Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Read in this Sunday’s Times of India that Paris Hilton has such a busy social calendar that she has an entire staff of secretaries to keep her dates straight. It is, apparently, the high point of a host’s party to have this stick-figure non-achiever present at his gala event. And her dates are booked months in advance! Talk about ha colossal waste of everything. Apart from one porn film, I can’t think of a single thing of worth this woman has contributed to the world at large. What is she famous for? There are better porn stars out there I’m sure, and even better dumb blonde stereotypes. But wait a minute, there might not be a super-rich, dumb blonde stereotype, porn star out there! Hmm, that probably explains her popularity. An heiress to billions, stupid as the sea is salty and providing a naked image the moment you close your eyes….not a bad combination! Just kidding, though all of it is true. But she’s a pop phenomenon today. Maybe it’s the immense imbalance she seems to portray that attracts attention (how can such a dumbass get to play with more money than she knows how to count up to while I bust my ass all month to earn enough to maybe feed her dog for a day?). Maybe it’s beauty sans brains that draws every salivating satyr to her. Who knows? I don’t, though I’m sure she’s smartened up pretty fast after “One night in Paris” (clever title). Didn’t sue Salomon, took a share of the profits instead. Has assiduously cultured the image of a ditzy blonde, courtesy endless reams of paper and a TV serial that went into 3 seasons at last count. Makes it a point to go pantyless to at least one party/nightclub/somewhere every few months. Occasionally shoots topless pics on her mobile and “loses” the same soon after. Quite hard work let me tell you! “Should I let a nipple slip or show a bit of butt crack this month? Appear in public necking my dog, or get into a catfight with Nicole? Choices, choices!”
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Gobekli Tepe
Was reading about ‘Gobekli Tepe’ the other day. Liked it so much that I put up a link on my FB page. First time I did that, and liked the way FB picked up the link and displayed a short summary too. Gobekli tepe is a paleolithic site, and is the earliest sing of human architecture and planned building known to us. The various structures have been interpreted as some sort of temples or places of ancestor worship. They date to c.10000 BC, well before we had assumed humans capable of building large common structures, and even predating the advent of farming, which is assumed to have started at a large scale some 2000 years later. It was always assumed that only after agriculture was well established and a surplus food supply assured did the population expand and people were free enough to venture into other fields, such as pottery, art, architecture etc. in short, the cultural evolution was supposed to have started after the Great Agricultural revolution. But here we see signs of culture predating farming by a couple of thousand years! There are a number of round structures made of stone and covered with lime. In these round rooms, there are free standing monoliths that some archaeologists interpret as ancestors/proto-gods. These are huge structures, some weighing many tons and have been carried here on top of this hill from some distance, in an age where the wheel was yet to be discovered.
Though a desert today, the area was lush and well irrigated 12000 years ago. What I find most interesting is that there is good evidence that wheat and grains were first cultivated in this area. some strains of wild wheat in the surrounding hills are genetic ancestors of the oldest known cultivated strains. This makes Gobekli the probable site of man’s first foray into settled agricultural life. And these people, for unknown reasons, built this astonishing structure. There are signs that some sacrifices were carried out here. Then, mysteriously, around 8000BC, the site was deliberately buried under rubble.
Interested as I’ve always been in archaeology, two things make Gobekli Tepe all the more fascinating. First, it is the precursor of the Sumerian civilization, and the unknown, unnamed ancestor figures on this hilltop temple fit in so well with the Sumerian myth that agriculture was brought down to man from the hills by unnamed Gods who existed before the Sumerian pantheon came into being. What a bewitching idea, tying up these two disparate threads into one beautiful progression!
The other idea is that this is the site of the proverbial Eden; that the Bible carries a record of folk memory going back to the time when man moved from the relaxed, easy lifestyle of the hunter-gatherer to the more rigorous life of the farmer. The story of Adam and Eve’s leisurely life in the garden and their subsequent exile to work the earth to bring forth food resembles very closely man’s move towards an agrarian lifestyle.
And both these fascinating (to me) stories are linked to one patch of earth; ancient, mysterious, massive, awe inspiring, harking back to the dawn of man.
Though a desert today, the area was lush and well irrigated 12000 years ago. What I find most interesting is that there is good evidence that wheat and grains were first cultivated in this area. some strains of wild wheat in the surrounding hills are genetic ancestors of the oldest known cultivated strains. This makes Gobekli the probable site of man’s first foray into settled agricultural life. And these people, for unknown reasons, built this astonishing structure. There are signs that some sacrifices were carried out here. Then, mysteriously, around 8000BC, the site was deliberately buried under rubble.
Interested as I’ve always been in archaeology, two things make Gobekli Tepe all the more fascinating. First, it is the precursor of the Sumerian civilization, and the unknown, unnamed ancestor figures on this hilltop temple fit in so well with the Sumerian myth that agriculture was brought down to man from the hills by unnamed Gods who existed before the Sumerian pantheon came into being. What a bewitching idea, tying up these two disparate threads into one beautiful progression!
The other idea is that this is the site of the proverbial Eden; that the Bible carries a record of folk memory going back to the time when man moved from the relaxed, easy lifestyle of the hunter-gatherer to the more rigorous life of the farmer. The story of Adam and Eve’s leisurely life in the garden and their subsequent exile to work the earth to bring forth food resembles very closely man’s move towards an agrarian lifestyle.
And both these fascinating (to me) stories are linked to one patch of earth; ancient, mysterious, massive, awe inspiring, harking back to the dawn of man.
Monday, November 23, 2009
India v/s China
The thing that got my goat more than the joint US-China statement saying China had a big role to play in South Asia, a region that India sees as its area of influence, was our response to the statement. Our government was literally foaming at the mouth, our media was in paroxysms about our “loss of prestige”, the journalists were apoplectic. Everywhere you heard the refrain about how India would not brook any interference in her affairs and so on. Within a few days, the US came out with a statement averring that their ties with China “were not at the cost of their ties with India” and we all patted ourselves on the back for a serious challenge averted and honour saved. Then last night China came out with a statement that they did not intend to intervene between India and Pakistan (which is what we thought the joint statement was a veiled reference to) and they preferred that we solve the problem bilaterally. What a nice gesture!
But what irritated me in the whole affair was that our knee-jerk reaction to that statement made us sound almost childish. And moreover, it gave China a tacit right to meddle in South Asia. Notice that they say that they would not prefer to interfere in the Indo-Pak affairs. They might, but they won’t. Let’s see if the two kids can solve this quarrel between themselves, they see to say. Have we looked more stupid in recent times? I don’t think there was any need to go public with our “righteous indignance” here. Ignoring the statement would have given it the amount of importance it deserved. No one has the right to interference in our affairs is an understood fact. By responding to the statement like we did, we brought that fact into question. By refusing to even acknowledge it we would have given the impression that we really didn’t care what China or the US said about this stuff, as long as they didn’t try to actually act on their stupid ideas. If ever China offered to mediate we could counter that offer by offering to mediate between China and the Dalai Lama. By ignoring the statement we would have said to the world, “We don’t recognize anyone’s right to meddle in our affairs”, by responding to it as we have, we say “We know China has the right to interfere but we won’t allow it to.” Which sounds better?
But what irritated me in the whole affair was that our knee-jerk reaction to that statement made us sound almost childish. And moreover, it gave China a tacit right to meddle in South Asia. Notice that they say that they would not prefer to interfere in the Indo-Pak affairs. They might, but they won’t. Let’s see if the two kids can solve this quarrel between themselves, they see to say. Have we looked more stupid in recent times? I don’t think there was any need to go public with our “righteous indignance” here. Ignoring the statement would have given it the amount of importance it deserved. No one has the right to interference in our affairs is an understood fact. By responding to the statement like we did, we brought that fact into question. By refusing to even acknowledge it we would have given the impression that we really didn’t care what China or the US said about this stuff, as long as they didn’t try to actually act on their stupid ideas. If ever China offered to mediate we could counter that offer by offering to mediate between China and the Dalai Lama. By ignoring the statement we would have said to the world, “We don’t recognize anyone’s right to meddle in our affairs”, by responding to it as we have, we say “We know China has the right to interfere but we won’t allow it to.” Which sounds better?
BJP- bad or a necessary evil?
Watched a debate on the future of the BJP yesterday. They were discussing if whether the RSS was interfering with the day-to-day working of the BJP and if it was right or appropriate. It got me thinking as to what the future held in store for the BJP. Never been a fan, never will either. But as I see it today I feel it is imploding and that’s not a good sight for Indian polity. I’ve always held Advani as a rank opportunist despite all his claims of integrity and principles, but his leaving the BJP and retiring sounds to me a death knell for the party at a national level. Once he’s gone who else is there with a pan-Indian presence and appeal? All the other ‘netas’ demand no popular following. They’re not even leaders in the proper sense of the word either. They’re the back-room wheelers and dealers. None of them is fit to become the face of the BJP like Advani is today. After he goes, the BJP will be left with second rung politicians with no charisma, hold, or personality.
Now the fall of a party that I love to hate should make me happy, but it unfortunately doesn’t. My choice in politics, in fact, every thinking man’s choice in Indian politics is not between right and wrong, but in what I, or any man, would perceive as the bigger or lesser evil. I have always felt that the INC with all its faults, and they are legion, is the less evil alternative to the sabre-rattling unltra-nationalist jingoism that characterizes the BJP. Hindutva, China and so on, they’ve made a lot of noise though when faced with an actual problem they pretty much bent over. But that’s besides the point. No matter what, at least the BJP was a national level party and a counterpoint to the INC. And that’s what I think will be sorely missed if the BJP does dissolve into petty squabbles and little fiefdoms.
