Smoked Out !!!

This article was written on June 3rd 2005 since then the proposed law is to come into affect from 1st January 2006 as against 1st August 2005 (some new things are added).

The proposed new prohibition law on smoking related scenes in movies and TV is the most exciting thing to happen in recent times. But some people in media have gone overboard in their criticisms. One Newspaper ( The Hindu) in today's editorial writes"…films explore the entire gamut of human behavior …their purpose is not always to idealize people but to reveal them in truthful and convincing manner".
Another Newspaper (TOI…well I read all the Newspapers today to gauge the response) shows similar concern in its editorial "..films is an artistic product, supposed to depict human behavior as it actually is, not as it is supposed to be…".
Oh really!!!. I mean Rreaallyy!!!. So which "bollywood" movie are we talking about!!!. Jumping from tall building (now it is Chinese rope trick) and fisting ten people is not my idea of "depicting human behavior as it is". Off course it is not denying that there are some (very rare) realistic brilliant movies made. For the very reason I am not in for a complete ban but looking at the contemporary movies where the "reality" is limited to pandering the senses and sensationalized scenes with Guns and sex is not about "exploring the entire gamut of human behavior" so one tends to agree with the Government's efforts. I have seen gun in real life only carried by policemen(as also soldiers) but haven't seen a gun being operated live. Nor has one seen women wearing revealing clothes and gyrating around whatever-is-there-at-sight in the street or on the top of the running train doing chaiyya chaiyya. Some of these may happen in some dance bars and yes (big YES here) the movies do " reveal them in truthful and convincing manner" Nor have I seen people singing songs to each other, they generally talk (in this blog!!. Such a boring life!!!). Nor have I seen a movie, which ends with an X-ray of the charred lungs as happens to most smokers in real life. Lets face it movies are in most cases about fantasy and even if it is about "reality" or "truthful depiction" it is subjective perception of moviemaker. Off course the Director definitely has the Right to show his/her side of the story but the problem is when all the version look similar and many realities are left out as it is not "stylish" enough. There are more immediate terrifying truths that millions (that is majority) face on a daily basis. Where do we see such truths in today's commercial movies? Not all people take up smoking when stressed as is assumed in most movies. Also it is a misnomer that "bad" characters have to smoke. They are trying to glamorize to get the effect. In earlier movies "bad' lost to "good" and every thing ended in a good note but now there is a moral ambiguity for the same reason smoking scenes send signals which are conflicting. The reason why some moviemaker show smoking (as their choice of "reality") has also to do with surrogate positioning of product which is going on in a big way. Having lost public space in legal way this is how cigarette manufactures are trying to reach their targets. In recent times it has taken such a serious dimension that even acclaimed movies like Swades also allowed this transgression. Well when it is about profit the bottom line is Return Of Investment. So the idea of "self regulation" is a big joke. Are we talking about conscience honey?!!!..well I am getting goosebumps!!.

In the 1980s it was revealed in USA that the tobacco company Phillip Morris paid to place Marlboro cigarettes in the film Superman 2 . this revelation prompted a US Congressional hearing and the advent of legislation that made it compulsory for the tobacco industry to disclose information on expenditures of product placement in movies to US Federal Trade Commission. Do we have such laws in India??.

We live in a shubh laab world of pure munaffa. It is about Market regulation. It is also about "if I don't do it somebody else will do it" ideation. The creative space in a business venture (which a movie is….we have people ranging from Banias to underworld putting in their money) is very much reduced and as we do the balancing act one has to take into consideration the social context and rule of the land. It is not free for all in the name of "artistic freedom". "Artistic freedom" works when the society is truly democratic. "Artistic freedom" works when there is an equitable distribution of opportunities. Majority of movies in last decade do not fall under egalitarian understanding of "artistic freedom". The Marketeers to further profit at the expense of life and healthy surroundings are misusing this word. Democracy has to be understood from the Rights of marginalized (as Mahatma Gandhi put it: daridranarayan). It should necessarily move from bottom to top.

Another issue is the contention that "prohibition has never worked" and that "..the operative principle should be to strike a balance between the right of individual to smoke as long as he is aware of the consequences, and the right of other individuals and society at large.." sure it goes with the tag line: choices, not judgments. In a "liberalized and globalized" world "choices" is the new mantra for nirvana. In USA there is a belligerent group (some call them neo-con), rightist to core who are increasingly getting a mainstream character, are now demanding that children be given (yes the buzzword) the "choice" to choose between Darwinian theory of evolution and biblical guidance on life. Incidentally this is circa 2005AD lest one forgets!!. Such is the power of "choices" over rationality and reason. Further why is this "operative principle" of "right of individual" not applied in case of marijuana or heroin…well these also don't affect "the right of other individuals and society at large" and people are " aware of the consequences". Quite clearly "right of individual" works under some restrictions necessarily for the betterment of society. This particularly true in a society where millions people are illiterate as also the audience consist of substantial number of impressionable minds. It has been proven beyond doubt that people do get influenced by smoking related scenes (in many cases initiated). Even the recent WHO report has convincing proved it. Smoking scenes in movies also gives acceptability to smokers. It is seen as normal behavior. Making it quite difficult for anti-smoking campaign. Statistics show that 20 million children in India are getting addicted to smoking every year and nearly 55,000 children becoming smokers everyday( Tobacco the killer unkilled: Deccan herald). The share of developing countries has been increasing dramatically in last few years as the tobacco companies aggressively market to capture the huge markets. The Institute of Medicine Report titled “Growing up Tobacco free” elucidates that “in developing norms, adolescents look to the great social environment for concept of adult identity, particularly the behavior of leaders, heroes and film stars, and in media”. According to the social learning theory, which underscores the importance of underplay between individual traits and environment, mass media have an enormous influence on lifestyle choices of young adults. In November 2005 in the journal Pediatrics, it was clearly established that exposure to movie smoking is an independent, primary risk factor for smoking initiation among adolescents. In this study, adolescents were grouped into four different quartiles based on their level of movie smoking exposure and it was found that the smoking prevalence rose steadily with increasing levels of exposure to movie smoking. A number of other studies have shown that exposure to movie smoking does promote the smoking habit among youth. A study conducted in 2001 at the Darmouth Medical School in Hanover,United States,concluded that “the portrayal of tobacco use in contemporary motion pictures, particularly by stars who are admired by adolescents, contribute to adolscent smoking”
Given the "choice" to choose between life of children and "artistic license" of some small time profit makers who have taken up movie making from soap selling I think the sane society will choose future for it's children that is about having the right to be healthy. And that is what the Government of India has done. Kudos to that. Having said one is against blanket ban since as Ramboji mentions "to make movies against smoking, you have to show smoking". Quite clever that one!!. So how many movies has one seen in last decade against smoking? Who is kidding!!!. This is how people trivialize the issue. I think the system that will come into affect from August 1 will take care of that. Mamus don't worry. Rather than whining the poorBollywooddirectors need join their hands to fight the evil of smoking and take it as a challenge to deal with smoking related scenes within their "artistic license". Obviously it means sensitive scripts and camera handling..i guess that is asking a bit too much. One is not suggesting that poorbollywooddirectors assume the role of moral guardians. Pleaaase don't. It only means less profit. One reason of such a hue and cry is that poorbollywooddirectors will find it difficult to channelise money. There are some big companies with huge money waiting at the doorstep.
Some people are also using some great movies to further their agenda. The movie in question here is Shatranj Ke Khiladi of Satyajit Ray, where the protagonists smoke hookah through out the movie. This is a ridiculous attempt to scuttle the debate. One the movie mentioned is a Period movie when smoking was not known to cause major diseases. It is not about lighting a cigar and puffing into the audience as a style statement. Further paraphernalia seen in the movie are not commonly used. Secondly this movie was made in 1977(those good old time when Ms. Azmi was a normal human being) couldn't mamus quote any contemporary example?. They cannot since there is none. Today in most movies it is about how to create scenes to attract maximum. Aesthetics and restraint is biggest causality. Since majority audience are youngsters who I am told consider onyourfaceshit as part of their vibrant culture and since mall theaters have come into being the rules of games have changed dramatically. This life style statement majority of us don't associate with nor it is considered worth pursuing.
Ramboji at The Hindu has a unique problem (well this boy is unique) his contention is "…it would inhibit live events such as Formula 1, where cars and racing overalls of drivers often contain brand names of cigarettes". This according to Ramboji is "direct infringement on the freedom of media". Quite clearly our boy is a Formula 1 enthusiast. Rather than seeing it as "infringement of freedom of media" we need to have a perspective shift and question the organizers and participants of these events to boycott such harmful products. It has been done successfully in the case of cricket and soccer. Our advantage is we have a huge population (audience) so if they want to tap into this market they better mend their ways. The onus on them NOT us. One wonders what is about expensive cars driving faster and faster and bumping into each other (some have even get killed), sucking precious fuel (which we less mortals are told to save), polluting environment in the name of Sports. This whole "event' sound quite deviant to me. Ooopps I almost forgot I am supposed to be a deviant. My mistake.
Everything said and done why don't we directly ban the tobacco products? Period. End of story!. Dr. Madhu Purushothaman has something pertinent to say in this regard….. “…questions like ‘why is the government trying to ban movie smoking instead of directly imposing ban tobacco products’ stems from a lack of understanding that any radical policy change can be made only in incremental steps. The logistics and politics of ban on movies smoking are far less complex than that those relating to the sale of tobacco products. Banning smoking in movies take the public battle to the doorsteps of not only the tobacco industry, but also the film industry….”

Post Script: Written after few days of the above....

The debate still rages!!.

