VIEWING WORLD CUP 2014 - FOOTBALL

             VIEWING WORLD CUP 2014-FOOTBALL

    I  was  a Football  player in my very young days in Dehradun where I studied till class IV. Though all games were played in our school the most popular was Football, the popularity owed it to the city where the game was played extensively. I represented my School, St Joseph's Academy in 4'4” height team! The Irish Brothers coached us. Numerous clubs vied with each other for the various trophies  which I witnessed, we also saw matches in the city's Football ground next to the Bus-stand at the Rajpur road. The match between Gurkha Brigade and Mafatlal I  can recollect, the famous Shyam Thapa had left the Army and joined the Mafatlal, but we cheered our local team and the old team of Shyam Thapa-The Gurkha Brigade. Gurkha Brigade was perhaps the only Army team which participated at the highest level. I happened to be in Delhi the year it Lifted the Durand Cup.

  Though I left football and picked up hockey when I went to Allahabad the universality ,bonding, economy ( needs just one leather ball) and charm of the game always fascinated me and I have been watching it regularly on TV since 1986, prior to that we followed the great Pele's World cup achievements and victory through newspapers and sports magazines( TV has contributed to the legend of Maradona!). Sometimes these days I do sit with my son to watch the English Premier League as he is an ardent fan of the Manchester United. However my viewing is deeply influenced by the unfair world order! My ideology, support to the under dog, celebrating the true talent/artistry. I cannot enjoy the Game in a neutral manner/ for the sake of the game. However players like Messi are an exception ;the club and country to which he belongs does not matter, he as well as his admirers have transcended that!

  In the present world cup my support to a team in a match is governed by the above factors. Take the case of the Switzerland; despite its beauty and neutrality in the two Wars I cannot support it for its Banking policy and system wherein it is party to the generation and encouragement of Black money, therefore I was supporting Argentina in the pre-quarterfinal and was overjoyed when at the dying moments of the 30 minutes extra time Messi facilitated the goal. I am not a supporter of any European team, I desire the final to be played between two South American teams .This would be a befitting reply to the years and years of domination, subjugation. The other day my heart broke when Mexico lost to Netherland despite leading by a goal. It was ironic and satisfying to see England and Spain returning home without entering the last 16 stage, the two World conquerors !

    My support was for France in its match against Germany . I know that French suffer from cultural superiority and their attitude toward Indians visiting France is rude but when weighed against the Germans it was acceptable. Following images conjure- the French Revolution, Rousseau- Voltaire, the French wine! In case of the Germans their baggage of the holocaust subdues all their achievements. My favorite was Chile their loss to Brazil was sad. When I think of Chile among the other contenders I recall the assassination of Salvador Allende in the Seventies, we were students then and felt that it was a terribly wrong done to the leftist leader with the support of the US who did not want Communist foothold! I think of Pablo Neruda and his poems. Last night Costa Rica lost to Netherland in Quarterfinals, the match was a Draw even after the extra time and they lost in Penalty shoot out ,it would have been historical had they won !My friends predict finals between Germany and Netherland, but I would be happy to see the Finals between Argentina and Brazil with Argentina lifting the Cup .

  Football ranking should not follow the existing  economic order, even if it has been invented by the English it has been made  beautiful by the Latin American Nations who should be duly rewarded; but they have to fight!

SUMMER MEMORIES OF ALLAHABAD

                               SUMMER MEMORIES OF ALLAHABAD
  

     

The summer is in full bloom, the monsoons delayed, the temperatures are creating new records. The birds search for water in streets and doorsteps of concrete structures! The dogs gasp with elongated tongues, the world moves on!