Without a major party at the national level to present a serious challenge to the INC, a sense of complacency will set in and the Congress fall victim to an inertia which will most likely harm India in the long run. In such a scenario the only possible way for the INC to lose would be for them to cede majority in a large number of states, simultaneously, to various local political parties, such as the Akalis in Punjab, the SP or the BSP in UP, the AIADMK or the DMK in Tamil Nadu and so on. And what kind of national government could such a motley crew of diverse people give us? The result’s almost too sorry to imagine.
Now the fall of a party that I love to hate should make me happy, but it unfortunately doesn’t. My choice in politics, in fact, every thinking man’s choice in Indian politics is not between right and wrong, but in what I, or any man, would perceive as the bigger or lesser evil. I have always felt that the INC with all its faults, and they are legion, is the less evil alternative to the sabre-rattling unltra-nationalist jingoism that characterizes the BJP. Hindutva, China and so on, they’ve made a lot of noise though when faced with an actual problem they pretty much bent over. But that’s besides the point. No matter what, at least the BJP was a national level party and a counterpoint to the INC. And that’s what I think will be sorely missed if the BJP does dissolve into petty squabbles and little fiefdoms.
Without a major party at the national level to present a serious challenge to the INC, a sense of complacency will set in and the Congress fall victim to an inertia which will most likely harm India in the long run. In such a scenario the only possible way for the INC to lose would be for them to cede majority in a large number of states, simultaneously, to various local political parties, such as the Akalis in Punjab, the SP or the BSP in UP, the AIADMK or the DMK in Tamil Nadu and so on. And what kind of national government could such a motley crew of diverse people give us? The result’s almost too sorry to imagine.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Disappointments
Sometimes I find myself unable to connect with anyone even on the most basic level. People I expect to be able to understand me and my moods suddenly seem so clueless, it’s as if they never had even the remotest idea in the first place. I don’t make it easy for anybody, I know that, but still not this level of disconnect! I swear there are times I want to leave it all and retreat even further into myself. Anything to avoid this disappointment and rage that rises in me. Nothing, no one is worth the aggravation. I’m not either I guess. However, that’s ok. The total absence of expectations should be better than this repetitive routine of dashed hopes and failed efforts at relationships that I expect too much of and get way too little from. This all too familiar taste of bile rising up my throat is one I cloy of. People I think were close to me have proven me wrong time and again and so I’ve reduced my expectations of them time after time till that level is near zero. I wish it was not how these things ended, but I honestly don’t see any other way.
Friday, October 30, 2009
In 40 hours I should be flying out of Madurai airspace, leaving behind a city that has given me few memories to cherish. Never has any place given me the feeling that I would be better the farther I was from it. Thrice have I come here in the last 4 years and each and every time I have been gladdest when I saw the back of it. Hopefully this would be the last instance.
They say that every city has its own character. Madurai is old, insular, inward looking and static. While the rest of the world around it steps up its pace everyday, Madurai stands still. It cannot, it will not open its eyes and see the profound, drastic changes happening around it. Almost medieval in many ways. Take an overnight journey by train to Chennai and you awake in a whole new world. Yes, Madurai still belongs to a previous century.
When the past weighs heavy on you, forward motion is well nigh impossible. I guess there a number of such cities across the length and breadth of India. We are a nation that is a celebration of a living past. Only, in place like Chandigarh and Delhi that past has become an item of pop culture, a snack to be had once in a while, like a Filet-o-fish at a Big Mac. But in places like Madurai, it is very much a solid presence; the past overhangs us like an atmosphere of its own an dpervades into every nook and cranny of this ancient city.
I an not built for such a way of life. Much as I revel in the days gone by, in the aeons elapsed, I still want to live in tomorrow. I want to be in a city that looks forward, an atmosphere full of the promise of the future.
Rohtak was mush the same when I went there in '94. But over the course of the following decade I saw it roused out of its slumber and forced to stir. It was jsut sich a sleepy old town as I find myself in now, and has begun to change perceptibly. Vague factors came together in Rohtak's case to determine its course; nearness to Delhi, an abundance of youth, a sudden inflow of wealth, a local boy as CM. With none of these factors seen here, I wonder what might make Madurai metamorphose?
They say that every city has its own character. Madurai is old, insular, inward looking and static. While the rest of the world around it steps up its pace everyday, Madurai stands still. It cannot, it will not open its eyes and see the profound, drastic changes happening around it. Almost medieval in many ways. Take an overnight journey by train to Chennai and you awake in a whole new world. Yes, Madurai still belongs to a previous century.
When the past weighs heavy on you, forward motion is well nigh impossible. I guess there a number of such cities across the length and breadth of India. We are a nation that is a celebration of a living past. Only, in place like Chandigarh and Delhi that past has become an item of pop culture, a snack to be had once in a while, like a Filet-o-fish at a Big Mac. But in places like Madurai, it is very much a solid presence; the past overhangs us like an atmosphere of its own an dpervades into every nook and cranny of this ancient city.
I an not built for such a way of life. Much as I revel in the days gone by, in the aeons elapsed, I still want to live in tomorrow. I want to be in a city that looks forward, an atmosphere full of the promise of the future.
Rohtak was mush the same when I went there in '94. But over the course of the following decade I saw it roused out of its slumber and forced to stir. It was jsut sich a sleepy old town as I find myself in now, and has begun to change perceptibly. Vague factors came together in Rohtak's case to determine its course; nearness to Delhi, an abundance of youth, a sudden inflow of wealth, a local boy as CM. With none of these factors seen here, I wonder what might make Madurai metamorphose?
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
On being nomadic again
Sitting at the airport, starting out on a trip I wish to God I didn’t have to make. One whole month cut off from all I love and care for. One whole month away from all things familiar and comfortable. One whole month in a strange city I fear will be unfriendly and distant. A city moreover, that unfortunately holds very bad associations for me. The site of the 3 most depressing days I’ve ever spent. If there was anyway in the world that I could avoid going I would’ve rushed back home in a hurry.
Is this what age and time does to us? The longer I stay at home, settled and fixed, the harder it is for me to accept the idea of being a peripatetic, again. Half my life I wasn’t a settled creature. Rohtak, Delhi, Chandigarh, back to Rohtak. A small circle for sure, but still it kept me from being too attached to one place. Of course Chd. was an exception but that was more out of nostalgia than anything else. Now after having spent 4 married years in Chd., setting up a house, a home, building a place for my own in this world in a sense, to have to uproot myself and go all the way across the country is hard. My Sunday mornings sprawled on the carpet sipping coffee soaking in the papers, my Saturday evenings with Scotch and serials, the incessant chatter and warm laugh of Seema, the hugs, the kisses, the smiles……. What a whole lot I’m leaving behind! Of course not for ever, but standing at the start of the journey, it certainly seems so.
I guess I’ve always been a homebody. Always felt better coming back home than going away. Travel has always meant a short break to unwind, but I wouldn’t feel bad if I had to do the same without setting foot outside my door either. I always surrounded myself with enough to occupy my mind and that was all that mattered.
I realize that this is a necessary trip I’m making and this one month will go a long way to improve my professional skills. A big sacrifice, but an unavoidable one too. And now that I look at it another way, maybe it isn’t bad to get out a bit too. Maybe I am getting too lazy and this might stir me up a bit. If it have been some other place, any other city…..
Is this what age and time does to us? The longer I stay at home, settled and fixed, the harder it is for me to accept the idea of being a peripatetic, again. Half my life I wasn’t a settled creature. Rohtak, Delhi, Chandigarh, back to Rohtak. A small circle for sure, but still it kept me from being too attached to one place. Of course Chd. was an exception but that was more out of nostalgia than anything else. Now after having spent 4 married years in Chd., setting up a house, a home, building a place for my own in this world in a sense, to have to uproot myself and go all the way across the country is hard. My Sunday mornings sprawled on the carpet sipping coffee soaking in the papers, my Saturday evenings with Scotch and serials, the incessant chatter and warm laugh of Seema, the hugs, the kisses, the smiles……. What a whole lot I’m leaving behind! Of course not for ever, but standing at the start of the journey, it certainly seems so.
I guess I’ve always been a homebody. Always felt better coming back home than going away. Travel has always meant a short break to unwind, but I wouldn’t feel bad if I had to do the same without setting foot outside my door either. I always surrounded myself with enough to occupy my mind and that was all that mattered.
I realize that this is a necessary trip I’m making and this one month will go a long way to improve my professional skills. A big sacrifice, but an unavoidable one too. And now that I look at it another way, maybe it isn’t bad to get out a bit too. Maybe I am getting too lazy and this might stir me up a bit. If it have been some other place, any other city…..
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Finished watching “The Reader” the other day. Had to watch it, what with the reviews Kate had got for it. Came back with mixed feelings. It starts with an older Kate, in her 30s, having a secret affair with a teenage boy almost half her age in post-War Germany. Passionate and intense, it almost consumes the young boy. Kate enjoys the boy reading to her before they make love. He reads her a number of stories, ranging from Iliad to Huckleberry Finn. But hot and demanding as it is, the affair ends when Kate suddenly disappears without an explanation. Maybe she feels that the boy is developing affections for someone else, maybe she feels that it is getting too intense and can destroy him or maybe just that her secrets and her past will ultimately come out and destroy her, maybe by her affair or her promotion.