I heard someone saying that rape and murder are also shown in movies so how come it will not influence people!!!. People can go to such ridiculous extend to scuttle the main issue. A murder and rape is an extreme action on someone else and people are very much aware of the risk involved (albeit there are cases where murder is inspired by media). It is true that life is becoming cheap, seeing others being hurt is always a considered a form of entertainment (popularity of WWF is an indication). The remorse is seen as weakness. This is most moviemaker's take on machoism. Cigarette comes handy here. We all seen it haven't we??. Many movies particularly Hollywood have (and take pride) in spectacular scene of killing, which the people here are trying to copy. Human life becomes less important than the "mission". The images they produce have lasting impact. So if people are not motivated to kill there is definitely a disregard for life form and the surroundings. Everything is meant to be used. Consumerism loves indulgent behavior. It's about high consumption, compulsive acquisition and instantaneous gratification. The highly acclaimed book Affluenza: The All Consuming Epidemic writes "..if we don't begin to reject our culture's incessant demands to 'buy now' , we will pay later in ways we can scarcely imagine". The author adds, " the message in the book isn't to stop buying; it's to buy carefully and consciously with full attention to real benefits and cost of purchases, remembering, always, that the best things in life aren't things". The exploitative products (cokepepsi) and their complete disregards to local population and its basic needs is an extension of this mindset. American spending is totally out of sync with the rest of the world and results in the depletion of precious resources. The book points out "..according to UNEP, Americans spend more for trash bags than 90 of the world's countries spend for everything". Consumption pattern in America is producing an incredible amount of pollution. Most people who equate America with development and progress seem to be oblivious to the colossal price all of us have to pay to sustain its high levels of consumption. According to the authors most Americans suffer from "possession overload", the problem dealing with too much stuff.
Hyper consumption is having a delirious consequence for the rest of the world. For instance though American comprise only 4.7% of the world\'s population, they account for 25% of its global warming and greenhouse gas emissions. Now to add confusion on such \nfacts and to maintain global threat lifestyle some scoundrels have even started to debate "whether human factors do contribute to global warming". We all are aware of Phillip Cooney case. The extend to which people can go to make profit!!!. The smoke screen!!!. The cigarette manufacturers say (with full support from McMedia and marketeers) that " percentage of people smoking has gone down". Yes true. But number of people smoking have gone up!!. Got it. 76% of the 800-900 movies made in India had smoking scenes. 52% of children take to smoking due to movies and that smoking on screen was 16% more effective than direct tobacco advertisements. These from prestigious \nLancet magazine. There are also cases of actors being paid by cigarette companies to smoke on screen. So are we going to fudge the numbers?!!. Clooneyboy is a role model for all Marketeers in all the place. I am told that they are thinking of constructing a temple for him!!. Om jaya clooneyboy hare. Sab ke sankat shan meh dhoor kare!!!. What motivated the attack on Iraq and subsequent endorsement of the people of this "powerful" nation is an eye-opener to the society's mindset. Life of "other" is so very cheap. This "other" is an extension of the selfish ideology of me and myself, taking an organic form of national interest. In advanced countries very effective law and order machinery control selfishness, as violent outbursts. Even then the crime rate is not low. In our country competing impoverished population on depleting resources with arcane and in most case corrupt law machinery the scenario is different. This is not to suggest that "reality" need to be curtailed and not be shown. Freedom is important. So is social context. So is how reality perceived and projected. So is what motivates people to present their interpretations of reality. The realities of, lets say, the gun battle of underworld and graphic scenes maybe important to vicariously experience the tragedy. But that is not the only reality we are aware. So why do they keep on showing this side of the story only??. Crime was always there in the society much before media. True. As someone said preventing kissing scenes has not stopped the population explosion!!. Very true. But this is deviating from the issue. These are basic human (lets say biological) acts. We all kill don\'t we? We kill animals (plants) for food. What is important is context. The context (and intention) of every act is important understanding on the event. And that is what is being questioned here.
Hyper consumption is having a delirious consequence for the rest of the world. For instance though American comprise only 4.7% of the world's population, they account for 25% of its global warming and greenhouse gas emissions. Now to add confusion on such facts and to maintain global threat lifestyle some scoundrels have even started to debate "whether human factors do contribute to global warming". We all are aware of Phillip Cooney case. The extend to which people can go to make profit!!!. The smoke screen!!!. The cigarette manufacturers say (with full support from McMedia and marketeers) that " percentage of people smoking has gone down". Yes true. But number of people smoking have gone up!!. Got it. 76% of the 800-900 movies made in India had smoking scenes. 52% of children take to smoking due to movies and that smoking on screen was 16% more effective than direct tobacco advertisements. These from prestigious Lancet magazine. There are also cases of actors being paid by cigarette companies to smoke on screen. So are we going to fudge the numbers?!!. Clooneyboy is a role model for all Marketeers in all the place. I am told that they are thinking of constructing a temple for him!!. Om jaya clooneyboy hare. Sab ke sankat shan meh dhoor kare!!!.

What motivated the attack on Iraq and subsequent endorsement of the people of this "powerful" nation is an eye-opener to the society's mindset. Life of "other" is so very cheap. This "other" is an extension of the selfish ideology of me and myself, taking an organic form of national interest. In advanced countries very effective law and order machinery control selfishness, as violent outbursts. Even then the crime rate is not low. In our country competing impoverished population on depleting resources with arcane and in most case corrupt law machinery the scenario is different. This is not to suggest that "reality" need to be curtailed and not be shown. Freedom is important. So is social context. So is how reality perceived and projected. So is what motivates people to present their interpretations of reality. The realities of, lets say, the gun battle of underworld and graphic scenes maybe important to vicariously experience the tragedy. But that is not the only reality we are aware. So why do they keep on showing this side of the story only??. Crime was always there in the society much before media. True. As someone said preventing kissing scenes has not stopped the population explosion!!. Very true. But this is deviating from the issue. These are basic human (lets say biological) acts. We all kill don't we? We kill animals (plants) for food. What is important is context. The context (and intention) of every act is important understanding on the event. And that is what is being questioned here.
Sisters are meant to be raped. Dowry is normal so is feudal norms. So is beti ka bhoj sar pe. Men the ultimate protector and so on are stereotypes of Indian movies we have seen so many times. Now with "changing times" they are "modern" and women assertion as they understand is the in thing. Which is about "bold" movies. Boldness here is fervent gyrations and thrusting boobs into the camera. Pray why?. It sells!!!. What else??. You aint thought its Drink milk ad.!!! From manufactured consent to manufactured mediocrity that is how they use " freedom of expression" in this part of the world. It is not surprising that smoking scenes are pivotal in such worldview. The society (film makers included) should worry about how the Market has put restriction on "creative expression" and the possibilities left unexplored. The realities those are not profitable. Or is movie not reality but fantasy??. The debate on "moral policing" by state need to be extended to "immoral policing" by Marketeers. A slave (in NDTV, Master Pronnoy roy careful!!) reports foroursakeonly "all feel that the government should have consulted the cigarette companies before putting the ban…". Yes consult!!. Everything foroursakeonly. All feel. Such feelings. Almost all people I have interacted with support the government effort. Majority of people are with the Government on this move to restrain moviemakers. The doctors who interacts with patients and the man on the street are the people whose view are important here and not the profit minded (not denying that money is important) film maker. The line is drawn. Ultimately it is we who suffer since it is we who have to face the smokers on crowded buses and public places who don't heed to any request. It is the women on the street who has to face cholli ke peeche kya hai not the proponent of these "creative expression" who are peeping on us from their sanitized world and guiding us on nuances on what is good for us. I agree these are law and order problem. True. So first make the democracy work, as it should. First provide us our basic rights and needs (for women it could as basic as walking in the street without any fear). Then we can think about "creative expression" of some who insist that smoking is integral part of lifestyle. But my preference is for Ms. Aruna Roy and her effort in making the Right Of Information a reality. That is the " reality" we need. Not some glitterati's day out on manufactured discussion. We live in a different contexts, different worlds. The context denied by the Market demands.

sikkim beckons.....

Last month I was in sikkim, a beautiful state tucked on the foothills of khangchen-dzonga (kanchenjunga). Gangtok is a quaint little town with extremely pleasant people and aesthetic buildings, although the recent real estate development has been quite haphazard and chaotic. But it remains a beautiful place, a land of wild orchids and red panda.



This is Gangtok town. Not many people. The reason why offseason is the best time to travel. Offseason in Indian context apart from inclement weather is when children don’t have holidays.

The town gives a magnificent glimpse of snow-capped Mt. Kanchenjunga. I was reading travel writer Jan Morris, she writes “…it is enough to say that to see kanchenjunga…in the cool of the morning, is one of the noblest experience of travel. It is a kind of vision. It has moved generations of pilgrims to mysticism, and even more to overwriting….”. Yes overwriting!!!. So I guess I leave it there!!!.

This is inside Tibetlogy center. Where they also have a beautiful museum and library as also an art exhibition hall.

This next one is a monastry..

The place is also about steaming Momos and Thungpas. I traveled to Tsomgo Lake (or changu lake), which is at an altitude of 12000 ft. It’s a small beautiful lake considered sacred. It’s an incredible sight. It was also snowing lightly but all that was spoiled as I experienced breathing problem and almost collapsed (rhinoplasty is needed, i guess) . Women running the shops gave garlic, which stabilized me and I returned without going to Nathula pass- the china border. It was a scary experience!!. But I did manage to take some snaps!!!. see this..

People in sikkim treat visitors with reverence. First I thought it was a coincidence or a stray incident. The way they hand or take things, even the shopkeepers!!. It is as much a posture of offering-with extended right hand and the left supporting it and a slight bow. Quite a divine gesture makes one feel special. Although in the beginning I found it extremely embarrassing and later about myself since I use left hand for most purpose (except maybe writing). This gesture also from Bengalis and Marwaris, who are in substantial numbers.

People in sikkim are predominantly Buddhists as also Hindus and Christians. The majority communities here are Lepchas, Bhutias and Nepalese. There are large number of Nepalese with subgroups like magars, tamang, newars…and so on. There is also a substantial population of Tibetans. It’s rare to find dull faces here.

Its always ready-with-smile bright faces. These school children who study in that school down there were quite excited on getting photographed. It's an incredible setting for a school with huge playground sorrounded by mountains.



Interacting with people here was almost always a pleasant experience. Even the language they speak is more of energy spurts like Japanese or Chinese, one see in movies. Lots of twing twang hoo haas. But Nepalese you can almost catch. Well almost!!.
The history of sikkim is however filled with oppression and tyranny. Of feudal lords, clashes and forced labor. King Tashi Namgyal who was and still widely respected initiated lots of reforms. But people here in the interiors are still very poor and the feudal past has left its imprints. Perennial Dreams is a collection of Poems by Pavan Kumar Chamling translated from Nepali, I bought from Gangtok. These lines….

When frightening problems torment humanity
like the blazing sun
tormenting human flesh.
Then I want to lift the earh
and fling it to the sky.
For the sky is immaculate
spotless and serene….. (In Reality)

Ah mysticism. As Chekov once observed that there is more love for humanity in basic needs than any amount of spiritual breast-beating.

Ourselves like the nights
are false and vicious,
solitary nights weave
only rosy dreams,
endless stark realities
boggle and baffle us….. (Realities within us)

The ferocity of the words in these poems were the reason why I spend some time going into the history of this region.
Its rather surprising that not many people know much about Mr. Pavan Kumar Chamling in India except that he is the Chief Minister of Sikkim for almost a decade.
Well for most Indians North East is …well North East. Mr. Chamling is a colossal figure here. He started a literary magazine “Nirman” in 1977 from a backward village of sikkim were he was born. Later on he started a publishing unit Nirman Prakashan, which has published works of many new and established writers and poets. Mr. Chamling himself has authored many books in English, Hindi and Nepali. All this while being actively involved in politics since his youth. The story is incredible when one learns that he has done his schooling upto matriculation only, after which evidently he self-taught!!!.
As a common man there are few people whom I would like to see as President of India one would definetly be Mr. Pavan Kumar Chamling.



This is Che Depalaneura reporting from Gangtok!!!

