordinary, like the kajal that a woman lines her eyes with or the saree that she carelessly drapes around her body. Yet, these objects of daily use become weapons of resistance in her poetry. Her kajal is not just a cosmetic, it is, Mera kajal Siyaha kajal Beiman kajal Gustak kajal Seditious kajal A poet-activist who relentlessly fights for gender and queer rights in India, Sabika is associated with popular movements, the most prominent being the Pinjra Tod, which fights for the rights of women living alone in hostels and as paying guests, challenging restrictions on their lifestyles. Photo : Debanjali Kabiraj

ARTS AND CULTURE

To Be Truly Alive

Traditional dance forms can draw fresh inspiration from current concerns, says Barnana Sarkar

haratanatyam is one of the would stage impromptu performances oldest of Indian classic dance in restaurants, traffic signals and empty forms with roots that stretch classrooms. to Bharat Muni’s Natya Shastra. It il“It felt like an empowering feminist lustrates Hindu myths, cultural and project because we demanded visibility, spiritual ideas through the dancer’s pos- agency and the right to be erotic on the tures, gestures and movements. What streets and metros where we are rougives Bharatanatyam stature among the tinely harassed.” What resulted was a India’s many classical dance traditions sense of strength and empowerment is the legend of Lord Brahma reveal- that the dance was no more being pering Bharatanatyam to Bharat Muni. It formed to be technically perfect, gracealso explains its strong association with ful, or to charm men. temples and worship. There was bound to be a reaction. However, the form’s association Gayathri Keshavan, director of Acadwith devdasi culture condemned it in emy of Bharatanatyam in Bangalore, the eyes of British colonialists, who says, “As a practitioner of the dance banned all ‘temple dancing’ in 1910. and as a preserver of the art, I believe Bharatanatyamwas subsequently re- that it is a serious and classical templevived and brought into the mainstream art form which should not be used for by E. Krishna Iyer and Rukmini Devi entertainment on the streets. The art is Arundale. Over the years, it’s gained above the artist or other people. The global recognition and a wide follow- complete beauty of the dance form, ing. What hasn’t changed, however, is with proper music, with a seated auits elite status. dience can be appreciated in a closed “I am very disturbed by Bhara- space. The temple cannot come to the tanatyam’s unsecular flavour and its problematic relationship with caste, class and nationhood,” says Tirna Sengupta, a dancer and literature student at Delhi University. “It mimetically reproduces the social hierarchies whereas I see activism as an integral part of art.I looked around and noticed that only women from backgrounds of great social and material privilege practiced this form of art. There is a total exclusion of Dalits, Muslims and the lower classes from Bharatanatyam,” she points out. Tirna’s goal is to bring Bharatanatyam to the public space. Along with a few like-minded women including Aishwarya Kali, Priyanka Kali and Swati Gangadharan, she created Bharatanatyam Tirna Sengupta performs tillana in the Wild, where they

April 2018

people, people go to the temple. Such is the divinity of the art form.” But, Gauranga Mandal, who has been immersed in the dance form over the past three decades in West Bengal, thinks that an art form can be truly immortal only if it corresponds to contemporary realities. “It depends on the purpose,” he says. “Yes, classical forms are best when performed indoors. But the real test comes when you perform in the open, in front of people who are not familiar with the form. The power of classic danceforms lie in the fact that they charm everyone. No one should confine such a graceful form within the four walls of an auditorium, where only a handful of knowledgeable people come.”

irna recently performed at a protest called ‘I Will Go Out’, where women asserted their claim to be present and free in every public space. She has also performed in front of temples and mosques, where she has understandably faced some hostility. In a recent set, she performed to Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s poem Bol Ke Lab Azad Hain Tere, which she describes as a performance of a lifetime. Art has always provided opportunity to become a form of resistance against oppression, injustice, and inequality. It has been the lent voice to various radical ideologies, whether through poems, songs or paintings. Indian classical dance forms are powerful and enriching, and to confine their appeal to a narrow circle of aficionados would be a massive criminal waste. Tirna has set out to put Bharatanatyam on the public stage, to bring it closer to the common people and help not just keep a tradition alive but actually thrive, by creating new meanings in ever changing contexts. Photo : Tirna Sengupta

REVIEW

A Story Told in Silence

Barnana Sarkar reviews Luca Guadagnino’s Call Me By Your Name

ome movies stimulate all our senses. We smell the huge feast spread on the table, hear the whispered sobs of unrequited love, enjoy the expanses of some distant countryside, taste the ripe fruit he carries in his pocket, and get goose-bumps when things take an unexpected turn. Luca Guadagnino’s adaptation of Andre Aciman’s novel, Call Me By Your Name, is a rare movie that is sensual and thought-provoking too. The film tells the story a self-conscious, seventeen-year-old Elio (played by Timothee Chalamet) who falls in love with a man twice his age. Oliver (Armie Hammer) has come to work as an assistant to Elio’s father, somewhere in northern Italy during the summer of 1983. Although Guadagnino’s depiction of time and place hasn’t received the attention it deserves from critics, the setting is perfect. Filmed in a beautiful mansion, where art and nature imbue the lives of a few wonderful people, summer plays a perfect setting for the budding romance. Cinematographer Sayombhu Mukdeeprom, in his second collaboration with Guadagnino, provides a neutral perspective for the evolving relationship. His ability to capture multiple frames in one shot is probably best executed in the scene where Oliver dances at an open-sky discotheque to the Psychedelic Fur’s Love My Way. In this scene, the camera, Armie and the beat drop are in perfect sync, as the camera remains steadily angled groundup, giving Armie the stature of a Greek God performing some extremely sensuous moves, and then gradually pulls back to take in its frame the entire dance floor as the song reaches its refrain, and Elio slips onto the dance floor. The last scene is a long shot, where Elio sits in front of the fireplace with the fire reflected on his face, and the dinner table is being set in the background. Timothee’s expression as he stares into the fire, with Sufjan Stevens’ composition Visions of Gideonin the background,depictsa boy, just seventeen when he fell in love, gradually finding the maturity to accept the inevitable. Stevens’ compositions for the film,

