Condolences

It is saddening that some brave people had to sacrifice their life protecting innocent from marauding psychopaths. Police Officers like Hemant Karkare, Vijay Salaskar, Ashok Kamte, Maj. Unnikrishnan, Hw Gajendra Singh …..and others (I particularly am saddened by the death of young Major, few decades back if we were in Bengaluru he would be family friend who would be invited for weekend get together-it’s the mallu thing. The images of his funeral in TV were quite depressing, I couldn’t hold back my tears. These events affect me deeply the reason why I change channel to Pogo’s Hole in the Wall. I guess it better to go a long break).

I hear that proper equipments were not being sanctioned, the reason why ATS Chief was killed was lack of bullet proof vest, if it is true then it shocking. Also the cops were carrying vintage .303 rifles (I read in the Net that .303 was developed in 1880s)!!!. The inherited steel structure (read bureaucrats at Home Ministry) is nothing but plastic, buckling where the political weight is. It is also appalling case of negligence that few people could breach Indian maritime boundary with boats loaded with weapons, and no it’s not some obscure coast but India’s commercial capital. Understanding that India’s huge coastline maybe difficult to guard but breach at Mumbai is an amazing case of incompetence. Foreign Minister was quoted as saying “elements from Pakistan” are involved, it looks likely. But why isn’t the DG of NSG calling a press conference and make the evidence public and make it formal rather than wild theories spread by some sections in media, some even implicating Taj employees others even flashed that terrorist have been given safe passage to escape!! (....well these kinds of incidents are better than reality shows for some, atleast they don’t have to chase the boy with leaf growing out of his ear!!. It is prime time jingoism masquerading patriotism, the sale pitch is understandable). Pointing fingers at Pakistan if there is concrete evidence is the right step to take but what about negligence within, who will be held responsible?. It though is clear that rogue elements in Pakistan are a threat to world peace.

This blogger as any other common Indian feels that it is high time that India has centralized unified response to such crisis, there is a need for reduced action time. There is an immediate need for creating central agency or upgrading NSG to face increasingly technology savvy and vicious forms of terrorist threat. There is also an immediate need for crisis management cell that is given all power to deal with the situation in a professional manner. NSG though has done a commendable job. It gives lots confidence to common people for the State.

This blogger understands that it is very difficult to stop terrorist attacks of the kind seen at Taj, it could be any iconic building, establishment or figure (I guess that the reason why even Amitabh Bachchan felt insecure), but there should be zero tolerance for negligence or dereliction of responsibility. This blogger though is very concerned about shoddy investigation; the reason why I strongly feel that it should be taken away from political influence since they use it for settling personal scores (Godhra is a minor example). How many blasts cases have been solved?. It is appalling that investigation areas are not cordoned off, even this blogger who doesn’t have much knowledge about forensic knows that evidence get contaminated!!. There is an urgent need for modernization and putting some procedure in place.

Audacious and unprecedented

What is happening in Mumbai has never happened before in this country, these random attacks on hapless people by gunmen with impunity are unheard of. This blogger like most people is pained, aghast and very angered by the events unfolding in Mumbai. How the collective anger finds its expression is the concern. Will the extreme elements in the society find support in the people as a reaction?. Quite likely, the communal forces will be getting more vocal. Will the anger be against the minorities-muslims or beleaguered neighbor Pakistan?. These also looks very likely. The common people are going to be put into severe testing in the coming days…

Will the government use this opportunity to strengthen and give autonomy (non political interference) to investigative agencies?. Quite unlikely as politicians don’t like to give away their clout. It is difficult to prevent such events but investigation can at the least be earnest and fast, before all kinds of theories are floated by vested interests. It is a daunting task.

People are very angry and collective anger of people can be very dangerous. Something is going seriously wrong.

Howzzat for irresponsibility !!

Bengaluru (or Bangalore) hosted the international one day cricket match between Indian and England the other day. It is amusing that they decided on day and night match. I guess amusing is not the right word, blatant irresponsibility is. The city is enforcing atleast 2hours power cut on its people, in the outskirts people go without electricity for as much as 6hours. Small scale industry, students so on go through immense hardship but despite all this the authorities found it alright to spend huge amount of electricity for this game. At the basic level it is indecency, complete disregard for common people and at another level it is a joke, an ancient one that.