I guess our man need to dump that sweater of his.....been using it for last seven winters!!.

Dedications....

True be he

Plodders tread darkness
ask questions
to knowable faces
and their knowable ways.

A quiet willed walker
draws a snare
in the gregarious backyard business
of profit.

Incomprehensible pause in a life
meant to live long.
The cornered stare
moving a distance too far.
And the questions tightens and tightens,
layer by layer it strips
vast unfenced land,
and funerals so common.


This dedicated to Mr. Manjunathan, a young manager at IOC who was brutally murdered by mafia for trying to expose their deeds. As a viewer I am grateful to TV channels particularly Zee News (also Star News) for providing an in-depth coverage.

My condolence also on the heinous murder of Mr.Mannaippan Kutty (a keralite eking out living as a driver in Afghanistan) by Taliban.

poemso !!

God by the side

There are some thoughts
that catches unaware
and puts one in midst
of verdant nature
in the grandeur of mountains
and slips away
to the next person
into the mist....

Piyo sar cutta ke !!!

…….well that’s what it is when a serving Army Officer who won medal for India in Olympics comes in CokePepsi ad. mean. it could also be piyo nak cutta ke. He has spent huge amount of government money to perform the feat (offcourse stupendous) in Olympics and this is how he returns the favor. What a shame. When other celebrities comes in ads of such exploitative products its understandable….poor little rich and famous people. Tch. Tch. One more Tch !!.So very insecure. Celebrity is not about celebrating cerebrality!!!. But when a serving Army Officer takes part in such nonsense its definitely piyo sar cutta ke. Government of India has lots of explaining to do. The respect we give to Army, particularly to sports person who bring glory to nation shouldn’t be so cynically allowed to be used by these scoundrels. If Defence Ministry is so short of cash they can go down to some street with a lotta we will throw some chillar (people on the street can be very magnanimous sometimes!!). As for other cerebralless celebrities (as also those who gain from this misery) : You should be ashamed of yourself. I sincerely hope your children when they grow up give you a resounding slap from my side as also for the sake of millions of people(as also future generations) who are given miserable time by these products(in case no children i would be glad doing the honour myself). Pay back time is not very far… so beware.

Please condole the demise of K.R.Narayanan.....

Mr. Narayanan was to India what Abraham Lincoln was to USA, in a very significant way. A remarkable human indeed. Just brilliant….he lives..

Post Script : Wherein "Diwan" who went by the name of CP Ramaswamy Aiyer was a scoundrel, giving misery to lots of people (I am sure his progenies are making India proud somewhere) as also to Mr. Narayanan, will rot in the dustbins of history..... Mr. Narayanan glows to eternity, inspiring people.

The farce of global warming.......

There is a farce happening in the name of Global Warming. No not the kind that Mr. Bush and cronies are cooking and force feeding to media, attempts on unsexing up the data. No it is not even about scuttling the discussions with God ordained verdicts of inevitability call it karma, qayamat or judgment day, take your pick!!. It is not even about the ubiquitous ever-prevailing globalized ideation of weonlyseeprofit Corporates. It is none of these. The farce is so very deep that it can claim to be a tradition. The farce is so very prevalent that it is almost a culture. The culture of deceit by “trustees of nation”. It is about being used as pawns by the indulgent elite for their purpose. Indulgence (or indolence it breeds) is a matter of choice and we common people have absolutely no problem with it. We also have no problem with those Editors, TV channel honchos, Columnists (carrying that aura of intelligentsia and other petty world views), photo op. activists and regrettable Gandhians (who have nothing about Gandhi or anything near it, its about positioning to gain)…….who promote these lifestyle. It’s exercising their choice alright. We have no problem with any of these, infact we are not bothered, we have more pressing problems of day-to-day existence. Yes if you have money flaunt it, what is money for then? If you have body show it, show it wide open, before botox takes over (pun intended!! Frankly I have no problem with people using latest means to look good, it’s their life). If you can write, vomit columns. But NEVER ever think!!. Thou aint do that. The modern human has been influenced by philosophies like materialism and existentialism. He has entertained views like "The world is a machine, composed of inert bodies, moved by physical necessity, indifferent to the existence of thinking beings". He refused to take a holistic view of reality; and help in developing a system in which requirements of body, mind, intellect and soul are integrated in a balanced and harmonious pattern and in which human societies function, not separately, but as complementary units of the same universe. But then we all have right to choose and choose we do. So why should we, the common people, have any problem with the elites? We have absolutely no problem (trust me on that!!). It’s a free country all have right to choose. So far so good. The problem arises when we, the common people in this country, are used. That is what the farce of discussion on Environmental problems; particularly Global Warming is all about. Consider all the International Agreements (mostly disagreements!!) on Environment whether its Montreal or Kyoto protocol there is a demarcation between “developed” and “developing” countries. This becomes a standards for defining, calculations, measures to be followed and time frame settings. So India is classified as “developing” country, which means all these elites are packed into one group with the common people!!. The latest UNDP report pegs India’s position at 127. The report says “…failure to provide substantial investments in human development and health and education opportunities for all could undermine India’s future prospects”. Studies after studies have shown growing acute disparities not only in India but also all over the world. The UN's Human Development Report (1999) adds that in 1960, the top 20 per cent of the world's people in the richest countries had 30 times the income (in terms of total GDP) of the poorest 20 per cent. This grew to 32 times in 1970, to 45 times in 1980, and to 59 times in 1989. By 1997, the top 20 per cent received 74 times the income of the bottom 20 per cent...". This implies that the globalized world we are living in today is seeing a dramatic rise in inequality. There are also marked and increasing disparities in the world community between those who have access to clean and safe resources and those who do not. Disparities of this nature may be the result of historical circumstance, contemporary economic and trade relations or simply inadequate or inappropriate governmental regulation. In a study from the London School of Economics by Robert H. Wade (‘Is globalization making world income distribution more equal?’ May 2001), similar factors have been cited as the cause for the rise in global and between-country inequalities. Rapidly widening income distribution within the biggest countries (India and China) has also been a major contributory factor. While the gap, worldwide, between the average income of the top quintile of people (top 20 per cent) and the average income of the bottom quintile within each country is about 5:1, the gap between the average income of the top quintile of states and that of the bottom quintile in India is of the order of 25-30:1. According to the results of the National Sample Survey, the percentage of rural poor in India increased from 35% in 1991 to 38.5% in 1997. Since the vast majority of India’s poor, estimated to be anywhere between 320-400 million, live in rural areas the overall number of poor has risen. Almost 50% children are malnourished, U5MR is as high as 141/1000 in poorest section. Majority of people have very low life expectancy, much less than already low national average. 62% of household do not have water supply in or near their home, potable water is a dream in millions of household. 93% don’t even have toilet in their home or any sewerage facility connected......the list goes on. Obviously it’s clear from the above that water consumption is minimal (not as a choice, off course). So these seminars, documentaries, talk shows are obviously not meant for 93% people in this country for the simple reason they just cannot afford to waste water. Few decades back Mrs. Indira Gandhi made a very dumb statement (if she were alive today she would, I assume, take it back) poverty she said is the greatest polluter. Dumb as Bush is he quoted this recently!. It is important not to fall for these elitist definitions on pollution. Poverty is NOT the greatest polluter. The difference between “pollution” and “dirtying” need to be understood. Poverty is definitely the greatest dirtifier (yep that’s a new word. Thanx!!). There is a difference between dirting (sometimes polluting) for surviving and polluting for indulgence. Technological upgradation is needed for the former but later is a sickness. Poverty creates unsanitary conditions, dirties the surroundings, and causes disease and epidemic, the reason for high sickness, mortality rate among poor albeit many could be prevented with awareness and primary health facility. But its contribution to pollution is miniscule as compared to richer societies; say in posh colonies of Delhi, Islamabad or Las Vegas. In richer societies the surrounding is clean (sometimes at an obsessive level, like in Singapore), the lifestyle in such societies exudes cleanliness to the extent that they even sneer at “unclean” people on the streets (in india there is tradition angle to it). But behind this façade of cleanliness hides the story of some greatest polluters in the world. In fact the lifestyle of most people in richer society itself is a study on: How pollution happens?. Just a simple example from daily experience to make the point clear. If a common man wants to move from point A to point B in a city he uses bus (very rarely that is in case of emergency an Auto, after much haggling). The buses are generally packed with 80-100 people in peak hours. The same distance is covered by an occupant in car. So whose per capita consumption is more, whose per capita pollution is more, who is taking more space of road in peak hours contributing to more pollution?. India faces a serious urban transportation crisis marked by traffic congestions, disorder, extreme high level of environmental pollution (noise pollution included), accidents with high fatalities and injuries as also deep inequities of access. WHO on World Health Day last year focused its attention on Road Safety, the report points that1.2 million people die in road accidents every year around the world. The death toll is highest in low and middle-income countries, where pedestrians, motorcyclists, cyclists and passengers are especially vulnerable. 85% of all road accident deaths occur in developing countries and nearly half in the Asia-Pacific region. In addition to human suffering, estimated costs of road traffic injuries are between 1% and 2% of GNP per annum in these countries. This represents a loss of approximately US$ 65 billion every year; almost twice the total development assistance received worldwide by developing countries. India accounts for about 10 percent of road accident fatalities worldwide. This accentuates deep inequities in access further. Yes please use car use all the modern gadgets, be comfortable (even I would if I have money, who doesn’t want to have a comfortable life but at the moment I am comfortable with my cycle or walking small distances…you see I am rarely in a hurry. I don’t have to rush anywhere!!) but it’s wrong to include us common people with the elite particularly during the discussion on pollution. Studies show that buses now occupy less than 1% of all vehicles on urban roads of India. Some people are so poor that they cannot even afford to travel even in this cheapest mode of transportation (which in most cases are rickety metal boxes with engines). Thousands of people use cycles in unruly traffic of cities defying death everyday. Studies show that 56% of road accident fatalities are accounted by cyclists. As we are aware now that Bangalore has serious infrastructure problems. One wonders how much misuse of vehicles (sometimes as style statement as shown in ads) has contributed to this chaos. The investment on urban transport mostly focuses on widening of roads or spaces for parking while the cyclists and pedestrians are ignored. This imbalance has to be rectified. There is a need to make traveling in private vehicles more costly and the money invested in pedestrian oriented infrastructure. Each society needs to create vehicle free zones and bicycle tracks. Traveling in fancy cars (all the features are useless in congested streets) in cities is no longer cool; it has become a liability on most of us common people.