  What triggered me to write this was one last week's incident. I stay in a multi-storey apartment in Mumbai, it was Saturday and I was at home . Work was in progress in the flat opposite to mine . The previous occupant had vacated the flat and it was being prepared for the new occupant and therefore a mason and one helper were in the flat. Occasionally they would press the door bell and request for water to be filled in their plastic bottle and our domestic help would oblige ; this was going on for few days, and our maid  therefore was a little irritated. When the door bell rang for the second time on that day she gave water but told them firmly that water was  also available in the taps of the house where they were working. I was hearing this and quickly told her that it was O.K ; may be they expect clean, cold water from our residence and the matter ended.
    
        The incident made me think and many memories of the summers spent in the heat waves of Allahabad came rushing; though all seasons visit Allahabad, but the city is famous for its summer ! My Mother returning  home by rickshaw after her examination duties, how she would insist that an urn full of water be given to to the rickshawala and she would ensure that a piece of 'gur' ( jaggery) is also given as it was her belief that in hot weather when one was sweating one should not drink cold water empty stomach .Water serving points( piau) were available at street corners as it was the custom of the city.

       The summer began soon after Holi and ended close to Diwali, May to August were hottest period. At that time Acs were nonexistent in middle class homes , later we could afford water coolers ;but not in all rooms . In summers we would lie on the floor and the solitary USHA fan was our source of survival; the fan is still serviceable! The heat in Allahabad was a challenge, we were always cautioned to guard against the dreaded 'loo' ( the heat wave peculiar to summer seasons in eastern UP) and covered our head with a soft towel when venturing out, the agony was aggravated by the fact that the movement was slow , either on cycle or on rickshaw; scooter came later which was a relief.Sometimes I  would see a solitary person on the road between High Court and Circuit House on a cycle with his head covered fighting the heat wave and opposing hot wind and trying to make way, his movement ahead would be very slow and from a distance it would appear the the cycle was stationary on the road, during the afternoons the only shops open would be of 'Paan/bidi/cigarette'!. My Father also suffered in summers along with other lawyers as there was no change in the dress regulation, he was tied down by the black coat and what accompanies Lawyers' uniform  and was sweating all the time , there were white sweat marks perennially under the arms of his coat.  Maybe the court rooms were air conditioned/air cooled or  'khus-khus' was put but the journey was full of hot air.Most Government offices had coolers for the officers and Khas- Khas mats for the staff, casual staff was recruited during the period to water the vertical Khas-Khas mats fixed to the doors and the windows which cooled the air and the very smell /aroma of Khus -Khus was refreshing( i miss those days).

        Reading occupied much of our time during vacations; Nandan, Parag ( children's magazines) when children and  weekly/ fortnightly magazines such as Samtahik Hindustan, Dharmyug, Illustrated weekly,  when grown up, we graduated to reading Premchand and James Hadley Chase soon. Panna( a drink made of raw mangoes, fresh mint and sugar/jaggery) was available at home and Kissan's  orange and lemon squash and Rasna were also there, coke was a luxury. Water was cooled in a big 'Ghara' ( a big earthen  container )which was filled in the morning, it was supplemented by a few 'surahis'  ( a slim earthen container) and direct from the tap ; aqua guards and filters were non existent. Surahi was carried during journeys on train and often purchased at the station and whilst disembarking either handed over to a fellow passenger or broken by throwing out of the train window. It is a common belief that the water of Surahi was the sweetest( or was it the water of Jamuna in Allahabad which was sweet?)

     Sometimes we friends would go to swim at the the enclosed coral club swimming pool. Cucumber the thick and thin variety were relished after application of liberal salt and red chilly , the Kharbujas( melon)of Allahabad are to be found nowhere else , green in colour from inside and yellow-green pattern outside , always sweet, we made juice out of it when mixies arrived. Mangoes would be suckled passionately; at least 5 to 6 in one go; the small desi variety .Allahabad is blessed with huge tamarind trees which not only provide shade but sweet and sour fruit which was strewn on the road struck by wind  or bird or children throwing stones to pluck the ripe and raw pod. On certain occasions we were treated to the famous thandai( a beverage made of milk and dry fruits).

