the beautiful forever s

This book is written in such a way that wh ile it is actually reportage, it reads like a rivet ing novel as Boo makes the characters come alive with her delightful prose and superb sense of drama.

incons iderable income for the large family, an d t.l1ey even manage to save enough for a deposit on a parce l of land in a new housing estate. Both Abd ul's skills and the famil y's rising fortLmes are the e nvy of An nawa di when everything comes crashing d own after the family is accused of being responsible for the death of a neighboL1t.

Through the lives of some of tl1e Annawadi residen ts, Boo sh ows us h ow globalisation and the risin g prosperity of the Indian economy reverberates even in the backwaters of a slu m ; how governmenc m oney se c aside for poverty alleviation or edu cation of the poor is pilfered by unscrupulous politicia n s and middle men and women; alternative housing schemes meant to h elp the slum dwellers \vhen th eir land is repossessed , are r orced by corrupt men and women the li st goes on!

Boo makes it clear in the 'Autl1o r's Note' at tl1e end of tl1e book, that ultimately poverty co rrup ts everyone in Mumbai. The police stations are a b azaar - a marketplace where guilt or inn ocenc e is bou g h t and sold; char ges traded for money; documencs and affidav its manufactured for a price - and everyone is on tl1e take.

It is not e asy for an outs ider to fu lly Lm de r st,'llld t he complexities and nuances o f caste, language, religion and etlmicity in India. It is to Boo's credit that she gets them just Lig h t - perhaps ber busband Su nil Khilnani, t.l1e well- known academic for m e.rly of J ohn Hopkins University, and ber imerpret ers and research assist,'ll1ts helped her; however, t.l1e consistently high level of understanding is remarkable and prai seworthy. Th.is is a brill.iam book, beautifully written - and puts the residents of the slu m at tl1e c e ntre of the narrati ve and gives LIS a glimpse into wbat it is to be h L1U1an.

I was reminded of Orwell's poignan t lines from his powerfu l work on the b leak lives of coal miners, The Road to IVtt111 Pil'r. O n e can easily substitute di e garbage sorte rs of Annawadi for tbe coal miners of Wigan Pier in thi s q u ote from the book: "It brought home tO you that it is only becau se they sweat their g uts out that supei-ior persons can r emain super ior: you and I and the Editor of the Times Litem~y S11pplernent; poets and the Archbishop of Can terbmy and Comrade X all of ns really owe the comparative d ece n cy for The New 1'or.ke1; has spem the last twenty year s reporting from within poor commmuties, and won the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service She learned reporting at d1e Washit1gto11 Ci!)• paper, was an editor of The lf/ruhit1gton Month!;• and , for nearl y a decade, a reporter and editor at Th e Washingto11 Post. Th.is is her first book.

This is a brilliant book, beautifully written - and puts the residents of the slum at the centre of the narrative and gives us a glimpse into what it is to be human.

A Personal Perspective

Katherine Boo was a guest at the Wheeler Centre in Melbourne recently, and was interviewed by Jo Case, resident writer and editor. Here are a few snippets from the inter view:

O N WHAT STRU CK HER M OST ABOUT ANNAWADI

What impressed Boo most was the fact that the people in Annawadi kept trying to improve their lives despite the multitude ofobstacles and setbacks they faced every day. The thought that was foremost on their minds was, 'How do I get to the middle class'.

Even in such a deprived slum as Annawad~ Boo was amazed that people still tried to be good despite the fact that everything was stacked against them, and they encountered corruption at every stage. Boo recounted her own biner experiences with the Mumbai police, and how corruption was all-pervasive. ON THE EFFECT OF GLOBALISATION AND RISING PROSPERITY OFTHE INDIAN ECONOMY Boo examined how globalisation affects the lives of even slum dwellers Even in Annawadi, there was palpable optimism - most people felt the rising prosperity around them would mean that their lives would get better. Talking about Asha, the woman who wanted to be the 'slum lord; Boo pointed out she was from a poor family in Vidarbha, one of the poorest regions of Maharashtra. She was driven by a burning desire to better herself and improve the lot of her children. Others felt they were in the right place (Mumbai) at the right time, and had a chance to 'make it'; that they were on the cusp of changing their lives for the better. Most of them also felt they could escape the opprobrium of their caste in the city

Women too, felt that gender roles had opened up and there were more opportunities for them in the city.

Boo also saw a lot of economic envy even in Annawadi; it was perhaps an indication of the rising mobility, a sign of hope that opportunities were opening up for upward mobility. What disheartened her was how pervasive low-level corruption squanders the life-chances of millions of poor people in India. So many young people's talents are wasted as a result.

SOME OF THE THINGS THAT TOUCHED HER

Boo did four years of research for this book and tried to portray different narrative threads to show the diversity of people and characters even in a slum. Her aim was to keep the readers engaged There were some key moments that got to her. She was struck by the choices that people made - and was arnazed that they were often non-economic, despite their being poor. Su nil, one of the boys of Annawadi, loved nature and del ighted at the sighting of lotuses growing in a sludge pond behind the slum. He could have plucked and sold them - but he didn't; instead, he would retire there alone and admire the flowers in bloom quietly - for fear that if others discovered them, they would be gone. Similarly he was overjoyed at the sighting of parrots in Annawadi. Again, he didn't kill them, even though they would have kept him fed for a few days had he done that and sold them.

