Blink issue 41 november08 2014

MISSING FROM ETAWAH UP’s lion-breeding programme whimpers, making its chief minister the perfect political bait for rivals p3 saturday, november 8, 2014

thiru s

The father of a 21-year-old with special needs chronicles his concerns and hopes about his son’s future. And the need for communities to help these young adults lead independent lives p10

Alone together

DUO ON TOP Decoding the chemistry of the Jai and Viru of politics — Narendra Modi and Amit Shah p5

SPLENDID TO BE KING A film about chess and the struggles of its champions, on and off the board p22

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Border of order and chaos For fans, a chess game is a mental duel. For others, it is two people locked in a room staring at each other. Album 61 succeeds in bringing the tensions to celluloid

To the brim A view of the Sector 23 water body after being revived

A water fight in Delhi

Who will bend Viswanathan Anand and Boris Gelfand lock horns at the World Championship, in a still from Album 61

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Citizens’ enlist water bodiesEfrat in however the Capital’s Dwarka ne groups man has the crown.to Therejuvenate other to become the Challenger. says, final pat on theneighbourhood back that Aruna Anand gives

Changing course A resident digs a channel to help replenish a johad or rain-fed lake in Dwarka, Delhi

man wants it. It is the oldest game in the world. Or as Alexander Kuput it somewhat more of poett prin disappeared right in front us, ically, “How splendid to beWe king, rulingthe notwaby within an hour. thought right of succession or chance plebiscite, but ter would take a whole night to seep by the power one’s own mind.”

Today intoofthe ground, but the soilatisthe so World Chess Championship in Sochi, rich it got absorbed immediately,” sayscurrent Rakesh world champion Magnus Carlsenofwill take on Sherawat, a 26-year-old resident Pochanpur challenger Viswanathan Anand.

In Mayof2012, village in Dwarka.

He and members the Anand matchCommittee, with Boris Gelfand for Dwarkafought Water aBodies constituted the The documentary Album 61, last same year bytitle. the Delhi Lieutenant-Governor (Lwhich released at this year’s Hamburg Film G) Najeeb Jung, were reviewing their work.

Fest, on that clash inpays Moscow.

In isabased city that routinely upwards of I call up the director of Album Halil Efrat, ₹1,500 a month for water, the61,residents of who is based in Tel Aviv.

“It’s a sportsmatters. movie Dwarka decided to act and improve without sports,” he with a laugh. now.

I get They areany beginning tosays reap dividends where he is coming from. Two of the greatest Two johads, or rainwater-fed lakes, that regrandmasters ondecades, the planet out inup a mained dry for areslug nowitfilling battle of the mind.

Whilewater these mental heroics through locally devised supply systems transport chess frenzy,table whatfrom doesthe it and should helpfans raiseinto the water look likeabysmal for ordinary mortals? middlecurrent 30 metres belowTwo ground. aged men locked in a room for seven hours every day.for Who spend most of the time looking Room overflow at other. with For a amonth. biggest chal“Iteach all began survey“The we conducted in lenge how50 to urban make avillages sports movie for peo2011-12was across in south-west ple whosays don’t understand chess at all. How do Delhi,” Diwan Singh, the 43-year-old water you show just sitting, moving, activist whopeople also co-founded thenot anti-corruplooking at each other for hours?

How toArvind make tion NGO Parivartan with AAP leader aKejriwal. tense film, how you showinthe From hisdo tiny office thepressure?” back alley Efrat experimented at the start, “I sector thought of a shopping complex in Dwarka’s 23, maybe I willhis try colleagues to describe have what is happening Singh and been leading in minds with water visuals.

In the end, I inthetheir way in the area’s restoration efforts. vented a lotof inour the editing room.”Natural Heri“Members organisation, tage First, found that of the 183 water bodies he 93 World is one of and the listed, were Championship dry, 63 had sewage water mostwere exclusive clubs in functional. the world. These Since the rest only partially 1886, have been 16books. champs. were there the ones inonly the record We While found Anand is awater livingbodies legend, hiswere challenger Boris 29 more that not even acGelfand countedstaged for.” an unlikely career renaissance.

At They 45, henext wasconsulted thought towater be too old. Yet Isexperts onthe ways raeli slashed waybodies through gruelling qual-a to revive the his water anda came up with ification event farthe younger simple plan — beating replenish johadsopponents with feeds

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“For me, it was not so interesting to make a her husband just before he enters the hall, Gelfilm just about the chess match. It could be a fand winking at his first grade teacher when good butstorm-water a good film should thein,” audience. from report, the area’s drains. have a sto- he thespots stateher theyinare says Singh. ry behind underlying Authority story was As we vice-chairman plunge deeper into the match, we beAn areathe thestory.”

DelhiThis Development DDA Balwinder Kumar rediscovered his research. fa- gin tothis. see the The theo(DDA) lovesduring to call “the address ofGelfand’s tomorrow”, futes “Weperformative are looking toaspects. revive all the wather, Abraham who was an engineer, had obsaid, “Chess lies at the Dwarka is being developed in two phases — a rist ter Alexander bodies in Shashin our jurisdiction through the sessively catalogued achievements of order and chaos”. This chaoshecomes 20sqkm stretch in thehis firstson’s phase and another border public-private-partnership model,” says. over the decades, compiling 60 al- forth as we scrutinise the working players. At firstNGOs they 20sqkm coming up in phasethem two. into A planned “Where possible we are with bums — part photo-albums, motionless in suburban city, or ‘sub-city’,part its scrapbooks. storm-water seemed and the like private sector togladiators speed up locked this proc“When I sawarterial them inroads Israel, I decided empty this is an war.

Now weto seegain thatmomentum it is like a drains along ultimately ess,invisible but it will take time what the film is about, this once issue about performance, every gesture, griinto the Najafgarh drain, knownparentas the Kathakali and show results.” hood should theycuts choose forDelhi the child or the let mace, tic orSoni, mannerism standsenvironmentalbetween victoSahibi—river, which across to join Vikram a Delhi-based them be river. free. Singh’s This wasplan for was me to most Weatsee littlefor gestures that Yamuna filterinterestthe top ry istand and defeat. professor thethe Centre Theoretical ing.”

Abraham didn’t form their — Islamia, punctilayer of water in Gelfand the storm-water Physics at repertoire Jamia Millia have dilemma.

When liously arranging their pieces drain any before letting it into he the says the Dwarka effort is a firstbeof found out that his six-year-old fore the game — each player has water bodies in Dwarka Sector 20 its kind.

“A consistent practice son his own way pointing the andhad 23. a natural affinity for the in Indian citiesofis to create masLife is merely a pale board game, to theour decision was snouts of the knights.

For exam“According calculations, ter plans that are known more We can add five reflection of the easily Young Boris was goeyebrowsthan shootanyup revivalmade. of these water bodies can forGelfand’s their violations millionon gallons a day ple, struggle the board ing become world champion. when a move that he addtofive million gallons a day to thinghe else.sees So what is happening to Dwarka’s Abraham his sonand, withof hasn’t expected.

Anand’s stoneDwarka’s pushed water supply in Dwarka is important and water supply utter monomania. faced rarely breaks, course, increase the water table couldimmobility be a model for other areas A typical entry Schedbut when gesture significantly.

The reads: L-G liked our across thesome country,” he bubbles says. He ule: Wake Up,been Breakfast Radio its way to the also surface, is it something that he idea07:15 and we have trying7:25-7:30, to worries about short-sightShow 7:30-7:35, School:we 7:35, implement it. While feelLunch a bit 14:00-14:30, wants to be seen? ed planning. “While authorities (go out for a walk? when Gelfand the of tension rightdeveloptill the disappointed that no). onlyAnd two this water bodies were areAlbum keen 61 onsustains phase two Dwarka’s was 8 years old! Abraham eventually ended upa end. the last game is about begin, revived during the monsoons this year, it is ment,Asno one has an idea wheretothe waterGelfor with enormous tomes, part photo-albums, fand’s wife will Maya jokes, “At least he is not comstart 60 nevertheless.” the region come from.

The situation is onpart scrapbooks, part logbooks, a life captured peting in worse. the When world parachuting ly set to get they are searching in graphs representing everything from emo- championships.

What harm ideas couldwill come to DDA conundrum for water, these self-sufficient be the tional andtophysical toleast intellectual here?”He She knows, course.

As a chess “We want develop at 40 watertrends, bodies him solution.” throws in aofword of caution too: from biorhythms to analysis Iofcannot postcards board isto theremember most terrifying on in Dwarka.

Unfortunately, saysent the wife, “It is the important neverplace to withby Gelfand his travels —says an Captain enormous A world is which about same aboutfrom the authorities,” PS earth. draw at a fasterchampionship rate than the match speed at compendium whoseresident collation ended only someone’s lifelong dreams get Mann, a 68-year-old of Dwarka’s Sec- watching groundwater is recharged.” with Abraham’s death. The father’s disembod- crushed, for and entertainment.

“It is not two about tor 23 and a member of the L-G constituted For Mann company, meanwhile, joied voice is the narrator,believe compulsively track- memory or math — you have“We to break somecommittee.

Residents the develophads are only the beginning. are going to ing hisbody son’sisevery progress.to the restoration one’s personality,” as our the commentator says. ment a hindrance live here and so will children. For our waThe film is crisply shot cinematographer 61 have can tobehope ordered onlineideas at plans.

“Since June 2013, weby have been pursuing ter(Album needs, we that these Vitali Krivich, who isolates his subjects in an DDA to fulfil the L-G’s mandate and revive all www.go2films.com/New-Releases/Album-61) work. There’s no other choice but to fight for invisible we cannot is the waterboard bodiesthat in Dwarka, but see. it hasLife been our water, one way or another.” merely a pale reflection of the on the tough going.

Many a time, westruggle feel it works to jaideep unudurti writes on travel, chess and culture sibi arasu board.

Krivich captures tiny gestures: their advantage to leavethe the water bodiesThe in popular

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Staring at extinction The endangered Asiatic lion at the Nehru Zoological Park in Hyderabad nagara gopal; Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav plant a sapling during a recent visit to the lion safari in Etawah PTI

Game for political barbs Etawah’s lion-breeding programme is limping, putting Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav in the direct line of taunts from political rivals

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n October 23, one day before Diwali, Akhilesh Yadav was a worried man. The Uttar Pradesh chief minister had visited the Lion Safari Project at Etawah to check on two ailing big cats — Vishnu and Lakshmi. The lion and lioness had arrived in Etawah a couple of months ago and took ill in September. They couldn’t move and had poor appetites. There were symptoms of paralysis and viral infection, but a clear diagnosis remained elusive. Hospitals nearby and international agencies were consulted, but on October 31 Lakshmi died of cardio-respiratory failure resulting from partial paralysis.

Trouble was brewing for the state government’s much-touted lion-breeding programme.

Often fodder for election rallies, the lions of Etawah were not just a wildlife concern but also a growing political problem for the chief minister.

In April this year, ahead of the general elections, Yadav and the then Gujarat CM Narendra Modi traded barbs over the felines of Etawah.

“Your chief minister asked for lions from me.

But he couldn’t handle the Gujarat lions. They had to be caged,” Modi told the crowds at Bareilly, inviting Yadav and his father Mulayam to visit the Gir forests and “see how the lions roam freely”. Yadav’s feeble retorts that it was a “political courtesy” and even they had given Gujarat “hyenas but never spoke about it” were no match for Modi’s lion-sized rhetoric.

When Lakshmi and Vishnu took ill after their though rare, makes them vulnerable to diseasarrival in Etawah from Kanpur Zoo, Modi’s es. “Not much is known about captive-lion beclaims seemed to ring true. haviour and mating yet,” says KK Singh, The Etawah Lion Safari — seen as a pet pro- director of Etawah Lion Safari Project. Postject of Yadav and his UP strongman father — mortem reports have not yet revealed what was first proposed in 2005. Work began much caused Lakshmi’s death, and nephew Vishnu’s later, in May 2013, after environmental clear- condition seems to be worsening. “In the last ances were obtained. The 350-hectare safari is couple of days, he has also developed a cold,” located just outside Etawah town, near the says De. Chambal sanctuary.

The Asiatic lion-breeding programme has “Fifty hectares is the safari area, the rest is been hugely successful in Gujarat; the lion buffer,” says Sujoy Banerjee, the then deputy population more than doubled from 180 in conservator of forests (Chambal division), 1974 to 411 in 2010, with 97 males, 162 females, who drew up the master plan. “At the north- 75 sub-adults and 77 cubs. More than 100 lions ern end of the safari, we constructed a centre bred in captivity have been sent to zoos across for conservation and breeding, two animal the country and abroad. The nascent Etawah houses and a state-of-the-art hospital, all of project, in contrast, has run into several diffiwhich are functional.” Modelled culties. Nearly ₹150 crore has on the lines of the UK’s Longleat been invested in it. But delayed Safari Park, the first driveclearances and the struggle to through safari outside Africa, clear the safari region of the exotthe Etawah project is currently They are not from Gir, ic weed Prosposis juliflora, or lanhome to three jodis of big cats tana bush, have weighed it down. they are from brought from Gir — Aman and With the death of the lioness, Hyderabad Kumari, Heer and Ranjha, and the breeding programme, down Kuber and Greeshma. to three pairs, is on shaky legs.

After Lakshmi and Vishnu arAlthough four-year-old Lakshrived in Kanpur last year, they mi and Vishnu originally came were not in perfect health. Lakshmi contract- from the Hyderabad Zoo, the current political ed the bacterial infection leptospirosis and storm hinges on the likelihood that they are was treated for a month before she recovered. from the same stock as the lions of Gir. The diBut in September, both Lakshmi and Vishnu rector of the Etawah project, however, diswere injured during the shift to Etawah. In agrees. “They are not from Gir, they are from early October, they came down with multiple Hyderabad,” says Singh. Rupak De adds, “We infections and paralysis. don’t know the history of the lions and where Experts from the Indian Veterinary Re- they came from before Hyderabad. But the search Institute at Bareilly and Mathura Veter- programme will not be affected.” inary College were called in. Doctors from With Vishnu under round-the-clock obserKanpur and Lucknow zoos had set up camp at vation at Bareilly, Singh remains hopeful but the safari for over a month; advice poured in also stresses the need to “be realistic.” Meanfrom Junagadh Zoo, Pune, the Bear Rescue while, the political barbs notwithstanding, Centre at Agra and Longleat Park. Despite the talks are underway between the UP and Gujaconstant vigil and treatment, the disease re- rat administrations to procure another lion mained undiagnosed. pair from Gir. There could still be roaring “There might be a case of genetic suppres- times ahead in Etawah, after all. sion,” says Rupak De, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (UP). Inbreeding among lions, priyanka kotamraju

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Rinky on the wall Why graffiti continues to seek immortality on the walls of our monuments and streets

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n the last week of September, residents of Mahal, Lord Curzon had written to his wife river else Folkestone, a seaside town in the county from Agra, “If I had neverDown donethe anything seen as the a of Kent in the UK, awoke to a visual sur- in India, I have written myTraditionally name here, and Bihari festival, men prise. Those passing the town’s Payers letters are a living joy.” One could argue that and women Park noticed one of its walls curiously altered. Rinky, whose name stands outlined on the participate equally A new mural depicted an old woman, wearing marble wall of the Taj, perhaps feels the same in Chhath headphones, staring at an empty plinth. Word way. Suffering a severe shortage ranjeet kumar of monument began to spread. Graffiti artist Banksy was at it attendants, it comes as no surprise that the ASI again. Like kings who had just spotted the Star is pinning its hope on an increased fine and of Bethlehem, art enthusiasts flocked to Fol- penalty to keep insidious Rinkys at bay. If kestone. Concerned about the preservation of caught defacing historical monuments, you their latest tourist attraction, council author- could now be jailed for two years and charged ities began talking of Banksy in a tone that a fine of ₹1 lakh. The earlier punishment of would otherwise be reserved for Rembrandt. ₹5,000 and three months in jail clearly wasn’t While Indian graffiti artists elicit no such re- deterrent enough. gard, they still busy themselves with leaving a In Egypt, a perennial victim of the visitor’s mark. In July 2012, a graffiti artist who goes by scrawl, you’d have to cough up $20,000 if the pseudonym Daku, spray-painted a four-let- caught scribbling on the Pyramids. Worse ter all over Mumbai.

Except, he spelt still, might have to spend today a year being bulsionexpletive that could challenge colonial authority. stage,you the Bihari-as-migrant is a domthe cuss word in Hindi. though he lied a Cairo jail. Egypt’s monuments, The festival continues today, Even providing a meloinantinforce recreating the urban landscape claimed hismartial only intention, are testament to cities. man’sOriginally, undying dedramatichilarity edge towas many virtues. later, though, and imagination in many BihisWhat rocket-shaped cylinders sire for historic inclusion. Much the Ganesh festival was in the colonial haris were dismissed as an underclass of lawere clearly a social of the graffiti found on the counera, the Chhath festivalcomment. became in the first dec- bourers, autorickshaw drivers and LPG been hiked. try’s monuments back to adesprices of thehad 21stjust century. chowkidars, peppered with a fewdate bureaucrats.

Be it in Delhi’s Hauz Khas vil- going the Napoleonic era.

Even French Chhath is a primordial festival, back Today, in a demographic sense, the Biharis are In archaeological lage, Bandra or Bangapoet ‘renunciant’ Arthur Rimover Mumbai’s 2,000 years, celebrated mostly in Bihar a powerful political force.

Someone as politicircles, the act of lore’s Malleswaram,areas. graffitiItart is couldn’t and neighbouring erupted into na-your cally acute asbaud Amitreportedly Shah recognised thehelp imleaving name now familiar and as celebrathimself at a temple He tionalboth consciousness migraportance of in Luxor.

Chhath. on a monument is ed.

Indians, however, this went to great heights to etch his tionForfrom Bihar acquired Ahmedabad in fact had two fescalled ‘tagging’ kind of artproportions often stops and short of name a piece of stone.

But givepidemic Bihativals,on one enacted by powerful subversion.

Admired for their en the man’s weakness for abris became important in the ciVIPs and another by resident BiSomeone as quirkiness, these wayside sinthe, hashish andmuch-touted most things ties of Kolkata, Delhiexhiband haris, both at the politically acute as its are rarelyOnce appreciated scandalous, Ahmedabad. ignored asfor pariverfront. he is hardly worthy Amit Shah recognised their radical for their appropriation of emulation. Chhath is a signal for migrarochial, it haspotential, now caught the naimportance of public space. Graffiti art, in essence, isthe a sigVisiting Luxor, than a century tional imagination. tion.more Weeks ahead, Biharis,later, like of Chhath nature left for the world, reminder to one’s Ding Jinhao, homing a 15-year-old middleThe anthropologist KSa Singh birds,Chinese start returning fellows — “I too wasthat here”.

Reductively, it isn’t school student, was Trains regrettably grippedand by has pointed out basically home. are packed very different ordinary folk graffiti, a much- Rimbaud’s earlier When faced with Chhath is thefrom best-known over insolence. two-million migrants revilified sibling.

Thethe primary tablet in an Egyptian festival. elder Centring around sun, skill that a 3,500-year-old turn home.

The festivaltemple, is one separates love-struck from Banksy, for the teenager felt forced write inwould Mandarin — it is celebrated six daysSumit after Deethat everyto migrant like to instance, is geometric dexterity. arrow ‘Ding Jinhao was by another tourpavali. Singh sees an ecological andThe geographcelebrate with herhere’. or hisSeen family. that piercestoaChhath. heart heFirstly, drew for Soni in Lodhi a picture this graffiti sooncelebrates appeared on ic context it celebrates the ist,Today theofBihari diaspora it Garden is crooked. sites. Itaswas shared paddy harvest.

Second, geographically it is cel- Chinese proudly. social Even networking abroad, it began a private Loversin are not theon only ones seeking 90,000 and the errant boy fast beebrated regions both sides of theimmorGanga over family event times, and graduated to a public festivtality wallsChhath of our monuments.

Withlifein- came the thanks subject to of efforts ridiculeofand mockery.

An river. on As athe result, is seen as doubly al. Today, successful Bihagenious sketches, perverts too. adolescent his parents were compelled giving, it is a homagethere to the are sun and the Ganga ris, Chhath Ding, is celebrated on the banks of the Morbid loners their num- to admit river. in a local had “cried all river. Singh, in even fact, stencil feels that to mobile the common Potomac One newspaper, no longer needs a plastic bers the capital’s Red Fort.

In night”.

Humbled social networking, the man on thissites is thelike greatest of all festivals.

Intertub to perform theby ritual in private.

The Poto2009, with the Commonwealth Games fast ap- teenager have well been mollified by reestingly, there is something both democratic mac nowcould has shades of the Ganges. proaching, the about Archaeological In archaeological circles, the act of and life-giving Chhath. Survey of India lated It istrivia. the politics of Chhath, its eruption into (ASI) felt convinced a distinct yourconsciousness name on a monument is called Chhath is uniquethat in many ways.mixture It is notofa leaving the national that is fascinating. carbonate chemicals, limetoand sand will make Offering similar perpetuity, classical festival related a particular com- ‘tagging’.

It marks the rise ofa the Bihari, but moreFaceimthe tombs of Humayun andparticular Safdarjunggroup pris- book givesityou access severalofmore walls munity.

It goes beyond any portantly shows the to success migration tine But like the ghosts past, you can manner tag yourinname picture on.

In not the to a again. general participation by of theMughals community. and the whichormigration adds the continued to return.equally At the Qutub it is essentially a form personal graffiti Mengraffiti and women participate in it. end, just to the labour force butofalso the religious Shahi in Hyderabad, you can users a continued and bolstered Priestlytombs intervention is rarely required.

The see rit- that and allows cosmicitsimagination of India.

Chhath friends climb each shoulders, trying to indulgence.

China, all itsascriticism Ding, ual is austere and other’s offerings are simple — gur marks the rise of thefor Bihari a potentof force in scrape their on the aren’t appears appreciate the longing for endu(jaggery) andnames a roti made ofwalls. freshlyThey harvested national to politics.

The Bihari is no longer seen necessarily lookingstalk for prominence.

It’s just rance. there have designated an paddy, a sugarcane and a few vegetables merelyAuthorities as an epithet of abuse, a shadow citithat there’s It not much leftcaste lower down. area the Great for those wanting to will suffice. also goesspace beyond barriers, zen inofurban areas.Wall Between two festivals, elecTemple in Tiruchirappalli are leave an imprint. and Our Chhath, real andone virtual worlds uniting authorities a caste-ridden Bihar. The sun too is thertoral democracy senses the fed up and, in Hyderabad, they blame Ina quasi-algebraic truth.

Wea apeutic and like shines equally on all, blissfully in- both powerhelp of a prove great migratory community.