Proposals to tackle global warming are being described as “bad investment”. Infact a panel of eminent economists (Nobel prize winners among them) some years ago placed initiatives to tackle HIV/AIDS, malaria, sanitation and other problems confronting the world ahead of the issue of Global Warming!!. It was referred to as Copenhagen consensus. Clearly problems of sanitation are very important, it causes millions of avoidable deaths but prioritizing it over the dangers of global warming is what the elitist farce all about. Sanitation can be and need be tackled at local level so is the case of HIV; it needs a culture-region specific response (an international guidelines can be proposed). The effort at international level need be (and essentially be) focused on policies that have long term impact on the planet. Global warming and issue of climatic changes has to get the utmost priority. This pointing the finger at poor societies and their sanitation (dirtying) is an attempt to hide the real culprits and scuttle the issue. Classifying sanitation over dangers of global warming is an attempt at playing God on poorer societies. This also reeks of cottage industry of charity. Those who are trying to play God need to look at the mirror. Their lifestyle and what they are promoting around the world as “clean” is causing serious impact on environment in effect the vulnerable societies. The poorest people almost always live in the poorest environment. Global warming will affect (and is affecting) the world’s poor- those least able to protect themselves against crop failures and rising sea levels- far more severely than the affluent. The effluent’s who create more effluence. Yes its “bad investment” to reduce global warming. Yes reducing profit is definitely a “bad investment”. But the question here is why should we and our future generations suffer because of your life style?. The “problem” at the grass root level in poorer societies is that they use material (technology), which they have access to. The main criterion here is cost-benefit. The cost most time is such an over riding factor that they forgo even the basic comfort or need. So asking poor societies to do “bad investment” is criminal. It is because of the greed and life style demand of the elite that the sanitation and basic needs of impoverished have worsened. Take the example of Coke Pepsi and other luxury product at the expense of local basic needs. This is being replicated all over the world. Dirtying is definitely the byproduct of reduced access to means of survival.


There is definitely an equity dimension in the whole issue of global warming. There is a deep abyss separating these two societies. The line of demarcation is not between nations but between societies within the nations. We people in this part of the world share more with common people in mumbai or plachimada or New Orleans or Bagdhad. We are the one who have to first face the fierceness of any natural or man made catastrophe. It is we (our near ones, neighbors) who contribute to the statistics in Breaking News. Whether it is tsunami or flood or cyclones the poor part of the society faces the maximum brunt. How is that occupants of huts (or small houses) with minimal facilities is equated with houses/flats with 5-6 air conditioners and fridge stacked with “soft” drinks and so on?. It is not that I am against modern lifestyle and choice of comfort. People can decide for themselves. But they definitely will have to take responsibility for the consequences. We common people cannot pay for their exigencies nor will we allow them to piggyback ride us. There is everything for need (that too is depleting) but there is definitely not for greed (that’s an oft quoted line). So when Mr.N.Ram writes in a column (in The Hindu, where else!!) few months back that …..per capita Co2 emission by India is very small fraction of what is seen in USA…..it shows nothing but his very carefully cultivated Machiavellian ignorance (or probably delusions). What do I like millions of people in this country share anything with this megalomaniac and his Formulae One juvenilities or some Botox Turd in some excellent car. Theirs is a different world which majority us people don’t identify with (in many cases, like upwardly mobile, this could be not by choice. Attributing egalitarianism or restraint to poverty is crap philosophy). But the fact is whether we like it or not we live in different worlds albeit we share the same geographical region of India. A small example will suffice: Although per capita per day water consumption in India is low there is a huge inequity in access. The per capita consumption in urban slum is 10 liters for domestic use while in rural India it averages 40 liters. The per capita consumption in urban rich areas stands at whooping 300-450 liters(this would increase substantially if we include water intensive products they consume like cokepepsi) wherein according to Peter Gleick, president of the Pacific Institute for Studies in Development, Environment and Security, an overall basic water requirement of 50 liters per person per day is proposed as a minimum standard to meet four basic needs—for drinking, sanitation, bathing, and cooking. Another scientist Falkenmark uses the figure of 100 liters of freshwater per capita per day for personal use as a rough estimate of the amount needed for a minimally acceptable standard of living in developing countries, not including uses for agriculture and industry. Taking an average of both- 70-80 liters per capita per day, we find that rural India and urban slum are below the water requirement wherein the urban rich consumes almost triple the required!!!. Clearly there is a huge disparity. Majority of us do not share this world of greed, instant gratifications, gimmickry, superficiality coupled with essential attitudinal arrogance (for people like Botox Turd its about occupying the eyeball space, its exhibitionism which has replaced demonstration. Presentablilty of self that is no different from the chauvinists in audaciously classified “backward” places, instantly placing Botox Turd and her clan as forward!!). This is the world wherein sensibilities are declining with onslaught of pop culture, material acquisitions and life style-success they define. A world of cultivated politeness (politeness here is limited to within their circle, people who are influential), exchange of pleasantries, strategic use of words, market messages……offcourse everything with lots of style!!. When they argue (as in Times of India, Editorial) that India, brazil, china…..have equal right to first benefit from the earth resources……what they really mean is the benefits for greedy indulgent elite in these “developing” countries at the expense of poorer sections within these societies. You can feed on us and still be part of us is a strange logic. This Nation based per capita classification is an unacceptable argument. Its not “rich countries should clean up their act first”. It is rich societies in each country should clean up their act first. You cannot hide behind us, come forward and take responsibility towards consequences of your profligacy. There is a need for Environmental or Pollution Tax to curb per capita consumption and life style demands (so instead of frequent flier benefits we can have frequent flier tax!!!!). You see we need socio-environmental “Growth” too. The companies should be forced to reveal their green house liabilities to their investors. The profit over people (Chomsky) extended to profit over people and environment has to stop. There is an immediate need for a paradigm shift in policies related to issues of environment, particularly on global warming, green house gases (GHGs) and ozone. Mr. George Monbiot writes in Guardian Newspaper “....…“raise awareness”, “accelerate deployment of cleaner technology” and “diversify our energy supply mix”. There is nothing wrong with these objectives. But unless there is a regulation to reduce the amount of fossil fuel we use, alternative technologies are waste of time and money, for they will supplement rather than replace coal and oil burning. What counts is not what we do but what we do not do (emphasis mine). Our success and failure in tacking climate change depends on just one thing: how much fossil fuel we leave in the ground……”. He further writes “…..meaningful action on climate change has been prohibited by totalitarian capitalism…”. Totalitarian capitalism is where the government lax the rules for “efficient business” and market to decide the peril of “disposable” environment. This is not denying that there are instances of Corporates who want (and are insisting) stricter environmental laws to give impetus to eco-friendly technology to be viable. Clearly the global warming and issue of climatic changes are hinged on what elites (including upwardly mobile middle class) of all societies in all the countries do not do, that is in context to per capita consumption and life style demands.

The issue of Global Warming at the moment is being tackled at two levels. The first is more recent one that is the need for Adaptation. With increasingly turbulent and extreme oscillation of climate the need for system to adapt to the changes is being recognized. But the need for adaptation shouldn’t side track the more important issue of Mitigation, which is the second level at which the global warming is being tackled. Mitigation, wherein a sincere concerted global effort is more urgently needed. The International Agreements and concerns towards reducing GHGs, improving technologies and stringent pollution rules has to take into consideration the issue of disparities within the societies. Classifying countries into “developing” and “developed” for international agreements has to go and replaced by rich and poor societies within countries. Each country needs to be forced as part of international agreement to recognize this division and make rules accordingly on pollution control and sustainable development. We majority people all around the world cannot take the burden of indulgent few who are sucking away our common resources with impunity (off course it does give them a chance to “help” us and be in the news). As a Marketeer verdicts in one show (well its all a show !!!) “…being profitable allows for concern for environment”. It’s about let me fatten myself first. Many of these elites who are jostling the eyeball space have reached there by the very means which has caused much misery and harm to others, not to forget the long term environmental consequences. Then they try to patronize us, by charity, by whatever means that help them to cling on to public space (Crude woman is only a symptom of bigger epidemic). As early as 1987 The Brundtland Report in Europe (UK?), titled Our Common Future, defines development as “…..that which meets the needs of the poorest without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs….”. Already world over the indications are that the global warming has crossed that threshold wherein sudden shifts in climatic changes happen. Sergei kirpotin and Judith Marguard reports in New Scientist recently that an area of permafrost (in Siberia) has started to melt for the first time since it was formed some 11000 years ago at the end of the last ice age. The area, which covers the sub arctic region of western Siberia is world’s largest frozen peat bog and scientists fear that as it thaws, it will release billions of tones of methane, a greenhouse gas 20 times more potent than Co2 into the atmosphere. The peat bog could hold some 70bn tonnes of methane, a quarter of all of the methane stored in the ground around the world. Over the next 100 years it would add around 700mn tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere each year. This would effectively double atmospheric levels of the gas leading to a 10% to 25% increase in global warming. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climatic Changes (IPCC), 2001 points out “…that a global average temperature change ranging from 2.5 degree F to 10.4 Degree F would translate into climate related impacts that are much larger and faster than any that have occurred during the 10,000 year history of civilization”. It further says “…the impact associated with deceptive changes in temperature are evident in all corners of the globe. There is heavier rains in some areas (people in Mumbai and Bangalore, recently Chennai are quite aware of it now!!. Thankfully I was prudent enough to choose a place where I was spared of this misery) and droughts in others. Glaciers are melting and spring is arriving earlier, oceans are warming (hurricanes and storms are related to these changes) and coral reefs are dying…”. Things therefore are slipping from bad to worse. Leonard Fuentes (a Cuban novelist) writes in a column recently “…..as Cuban poet Jose Marti said about poetry, either we save ourselves together or we all lose ourselves. This is the nature of “global” game in which what is at stake is not the wealth and comfort of few but the lives of everyone, in Cuba, in Barundi, in Ceylon, in Venice, in California…..”. Let me end this very long (thanx for the patience!!. Not that I give a damn!!) article with a line I read somewhere : we are not getting along with each other if we are not getting along with the planet.

Please condole the demise of V.K.Madhavankutty…….

Mr. Madhavankutty was a well known and most respected Malayalee journalist in Delhi. He had written many significant articles and books. His comments from Delhi were most eagerly awaited by viewers (and readers) in kerala for nearly five decades. My awareness of him began almost a decade back when I read the biography of V.K.Krishna Menon authored by him. I also had the opportunity to interact with him many a times. He was very accessible and unassuming person (in the contemporary world this is a very rare attribute). He was also very supportive and active to issues concerning Keralites without being parochial.
Once I had the opportunity to interact with him for almost an hour as we had turned in early for a talk by Bill Atken, it started late (incidentally Bill Atken’s travelogues are my favorite particularly on Trains). Mr. Madhavankutty also had written many travelogues. I had interacted with him as recent as early this year. He had near death experience many times (once in a plane crash wherein Mr.Kumaramangalam, a Union Minister died). He was to come out with next book titled Curtains not yet which he said few months back in an interview "..was about my encounters with death...". This death was quite unexpected and untimely. This is passing of an era……

PS. Delhites may not realize the significance of some great people around, anyway we don’t blame them. Intelligence and sensitivity is not marketable commodity particularly in crude surroundings. But we do resent their petty problems being made into National issues. Frankly Keralites don’t really have anything much to do with Delhi except maybe for political reason. Gulf countries and happenings in this region cover more media space (infact there is even special Gulf News) and most people’s concern

happy deepavali......