The kid grows up and becomes a law student. One day when taken to court by their teacher to observe a trial of some Nazi prison guards, he is shocked to see Kate as one of the defendants. She is accused of being a prison guard at a concentration camp and with 4 other female guards, of letting over 300 Jewish females and children burn to death. While the other females deny the charges, Kate accepts them in an almost stoic fashion. She admits to choosing prisoners to be sent to Auschwitz and even standing by while so many people burned to death when, during the Death Marches, they were locked in a church while they were being bombed by the Allies. Her admission of guilt shows her simplicity, and, to me, maybe an inability to understand the enormity of her actions in their entirety. The other females then gang up and accuse Kate of being their leader and of putting the whole incident on report. This is the first time that Kate is flustered and denies the charge. But on being pressed and asked for a handwriting sample, she changes her statement and admits to being the leader too. The boy realizes suddenly why Kate is admitting to guilt that was not hers. She is illiterate. Now he realizes why she wanted him to read to her and why she let him order food at the restaurant. He is caught in a dilemma about whether to come out with this knowledge and inform the court of this so as to reduce her sentence or let it remain secret because she wants to keep it so.
He finds himself unable to deal with this and remains quiet. Kate is sentenced to life. During this period the boy, now grown up, starts sending Kate audio tapes he records himself of various stories and books. Regularly, he sends her tapes of one book after another, and in her desire to communicate with him, Kate picks out the same books from the prison library and slowly and painstakingly, learns to write. Small notes she begins with, a request for more romances or a comment on a character…but Fiennes (the grown up kid) doesn’t answer to any. Even when she pleads him to write a line. Finally in her old age, Kate is about to get released. The prison contacts Fiennes as he is the only contact they have for her. He reluctantly agrees to it. On meeting her, his old feelings about Nazis come out and he asks her if she’s learnt anything after staying in prison all this while. She replies that all she’s learnt is how to write. But seeing the expression on Fiennes face, she grows quiet. She goes into her cell and hangs herself. Fiennes is shocked and heartbroken. Kate leaves behind all her money to the daughter of the only survivor from the church fire, who had recognized all of them at the trial. Fiennes meets her in the US and give her the money that Kate had kept in an old tea tin. While unable and unwilling to forget Kate for her actions, the woman keeps the tea tin as a memento of a similar one that she had had as a kid. They decide to open an education trust with the money. In the end they both, German and Jew come away from it with a little bit of solace, a little balm on wounds that refuse to heal…
Kate’s done an incredible job as always. Found it a little hard to understand Kate’s motivation for becoming a Nazi or for her actions as one. The secret she tries to hide all her life and the shame it engenders in her I can understand. Her interest in books and what they hold is also understandable. A simple person in a situation much too big and complex for her is what seems plausible to me. She was no hero, just an ordinary person suddenly caught up in events that were too much for her to comprehend. The higher ideals that castigate Nazi ideas were alien to her. Sometimes I wonder if she even understood what was happening. When asked why she didn’t let the hapless women and children out of the church, she simply responds that she couldn’t let the prisoners out like that. Hard to understand but that’s how most people respond to such situations. Inflicting pain and torture is easier if you’re able to perhaps, convince yourself that you are not directly responsible for it. Maybe something like that happened with her. I don’t know. Like that student who asks why the older generation said nothing when the Final Solution was happening or why they didn’t hang themselves in shame when they found out later. Bold words indeed, but how do we as common people react when we hear of such incidents in our own countries, or perpetrated by our own police/armies? Much the same way, I’m afraid to say. Like those Indian soldiers who shot at innocent people at Jalianwala Bagh. I’ve tried hard to understand her motivation, you see! I guess, looking back at this reasoning, one that I’ve come up with as I was typing this out, I don’t think mixed feelings was an accurate description of what I feel about the movie. She was a simple person, dealing with situations way out of her league, and in her death finding some expiation, maybe?
The kid grows up and becomes a law student. One day when taken to court by their teacher to observe a trial of some Nazi prison guards, he is shocked to see Kate as one of the defendants. She is accused of being a prison guard at a concentration camp and with 4 other female guards, of letting over 300 Jewish females and children burn to death. While the other females deny the charges, Kate accepts them in an almost stoic fashion. She admits to choosing prisoners to be sent to Auschwitz and even standing by while so many people burned to death when, during the Death Marches, they were locked in a church while they were being bombed by the Allies. Her admission of guilt shows her simplicity, and, to me, maybe an inability to understand the enormity of her actions in their entirety. The other females then gang up and accuse Kate of being their leader and of putting the whole incident on report. This is the first time that Kate is flustered and denies the charge. But on being pressed and asked for a handwriting sample, she changes her statement and admits to being the leader too. The boy realizes suddenly why Kate is admitting to guilt that was not hers. She is illiterate. Now he realizes why she wanted him to read to her and why she let him order food at the restaurant. He is caught in a dilemma about whether to come out with this knowledge and inform the court of this so as to reduce her sentence or let it remain secret because she wants to keep it so.
He finds himself unable to deal with this and remains quiet. Kate is sentenced to life. During this period the boy, now grown up, starts sending Kate audio tapes he records himself of various stories and books. Regularly, he sends her tapes of one book after another, and in her desire to communicate with him, Kate picks out the same books from the prison library and slowly and painstakingly, learns to write. Small notes she begins with, a request for more romances or a comment on a character…but Fiennes (the grown up kid) doesn’t answer to any. Even when she pleads him to write a line. Finally in her old age, Kate is about to get released. The prison contacts Fiennes as he is the only contact they have for her. He reluctantly agrees to it. On meeting her, his old feelings about Nazis come out and he asks her if she’s learnt anything after staying in prison all this while. She replies that all she’s learnt is how to write. But seeing the expression on Fiennes face, she grows quiet. She goes into her cell and hangs herself. Fiennes is shocked and heartbroken. Kate leaves behind all her money to the daughter of the only survivor from the church fire, who had recognized all of them at the trial. Fiennes meets her in the US and give her the money that Kate had kept in an old tea tin. While unable and unwilling to forget Kate for her actions, the woman keeps the tea tin as a memento of a similar one that she had had as a kid. They decide to open an education trust with the money. In the end they both, German and Jew come away from it with a little bit of solace, a little balm on wounds that refuse to heal…
Kate’s done an incredible job as always. Found it a little hard to understand Kate’s motivation for becoming a Nazi or for her actions as one. The secret she tries to hide all her life and the shame it engenders in her I can understand. Her interest in books and what they hold is also understandable. A simple person in a situation much too big and complex for her is what seems plausible to me. She was no hero, just an ordinary person suddenly caught up in events that were too much for her to comprehend. The higher ideals that castigate Nazi ideas were alien to her. Sometimes I wonder if she even understood what was happening. When asked why she didn’t let the hapless women and children out of the church, she simply responds that she couldn’t let the prisoners out like that. Hard to understand but that’s how most people respond to such situations. Inflicting pain and torture is easier if you’re able to perhaps, convince yourself that you are not directly responsible for it. Maybe something like that happened with her. I don’t know. Like that student who asks why the older generation said nothing when the Final Solution was happening or why they didn’t hang themselves in shame when they found out later. Bold words indeed, but how do we as common people react when we hear of such incidents in our own countries, or perpetrated by our own police/armies? Much the same way, I’m afraid to say. Like those Indian soldiers who shot at innocent people at Jalianwala Bagh. I’ve tried hard to understand her motivation, you see! I guess, looking back at this reasoning, one that I’ve come up with as I was typing this out, I don’t think mixed feelings was an accurate description of what I feel about the movie. She was a simple person, dealing with situations way out of her league, and in her death finding some expiation, maybe?
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Dr. Kalam
Does American hubris know no bounds? Do they think no one else in the world matters at all? That if you’re not American, you’re lower than dust? The staff of the Continental airlines had the audacity to frisk Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam at the airport. One of the most respected scientists of our age and what’s more our past President! How dare they? Do they think he’s some terrorist or what? And when this matter came to light, they had the temerity to call it “routine procedure”, saying they had no special treatment for VIPs. I bet they would never pull this off on Bill Clinton! Try frisking Bush! A lot of expletives come to mind. Those smug b******s think they’re above it all. “routine procedure” my ass! Just shows how utterly lacking they are in basic decency. He’s a former Head of State for God’s sake! How the f*** can they do that?
The matter came up in parliament and an FIR has also been lodged. There were calls for cancelling the airlines license to operate in India. Normally I never see eye to eye with our ‘respected’ parliamentarians, but on this issue, even though the proposal seems a bit extreme, I support it wholeheartedly. It’s time the world came to realise that we are no longer pushovers. An extreme measure like what Dalmia did during the Tendulkar controversy in SA (the first time India flexed its financial muscle at the ICC) becomes, at times, necessary to make a point clear. Since that episode, the BCCI has got its due respect in world cricket, no matter how sad some of the old Brit and Aussie administrators and players feel about it; they didn’t feel quite so bad when they ruled the roost!
Something similar ought to be done in this situation too. Remember how shabbily Air France treated Indian passengers a couple of months ago? I’m sure some action against Continental will make international airlines sit up and take notice. Just idle talk of a ban has got the Continental people singing a different tune. Suddenly it is no longer “routine procedure” but a regrettable incident that they apologise for, though Dr. Kalam hasn’t yet received any apology.