It is dians for thoughtless defacement.

Foreigners, X, and X, true form, always loves markdifferent to caste. Even Muslims have a are reason to join the to celebration. they believe, know how to behave. ing the spot. tradition of celebrating Chhath.

History bothnow confirms and belies thisasas-a shiv visvanathan is a professor at Jindal School of Chhath has come to prominence nevatia a Kolkata-based writer Government and PublicisPolicy sumption.

AfterOnce ordering the of Taj shreevatsa Bihari festival. a part ofrestoration the urban back-

Celebrating Chhath

A festival that marks the rise of a migrant community as a potent force in national politics

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Keep calm and scribble on Lovers lay claim to the Buddha statue on the beach in Bheemunipatnam, Andhra Pradesh kr deepak

As good as a pond Devotees offering prayers during the festival at India Gate in New Delhi shiv kumar pushpakar

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estivals have a way of uniting people, combining myth, ritual and community. Festivals, like business cycles, have their highs and lows, some reinventing themselves in fascinating ways and acquiring a political clout no one dreamed of.

The Ganesh festival is one such event. While it was observed from the 12th century, it was reinvented in 1892 when Bal Gangadhar Tilak created its modern face. What was once a private household ritual now acquired a public face, making it the ritual of the Maratha people. Tilak turned it into a community event, where subscriptions were collected for the worship of larger idols. Community involvement and public worship became the order of the day. Tilak’s vision was of a national festival, which emphasised political consciousness.

Few remember that it was out of the Ganesh festival that the Paisa Glass Fund emerged, creating the beginnings of the glass industry.

Public subscriptions helped start one of the great Swadeshi industries. In fact, the Ganesh festival was seen as a threat by the colonial regime, which saw in it the carnivals of inver-

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Jodi number one Never before have two politicians from a state outside the Hindi heartland come to occupy the apex of Delhi’s power pyramid in such a comprehensive manner

rajdeep sardesai

tal in driving the BJP’s success story in the critical battleground of UP. Let’s be honest: without UP, the BJP could not have remotely hoped to achieve its ‘Mission 272’. It was Shah, with the help of committed RSS workers, who helped shape the strategy. When he was out on bail and barred from visiting Gujarat, he criss-crossed the state, stayed overnight with party workers, worked on local alliances and drove the Modi juggernaut in the state.

We know what drove Modi: he was within touching distance of being the prime minister. Shah claimed he had no such obsessive ambition. “I want the BJP to grow, that’s my mission,” he told me later in an interview. He didn’t want a major portfolio, he didn’t fight the elections, but he was keen to play the role of the nuts-and-bolts, organisational man, who would micro-message the ‘Vote for BJP’ call to lakhs of voters.

On the campaign trail with Uddhav Thackeray in October, I asked the Sena chief who he held responsible for the alliance break-up in Maharashtra. “Dilli mein baithe Shahenshah ke samne hum jhukenge nahin (We won’t bow to the ruler in Delhi),” Thackeray had claimed at a public rally. The reference wasn’t to Modi, but to the BJP’s president, who had been pushing for an end to the 25-year-old alliance.

Shah is different from the prime minister in some key respects. Unlike Modi who is highly individualistic, Shah sees himself as a team player, completely committed to the Sangh ideology. Where Modi carries no family baggage, Shah is a devout family man. Where Modi comes from a humble background, Shah was born into a rich and influential business Same, same, but different Narendra Modi and his faithful shadow Amit Shah pti/manvender vashist family and possessed a formidable portfolio of blue-chip shares even in the ’80s.

While Modi is the charismatic campaigner, ai and Viru in Sholay; Dravid and Tendulkar state. Modi and Shah were central to this peri- Shah is the strategist, constantly plotting and in cricket; Laxmikant-Pyarelal and many od of the BJP’s rise to dominance in Gujarat; preparing for the next battle. Shah’s strategy others in music: Indians like their jodis. one, as the premier political organiser, the has been remarkably focused: pitch Modi as a For almost 40 years, Atal Bihari Vajpayee other, as his faithful shadow. governance icon to attract the incremental and LK Advani were the twin faces of the BJP, When Modi won the 2002 elections, he ap- vote, even while using the RSS machine to apthe Vikas Purush and the Lauh Purush. Now, in pointed Shah as his minister of state for peal to the traditional Hindu vote. The Hindut2014, the BJP has found its new jodi number Home. It was a critical portfolio, given the slew va-plus strategy can be controversial: for one: Narendra Modi and Amit Shah. Never be- of cases piling against the Gujarat chief minis- example, it was Shah who was seen as pushing fore have two politicians from a state outside ter. Shah became Modi’s ears and eyes and, for the Muzaffarnagar riot-accused to be given the Hindi heartland come to occupy the apex more controversially perhaps, election tickets. It was he who inof Delhi’s power pyramid in such a compre- was also accused of doing the sisted that Modi contest from Vahensive manner. ‘dirty work’ of targeting the ranasi in the belief that this See the BJP posters anywhere in the country: chief minister’s political rivals. would be a magnet to voters in One senses though two faces dominate the landscape. One, the Shah was accused of sanctioneastern UP. And it was he who that Shah isn’t a man man with the safed dadhi (white beard), the ing ‘fake encounter’ cases, a first predicted that there wasn’t in a hurry: at the age other, with the kali dadhi (black beard). The charge that eventually sent him just a BJP wave but a tsunami that of 50, he has time on duo now call the shots in BJP. The similarities to jail in 2010. When he was would sweep all else aside. his side go beyond the facial hair: both from Gujarat, granted bail, it was on the preTypically, Shah’s success has both with roots in the RSS, both credited with condition that he couldn’t remeant that the serious criminal a ruthless streak that is perhaps needed to suc- turn to his home in Gujarat. charges against him appear to ceed in the rough and tumble of politics.

Now, forget Gujarat, there is have almost melted away. The I first met Modi in 1990, when he was the BJP no part of the country that Shah doesn’t have charges may yet haunt him, especially if his secretary in Gujarat overseeing the Ram Jan- his eye on. When he was elected BJP president ambitions soar beyond just being the BJP presmabhoomi rath yatra as it moved through the in July, Shah claimed that he wanted the BJP to ident. One senses though that Shah isn’t a state. I met Shah for the first time during the capture power from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. man in a hurry: at the age of 50, he has time on 2002 Gujarat elections, when he was fighting Like his ‘boss’, or ‘Saheb’, Shah too spoke his side. Given that Modi’s prime ministership an election from the Ahmedabad suburb of strongly of a Congress-mukt Bharat. Even if the is less than six months old, it would be highly Sarkhej. There is a deep connect between the slogan might have appeared hyperbolic at the premature to even ask, “After Modi, who?” But two events: if 1990 was the first time the BJP time, clearly Shah was relishing the challenge. as party president, Shah has reason to believe tested itself in the Hindutva laboratory of GujWhile researching my book 2014: The Elec- that he is now the second-most powerful perarat, the 2002 elections held in the shadow of tion that Changed India, I was struck by how son in the country. the riots marked the completion of the proc- Shah was more than just a supporting actor to ess of imposing majoritarian politics on the the main hero. It was he who was instrumen- rajdeep sardesai is a senior journalist and author

J 2014: The Election that Changed India Rajdeep Sardesai Penguin (India) Non-fiction ₹599

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Be mine Chetan Old haunts Phillips Bhagat provides a Antiques at the Indian handy guide to wooing Mercantile Mansion in these BMW-riding, Colaba, Mumbai paul noronha foreign-shopping, English-bolnewala types afp/wang zhao

READER’S DIE JEST

Stereotype meets Value addition stereotype

I am heartbroken. But my English has improved. I reject job with HSBC, which they offer me after hearing my honest but brilliant answer at interview. I go home to Dumraon, which Chetan sir may nor may not know about very well, where I shall revive fortunes of school that my mother runs.

But Chetan sir is very clever. He introduces Bill Gates in book. And toilets. He knows PM wants toilets. If I build toilets in my school, I become best young Indian. But first I have to paintings, sea charts, historical maps and improve now aware their value), and the my(ofEnglish to address Billemerging Gates — middle-class spending a lot on is buying vintown plans, besides a range of colonial and Windows is inisHindi but Bill Gates not — and tagehis artefacts forbuild theirtoilets. homes,” says Sunny L ethnic furniture. get money to The erstwhile Maharajas and royal families Malayil, whoRiya co-owns Antiques in KoSo I meet again.Crafters Conveniently divorced chi’s Jew with brother were the biggest patrons of anfrom NRI husband whoTown is drinking, havingJohaftiquesfamily in thebut 1950s. bytothe ny. her, Theand duoconveniently joined theposted trade many onlyBut wants play guitar and fair and beating a quarter-century aflate ’70s — after the abolition sing.

No interest in money.

EvenofI would not be in Patna. Riyanearly offers to teach me English,ago, while ter their ofhome. spices privy purses in 1971 if — Ithey had interested in money could wear expensive I teach her Patna andfamily Bihar.business I take her becomeand sellers, giving a But newshe is Buyers began to slowdirty-minded down. Whenreadthey clothes ride in a BMW. 5 feet 9don’t Welook kiss. But nothing more, leasetall, of life theI business of aninch soto only am suitable boy foronly her. at the age er, although Istarted, want to.95 per cent of their sales of an tiques in she the only country.

While came from exports.

“But today, Except wants to beno friends.artefact We are now.I Itmake speech, Bill Gates gives is brilliant demand 80 per industry available very closestatistics but sheare only wants friendship.

I school lots ofdomestic dollars. Riya runsalone away is because more about design. cent,” due toeverything. the unorganised nature want My friends from Bihar sayofI theshe says she very illsays andMalayil. will die and she loves Most things of themake business, The first item that thewouldn’t? brothers must state antiques proud byworth taking her into my me.

I understand completely.

Who sold today are vintage billionsroom of dollars are sold her. everyI soldChetan was an sir 80-year-old cash box, hostel and f****ing But tells me he has to year in the domestic and she exports whichthird was bought from and a tharahave kissed her already, has write part of book envadu —happy a traditional house markets. business innot kissedAnd me.the I have been toisher sure ending,family so Riya is in Kerala. creasing. party “The domestic market birthday already and met alive.

Go findThese her, hehomes tells me.were is growing tremendously.

More people grand,of with oneLike or more courtyards, intricateLondon dude named Rohan, brilliant St Stephen’s stuI carryare the weight and decorative articles. who is shorter than her. SHORTdent with terrific memory and, ambitions oflyallcarved boys furniture WithF*** the decline in the joint-family system, ER. I want to make him even now, incredible English-speaking from my state: these belongings their waythat to the shorter by planting him in the skills,found I remember shemaralgirl. Learn English ket, and were bought regularly by antiques expensive garden of their bunways wanted to be a bar-singer in dealers. “Kerala hasYork. a rich Icraft tradition, espegalow. But waiter at party, also New wangle a threecially wooden craft,posting which is from my state, engaged me in month in centuries NYC with old.

Bill Families ownGates itemsFoundation, like wooden waste heads aoflot cows nostalgic conversation, distractof and horses, statues othervery knick-knacks.

A ing me. These Bihar people. Never giving up pages of book doingand nothing interesting, lot offinally that has come the stores,” says Deepak chance to talk to one another. Chetan sir and find Riyatoon page 254 of 260-page Srinath, founder of girlfriend.

Phantom Hands, knows us so well. book.

Now she is full The restIndia’s of the first antiques andhave vintage collectibles I call her into room, we play game of pre- pages, we f***. We child.

We changee-comnothmerce venture. nothing, revolutionise nothtend sleep. Then she refuses to f*** me. F*** me ing, challenge In We Kochi, instance, Jew Town, which lies or f*** off, I tell her in mother tongue. She un- ing. arefor good at English.

We fulfil great between the Mattancherry Palace and the Paderstands! How? She is English-speaking girl. Indian dream. is a hub of antiques sellers.

She runs away. She ditches me. I start studying radesi (ThisSynagogue, monthly column helps you talk about a Whenwithout local Jew settlers, whose madly. She ignores me madly. Then she gives book, having to read it.) history dates me wedding card. She is marrying Rohan Ster- back to 700BC, began to move back to Israel in translates and contemporary the 20th sinha century, theirclassic old household items, eotype. Rich dude from London running own arunava Bengali fictionfurniture and non-fiction English flooded t @arunava including andinto vessels, Jew business and calling mummy mummyji.

The business of antiques is thriving in India. Be it a traditional brick-and-mortar model or an e-commerce site, the patina of success is now clearly discernible

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(Regal Circle) the in south Mumbai’s A full love story, Chetan Bhagat kind of way Colaba stands a grand Gothic

arunava sinha

Half Girlfriend Chetan Bhagat Rupa Fiction ₹176

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Lost and found An antique oil can from Phantom Hands grn somashekhar

building marked by pointed arches, turrets and black stone façades. Built someMadhav Stereotype.

I am time in the yself mid-19th century, the Waterloo boycalled from the Bihar, therefore I canMansion, now Indian Mercantile notofspeak the English.

(Although Mansion, is one the most photographed arI know of it is brinjal but even eggchitectural marvels thenot city, featured plant.)

I carryofweight of 20th ambitions of And all boys in postcards the early century. it is from F*** girl.

English. undermy itsstate: hallowed roofLearn that one of India’s olLike that Chetan keepsfound popdest antiques shops,Bhagat, Phillips who Antiques, ping into books as himself, once said, Naukri a befitting address. aurOriginally chhokri (asetjob a chick).

Except that up and by a British family in 1860, naukri ab cool raha. to do meaningthe shop was nahi bought asI want a ‘going concern’ by ful Like love Issa. friendship. the entrepreneurship. great grandfather of Farooq Today, itI want stop being Bihari.

And, of course, housestopieces of history in the form of Orien-I want toEuropean be different.

So I am notpottery, cricketer or tal and porcelain and brass even but basketball toys, footballer, Victorian coloured glass, player.

TanjoreAlso, glassI am 6 feet 2 inches tall. And a prince by descent.

So. (English speakers starting sentence that way.) What is biggest struggle for young Indians outside big cities? To overcome legacy of indifferent education? To battle inequality? To eradicate corruption? To change political philosophy? No, no, no, and no. It is to LEARN THE ENGLISH. Because you can’t get a girlfriend otherwise. Only a half girlfriend.

So, I go to St Stephen’s College in Delhi because they are all stereotype English bolnewale over there. Full of contempt only for Hindi belt. I give honest answers at interview, then play amazing basketball to get a place in the sociology department. But that is not point.

Point is I fall in love. With girl who plays basketball. Both of us sports quota.

Why does Riya Stereotype need sports quota? Because she is daughter of filthy rich So-

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Town with antiques. Not surprisingly, row upon row of shops here sell antiques alone — from furniture and crockery to paintings and silver ornaments. All of which eventually find their way to dealers and collectors across India and abroad.

Open source networks Issa of Phillips Antiques and Srinath of Phantom Hands travel to Kochi and other hubs like Jodhpur, Pondicherry and Chettinad in search of ‘hidden gems’. The Chettiars, for instance, had trade relations with other countries.

From their travels, they brought back enamelware from Sweden, lacquer boxes and wooden chests from Burma, besides other gems, artefacts and statues. “You find an international flavour of antiques in Chettinad,” says Srinath.

Issa says he sources antiques from collectors, auctions, estates, royal families and even old homes in the countryside. Among the main draws at his upmarket Colaba store, which can well be called a museum, is an exquisite doll’s house in silver, complete with silver chairs, a dining table, sofas and beds, which once belonged to a princess. A queen’s palanquin procured from Bengal was also a major attraction, until it was acquired by a family in Pondicherry with a house large enough to give it pride of place.

Srinath, however, stays away from such privately owned legacies. “People we deal with are all first-generation collectors. We don’t want to get into any family disputes at all.” He sources his vintage artefacts from collectors and other antiques dealers with whom he has built a rapport over the years. While Phantom Hands was only launched in 2013, Srinath and his wife Aparna Rao have been decorating their home with such collectibles over a period of time.

“Once we launched the site, collectors started approaching us to sell their things. With time, either the tastes of collectors change, or

they have space or cash constraints, compelling them to dispense with the artefacts,” says Srinath, formerly an investment banker with Allegro. He cautions, however, that entering the business of antiques is not without its perils. “It is not something someone can get into and start sourcing immediately. Most antiques dealers are third- or fourth-generation operators, and their relationships with suppliers go back 100 or more years.

Their supply chains are well-entrenched,” he says.

A fourth-generation antiques dealer, Issa, for instance, depends heavily on the business relationships his forefathers built over 100 years. Moreover, dealers and collectors have always worked within a tight, well-networked community that is hard to breach for a new entrant.

Antiques — loosely defined as any item over 100 years old, of historic, artistic, cultural or religious significance — are becoming rarer by the day and cannot be legally exported. They have to be registered with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). Articles that are 30 to 100 years old are classified as vintage, and these are the ones in demand now.

“Things have changed. Buyers don’t look only at the age of an artefact now. It is more about design and aesthetics. Most of the things sold today are vintage,” says Issa. Almost 90 per cent of the Phantom Hands inventory is also vintage — belonging to the early 20th century.

and coins to fans and bicycles. “When we are not sure, we write to relevant experts all over the world to get their validation,” says Srinath.

A third of his company’s sales now comes from export markets in the US, Europe and Australia.

While objects range from ₹12,000 to a few lakhs at Phantom Hands, a lithograph of a British soldier, for instance, can be bought for ₹3,500 at Phillips. “It is a misconception that antiques cost lakhs of rupees.

Many items can be bought for a few thousand,” says Issa. And that is precisely why young proKeeping the faith fessionals are making a beeline Most countries Rehan Khan, the chief executive for vintage artefacts. “They are become more of a pharmaceutical multinathe emerging category of clienfocussed and proud tional, who is also an angel intele — professionals, who are doof their history with vestor in Phantom Hands, began ing well, are mostly in their earlyan increase in by collecting vintage carpets to mid-30s and setting up their affluence and rugs almost two decades first home. While 80 per cent of ago, when he was working the furniture they buy will be across the US, Germany and Swefrom stores, they do want to have den, among other countries. He one or two pieces that will stand moved to India six years ago. “Most of the out,” says Srinath. good carpets have long left the country. I They are, as Issa says, taking baby steps in now focus on beautiful vintage items the vast world of antiques: “Over the years, as across genres — furniture, contem- they become more affluent, they will perhaps porary art and items of religious start investing in unique objects.” Quite like and historic significance.” the high net-worth individuals who invest in Khan, like most collectors, is antiques today, apart from serious collectors, choosy the about people he who tend to focus on one or two categories sources his items from in a such as coins or watches or furniture of a parmarketplace flooded with ticular style. fakes and knock-offs. “There Khan, meanwhile, remains bullish about is a market but no way to cater the future of antiques in India. He cites the exto it in an ethical way. When a lot ample of China, where individuals are buying of people are making copies (of orig- back Chinese antiques from all over the world inals), how do you do it in a trust- as their purchasing power increases. “Most worthy way? Can you tell the countries become more focused and proud of history and provenance of an their history with an increase in affluence. In item? A buyer needs to know 20 years, we will see this happening in India as that.” And that is exactly why well,” says Khan, who collects a noodle-maker Khan agreed to fund Phantom from Assam with as much fervour as a sandalHands, which works with experts to wood walking stick from Mysore or intricately ensure that each and every product it carved legs of a charpoy from Gujarat. “Artisells online is bona fide. Srinath says, cles I collect today are vintage, but two dec“We always work with dealers who are ades from now, they will be antiques.” trustworthy and come with good For collectors like Khan, this is not merely a credentials.” business, or an investment that can give quick Srinath has taken it a step further by roping returns like mutual funds: “It is a way of prein as team members antiques dealers, subject serving our history, culture and anthropoloexperts as well as academicians who can judge gy.” And for Issa — whose children are keen on if an object is kosher. Since antiques belong to joining the business as well — it is a way of life. several categories, one person cannot be an authority on everything from vintage watches rashmi pratap

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Classic charms Deepak Srinath of Phantom Hands strikes a pose with a life-sized wooden statue in north Karnataka’s Kinhala style; (above) a vintage table fan with two sets of brass blades grn somashekhar

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EXCERPT

The beginning of absence dipankar

Nem is a student of English literature at Delhi University when he meets an art historian who irrevocably changes his life, steering him into a world of pleasure and artistic discovery. One day, without warning, his mentor disappears

FUTURE RUN FOR UNITY EVENTS TO INCLUDE RUNNING! T

SHOVON CHOWDHURY is chief Truthdigger and author of The Competent Authority

he Deputy Secretary runs grace“On the contrary, it was a with pity reserved for fools. one was there. The Sanitation Department fully on the treadmill, knees grand success,” says the Joint “You see, these things take alone filled up half of India Gate. It’s true pumping, chest heaving. The Secretary, “Many more camtime. Rome was not built in there was not much running. The point you sweat shines on his handsome eras were used this time. At a day. Haste makes waste. are making was raised by the PMO. We tried Good things come to to explain that government servants can’t face. He could have been a movie star, or Madison Square Gardens, we tennis champion, but once he cleared the were unable to capture all those who wait. Pa- move faster, but they were adamant. We’ve IAS exams, destiny decided otherwise. the angles.” “Still, there tience is the virtue of assured them that the objective of running kings. Also, you must for unity will eventually be achieved. We The Joint Secretary smiles at his subordi- wasn’t much running, appreciate that the ma- are working on fitness levels, so next year nate: “If you have completed 45 minutes, was there?” I persist you can stop now,” he says, “And don’t for- “Mostly people walkjority of people at the we’ll be able to walk briskly. In five years, get to sweep around the treadmill before ed down Rajpath venue were govern- jogging can’t be ruled out.” “What about the mist The Ridge — Delhi’s gasping lungs, its last remaining secret vv krishnan you go.” He turns to me. “I was told I need to Through shouting slogans. ment servants. We is- ‘unity’,” I ask, “Will you be doing anything sued circulars about about that?” “Certainly,” he says, “Absenbecome fitter, so I purchased a treadmill One or two tried to and ordered him to do the needful.” I am jog, but had to stop volunteering. Some offi- teeism was as high as 11 per cent in some defirst saw Nicholas in a room that remind- an elegantly slender spliff. belying the city’s ancient origins, was a brash, sympathetic, but remain focused on my as they kept getting cers were confused, so we partments. Volunteering will be more ed me of an aquarium.

I was certain. I had a lecture to attend. On Sa- brutish youth, dashing off stone, glinting duty as a journalist. “The Run for Unity was stuck between fat people.” clarified subsequently that vol- strictly enforced. The entire government The lights dimmed, a projector flicker- muel Beckett and symbolism. against short, toughened grass. If there was a bit of a debacle, wasn’t it?” I ask.