Most people who have spend some time in bengaluru know that more than often it rains in the night, in particular this time of the year. On the day of the match it was very clear that there would be shower (clue is dark clouds, just have to look up). But they still carried on, I guess once they decide they don’t change, I also guess that is what they call discipline, expectedly rains interrupted and the game was stopped for many hours and all this time the flood lights were on (they did switch the lights the day before too, to check I guess). If some one calculates the electricity waste it would be thousands of watts. And then they bring out ads telling us how to save electricity. They also construct huge dams, create environmental havoc, displace societies…all for the “demand” for electricity. Quite amazing.

One wonders what is in this game that couldn’t be played in the sunlight or is it part of India shining?!!. Take it literally !. I am not saying day and night cricket shouldn’t be played but some prudence, some responsible behavior…

More about happenings in Bengaluru: few weeks back there was a huge traffic jam due to some political rally. This blogger was stuck for sometime but thankfully was able to sneak out through a short cut (that is the best part of traveling in two-wheeler you can squiggle through. Bangaloreans are ok kind of people relatively calmer in traffic with occasional en re thu, which more than being offensive makes me laugh the thu part- very unique to bengaluru). Also this blogger is not into meeting deadlines (dead serious about that!!) so not in any hurry. But yes I am very concerned about stranded ambulances, I sincerely hoped they are upgraded to take these delays.

The media was up in arms against the political rallies. This blogger doesn’t share the volatile reactions of the media against the political parties. There are many reasons for that most important being- political parties have all the right to hold rallies the problem is mismanagement and lack of proper facilities. Further if I knew about this event I would have avoided that route. This blogger though has strong reservation against city roads being converted into track for marathon. If they want why cant they go to bengaluru-mysuru highway?. Part of the road could be converted into this event thus not blocking the traffic.

Also one shouldn’t read too much into the media’s high moral ground on this issue since they are doing what is good for their business, it is their consumers who are the victims here. They will choose issues that have potential to sell to their consumers. Political party (in this case JDS) holding rallies are equally not bothered about city dwellers since their base is mostly rural, they too are serving their clients. Most people in cities are not much concerned about what happens to rural India (mainstream India has no space for these except when there is some crime. This blogger would also point to the misery caused by exploitative products like say CocaCola-Pepsi, you will not find mention of these) sometimes the favor is returned. The political party’s claim that “rural people face these and bigger problem every day” finds resonance among rural. The stories of school children stranded in buses find resonance among people affected by these events in cities. It is a jungle out there I guess that is how democratic capitalism functions !!. So what do I do? Well I say thu re maga and try to be an optimist!!

Then there was a man named Salim Ali

Yesterday was birth anniversary of one of the most well known Ornothologist “bird man” Salim Ali, he is surely the father of Ornithology in India. It is saddening that in the overdose mediocrities of events and non events- that are made into events someone so very significant is forgotten. Even this blogger was able to remember this date quite accidentally ( i had visited Ranganathita Bird Sanctuary few days back and so thought about reading about Salim Ali as the place had a significant influence of Salim Ali, even having Salim Ali Bird documentation centre- always locked though!!). I strongly feel that Salim Ali’s birthday needs to be celebrated as Birds Day.

Salim Ali was an amazing man, this blogger has read most of his writings (I am also a big fan of Ranjit Lal, he has an amazing ability to connect with the readers particularly the younger ones. Futehally is another well known Ornithologist, there are many more probably I will deal some other time). Very rarely we come across such passionate people. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that Salim Ali single handedly put the foundation of Ornithology in India. The nation is indebted to him for his contribution to Ornithology as also issues related to environment as he wrote once “my chief interest in bird study has always been its ecology, its life history under natural conditions and not in a laboratory under a microscope. By travelling to these remote, uninhabited places, I could study the birds as they lived and behaved in their habitats” (taken from the Net). He was instrumental in saving Bharatpur Bird sanctuary as also silent valley in Kerala.

This blogger can identify more than 50 species of birds, till recently I used to enjoy watching and reading about them but now I intend to take photographs. Very soon I would be creating a new blog on birds, and posting about the birds I “capture” and writing about them. I dedicate this to Salim Ali, man who has influenced me lot.