Happy Diwali to all bloggers!!!
PS. when children burst crackers it's understandable, although they need be told about many better ways to celebrate. But when a grownup bursts crackers we have an example of demented fool.

please condole the demise of Amrita Pritam....

Ms. Amrita Pritam is one of my favorite poet and writer....
these lines from ye akshar(these words) from khamoshi se aage (beyond silence) collection....

khamoshi ke ped se maine
ye akshar nahi thode
yeh tho jo ped par se jhade the
meh wahi akshar chunthi rahi...

Shadows of words her autobiography is strongly recommended. I haven't read her earlier autobiography Rasidi ticket published in 1970s (which some say was controversial).
The thing about great poets and writers is that they never die, the words they write lingers for ages guiding us, giving us meanings....
The reason why Ms Pritam is my favourite poet and writer and not was...

This is shocking.....

It’s shocking to see the images in TV of Delhi blasts. To see common people running helter skelter as many lay bleeding and dead. Happening in festive season adds to the tragedy. It is very sad indeed. This is the kind of places any of us common people are in, whether it is Bus or crowded markets. It is very real for me like millions others. Bomb blasts in crowded places also has a severe psychological impact on people. It definitely makes one very very very insecure. Unlike Britain where people were admired for their stoic response we people on the streets of “developing countries” don’t have much options considering the chaos, unpredictability and limited means, we share more with “black” people in New Orleans.
I recollect about 8 years back around same time just before diwali there were Bomb blasts few meters from where I was staying in Karol Bagh (no this was not in the neighborhood of late Mr. Nirmal Verma. I was staying in a different place). We were filling up water at around 6pm and we heard a loud noise and smoke, followed by another after a short time. The blast happened in most crowded of places. The places we frequented, one was a kulfi shop, a girl died there and another was crowded Gaffar market. Many people were injured and maimed. Another tragedy was averted as the bomb was defused in Bikanerwala shop. Some of the guys who had come to delhi for the first time were really very scared and stopped venturing out!!. Actually I too became bit circumspect of things. It was very uncomfortable experience. It really is very saddening. I don’t know what do these people achieve by killing and maiming innocent people. There is no justification for this….

please condole the demise of Nirmal Verma.....

Please condole the death of Mr. Nirmal Verma, one of the greatest Hindi writers. I always enjoyed his writings. His writings I thought had the quality of contemplation sometimes very meditative. He explored the mind of the character, and situations were only incidental in the whole scheme of things. I have read his Hindi as also English translations of his books.
I also had the opportunity to be his neighbor!!. I was staying in a single room top floor that was adjacent to his house in karol bagh, Delhi. Although he sold his house and shifted out (to Bhopal I was told) few months after I moved in. I interacted with him twice, once after a program in IIC, I didn’t see him but we got into the same DTC bus. I found him standing next to me, so got up and offered my seat. He was surprised I thought. Few days later I met him on the street next to where I stayed, I guess he recognized me so I found it necessary to mention that I stay nearby and also that I have read his books. I recollect him uttering a line or two as formality. I saw him quite often on the street from my room that had a window facing the street (I was staying near to a traffic junction). He was a real slow walker so i thought he was contemplating his next story as he walked!!. We common people do have a very romanticed (sometimes mystery ridden) version of writers. During that period i too was scribbling few things, grand failure though, but naive as i was i did for sometime had him as someone i can emulate, a role model. He was too good. Mr. Nirmal Verma was undoubtedly a brilliant writer.
Bye
PS. How is that when the whole world is aware of sad demise of Mr. Verma that Mr. Ram is still groping!!.(Times Of India even carries a write up). Competence?. Yah sure. How long are we going to tolerate you Ram?.

errata...

Please see that i have replaced the word "pedestal" with "pedestrian". English is quite a funny language. The word sounds almost same then in the end takes a absolutely, entirely new turn and meaning!!. In this case opposite. Off course I do have serious reservation on using pedestrian as something “insignificant”. This is elitist. Why a pedestrian is insignificant and some moron in excellent car is significant is beyond me. (Off course now it is established that it takes more than 50 years to create a perfect moron we have a live example). Incidentally most cities are not pedestrian (nor cycle) friendly but yes there are pockets that are so beautiful that walking becomes a pleasant experience. My intention was not to pedestalise Mr. N.Ram (of all the people in the world!!). I have better options he (and his cronies) are nowhere in the list, this is an humble submission!!. I would also like to hilariously submit with all humility: primum vivere, deinde philosophari, to all the "intellectuals" squatting the columns and space in media (for the reason of tradition and right contacts) at the expense of genuine talents. In this context I am reminded of an incident regarding Schopenhauer, one of the greatest philosophers (The World as Will and Idea, 1844). Schopenhauer ate his dinner at a particular restaurant everyday (for nearly 30 years!!). He always had his pet dog to accompany him whom he named Atma(????!!!!). At the beginning of each meal he would place a gold coin upon the table before him and at the end of the meal he would put the coin back into his pocket. Since Schopenhauer had a terrible temper no one dared to ask him the reason for this ceremony. Finally an indignant waiter couldn’t take it no more, so one day had the courage to ask him. Schopenhauer answered that he had vowed to drop the coin into the poor box on the first day that the English officers dining there should talk of anything else than horses, women or dogs!!!!. In the contemporary world too it is remarkably true if these were replaced with: if ever the mainstream media speaks anything other than glamour (cricket can now be counted in this), sensationalized crimes (sleaze) and politicians- strictly in this order. So Schopenhauer can keep his gold coin. This is not to demean some incredible people, but the reality is the world hasn’t changed much; elites discuss and spend their time on same frivolities, as was the case 150 years back. It is therefore elite culture to revel in insignificance, something that has nothing to do even remotely with majority of people.

PS (personal trivia): Referring to pets, I guess dogs are incredible animals. My first encounter with dogs as pets was quite early, in my grandmother’s place they had an excellent dog, they named him Kaiser. Later I came to know Kaiser was nick name of Hitler!!(more precisely title for emperors). So much so for most dangerous man in the world!!!. In animals I guess Elephants are magnificent creatures. Animal Planet and National Geography are excellent channels. On the edge (crocodile Steve and mad mike are amazing) or the guy who chases snakes in different parts of the world. The one on King Cobra (in western ghats) was particularly amazing wherein he touches the hood, once he even got bitten by spitting cobra in Africa. The episodes related to Serringhetti grassland has always been brilliant, recently i saw The Crossing, it was spectacular.