The Joint Secretary looks at me unteering was compulsory. Every- will run, and we will be united.” ing like an old movie reel. Sunshine seepThat, he demurred, offered even greater one thing I missed about my hometown in the ing through the curtains into green pretext to join him. hills — and in honesty there wasn’t all that semi-darkness. The air cold and muted; someFor reasons I cannot remember — perhaps much — it was the weather. Those seemingly where the hum of an air-conditioner serving the class was cancelled? — I found myself aim- endless days of far-folded mists and glistening as the underlying rhythm of breath and life. lessly wandering the college building. rain. My time in the city was marked by A talk was underway.

Through red-brick corridors divided by slabs months of parched heat and brief, torrid Seahorse Janice Pariat ‘What are the possible consequences?’ of sunlight and shadow, passing rooms des- winters.

Random House asked the speaker. ‘If Alexander had succeed- olate as churches, their wooden benches and In retrospect, I should have taken up KalFiction ed? If he had swept unchallenged across the tables drawn and empty. To my left, through sang’s offer. He was usually in possession of ₹399 Indian subcontinent in the fourth century BC? the arches, unfurled a length of grassy lawn, stellar weed, not the kind that drove people Huge social and political ramifications, to be speckled, in winter, with sitting, sloping fig- crazy. I’d heard the stories, of course, about sure. But I’d say the most spectacular influen- ures. Occasionally, squirrels various drug-fuelled antics in .’ just like India, ex- scurried across tellinglie us elsewhere how China. .was oneresidence realised at the time n news described as ‘encouraging for ce would he suburbs Lucknow were biscuits. What nothe to theofstonehalls.

Oral folkwas struck by were the shape of him.

Theonly shapes the cows thinner.

It was lat- path edges, in a series steps year buffaloes’ by PETA, residents in the Icept tense and covered in rubber after was that this is just or mynas alighted loreoneshared yearof after A figure carved in light, as he for a quickthe call centre areas of the National Capi- of him. er that we learnt he was livinggrowing in Guwahati.

Shiv Senabut blew up a condom to ensure that Hindus not loseold the and de- new, walk-about, now amongdostudents, In the shimmering diminishing whenconfusion. he edged it lay empty, Sincenearer, then, there’s been some mographic battle.

The factorytoinaquestion tal Region have confirmed that they walked factory, along with three sainiks shimmering cleanamounting grand colledarkness, I watched will continue to beat up young people away.

Plus, so many people take advantage of us. ly who to run away, on the evening of was blown up ingiate a daring late-night com- by inforgot the sunlight.

I curved archive, embellished him closely smiled.

There was ‘In thisart.’ couple who came claiming against mando attack, after surfaced from the Northeast who pay them money He November 7. This was logical the length of a the pillar.

If I next step time allegations and generous imaginaItoattended the talk It leaned be Manipuri.

But by I’veslim seencoincidence.

Mary Kom, and condoms only to who to stay in their homes. after anout event late October, andinglanced up, I’dat which the that it was “supplying tions. The one about a boy one of of those drifting days campus,Chothe see “We are strong men with proud tradi- wasneither them looked likeon Priyanka UP branch of the Shivrising Sena announced cash Hindu localities”.uttered his name, persistently, a cubical tower into afternoon mirroring the skyonly — vast empty. pra.

Not areand these call the up thisKarma tions, unpolluted by prizes ₹21,000at the top, a sky,ofbearing, for three“Setting days — Karma I’d left my roommatecentre Kalsang,boys standing the cross chow mein, unafraid of and bygirls to every Hindu and a star.

On both sides, Karmacondom — for if he factory stopped, he window, smoking a joint.

Like trees they out- the renting ourthe homes, my biggest miniskirts, and unclear family with 10 building or wings of the spread long and low, believed, he’d cease was to exist.

Or howeva lethal side, he too was allaretwigs and arms drinking beer and like blunder,” about geography,” said more a birdchildren. in flight. Beyond the hedged bor- blend of the greenerstuff, cheap said glue and branches. A long-limbed Tibetan a slow having mealswith at our res- ders Suhaag Singh, pro-econoDharamveer Hooda, a loThis of works out tocampus, past the road trill- cheaper alcohol, convinced the college a certain languorous voice that sounded like lazy Suntaurants.

Enough is ing prietor, Ultraslippy cal sarpanch. “Many of ₹2,100 child, bells, stood the Ridge mist he could fly. He flung withperrickshaw himself off a balcodays. Around college, he wasFrom called ‘Rock’, an Forest, us think Guwahati is enough. now on, we enough to buy Prophylactics.

“I more growing on gentle hills running all the ny and landed in a flower bed, emerging abbreviation of Rock Gibraltar, a title he’d willofrent our rooms only to way shouldAnother have stuck part of China. Personeachto child a cycle, The lifeline of Delhi, its mud-slain than maimed.

Rajasthan. ate three earned after repeatedly attempting, fail- rainy, those who share ourand culture. the balloon busially, I blame Ram Praa tiffingasping carrier,lungs, and its last remaining secret. dozen omelettes at atonearby roadside dhaba. ing, his undergraduate in Chemistry.

It If they exams also produce milk or my father kash, who spent many a ‘In large supply of once told me, ‘all time is (The owner, Mohanji,ness a forest,’ Lenny said like the rascal still owed made him oddlyfertiliser, out of sync the world, trapped.’ evenwith better.” always told me to.” poyears abroad, and kept Britannia Tiger him money.) More recently, a particularly and considerably older than me.

The late summer air hung hot and heavy, tent brand of Manali cream had persuaded a The Investigator is a fortnightly round-up of all things droll All views personal.

Really t@shovonc ‘Are and younewsy. sure you don’t are want?’

He held outpersonal coated in slick orange dust. Delhi’s sunshine, historian on the floor above mine that he

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WILL BEAT THOSE SHIV SENA BLOWS WHO PAY US, SAYS UP CONDOM GURGAONWALA! FACTORY!

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LIGHTHOUSE

It’s only words A book is the words a writer writes. Everything else is packaging... Whether printed on paper or written on rice, paperback or hardback, or a spectral presence in the Kindle app their proximity to a marvellous restaurant called Asitane, which I highly recommend if you visit Istanbul, but I digress.)

So here’s a thought experiment: if you had a time machine at your disposal, went back to the age when mosaics were being made, cornered a mosaic maker and showed him a 20-second cellphone video shot in these modern times, how do you think he’d react? My hypothesis is that he’d instantly go insane, right there. He would not be able to fathom what just happened. And even if he got over it somehow, he would never make a mosaic again in his life. He would not see in it the charm that we do now. All he would want, more than love, sex, happiness or lamb on a bed of aubergines, would be a cellphone. That’s all he’d want.

Well, we have that.

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Amit Varma is a novelist. He blogs at indiauncut.com

friend of mine posted an interesting cartoon on Facebook the other day. A man stood in front of a gigantic empty bookshelf at his friend’s house, peering at three small items on one corner and saying to his friend, “Kindle, Nook, Sony Reader… I say, Hardwick, this sure is an impressive library”. His friend, presumably Hardwick, sat impassively on the sofa, smoking a pipe.

Many of my friends would relate to that. “I can never read a book on a screen,” says one, “I need to hold the book in my hand.” Another says: “I love the smell of paper. E-books can never replace the real thing.” And so on. But these sentiments, noble as they seem, expressed with an air of superiority, as if one is taking a principled stand, are somewhat misplaced. The chief reason for this is a popular misunderstanding of what a book really is.

A book is the words a writer writes. Nothing less; nothing more. Everything else is packaging. Whether it’s printed on paper or written on rice, whether it’s paperback or hardback or a spectral presence in the Kindle app for Android, is irrelevant to the book itself. For centuries now, the dominant form of packaging has involved paper — but books existed before paper did. Media as diverse as clay, stone, bamboo, metal sheets and wood were used to carry the written word, as also was papyrus. Paper was the bold new technology that made all of them redundant; and now we have a newer

osaics are an old technology that is now redundant; will printed books go the same way? I own thousands of printed books myself, though I am also a Kindle power-user, and my prognosis is that within 30 years, printed books will be like LPs are today: mere artefacts. We love printed books because we love reading, have always read printed books, and associate the joy of reading with the habit of reading printed books. My generation, and the one after, will keep buying them. shutterstock/franck boston But the kids growing up in the post-App era, who slide their finger to turn a page, won’t have that same habit or association. technology that threatens to replace paper.

So all my friends who prefer printed books For them, it’s a no-brainer: e-books will be to e-books are not showing a love for books both cheaper and more convenient. (Beper se, but just a nostalgia for a particular sides, reading devices will also evolve. Although I love my Kindle, the form of packaging. There’s nothmodel I use will be fit for a ing wrong with that — as long as museum in 2040.) you don’t imagine that feeling The publishing industry that way makes you some kind of It’s absurd to will also be transformed by connoisseur, like the wine snob pretend you are then. Much of what tradiwho prefers Domaine de la Rosomehow more tional publishers do now — manée-Conti Grand Cru to a refined than a guy printing and packaging the mere Sula. who reads books on book, and distributing it — Indeed, imagine a novelist pausing in the middle of a para- a Kindle because you will be redundant, and the can smell the paper. nature of book marketing graph and saying to himself, “Let Are you a paperwill also change. The curatome tweak this sentence strucfetishist or rial and editing functions ture a bit so that the paper smells a book lover? will remain important, but better.” That would be absurd — publishers, in whatever form as absurd as pretending that you they exist, will get a smaller are somehow more refined than cut of the price of a book. a guy who reads books on a Kin(Authors will get more.) dle because you can smell the paBooks will also be cheaper, though the per. Are you a paper-fetishist or a book lover? processes of discovering them, and shapam writing this column from Turkey, where ing our tastes, will change in ways we I’ve been spending much time in museums, probably can’t imagine now. There’s a forts, palaces, mosques, underground caves, brave new world coming up, and there hot-air balloons and Facebook. In a place are a lot of trees in it that should dance a called the Museum of Mosaics in Istanbul, I dance of woody celebration, for if it were was amused to see people furiously clicking not for technology, we’d be cutting them cellphone pictures of what I thought were down for paper. Start the music. pretty mediocre mosaics. (The ones in the t@amitvarma Chora Church are better, partly because of

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in India had started developing, he would have received more institutional support in terms of exhibitions and scholarship,” she says. This can’t be the only reason as Souza, who died in 2002, a year after Gaitonde, enjoyed more visibility. Also, several exhibition catalogues of the ’70s and ’80s prove how writers and artists critically engaged with and wrote about the oeuvre of their contemporaries. Maybe one of the reasons is that Gaitonde did not fit into the postcolonial, subaltern or feminist narratives that Indian art history was tion or communication’ situations. exploring.

The current narrative put into funcThe same sequence, or versions thereof, are tion by the through the catarepeated asGuggenheim we get into — the restaurant and logue, the programming and the find ourselves a table. Some oldAmerican college press — of both Orientalises Gaitonde asand the orsifriends mine from the ’80s join us, lent masterRahil and is gives him art-historical ders Zen are placed. telling himself, repeatimportance by placing him inbut the tradition of edly, “Say hello to strangers no shaking abstractionists Wassily Kandinsky, hands.” Suddenly Minnie turns toPaul me Klee and and Rothko.

This again maythat not be doing says,Mark “Every time Rahil does this, is, greets justice to the a stranger onartist. the street, I wonder how it will Gaitonde thecannot artist, plan like Gaitonde man, work out? You for it at all,the you can needs to and be looked at in dialogue with his just talk, anticipate.” peers.

It is uncanny howthan beautifully of Abhimanyu is lower Rahil insome relative his landscapes the late and early ability terms. Asfrom the parent of a’50s child with au’60s withrealises the same feltism,resonate one quickly thatconcerns autism isthat a spect’s the Saturday before Diwali, and we’re non-veg)?” There’s a nonplussed but fairly po- low Kumar and Raza wereare strugtrumartists — thatRam no two people with autism the at Khan Market in Delhi. The ‘we’ that I’m lite grin and silence from the other end, which gling the cityhave on its bank,routhe same.with: Rahil the andriver, Abhimanyu similar talking about consists of the two you see suggests ‘strange’ but these people look okay sun unstable heavy waters. engaging It is important tines, such as in going to school, in acin the picture — Rahil Verma, 24, autistic so it must be okay. I step in and that we explore what made these artists contivities like occupational therapy, and Abhimanyu Srinivas, 21, autistic. They’re make those classic ‘parent of verge and what made diverge, if proand yoga andGaitonde sport. Rahil is fairly holding hands and walking because we’ve special child’ gestures — an exwhen he did. ficient at tennis, squash, golf and asked them to, and they’re both in a compli- pressionless face and a mutThe Guggenheim announced the exhibia bit of cricket and football.

AbhiOne quickly realises ant frame of mind. Behind them, or actually tered, “This is Rahil, this is tion in 2012, and therelikes has since been a flurry manyu swimming, yoga that no two people traipsing practically alongside, are Rahil’s Abhimanyu, and we’re heading of excitementand in the Indian art Abhi world. hasn’t In Debasketball. with autism are mother Minnie, and my ‘good self’ aka Abhi- for lunch.” It works. Usually. cember 2013,shown at Christie’s auction in much debut aptitude for acathe same manyu’s father, Madhusudan.

The boys are quite tall and Mumbai, a work

by Gaitonde demics or, let’sthat say,was we estimathaven’t We wind our way to a lunch date at a pop- personable, and, as is the case ed at ₹8.5 crore eventually solda for crore. been able to find way₹23.7 to get him ular café. Suddenly Rahil, who is in a tee and with classical autism, they ‘look’ And more recently, in September 2014, two interested.

Rahil can use mobile shorts, grins at a group of young women com- like any other young fellow but Gaitonde works sold and for more ₹6 crore phones lovesthan to strike up ing towards us, sticks out his hand and says, give themselves away as ‘people with special each at Bonhams’ Abhi Indian, Himalayan and new conversations. can’t dial numbers “Hello, aap non-veg letey ho (Hello, do you eat needs’ the moment they are in ‘social interac- Southeast AsianRahil auction. on the phone. can complete sentences The revaluing of Gaitonde is not limited to the market alone but has generated interest in scholarship as well. The Bodhana Arts Foundation, Mumbai, will release art critic Meera Menezes’ work Vasudeo S Gaitonde, A Biographical and Comparative Research in two volumes next year.

While these are positive outcomes, this exhibition itself, tucked away in a corner of the Guggenheim, leaves one dissatisfied. In fact, with 45 works, this is the biggest-ever exhibition of his works. However, it still seems far too little for an artist whose career spanned around 45 years and who made around five or Out of the box A portrait of VS Gaitonde, who was part of the Progressive Artists’ Group shalini saran six works every year. Even the publication that accompanies the exhibition has images of onn 1995, filmmaker Sunil Kaldate at the seum, New York, as part of the exhibition ‘VS ly 69 works. “It was difficult to trace all the behest of artist SH Raza went to VS Gai- Gaitonde: Painting as Process, Painting as Life’. works since we had to do everything from tonde’s barsati in Nizamudin East, Delhi, This is the first-ever museum exhibition and scratch. We brought in those that were in pubto make a documentary film on him. A retrospective dedicated to Gaitonde (1924- lic collections and as many as we could from peeved Gaitonde refused to even acknowledge 2001). The exhibition, curated by Sandhini private collections,” Poddar says in defence of Poddar, adjunct curator at the the museum. him. Kaldate presented himself again on Gaitonde’s doorstep museum, with curatorial assistSome of the best paintings by the Modernance by Amara Antilla, consists ists are in private collections around the the next day. The Modernist masof 45 works from 1953 to 1997. ter relented but with a few conworld. There is no documentation of these art Gaitonde has always been a pieces in the public domain, and in a retroditions: he would not perform Gaitonde did not fit for the camera, he should not be into the postcolonial, seminal figure in the narrative of spective, one hopes that the interested viewer asked any questions and he Indian Modernism. A graduate will come to know of them. The missing subaltern or feminist should not be disturbed in any narratives that Indian of JJ School of Art, Bombay, and works, however, are more an administrative way. The resultant 27-minute Raza’s classmate, he was part of problem that the Guggenheim cannot be sinart history was the Progressive Artists’ Group gled out for. But what about older exhibition film is a tussle between Gaiexploring that included Raza, FN Souza, MF catalogues, newspaper clippings, letters or tonde’s silence and Kaldate’s desHusain, Tyeb Mehta, Ram Kumar photographs? Surely, these have a place in a perate attempt to impose a and others. soundscape, to make sense. We retrospective that aims to be the first step in are presented with a portrait of The gallerists and collectors scholarship on the artist. In the end, we are the artist in which the artist reveals only what who supported the other Progressives sup- left with only a few of Gaitonde’s works. Mayhe wants to of himself — a finished canvas and ported Gaitonde as well. Yet, in the writing of be that is how he would have liked it... not the act of painting itself. He does let us in Indian art history, Gaitonde was sidelined for (The exhibition runs till February 11, 2015, at the Big bite Rahil Verma numerous reasons. on his process: a long wait with a cigarette in Guggenheim, New York.) and Abhimanyu his hand and head tilted upwards.

Poddar suggests this was because the IndiSrinivas make friends Kaldate’s film, titled VS Gaitonde (1995), was an art market took off only after Gaitonde’s blessy augustine is an art critic currently based in with strangers over lunch kamal narang screened at the Solomon R Guggenheim Mu- death. “Had he been alive when the art market New York

An ongoing exhibition brings Modernist artist VS Gaitonde into the spotlight, but fails to do him full justice

When children with special needs reach adulthood, they require a network of support from their family and community to lead self-sufficient lives

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Breaking out Is Arati needs children — about planning for their fuAnkalikar Tikekar as ture, their adulthood? What are our fears and post-modern as Paul worries? Are there certain set procedures and Abhimanyu’s weekday schedule Auster when it comes lists of things to be done? How does one pro7 to 8amto— Wake up (depending upon bandishes? vide for the individual and collective futures arrangement the effectspecial of the seizure medication) of people who are not exactly ‘helpless’ or to8 to 9:15am — Wash, bathe, dress for tally dependent but, at the same time, need a school bit of a family and social support to conduct 9:30 to 4:30pm — Attend Ashish ordinary but fulfilling adult lives?

Centre in Dwarka; Lunch from 1 to 2; Depending upon where you are on the so2 to 4:30pm engage in vocational cio-economic ladder, the options for a secure activities such as making Diwali cards, future consist of a few select group homes items of clothing, etc. with varying facilities, depending on their ac5:30pm — Home and a huge meal cess to resources. Unlike in the case of senior 6 to 6:30pm — Rest citizens, where a certain seamlessness ap6:30 to 8pm — Leisure activities, such pears to be evolving in terms of a transition as walking, roller-skating, visiting from organised family lives to retirement neighbourhood park, swimming with dad homes across India, or at least in middle-class in summer India, there doesn’t appear to be a societal 8 to 10pm — Attempt to sleep game plan to cater to the needs of special (Of course, the schedule often goes for needs children, who are sooner or later going to be young adults, and would need to be part a toss) of a community support group that will help them lead as independent a life as possible.

We lived in a rented flat in south Delhi and spent all our savings on therapies, schooling, ly, just like his friend and roommate Ashu, on travel, and so on, leaving us with nothing at the other bed. A big achievement. the end of the month. We have taken the usual safety steps like investing in provident funds, A web of help mutual funds, to ensure that our son has fi- What we’re trying right now is to give Rahil nancial backup. But what happens when we and Abhimanyu an independent life in the orare not there? What happens then to these ganic community they’ve been a part of for as young adults who are judged as being unable long as possible. There are innumerable opinions on what is better for individuals (autistic to speak for themselves?

A little over a decade ago, when Abhimanyu or otherwise) with special needs — do they was close to 11, we started thinking about the continue into adulthood as part of the sociedistant future, in the sense of his adulthood. ties they’ve grown up in, or do they move into For various reasons, we crossed out options of large community homes populated with peohis living with close family or friends. Essen- ple of their own ‘kind’. I don’t know the antially, we started to look at long-term adult res- swer as yet.

Apart from settling that issue, though, there idency programmes.

Rahil and Abhimanyu have both done stints are a few other steps that can be taken. First at Arunima in Dehradun (projectarun- off, you have to take a judgment call as to ima.org). These stays have ranged from a week- whether or not your child is going to be indeend last year tobandishes three weeks this summer.

They or head toward independent lineage: many acquire the stamp of pendent miliar combination of word and tune. adultIf the have both been happy at Arunima, es- hood 18 and were after. richer, Thoughperhaps this sounds certain gharanas and singers fromwhich other is ghalyrics at of age bandishes they sentially an never independent it canattracted become amore complex, evolving ranas would sing them.bungalow with simple, would have listeners.

The many where autisticinterpretation problem is compounded question. And answer Apartrooms, from being a melodic bythe the right fact that Hinyoung adults (boysbandish and girls) may emerge only(there around 18, or of a raga, a vocal alsoare contains lyrics. dustani vocalists in general have, of initiated into the business of in-of a bandish, is course, beenperhaps even after But, unlike a song, the quality exceptions) havethat. never taken dependent living, If the youngster going to almost neveradult judged by itsright lyrics. The lyrical enunciation seriously.

Words are is often mumfrom waking up in your owndoesn’t bed inspire need someeven levelleft of incomplete. ‘assistance’ content of bandishes often bled and A trusten— a circle of sometimes (without throughjoke life, one ofyoung the Hinfirst gagementparental (to put itsupervision) politely): repeated refer-friends There is a common amongst family, and to brushing, bathing, dressing, must-dos to undertake a ences to torment inflicted by the saas-nanad dustani that if issomeone forgets the caregivers, who canvocalists having and ‘guardianship’ for him/her as (familialbreakfast, squabbles) duothen or toenthe soundand of the antara part of a composition, the first will step in (second gaging in academic or vocationthey turnhe18.can Thisjust is a deed executmumble his payal risk making for mediocre literature.

It needed being — the asthayee), whenever al activities. ed inaslaw parentand or address; thewhereby melody the is intact must be said, though, that the simplisticmust lyricsbe set up as long The of Arunima is em- value of the faithful to thecaregiver executes a legal docuraga, nobody will mind. did notspirit compromise the syllabic bodied by its founder Aparna ment under the sealwhy of the local There is no reason younger compositions.

The sounds of Das, whosesomehow inspiration for setmagistrate, musicians taking overcannot full Hindustani the words managed ting up the institution her rights forbandishes runningwith banklyrics accompose to blend with the notes;was to lissister short for Arunima. so on, for feel the young adult. literary they have greater tenersRuni, across generations, thatIt did help that counts, and that The lyrics make value. It is Abhimanyu had to met Das and some otherdon’tSimultaneously, what’s but not as ifnecessary, the tradition is is all that seemed matter. compelling young adults from Arunima at a yogafor camp doesn’t oftenbereft happen time, is the composed setting up ofin bandishes In 1954, Ustad Bade Ghulam literature; near Nainital last summer.