Some papers are making the point that Dr. Kalam has not made a hue and cry about it, nor has he publicly objected to it and it’s only our politicians who’re feeling outraged. I say that even if Dr. Kalam, the gentleman that he is prefers to stay silent or doesn’t take umbrage at the incident, we as Indians should. It is not only a matter of frisking an individual; it’s an insult to our polity and our country. It reeks of double standards and sheer disdain on the part of the Continental airlines. We cannot as a nation let this matter lie. We are not second class citizens in this world, and indeed, no one should be considered so. Unfortunately this is a message that does not enter white skulls as easily and has to be oftentimes hammered home. Although I don’t hold out much hope of a proper sustained response in this from our politicians, I hope this is one time that I am mistaken.
The matter came up in parliament and an FIR has also been lodged. There were calls for cancelling the airlines license to operate in India. Normally I never see eye to eye with our ‘respected’ parliamentarians, but on this issue, even though the proposal seems a bit extreme, I support it wholeheartedly. It’s time the world came to realise that we are no longer pushovers. An extreme measure like what Dalmia did during the Tendulkar controversy in SA (the first time India flexed its financial muscle at the ICC) becomes, at times, necessary to make a point clear. Since that episode, the BCCI has got its due respect in world cricket, no matter how sad some of the old Brit and Aussie administrators and players feel about it; they didn’t feel quite so bad when they ruled the roost!
Something similar ought to be done in this situation too. Remember how shabbily Air France treated Indian passengers a couple of months ago? I’m sure some action against Continental will make international airlines sit up and take notice. Just idle talk of a ban has got the Continental people singing a different tune. Suddenly it is no longer “routine procedure” but a regrettable incident that they apologise for, though Dr. Kalam hasn’t yet received any apology.
Some papers are making the point that Dr. Kalam has not made a hue and cry about it, nor has he publicly objected to it and it’s only our politicians who’re feeling outraged. I say that even if Dr. Kalam, the gentleman that he is prefers to stay silent or doesn’t take umbrage at the incident, we as Indians should. It is not only a matter of frisking an individual; it’s an insult to our polity and our country. It reeks of double standards and sheer disdain on the part of the Continental airlines. We cannot as a nation let this matter lie. We are not second class citizens in this world, and indeed, no one should be considered so. Unfortunately this is a message that does not enter white skulls as easily and has to be oftentimes hammered home. Although I don’t hold out much hope of a proper sustained response in this from our politicians, I hope this is one time that I am mistaken.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Face the truth!
Quite a bit of noise being generated by this new show, “Sach ka saamna” on Star or some such. Granted that most of it is planned advertisement in the form of news and panel discussions and I don’t usually pay much heed to it, but I accidentally got to hear a debate on some news channel (Headlines Today I think) about the show. There was the anchorman, who’s also the producer or something, a muslim advocate and a sociologist. Mostly nonsense but what got me going was that they were actually debating how the show was going to affect our society! There was actually some talk of Indian civilization being damaged, about how families could break up, about how bad an example it would set our future generation about how it was immoral, amoral, cutting edge, and sundry other adjectives the choice predicated by which side of the debate the speaker was.
I listened in wonder and disbelief. Our civilization doomed because Kambli admits to feeling let down by Sachin? A bad example of a two bit TV actor admitting to stealing bed sheets? Some random female from Bombay “caught” lying that she wouldn’t have an affair? I wouldn’t have bothered but this was on one of the main “news” channels. People tune in to it and form their opinions based on what they hear. This is what they see portrayed as serious debate. The anchor of the show was defending it and calling it a cathartic experience for many and that it would make people face the truth and feel better about themselves and that it was so life-affirming and their aim was to promote a frank discussion in society about hidden truths or something. What a load of crock!
Let’s get some facts clear. “Lie detectors” are at best iffy at what they purport to do. A show on “truth” based on it has about as much truth in it as any public CIA document on what they did during the Cold War. It’s a nonsensical premise and should be scoffed at. But that’s another gripe altogether.
My issue is with the so called social relevance of the show and its impact on the same. And I find fault with both sides of the debate. The idea that it can tear the fabric of society is as laughable as the claim that the show is about life affirmation. Much more than any TV show, you are influenced by your family and the circle of people that surrounds you. Kids from broken homes have a greater chance of being emotionally tangled than those from close families, even if the latter spent their entire childhood seeing divorce court or “the War of the Roses”. The simple fact is that TV does not influence us as much as sociologists like to think. If it did, Pulse Polio would have been a great success because Amitabh (arguably still the biggest icon in UP, a state with one of the worst Polio records) was plugging for it. We’ve been showing happy, simpering families for ages and that doesn’t seem to increase the general happiness quotient in the nation. TV is entertainment and beyond a few fashion pointers (what bindi pattern did Akshara wear for her wedding?), I doubt we take much away from our serials and programs. Not that the said programs are fit for any better!
As to the positive intentions of the producers, puh-lease! Give us more credit than that! You are after money and that’s that. It’s all about grabbing eyeballs, and you saw a show on Star World asking “lewd” questions in the garb of serious television and you saw an opportunity. How else could you get away, on Indian TV, with asking people about adultery, incest, streaking and the like? And why else would the sexual shenanigans of everyone from insignificant young housewives to elderly actors form such a major part of your show, or at the very least of your entire promotional campaign? It’s money that you’re after and money you’re raking in, hand over fist I’m sure. You’re providing the audience a chance to peer into the private lives of individuals and they’re lapping it up as you knew they would. Vicarious living is the mantra for reality TV and you go farther than ever before. Well, kudos to you for Xeroxing a strong money making scheme from the west. I don’t admire the producers for being copycats, after all many more clones are spouting and have sprung forth in the past too, but I don’t grudge them a few million rupees that they make by appeasing the baser instincts either. What I do take issue with is the attempt they make at passing this off as serious television. Go make your money every which way you like, but do not attempt to insult our intelligence!
I listened in wonder and disbelief. Our civilization doomed because Kambli admits to feeling let down by Sachin? A bad example of a two bit TV actor admitting to stealing bed sheets? Some random female from Bombay “caught” lying that she wouldn’t have an affair? I wouldn’t have bothered but this was on one of the main “news” channels. People tune in to it and form their opinions based on what they hear. This is what they see portrayed as serious debate. The anchor of the show was defending it and calling it a cathartic experience for many and that it would make people face the truth and feel better about themselves and that it was so life-affirming and their aim was to promote a frank discussion in society about hidden truths or something. What a load of crock!
Let’s get some facts clear. “Lie detectors” are at best iffy at what they purport to do. A show on “truth” based on it has about as much truth in it as any public CIA document on what they did during the Cold War. It’s a nonsensical premise and should be scoffed at. But that’s another gripe altogether.
My issue is with the so called social relevance of the show and its impact on the same. And I find fault with both sides of the debate. The idea that it can tear the fabric of society is as laughable as the claim that the show is about life affirmation. Much more than any TV show, you are influenced by your family and the circle of people that surrounds you. Kids from broken homes have a greater chance of being emotionally tangled than those from close families, even if the latter spent their entire childhood seeing divorce court or “the War of the Roses”. The simple fact is that TV does not influence us as much as sociologists like to think. If it did, Pulse Polio would have been a great success because Amitabh (arguably still the biggest icon in UP, a state with one of the worst Polio records) was plugging for it. We’ve been showing happy, simpering families for ages and that doesn’t seem to increase the general happiness quotient in the nation. TV is entertainment and beyond a few fashion pointers (what bindi pattern did Akshara wear for her wedding?), I doubt we take much away from our serials and programs. Not that the said programs are fit for any better!
As to the positive intentions of the producers, puh-lease! Give us more credit than that! You are after money and that’s that. It’s all about grabbing eyeballs, and you saw a show on Star World asking “lewd” questions in the garb of serious television and you saw an opportunity. How else could you get away, on Indian TV, with asking people about adultery, incest, streaking and the like? And why else would the sexual shenanigans of everyone from insignificant young housewives to elderly actors form such a major part of your show, or at the very least of your entire promotional campaign? It’s money that you’re after and money you’re raking in, hand over fist I’m sure. You’re providing the audience a chance to peer into the private lives of individuals and they’re lapping it up as you knew they would. Vicarious living is the mantra for reality TV and you go farther than ever before. Well, kudos to you for Xeroxing a strong money making scheme from the west. I don’t admire the producers for being copycats, after all many more clones are spouting and have sprung forth in the past too, but I don’t grudge them a few million rupees that they make by appeasing the baser instincts either. What I do take issue with is the attempt they make at passing this off as serious television. Go make your money every which way you like, but do not attempt to insult our intelligence!
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
I finished “Revolutionary Road” last afternoon. I do recommend you watch it if you can get your hands on it. Not going very often to the theatres I’m not sure if it released in India or not. Maybe you can’t find it in DVD stores too, who knows?