Macaulay’s twins and their itch

There are some people who would like to lick reality like what happened a century back when many nationalists were fighting the foreigners these people were busy licking the boots. They got their due. Amulya ganguli is one of them. Now he is here to give us lessons on reality (Out of touch with reality, Deccan Herald). Well when one is on the lap of marketeers it difficult not to grasp reality!!. Realities of profit!!!. Unrealities of degrading occupations and underemployment are easy to miss. Sensibility and socio-historic context is causality. Mr. Avijit Pathak sometime back wrote a very pertinent article wherein he pointed out the superficialities of occupations the youngsters are nowadays choosing and alienating social and personal being. For some that sounds like Marxism. So be it. At this juncture let me point out that one has no qualm in accepting a fact that Karl Marx was a brilliant and undoubtedly one of the most influential thinker. That offcourse is not true for his followers (well followers can only be followers). Whether its Communists or Marketeers the elites are no different. The Macaulay’s twins. The difference is in social positioning. The idea is to capture any space left by Marketeers and presto social concern is a sure shot way to maintain one’s position and nothing convenient than being a comrade. In elite circle and in its opulence it gives a rebelish flavor. They come from same milieu with shared interest in nuances of English, cricket or other elitist occupations. They squat the strategic positions and transfer it to their progenies. All the discussions, columns, interviews and so on… are about scoring points on each other. We are mere audiences who are just incidental in the process. If outsiders are smart enough to intrude, as through grassroot politics or simple hard work in any field they will conspire to take the maximum benefit. Then the outsider becomes one among them and then they celebrate. It’s no wonder that nepotism and corruption is normal happenings. Thus they remain floating in the public space. As also in an immensely advantageous position to capitalize on any new opportunity. Its not surprising that they now control or have influence in Media. Marketeers and communists elites are different sides of the same coin, they feed on the common people and their aspirations. They are here to consolidate their position. Whereas communists leaders seems to be fighting for impoverished and marginalized and lately secularism, the intentions are dubious. It’s all a sham to capture power. As with any system they have degenerated into self-serving coterie. They are definitely not different from any other political group. At grassroot level they morph into goondaism. It’s not surprising that universally acknowledged scoundrel Karunakaran (taking an example from kerala) is natural ally, to save secularism. Incidentally his party DIC(K) is quite an appropriate acronym. What a hogwash. Communists vote bank are mostly organized sector workers which incidentally is only 7% of the total workforce but as numbers, formidable vote bank. It is not denying that strikes are important aspect of functional democracy. It reflects the vibrancy and means of protest for people but that is not the reason for few people to take the society on ransom. Strikes and bandhs have given untold misery to common people. I myself have faced serious problems due to bandhs (many a times stranded without food or spend hours in crowded buses and end up walking long dictances) this is true for millions of people in this country. There is always a thin line separating protest and anti-social activity, mostly it slips into goondaism. Nowhere we hear any political leader of any party (who claim to be for the people) asking its cadre not make misery for common people. Infact they celebrate the “success” of “total bandh”. The unorganized sector, the daily wage earners are the one seriously affected. Who is responsible for this misery?. The recent Supreme Court verdict on political parties made to pay for bandh loss is a welcome step. This is about grass root functioning of political parties. At the elite level too comrades are big joke, like any other “senior” politicians of any other political party their aim is to maintain their power center. As for intellectuals, all kind of dubious people have gate crashed. Compared to other political parties this is an easy route for “social concerned” glitterati to squat positions and keep floating, so cat walking morons can have the audacity to claim into NCW, all part of kaifiyath I guess. As for me I am not for or against catwalks and other related crap, people have right to do what they deem right but I have, like most people all around the world, other existential issues to deal with. However I am very concerned when these superficials claim stake on significant position wherein people involved in grassroots need be appreciated. Then there are some big time “left leaning” intellectuals one Mr. Ram of The Hindu is a good example. This fellow is a regret. He is where he is that is running the shop of The Hindu & other publications, because of traditional reason. The fellow is so insecure that even the editorial board is about family. One wouldn’t mind much if people were competent. But this fellow (that is respected Mr. Ram, the presiding deity) is so incompetent to even be a clerk!!!. You see its like this if you want to be clerk one has to go through entrance exams in here one is to tackle a subject referred to as “general knowledge”. So if one doesn’t even know what CBI stands for then he is out. So intellectuals like Mr. Ram are even incompetent to be clerk. As a columnists his views whether on global warming or NPT is stupid and pedestarian. As an editor his cronies suffer from a didactic proclivities of saving the world for us common people wherein not very strangely it’s a marketing strategy, that slips to the market demands at any opportune moment. Since they have this hallo of “concern for people”. Mr. Ram sometimes sneak into leftist meetings and proclaims himself as such. This if you analyse is a cheap gimmick to increase readership. It is a symbiotic relation with elite comrades. Such a farce for our sake. Referring to his editorial skills …well it is better left not said. Like his twin marketeers he too suffer from elitist afflictions of English language and cricket (the romanticized version). So when there are pressing problems or issues to report, BCCI becomes top news!!!. They also have this unique legacy that comes as a column titled “London Diary” (London???. Diary???). Another one a droopy eyed retired babu (moron goes by the Bhaskar Ghose) instructs us that if we don’t get our English phrases right we may become laughing stock!!!. And who gave this….theri *&*%$#$@# (this is the least diplomatic I can get)… to laugh on others. I am more concerned about how much damage this babu has done as a bureaucrat. No wonder this nation is nowhere in world scene, such pathetics. Probably it’s all part of hilarity and so anyone can interview Mr.Adoor and we have no option but to read. Mr. Ram also misuses his position (which he is occupying, lets remind ourselves again, for traditional reasons and nothing to do with competence) to settle scores. So Mr. Chidambaram’s wife’s issue (not very significant) becomes a top story for not one but three days!!!. Such commitments!!. So when Swamy squeaks Ram punches….on the keyboard off course. The “left leaning” is only for market and “social concern” is only a strategy, actually we all know this but too subtle to mention, the reason why humility is such a favored behavior here. It is least threatening for elites. As a newspaper The Hindu is a failure infact it is case study on what a newspaper shouldn’t be. Except for few brilliant columnists it is a disaster. I still wonder why these columnists contribute to this newspaper only…well maybe they have fallen for this “social concern” marketing strategy. Why not they too like say Jean dreze or Brinda karat give their articles to newspaper with more circulations?. I guess more people will be aware of what P.Sainth writes if it is published in something that is more widely read. I think the columnists at least the better ones need to think on that line. They also need create their own website for us common people to access than through these powerbrokers. In this increasingly crass world no newspaper is better or worse than others. We have to tolerate each of them as we tolerate each TV channel. The marketeers and comrade (intellectual or not) are no different from each other they are here to market position and maximize. So when dealing with them its quite appropriate that any individual should look for the best deal. It’s as crass as that. Most people generally fall for “I am going to be in TV or news” excitement and so on wherein the media will only show what can sells or increase their viewer ship. I am looking forward to a day when no one allows himself or herself to be misused by these honchos running the show for our sake. Everyone who is interviewed or even shown on TV should ask for the profit cut. You make money. We make too. Like some ghisa pitta hindi movie Macaulay’s twins were lost in some mela now it seems the globalised world has brought them together. It’s a happy reunion in the elite circle….it’s a nudge and wink world. From these sanitized world emerge gems like Amulya Ganguli. The column of Avijit Pathak reminded him of good old days of 1940s. Yes the time when many people were struggling in deep poverty and some who were well off sacrificed everything to fight the foreign occupation. But during this period there were also people who were bootlicking the Britishers. Britishers left and they were replaced by set of elite (except for few many were out of touch with reality) and bootlickers were in advantageous position. We have almost the same situation now that is the reason why the article by Mr. Pathak is very significant. It opens our eyes to the kind of morass we are slipping into. In most organizations competence is not the only reason why people are selected, the deciding factors are sometimes entirely different from what is within the parameters of the job. Take the recent controversy in Indian cricket or BCCI do you think it has anything to do with talents or competence?. (I suggest Mr. Chappel should quit. He shouldn’t degrade himself. I am sure he knows by now what this country is all about. Another option would be to join them, play politics, nudge and wink….generally have a nice time. If team fails then we can have oft quoted “it’s a learning experience”. In the meantime we can break as records a possible.) At the lower end jobs even humans becomes insignificant, it’s about whether one has bike or contacts for jobs like say salesperson. Having worked as a salesperson for sometime I now the inside out of this profession. People who squat the position of significance in any organization don’t have to go through such experience even if they do its part of “on-field training” lasting maybe a month or two. It’s not make or break system for them. It’s not about going without food or worrying about what will happen to them if they do not succeed as is the case of most salespersons or people at the lower end jobs, like call centers. This is not a post liberalization phenomenon as is being assumed. Its been happening for ages now it has become acute. Human’s basic need is to survive first so such jobs find takers and most of the time becomes acute necessity. And the more the time one spends here, the more one is trapped and later habituated and so one gives up the futility of trying something else. This is true for any degrading profession whether prostitution or door-to-door selling. But that is not the reason why it should be celebrated (and particularly by people like gangulis of the world). There is offcourse a tragedy here, of alienation from ones being and ones entity as a human….this might sound like Marx, well I am proud if it does. Nothing is more satisfying than being compared with spectacular humans. Definitely it also provides an opportunity for dements to classify and then denigrate, that is the shortest way to be market savvy. However these are not vomit from sanitized theorized world of Macaulay’s twins and their happy family values, these are part of hardcore experience. Further I would have joined any of these call centers if it were existent few years back or any other “menial” jobs. And yes I would have worked in such places however degrading it might seem. Like millions of people in this country or anywhere I would have queued up to get any kind of job or means of employment. I too would pay money to dubious agencies and be cheated to go to gulf, incidentally a heaven for unemployed. I too wouldn’t mind to be a cheap tour guide or cook in some sleaze pit. Offcourse its my ingenuity if I learn to enjoy or create a system for pleasant experience, unlike romanticized version of these jobs, the reality is tough. Life is tough that doesn’t mean one will stop hoping for a change. People live in appalling surroundings and demeaning situations because they carry hope. Hope for better future however unreal it may seem. They look forward to “altering” their situation. In this context when one mentions, “altering the world” one is more concerned about self and off course the surroundings with which it is linked. When surroundings are byproduct of something more sinister, deeply entrenched bias then it is time to question that. People like Amulya Gangulis of the world will never face the insecurities of working in these “menial” positions where performances can detach oneself from any achievement except maybe an acknowledgement of living and life. This is the kind of world where I would not like to enter if given an option nor will I invite anyone. But for millions there is a world that really is optionless and one is never invited but pushed, some end up calling it fate. It’s a surreal world of loosing self (that is if one has sanctity of one’s own self). It’s a world of cannibalism masking as competitiveness, of ever-increasing greed of the employer. And yes profit does increase. Investment does doubles. Boss is happy. But that is not necessarily translated into people being happy. Here I am not talking about the upwardly mobile middle class who some how try to break into happy family of Macaulay’s twins indulgent lifestyle, I am here referring to millions of workers in unorganized sector who may not form vote bank. This world has to be altered and I for one will definitely do everything to “alter this world”. Thanx Marx. Thanx Kafka. Yes true it is a hippie life. Yes true. Anyway what is the difference in hairstyle of a beggar and a punk in las Vegas or the clothings of vagabond and FTV trash walk?. Yes it’s a bohemian life. Yes taking up degrading work is an in-thing. Yes it’s the new flavor for us. So is lining up for job one knows one will not get is great fun. Good timepass. Yes I too will work in any goddamn place and do any “menial” job. But that doesn’t mean I will start appreciating the job or the system that propagate these. For the simple reason like most humans I too have the basic intelligence to realize that I am being used. It gives me money but doesn’t use my potential to any meaningful way nor do I have anything to look forward to as future. It doesn’t assure me security. I am always at the mercy someone else. I slowly loose control over my self and is reduced to an object, a manual labor, a bull, a cog for some higher purpose. As the former CEO of GE said in HARDtalk BBC yesterday “…successful company create more successful people and so create a successful environment and they return the success to society….success is a habit…”. The problem is his idea of success is only about profit!!. Asked about global warming or other social context, he had only words of contempt. We cannot blame intellectually challenged Bush if he take such appalling stands on Environment issues, poor fellow is surrounded by such appalling people, who feed him tales of "success". What these people want are slaves. Efficient slaves. More efficient more success. Off course slave should never ask questions. Because the kind of question they ask will be difficult to answer. The questions will jolt the Macaulay’s twins......

Why are you my employer?
How is that you are running this business?
Who gave you the right to decide on my competence?

Those were only few samples. So you see “inner calling” can really be a dangerous thing in the increasingly “free world”. It could jolt the foundation of elites, who have distributed and spread themselves into every opportune position to help us. They are here to save us in the end fattening themselves (not surprisingly they spend major part of their life shedding this fat). That’s a happy ending!!. IT has provided incredible opportunity to alter our world. Many spectacular people are running these businesses and are role model for others purely because of their talents and humanness but it seems to have reached saturation. We will have to definitely do everything to “alter this world”. This world being perfected for maximum profit. This world doomed for profit. Maketeers, profit makers, share brokers….will be unhappy. Boss will be unhappy. But I will be happy so will be millions of people. And that is majority. That is future.

Nuclear Nations cannot play God

Neo cons in USA may believe (and try make us believe) that we have God in White house but the fact is he has miserably failed the people of the country to even do normal duties as thousands of people were left stranded in the aftermath of the cyclone. So now they are supposed to pray, officially!! Amen to that!! The same is true when the “developed” countries try playing God to other Nation and its people. Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT) is likewise meant to protect the ordinary mortals around the world from whatever threat, the devil. The condition is we give them the Power to protect us (Its rather funny asking for something we don’t have!!). Thank god North Korea has buckled (hold on…today they are saying they want “civilian” nuclear reactor!!). Thank god Bomb Khan is grounded. Now we are safe it seems. Are we?. Off course not.