So the first short yet, of athe trust — aaround circle ofpoetry. family,In friends fact, and the carelight Ali Khan was performing in Kolsyllables in awho classical weekend visitDixon last autumn was like a recce.placed givers can, andgenres will step havein forwhenever long emkata at the Lane resiparticular And, it turned recce more for us par- melodic needed, or whenever decisions to Surdas be takbraced the likes ofneed Kabir, denceasof Pandit out, Jnana Prakash ents than him.a riveting He didn’tChhayaseem to miss context us dur- create en concerning of daily living. andissues Tulsidas.

Many contemporary Ghosh.

It was magical compositions ing stay there.

And he spent weekend And I leavekhayal you with a finalare story.

We’ve just singers also prolific nat.his During the recital, just af- the cheerfully.

Which the leeway to think got Abhimanyu’s Aadharit card made.

So there composers; is easy to notice that ter he starts his gave drut us bandish, of the three-week stay this summer. We drop- we were at the UIDconcerns office in Delhi, and include the girl their do not “Newara baaje, baaje re mori ped Abhimanyu onjhanana June 14 jha, he waved bye to doing the application wanted Mr squabbles procedures with the saas and the payaliya / Jhanana us, and that was While we were anxious, A (as we sometimes affectionately to nanad. A few years back,refer at the na nana nana,” hethat. stops singing and made phone and Skype Dasisand her him) lookMusic into the camera for mandatoDovertoLane Conference in the Kolkata, Arati to tell his audience that the calls, bandish beautiteam reported Abhimanyu hadbolsettled picture.Tikekar After great difficulty and persuaAnkalikar performed a bandish in Raga ful in spite of thethat “mamuli bol, gharelu (ordi- ry well the routine at Arunima.

The twoThis sig- sion we managed that.toWhereupon the strucneed Bhairavi that referred the nature and naryinto and routine words)” that it contains. nificant gains werebandishes: that his meal-times were arose an ‘iris’itself. picture. Shall I just as leave it ture offor Bhairavi That is almost postis true for several the lyrics don’t much more regulatedliterature; than at home, meaning by saying that in the Not end we manage modern as Paul Auster. all did endeavours make for compelling yet, the syllab- here no frequent melodic grazing. The spilling fingerprints. For rest, for the need And to bethe as adventurous, butthe even if there is les unregulated, placed in a particular context cre- that? at table too came down considerably. Abhi- future ofathe lives of adults with special needs, a hint of movement towards a different lyricatethe magical compositions. manyu learnthowever, to spend an hour or undertwo of it is, I think, time for society to look intofind its aesthetic, uninitiated listeners might Manyalso artistes, feels that ‘rest time’ theofafternoon.

Andhistorically that’s the own self. music less alienating.

Hindustani mining thein lyrics a bandish has sight weacame upon when we to fetch created barrier between lay went listeners and is abased parent of Abhimanyu, arunabha debsrinivas is a Kolkata music writer and him in early music.

July — something we’d never seen Hindustani Most people, even with ca- madhusudan and based in Delhi shubhodeb@hotmail.com lawyer him earlier. was lying bed, the quietsual do interest inHe music, relateon to his a song: fa- 21,

What is a bandish?

A composition at the heart of a recital or a reflection of how an artiste understands the raga

arunabha deb Outdoor love Abhimanyu enjoying a picnic with his father at Tughlaqabad fort, Delhi meena menon

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he primary peril of writing a column on Hindustani music is that your friends think you are ever equipped to meet their questions.

This has led to several awkward interactions, where I have stuttered and struggled to explain basic concepts of Hindustani music, and answer basic questions.

Abhimanyu which I thought I knew pretty well.

Recently,isI barely verbal, in that can knit together twowas asked, “What is he a bandish?”

After waxing khaana khaana, pasword combinations, platitudes (like “The like bandish is the backbone (want to eat that pasta), baahar jaana ta of khaana a recital”), I realised I was embarrass(want to go out),I swimming (want ingly incoherent. try to makejaana amends here.to gaana music), among swim), Simply put, asunnaa bandish(want is a composition.

But a others. has Atosonata be prompted to say song is Abhimanyu a composition. is a composigood morning and with is now worldlywords, wise tion. Any set of notes, or without enough to held say, “I’m fine,”ludicrously, when he is even when together is aasked, com“How are How, you?”then, is the bandish distinctive? position.

TheIndian spectrum of people with specialisneeds, The classical music lexicon notoand people with autism, riously off-putting, so it’s could best tostretch look forina abilsimity from ‘below’ Abhimanyu, to way bepleterms answer. yond Rahil. isThat is, from young adults who A bandish the summary of a raga.

Whether can barely make their needs known to those it contains words (bandishes for khayal) or who are (bandishes expressive for butinstruments), still need assistance doesn’t it has in to meeting those which range from encapsulate theneeds, character of could the raga in which basic ablutions to primary choosingdistinguishing what to wear, feagoit is set.

That is the ing school, and so on. and, say, a song. Both turetobetween a bandish no official are structure, available, but the areWhile contained withinfigures a melodic number of children withisspecial needs the composer of a song at liberty to growintroing adults does run into a few duceinto any young note that makes aesthetic sense to crores, if not a few hundred crores.

The be Cenhim. The composer of a bandish cannot as tres for Disease Control and US, instinctive: his set of notes andPrevention, their arrangenotes onetoineach 68 children in the ment that withabout respect other have to US be has been identified with autism disgoverned by the grammar of thespectrum raga. order according to estimates from CDC’ And(ASD), yet, there are hundreds of bandishes in seach Autism and raga.

InDevelopmental the HindustaniDisabilities tradition, Monmost itoring (ADDM) Network. by musicians thembandishes are composed selves; each bandish, therefore is a reflection of What next? how the artiste understands the raga. Two banAnd that getssame me thinking major condishes in the raga mayabout focusaon different cern of ours: How to talk a widercontrasting communiaspects of the raga andto evoke ty — especially younger special moods.

A bandishparents is oftenofa token of musical

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Fight clubs of Varanasi A millennia-old tradition still finds a place in the narrow alleys along the ghats of the Ganga

Skill drill Wrestlers, caked in mud, practise a kushti technique

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aith and fitness have always found common ground in Varanasi. In its traditional ‘gymnasiums’ or kushti akharas along the ghats, wrestlers continue to practise millennia-old moves with single-minded devotion.

One of the oldest akharas in the city, the Tulsi akhara is believed to have been established over 5,000 years ago by poet Tulsidas. Encircled by a white boundary wall, its muddy rink still draws young men at the break of dawn to

train under the tutelage of Siyaramji. But while the guru’s heart lies in this hallowed arena, he moonlights as an employee of an insurance company to make ends meet. Until he leaves for his job, however, it’s business as usual at the akhara.

The day starts with a prayer at the small Hanuman shrine, before warm-up begins in earnest with a range of kushti equipment. Young boys wear gar nals or stone rings that act as weights around their necks. Some finish a lap

of cartwheels along the periphery. Yet others lift a mace (Hanuman’s gada), their eyebrows furrowed and temples glistening with beads of sweat. Before long everything dissolves into an impossible tangle of limbs on the soft mud, which reduces the impact of throws and manoeuvres perfected over the years. Hours later, the wrestlers disband, disappearing into the crowds and returning to the daily grind of life. supriya sehgal is a Bangalore-based writer

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The ipside Numerous air-conditioned gymnasiums have sprung up in the crisscrossing lanes behind the ghats, but about 15 regulars arrive at 6am every day, their addiction to the soft mud of the akhara unwavering so far

Fighting spirit Despite the rudimentary infrastructure, the akhara has had some notable wins in the state kushti championships Magic mud One of the wrestlers rests on the mud after a tiring bout. The mud here is mixed with ground neem, turmeric and curd, lending it therapeutic properties

Play clan Away from the gaze of the instructor, students fool around in the pit

Ritual shower A young wrestler jumps into the river after a workout

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in India had started developing, he would have received more institutional support in terms of exhibitions and scholarship,” she says. This can’t be the only reason as Souza, who died in 2002, a year after Gaitonde, enjoyed more visibility. Also, several exhibition catalogues of the ’70s and ’80s prove how writers and artists critically engaged with and wrote about the oeuvre of their contemporaries. Maybe one of the reasons is that Gaitonde did not fit into the postcolonial, subaltern or feminist narratives that Indian art history was tion or communication’ situations. exploring. current narrative put into funcThe sameThe sequence, or versions thereof, are tion by the through the catarepeated asGuggenheim we get into — the restaurant and logue, the programming and the find ourselves a table. Some oldAmerican college press both Orientalises Gaitonde asand the orsifriends— of mine from the ’80s join us, lent Zenplaced. masterRahil and isgives him art-historical ders are telling himself, repeatimportance by placing him inbut the tradition of edly, “Say hello to strangers no shaking abstractionists Wassily Kandinsky, hands.” Suddenly Minnie turns toPaul me Klee and and Rothko.

This again maythat not be doing says,Mark “Every time Rahil does this, is, greets justice to the a stranger onartist. the street, I wonder how it will Gaitonde thecannot artist,plan like Gaitonde work out? You for it at all,the youman, can needs toand be looked at in dialogue with his just talk, anticipate.” peers.

It is uncanny how beautifully of Abhimanyu is lower than Rahil insome relative his landscapes the late early ability terms. Asfrom the parent of a’50s childand with au’60s withrealises the same feltism,resonate one quickly thatconcerns autism isthat a spect’s the Saturday before Diwali, and we’re non-veg)?” There’s a nonplussed but fairly po- low Kumar and Raza wereare strugtrumartists — thatRam no two people with autism the at Khan Market in Delhi. The ‘we’ that I’m lite grin and silence from the other end, which gling the cityhave on its bank,routhe same. with: Rahil the andriver, Abhimanyu similar talking about consists of the two you see suggests ‘strange’ but these people look okay sun heavy waters. engaging It is important tines,unstable such as in going to school, in acin the picture — Rahil Verma, 24, autistic so it must be okay. I step in and that we explore what made these artists contivities like occupational therapy, and Abhimanyu Srinivas, 21, autistic. They’re make those classic ‘parent of verge and what made diverge, if proand yoga andGaitonde sport. Rahil is fairly holding hands and walking because we’ve special child’ gestures — an exwhen he did.ficient at tennis, squash, golf and asked them to, and they’re both in a compli- pressionless face and a mutThe Guggenheim announced the exhibia bit of cricket and football.

AbhiOne quickly realises ant frame of mind. Behind them, or actually tered, “This is Rahil, this is tion in 2012, and therelikes has since been a flurry manyu swimming, yoga that no two people traipsing practically alongside, are Rahil’s Abhimanyu, and we’re heading of excitement in the Indian art Abhi world. hasn’t In Deand basketball. with autism are mother Minnie, and my ‘good self’ aka Abhi- for lunch.” It works. Usually. cember 2013,shown at Christie’s auction in much debut aptitude for acathe same manyu’s father, Madhusudan.

The boys are quite tall and Mumbai, a work

by Gaitonde demics or, let’sthat say,was we estimathaven’t We wind our way to a lunch date at a pop- personable, and, as is the case ed at ₹8.5 crore eventually solda for crore. been able to find way₹23.7 to get him ular café. Suddenly Rahil, who is in a tee and with classical autism, they ‘look’ And more recently, in September 2014, two interested.

Rahil can use mobile shorts, grins at a group of young women com- like any other young fellow but Gaitonde works sold and for more ₹6 crore phones lovesthan to strike up ing towards us, sticks out his hand and says, give themselves away as ‘people with special each at Bonhams’ Abhi Indian, Himalayan and new conversations. can’t dial numbers “Hello, aap non-veg letey ho (Hello, do you eat needs’ the moment they are in ‘social interac- Southeast AsianRahil auction. on the phone. can complete sentences The revaluing of Gaitonde is not limited to the market alone but has generated interest in scholarship as well. The Bodhana Arts Foundation, Mumbai, will release art critic Meera Menezes’ work Vasudeo S Gaitonde, A Biographical and Comparative Research in two volumes next year.

While these are positive outcomes, this exhibition itself, tucked away in a corner of the Guggenheim, leaves one dissatisfied. In fact, with 45 works, this is the biggest-ever exhibition of his works. However, it still seems far too little for an artist whose career spanned around 45 years and who made around five or Out of the box A portrait of VS Gaitonde, who was part of the Progressive Artists’ Group shalini saran six works every year. Even the publication that accompanies the exhibition has images of onn 1995, filmmaker Sunil Kaldate at the seum, New York, as part of the exhibition ‘VS ly 69 works. “It was difficult to trace all the behest of artist SH Raza went to VS Gai- Gaitonde: Painting as Process, Painting as Life’. works since we had to do everything from tonde’s barsati in Nizamudin East, Delhi, This is the first-ever museum exhibition and scratch. We brought in those that were in pubto make a documentary film on him. A retrospective dedicated to Gaitonde (1924- lic collections and as many as we could from peeved Gaitonde refused to even acknowledge 2001). The exhibition, curated by Sandhini private collections,” Poddar says in defence of Poddar, adjunct curator at the the museum. him. Kaldate presented himself again on Gaitonde’s doorstep museum, with curatorial assistSome of the best paintings by the Modernance by Amara Antilla, consists ists are in private collections around the the next day. The Modernist masof 45 works from 1953 to 1997. ter relented but with a few conworld. There is no documentation of these art Gaitonde has always been a pieces in the public domain, and in a retroditions: he would not perform Gaitonde did not fit for the camera, he should not be into the postcolonial, seminal figure in the narrative of spective, one hopes that the interested viewer asked any questions and he Indian Modernism. A graduate will come to know of them. The missing subaltern or feminist should not be disturbed in any narratives that Indian of JJ School of Art, Bombay, and works, however, are more an administrative way. The resultant 27-minute Raza’s classmate, he was part of problem that the Guggenheim cannot be sinart history was the Progressive Artists’ Group gled out for. But what about older exhibition film is a tussle between Gaiexploring that included Raza, FN Souza, MF catalogues, newspaper clippings, letters or tonde’s silence and Kaldate’s desHusain, Tyeb Mehta, Ram Kumar photographs? Surely, these have a place in a perate attempt to impose a and others. soundscape, to make sense. We retrospective that aims to be the first step in are presented with a portrait of The gallerists and collectors scholarship on the artist. In the end, we are the artist in which the artist reveals only what who supported the other Progressives sup- left with only a few of Gaitonde’s works. Mayhe wants to of himself — a finished canvas and ported Gaitonde as well. Yet, in the writing of be that is how he would have liked it... not the act of painting itself. He does let us in Indian art history, Gaitonde was sidelined for (The exhibition runs till February 11, 2015, at the Big bite Rahil Verma numerous reasons. on his process: a long wait with a cigarette in Guggenheim, New York.) and Abhimanyu his hand and head tilted upwards.

Poddar suggests this was because the IndiSrinivas make friends Kaldate’s film, titled VS Gaitonde (1995), was an art market took off only after Gaitonde’s blessy augustine is an art critic currently based in with strangers over lunch kamal narang screened at the Solomon R Guggenheim Mu- death. “Had he been alive when the art market New York

An ongoing exhibition brings Modernist artist VS Gaitonde into the spotlight, but fails to do him full justice

When children with special needs reach adulthood, they require a network of support from their family and community to lead self-sufficient lives

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Breaking out Is Arati needs children — about planning for their fuAnkalikar Tikekar as ture, their adulthood? What are our fears and post-modern as Paul worries? Are there certain set procedures and Abhimanyu’s weekday schedule Auster when it comes lists of things to be done? How does one pro7 to 8amto— Wake up (depending upon bandishes? vide for the individual and collective futures arrangement the effectspecial of the seizure medication) of people who are not exactly ‘helpless’ or to8 to 9:15am — Wash, bathe, dress for tally dependent but, at the same time, need a school bit of a family and social support to conduct 9:30 to 4:30pm — Attend Ashish ordinary but fulfilling adult lives?

Centre in Dwarka; Lunch from 1 to 2; Depending upon where you are on the so2 to 4:30pm engage in vocational cio-economic ladder, the options for a secure activities such as making Diwali cards, future consist of a few select group homes items of clothing, etc. with varying facilities, depending on their ac5:30pm — Home and a huge meal cess to resources. Unlike in the case of senior 6 to 6:30pm — Rest citizens, where a certain seamlessness ap6:30 to 8pm — Leisure activities, such pears to be evolving in terms of a transition as walking, roller-skating, visiting from organised family lives to retirement neighbourhood park, swimming with dad homes across India, or at least in middle-class in summer India, there doesn’t appear to be a societal 8 to 10pm — Attempt to sleep game plan to cater to the needs of special (Of course, the schedule often goes for needs children, who are sooner or later going to be young adults, and would need to be part a toss) of a community support group that will help them lead as independent a life as possible.

We lived in a rented flat in south Delhi and spent all our savings on therapies, schooling, ly, just like his friend and roommate Ashu, on travel, and so on, leaving us with nothing at the other bed. A big achievement. the end of the month. We have taken the usual safety steps like investing in provident funds, A web of help mutual funds, to ensure that our son has fi- What we’re trying right now is to give Rahil nancial backup. But what happens when we and Abhimanyu an independent life in the orare not there? What happens then to these ganic community they’ve been a part of for as young adults who are judged as being unable long as possible. There are innumerable opinions on what is better for individuals (autistic to speak for themselves?

A little over a decade ago, when Abhimanyu or otherwise) with special needs — do they was close to 11, we started thinking about the continue into adulthood as part of the sociedistant future, in the sense of his adulthood. ties they’ve grown up in, or do they move into For various reasons, we crossed out options of large community homes populated with peohis living with close family or friends. Essen- ple of their own ‘kind’. I don’t know the antially, we started to look at long-term adult res- swer as yet.

Apart from settling that issue, though, there idency programmes.

Rahil and Abhimanyu have both done stints are a few other steps that can be taken. First at Arunima in Dehradun (projectarun- off, you have to take a judgment call as to ima.org). These stays have ranged from a week- whether or not your child is going to be indeend last year tobandishes three weeks this summer.

They or head toward independent lineage: many acquire the stamp of pendent miliar combination of word and tune. adultIf the have both been happy at Arunima, es- hood 18 and were after. richer, Thoughperhaps this sounds certain gharanas and singers fromwhich other is ghalyrics at of age bandishes they sentially an never independent it canattracted become more a complex, evolving ranas would sing them.bungalow with simple, would have listeners.

The many where autisticinterpretation problem is compounded question. And answer Apartrooms, from being a melodic by the the right fact that Hinyoung adults (boysbandish and girls) may emerge only(there around 18, or of a raga, a vocal alsoare contains lyrics. dustani vocalists in general have, of initiated into the business of ineven after But, unlike a song, the quality of a bandish, is course, beenperhaps exceptions) havethat. never taken dependent living, If the youngster is going to almost neveradult judged by itsright lyrics. The lyrical enunciation seriously.

Words are often mumfrom waking up in your owndoesn’t bed inspire need some levelleftof incomplete. ‘assistance’ content of bandishes often bled and even A trusten— a circle of sometimes (without through life, one ofyoung the Hinfirst gagementparental (to put itsupervision) politely): repeated refer-friends There is a common joke amongst family, and to brushing, bathing, dressing, must-dos to undertake ences to torment inflicted by the saas-nanad dustani that if issomeone forgets thea caregivers, who canvocalists having and ‘guardianship’ for him/her as (familialbreakfast, squabbles) duothen or toenthe soundand of the antara part of a composition, the first will step in (second gaging in academic or mediocre vocation- literature. they turnhe18.can Thisjust is a mumble deed executhis payal risk making for It needed being — the asthayee), whenever al activities. ed inaslaw parentand or address; thewhereby melody the is intact must be said, though, that the simplisticmust lyricsbe set up as long of Arunima is em- value of the faithful to thecaregiver executes a legal docuraga, nobody will mind. didThe notspirit compromise the syllabic bodied by its founder Aparna ment the sealwhy of the local Thereunder is no reason younger compositions.

The sounds of Das, whosesomehow inspiration for setmagistrate, musicians taking over full Hindustani cannot the words managed ting up the institution her rights forbandishes runningwith banklyrics accompose to blend with the notes;was to lissister short for Arunima. so on, forfeel the have young adult. literary they greater tenersRuni, across generations, thatIt did help that counts, and that The lyrics make value. It is Abhimanyu had to met Das and some otherdon’tSimultaneously, what’s but not as ifnecessary, the tradition is is all that seemed matter. compelling young adults from Arunima at a yogafor camp doesn’t oftenbereft happen time, is the composed setting up ofin bandishes In 1954, Ustad Bade Ghulam literature; near Nainital last summer.

So the first short yet, of athe trust — aaround circle ofpoetry. family,In friends carefact, and the light Ali Khan was performing in Kolsyllables in awho classical weekend visitDixon last autumn was like a recce.placed givers can, andgenres will step havein forwhenever long emkata at the Lane resiparticular And, it turned recce more for us par- melodic needed, or whenever decisions to Surdas be takbraced the likes ofneed Kabir, denceasof Pandit out, Jnana Prakash ents than him.

He didn’t seem to miss context us dur- create en concerning of daily living. andissues Tulsidas.

Many contemporary Ghosh.

It was a riveting Chhayamagical compositions ing stay there.

And he spent weekend And I leavekhayal you with a finalare story.

We’ve just singers also prolific nat. his During the recital, just af- the cheerfully.

Which the leeway to think got Abhimanyu’s Aadharit card made.

So there composers; is easy to notice that ter he starts his gave drut us bandish, of the three-week stay this summer. We drop- we were at the UIDconcerns office in Delhi, and include the girl their do not “Newara baaje, baaje re mori ped Abhimanyu onjhanana June 14 jha, he waved bye to doing the application wanted Mr squabbles procedures with the saas and the payaliya / Jhanana us, and that was While we were anxious, A (as we sometimes affectionately to nanad. A few years back,refer at the na nana nana,” hethat. stops singing and made phone and Skype Dasisand her him) lookMusic into the camera for mandatoDovertoLane Conference in the Kolkata, Arati to tell his audience that the calls, bandish beautiteam reported Abhimanyu hadbolsettled picture.Tikekar After great difficulty and persuaAnkalikar performed a bandish in Raga ful in spite of thethat “mamuli bol, gharelu (ordi- ry well the routine at Arunima.