Futile Devices, Mystery of Love and Visions of Gideon, follow Elio and Oliver through the three stages of their love. The song Futile Devices plays when Elio awaits Oliver’s return from a long day of playing poker (as described in the book but cut out in the movie), with the lines “It’s been a long, long time since I’ve memorized your face.” The song is perfectly timed, when Elio is certain about his own emotions but is eager, evenanxious, to know if Oliver feels the same way.

ystery of Lovesurfaces in the second half of the movie when, after declaring their love for eachother, they visit Crema and bond as lovers. The song’s recurring line, “blessed be the mystery of love” references their mingled state of confusion and clarity. The last song, Visions of Gideon, which recounts the myth of Gideon -- the farmer who finally gains the strength to take up his responsibilities upon God’s call -- brings a closure to the relationship, where the lovers have parted ways and grief is all that remains, for the moment.

THE BEAT

While Aciman’s novel echoes Elio’s nervous sensibilities, the movie is a more measured tale of two people and their combined sense of respect for, and ignorance about, one another. Timothee pulls off Elio as smoothly as anyone possibly could, with his controlled expressions and relaxed body language. Armie, on the other hand, is confidence personified, his voice lending another dimension to the character. Luca Guadagnino’s direction is masterful, with an understated storyline told through simple gestures, shy glances and stolen smiles against the exquisite backdrop of Stevens’ plaintive songs. The two actors are utterly convincing throughout, where one is restless, intrigued, shy and confused, while the other is straightforward yet compassionate. Call Me By Your Name is more than just another ‘artsy’ movie with pretty faces and gorgeous set design. It is a tale about humanity, respect, acceptance and above all, love. It is also a celebration of art, sexuality and lots of good food. Photo : Acast

REVIEW

Down the Rabbit Hole

Kritika Agrawal reviews Turtles All the Way Down by John Green

n 2015, when John Green disclosed his mental illness via Twitter to the world, few imagined it would be a curtain raiser to his next novel. Turtles All the Way Down is a worthy successor to his 2012 blockbuster, The Fault in Our Stars. It’s intriguing title aside, Turtles revolves around three teenagers, Aza, Daisy and Davis, who are all lost in their uniquely unhappy ways. Aza, 16, sets out to solve the mystery of a missing Indianapolis billionaire along with her best friend Daisy, a Star Wars fanatic, to get her hands on the $100,000 reward. Aza, the narrator, suffers from intense anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). She takes the readers through a vivid description of her growing anxiety and lets readers experience the vicarious terror of it. Aza had met Davis, the son of the missing billionaire, years earlier at a “sad camp” or a summer camp for children who’d lost a parent. Daisy reminds

Aza of Davis and tells her that it might be a good idea to contact him to learn more about his missing father. When she meets Davis, Aza discovers a shattered teenager. Davis lost his mother at a very young age and is now unable to digest the idea that father’s gone missing. As the story progresses, Aza develops a strong bond with Davis. She finds a part of her in him and is unable to control her feelings for him. The narration of her disorder is trying and can possibly lead you to quit the book in exasperation, but anyone who’s experienced OCD and anxiety problems in some way will certainly be able relate to it. Now Aza’s compulsive thoughts begin to occupy an enormous space in her mind and the tightening coils of thoughts become suffocating. She can’t kiss Davis with thinking of microbes: “Around eighty million microbes are exchanged per kiss,” her research reveals! So,when she does, she promptly gargles with a mouthwash. With Aza, and her OCD, the urge to clean the wound on her finger with a sanitizer and rebandaging it over and over has become a habit. This description of Aza’s disorder underlines Green’s insight into teenage anxieties as much as his understanding of behavioral problems. The book is

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a deep dive into the teen world but is not just all pillow talk, late-night gossip about crushes or double-dating fantasies that occupy his characters. It reveals the enormous psychological stress that young people are under, whether peer pressure, confusion about who they actually are and what they want to achieve or a sense of inferiority that drives them towards isolation, withdrawal and even self-hurt. In the process of getting to know Davis, Aza’s phobia increases and there’s a virtual war going on in her mind. Her fear of getting infected with clostridium difficile is taking control of her thoughts and she’s getting completely paranoid. Daisy doesn’t understand her situation and seems not to care about it too much either, which drives Aza crazy.

reen portrays a complicated picture of friendship here, pointing to the limits of empathy, the gap between wanting to understand another but not really being able to, of wanting to help but being clueless about how to. And yet, hope springs eternal when, after they make up, Daisy says “I want to be buried next to you, we’ll have a shared tombstone.” Turtles All the Way Down is an unflinching and a hard look at personal suffering and our inability to share in and understand another’s pain. In a beautifully crafted story, Green goes where few others dare in looking at teenage love, passion, friendship and pretty much everything else that confounds us about those most vulnerable years of our lives. We have all lived some version of this strange tale, though few of us would care to remember them as we grow older. Photo : Amazon.com , Penguin

THE TEAM

Arlene Mathew Shiny Kirupa Debanjali Kabiraj Saket Tiwari

Anjana Basumatary Kritika Agrawal Barnana Hemoprava Sarkar Sreejani Bhattacharyya THE BEAT

For private circulation only

April 2018

Naandika Tripathi