Back to the movie, it’s another deconstruction of middle-income suburban America. It’s set in the 50s and shows how Leo and Kate’s marriage falls apart under the strain of unfulfilled dreams and impossible aspirations. How seemingly normal lives are full of angst and repressed rage just beneath the surface. It’s a nice attempt to look at failing marriages and lost ambitions, but I do feel it is an incomplete attempt. It does not dive into the depths of the conflict and the tensions but just skims the surface. We see the ultimately tragic results of all this turmoil and are even able to maybe predict them, but the reasons behind the unfolding of the same are not elucidated in so many words. You do see plenty of hints and the discerning viewer can piece it together though. Both the leads have put in a wonderful effort. It was perhaps fitting that this should be Kate and Leo’s second film after “Titanic”. How the dreams of youth unfold in to the drabness and banality of adult life and how difficult it is for some to adapt and give up on their desires is an ironic sequel to that tale of love transcending time. This film brings Rose deWitt Buttaker back to earth and she falls apart. And unlike “The War of the Roses” of the 80s and “American Beauty”, Kate ultimately lashes back at herself and inflicts perhaps a harder blow on Leo than what Douglas or Spacey had to undergo. Kate as always puts in a superlative performance as the depressed wife, seeing her dreams and fantasies fading away before her own eyes and unable to cope with the loss, with the idea that “they are someone special”, trying desperately to break free from the confines of the dull middle class life she finds herself in, chasing every rainbow no matter how faint and fleeting it be. How the brashness of youth fades in the face of the grim realities of life! And how utterly unable she is to accept such failure. Leonardo is very good as the frustrated confused husband oblivious of what goes on in his wife’s head, caught in a dead end job, afraid to chart a new course for himself for fear of failure. He sees his dreams fading too, but he resigns himself to the non-significance of his life, at least superficially for under the skin the failures still rankle.
Unfortunately the film suffers from one flaw. There is no prelude. We meet the Wheelers when their marriage is already falling apart. We only get glimpses of what they were before and nothing of how they end up this way. Maybe it was a deliberate attempt on the part of the director to make us each form his own conclusions, I don’t know. But it seems as if you’re watching Act II of the play. Apart from that, it’s a nicely made film and worth watching.
Back to the movie, it’s another deconstruction of middle-income suburban America. It’s set in the 50s and shows how Leo and Kate’s marriage falls apart under the strain of unfulfilled dreams and impossible aspirations. How seemingly normal lives are full of angst and repressed rage just beneath the surface. It’s a nice attempt to look at failing marriages and lost ambitions, but I do feel it is an incomplete attempt. It does not dive into the depths of the conflict and the tensions but just skims the surface. We see the ultimately tragic results of all this turmoil and are even able to maybe predict them, but the reasons behind the unfolding of the same are not elucidated in so many words. You do see plenty of hints and the discerning viewer can piece it together though. Both the leads have put in a wonderful effort. It was perhaps fitting that this should be Kate and Leo’s second film after “Titanic”. How the dreams of youth unfold in to the drabness and banality of adult life and how difficult it is for some to adapt and give up on their desires is an ironic sequel to that tale of love transcending time. This film brings Rose deWitt Buttaker back to earth and she falls apart. And unlike “The War of the Roses” of the 80s and “American Beauty”, Kate ultimately lashes back at herself and inflicts perhaps a harder blow on Leo than what Douglas or Spacey had to undergo. Kate as always puts in a superlative performance as the depressed wife, seeing her dreams and fantasies fading away before her own eyes and unable to cope with the loss, with the idea that “they are someone special”, trying desperately to break free from the confines of the dull middle class life she finds herself in, chasing every rainbow no matter how faint and fleeting it be. How the brashness of youth fades in the face of the grim realities of life! And how utterly unable she is to accept such failure. Leonardo is very good as the frustrated confused husband oblivious of what goes on in his wife’s head, caught in a dead end job, afraid to chart a new course for himself for fear of failure. He sees his dreams fading too, but he resigns himself to the non-significance of his life, at least superficially for under the skin the failures still rankle.
Unfortunately the film suffers from one flaw. There is no prelude. We meet the Wheelers when their marriage is already falling apart. We only get glimpses of what they were before and nothing of how they end up this way. Maybe it was a deliberate attempt on the part of the director to make us each form his own conclusions, I don’t know. But it seems as if you’re watching Act II of the play. Apart from that, it’s a nicely made film and worth watching.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Connections?
Twittering furiously for over a fortnight even though I don’t have a single close friend or family member on it. Who do I write for, I wonder? And why indeed do I put in the effort? FB and Orkut are sites where I have FnF available so I do communicate. But twitter is…..what? Maybe it’s just an attempt to reach out and touch someone. Reams have been written about how insulated we have become in our modern lives, how out of touch we are with a social network to support us and nourish us. Even someone with tastes as Bohemian as mine feels the occasional need (loathe though I am to admit it) to socialize. But with the absence of time, opportunity and energy, we often find ourselves retreating into a cocoon, more and more cut off from the world around us. And it is this emptiness that ‘social networking’ sites tend to fill. Too busy with work, so SN sites offer the convenience of logging in whenever we have the time, regardless of whether the people we want to interact with are there at the same time. No opportunity to socialize outside the workplace, so SN sites offer the choice of adding ‘friends of friends’ or even complete strangers who we might share a common interest with. No energy to go out and meet people, so SN sites give us our entire social circle in our laps, so to speak.
But even these lines of communication are undergoing a change. Time is a quantity that seems to be in shorter and shorter supply. From 3-4 page letters to one page e-mail to 10 word scraps. From lengthy diary entries to blogs to a 160 letter limit twitter. How much shorter will it get, I wonder? Will grunts soon replace scraps? An ‘ugh’ or an ‘argh’ in place of ‘lolz’, ‘wtf!” maybe? But no matter what happens and how busy we become and how little the time we get to spend in company, we will not cease from it. In one way or another, humanity will continue to communicate and interact and exchange ideas and information or just plain gossip. Old timers bemoan the loss of the hand-written letter which was a source of memories that was kept safe for generations. In the age of e-mail, they say, what will become of such social moorings. Then the other day someone told me she had kept a copy of all mail sent to her by her close friends, e-mail sent over the last 10 years or so and I thought, “Maybe it’s not all so bleak”. Our search for anchors and some constants in an ever faster changing world is strong and one of the strongest roots we tend to grow is our network of friends and family. One way or another, we will strive to keep our roots alive, even if in place of perfumed letters bound in ribbons, we hand over to our descendants a pen drive full with our precious e-mails and e-cards!
But even these lines of communication are undergoing a change. Time is a quantity that seems to be in shorter and shorter supply. From 3-4 page letters to one page e-mail to 10 word scraps. From lengthy diary entries to blogs to a 160 letter limit twitter. How much shorter will it get, I wonder? Will grunts soon replace scraps? An ‘ugh’ or an ‘argh’ in place of ‘lolz’, ‘wtf!” maybe? But no matter what happens and how busy we become and how little the time we get to spend in company, we will not cease from it. In one way or another, humanity will continue to communicate and interact and exchange ideas and information or just plain gossip. Old timers bemoan the loss of the hand-written letter which was a source of memories that was kept safe for generations. In the age of e-mail, they say, what will become of such social moorings. Then the other day someone told me she had kept a copy of all mail sent to her by her close friends, e-mail sent over the last 10 years or so and I thought, “Maybe it’s not all so bleak”. Our search for anchors and some constants in an ever faster changing world is strong and one of the strongest roots we tend to grow is our network of friends and family. One way or another, we will strive to keep our roots alive, even if in place of perfumed letters bound in ribbons, we hand over to our descendants a pen drive full with our precious e-mails and e-cards!
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Saw the movie “New York” last evening. Ages since I last entered a theatre. Seema seems to remember it was in December last year. There was a time when going to the cinema was a magical experience for me. The smell of popcorn, the dark mysterious theatre, the images coming to life on a grand scale, the thundering voices you listened to as you sat cocooned in your own private dark space…..
Now it’s much more mundane. I’d probably enjoy a movie watching it alone in my home than in a public place with hundreds of other people, sneezing, coughing, talking, laughing, whispering, using the cell phone, trying to silence their mewling, puking children. Why should you pay for this aggravation?
Well, all said and done, it wasn’t all bad. It was nice to get out of the house and the film was good too. Nice story, taut for the most part, good production values, and mostly coherent from start to finish. Neil Nitin Mukesh impressed me with his performance. He’s only done a few films till date, but he showed a lot of promise. Few actors can express with both their face and their voice. At least in Bollywood, it is seldom seen. He’s the central character in the film and carries it off well. He should go places, I feel. The story centres around the treatment meted out to muslims in the US post 9-11. How John is picked up on some flimsy “evidence” and tortured for 9 months. He turns to terror to get back at the FBI. Irfan, as an FBI agent, ropes in Neil by blackmailing him into reconnecting with his old friend (John) and infiltrating his terrorist sleeper cell. They were college buddies and in love with Katrina who’s married to John and with a kid now. The story builds up to a nice climax, though it leaves you feeling somewhat empty, as if something else could have happened, though not so much. Editing is top notch for the most part, and I didn’t feel that I’d been sitting there for almost 3 hours (it’s a long one). Cinematography is good too and the music ain’t bad either. Especially liked the ghazal, though I don’t remember it now. But there are a few faults too. The opening sequence could have been much tighter. It didn’t create enough tension. The scene before the intermission where Omar (Neil) shoots a guy was unnecessary long. It’s almost as if the director felt that he had to do something Indian in the movie! So it drags on for a few seconds longer than it should have. And in the end we’re not clear why Neil gets custody of John’s son. Why not either John or Katrina’s parents? But these few faults can be ignored in the face of a Bollywood movie with almost Hollywood like production qualities (finally!).