The twoThis sig- sion we managed that. thestrucneed Bhairavi that referred toWhereupon the nature and nary into and routine words)” that it contains. nificant gains werebandishes: that his meal-times were arose an ‘iris’itself. picture. Shall I just as leave it ture offor Bhairavi That is almost postis true for several the lyrics don’t much more regulatedliterature; than at home, meaning by saying that in the Not end we manage modern as Paul Auster. all did endeavours make for compelling yet, the syllab- here no frequent melodic grazing. context The spilling And fingerprints. For rest, for the need to bethe as adventurous, but the even if there is les unregulated, placed in a particular cre- that? at table too came down considerably. Abhi- future ofathe lives of adults with special needs, a hint of movement towards a different lyricatethe magical compositions. manyu learnthowever, to spend an hour or undertwo of it is, I think, time for society to look intofind its aesthetic, uninitiated listeners might Manyalso artistes, feels that ‘rest time’ theofafternoon.

Andhistorically that’s the own self. music less alienating.

Hindustani mining the in lyrics a bandish has sight weacame upon when we to fetch created barrier between lay went listeners and a parent of Abhimanyu, arunabha debsrinivas is a Kolkatais based music writer and him in earlymusic.

July — something we’d never seen Hindustani Most people, even with ca- madhusudan and based in Delhi shubhodeb@hotmail.com lawyer him earlier. was lying bed, the quietsual do interest inHe music, relateon to his a song: fa- 21,

What is a bandish?

A composition at the heart of a recital or a reflection of how an artiste understands the raga

arunabha deb Outdoor love Abhimanyu enjoying a picnic with his father at Tughlaqabad fort, Delhi meena menon

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he primary peril of writing a column on Hindustani music is that your friends think you are ever equipped to meet their questions.

This has led to several awkward interactions, where I have stuttered and struggled to explain basic concepts of Hindustani music, and answer basic questions.

Abhimanyu which I thought I knew pretty well.

Recently,isI barely verbal, in that can knit together twowas asked, “What is ahebandish?”

After waxing khaana khaana, pasword combinations, platitudes (like “The like bandish is the backbone (want to eat that pasta), baahar jaana ta of khaana a recital”), I realised I was embarrass(want to go out),I swimming (want ingly incoherent. try to makejaana amends here.to gaana music), among swim), Simply put, asunnaa bandish (want is a composition.

But a others. has Atosonata be prompted to say song is Abhimanyu a composition. is a composigood morning and with is now worldlywords, wise tion. Any set of notes, or without enough to held say, “I’m fine,”ludicrously, when he is even when together is aasked, com“How are How, you?”then, is the bandish distinctive? position.

The spectrum of people with specialisneeds, The Indian classical music lexicon notoand people with autism, could riously off-putting, so it’s best tostretch look forina abilsimity from ‘below’ Abhimanyu, to way bepleterms answer. yond Rahil. isThat is, from young adults who A bandish the summary of a raga.

Whether can barely make their needs known to those it contains words (bandishes for khayal) or who are(bandishes expressive for butinstruments), still need assistance doesn’t it has in to meeting those which range from encapsulate theneeds, character of could the raga in which basic ablutions to primary choosingdistinguishing what to wear, feagoit is set.

That is the ing school, and so on.and, say, a song. Both turetobetween a bandish no official are structure, available, but the areWhile contained withinfigures a melodic number of children withisspecial needs the composer of a song at liberty to growintroing adults does run into a few duceinto any young note that makes aesthetic sense to crores, if composer not a few hundred crores.

Thebe Cenhim. The of a bandish cannot as tres for Disease Control and US, instinctive: his set of notes andPrevention, their arrangenotes one 68 children in the ment that withabout respect toineach other have to US be has been identified with autism disgoverned by the grammar of thespectrum raga. order according to estimates from CDC’ And(ASD), yet, there are hundreds of bandishes in seach Autism and raga.

InDevelopmental the HindustaniDisabilities tradition, Monmost itoring (ADDM) Network. by musicians thembandishes are composed selves; each bandish, therefore is a reflection of What next? how the artiste understands the raga. Two banAnd that getssame me thinking major condishes in the raga mayabout focusaon different cern of ours: How to talk a widercontrasting communiaspects of the raga andto evoke ty — especially younger special moods.

A bandishparents is oftenofa token of musical

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EXCERPT

The beginning of absence dipankar

Nem is a student of English literature at Delhi University when he meets an art historian who irrevocably changes his life, steering him into a world of pleasure and artistic discovery. One day, without warning, his mentor disappears

FUTURE RUN FOR UNITY EVENTS TO INCLUDE RUNNING! T

SHOVON CHOWDHURY is chief Truthdigger and author of The Competent Authority

he Deputy Secretary runs grace“On the contrary, it was a with pity reserved for fools. one was there. The Sanitation Department fully on the treadmill, knees grand success,” says the Joint “You see, these things take alone filled up half of India Gate. It’s true pumping, chest heaving. The Secretary, “Many more camtime. Rome was not built in there was not much running. The point you sweat shines on his handsome eras were used this time. At a day. Haste makes waste. are making was raised by the PMO. We tried Good things come to to explain that government servants can’t face. He could have been a movie star, or Madison Square Gardens, we tennis champion, but once he cleared the were unable to capture all those who wait. Pa- move faster, but they were adamant. We’ve IAS exams, destiny decided otherwise. the angles.” “Still, there tience is the virtue of assured them that the objective of running kings. Also, you must for unity will eventually be achieved. We The Joint Secretary smiles at his subordi- wasn’t much running, appreciate that the ma- are working on fitness levels, so next year nate: “If you have completed 45 minutes, was there?” I persist you can stop now,” he says, “And don’t for- “Mostly people walkjority of people at the we’ll be able to walk briskly. In five years, get to sweep around the treadmill before ed down Rajpath venue were govern- jogging can’t be ruled out.” “What about the mist The Ridge — Delhi’s gasping lungs, its last remaining secret vv krishnan you go.” He turns to me. “I was told I need to Through shouting slogans. ment servants. We is- ‘unity’,” I ask, “Will you be doing anything sued circulars about about that?” “Certainly,” he says, “Absenbecome fitter, so I purchased a treadmill One or two tried to and ordered him to do the needful.” I am jog, but had to stop volunteering. Some offi- teeism was as high as 11 per cent in some defirst saw Nicholas in a room that remind- an elegantly slender spliff. belying the city’s ancient origins, was a brash, sympathetic, but remain focused on my as they kept getting cers were confused, so we partments. Volunteering will be more ed me of an aquarium.

I was certain. I had a lecture to attend. On Sa- brutish youth, dashing off stone, glinting duty as a journalist. “The Run for Unity was stuck between fat people.” clarified subsequently that vol- strictly enforced. The entire government The lights dimmed, a projector flicker- muel Beckett and symbolism. against short, toughened grass. If there was a bit of a debacle, wasn’t it?” I ask.

The Joint Secretary looks at me unteering was compulsory. Every- will run, and we will be united.” ing like an old movie reel. Sunshine seepThat, he demurred, offered even greater one thing I missed about my hometown in the ing through the curtains into green pretext to join him. hills — and in honesty there wasn’t all that semi-darkness. The air cold and muted; someFor reasons I cannot remember — perhaps much — it was the weather. Those seemingly where the hum of an air-conditioner serving the class was cancelled? — I found myself aim- endless days of far-folded mists and glistening as the underlying rhythm of breath and life. lessly wandering the college building. rain. My time in the city was marked by A talk was underway.

Through red-brick corridors divided by slabs months of parched heat and brief, torrid Seahorse Janice Pariat ‘What are the possible consequences?’ of sunlight and shadow, passing rooms des- winters.

Random House asked the speaker. ‘If Alexander had succeed- olate as churches, their wooden benches and In retrospect, I should have taken up KalFiction ed? If he had swept unchallenged across the tables drawn and empty. To my left, through sang’s offer. He was usually in possession of ₹399 Indian subcontinent in the fourth century BC? the arches, unfurled a length of grassy lawn, stellar weed, not the kind that drove people Huge social and political ramifications, to be speckled, in winter, with sitting, sloping fig- crazy. I’d heard the stories, of course, about sure. But I’d say the most spectacular influen- ures. Occasionally, squirrels various drug-fuelled antics in .’ just like India, ex- scurried across tellinglie uselsewhere how China. .was oneresidence realised at the time n news described as ‘encouraging for ce would he suburbs Lucknow were biscuits. What nothe to theofstonehalls.

Oral folkwas struck by were the shape of him.

Theonly shapes the cows thinner.

It was lat- path edges, in a series steps year buffaloes’ by PETA, residents in the Icept tense and covered in rubber after was that this is just or mynas alighted loreoneshared yearof after A figure carved in light, as he for a quickthe call centre areas of the National Capi- of him. er that we learnt he was livinggrowing in Guwahati.

Shiv Senabut blew up a condom to ensure that Hindus not loseold theand de- new, walk-about, now amongdo students, In the shimmering diminishing whenconfusion. he edged it lay empty, Sincenearer, then, there’s been some mographic battle.

The factorytoinaquestion tal Region have confirmed that they walked factory, along with three sainiks shimmering cleanamounting grand colledarkness, I watched will continue to beat up young people away.

Plus, so many people take advantage of us. ly who to run away, on the evening of was blown up ingiate a daring late-night com- by in forgot the sunlight.

I curved archive, embellished him closely smiled.

There was ‘In thisart.’ couple who came claiming against mando attack, after surfaced from the Northeast who pay them money He November 7. This was the logical the length of a pillar.

If I next step time allegations and generous imaginaIto attended the talk It leaned be Manipuri.

But by I’veslim seencoincidence.

Mary Kom, and condoms only to who to stay in their homes. after anout event late October, andinglanced up, I’dat which the that it was “supplying tions. The one about a boy one of of those drifting days campus,Chothe see “We are strong men with proud tradi- wasneither them looked likeon Priyanka UP branch of the Shivrising Sena announced cash Hindu localities”.uttered his name, persistently, a cubical tower into afternoon mirroring the skyonly — vast empty. pra.

Not areand these call the up thisKarma tions, unpolluted by prizes ₹21,000at the top, a sky,ofbearing, for three“Setting days — Karma I’d left my roommatecentre Kalsang,boys standing the cross chow mein, unafraid of and bygirls to every Hindu and a star.

On both sides, Karmacondom — for if he factory stopped, he window, smoking a joint.

Like trees they out- the renting ourthe homes, my biggest miniskirts, and unclear family with 10 building or wings of the spread long and low, believed, he’d cease was to exist.

Or how eva lethal side, he too was allaretwigs and arms drinking beer and like blunder,” about geography,” said more a birdchildren. in flight. Beyond the hedged bor- blend of the greenerstuff, cheap said glue and branches. A long-limbed Tibetan a slow having mealswith at our res- ders Suhaag Singh, pro-econoDharamveer Hooda, a loThis of works out tocampus, past the road trill- cheaper alcohol, convinced the college a certain languorous voice that sounded like lazy Suntaurants.

Enough is ing prietor, Ultraslippy cal sarpanch. “Many of ₹2,100 child, bells, stood the Ridge mist he could fly. He flung withperrickshaw himself off a balcodays. Around college, he wasFrom callednow ‘Rock’, an Forest, us think Guwahati is enough. on, we enough to buy Prophylactics.

“I more growing on gentle hills running all the ny and landed in a flower bed, emerging abbreviation of Rock Gibraltar, a title he’d willofrent our rooms only to way shouldAnother have stuck part of China. Personeachto child a cycle, The lifeline of Delhi, its mud-slain than maimed.

Rajasthan. ate three earned after repeatedly attempting, fail- rainy, those who share ourand culture. the balloon busially, I blame Ram Praa tiffingasping carrier,lungs, and its last remaining secret. dozen omelettes at atonearby roadside dhaba. ing, his undergraduate in Chemistry.

It If they exams also produce milk or my father kash, who spent many a ‘In large supply of once told me, ‘all time is (The owner, Mohanji,ness a forest,’ Lenny said like the rascal still owed made him oddlyfertiliser, out of sync the world, trapped.’ evenwith better.” always told me to.” poyears abroad, and kept Britannia Tiger him money.) More recently, a particularly and considerably older than me.

The late summer air hung hot and heavy, tent brand of Manali cream had persuaded a The Investigator is a fortnightly round-up of all things droll All views personal.

Really t@shovonc ‘Are and younewsy. sure you don’t are want?’

He held outpersonal coated in slick orange dust. Delhi’s sunshine, historian on the floor above mine that he

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WILL BEAT THOSE SHIV SENA BLOWS WHO PAY US, SAYS UP CONDOM GURGAONWALA! FACTORY!

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A sorry State It’s only words

could see ghosts. ‘They hang around at the foot of our beds,’ he said, ‘watching us as we LIGHTHOUSE sleep.’

Now, I faced the rest of the day purposeless, and worse, perfectly sober.

Against my arm, the stone pillar burned gently. As respite from the weather, I usually slipped into the library, a cool basement level space where I’d find a corner, read, or more often, nap. That afternoon, when I checked, the library was ‘Closed for Maintenance’ — although there didn’t seem to be any work being done inside. I walked away, mildly disappointed, but further down the corridor, the door to the ambitiously named Conference Hall was slightly ajar, acquiescing a stream of startlingly cold air.

It was cooled sparingly, for special occasions; clearly, today, something important enough called for this luxury. I slipped in and found a seat at the edge of the last row. Before me spilled a surprisingly generous scattering of students, and a few professors up in front.

The speaker’s voice was low yet clear — a strange, deep birdsong — carrying the clipped crispness of a British accent.

‘For centuries, the Buddha was represented through an iconic symbols . . . his footprints, a Bodhi tree, a riderless horse, the dharma wheel, an empty throne . . . how could the infinite, the boundless, be apprehended? Early Buddhist art was shaped by non-presence. Devotees were face to face with a “no-thing”. Certain scholarship states it wasn’t until the Greek presence in South Asia that anthropomorphic representations of the Buddha emerged . . .’

The speaker gestured at a map projected on the wall, a rectangular window glowing white and unearthly.

‘In essence, the art created in the Gandhara region during the Hellenistic period derived its content from Indian mysticism while the form was that of Greek realism. It could have been purely for economic reasons, of course.

Gandhara was ruled by the Kushan kings and it was a wealthy region, thanks to its position on the Silk Road . . . So with the luxury goods travelled the monks and missionaries, and with them the Buddha, in human form, perfriend of aids mineinposted anacross interesthaps because an image teaching ing cartoon on Facebook other language barriers.

Yet is that all? Whatthe is this day. A man ofthem a gigandesire to humanise our stood gods?inTofront make tic empty in our own image . . .’ bookshelf at his friend’s house, peering at darkness, three small items on In the shimmering I watched himone corner and saying to his friend, “Kindle, Nook, closely.

Sony Reader…

Hardwick, thisout sure is an He had a face II say, wanted to reach and impressive library”. His friend, presumably touch.

Hardwick, thelong, sofa, chismokBroad, yet sat notimpassively indelicate, on with ing cheeks a pipe. shaded by stubble. A nose that selled Many of myand friends relate to that. “I sloped straight high would between deeply-set canI never read a book on a screen,” says one, “I eyes. leaned forward, hoping to decipher need to hold thewith book my hand.” their colour — but hisinglasses, and Another from says: “I loveit the of paper.

E-books can that distance, was smell impossible to tell. neverhis replace the realdense thing.” soframon. But Only hair gleamed andAnd dark, sentiments, as they seem,in exingthese his forehead, his noble temples, his ears, pressed with an air of superiority, as if one is waves. taking a principled He was never still. stand, are somewhat misreason forathis a popular Aplaced. ripple The here,chief a touch there, stepisforward, misunderstanding of what a book really a few back. With anyone else this might beis.a is the a writer writes. Nothing markAofbook anxiety, ofwords nervous, undispelled enernothing more. were Everything is of packaggy, less; but his movements — I canelse think no ing. word Whether it’s printed on paper or written better — silent.

Seamless.

Precisely eleon arice, it’s paperback hardback gant, tall,whether sinewy man on a wire,or whose ges- or a spectral presence through in the Kindle tures swept gracefully the air.app for Anis irrelevant to the book Idroid, had never seen anyone like him.itself. For centuries now,like thehim. dominant form of packaging Or dressed has paper — but existedgrey, before In a involved mandarin collar shirtbooks of lightest paper as diverse clay, stone, bamrolled updid. at Media the sleeves, andastailored hazel boo, metal sheets andin wood were used Itowas carry trousers, belted smartly black leather. the written word, also was papyrus.

Paper certain he’d never setas foot outside an air-conwas theroom; bold new technology that made all of ditioned otherwise impossible to apthem redundant; and now we have a newer pear, in Delhi, in summer, that immaculate.

A prison memoir that exposes our broken judicial and legal systems, and highlights the strength of the human spirit A book is the words a writer writes. Everything else is packaging... Whether printed on our democracy ages, its legal fangs ground while two policemen stood on my outpaper or written on rice, paperback orsarehardback, or a spectral presence in the Kindle app getting more lethal. Human stretched thighs to keep me pinned to the

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Amit Varma is a novelist. He blogs at indiauncut.com

janice pariat excerpted from her book, Seahorse

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rights are all too frequently thwart- floor. This was calculated to cause maximum ed in our country as the State be- pain without leaving visible injuries.” The proximity a marvellous comes Big Brother. And instead of hard their memoir goes on to describe other restaubone-chillcalled Asitane, which I highlysuch recomevidence, mere suspicion is enough for the rant ing accounts of police brutality, as the if you visit Istanbul, but I digress.)

State to put anyone ‘inconvenient’ behind mend use of ‘bajirao’ — an interrogation instrument a thought if injected you bars. Among the suspected ‘Naxalites’ who So — orhere’s an instance whenexperiment: a police officer a time at your disposal, went were thrown into jail, Binayak Sen and Soni So- had petrol intomachine the rectums of two prisoners. to the age when mosaics were ri were fortunate enough (though Sori’s trials back While prisons are supposed to be being centres of cornered a prisoner, mosaic in maker are far from over) to have sections of the made, reformation for the India and they are cellphone video media and human rights groups up in arms. showed another him formaof20-second hell. But Ferreira tries to grow modern times, you of But for every Sen and Sori, there are thousands shot in these accustomed to how the do “luxury think he’d react?contemplating My hypothesisthe is that of others who still languish in jail. myriad he’d instantly go insane, right there.life”.

He He One such person was Arun Ferreira. As rhythms of prison would not be able to fathom justtrials a young man in Bombay, he was dwells what on life’s happened. And even if he got over it someshaken by the riots following from a spot how, he would never make a mosaic again he the demolition of the where in his life. He would not see in itsee thea few Babri Masjid. Discan charm that we do now. All he would want, gusted by releaves.

Along more than love, sex, happiness orwith lamb on ligious other a bed of aubergines, would be a cell- he fundamenprisoners, phone. That’s all he’d want. talism, dishunts birds, Well, we have that. turbed by squirrels and the inequalibandicoots osaics are an old technology thatanis imty in our socieusing now redundant; will printed bookstrap. ty and agitated provised go the same way? I own thousands by the corruption, He poresofover printed books myself, though I am also a he gravitated tobooks — includKindle power-user, and my wards a revolutioningprognosis the IndianisConthat within 30 years, printed books be ary students’ stitution —will organises Mai baap Alike sketch LPs are today: mere artefacts. love organisation called Vihunger strikes, makesWe balls using

by Arun Ferreira printed books loveofreading, dyarthi Pragati Sanghatana thebecause elastic we band old undermade in captivity have always read books, torn and asso(VPS). With his VPS comrades, he wearprinted and repairs slippers ciate the joy of reading the habit of is hoped to transform a class- and using penwith refills.

Nothing reading printed books. generation, caste-ridden country into a more wasted, all isMy improvised, and evandisthe one after, will keep them. and just and equitable one. erything is buying unlearned Everything boston But the kids growing up in the post-App But the State would haveshutterstock/franck none learned anew in the prison unlearned and era,inwho their finger to turn a page, of this, as their motto is ‘Status learned anew the slidewards. won’t have that Maharashtra same habit or association. technology replace paper.

Quo Jayate’ that afterthreatens all! A pento drive not only has prison wards a no-brainer: e-books all my friends who prefer in SoFerreira’s possession wasprinted books For them, it’s more prisoners thanwill anybe other and more to e-books showing a love for books both cheaperIndian enough forare thenot police to accuse state,convenient. it also has(Bea high devices of will also evolve.

Al- Deper just a nostalgia for a particular sides, readingnumber him se, of but being a member of the custodial deaths. though I love my Kindle, the and form of CPI packaging. nothbanned (Maoist)There’s party, usualspite the physical torture model I usetorment will be fit a ing wrongaswith that — He as long as ly known Naxalites. was acthe mental of for awaiting museum in what 2040.)keeps Ferreira’s you feeling cuseddon’t of imagine being that a criminal trial dates, The up publishing industry that way makes youhad somecommitkind of mastermind who sprits is his sense of optiIt’s absurd to will alsoHe be writes; transformed by out connoisseur, like the wine ted murders, possessed armssnob and mism.

“Nights pretend you are then.

Much of the what tradiwho prefers Domaine de la Rorioted.

He thus found himself in here are always time for consomehow more tional publishers do now —commanée-Conti Grand for Crusolitary to a the ‘anda’ — a section templation.

The loneliness refined than a guy printing packaging the the mere Sula. confinement in the notorious pels meandto recollect reads books on book, and distributing it —with Indeed, a novelist Nagpur Jail.imagine Ferreira spent 2007 whoColours yesteryears and doze off of because you will redundant, the pausing thejail, middle of aheparato 2011 ininthe before was a Kindle thosebememories.

Thatand is the beauthe Cage canAsmell paper.

Prison the Memoir nature of book marketing and graph to himself, “Let clearedand by saying the courts of all nine ty of one’s imagination Arun Ferreira Are you a paperwill also No change.

The curatome this sentence struccasestweak filed against him. Colours of dreams. four prison walls can Aleph fetishist or rial editing ture a bitissohis that the paper smells the Cage prison memoir. ever and contain them.’’functions Non-fiction a book lover? ₹295 willFerreira’s remain case important, butprisbetter.” would be absurd — ManyThat prison memoirs have alshows that publishers, in whatever as absurd as pretending that you ready been published in India, on life does not end form with the they exist, and will one’s get a release. smaller This are somehow more refined than Nagari Babaiah’s Ninety Days in Prison (in En- clearing of all charges of note. the price of that a book. aglish) guy who reads books on a Kinand Kumar Samatala’s Jailemba Lokadal- book ends oncut a sad He finds life after (Authors gethand, more.) dle because you can smell the pali (The Prison World — in Kannada).

But what prison is still haunted,will on one by the alsoaction be cheaper, though per.