NPT is and will always remain biased. What gives the Nuclear states the right to dictate terms on others when they themselves are a threat?. Unless and until the nuclear bombs are banned the threat will remain. There is an argument that nuclear bombs are deterrents. The example that is oft quoted in this context is sharp drop in wars or people dying in war since the use of nuclear bombs. However the context of choosing Hiroshima and Nagasaki to experiment these bombs is itself questioned but that is a different story. It is also not true that full-scale wars of the size of “World wars” can never happen. For the simple reason that “world wars” has never happened!!. What is taught in history is a farce since these so called world wars were fought in northern hemisphere and so didn’t involve majority of humanity. The West lives in the world of self-importance. They like to define everything from their worldview. The “world” here is Europe and America. People in other part of the world are therefore waiting to be discovered. So Columbus although wanted to “discover” India, poor fellow lost his way and “discovered” some other place they still call them Indians!!!. The Second World War did involve Japan but that still is short of “world”. Yes it true that last six decades or so the nuclear states have not gone into war. Agreed. But they did use other nations to carry their proxy war. They called it cold war but the people in many of these unfortunate nations used as pawns suffered immensely. “Terrorists” in Afghanistan or Iraq are only showing what was given to them. So who is responsible?. It was assumed that nuclear bombs would give protection to the people in USA or Britain from outside threat. That has been proven wrong. But yes they are not threatened by any nation state. However a threat is a threat and sometimes it is because of the policy these “developed” nations pursue which can be seen as threat to other countries. So are we arguing that all nation should have nuclear bombs to protect its citizens from what it perceives as a threat?. Although it is logical, we cannot support such a argument for the simple reason it will make world more unsafe. The argument here is why is that some countries have exclusive right to nuclear bombs?. Who gave them this divine right?. Yes its true that proliferation of technology can be used by some regime to create nuclear bomb the reason why NPT is an important treaty. But what makes one assume that nuclear nations cannot misuse their power. Some claim that they are “responsible” states. History as well as contemporary happenings has taught us how Machiavellian and self-serving the policies of “developed” nations can be. “Responsibility” is not restricted to idea of proliferation only, it also means they don’t misuse this power. “Responsibility” also means that the advantages of the nuclear energy be given to all. Not doing these will be being irresponsible. For the same reason Iran or any country has right to tap the nuclear energy for its domestic purpose. Every nation has a responsibility to its people. To provide basic necessity, comfort and opportunity to grow to their potential. Globally the demand of electricity is much more than supply (nearly 7-8%). This is bound to increase since the per capita consumption of poorer nation is very low. Very soon as non-renewable source of energy gets depleted (and becomes inaccessible to many) these demands will only grow urgent and stronger. These have to be addressed. The problem, which concerns us is that, these technologies being dangerous can fall into wrong hand and become a threat to world (assuming that the Nuclear five (N-5) are not a threat!!). So is this immediate need for renewable source of energy by vast population of the world in loggerhead with security issues of the world. Yes it is. Nuclear technology can definitely be misused to make bomb and take the world on ransom. It is very much conceivable. So what do we do?. The only way out could be to create a mechanism to transfer the nuclear energy rather than the technology. A centralised nuclear reactor (a hub) can be built in a region to cover a group of countries. This need be controlled by international agency like IAEA. The revenue earned could go to UN thus strengthening the organisation further. Thus a “responsible” way of energy transfer is possible. There is also a need to focus attention on creating efficient energy storing devices. If these are not done as early as possible then the legitimate claims of countries around the world for nuclear technology will only increase. USA is nobody to “grant” technology for “peaceful” purpose to India. Nor is India “very special” to acquire these technology were others cannot. This is hypocrisy. In the contemporary world non-polluting and renewable source of energy is what people want and Iranians are definitely no different. Nobody can deny any people the benefits of technology. The advantages of technology have to be shared. Inventions and discoveries are done for the benefit of humanity and therefore cannot be restricted on the basis of geography. There is a saying in Arabic mauth a alim mauth a alam meaning death of a scientist is death of an epoch. Scientists and technologists are citizens of the globalised world. They have a responsible towards society in that to make the advantages accessible to people. People of Iran have all the right to enjoy their life in all its comfort as anyone in New York or Dublin or pyongyang

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No Karunakaran shouldn’t be spared. Another scoundrel who was involved- Jayaram Padikkal, rose to be the DGP of Kerala. He is dead now, hopefully in hell (if their is one). Another one Pullikodan Narayanan also rose to senior position thanks to godfather Karunakaran. No this scoundrel is not forgiven. He has played with "democracy" too much-thanks to incompetent judiciary (tell me how many people were arrested for atrocities of Emergency??). Time to kick him out, ideally he and his perpetrators should be in jail…but that is ideally….there are many who were/are in senior positions, involved in atrocities of Emergency. Nothing is forgotten. The pliable judiciary, politicians involved, the police, all will say- nothing has happened. That is what they say when people are massacred whether in Gujarat or Delhi. Yes “Nothing happened”. Precisely what they said when they eliminated the plantation workers en masse in that banana republic in Amelio Brendia’s Mocando of magic realism (One Hundred Years of Solitude, Marquez)

Kakkayam Camp Kadhaparayannu (by Appukuttan Vallikunnu) is a description on the Rajan case. Another book is Memories of a Father by Prof. T.V. Eachira Varier, who is the father of Rajan. If you seen this brilliant debut malayalam movie Piravi (The birth-1988) of Shaji.N.Karun, there is this unforgettable role played by Premji (who won a National Award for that) which is based on Mr. Varier.

These excerpts from the book Memories of a Father…..


I came to know that Rajan yielded himself silently to the torture. I have read about people being called to their deaths in Nazi camps. As an officer called out names, others were queuing up, waiting for their turn. They even took care not to call a husband and wife together into death; Hitler knew that the pain of separation and getting lost was more intense than death.

Mr. Paul, the proprietor of the famous spare parts dealer, M/S Popular Automobiles, was an inmate at Kakkayam. His father contacted Mr. Karunakaran, and got him released because he came to know of it very early. Mr. Paul had Rs. 500 on him, and when leaving the camp he gave it to the other boys. After influencing someone, they bought food; up till then they were all starving. Rajan was not able to stand hunger; such a boy would have been burned in its forest fire. His mother could not even feed him a handful of rice before his death. Nor could I offer one to him in funeral rites after his death. That still weighs on me. When I hear him calling “father” in the heavy rain some nights it is the cry of hunger. Thinking that my child is hungry, I too never escape hunger, however much I eat.

“We must be able to face everything; must be able to face all that happened with a balanced mind. Only if you are able to do that will we be able to do our social duties,” Mr. Appukuttan Vallikkunnu consoled me. I understood that. The struggle against such brutalities had to begin with Kakkayam camp after the Emergency. I should not leave the new generation to that wooden bench and the rolling.

I fell silent. There were no signs of the police camp left in the building. The wounds that the thirteen-day-long camp inflicted on the bodies of those youths had not been posted on its walls. But those walls knew Rajan’s sighs and cries. They stood silent and detached, watching the young men writhing with pain. There were cobwebs on those walls. There were termites in those closed windows. I opened one of them, and light entered the room. In which mysterious wilderness is my son’s soul still wandering? I pressed my face against the iron bars. Oh, my son, here is your father…
My path is ending. The rain that lashed all over will thin out soon. I feel blessed that so many were drenched in that rain for me, and along with me. Let me hold this feeling close to my heart as an offering.

Rajan used to sing well. When I wrote that he sang only when his mother asked him, my daughters got angry. They said that Rajan used to sing for them too. He never sang for me. I had no time for his songs. So he might have decided that his father should hear his poorly recorded songs only after his death. Oh Rajan, how sad those songs were that you sang while alive, and which I never heard then. I see in them something that meditates for death. Did you hate life so much, my son?

“You didn’t care for him,” his mother said to me on her deathbed. Then, I had the face of a father who ran around the country like a horse, running through the days meaninglessly. But as time withered day after day in Kakkayam camp, her comment about the helpless father who couldn’t get his son might have been meaningful. I still have tears in my eyes to weep. This body still has weak throbs of life. So please, my dear ones, pardon this cursed father if I have pained you all.


I shall stop. The rain is still lashing out. I remember my son when this heavy rain drums my rooftop, as if someone is opening the locked gate and knocking at the front door. It is not right to write that a living soul has no communication with the soul of the dead.

I hear his songs from a cassette on this rainy night. I am trying to retrieve a lost wave with this tape recorder. The good earth is getting filled with songs till now unheard by me, this crude man. My son is standing outside, drenched in rain.

I still have no answer to the question of whether or not I feel vengeance. But I leave a question to the world: why are you making my innocent child stand in the rain even after his death?......

Beware comrades !!

There is a scoundrel who roams around as a Democratic (offcourse secular) "leader". This scoundrel was directly responsible for many of the atrocities committed during Emergency and many miseries in last few decades. The supine incompetent leaders of Congress in the state (kerala) helped him (and his uncouth son) to thrive in last few years. He survives through groupism, with equally corrupt and other opportunists and also using money power. People find him disgusting. Some small timers call him "leader" but he is always is: Karunakaran. At the age of 87 this scoundrel should be doing something else (compare him with Nelson Mandela who is also 87!!). He and his cronies are making mockery of democracy whereas those who rose to protect democracy and values associates with freedom, particularly naxalites of that era (1970s) languish an unacknowledged scarred life, traumatized by horrifying memory-many have suicided, physically debilitated. I happen to see two documentaries recently one by Ananth Patwardhan's Prisoners Of Conscience (made in 1978) as also Lest We Forget (a recent Malayalam documentary by E.K.Santha). These documentaries are about the dark times in the history of independent India, about some spectacular people who rose to fight the injustice. Ironically the perpetrators of atrocities are now usurping democracy and values associated with it. Karunakaran's hands are covered in the blood of Rajan (an Engineering student who was tortured and killed by the state. Shaji Karun's Piravi a brilliant Malayalam movie is relevant in this context) and others; ineffective law machinery is the reason why these people like Karunakaran are not inside jail (anyway which politician is ever prosecuted, that speaks lot about law machinery particularly judiciary.....such incompetence). What I could gather from recent happening is that this scoundrel seems to positioning himself to take the credit of "defeat" of Congress in the State. This assumption offcourse an insult on people of Kerala. The Communist party seems to be gleefully accepting and degrading itself in the process. Rather than faltering, the comrades are asked to come out strongly. If you dare to tarnish the memory of Rajan and others for short-term gains and lusts of power (ideally Panchayat elections should be non political) then be prepared to face the consequences. Concerns arises from hard-core realities it shouldn't be reduced to a farce. It is important that the reality of the nation and its history is not lost in the world of media savvy positioners and the worldview they churn. The reality these days seem to be getting more virtual in the din of glamour. History rarely forgets and the question it asks need be the answer for future.
These lines as a tribute to Rajan and others who gave up everything for the cause of freedom during the dark bleak hours of independent India. Their sacrifice is not and will never be forgotten.......

Then there was a pause
the counting stopped
everything spruced up for another sequel
for an audience of bereaved time.
Pause again,
a space for gasps to articulate
some orphaned screams
before they find another reason
for mistakes of knifes on flesh
of bullets on skulls.

Another pause......

Hello bloggers

Thanks for the overwhelming response although the number of visits is jammed at 635 for a month or so, I have learned from a reliable source that the number of people visiting this blog has crossed 10,000 or so, that too few months back!!. Now that calls for celebration!!.
Lets start with short stories for a change….fiction is a welcome option from bomb filled reality. I have few short stories that I have written in last decade or so. I intend to publish them in this blog. Since it needs to be typed …now that is quite laborious and costly!! So I intend to type in at least one short story a month from the stock I have. So keep your eyes open ……and yes tell as many people as possible about this blog. You will not be disappointed. Bet on that!!.
Here is a story titled "The Question" i wrote nearly an year back, in response to an incident while conducting mock interviews (thats my job, in case bloggers want to know).

A Short Story...