The director doesn’t let the movie slacken a bit and never loses the plot. There are no maudlin scenes, no hyper emotional drama, and no theatrics. I’ve already mentioned Neil’s talents and Irfan Khan does his job as he always does, deadpan and right on the button. Even John and Katrina surprised me. I mean, they’re not exactly mind-blowing, but they do go a notch or two above their usual work. I always thought Katrina was just a pretty face (and body), but she’s not that bad as an actress either. Of course as an NRI she was in her element, but still she exceeded my expectations. John is too stony to portray real emotions but his honesty shows through, particularly in the first part.
The film is definitely a must-watch and I would recommend it to anyone who’s looking for something beyond the mind numbing “comedies” and “dramas” B’bay churns out by the dozen.
Now it’s much more mundane. I’d probably enjoy a movie watching it alone in my home than in a public place with hundreds of other people, sneezing, coughing, talking, laughing, whispering, using the cell phone, trying to silence their mewling, puking children. Why should you pay for this aggravation?
Well, all said and done, it wasn’t all bad. It was nice to get out of the house and the film was good too. Nice story, taut for the most part, good production values, and mostly coherent from start to finish. Neil Nitin Mukesh impressed me with his performance. He’s only done a few films till date, but he showed a lot of promise. Few actors can express with both their face and their voice. At least in Bollywood, it is seldom seen. He’s the central character in the film and carries it off well. He should go places, I feel. The story centres around the treatment meted out to muslims in the US post 9-11. How John is picked up on some flimsy “evidence” and tortured for 9 months. He turns to terror to get back at the FBI. Irfan, as an FBI agent, ropes in Neil by blackmailing him into reconnecting with his old friend (John) and infiltrating his terrorist sleeper cell. They were college buddies and in love with Katrina who’s married to John and with a kid now. The story builds up to a nice climax, though it leaves you feeling somewhat empty, as if something else could have happened, though not so much. Editing is top notch for the most part, and I didn’t feel that I’d been sitting there for almost 3 hours (it’s a long one). Cinematography is good too and the music ain’t bad either. Especially liked the ghazal, though I don’t remember it now. But there are a few faults too. The opening sequence could have been much tighter. It didn’t create enough tension. The scene before the intermission where Omar (Neil) shoots a guy was unnecessary long. It’s almost as if the director felt that he had to do something Indian in the movie! So it drags on for a few seconds longer than it should have. And in the end we’re not clear why Neil gets custody of John’s son. Why not either John or Katrina’s parents? But these few faults can be ignored in the face of a Bollywood movie with almost Hollywood like production qualities (finally!).
The director doesn’t let the movie slacken a bit and never loses the plot. There are no maudlin scenes, no hyper emotional drama, and no theatrics. I’ve already mentioned Neil’s talents and Irfan Khan does his job as he always does, deadpan and right on the button. Even John and Katrina surprised me. I mean, they’re not exactly mind-blowing, but they do go a notch or two above their usual work. I always thought Katrina was just a pretty face (and body), but she’s not that bad as an actress either. Of course as an NRI she was in her element, but still she exceeded my expectations. John is too stony to portray real emotions but his honesty shows through, particularly in the first part.
The film is definitely a must-watch and I would recommend it to anyone who’s looking for something beyond the mind numbing “comedies” and “dramas” B’bay churns out by the dozen.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Just to prove right what I said in my last entry, the very thing I was warning against happened in Delhi. It seems there was this police inspector posted in a New Delhi area who was coming down hard on local crime. So the wife of one such criminal thought, "why not?" and yelled "RAPE!". In no time a whole crowd gathered and attacked the police station, generally rioting and creating a public nuisance. It was soon all over the media and TV channels were cmoparing the hapless man to various rapists all over. He was transferred out fo the area immediately. Of course when the said female "victim" retracted her statement after a couple of days when it became clear to her she couldn't make the charges stick, no news channel covered that! It was no more than a footnote. That's Indian justice for you!
Friday, June 19, 2009
Shiney's trial
Shiney Ahuja has been in the news lately. For all the wrong reasons, though. Accused of rape by his maid, he’s in custody and being investigated. I don’t presume to know the facts of the case so I won’t talk about his innocence or guilt. He might have done it (people better than him have) or he might not have (his wife seems to think so). What worries me more is the draconian law under which he’ll be tried. As far as I can figure it out, the maid’s testimony can be ruled sufficient to hold him guilty of the charge. Even if no other corroborating evidence is available, the judge would be within his rights to sentence the man to jail for life (14 yrs in India). Now I may anger many feminists and “social workers”, but I find such a law extremely lopsided and completely wrong. It is a touchy topic for most and arouses shrill noises from most quarters. But imagine! All a woman has to do is to accuse you of raping her and it is on your head to prove yourself innocent. She can just yell, “Rape!” and then sit back and enjoy the show. In Shiney’s case, even if he’s proven innocent (and I really don’t care much either way), he’ll carry the stigma for life. Whatever happened to the idea of ‘letting a hundred guilty men go free rather than wrongly punishing one innocent man’?
I know rape’s a ghastly offence for most (all?) women and it’s very difficult for a female to come out and talk about such a traumatic incident, even worse when she goes to the police and court with it. Don’t know where I heard it….”you’re raped once by your rapist, you’re violated a hundred times in court”. It’s demeaning, inhuman and downright obscene the way the whole incident is played out in our courts most of the time. Thankfully the SC declared some time back that the woman’s personal character was not of significance and could not be brought into play in a rape case. There had been instances where rapists were freed on the defence argument that the female was of “loose” character. I also know how low the chances are to get a conviction in rape cases, even in the West. We are a male-dominated society and things are very, very difficult for females. Dowry violence, domestic violence, eve-teasing, frotteurs…….add rape to the mix and it’s a wonder girls walk out of the house at times. My sisters have told me how men try to fondle them in crowded buses, pass lewd comments and so on. So I can imagine how painful and traumatizing rape can be.
But even given all the difficulties in proving rape (traumatized girl with a sometimes hazy recollection, long gap between event and reporting reducing the benefit of medical examination, rarely any witness, police taking an often lewd interest in the case, lawyers out to break the victim down emotionally and so on), this law that bases conviction solely on the testimony of the female is surely not the answer. Stricter policing, better investigation techniques, greater psychological support to the victim, kinder treatment by the police and the courts would go farther in both emboldening rape victims to come forward and in procuring more convictions. If I’m not wrong, ex-girl friends have sued for rape, so have mistresses when they saw no chance of getting the guy to divorce his present wife. Such a law is as open to misuse as the previous laws were, just by the other sex. In Shiney’s case, tests show the ‘victim’ had sex, DNA might prove it was Shiney, but is that enough to prove rape beyond “reasonable doubt”? She might have slept with him and now might be reacting as a jilted lover, who knows? I know feminists might cry that if Shiney is absolved, no one will ever come out and accuse a powerful person of rape, but what I feel is more important here is to ensure that an innocent person does not get sent to prison for 7-14 years for a crime he did not commit. After all, that is what the justice system is supposed to be about, isn’t it?
I know rape’s a ghastly offence for most (all?) women and it’s very difficult for a female to come out and talk about such a traumatic incident, even worse when she goes to the police and court with it. Don’t know where I heard it….”you’re raped once by your rapist, you’re violated a hundred times in court”. It’s demeaning, inhuman and downright obscene the way the whole incident is played out in our courts most of the time. Thankfully the SC declared some time back that the woman’s personal character was not of significance and could not be brought into play in a rape case. There had been instances where rapists were freed on the defence argument that the female was of “loose” character. I also know how low the chances are to get a conviction in rape cases, even in the West. We are a male-dominated society and things are very, very difficult for females. Dowry violence, domestic violence, eve-teasing, frotteurs…….add rape to the mix and it’s a wonder girls walk out of the house at times. My sisters have told me how men try to fondle them in crowded buses, pass lewd comments and so on. So I can imagine how painful and traumatizing rape can be.
But even given all the difficulties in proving rape (traumatized girl with a sometimes hazy recollection, long gap between event and reporting reducing the benefit of medical examination, rarely any witness, police taking an often lewd interest in the case, lawyers out to break the victim down emotionally and so on), this law that bases conviction solely on the testimony of the female is surely not the answer. Stricter policing, better investigation techniques, greater psychological support to the victim, kinder treatment by the police and the courts would go farther in both emboldening rape victims to come forward and in procuring more convictions. If I’m not wrong, ex-girl friends have sued for rape, so have mistresses when they saw no chance of getting the guy to divorce his present wife. Such a law is as open to misuse as the previous laws were, just by the other sex. In Shiney’s case, tests show the ‘victim’ had sex, DNA might prove it was Shiney, but is that enough to prove rape beyond “reasonable doubt”? She might have slept with him and now might be reacting as a jilted lover, who knows? I know feminists might cry that if Shiney is absolved, no one will ever come out and accuse a powerful person of rape, but what I feel is more important here is to ensure that an innocent person does not get sent to prison for 7-14 years for a crime he did not commit. After all, that is what the justice system is supposed to be about, isn’t it?
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Came to the new domestic airport terminal in Delhi for the first time. Nice to look at from outside, all glass and metal, vast and airy etc...but just 20 odd seats for the passengers? I mean if you expect enough passenger traffic to warrant eight check-in lines, at least plan for adequate seating arrangements for them too! I had to perch atop a ventilation duct of sorts with 2-3 other guys and even though it was all marble it still wasn't good enough!
Well the waiting area after the security check was much better. A decent number of seats and good shopping area too.
In the plane now and never knew they build them so small! A pair of dwarves would have problems navigating the aisle together. The seats don't even have adjustable backs..