AreFerreira’s you a paper-fetishist or a book makes ‘cage’ different is itslover? varied Books fear of will further by the State and,the on the discovering them, and shapcolours. It has shades of optimism, broad processes other, the of struggle to build a life again in acam writing this column from Turkey, where ing our tastes, will ideals. change in ways we strokes of physical violence, streaks of despercordance with one’s I’ve and beenlines spending much and timeirony. in museums, can’t now. There’s ation of humour But un- probably Any review of imagine a prison memoir can, atabest, forts, palaces, underground caves, world coming up,never and there derlying it all ismosques, the tragedy of our police and brave be onlynew an introduction.

It can be a lived hot-air balloons and Facebook. In a place are a lot of trees in it that should dance a legal system. experience.

However, if one wants to undercalled the Museum of Mosaics of woody celebration, for if itin were The police system has the timeintoIstanbul, be friend-I dance stand how the State and the system our dewas amused to see people furiously for technology, we’d be cutting them ly with the underworld, but cannot clicking tolerate not mocracy work, Ferreira’s Colours of the Cage is cellphone picturespolitical of whatideology, I thought were down paper. the primer. music. It is a recomthose of a different especialmuch for more thanStart a good pretty mosaics.

(The Ferreira, ones inwho the mended read. ly thosemediocre with extreme left ideals. t@amitvarma Chora Church are better, partly isbecause of is branded an extreme left-winger spared no quarter, and is tortured. He writes, “My arms gauri lankesh is a journalist and an activist for were tied to a window grill high above the communal harmony and human rights

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Be mine Chetan Old haunts Phillips Bhagat provides a Antiques at the Indian handy guide to wooing Mercantile Mansion in these BMW-riding, Colaba, Mumbai paul noronha foreign-shopping, English-bolnewala types afp/wang zhao

READER’S DIE JEST

Stereotype meets Value addition stereotype

I am heartbroken. But my English has improved. I reject job with HSBC, which they offer me after hearing my honest but brilliant answer at interview. I go home to Dumraon, which Chetan sir may nor may not know about very well, where I shall revive fortunes of school that my mother runs.

But Chetan sir is very clever. He introduces Bill Gates in book. And toilets. He knows PM wants toilets. If I build toilets in my school, I become best young Indian. But first I have to paintings, sea charts, historical maps and improve now aware their value), and the my(ofEnglish to address Billemerging Gates — middle-class spending a lot on is buying vintown plans, besides a range of colonial and Windows is inisHindi but Bill Gates not — and tagehis artefacts theirtoilets. homes,” says Sunny L ethnic furniture. get money for to build The erstwhile Maharajas and royal families Malayil, whoRiya co-owns Antiques in KoSo I meet again.Crafters Conveniently divorced chi’s Jew Town with brother were the biggest patrons of anfrom NRI husband who is drinking, havingJohaftiquesfamily in thebut 1950s. byto the ny. her, The and duoconveniently joined theposted trade many onlyBut wants play guitar and fair and beating a quarter-century ago, aflate ’70s — after the abolition sing.

No interest in money.

EvenofI would not be in Patna. Riyanearly offers to teach me English, while ter their of home. spices privy purses in 1971 — had interested in money if Ithey could wear expensive I teach her Patna andfamily Bihar.business I take her becomeand sellers, giving a But newshe is Buyers began to slowdirty-minded down. Whenreadthey clothes ride in a BMW. 5 feet 9don’t Welook kiss. But nothing more, leasetall, of life theI business of aninch soto only am suitable boy foronly her.at the age er, although Istarted, want to.95 per cent of their sales of an tiques in she the only country.

While came from exports.

“But today, Except wants to beno friends.artefact We are now.I Itmake brilliant speech, Bill Gates gives is demand 80 per industry available very closestatistics but sheare only wants friendship.

I school dollars. Riya runsalone away is because more about design.lots ofdomestic cent,” due toeverything. the unorganised nature want My friends from Bihar sayofI theshe says she very illsays andMalayil. will die and she loves Most things of themake business, The first item that thewouldn’t? brothers must stateantiques proud byworth taking her into my me.

I understand completely.

Who sold today are vintage billionsroom of dollars sold her. everyI soldChetan was an sir 80-year-old cash box, hostel and are f****ing But tells me he has to year in the domestic and she exports whichthird was bought from and a tharahave kissed her already, has write part of book envadu —happy a traditional house markets. business innot kissedAnd me.the I have been toisher sure ending,family so Riya is in Kerala. creasing. party “The domestic market birthday already and met alive.

Go findThese her, hehomes tells me.were is growing tremendously.

More people grand,of with oneLike or more courtyards, intricateLondon dude named Rohan, brilliant St Stephen’s stuI carryare the weight andterrific decorative articles. who is shorter than her. SHORTdent with memory and, ambitions oflyallcarved boys furniture WithF*** the decline in the joint-family system, ER. I want to make him even now, incredible English-speaking from my state: these belongings their waythat to the marshorter by planting him in the skills,found I remember she algirl. Learn English ket, and were bought regularly by antiques expensive garden of their bunways wanted to be a bar-singer in dealers. “Kerala hasYork. a rich craft tradition, espegalow. But waiter at party, also New I wangle a threecially wooden craft,posting which is from my state, engaged me in month in centuries NYC with old.

Bill Families ownGates itemsFoundation, like wooden waste heads of cows nostalgic conversation, distracta lot of and horses, statues othervery knick-knacks.

A ing me. These Bihar people. Never giving up pages of book doingand nothing interesting, lot offinally that has come the stores,” Deepak chance to talk to one another. Chetan sir and find Riyatoon page 254 says of 260-page Srinath, founder of girlfriend.

Phantom Hands, knows us so well. book.

Now she is full The restIndia’s of the first antiques andhave vintage collectibles I call her into room, we play game of pre- pages, we f***. We child.

We changee-comnothmerce venture. nothing, revolutionise nothtend sleep. Then she refuses to f*** me. F*** me ing, challenge In We Kochi, instance, Jew Town, which lies or f*** off, I tell her in mother tongue. She un- ing. arefor good at English.

We fulfil great between the Mattancherry Palace and the Paderstands! How? She is English-speaking girl. Indian dream. is a hub of antiques sellers.

She runs away. She ditches me. I start studying radesi (ThisSynagogue, monthly column helps you talk about a Whenwithout local Jew settlers, whose madly. She ignores me madly. Then she gives book, having to read it.) history dates me wedding card. She is marrying Rohan Ster- back to 700BC, began to move back to Israel in translates and contemporary the 20th sinha century, their classic old household items, eotype. Rich dude from London running own arunava Bengali fictionfurniture and non-fiction Englishflooded t @arunava including andinto vessels, Jew business and calling mummy mummyji.

The business of antiques is thriving in India. Be it a traditional brick-and-mortar model or an e-commerce site, the patina of success is now clearly discernible

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ear the Wellington Fountain Circle

(Regal Circle) the in south Mumbai’s A full love story, Chetan Bhagat kind of way Colaba stands a grand Gothic

arunava sinha

Half Girlfriend Chetan Bhagat Rupa Fiction ₹176

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Lost and found An antique oil can from Phantom Hands grn somashekhar

building marked by pointed arches, turrets and black stone façades. Built someMadhav Stereotype.

I am time in the yself mid-19th century, the Waterloo boycalled from the Bihar, therefore I canMansion, now Indian Mercantile notofspeak the English.

(Although Mansion, is one the most photographed arI know of it is brinjal but even eggchitectural marvels thenot city, featured plant.)

I carryofweight of 20th ambitions of And all boys in postcards the early century. it is from F*** girl.

English. undermy itsstate: hallowed roofLearn that one of India’s olLike that Chetan keepsfound popdest antiques shops,Bhagat, Phillips who Antiques, ping into books as himself, once said, Naukri a befitting address. aurOriginally chhokri (a a chick).

Except that setjob up and by a British family in 1860, naukri ab cool raha. to do meaningthe shop was nahi bought asI awant ‘going concern’ by ful Like love Issa. friendship. the entrepreneurship. great grandfather of Farooq Today, itI want stop being Bihari.

And, of of course, housestopieces of history in the form Orien-I want toEuropean be different.

So I am notpottery, cricketer or tal and porcelain and brass even but basketball toys, footballer, Victorian coloured glass, player.

TanjoreAlso, glassI am 6 feet 2 inches tall. And a prince by descent.

So. (English speakers starting sentence that way.) What is biggest struggle for young Indians outside big cities? To overcome legacy of indifferent education? To battle inequality? To eradicate corruption? To change political philosophy? No, no, no, and no. It is to LEARN THE ENGLISH. Because you can’t get a girlfriend otherwise. Only a half girlfriend.

So, I go to St Stephen’s College in Delhi because they are all stereotype English bolnewale over there. Full of contempt only for Hindi belt. I give honest answers at interview, then play amazing basketball to get a place in the sociology department. But that is not point.

Point is I fall in love. With girl who plays basketball. Both of us sports quota.

Why does Riya Stereotype need sports quota? Because she is daughter of filthy rich So-

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Baa, baa, black-nosed sheep

Town with antiques. Not surprisingly, row upon row of shops here sell antiques alone — from furniture and crockery to paintings and silver ornaments. All of which eventually find their way to dealers and collectors across India and abroad.

they have space or cash constraints, compelling them to dispense with the artefacts,” says Srinath, formerly an investment banker with Allegro. He cautions, however, that entering the business of antiques is not without its Open source networks perils. “It is not something Issa of Phillips Antiques and Srinath of Phan- someone can get into and tom Hands travel to Kochi and other hubs like start sourcing immediJodhpur, Pondicherry and Chettinad in search ately. Most antiques dealof ‘hidden gems’. The Chettiars, for instance, ers are third- or had trade relations with other countries. fourth-generation operFrom their travels, they brought back enamel- ators, and their relationware from Sweden, lacquer boxes and wooden ships with suppliers go chests from Burma, besides other gems, arte- back 100 or more years. facts and statues. “You find an international Their supply chains are flavour of antiques in Chettinad,” says Srinath. well-entrenched,” he says.

Issa says he sources antiques from collecA fourth-generation antors, auctions, estates, royal families and even tiques dealer, Issa, for inold homes in the countryside. Among the stance, depends heavily on the main draws at his upmarket Colaba store, business relationships his forefawhich can well be called a museum, is an ex- thers built over 100 years. Moreover, quisite doll’s house in silver, complete with sil- dealers and collectors have always worked ver chairs, a dining table, sofas and beds, within a tight, well-networked commuwhich once belonged to a princess. A queen’s nity that is hard to breach for a new palanquin procured from Bengal was also a entrant. major attraction, until it was acquired by a Antiques — loosely defined as any family in Pondicherry with a house large item over 100 years old, of historic, artistic, ne would think visiting the Matter- cultural enough to give it pride of place. where aorherd of robust and woolly black- and coins to fans and bicycles. “When we are religious significance — are becomhorn Glacier a dizzy Srinath, however, stays Paradise, away fromatsuch pri- ing nosed sheep greet us. Julen’s family owns rarer by the day and cannot be legally ex- not sure, we write to relevant experts all over there height of 3,383 metres the Swiss vately owned legacies.

“People weindeal with ported. three hotels Zermatt, these sheep are the worldGet They in have to be but registered with the to get their validation,” says Srinath. takesales a cable to Alps, and thecollectors. spectacular are all first-generation WeGlacier don’t Archaeological his life’s passion.

In 1972, his brother and he A third ofFrom Survey of India (ASI). Articles his Zermatt, company’s nowcar comes Palacetowith ice any sculptures at a depth of He 15 that want get into family disputes at all.” had started with eight animals. are 30 tothe 100farm years oldjust are classified as vin- from export in the US, Paradise Europe and the markets Matterhorn Glacier metres (below the artefacts surface of thecollectors glacier) tage, sources his vintage from Julen tells us all the sheep and thenow. up- Australia.for a spectacular view of the and these areabout the ones in demand would be the high point of the and other antiques dealers withday. whom he has “Things coming Miss a couple his have Zermatt changed.contest Buyers—don’t lookofonly While objects range from ₹12,000peak; to a iffew snow-covered Matterhorn Buta no.

Zermatt, stunning littlePhantom town of at built rapport over athe years. While sheep haveofwon or finished in the lakhs at Phantom the age an artefact now.runners-up It is more about Hands, a lithograph the weather is good, take the of a 5,000 that 2.2 millioninovernight tourists Hands washosts only launched 2013, Srinath and design last fewand years.

What’s more the fe- British soldier, aesthetics.

Mostinteresting, of the things sold for instance, be bought 90-minute trek to can Julen’s farm forfor eachwife year,Aparna thanks Rao to itshave posterboy — the Mat- today his been decorating male sheep, or ewe, are majority here. are vintage,” saysinIssa.

Almost 90 “We per ₹3,500 ataPhillips.

“It isexperience a misconception fine-dining at his that terhorn peak — keeps topping up over the feeling their home with such collectibles a peri- cent have of onethe male sheep for everyin-35 females, for Phantom Hands antiques cost lakhs of rupees. restaurant Stafelalp (closed of sheer bliss. Beginning with its railway sta- ventory od of time. breedingispurposes.

Before the mating season, also vintage — belongMany items can be bought for a between October and early tion at the of the snow-capped to ing “Once wefoothills launched site, collectorsAlps startwe feed the males and make them strong, beto the early 20th century. few thousand,” says Issa. And December; julen.ch/en/stafelalp). its mostly family-run (there are noWith big cause after he has been with the females, he ed approaching us tohotels sell their things. that is precisely why young proactive chainseither here)the that sendofmajestic time, tastes collectors change, or Keeping the faith can lose up to 30kg!” are making a beeline Most countries Getfessionals Alternatively, alight at the “They are horse-drawn carriages to receive Wechief also executive learn that meat can be Rehan Khan, the for vintage artefacts. become more station Furi and walk to their guests, the town is a pertermed lamb only till the animal and proud mountain of a pharmaceutical multinathe emerging category of clienfocussed Julen’s farm and restaurant.

If you fect escape from deadlines and is 18 months old.

The thick, long tional, who is also an angel intele — professionals, who are doof their history with I hang on to a railing are the skiing type, through winter the humdrum that is daily life. and curly wool is used in carpets vestor in Phantom Hands, began ing well, are mostly in their earlyan increase in of the jeep for dear The air is fresh and clean as no andvintage curtains, but is not good bywarns, collecting carpets mid-30s and setting up their youtocan ski directly on ski run affluence life, as Koenig petrol or diesel-driven vehicles enough fordecades coats. Once a sheep rugs almost two No first 52. home. While 80 per cent of “Those whoand fall out, ply in this town of battery-drinine,working it is of no use to the ago, when turns he was the furniture they buy will be stay out” Stay ven transport. The Matterhorn and isand killed across the US,farm Germany Swe-for meat. “It is from stores, they do want to have The Julen family runs three hotels (4,478 metres) was scaled in 1865 indeedcountries. painful, but den, among other He we cannot afone or two pieces that will stand in Zermatt; you could stay in any by the English explorer Edward ford six to keep after of that,” moved to India years them ago. “Most the out,” says Srinath. one.

I did, at the steps in Whymper in his seventh atsays the shepherd. good carpets have long left the country. I They are, as Or Issastay, says,astaking baby Schlosshotel, a boutique hotel, tempt. All tourists invariably head to the MatMeanwhile, Koenig has slipped into his the vast world of antiques: “Over the now focus on beautiful vintage items years, as a stone’s from the railway terhorn Glacier viewing platform (3,883 chef’s roleacross and expertly carves out delectable genres — furniture, contem- they become more throw affluent, they will perhaps stationin—unique modern, yet with an like metres) on a stunningly beautiful cable car slivers fromporary the bony of lamb that has start investing art hunk and items of religious objects.”

Quite old-world charm ride. Our group of 30 journalists go on the been air-dried and for 75 days.

We devour the deli- the high net-worth individuals who invest in historic significance.” (schlosshotelzermatt.ch) ride, but are denied a glorious darshan of the cious meat and rye bread raisins, Khan, likebaked most with collectors, is antiques today, apart from serious collectors, summit as that is the only cloudy and rainy walnut and hazelnut, accompanied by cheese choosy the about people he who tendtip to focus on one or two categories day in our five-day trip. and white wine. “This is unstressed meatin be-a such as coins sources his items from or furniture of a parEnjoyorawatches special snack of freshly cause the sheep are left to grazeflooded in the open, marketplace with ticular style. baked rye bread, air-dried lamb A unique farm over many acresfakes of Alpine grass. Also,“There it has and knock-offs.

Khan, meanwhile, remains bullish slivers and homemade cheese about with A planned two-hour hike to the farm of Paul been dried in the in the futureaofglass is a mountain market butair noand wayserved to cater antiques in India. cites the exof wine at theHe 250-acre Julen, who rears about 300 unique the fresh airtoofit the Alps.

Meat air-dried in an ethical way.

When aelselot ample of China, where individuals are buying farm, which has the unique blackblack-nosed sheep, has to be where andofserved a typical peopleinare makingrestaurant copies (of can’t orig- back Chinese antiques from all over the world nosed sheep cancelled too, due to bad taste so good,” claims Apart from inals), howJulen. do you do it in aAlpine trust- as their purchasing power increases. “Most weather. Julen and two of grass, the sheep feed way? on special worthy Can corn you and tell salt the countries become more focused and proud of his men arrive to trans- at the farm; “salt is veryand essential for them, course is lamb chops black-nosed sheep. history provenance ofand an their history with an from increase in affluence.

In port us in their vehi- there is no saltitem? in nature,” he says.

Dessert Swiss chocolate cake A buyer needs to know 20 years,iswea will seenut thispastry, happening in India as cles. I get into the and vanilla ice cream from fresh vanilla that.” And that is exactly why well,” says Khan, who made collects a noodle-maker jeep of Hubert Koe- Mountain lunch beans.Assam The restaurant is located on a Khan agreed to fund Phantom from with as much fervourdirectly as a sandalnig, who calls him- A spectacular mountain lunchwith is next served ski route, closestick to the mountain Furi.

Hands, which works experts to wood walking from Mysorestation or intricately self the in the romantic environs of the family’s flagWe are at the of a day of highs, the“Artimeensure that each and every product it carved legs of aend charpoy from Gujarat. chef-cum-chauffeur ship Restaurant on Alpine ticulous planning thevintage, local tourism departsells onlineStafelalp. is bona Located fide. Srinath says, cles I collect todayofare but two decof the Julen family, slopes, a heightwork of 2,200 in who the commentfrom ensuring wet,becold day in summer “Weatalways withmetres, dealers are ades now, that theyawill antiques.” and get the bum- pany of snow-covered mountains, spell disaster for this visitors. course,a trustworthy and come with intense good need Fornot collectors like Khan, is notOfmerely piest 4km ride ever, credentials.” blue skies, green grass and enchanting stone business, winter tourism in the Swissthat Alpscan is big too, and or an investment give quick hanging on to a rail- pine trees,has it gives dining experience of returns in somelike parts, such funds: as the “It glamorous St preMoSrinath takenyou it aastep further by roping mutual is a way of ing for dear life, as he in your Koenig antiques lays out adealers, lunch that will serving ritz, bigger But that’s another story. as dreams. team members subject ourstill. history, culture and anthropolowarns: “Those who fall experts haunt my tasteas buds for a long time.

(The travelled to children Zermatt at the invitaas well academicians who can judge gy.”

Andwriter for Issa — whose are keen on out, stay out”.

Forobject aperitif, we have housebelong cheese, tion of Switzerland Tourism.) if an is kosher.

Sincethe antiques to joining the business as well — it is a way of life.

A 15-minute hike over wet, several along with soft andone juicyperson shrimps in a slightly categories, cannot be an pratap rasheeda bhagat is a Chennai-based writer grassy slopes leads us to the farm, authority spicy sauce with a hintfrom of lime.

The main rashmi on everything vintage watches

From the high of a glacier palace down to delectable lamb air-dried in the pristine Alps… all in a day’s visit at Zermatt

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High tables An Alpine picnic in the company of sheep; and (above) lunch at Restaurant Stafelalp rasheeda bhagat

Classic charms Deepak Srinath of Phantom Hands strikes a pose with a life-sized wooden statue in north Karnataka’s Kinhala style; (above) a vintage table fan with two sets of brass blades grn somashekhar

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Rinky on the wall Why graffiti continues to seek immortality on the walls of our monuments and streets

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n the last week of September, residents of Mahal, Lord Curzon had written to his wife river else Folkestone, a seaside town in the county from Agra, “If I had neverDown donethe anything seen as the a of Kent in the UK, awoke to a visual sur- in India, I have written myTraditionally name here, and Bihari festival, men prise. Those passing the town’s Payers letters are a living joy.” One could argue that and women Park noticed one of its walls curiously altered. Rinky, whose name stands outlined on the participate equally A new mural depicted an old woman, wearing marble wall of the Taj, perhaps feels the same in Chhath headphones, staring at an empty plinth. Word way. Suffering a severe shortage ranjeet kumar of monument began to spread. Graffiti artist Banksy was at it attendants, it comes as no surprise that the ASI again. Like kings who had just spotted the Star is pinning its hope on an increased fine and of Bethlehem, art enthusiasts flocked to Fol- penalty to keep insidious Rinkys at bay. If kestone. Concerned about the preservation of caught defacing historical monuments, you their latest tourist attraction, council author- could now be jailed for two years and charged ities began talking of Banksy in a tone that a fine of ₹1 lakh. The earlier punishment of would otherwise be reserved for Rembrandt. ₹5,000 and three months in jail clearly wasn’t While Indian graffiti artists elicit no such re- deterrent enough. gard, they still busy themselves with leaving a In Egypt, a perennial victim of the visitor’s mark. In July 2012, a graffiti artist who goes by scrawl, you’d have to cough up $20,000 if the pseudonym Daku, spray-painted a four-let- caught scribbling on the Pyramids. Worse ter expletive all over Mumbai.

Except, he spelt stage, still, you have to spend today a year being bulsion that could challenge colonial authority. themight Bihari-as-migrant is a domthe festival cuss word in Hindi.

Even though he inant lied inforce a Cairo jail. Egypt’s monuments, The continues today, providing a melorecreating the urban landscape claimed hilarity hismartial only intention, though, are testament to cities. man’sOriginally, undying dedramatic edge towas many virtues. later, and imagination in many BihisWhat rocket-shaped cylinders sire for historic inclusion. Much the Ganesh festival was in the colonial haris were dismissed as an underclass of lawerethe clearly a social of the graffiti found on the counera, Chhath festivalcomment. became in the first dec- bourers, autorickshaw drivers and LPG prices been hiked. try’s monuments back to ades of thehad 21st just century. chowkidars, peppered with a fewdate bureaucrats.