The Question

One of the most profound moments in Raman’s life happened when he least expected nor did he realize at that instance. One evening as he was strolling in the street, he stumbled upon a protruding slab on the pavement. As he rushed on to an oncoming pedestrian, who sprang away like an antelope spotting a predator, through the shooting pain in the ankle Raman’s mind flashed back into an event that happened some years back. An interviewer on the far end of the panel where he had applied for a job asked him as an after thought, where others had wound up in resignation. “Where do you see yourself twenty years from now?”. Since he took time to respond the interviewer was agitated. So he said “let me reframe the question for you. What is the aim in your life?”. He emphasized the word “you”. Raman thought it was very funny so he attempted a smile but what he recollected instead was that he mumbled something and later echoes of laughter of the panel. These very words stared him as he hit the concrete. With the help of the passerby he made an attempt to stand up. He realized he was not able to stabilize his weight on the injured leg. All the while the question “Where do you see yourself twenty years from now?” reverberating in his mind. A passerby-an elderly man enquired his well being while Raman caught his own reflection on the window of the parked vehicle. He dragged himself nearer and studied the man’s image-which was fading almost a silhouette in the dimming light of the dusk- very carefully, who stood there uncertainly later moving away. Raman looked up and read the hoarding of the adjoining shop: R.K. Stores- goods once sold will not be taken back. He approached the shop and asked “Do you have something by which things can be tied together?”.
“You mean a rope?” asked the man at the counter all the while wiping the dust off the glass table. Raman’s attention was zeroed on to the man’s fingernail concluding that he is malnourished he limped away. Then he stopped abruptly and turned back and asked “Where do you see me not twenty but forty years from now?”. There was defiance in his voice. The moment he said this he felt the voice not from him. It was as if the question was asking itself a question. Suddenly a Figure in suit emerged from the words he spoke and rushed out. The figure gave a quick glance adjusted his tie in irritation as if to say “Oh now you have disturbed me. Don’t repeat it” and walked away briskly into the crowd. Raman decided to follow him. The footsteps of the figure were long and assured; he found difficulty in keeping pace. “Bastard wait till I catch you” thought Raman. The Figure meanwhile scurried into the elevator of the mall headed towards a fast food joint and ordered a big sized burger. Raman caught up and found a vacant space next to him. He noticed that the Figure was already half way through his meal, the content spilling from the corner of his mouth, which he hurriedly mopped up. His features sharp and accurate to the point of unreal. His action immediate almost predetermined. Before Raman could frame an appropriate question and wait for an occasion to ask, the Figure was already on his way out. Raman chose to give up on him. The place was unusually crowded for a working day most seemed to be students “otherwise why will they be wearing same dress?” Raman deduced. The waiter approached him “It’s self service here. You can order at that counter and pay”.
“Am I allowed to leave after I eat?” asked Raman.
“Can’t say. I have to ask the manager if there is any new scheme.” Informed the waiter and strode to the next table. Outside it started to rain as immediately it stopped. The path had become muddy due to dug up earth and half completed building. “That will be the tallest building ever” thought Raman as he looked up, his face crinkling under the sun. Quite unexpectedly he saw the Figure stepping out of the multistorey. “This time I will not leave you. You scoundrel”. Raman raced towards him; he realized his ankle still hurt. The Figure took no notice of him and was slanting on the car with one leg perched on stack of broken bricks. The car red in color shone brightly in the noon sun. The Figure tapped his lips with a pen, corrected the spectacles and nodded his head as if catching the subtleties on what he read. There was something peculiar about the car but Raman couldn’t place it. The Figure moved towards the door, opened it and struggled into the car. Raman noticed that the Figure no longer carried the agility he saw earlier. His movements were labored. “You need to take proper diet. Too much work load maybe” Raman wanted to say. His car swirled, slid a bit narrowly missing Raman and sped away. It seemed he was compensating on what he lost in his physical self by driving the vehicle faster. It could be also that he was running away from something. “It couldn’t be me. I never bothered him” argued Raman. Presently he heard a voice. “Which is the way to the theater?” asked the man.
“It is not very far. Go straight turn right on the second cut. But they don’t show movies any longer. It was closed five years back”.
“But I don’t want to see any movie” insisted the man and was so repulsed by what Raman said that he decided to walk in the opposite direction.
“That is a crazy thing to do” thought Raman and shrugged his shoulder. He felt ankle to be much better. Next day as he was on the way to someplace he again saw the Figure. This time the man was in a jewelers shop. He had substantially aged. There was a young woman with him who animatedly gesticulated suddenly pealing into laughter as he measured a necklace on her. Raman stood there with his fingers across his face, which later he recollected gave him an intellectual bearing like Nehru he saw in history books. By the time Raman chose whether to trail, the Figure had already vanished. Raman spent next few minutes studying the jewel kept for display. In the meantime Raman also decided that next time he would pursue the Figure with more determination. Being Monday the market was sparse and most shops were closed having catered to the rush of the holiday crowd. Raman decided to walk towards the main avenue. A man grabbed his arm and demanded him to buy a heap of kerchief. “You buy three you get one free” he informed. Instead of shrugging him off Raman held his wrist and said, “Let me tell you a story”.
“Alright first let go my hand” demanded the man and wiped a spot, sat down lighted a beedi and asked, “Is it a filmi story?”.
“No it is as real as the building you see” said Raman pointing to a skyscraper to assert himself. “Once upon a time there was a man who was a witness. He witnessed all the happenings but people asked him about future. The man knew that whatever happened will keep happening…”
“What you mean by that?” interrupted the man.
“The drought, war, flood…death keep coming as in past. Don’t you agree?” asked Raman.
“Yes. Yes I agree earthquake in my village caused more and more death I agree” the man was so excited he took random smoke. His beedi lit brightly. He had a doubt “But people ask for future of their own not others then why man told about people?”.
“The man could speak only of people. The moment he spoke about anyone he will go silent” clarified Raman.
“Then why did people come to ask about their future?” the man again interrupted.
“Because he kept quiet” replied Raman. “Now if you keep on interrupting me I will not tell the story” warned Raman.
“Oh I am sorry. It won’t happen again” assured the man.
“So the man kept quiet till one day he saw himself in the mirror” Raman went into thought mode as he considered how to proceed the story.
“Then what happened?”. He realized he had interrupted again “no I won’t do that again. Sorry. Sorry. You continue. Take your time”.
“No I will not continue you disturbed. The story is over”. Raman started to move. He was satisfied that he could keep someone attentive for a period.
The man seized his shoulder “well you won’t go without completing the story”. Raman’s foremost thought was that probably the man is hugging in appreciation of entertaining him but the hurting grip and ensuing threat cleared any doubts. Raman pushed the man on the chin that loosened the clutch giving him chance to slip away.
“I’ll will show next time you come this way” shouted the man climbing on the footing of the lamppost so as to get a clear view of the dash. Raman could hear him faintly very soon forgotten. But Raman couldn’t take his mind off the unfinished story. It clogged his head “ I have to finish this story otherwise it will kill me” he thought.
“Come on don’t think of it too much” whispered the passerby and advanced taking no notice of his presence.
“Excuse me did you say something to me?” asked Raman turning to him.
“No I didn’t” replied the man.
“Stories come and go. You don’t chase stories. They don’t kill. Do they?”
“Look you said something again. Didn’t you?”. Irritation showing in Raman’s vehemence.
“No I didn’t” maintained the man. His voice placid as if dead. He vanished. Raman found himself being pushed. “Give way”. He trampled into someone. The man was imbalanced and almost skids down. Raman gave his hand. The man steadied himself, kept his gaze down, muttered something and started to walk.
“Hey its you!” Raman recognized the Figure; now fumbling on his walking stick was ambling away.
“Hey you. I am talking to you” Raman shouted. There were some hushed conversation and meaningful glances. Few shopkeepers even craned from shops. “Is he deaf?”. A thought cruised Raman’s mind nevertheless he yelled again this time clapping to create an effect. People halted on their track everything was stilled and suddenly everyone was staring at Raman. One boy tugged his father “papa what is wrong with that man?” which even Raman heard. “Yah what is wrong with this man. He doesn’t listen”. Raman said these loudly for people to hear. Meanwhile the Figure had strolled some distance. The more Raman thought he advanced, the farther the Figure seemed to be moving. Apparently the Figure appeared to be tottering but for some inexplicable reason his pace was faster for Raman to catch up-who by now had started to run. After some time when Raman was exhausted of the chase and contemplating resigning he saw the Figure moving towards an isolated alley in the outskirts of the city, halting in front of a dilapidated house. As Raman gazed the house he felt it being transformed into a beautiful cottage with flower sprouting in the courtyard and all around, even on the place where he stood. When he walked onto the house it occurred to him that it was routine and so he started to whistle. As he reached the house he saw a woman who was so old that her skin hung on her body as if melted. Her face was faintly familiar but Raman couldn’t recognize her probably because he was seeing her after a long time. She attempted a smile but as soon she dissolved into the surrounding. Everything started to evaporate in Raman’s mind, he felt very light. He found himself in front of a huge decrepit door that peeled from all sides. He turned the rusty knob, the door opened with a creak. He stepped in. It was humid and reeked of rancid urine also a faint odor of room freshener, an attempt to contain the pungency.
“Come in I have been waiting for you”. A deep sonorous male voice said. It didn’t sound very inviting. The voice struggled to maintain its texture wherein it was clearly cracking and was followed by phlegmatic wheeze. Raman could make out an outline of someone sitting on a large slanting chair.
“Who are you?. How do you know me?” demanded Raman meanwhile trying to adapt himself to the surrounding.
“You know me. You will know me. You have been knowing me all along”. The voice reminded him of someone. Raman thought it was becoming friendly. “Open the window. I want some fresh air. It’s been years” ordered the voice. It didn’t sound as an order to Raman. He was more than happy to comply .So he did as was told. The window opened to the ocean, which surprised Raman immensely since the place was not located on a beach and he was expecting dirty streets, he even exclaimed. It was a clear bright day and Raman could see a catamaran wobbling in the horizon. “This is very strange” thought Raman.
“Nothing is strange. You are where you belong” said the voice with a hint of satisfaction. Raman could see the man now.
“Hey its you again”. Although Raman recognized the Figure he realized that like the old woman whom he saw outside he too looked very familiar but was so wizened that it was difficult to recognize except for the eyes, which were lively and exuded warmth. There was something about the man than a mere acquaintance- a Figure he has been trailing without any purpose- he revived memories too personal. The more he tried to ruminate the more he seemed to know him for ages.
“You want to ask something?” questioned the Figure.
“I have been thinking….no nothing” Raman stopped his sentence hastily. He sensed his head whirling and his whole body being pulled as he gripped on to something. When everything quietened he was seated on the chair facing the ocean. He felt a sudden chill so he got up to close the window. His knees ached. He fumbled for his walking stick, not finding he gave a loud curse.