Flew well enough though. Vizag is a nice city. Nestled in the Ghats, quite green though humid, being a port city. Saw waves breaking on the beach from the air for the first time. It all looked so quiet and peaceful. Nothing to beat mountains though. Have enough time but don't want to see the city or the beaches. Reason 1-headache, reason 2-tired, reason 3-alone. Coming out of the airport was a nice experience...it's surrounded by low hills, probably the best located airport I've seen in my India-limited experience. Benaras was by far the worst..
Well the waiting area after the security check was much better. A decent number of seats and good shopping area too.
In the plane now and never knew they build them so small! A pair of dwarves would have problems navigating the aisle together. The seats don't even have adjustable backs..
Flew well enough though. Vizag is a nice city. Nestled in the Ghats, quite green though humid, being a port city. Saw waves breaking on the beach from the air for the first time. It all looked so quiet and peaceful. Nothing to beat mountains though. Have enough time but don't want to see the city or the beaches. Reason 1-headache, reason 2-tired, reason 3-alone. Coming out of the airport was a nice experience...it's surrounded by low hills, probably the best located airport I've seen in my India-limited experience. Benaras was by far the worst..
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Ipod
Played around with the touch screen ipod for the first time. I know it sounds so lame talking about a product that has been around for so long now, but music aficionados are a rare breed and most people feel that their meagre needs in the music department are met with by their cell-phones and their tinny speakers. So PMPs are not on the top of their wish list. This guy who’s given it to me to test it and see if it’s working properly before he buys it is also obviously buying it second-hand.
One thing I must say, having used the iphone too is that no one has yet made a better touch screen interface than Apple. It is just so smooth and sure, it’s a pleasure to use. Hardly a missed tap and little chance of wrong presses. Until you come to the keyboard typing, that is. I find typing on the virtual keyboard a hassle even with the bigger keys and proximity sensor that Apple offers. And I think I have medium large hands, so how difficult it must be for guys with real big hands! But this issue will not be resolved till they come out with that rollable screen I keep hearing about. Apart from that touch screens are a pleasure, and I’ve gotten used to the stylus on my P320 too. Once you get used to the touch screen, you’ll never want to go back to the old phones again. How often I find myself stretching to touch the screen of my laptop to press an icon!!! HP has come out with a touch screen LCD PC, but I’ll wait till Dell comes out with one, and one with good picture quality as well. No matter how much these ad guys market LCDs, they’re just not comparable to CRT in terms of image quality.
Using the touch ipod for the first time was a bewitching experience. I almost thought about buying one for myself. But within a few minutes I remembered why I hated Apple products in the first place. The tight rein they keep their consumers on, the lack of any leeway whether it comes to software or hardware, it’s almost like a dictatorship. Why should I plonk my hard earned cash to buy something and then have someone else tell me what I can and cannot do with it? No third party software, no memory expansion, only connect through itunes, can’t replace the battery yourself, no way am I going to agree to all those restrictions, no matter how enticing the product is.
One thing I must say, having used the iphone too is that no one has yet made a better touch screen interface than Apple. It is just so smooth and sure, it’s a pleasure to use. Hardly a missed tap and little chance of wrong presses. Until you come to the keyboard typing, that is. I find typing on the virtual keyboard a hassle even with the bigger keys and proximity sensor that Apple offers. And I think I have medium large hands, so how difficult it must be for guys with real big hands! But this issue will not be resolved till they come out with that rollable screen I keep hearing about. Apart from that touch screens are a pleasure, and I’ve gotten used to the stylus on my P320 too. Once you get used to the touch screen, you’ll never want to go back to the old phones again. How often I find myself stretching to touch the screen of my laptop to press an icon!!! HP has come out with a touch screen LCD PC, but I’ll wait till Dell comes out with one, and one with good picture quality as well. No matter how much these ad guys market LCDs, they’re just not comparable to CRT in terms of image quality.
Using the touch ipod for the first time was a bewitching experience. I almost thought about buying one for myself. But within a few minutes I remembered why I hated Apple products in the first place. The tight rein they keep their consumers on, the lack of any leeway whether it comes to software or hardware, it’s almost like a dictatorship. Why should I plonk my hard earned cash to buy something and then have someone else tell me what I can and cannot do with it? No third party software, no memory expansion, only connect through itunes, can’t replace the battery yourself, no way am I going to agree to all those restrictions, no matter how enticing the product is.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Why Mayawati is bad for Indian polity
I hear a lot about Mayawati and how she has an outside chance to even become the next PM. I’ve seen her consolidate her base in UP and make inroads into neighboring states like Haryana and MP. Her initial strategy is to establish her base and split the vote banks of the ruling parties, mostly the Congress but also the BJP. Then she moves in and plays caste politics of the worst kind to make her own vote bank and gain further ground.
To many it might sound like politics as usual, after all the INC has relied on the muslim vote in many areas for ages, the BJP considers the urban middle class as its own, Laloo holds the Muslim-Yadav vote in Bihar and so on. But I feel Mayawati takes this a step too far. While other politicians have cultivated their constituencies, she has a more direct approach. She only looks at how much clout a particular group has in a specific area. If your group can sway the elections, make your demands and they shall be met with. Look at the way she is accepting Brahmins into her fold after castigating them for so many years. Doing so gives her the influential Brahmin vote in UP, so why let something small like her own word stand in the way? And this is what is happening in some way or the other over large tracts of India.
Last week, voting took place in Laloo’s constituency, and the Indian Express reported a Yadav voter from there agreeing to the fact that Nitish Kumar had brought roads and development into the area, but he was still voting for Laloo because voting was a matter of community pride. I thought voting was a matter of development and issues concerning the same. I always used to wonder why MPs never bothered to develop their constituencies when doing so would ensure their re-election. Now I know. Why make the effort when your voters are still going to vote based on which caste or group or religion you belong to? If these narrow benchmarks are to define our votes, then God help India. And this very group mentality is what Mayawati seeks to exploit, to a greater extent and more vigorously and more shamelessly than any politician previously. I guess, every caste, religion, etc would form their own vote bank and demand concessions for themselves based on how large their group was. Jats wanting reservations in Rajasthan and vociferously opposing the same for others in Haryana, Sikhs wanting minority status in a state where they comprise 70% of the population…. Where does this end? And what of India in the meantime, while we are figuring out which community gets how big a piece of the pie?
To many it might sound like politics as usual, after all the INC has relied on the muslim vote in many areas for ages, the BJP considers the urban middle class as its own, Laloo holds the Muslim-Yadav vote in Bihar and so on. But I feel Mayawati takes this a step too far. While other politicians have cultivated their constituencies, she has a more direct approach. She only looks at how much clout a particular group has in a specific area. If your group can sway the elections, make your demands and they shall be met with. Look at the way she is accepting Brahmins into her fold after castigating them for so many years. Doing so gives her the influential Brahmin vote in UP, so why let something small like her own word stand in the way? And this is what is happening in some way or the other over large tracts of India.
Last week, voting took place in Laloo’s constituency, and the Indian Express reported a Yadav voter from there agreeing to the fact that Nitish Kumar had brought roads and development into the area, but he was still voting for Laloo because voting was a matter of community pride. I thought voting was a matter of development and issues concerning the same. I always used to wonder why MPs never bothered to develop their constituencies when doing so would ensure their re-election. Now I know. Why make the effort when your voters are still going to vote based on which caste or group or religion you belong to? If these narrow benchmarks are to define our votes, then God help India. And this very group mentality is what Mayawati seeks to exploit, to a greater extent and more vigorously and more shamelessly than any politician previously. I guess, every caste, religion, etc would form their own vote bank and demand concessions for themselves based on how large their group was. Jats wanting reservations in Rajasthan and vociferously opposing the same for others in Haryana, Sikhs wanting minority status in a state where they comprise 70% of the population…. Where does this end? And what of India in the meantime, while we are figuring out which community gets how big a piece of the pie?
Saturday, April 4, 2009
I HEAR THE MOUNTAINS CALL ……
Some go to harbours on the main,
Some like the endless grassy plain;
But me, I to the mountains go-
When I hear the mountains call again.
I hear the mountains call again,
With winter, biting wind and rain,
With hail, and sleet, and blinding mists,
I hear the mountains call again.
The springs fall down in rainbow spray-
“Come rest awhile”, they seem to say.
I will ascend the wooded slopes,
For I hear the mountains call again.
Brooks rush down their cobbled way,
Half hidden in the flowing vapoured grey.
My heart is filled with yearning strong,
As I hear the mountains call again.
Pine trees all dotted with pine cones,
Small palaces built with mud and stones,
What b’ful sights a fond heart brings,
When it hears the mountains call again.
In a crowded city, I stand alone,
Where thought is sad, and grey, and worn.
With a love for life, the mountains call,
I hear the mountains call again.
A cold north wind blows over me,
I stand in the open and face’t with glee-
A moss stone come to life once more,
As I hear the mountains call again.
I’ll go to where the snow falls deep,
To live till I sleep the eternal sleep,
Away from this twisted, grabbing world,
Yes, I hear the mountains call again.
Whatever lives are left as mine,
I wish they in the mountains lie,
Again my soul shall rise, again,
When it hears the mountains call again.
Some go to harbours on the main,
Some like the endless grassy plain;
But me, I to the mountains go-
When I hear the mountains call again.
I hear the mountains call again,
With winter, biting wind and rain,
With hail, and sleet, and blinding mists,
I hear the mountains call again.