Be it in Delhi’s Hauz Khas vil- going the Napoleonic era.

French Chhath is a primordial festival, back Today, in a demographic sense, theEven Biharis are In archaeological lage, Mumbai’s Bandra or Bangapoet ‘renunciant’ Arthur Rimover 2,000 years, celebrated mostly in Bihar a powerful political force.

Someone as politicircles, the act of lore’sneighbouring Malleswaram,areas. graffitiItart is couldn’t and erupted into na-your cally acute asbaud Amitreportedly Shah recognised thehelp imleaving name now both familiar andas celebrathimself at a temple He tional consciousness migraportance of in Luxor.

Chhath. on a monument is ed. Forfrom Indians, however, this went to great heights to etch his tion Bihar acquired Ahmedabad in fact had two fescalled ‘tagging’ kind of artproportions often stopsand short of name a piece of stone.

But givepidemic Bihativals,on one enacted by powerful subversion.

Admired for their en the man’s weakness for abris became important in the ciVIPs and another by resident BiSomeone as quirkiness, these wayside sinthe, hashish andmuch-touted most things ties of Kolkata, Delhiexhiband haris, both at the politically acute as its are rarely appreciated scandalous, Ahmedabad.

Once ignored asfor pariverfront. he is hardly worthy Amit Shah recognised their radical for their appropriation of emulation. Chhath is a signal for migrarochial, it haspotential, now caught the naimportance of public space. Graffiti art, in essence, isthe a sigVisiting Luxor, a century tional imagination. tion.more Weeksthan ahead, Biharis,later, like of Chhath nature left for the world, reminder to one’s Ding Jinhao, homing a 15-year-old middleThe anthropologist KSa Singh birds,Chinese start returning fellows — “I too wasthat here”.

Reductively, it isn’t school student, was Trains regrettably grippedand by has pointed out basically home. are packed very different ordinary folk graffiti, a much- Rimbaud’s earlier When faced with Chhath is thefrom best-known over insolence. two-million migrants revilified elder sibling.

Thethe primary tablet in an Egyptian festival.

Centring around sun, skill that a 3,500-year-old turn home.

The festivaltemple, is one separates love-struck from Banksy, for the teenager felt forced write inwould Mandarin — it is celebrated six daysSumit after Deethat everyto migrant like to instance, is geometric dexterity. arrow celebrate ‘Ding Jinhao by another tourpavali.

Singh sees an ecological andThe geographwithwas herhere’. or hisSeen family. that pierces heart heFirstly, drew for Soni in Lodhi a picture this graffiti sooncelebrates appeared on ic context toaChhath. it celebrates the ist,Today the ofBihari diaspora it Gardenharvest. is crooked.

Chinese social sites. Itaswas shared paddy Second, geographically it is cel- proudly.

Even networking abroad, it began a private Loversinare not theon only ones seeking over 90,000 and the errant boy fast beebrated regions both sides of theimmorGanga family event times, and graduated to a public festivtality As onathe wallsChhath of our monuments.

Withlifein- al. came the thanks subjectto of efforts ridicule mockery.

An river. result, is seen as doubly Today, ofand successful Bihageniousit issketches, perverts too. ris, adolescent his parents were compelled giving, a homagethere to the are sun and the Ganga Chhath Ding, is celebrated on the banks of the Morbid loners stencil their mobile num- Potomac to admit river. in a local had “cried all river.

Singh, in even fact, feels that to the common One newspaper, no longer needs a plastic bers this on sites the capital’s Red Fort.

In tub night”.

Humbled social networking, the man is thelike greatest of all festivals.

Interto perform theby ritual in private.

The Poto2009, with the Commonwealth Games fast ap- mac teenager have well been mollified by reestingly, there is something both democratic now could has shades of the Ganges. proaching, the about Archaeological In archaeological circles, the act of and life-giving Chhath. Survey of India lated It istrivia. the politics of Chhath, its eruption into (ASI) felt convinced a distinct leaving yourconsciousness name on a monument is called Chhath is uniquethat in many ways.mixture It is notofa the national that is fascinating. carbonatefestival chemicals, limetoand sand will make ‘tagging’.

Offering similar perpetuity, classical related a particular com- It marks the rise ofa the Bihari, but moreFaceimthe tombs of Humayun andparticular Safdarjunggroup pris- portantly book givesityou access severalofmore walls munity.

It goes beyond any shows the to success migration tine But like the ghosts past, and you the can manner tag yourinname picture on.

In not the to a again. general participation by of theMughals community. whichormigration adds the graffiti continued to return.equally At the Qutub end,to it is essentially a form personal graffiti Men and women participate in it. just the labour force butofalso the religious Shahi tombs in Hyderabad, you can that allows users a continued and bolstered Priestly intervention is rarely required.

The see rit- and cosmicitsimagination of India.

Chhath friends climb each shoulders, trying to marks indulgence.

China, all itsascriticism Ding, ual is austere and other’s offerings are simple — gur the rise of thefor Bihari a potent of force in scrape their on the aren’t national appears to appreciate the longing for endu(jaggery) andnames a roti made of walls. freshlyThey harvested politics.

The Bihari is no longer seen necessarily lookingstalk for prominence.

It’s just merely rance. Authorities there have designated an paddy, a sugarcane and a few vegetables as an epithet of abuse, a shadow citithat suffice. there’s Itnot much leftcaste lower down. zen areainofurban the Great for those wanting to will also goesspace beyond barriers, areas. Wall Between two festivals, elecTemple authorities in Tiruchirappalli are toral leave democracy an imprint.and Our Chhath, real andone virtual worlds uniting a caste-ridden Bihar. The sun too is thersenses the fed up and, in Hyderabad, they blame inIn- power both help a quasi-algebraic truth.

Wea apeutic and like shines equally on all, blissfully of a prove great migratory community.

It is dians for thoughtless defacement.

Foreigners, are X, and X, true to form, always loves markdifferent to caste. Even Muslims have a reason to join the celebration. they believe, know how to behave. ing the spot. tradition of celebrating Chhath.

History has bothnow confirms and belies thisasas-a shiv visvanathan is a professor at Jindal School of Chhath come to prominence shreevatsaand nevatia a Kolkata-based writer PublicisPolicy sumption.

AfterOnce ordering the of Taj Government Bihari festival. a part ofrestoration the urban back-

Celebrating Chhath

A festival that marks the rise of a migrant community as a potent force in national politics

shiv visvanathan

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Keep calm and scribble on Lovers lay claim to the Buddha statue on the beach in Bheemunipatnam, Andhra Pradesh kr deepak

As good as a pond Devotees offering prayers during the festival at India Gate in New Delhi shiv kumar pushpakar

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estivals have a way of uniting people, combining myth, ritual and community. Festivals, like business cycles, have their highs and lows, some reinventing themselves in fascinating ways and acquiring a political clout no one dreamed of.

The Ganesh festival is one such event. While it was observed from the 12th century, it was reinvented in 1892 when Bal Gangadhar Tilak created its modern face. What was once a private household ritual now acquired a public face, making it the ritual of the Maratha people. Tilak turned it into a community event, where subscriptions were collected for the worship of larger idols. Community involvement and public worship became the order of the day. Tilak’s vision was of a national festival, which emphasised political consciousness.

Few remember that it was out of the Ganesh festival that the Paisa Glass Fund emerged, creating the beginnings of the glass industry.

Public subscriptions helped start one of the great Swadeshi industries. In fact, the Ganesh festival was seen as a threat by the colonial regime, which saw in it the carnivals of inver-

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Cold and Jodi number one crafty A beer festival in Mumbai roots for alternative, rajdeep sardesai handmade brews

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n a sunny Sunday afternoon, Aditi, a young medical student, was standing in a long queue, arms outstretched, plastic glass in hand, waiting for the bartender to pour her some beer — her third that day. After a week of night shifts, this was her way of rewarding herself. Behind her was Kaj, a Danish engineer enjoying his first real taste of Mumbai’s social life since his move to the city a few months ago. Clearly excited, Kaj was also feeling a twinge of nostalgia. It was a while since he tasted handmade craft beer, a staple in his country. So, he like Aditi, had traded a lazy Sunday for a more spirited outing at last week’s Tapped: Craft Beer Festival in Mumbai.

Organised by up-and-coming microbreweries across the country — Pune’s Doolally and Independence Brewing Company, beer importers Yeast India Company, Mumbai’s Gateway Brewing Company and Bangalore’s Arbor Brewing Company — the day-long fest was a small yet significant step in promoting alternative beers. So far, the market is so small, says Riday Thakur from Yeast India Company, there’s no competition. So they are encouraging more independent brewers and micro-breweries to enter the fray. “It’s almost like a movement,” says IIM graduate Suketu Talekar, who left his job at P&G to open Doolally, India’s first micro-brewery.

The kinship was rather evident too.

Gaurav Sikka, managing director at Arbor Brewing Company, couldn’t get permission to fly down his kegs from Bangalore so he created a pale ale, Bombalore (a combination of Bombay and Bangalore), with Rahul Mehra of Gateway Brewing Company for the fest. Besides, all of them served out of the same 2014: The Election space, not separate stalls, making it hard that Changed India Rajdeep Sardesai to tell one brand from the other (clearly Penguin (India) were disintentional). The beers though Non-fiction tinct in flavour. Between them, the mi₹599 cro-breweries had covered the entire spectrum from light apple cider to darker wheat beers. United in their distaste for common, glycerine-laden brands, entrepreneurs like Doolally’s Talekar watched many a happy customer clink glasses, and said with a hint of pride, “Every glass of craft beer consumed, is one less glass of mass-produced beer.”

maxym/shutterstock.com

mohini chaudhuri

Never before have two politicians from a state outside the Hindi heartland come to occupy the MEAL apexTICKET of Delhi’s power pyramid in such a comprehensive manner naintara

Paws for thought

maya oberoi tal in driving the BJP’s success story in the critical battleground of UP. Let’s be honest: without UP, the BJP could not have remotely hoped to achieve its ‘Mission 272’. It was Shah, with the help of committed RSS workers, who helped shape the strategy. When he was out on bail and barred from visiting Gujarat, he criss-crossed the state, stayed overnight with party workers, worked on local alliances and drove the Modi juggernaut in the state. cat café has recently opened in We know what drove Modi: he was within Paris, in the very chic Marais touching distance of being the prime minisdistrict. This is not, as my longter. Shah claimed he had no such obsessive suffering dining companion ambition. “I want the BJP to grow, that’s my imagined, a café where either cats’ meat mission,” he told me later in an interview. He or catfood is served, but one where cusdidn’t want a major portfolio, he didn’t fight tomers can play with the resident cats. the elections, but he was keen to play the role The first cat café, the Cat Flower Garden, of the nuts-and-bolts, organisational man, opened in Taiwan in 1998, but the conwho would micro-message the ‘Vote for BJP’ cept really took off in Japan, catering to call to lakhs of voters. urban Japanese who don’t have the space On the campaign trail with Uddhav Thackeor time for a pet. And now cat cafés are a ray in October, I asked the Sena chief who he worldwide phenomenon. held responsible for the alliance break-up in “There are only three little rules,” the Maharashtra. “Dilli mein baithe Shahenshah ke hostess said at the entryway to Le Café samne hum jhukenge nahin (We won’t bow to des Chats, sounding like Brad Pitt in Fight the ruler in Delhi),” Thackeray had claimed at Club. “Please don’t feed the cats. Never a public rally. The reference wasn’t to Modi, wake a sleeping cat. And no flash photogbut to the BJP’s president, who had been pushraphy please.” ing for an end to the 25-year-old alliance.

The two-level Café des Chats is decoratShah is different from the prime minister in ed like an old-school teashop, with books some key respects. Unlike Modi who is highly (feline-themed and otherwise), cat toys, individualistic, Shah sees himself as a team the Marais district naintara maya oberoi cat trees and cats — cats everywhere, The kitty party Paris takes a cue from Japan. A cat cafe in player, completely committed to the Sangh lounging in the elastic, boneless manner ideology. Where Modi carries no family bagthat they have, on tables, chairs and peo- self stroking his ears, then went to sleep wardsgage, Shah is nonchalantly a devout family man. me, sliding into myWhere Mople. A laminated ‘menu’ (a catalogue, if on a table. from humble Shah lap asdiif comes we were old afriends.

Anbackground, imperiyou will) with photos and bios helps you wascame born to into richmy and influential “We’re paying to be ignored,” I sulked, ous paw resta on hand.

It felt business Same, same, but different Modi and Shah pti/manvender vashist identify who you’re Narendra playing with; all his thefaithful a formidable as shadow the catsAmit sauntered around, looking ut- like a family victory,and if apossessed slightly fraudulent one,portfolio of animals are abandoned or street cats. As terly supercilious. blue-chip even theordered ’80s. soshares I settled inin and at similar establishments, a percentage Whileanother Modi is overpriced the charismatic “Well, we should have tea. campaigner, earnings towards rescue stuffed aiofand Viru ingoes Sholay; Dravidanimal and Tendulkar state. Modi and Shah were strategist, constantly plotting and our pockets with tu-central to this peri- Shah is theCat cafés are a hit beoperations, and another portion goes to- na,” in cricket; Laxmikant-Pyarelal and many od of said the BJP’s to dominance in Gujarat; preparing for the battle. my rise pragmatic cause theynext provide a Shah’s ther- strategy Looking around, wards each cat’s ‘retirement’ wel- date, others in music: Indians like(French their jodis. one, as thewas premier political organiser, the has beenapeutic remarkably focused: who reading a haven from pitch the Modi as a I wondered if the governance plot frenzy farealmost works even for animals).

For 40 years, Atal Bihari Vajpayee manual other, as his shadow. icon attract theBut incremental onfaithful deciphering of tourban life. the internet has wewere arrived 4pm, many of the and LKWhen Advani the at twin faces of the BJP, whisker Whensignals.

Modi won the 2002 elections, he ap- vote, even while using the RSS machine to aplooking around, I wonfeared for years — cats had decided it was napPurush. time, snoring the Vikas Purush and the Lauh Now, in pointed his minister of state for peal to the traditional Hindu The HindutMany Shah cat as cafés sell dered if the plot thevote. interworldwide cat piles one another, 2014,inthe BJPatop has found its newlike jodiwrestlers number snacks, Home. Itwhich was a you critical given the slew va-plus net strategy can be for canportfolio, feed has feared for controversial: years — domination — had happened to fall asleep one: who Narendra Modi and Amit Shah.mid-bout.

Never be- to ofthe cases piling against the Gujarat chief minis- example, it was Shahcat who was seen as pushing cats, but at Le Café des worldwide domination come true table, and from looked around sur- Chats, fore We havetook twoapoliticians a state outside ter. Shah riot-accused thebecame food isModi’s for hu-ears and eyes and, for the Muzaffarnagar — had come true.

Here weto be given reptitiously.

What sort of person went to the Hindi heartland come to occupy the apex mans more only. controversially tickets. was he who inThe options perhaps, are were,election like junkies or Itmema cat café anyway?

Obsessive cataaficionaof Delhi’s power pyramid in such compre- limited, was alsoexpensive, accused of doing sisted that Modifor contest and un- the bers of a cult, paying the from Vados?manner.

Lonely people desperate for a furry feline-friendly: hensive ‘dirty work’ of targeting ranasiof inanthe belief that this quiches, the privilege audience cuddle, oneanywhere they’d paid See the BJPeven posters in for? the country: tarts, chief salads, minister’s politicaland rivals. would be a magnet to voters in charcuterie cheese platand a short snuggle with these clearly suOne senses though Thedominate clientele the waslandscape. varied: children, two faces One, the ters, Shahorganic was accused of Le sanctioneastern UP. And it was he who teas from Chapelier that Fou, Shah perior beings.

Were humans running the isn’t a man of safed friends, young couples mangroups with the dadhi (white beard),and the fresh ing ‘fake encounter’ cases, and a chamfirst that there wasn’t fruit juices, wines, beers cat café at all, it apredicted clever Matrix-like in a hurry: at the ageor was tourists.

Thekali kids tumbled other, with the dadhi (blackaround beard).after The pagnes. charge that eventually sent him just BJP wave but cona tsunami that We asked for tea, a cappuccino, a he illusion?

Was a ateam of cats of 50, has time on there while theinadults stayed deter- ricotta-courgette-basil duo the nowcats, call the shots BJP. The similarities to jail in 2010. When heand wasa muffin, his would sweep all else aside. tart, trolling the whole operation from a side minedly nonchalant, orGujarat, cooing and go beyond the facial hair: clucking both from granted bail,our it was the preate away hurton feelings. seedy back room? Typically, Shah’s success has passing felines, butboth with increasing bothatwith roots in the RSS, credited with condition thatwas he creating couldn’ta remeant the triumserious criminal The neglect feeling of I didn’t much care.

I wasthat feeling frustration.

“Mummy, he won’t a ruthless streak that is perhaps neededmove,” to suc- solidarity turn to hisamong home the in Gujarat. charges the against him appear to customers, though. phant, like I’d swallowed proverbial a peevish nine-year-old a violet tu- “Why ceedsaid in the rough and tumble of in politics.

Now, forget Gujarat, there is as Sa- canary. Through the have almostpassersby melted away. The doesn’t she like me?”

I wailed, window, tu, waving a feather a string in ha, I first met Modi in 1990,duster when on he was the BJP no part of the that Shah charges mayatyet especially if his the cat I’d country been lavishing mydoesn’t atten- have looked enviously mehaunt as I sathim, curled up front in of aGujarat dignified tabby. the Ram Jan- tions secretary overseeing his eye When he was elected BJP president being the on,on. disentangled herself to snuggle on theambitions couch, teasoar andbeyond cake atjust my elbow, a BJP presA table ofyatra 30-something men with immabhoomi rath as it moved through the up in July, claimed thatinstead. he wanted the BJP tubby, to ident.

One that Shah isn’t a nextShah to another feline velvety catsenses in mythough arms, purring eyebrows, looking they’d state.maculate I met Shah for the first time like during the capture from Kashmir Kanyakumari. a hurry:Even at theifage of 50, he has time on “Sit onpower the sofa,” advised theto tutu-wearlike aman smallinturbine.

I was a mere straight from tried ing 2002yachted Gujaratinelections, whenthe heRiviera, was fighting Likechild. his “The ‘boss’, or ‘Saheb’, Shah too spoke his side. that Modi’s prime ministership striped one likes the sofa.” cat’s paw in a Given sinister feline conspiracy, I to get Khaleesi, Siamesesuburb cross, to an election from thea regal Ahmedabad of strongly of a Congress-mukt Bharat. less than This sounded like cheating, but Even I sat if the didn’tismind at all.six months old, it would be highly sit inThere their is laps.

She stretched elaborately Sarkhej. a deep connect between the down sloganon might have appeared hyperbolic the couch, and tried to imper-at the premature to even ask, “After Modi, who?” But naintara mayapresident, oberoi is aShah food writer based to believe table, and stalked two across events:their if 1990 wassniffed, the first time the off BJP sonate time, clearly Shah was relishing challenge. as party has reason the upholstery as best asthe I could. in Paristhat t@naintaramaya just outin ofthe reach.

Downstairs, Ringo, ro- At While tested itself Hindutva laboratory ofaGujmy book 2014:grey, The Eleche is now the second-most powerful peronce, researching Habby, a sleek, striped grey elections furball, letheld a girlinInstagram herarat,tund the 2002 the shadow of picked tion that India, Ithe wasteacups struck toby how son in the country. herChanged way through the riots marked the completion of the proc- Shah was more than just a supporting actor to ess of imposing majoritarian politics on the the main hero. It was he who was instrumen- rajdeep sardesai is a senior journalist and author

The Café des Chats in Paris is decorated like an old-school teashop, with books (feline-themed and otherwise), cat toys, cat trees and cats — many everywhere

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Border of order and chaos For fans, a chess game is a mental duel. For others, it is two people locked in a room staring at each other. Album 61 succeeds in bringing the tensions to celluloid

To the brim A view of the Sector 23 water body after being revived

A water fight in Delhi

Who will bend Viswanathan Anand and Boris Gelfand lock horns at the World Championship, in a still from Album 61

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Citizens’negroups enlist water bodiesEfrat in the Capital’s Dwarka man has the crown.to Therejuvenate other to become the Challenger. however says, final pat on theneighbourhood back that Aruna Anand gives

Changing course A resident digs a channel to help replenish a johad or rain-fed lake in Dwarka, Delhi

man wants it. It is the oldest game in the world. Or as Alexander Kuprin put it somewhat moreof poett disappeared right in front us, ically, “How splendid to beWe king, rulingthe notwaby within an hour. thought right of succession or chance but ter would take a wholeplebiscite, night to seep by the power one’s own mind.”

Today intoofthe ground, but the soilatisthe so World Chess Championship in Sochi, rich it got absorbed immediately,” sayscurrent Rakesh world champion Magnus Carlsen take on Sherawat, a 26-year-old resident ofwill Pochanpur challenger Viswanathan Anand.

In Mayof2012, village in Dwarka.

He and members the Anand a matchCommittee, with Boris constituted Gelfand for Dwarkafought Water Bodies the samebytitle.

The documentary Album (L61, last year the Delhi Lieutenant-Governor which released at this year’s Hamburg Film G) Najeeb Jung, were reviewing their work.

Fest, on that clash inpays Moscow.

In isa based city that routinely upwards of I call up the director of Album Halil Efrat, ₹1,500 a month for water, the61, residents of who is based in to Telact Aviv.

“It’s a sports movie Dwarka decided and improve matters. without sports,” he a laugh.now.

I get They areany beginning tosays reapwith dividends where he is coming from. Two of the greatest Two johads, or rainwater-fed lakes, that regrandmasters the planet out inupa mained dry forondecades, are slug nowitfilling battle of the mind.

Whilewater thesesupply mentalsystems heroics through locally devised transport frenzy,table what does it and shouldchess help fans raiseinto the water from the look likeabysmal for ordinary mortals? middlecurrent 30 metres belowTwo ground. aged men locked in a room for seven hours every day. spend most of the time looking Room forWho overflow at other.with For aamonth. biggest chal“It each all began survey “The we conducted in lenge how50 tourban make avillages sports movie for peo2011-12was across in south-west ple whosays don’t understand chess at all. How do Delhi,” Diwan Singh, the 43-year-old water you show just sitting, moving, activist whopeople also co-founded thenot anti-corruplooking at Parivartan each other for hours?

How toArvind make tion NGO with AAP leader aKejriwal. tense film, how you show From hisdo tiny office inthe thepressure?” back alley Efrat experimented at in theDwarka’s start, “Isector thought of a shopping complex 23, maybe I willhis trycolleagues to describehave what been is happening Singh and leading in minds with water visuals.