  Clothes most preferred were half pants /Tshirts and the universal white lose kurta-pyjamas. The vegetables grew despite the heat and lauki, tinda parbal were available . These were grown in kachar(  sandy region close to river). At night the fruits and vegetables from the kachar were carried on camel's back to the mandi for sale the next day. It was a picturesque sight to see the camel's in one line slowly moving toward destination as the cycles and rickshaw plied alongside.My mother would invariably shop for the vegetables and fruits on her return from college from the road adjacent to Government Press and behind the AG Office, where fresh vegetables and fruits of the season were available.

 Many years have passed since I left the historic city but I remember it for many reasons and one is its distinct summer- the smell of the 'heated earth' is deeply etched in my heart and mind.

BOOK REVIEW-- 'GANDHI BEFORE INDIA' - RAMCHANDRA GUHA

WAR   GAMES    IN   SOUTH    AFRICA

BOOK-  REVIEW    -  ' GANDHI    BEFORE   INDIA'   - BY

RAMCHANDRA      GUHA  -      PENGUIN   PUBLICATION

 Introduction.     This  book is as challenging  as Gandhi   himself!  As  it was  exasperating  and   exhausting  for Gandhi's friends, associates, family members, adversaries and  followers  to comply/agree to his idealistic demands  even though they admired him so it is with this book. Ramchandra's book is marked by its slowness  as it captures  in  minutest detail the life and work of the Mahatma in South Africa from 1894 to 1914; about 20 years. But it is a dedicated research work, which is confirmed from the wide and deep bibliography, research material running into almost 100 pages  at the end of the book. Ramchandra Guha seems to be the most  appropriate historian for the  purpose . For such a work one requires not only  a determined person but also a devoted person. Guha's impeccable credentials are reaffirmed  ; yet again. His ability to explore the events and actions from many perspectives present a more rounded and illuminating picture of the Mahatma whose life and achievements in South Africa are known very little to a large number of his admirers as most consider his work in India to be of  more importance.

 Journey. The book commences its journey at Porbandar and traces the ancestry of  Mahatma who was socially and economically well placed . His moderate marks, rather above average marks in studies ;though the common perception is that he was not good at studies initially.  There is desire and will to do well and overcome his inadequacies. He journeys to England to study law much against the wishes of his community , who later ostracize him . But prior to that he is married and craves for his young and beautiful wife. His mother instructs him to keep away from wine ,women and meat and he promises and complies. In England he is treated well by the English and becomes an ardent advocate of vegetarianism, shares residence with a vegetarian Englishman and writes articles on vegetarianism.  Completes Law and returns to India and is not very  successful in Rajkot and Mumbai. On the request of a Gujarati Muslim businessman  he agrees to visit South Africa to contest his case as there were very few Indians who could understand English and Gujarati, he continues to stay there to write applications of Indians  and to represent them in court, soon gains prominence and emerges as the leader of the Indian community. Returns to India after few years to try again his legal practice in Mumbai, meets a Gujarati ascetic Raichand and is influenced by his teachings. Fails again at Mumbai High Court and returns to South Africa for good with his wife and children. During these years he fights for the rights of the Indians , becomes their undisputed leader, negotiator and develops a large following among Indians of all hues, Europeans , Jews and Christians. He becomes  devotee of Tolstoy and a celibate . His stay culminates  in extracting concessions for the community in terms of recognition of marriage , waiver of 3 Pounds as tax and other concessions, but all this after prolonged negotiations, Satyagraha, strike and loss of lives. This was a Herculean task. The struggle in South Africa was a struggle of about a lakh Indians mostly from Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and other Southern Indian states. Gandhi himself survived two serious attacks to his life, one by the Europeans and the other by his own community.