Justice also mattered to the people of Annawadi - and they wanted to know how Kalu was murdered When they realized that Boo was trying to get to the bottom of it, they extended her their cooperation. She often moved about Annawadi on her own with her expensive equipment, even late into the nightyet never felt unsafe. The people wanted her to tell the truth to the world; they wanted the truth to come out. It was quite Important to them.

ON THE EFFECTS OF ECONOMIC POLICIES AND M I CROFINANCE

Boo has also explored not only the impact of economic policies and politics on a place like Annawadi, but also the work of NGOs

Talking about the effects of microfinance, Boo pointed out that people like Asha felt it was too incremental a route to becoming rich. At the same time, the full benefits of microfinance did not accrue to those at the very bottom and the most in need.

Vignavin ayaka,

Ganapati are just a few o f the I08 names that exto l the vir tues of Ganesha

The elephant- headed, potbeUied elde r son of Shiv a and Parva ti is nor only tbe foremost God amon g the Hindu pantheon, he is per haps the m ost loved coo In bis capacity to remove all obstacles, Gaoesha is remembered ever yd ay b y one and all

Often associated with th e auspicious ' Om', he is amo ng the most enigmatic as well Ganes ha's ph ys ical attributes are the m selves rich in complex symbo lism. fo fact, every part of Ganesha's sumpmous body cells irs own little tale.

Primarily, the image of Ganesha is a composite anthropomorphic one. Four living entities - man, elephant, serpent and mouse have contributed ro th e makeup of his figure. AJJ o f them indiv iduall y and collective ly have deep symbolic overtones Ganesha thus rep rese nts man's eternal striving towards i n tegration with nature. This has ro be in terp reted raking into co n sideratio n tl1e fact that despite evo lutio n over many mill en nia, man remains closer to animals roday than he was ever before.

The mosr s triking fearure of Ganesha is bis elephant head, symbolic of auspici ousness, stre ngth and intellectual prowess. On the fo rehead , the Tr.ishula (weapon of Shiva) is dep icted, symbolisin g time (past, present and future) and Ga n esha's mastery ove r it. AU the quali ti es of the elep hant are co n tained in the form of Ganapati The elephant is tlie l argest and strongesr of animals of d i e forest Yer he i s gentle and, amazingly, a vegetarian, so chat he does n ot kill to eat. H e i s very affectio n ate and loyal to his keeper and is greatly swayed i f love a nd kincL1e ss are extend ed to hirn. Ganesha, tl1ough a powerful deity, is no less loving and forgi vi ng, and moved by the affection of his devotees

Yet at the same time the elepha nt ean destroy a whole fo rest and is in himself, a o ne-man arm y when p r ovoked Ganesha is sim ilarly most powerful and can be ruthless when containing evil

Again, Ganesha's large bead is symbo lic of the wisdom of the elephant. His large ears like the winnow, sift tlie bad from tl,e good. Although they hear everytliing, they retain only that which i s good ; tl1ey are attentive to all reques t s made by the devotees, be they humble or powerful.

WhiJe the large ears and head receive all in formation, the sm all mouth talks less an d tlie tiny eyes represent uanost concentration.

Ganesh.a's trunk is a symbol of bis discrioiioation (viueka), a m ost in1portant quality necessary for spiritual progress The elephant uses its trunk to push down a mass ive tree, carr y huge logs to tl1e river and for ocher heavy tasks. The same huge trunk is used to p ic k up a few blades of grass, co break a small coconut, remove the hard nut and eat the soft kernel i nside. The biggest and most minute of rnsks are w ithin the range of this trunk which is symbolic of Ganesha's in tellect and h is powers of discrimination.

The curved trunk perhaps also represen ts the aro usal of tlie powers of the k1mdali111: Th e trunk relares ro d i e power of hmnan mind. It must be stron g enough to ha n dle t he e,"1:te rnal world, but delicate enough to explo re the subtle realms of die inner san cmm.

Yet anod1er intriguing aspect of G a nesba's iconography is his broken rusk, Ekda11ta - Ek meaning one and donta me aning teeth. Theologists believe that tlie rwo rusks rep resent wisd om and emotion. The broken left rusk signifies that o ne must conquer emotions wid1 wisdom co at tain perfection. It carries an interesting legend behind i t:

\ '\,' hen Parashurnma , one of Shiva's favouri te disciples, came to visit him, he found Ganesha guarding Shiva's inner apartments Hi s fatl1er being asleep, Ganesba opposed Parshuran1a's entry.

Parasburan1a nevertheless tried to urge his way, and a tussle ensued.