The springs fall down in rainbow spray-
“Come rest awhile”, they seem to say.
I will ascend the wooded slopes,
For I hear the mountains call again.
Brooks rush down their cobbled way,
Half hidden in the flowing vapoured grey.
My heart is filled with yearning strong,
As I hear the mountains call again.
Pine trees all dotted with pine cones,
Small palaces built with mud and stones,
What b’ful sights a fond heart brings,
When it hears the mountains call again.
In a crowded city, I stand alone,
Where thought is sad, and grey, and worn.
With a love for life, the mountains call,
I hear the mountains call again.
A cold north wind blows over me,
I stand in the open and face’t with glee-
A moss stone come to life once more,
As I hear the mountains call again.
I’ll go to where the snow falls deep,
To live till I sleep the eternal sleep,
Away from this twisted, grabbing world,
Yes, I hear the mountains call again.
Whatever lives are left as mine,
I wish they in the mountains lie,
Again my soul shall rise, again,
When it hears the mountains call again.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
The Indian Tamasha pt. 1
A five stage election and it just seems to be getting bigger every time! As India goes to the polls over the next couple of months, a few things strike me, apart form the obvious ones that there is no morality in politics anymore and that politicians are the most fickle bunch of people in the world and their word cannot be trusted.
But what I find most disconcerting about this occasion is that the major national parties are becoming more and more redundant with the passage of time. The media has already highlighted the fact that the vote and seat share of both the Congress and the BJP has declined considerably, while that of regional parties has increased in the same measure. Some people point to the numerous scam taints of the 90s to explain this shift away from the national parties. I feel that may be one of the reasons. A corruption tired public might have started opting for local politicians and parties who they might have felt more answerable. Also, with the death of Rajiv Gandhi, there was a dearth of leaders with a charisma of their own. Then too, many regional politicians who were playing second fiddle to Rajiv stepped out from under the Gandhi shadow and formed their own little outfits (many with only one leader worthy of the name), marking out their own little territories and regions where they held sway while being unknowns elsewhere. There has been such a profusion of such satraps, that the political field has become like one of those Royal Rumbles in WWF!
While some might feel happy at this development, I think there’s some cause for worry. The decline of national parties has also meant a decline in a national outlook. Most of the regional leaders have as circumscribed a view of policy and events as their respective ‘realms’. If you hear them speak, they don’t have any concerns outside of their domains. “mumbai for marathis”, “assam for assamese”, “tamil nation”, these and their more strident variants are the voices you hear everyday. And sometimes, they get beyond mere words, as we saw in Mumbai last year. And these are the people who’re getting an increased share of the votes and seats!
I wonder who in this confused babble of voices in talking about India. Where are the leaders who look at the big picture? Where indeed!
But what I find most disconcerting about this occasion is that the major national parties are becoming more and more redundant with the passage of time. The media has already highlighted the fact that the vote and seat share of both the Congress and the BJP has declined considerably, while that of regional parties has increased in the same measure. Some people point to the numerous scam taints of the 90s to explain this shift away from the national parties. I feel that may be one of the reasons. A corruption tired public might have started opting for local politicians and parties who they might have felt more answerable. Also, with the death of Rajiv Gandhi, there was a dearth of leaders with a charisma of their own. Then too, many regional politicians who were playing second fiddle to Rajiv stepped out from under the Gandhi shadow and formed their own little outfits (many with only one leader worthy of the name), marking out their own little territories and regions where they held sway while being unknowns elsewhere. There has been such a profusion of such satraps, that the political field has become like one of those Royal Rumbles in WWF!
While some might feel happy at this development, I think there’s some cause for worry. The decline of national parties has also meant a decline in a national outlook. Most of the regional leaders have as circumscribed a view of policy and events as their respective ‘realms’. If you hear them speak, they don’t have any concerns outside of their domains. “mumbai for marathis”, “assam for assamese”, “tamil nation”, these and their more strident variants are the voices you hear everyday. And sometimes, they get beyond mere words, as we saw in Mumbai last year. And these are the people who’re getting an increased share of the votes and seats!
I wonder who in this confused babble of voices in talking about India. Where are the leaders who look at the big picture? Where indeed!
Sunday, March 29, 2009
The Mango blooms
Spring is in the air! We have a mango tree in the courtyard of this house we're renting and it is in full bloom these days. I'd almost forgotten that the mango also blooms. So much in life we tend to overlook or just pass by. At my primary school, we had over a dozen mango trees, and when they burst out with flowers, we knew winters were finally behind us and we could throw away the pullovers and blazers and look forward to playing outside a bit longer. The mango blossoms give out a faint sweetish odour, another thing I'd almost forgotten. It's said that the sense of smell is the most primitive and therefore the most evocative. Think about it. How often you smell something and remember some days long gone by. Coffee and cigarettes might remind you of those lazy sundays in the hostel, frying pakoras might remind you of monsoon and your mom's kitchen, so many wonderful memories often come flooding back with just a smell, a whiff of old times!
For me, the mango blooms bring back happy childhood memories. Rushing to school, playing with friends, the warm-cool weather, the soft, velvetty moss on the school wall that we loved to touch and run our cheeks against, the lantana clusters with their own sharp, almost minty odour, the huge peepal giving out new leaves, all this from just a plain old tree in the backyard that has come into bloom!
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Why does he do it?
Why does he indeed? Why does Saurav continue to play cricket? After all the indignities heaped upon him and unfairly, I might add, why does he not leave in disgust? This last humiliation should have been the proverbial final straw. Four captains in one team? There was never a bigger farce in the game. Why stop at four? Why not make every player his own captain and let it go at that? Mind you this is the guy who brought up Indian Cricket to the level it currently enjoys. He brought courage, determination, self-belief and a certain brashness in our men. And we repayed him by kicking him out when there were 3 more deserving players to be removed from the team. He proved his worth with a century in his last series, cocking a snook at the powers that be in the BCCI. But to be co-captain with three other players for a 20-20 series? Please Saurav, for your fans' sake, just tear that KKR jersey apart!
Monday, March 23, 2009
The IPL is being moved out of India. I think it's a shameful thing to do. The Indian elections are the biggest excercize of its type in the world. Not to talk about how important they are both as elections and as a symbol of our freedom and democracy. And given the security environment in which we live today, it is only fitting that the elections get the highest priority. I am as big a fan of cricket as the next guy, but our sense of nationhood ought to take precedence over the game. Cribbing about the Govts. inability to provide adequate security for some matches is totally unworthy of any patriot. But I guess, when millions of rupees are at stake, all else goes out the window. I know a lot of people would have lost a lot of money if the IPL was cancelled, but I don't think it would have made a dent in the pockets of people like SRK or Mallya. I mean the whole country is being mobilised for a momentous occasion and all Lalit Modi can think about is how he can salvage his competition. Now they're looking at other venues and studying how they can maximize their profits. Money is very important I know, but there has to be a limit! Would he be happier if his matches were provided enough security in Delhi or Chennai and people lost lives at bomb blasts at polling booths. What is the greater necessity? I haven't discussed this with anyone, but I feel I might be a minority in feeling thus, though I hope I'm not!
It was brought to my notice that people might be confused by the title for my blog, so I thought I'd clarify that. mlcw stand for 'My Little Corner of the World', which is what I intend this blog to be. As does everyone else I suppose. In this world that is ' too much with us, late and soon', I've found the most difficult commodity to come by is a little space to call your own. How often I think to myself,"Oh for a few days away from it all!" But that's not happening anytime soon. Hence this little nook. Too much of my life has been spent in crowds. In younger times, I would withdraw into my room/shell every so often, just to unload my mind, recharge my batteries, but as I got older, I found less and less time for that. Now I find myself with a stranger when I'm alone. So in a way, this is an effort to reacquaint myself with myself, with my thoughts, my dreams.
I wonder what dreams, which wishes are actually mine now. All I seem to want from life today, is that what I really, truly want? Or is it something I've learnt to wish for, not even considering the why of it all? Difficult to say. In this close pressing world of ours, little of us remains truly ours. And rediscovering that bit is one way to happiness, I'm sure.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
I am a little late to this bandwagon, I think. Something I was idly thinking about for ages but never got around to doing.... like setting up my outloook account, which I did after owning a PC for over a decade. Not too surprising I guess, except for the fact that I could assemble a PC at home but found myself unable (unwilling?) to configure Outlook.
But finally the utter ennui of this conference I'm attending got the better of me and here I am, writing. And realising how used I am to MS Word's auto correct options. Christ, I never thought I was this bad at typing!
It's a weird feeling, writing like this online. I've written a diary in my childhood, but this is publishing it for the whole world, or whoever bothers to check it out, to read.
Attending this conference gave me my first firsthand experience with how bad the economy is getting these days. It surely is a bad sign if the trade counters don't even have free pens to give out! Last year, there was everything from CDs to books to what have you. NOw all you had was toffees. Gifts are down from ipods to 2GB pen drives. Being in the field that I am, the economic downturn hasn't really affected me, nor did the upturn of the last decade or so either. So it's an eye opener to see how bad it is for the rest of the guys. I wonder how things came to this. I mean I know how it happened, but I wonder how it was allowed to fester till it reached such huge proportions. Did these guys think no one would ever find out? What were they thinking? And the biggest irony is that while the rest of the world is feeling the pinch, these "geniuses" are still getting big bonuses! It's a screwed-up world.
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