In the end, I inthetheir way in the area’s restoration efforts. vented a lotofinour the organisation, editing room.”Natural Heri“Members tage First, found that of the 183 water bodies he 93 World is one of and the listed, were Championship dry, 63 had sewage water mostwere exclusive clubs infunctional. the world. These Since the rest only partially 1886, there have been 16books. champs.

While were the ones in only the record We found Anand is water a living legend, hiswere challenger Boris 29 more bodies that not even acGelfand countedstaged for.” an unlikely career renaissance.

At They 45, henext wasconsulted thought to be too old. Yet Iswater experts onthe ways raeli slashed his way through gruelling qual-a to revive the water bodies andacame up with ification event beating farthe younger simple plan — replenish johadsopponents with feeds

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“For me, it was not so interesting to make a her husband just before he enters the hall, Gelfilm just about the chess match. It could be a fand winking at his first grade teacher when good the report, butstorm-water a good film should he spots thein,” audience. from area’s drains. have a sto- the state her theyinare says Singh. ry An behind underlyingAuthority story was As wevice-chairman plunge deeper Balwinder into the match, we beareathe thestory.”

DelhiThis Development DDA Kumar rediscovered his address research.ofGelfand’s fa- futes gin tothis. see “We the performative The theo(DDA) loves during to call “the tomorrow”, are looking toaspects. revive all the wather, Abraham was an in engineer, had — ob-a ter rist Alexander said, “Chess lies at the Dwarka is beingwho developed two phases bodies in Shashin our jurisdiction through sessivelystretch catalogued border of order and chaos”. model,” This chaos 20sqkm in thehis firstson’s phaseachievements and another public-private-partnership hecomes says. over the coming decades,up compiling into 60 al- “Where forth as we scrutinise theworking players. At firstNGOs they 20sqkm in phasethem two. A planned possible we are with bums — part photo-albums, seemed motionless locked in suburban city, or ‘sub-city’,part its scrapbooks. storm-water and the like private sector togladiators speed up this proc“When I sawarterial them in Israel, I decidedempty this is ess, an invisible war.

Now wetosee that it is like a drains along roads ultimately but it will take time gain momentum whatthe the Najafgarh film is about, thisonce issue known about parentKathakali performance, every gesture, griinto drain, as the and show results.” hood —river, should theycuts choose forDelhi the child orthe let mace, tic or mannerism standsenvironmentalbetween victoSahibi which across to join Vikram Soni, a Delhi-based them beriver. free. Singh’s This was forwas meto most ry and professor defeat. Weatsee littlefor gestures that Yamuna plan filterinterestthe top ist thethe Centre Theoretical ing.” of Abraham didn’t form their repertoire punctilayer water in Gelfand the storm-water Physics at Jamia Millia— Islamia, have any dilemma. liously arranging their is pieces drain before letting itWhen into he the says the Dwarka effort a firstbeof foundbodies out that his six-year-old fore the game — each player has water in Dwarka Sector 20 its kind.

“A consistent practice son had his own way pointing the and 23. a natural affinity for the in Indian citiesofis to create masLife is merely a pale board game, to the decision was snouts of the For exam“According our calculations, ter plans thatknights. are known more We can add five reflection of the easily made.

Young Boris was goeyebrowsthan shootanyup revival of these water bodies can for Gelfand’s their violations million on gallons a day ple, struggle the board ing to become world champion. when a move that he add five million gallons a day to thing he else.sees So what is happening to Dwarka’s Abraham pushed his sonand, withof hasn’t expected.

Anand’s stoneDwarka’s water supply in Dwarka is important and water supply utter monomania. faced rarely breaks, course, increase the water table couldimmobility be a model for other areas A typical entry Schedbut when gesture significantly.

The reads: L-G liked our across thesome country,” he bubbles says. He ule: 07:15 Wake Up,been Breakfast Radio its way to the also surface, is it something that he idea and we have trying7:25-7:30, to worries about short-sightShow 7:30-7:35, School: implement it. While we7:35, feelLunch a bit 14:00-14:30, wants to be seen? ed planning. “While authorities (go out for a walk? no). And when Gelfand the of tension rightdeveloptill the disappointed that only two this water bodies were areAlbum keen 61 onsustains phase two Dwarka’s was 8 years old! the Abraham eventually ended end. Asnothe last is about revived during monsoons this year, it isupa ment, one hasgame an idea whereto thebegin, waterGelfor with nevertheless.”

60 enormous tomes, part photo-albums, the fand’s wifewill Maya jokes, “At least he is not is comstart region come from.

The situation onpart scrapbooks, part logbooks, a life captured ly peting in worse. the When world parachuting set to get they are searching in graphs representing everything from emo- for championships.

What harm ideas couldwill come to DDA conundrum water, these self-sufficient be the tional andto physical toleast intellectual him here?”HeShe knows, course.

As a chess “We want develop at 40 water trends, bodies solution.” throws in aofword of caution too: from biorhythms to analysisIofcannot postcards wife, board isto the most terrifying on in Dwarka.

Unfortunately, say sent the “It is the important remember never place to withby Gelfand his travels —says an Captain enormous earth.at A aworld matchat is which about same about from the authorities,” PS draw fasterchampionship rate than the speed compendium whose collation ended only watching someone’s lifelong dreams get Mann, a 68-year-old resident of Dwarka’s Sec- groundwater is recharged.” with23Abraham’s death. The father’s disembod- crushed, forand entertainment.

“It is not two about tor and a member of the L-G constituted For Mann company, meanwhile, joied voice is the narrator,believe compulsively track- hads memory or math — you have“We to break somecommittee.

Residents the developare only the beginning. are going to ing hisbody son’sisevery progress.to the restoration live one’shere personality,” asour the children. commentator says. ment a hindrance and so will For our waThe “Since film is June crisply shot cinematographer 61 have can tobehope ordered onlineideas at plans.

2013, weby have been pursuing ter(Album needs, we that these VitalitoKrivich, who isolates his subjects in an www.go2films.com/New-Releases/Album-61) DDA fulfil the L-G’s mandate and revive all work.

There’s no other choice but to fight for invisible we cannot see. is our water, one way or another.” the waterboard bodiesthat in Dwarka, but it hasLife been merelygoing. a pale Many reflection of the on the tough a time, we struggle feel it works to jaideep unudurti writes on travel, chess and culture sibi arasu board.advantage Krivich captures gestures: their to leavethe thetiny water bodiesThe in popular

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saturday, november 8, 8, 2014 saturday, november 2014

Waging war, comically Laughing at the ISIS may just be the best medicine

PARTHA P SHARMA

I

n Iraq, Lebanon and Palestine, comedians are taking to TV shows and YouTube to air satirical pieces on the ISIS. Their jokes unabashedly point the finger at the idiocy, fundamentalism and hypocritical nature of the group. While the rest of the world takes ISIS seriously, comedians in their backyards are poking fun at them. From bumbling fools, to ‘you smell like crap’ slurs, their jokes are at times crass, but mostly merciless. Sample this: An Iraqi TV show informs us that unlike

us, they don’t need to watch ISIS on TV; they can see them from their front window. A Palestinian video features actors who play the role of ISIS fighters manning a checkpoint.

Much like the Monty Python, they depict the fighters as morons called ‘I-sissys’. In an Onion-style article, they say the militant group has decided to postpone theStaring invasion Lebaat of extinction The“We endangered non. A fake spokesperson says, do not unAsiatic lion at thef*** derstand the logic of Lebanon.

Who the Nehru Zoological Park do we overthrow around here?”

Murder on Facebook In the first-ever study on social networks and criminal behaviour, six types of killers emerge

S

ocial networks can be dangerous places. Beware, you could be killed over a ‘poke’, lured by a fake profile or deceived by a surreal fantasy. In the first-ever study on social networks and criminal behaviour, researchers at Birmingham City University have identified six types of killers who use Facebook to commit crimes. Analysing 48 ‘Facebook murders’, where the website was reported as a significant factor, they have identified killer types as — re-

in Hyderabad nagara gopal; Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav plant a sapling during a recent visit to the lion safari in Etawah PTI

Game for political barbs

actor, informer, antagonist, fantasist, predator and imposter. Reactors kill out of rage; the informer ‘informs’ before killing; the antagonist kills over a heated debate; the fantasist operates between reality and make-believe; the predator draws you in with fake profiles; and the imposters, well, they pretend. Facebook, however, has come away unscathed in the report, “no October 23, one daythan before more to blamenfor these homicides a Diwa- When Lakshmi and Vishnu took ill after their though rare, makes them vulnerable to diseasli, for Akhilesh Yadav was a worried arrival in Etawah from Kanpur Zoo, Modi’s es. “Not much is known about captive-lion beknife is to blame a stabbing.” man. The Uttar Pradesh chief min- claims seemed to ring true. haviour and mating yet,” says KK Singh, ister had visited the Lion Safari The Etawah Lion Safari — seen as a pet pro- director of Etawah Lion Safari Project. PostProject at Etawah to check on two ailing big ject of Yadav and his UP strongman father — mortem reports have not yet revealed what cats — Vishnu and Lakshmi. The lion and lion- was first proposed in 2005. Work began much caused Lakshmi’s death, and nephew Vishnu’s ess had arrived in Etawah a couple of months later, in May 2013, after environmental clear- condition seems to be worsening. “In the last ago and took ill in September. They couldn’t ances were obtained. The 350-hectare safari is couple of days, he has also developed a cold,” move and had poor appetites. There were located just outside Etawah town, near the says De. symptoms of paralysis and viral infection, but Chambal sanctuary.

The Asiatic lion-breeding programme has a clear diagnosis remained elusive. Hospitals “Fifty hectares is the safari area, the rest is been hugely successful in Gujarat; the lion nearby and international agencies were buffer,” says Sujoy Banerjee, the then deputy population more than doubled from 180 in consulted, but on October 31 conservator of forests (Chambal division), 1974 to 411 in 2010, with 97 males, 162 females, Lakshmi died of cardio-respi- who drew up the master plan. “At the north- 75 sub-adults and 77 cubs. More than 100 lions ratory failure resulting ern end of the safari, we constructed a centre bred in captivity have been sent to zoos across t is difficult for humans to study the behaviour from partial paralysis. for conservation and breeding, two animal the country and abroad. The nascent Etawah of wild animals. We have to gain their trust, Trouble was brew- houses and a state-of-the-art hospital, all of project, in contrast, has run into several diffimake them comfortable with our presence, and ing for the state which are functional.” Modelled match steps with their rhythms that vary every culties. Nearly ₹150 crore has government’s minute, day and season. Researchers have now on the lines of the UK’s Longleat been invested in it. But delayed much-touted come up with an alternative — a remote-controlled Safari Park, the first driveclearances and the struggle to lion-breeding robot equipped with a scanning device, disguised through safari outside Africa, clear the safari region of the exotprogramme. like a penguin. It was tested on king penguins, and the Etawah project is currently They are not from Gir, ic weed Prosposis juliflora, or lanOften fodder home to three jodis of big cats data reveals that it was a lot less stressful for the tana bush, have weighed it down. they are from for election brought from Gir — Aman and animals to have a robot and not a person around.

With the death of the lioness, Hyderabad rallies, the li- Kumari, Heer and Ranjha, and For instance, a penguin’s heart rate increases by 35 the breeding programme, down ons of Eta- Kuber and Greeshma. beats per minute when approached by a human to three pairs, is on shaky legs. wah were but when a rover came close, the heart rate inAfter Lakshmi and Vishnu arAlthough four-year-old Lakshnot just a rived in Kanpur last year, they creased only by 24 beats per minute. While human mi and Vishnu originally came wildlife con- were not in perfect health. Lakshmi contract- from the Hyderabad Zoo, the current political researchers make animals move faster, robots hinking of minions an cernsending but alsoyour a ed seem to have the opposite effect. The emperor penthe bacterial infection leptospirosis and storm hinges on the likelihood that they are anonymous stinker?

Try shitexpress.com, a a month before she recovered. from the same stock as the lions of Gir. The digrowing politiguins, which were wary at first, soon warmed up to was treated for Narendra Modi the call for Swachh company that, literally, delivers poop to any cal problem for But the rover when it came dressed as in September, both Lakshmi andhen Vishnu rector ofsounded the Etawah project, however, disBharatInAbhiyan, Brihanmumbai Municipal address in world.

The internet rich in during the shift to Etawah. thethe chief minister. a baby penguin. Now that they wereisinjured agrees.the “They are not from Gir, they are from (BMC)Hyderabad,” too picked says up brooms, just like shit-delivery services, they all suffer from they came downCorporation In April thisbut year, can do most things we can early October, with multiple Singh. Rupak Dethe adds, “We others. After a fewdon’t weeksknow of sweeping, wiping and selfiethe same card requirements aheadproblem of the— credit general and can’t, and look cute infections and paralysis. the history of the lions and where clicking however, the BMC to haveHyderabad. run out of But the and long legal disclaimers. elections, Yadav and theSure, Poopsenderas well, I wish I could Experts from the Indian Veterinary Re- they came seems from before dustbins.VeterThere’s aprogramme lot of waste,will butnot toobe few public dustallows to choose a variety of at Bareilly and Mathura thens.com Gujarat CM you Narendra Modifrom make it my roommate. search Institute affected.” bins. “We’re garbage onround-the-clock the roadside obsercow, elephant andofgorilla poop,inary but itCollege might were called in. Doctors traded barbs over the felines Etawah. fromdumping Withthe Vishnu under now,” a localatcorporator told a daily.Singh But, not to fallhopeful beaccidentally your identity.

Here “Your chief minister asked foralso lionsreveal from me.

Kanpur and Lucknow zoos had set up camp vation at Bareilly, remains but hind, the BMC ordering dustbins ₹3.7 Meancomesthe shitexpress.com, honest,the no-frills But he couldn’t handle Gujarat lions.an They safari shit for over a month; advice poured in isalso stresses20,000 the need to “be for realistic.”

What’s funny is that similar order placed that at sends withJunagadh a per- Zoo, Pune, the crore. had to be caged,” delivery Modi toldservice the crowds Bare-poop from Bear Rescue while, theapolitical barbswas notwithstanding, years the ago. Most ofare them weren’t used and the are now sonalised message, for theto Bitcoin equivalent illy, inviting Yadav and his father Mulayam Centre at Agra and Longleat Park.two Despite talks underway between UP and Gujaready to be into, yes you guessed right,another the of ₹1,300.

Plastered with a label that reads visit the Gir forests and “see how the lions constant vigil and treatment, the disease re-chucked rat administrations to procure lion bin. It’s a clean sweep for the BMC. ‘Halloween Gag Gift’, package roam freely”. Yadav’s feeble retorts that itthe was deadly mained undiagnosed. pair from Gir. There could still be roaring glides through an unsuspecting a “political courtesy” and even they had given customs “There with might be a case of genetic suppres- times ahead in Etawah, after all. safespoke and prompt.

The perfect gift Rupak for De, Principal Chief ConservaGujarat “hyenas ease. but It’s never about it” sion,” says that annoying colleague aroundtor theof corner. were no match for Modi’s lion-sized rhetoric.

Forests (UP). Inbreeding among lions, priyanka kotamraju

Hello, penguin-bot!

Etawah’s lion-breeding programme is limping, putting Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav in the direct line of taunts from political rivals

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Rovers, disguised as penguins, get up, close and personal with animals

I

This is horse shit!

A Bitcoin-based delivery of animal poop to any corner of the globe

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Q A dustbin crunch R

Swachh Bharat is off to a flying start, but Mumbai runs out of bins

W

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3 23BL BL

HANG

saturday, november 8, 2014

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24

cornerstone in-faq by joy bhattacharjya Hoaxes

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boy from Kerala who convinced the world that he worked for NASA. Leaders talking about ancient genetic sciences. In these ‘trick or treat’ times, a quiz about hoaxes and legends.

1

In 1996, Ramar Pillai took the Indian scientific community by storm with his ‘discovery’. He was even given 20 acres to make good on his promise. What did he claim to have discovered, which was later discovered to be a sleight of hand?

2

In which Olympic Games did marathon runner Fred Lorz hitch an 11-mile ride in his manager’s car before strolling across for a convincing win?

3

In 1996, which American brand took out advertisements on April 1 claiming that they had purchased one of Philadelphia’s most historic icons?

4 5

Which Bond film spawned an urban legend about an actress being killed during shooting as she had been covered with paint?

What glaring oversight, usually discussed in early October each year — since 1901 — is mistakenly believed to be the result of a certain Gosta Mittag-Leffler running away with another man’s wife or mistress?

6

In 1910, practical joker Horace De Vere Cole and a group of friends dressed up as Abyssinian royals and were given a state tour of Britain’s flagship, the Dreadnought. Which famous author was a part of that hoax?

the new york times crossword-0928

nascar roks!

7

Over the last few years, the image of a composite satellite view of India at night, showing the change in night illumination during the period 1992-2003 is dragged out as representing which specific occasion?

8

The Cottingley Fairies appear in a series of five photographs taken by Elsie Wright and Frances Griffiths. Which famous author believed the photographs were real though the girls admitted their fraud before they passed away?

9

The 1975 New Columbia Encyclopaedia carries an entry on Lillian Mountweazel, designer and photographer. The word ‘Mountweazel’ has since entered the dictionary.

Who or what was Lillian Mountweazel?

10

In 1798, when this creature was first encountered by Europeans, a pelt and sketches were sent back to Britain by Captain John Hunter. Most British naturalists considered it a hoax and it was only when the first live specimens reached the Royal Society that they accepted its existence. The creature?

Answers

1. He claimed to have discovered a shrub which could produce herbal petroleum.

2. 1904, St Louis. Apparently he thought it was a joke and went along. Lorz was no mean runner though, and won the Boston Marathon the very next year.

3. Taco Bell, which claimed to have bought the Liberty Bell and renamed it the Taco Liberty Bell.

4. Goldfinger. The character Jill Masterson dies in the film after being covered with gold paint. She did not even become ill in real life.

5. The lack of a Nobel Prize for mathematics, which people claim was because Nobel’s wife ran away with a mathematician — usually thought to be Mittag-Leffler.

Since Nobel never married, it could only have been his mistress, but no historical account supports that claim.

6. Virginia Woolf.

7. India at night during Diwali; it is a colour-coded picture and has been shared/retweeted more times than any other Diwali photo.

8. Arthur Conan Doyle, who was also apparently taken in by the pictures of the Cottingley Fairies.

9. It is a false entry in an encyclopaedia or dictionary to catch possible copyright violators. Lillian Mountweazel never existed, so any other source mentioning her would be plagiarising the Columbia encyclopaedia.

10. The Duck-Billed Platypus.

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joy bhattacharjya is a quizmaster and author of Junior Premier League — The First XI t@joybhattacharj

ACROSS 1 Coping mechanisms?

5 Dog for a “gentleman detective” 9 White, informally 14 “Germinal” novelist 18 Ton 19 Drama critic John of The New Yorker 20 Teeing off 22 Popular children’s “find it” book series 23 Rescue film of 2012 24 It’s normal for NASA 25 Comedy classic of 1978 27 “Hey, what did you think when you missed that last pit stop?”

[The Who, 1971] 30 ___ rating system (world chess standard) 31 Ken of “thirtysomething” 32 Surgically remove 33 “Who, me?”

36 Bogs down 38 Hydroxyl compound 40 Fanny 42 “Did you do anything for luck before today’s

race?” [Katy Perry, 2008] 48 Scrumptious 49 “Like this” 50 Seth of “Late Night” 5 2Rock’s Everly or Collins 53 Stopover spot 54 Summoned, in a way 57 Perform some magic 60 Okla. City-to-Dallas direction 62 4 letters 63 Gen ___ 64 Exams for some coll. applicants 65 “How did that new car handle out there on the track?” [Maroon 5, 2011] 70 Soft-shell clam 73 Steinful, maybe 74 Article in Aachen 75 Orly bird, once?

78 Tend 80 Giant in heating and air-conditioning 83 Hack 85 City SSW of Moscow 86 Toy company on track to success?

89 Unacceptable to polite

society 91 Late disc jockey Casey 93 “What did you try to do after the caution flag came out?” [The Doors, 1967] 96 Cover with a hard outer surface 99 Dame ___ 100 Cast part 101 Ming of the N.B.A. 102 Relatively up-to-date 106 Beauties 108 Slow-witted 109 “Are you enjoying your time out on the Nascar circuit?” [Ricky Martin, 1999] 114 Movie with the line “Old age. It’s the only disease, Mr. Thompson, that you don’t look forward to being cured of” 117 Lend a dirty hand to 118 “___ do” 119 George Will piece 120 Someone a little short?

121 The Swedish Nightingale 122 Sporty option

123 Love letter sign-off 124 Outfit 125 Antoine Domino Jr., familiarly 126 Ditz DOWN 1 Only Literature Nobelist also to win an Oscar 2 Dynamic start?

3 “Ring” lovers 4 Impeccable 5 Succulent plant 6 ___ Domingo 7 Posthumous John Donne poem that includes “It suck’d me first, and now sucks thee” 8 At it 9 ___-Caspian Depression 10 Bay Area gridder 11 Skate 12 Green beans 13 Asian wild ass 14 Jerusalem 15 Big Ten sch.

16 Old track holders 17 Reply to a captain 21 Candied, as fruit 26 Assail 28 Yenta 29 Huge, in poetry 33 Semitransparent fabrics 34 Suffering a losing streak, in poker 35 Rustic poems

36 Noon, in Nantes 37 Sacred images: Var. 39 Not be straight 41 “___ Delight,” pioneering song by the Sugarhill Gang 43 Writer LeShan 44 Almost any poem that starts “Roses are red …”

45 Élève’s destination 46 High-speed ride 47 Sounds of equivocation 51 Still 55 “So-so” responses 56 Eye opener?

58 Kwik-E-Mart guy 59 Stop: Abbr.

61 Spammer, e.g.

63 Classic sports car 66 Words of retreat?

67 Nov. honoree 68 Actress Massey 69 Travel option 70 Poster bear 71 European capital 72 “Romanian Rhapsodies” composer 76 “Be prepared” 77 Sierra follower, in code

79 Needle 81 Drama with masks 82 Online investment option 84 Big name in house paint 87 Squeeze (out) 88 Place to dangle one’s legs 90 Tameness 92 Frankie who starred on “Malcolm in the Middle” 94 See 97-Down 95 Home of some Bushmen 97 94-Down x 14 98 Coiled about 103 Tattoo artist 104 Glam band with six #1 hits in Britain 105 Brief name?

107 Trail 109 “Death in Venice” locale 110 ___ libre (poetry style) 111Old Fords 112 Get old 113 Dog Chow alternative 114 Crew member 115 One means of corp. financing 116 Okla. Neighbour

By Michael Ashley / Edited by Will Shortz

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