PS: to commemorate the occasion this blogger decided to be with the nature for a day so went to Bannarghatta sanctuary today. I have traveled to most wild life sanctuaries in India as also zoos. The zoos are really a tragedy, one wonders when will this country have zoos of the standards found in Singapore or Sydney. The way a society treats its animals and nature defines how developed it is.

Existing in the world of Nuclear Bombs

Revenge of the Roaches

I see this roach

emerging from cup of vaporized tea

swiping its antennae through the mandibles

stretching its wings a bit

as if yawning after a feast.

I reach for something hard to swat

just that instance it explodes

into a huge ball of fire

mushrooming out to engulf the city

there are millions of them

no longer hiding in the drainage and crevices

but proudly marching the streets

devouring houses devoid of people

laying eggs in the sockets of vanquished humans.

(my fond dedications to “leaders” in the Left and Right spectrum of political parties for fighting for Bharat Mata’s inalienable “sovereign right” to explode nuclear bombs)

Can we miss them!!

I wrote in the last blog about dancers in the popular genre (read movies) but find myself guilty of not mentioning two names. One is enchanting Prabhu Deva. He is a class act. The movies are just an excuse, he is waiting to explode into some “number”. I saw him first while I was in college in the hugely popular Tamil movie “Gentleman”, the chiku bak rele song was a rage among youth. When Prabhu Deva dance time and space give way to his body, it is an ephemeral act only meant for connoisseurs. He got the tag Michael Jackson of India by media, this blogger though believes it is other way round Michael Jackson is Prabhu Deva of US !!.

Next is another class act: Hrithik Roshan. Apart from being a great dancer he is also a tremendous actor, one of the most popular. That is terrific.

(the above snap taken from the Net. It is not a Nazi symbol but something considered auspicious by Hindus)

Post Script: There are some dance troupe I admire one is that of legendary Chandralekha, they used to show it on Sundays in DD, and also Mallika sarabhai.

There is one short story written by Anita Desai I read long time back (not able to recall the name) that deals with life of tanpura artist. “Small remedies” by Sashi Deshpande, about an elderly classical singer was an excellent book.

Bharat Ratna to Bhimsen Joshi, some recollections…

Bhimsen Joshi is one of the greatest legends of Hindustani Classical music. This blogger had decided more than a decade back to listen to these great masters live as and when I get the opportunity. I have listened to most of them like Pt. Ravi Shankar, Ustad Amjad Ali khan, Pt. Chaurasia, Ustad Bismillah khan (a very rare recital at Benaras), Zakir hussain, Yesudas, Pt. Jasraj, Pt Shiv Kr Sharma and so on. As also great dancers like Birju Maharaj, Padma Subramanium, Kelucharan Mahapatra, Sonal Mansingh, Leela Samson, Reddy’s, Astad Debu (I particularly enjoyed his emulation of grasshopper. He is an amazing man), Bharati Shivaji, Madhavi Mudgal and many more. I am a big fan of Uday Shankar dance troupe the dances sequences in "Kalpana" was incredible. I also follow the events in Kalashektra, Rukmini Devi Arundale was an amazing lady (infact my room wall has a black/white photo of her in Bharatnatyam). From popular people and genre, I

like Vijaythimala, Hema Malini, Shobana. I think Madhuri Dixit (a song where she is dressed as fisherwoman, don’t recall the song but it is picturised in studio was amazing) and Aishwarya Rai (in Taal and Guru) are natural dancers. I am also an ardent follower of folk dances (I should write about it sometime later).

I also follow modern forms of dances, long back I happen to witness dances using light and sound, lots of dancers from abroad performed (I also liked Aditi Mangaldas rendering of Neruda). It was an amazing experience. Specifically about Kathakali I will write sometime later, I learned it for few months just to understand the form. Now though I prefer CDs but yes I would love to listen Gangubai Hangal live, missed an opportunity last year. One of my biggest regret is never to have listened to MS Subbulekshmi katchery.

Unfortunately I also was not able to listen to Bhimsen Joshi live; I read that he has not been keeping well last few decades. I recall listening to him in DD when in school. I was not much into classical music but my neighbor’s daughters were learning Hindustani, they used to drop in to watch TV and so had to sit with them sometimes. I had started to like Bhimsen Joshi.