Ganesha had at first the advantage, seiz ing Paraslmrama in his trunk, and giving him a rwirl tliat left him sick and se nseless; on recovering, Rama threw his axe at Ganesha, who recognizing ic as h is fatl1er's

Lm desirable or corrupting grounds. By showing the mouse paying subservience ro Lord Ganesba it is implied that the intellec t has been tamed through Ganesha's p ower of disc rimination

Any attempt to penetrate the deptl1s of tl, e Ga nesha phenomenon must note d1at he is born from Goddess Parvati alo ne, and as suc h he shares a very unique and special r elationship with his mother. The sensitive nature of his relationship with Parvati is made amply clear in the following tale: ln tlie two hands behind h im he often holds an t111k11sha (elep hant goad) an d apasba (noose) The n oose is to convey that worldly attachments and desires are a noose. The goad is to prod man to the path o f righteousness and trutl1 \'Xl ich this goad C,.a_ne sha can both strike and repel obstacles. Yer another hand holds a loms Aower (padma), and it symbolizes the h ig hest goal of human evolution, tlie sweemess of the realised inner self.

Indian artist Milon Mukherjee's Nata ( naughty) Ganesha: The young Ganesha imitates his father Shiva doing the tandava, the dance of creation weapon (Shiva hav ing given ic to Parashurama) received it with all htunility upon one of his msks, which it immediately severed, and hence Ganesha has but one rusk.

A different legen d narrates chat Ganesha was asked to scri b e down the epic of Nfahabharata, dictated ro him by its author, sage Vyasa. Taking in to note the enormity and significance of tl, e task, Gan esha realized tl, e inadequacy of any ordinary 'pen' m undertake tlie task He rims broke o ne of his own rusks and rnade a pen out of it. The lesson offered here is d1ar no sacri fice is big enough in the pursuit of knowledge.

Ganesha is often portrayed with six h ands O n e is n or m ally shown in the abhd)'a (fearless) pose of protection and refuge, and the second ho lding a sweet (rnodaka), symbolic of the sweetness of the realized inner self. The 111odak represents the reward for sadha11a, while t he prasttd at bis feet rep resents the world at o ne's feet waiting to be conquered. Ganesha also holds an axe co cut off bond s of attac hm ent.

Ganesha's pot-b elly contains infi nite universes. Ir signifies t he bouncy of nature and equaniniity, the abili ty of Ganesha to swallow tl1e sorrows o f th e Unive rse and protec t tlie world; the posi tion of his legs (one resting on the ground and one raised) indicate die im portance of living and participating in the material world as well as in tl, e spiritual wo dd , tl, e ability to Jive in the ,vorld without being of the world.

Th e lirrle m ou se tl1at Ganesha i s supposed co ride upo n is another enigmatic feature in his iconograph y Lord Gan esha sits on a tray of lttddtts signifying die wealrn and prosperity mat he gave to his devotees. However, a mouse si rs near the bottom o f die statue to represent the ego th.at can eat away at the goodness of a person At a cursory glance it seems strange tl1at the lord of supreme wisdom has been granted a humb le o b sequious mouse quite incapable of lifting the bulging belly and massive h ead that he possesses. Bur ir implies tliar wisdom is an attribute of an ugly conglomeration of factors, and fu rther th at the wise do nor find anytl1 ing in the wo rld di sproportionate or ugly.

The mouse i s, in every respect, com parable ro the intellect. It is able co slip tmobsenred or w itliout our knowled ge into places which we would have nor thought it possible to penetrate. In doing tlii s it is hardl y concerned whether i t i s seeking virtue or vi ce. The mouse thus represents our wandering, wa)'\vard 11.und, lured co

As a child, Ganesha teased a car by pulling its rail, rolling i t over on the ground and causing it g reat pain, as naug hty young boys ate wont to do After some time , tired of his game, he went co his mother Parvati. He fo tmd her in great pain and covered witl, scratches and dust all over. 'iXThen he questioned her, she put the blame on him. She explained tbar she was tlie cat whom Ganesha had ceased.

His total devotion cowards his motlier is tl1e reason why in the South Indian tradition, Ganesha i s represented as single and celibate. Ir is said d1at he felt tbat bis motlier Parvati, was the mosr beautiful and perfect woman in the uni\'erse. Bring me a woman as beautiful as s he is a nd I sh aU mar ry her, he said. None could find an equal ro the beautiful U ma (Parva ti), and so the legend goes, tile searcl1 is still 011

In variance wirn the South Indian tradition, in North India Ganesh.a is often shown m a rri ed to t he two daughters of Bral11na (tl1e Lo rd of C reation) , na mely Buddhi and Siddhi. Metaphorically Buddhi signifies wisdom and Siddhi, achieveme n t. In tl1e sense of yog a, Bnddbi and Siddhi represent the female and male currenrs in the human body ln visu al arts dus aspect of Ganesha is represented witli grace and charm.

Li kewise, no analysis of Lord Ganesha can be concluded witbouc a mention of the mystical syllable Om - the mosr powerful mi.iversal symbol of the divine p resence in Hindu t ho ught. The written m a1i.ifestation of di.is divine symbol when inverted gives the perfect profil e o f the god with the elephant head.