I am quite influenced by music. Not much into singing but to my own surprise I was selected to school music team in my pre teens!!. We learned songs in different languages and I was part of the group that sang on Independence Day celebrations. I never took up singing though. Much later when studying in college a friend who stayed in the neighborhood was seriously into Carnatic. I used to visit him very often, he was one of the smartest boy around, good in studies (doing MBBS from reputed Trivandrum Medical college, one of the toppers. Since I liked medicine used to go through his texts). A vadyar used to come all the way from Nagercoil to teach him Carnatic. One Sunday happened to be in his house while he was practicing Carnatic, just for fun sang few lines. Now it so happened that Vadyar was listening and he said I had flair for singing. So I too started learning Carnatic!!. It is quite arduous but interesting, I stuck to it for few months. It didn’t make me a singer but gave a fine ear for Carnatic. Those days Malayalam movies was going through spectacular time. Most movies had songs based on Carnatic, even protagonist playing singer, that were huge commercial hits and also maintained high aesthetic standards like Sargam, Bharatham, Kudumbasametham, Sadyam, Chitram, Kamaladalam and so on. They were all superhits. These movies make me seriously nostalgic sometimes.

On Western Classical Music: I was not much aware about Western Classical. Quite accidentally listened to an orchestra in Chennai, found that it was by Beethoven. I had read about Beethoven (probably in school) but rarely heard !!. Much later when I was in Delhi thought of exploring this form of music. Max Muellar Bhavan conducted a two days study/seminar on Western Classical Music (I guess in 1997), it was a great experience. An Indian man probably in his mid thirties (I found that two years later the man had died, it was shocking) had immense knowledge on this subject. He made it interesting by interjecting the talk with music, explaining the nuances and even showing film clipping (like on Mozart). I really got stuck to Western Classical, attended many performances. I absolutely love Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Tchaikovsky (strictly in that order!!) as also Brahms and Chopin.

There is so much in the world!!!.And the best part is these experiences don’t cost anything!!. Rokda nahi mangtha baap!!

America rises with OBAMA !!

Finally America has come out of the morass they have been in last decade or so. Something incredible has happened: a rank outsider, and that is understatement for someone who is almost like a foreigner. I guess almost is an interesting word here since Obama is quintessentially an American, but that makes it amazing. (Despite tall claims of democracy India is mostly closed to socio-cultural outsiders, for most it is an uphill task in daily life too. Though thanks to elections there have been some political leaders who can claim to be outsiders like Mayawati. Entrenched societies have their advantages and disadvantages. Ridiculous comments on Sonia Gandhi as a foreigner during last elections fall into this context). Obama’s win is an occasion that changes the perception of USA for the better.

It is a win for America. It is a win for all that is beautiful about America. It is a symbolic win for humanity. Having said that reality check is: Obama is an American President and therefore he will have to stand for national interests (like for instance Al Quaeda remains a serious threat). One is not expecting any radical changes but yes some significant changes for better. Hopefully this will be a step for multilateralism in dealing with issues facing the world. Hopefully this is a change towards empowering UN. (Also in the Indian context this blogger hopes that the “nuclear deal” with US doesn’t mean that Indians will get away with nuclear testing. India will have to follow the international rules including CTBT. The commies might call this “sovereign right”-symptoms of schizophrenia no doubt. But then commies are good as opposition they should never be in power. It is dangerous. India’s sovereign right should not precede interest of the humanity. The deal should be nullified if Indian tries any nonsense. And yes for the record as an Indian this blogger asserts that most Indians never had any deep love for Bush. On these matters Singh is not King!!. No apologies there). This blogger strongly holds the view that the rise of authoritarian China is a serious threat to world. Also happenings in Burma is a challenge to conscience of the humanity. If someone could explain what is the crime of Aung San Suu Kyi?.

Obama’s win (indeed win for Democrats in particular leaders like Nancy Palosi) surely need to be seen as assertion of America’s rightful place in the world we live in. Nations don’t become powerful by military nor economic might, it becomes powerful by ethical force. The force of righteous, the force of liberty, the force of people to stand up for rights of common people. By this vote Americans have proved that.