 

Rehearsal.It is truth which must be revealed to Indians who are proud of Gandhi and all those who cherish his ideals and ideas. What emerges  very clearly is the fact that the stay of 20 years in South Africa was indeed very punishing and yet very rewarding for Gandhi  for it made his fight with the English in India so much easier! It inadvertently  turned into a rehearsal , a ‘War preparation ‘! But this training was intense an indeed very concentrated and it bore the fruit of freedom in India! After more than 30years;it was preparation of 20 years of sweat, toil and blood in far away land. Whatever tactics and tools he applied for the evacuation of English from India had its reference in South Africa. He explored within and without; when he arrived in India there were very few doubts he had within. He was a vegetarian, a celibate ,had forsaken wealth , his religion was inclusive, his strength- the people.

Personal  Example . He displays exemplary leadership of Ideology and action. He not only propagates his ideas through his newspaper- INDIAN  OPINION , in English, Gujarati, Hindi and Tamil   but also practices the same . He asks people to court arrest by breaking laws, but his family also joins with his sons and wife.

Negotiator. He displays tremendous perseverance and  stamina for constant  negotiations, wait and watch games with the South African Government. He leads Indian delegation to England on two occasions with assurances but little success, generates  sympathy among distinguished foreigners for his cause. The trend continues in India—Round Table Conference, Gandhi- Irvin pact, Cabinet mission .

Common Cause.  He is able to attract men and  women of various regions, Nationalities, religion because he is able to strike a common cord. He stood against anti- people laws in both countries- united them on common issues such as taxes, marriage laws, salt, khadi and Freedom.

Village Republic. During his stay in South Africa he reads Tolstoy’s ‘The kingdom of God is within you’ and Ruskin’s ‘Unto the last’ and imbibes their principles religiously, he becomes a distant disciple of Tolstoy with whom he corresponds too. He not only preaches their ideas but practices too at ‘Phoenix farm’, and later at the ‘Tolstoy Farm’, which had huge land where he grew fruit bearing trees, ran school etc with the help of his family members, followers , associates many of them Europeans , such as the Kallenbach, a German Jew Architect.  It is likely that the seeds sown in Phoenix and Tolstoy  farms resulted in his establishment of’ Sabarmati’ and ‘Wardha’ Ashrams  and the publication of his ideas in ‘The village Republic’.

 Women. The first  woman who who made deep impact on his actions was his mother. He learnt from her , self denial, fasting and belief in God, which was his main stay in all his struggles . During the Satyagraha in South Africa among the first ten volunteers to arrest the four women were from his family and friends , including Kasturba.This inspired many women and made the movement larger and more forceful. It had a tremendous impact on the authorities. The complexion of the congress changed on the arrival of Gandhi it not only included the masses but large number of women volunteers.

Walking. Gandhi loved to walk , perhaps in his busy life the only entertainment and exercise which he sought was to walk. In London he walked, In Mumbai he walked from Girgaun to the High Court. In South Africa he walked from residence to work. During the movement of 1913  in South Africa he walked with his followers for more than 400 miles covering 30 miles on an average in a day. The Dandi march therefore though occurred more than 15 years later but sub-consciously was planned earlier!

 Penance/Fasting. He made himself stronger by Fasting , when he felt that some wrong was done , often irreparable; Gandhi would fast as a gesture of owning moral responsibility, for peace or for divine assistance! He would fast even if he was not involved directly.When a sexual scandal occurs at Tolstoy farm involving his unmarried son and Jeki , married daughter of his close associate Pranjivan Mehta; Gandhi undertakes fast. When some of the striking workers are fired at during the movement he undertakes fast. These fasts in South Africa are therefore prelude to his many fasts , some near death threatening which he would undertake in India specially to restore communal harmony.

Organizer. Gandhi proved to be a great organizer to the cause. Managing his family affairs such as  education of his children, steering the movement, negotiating with the authorities, running the  News Paper The  ‘Indian Opinion’. Keeping accounts of the various donations received  from India through the good offices of Gokhle. Managing the affairs at Phoenix and Tolstoy farms. This he achieved through the able assistance of his associates, but his own organizational abilities were tested and refined and later put to good use in India.

Sex. His idea of sex was strange and peculiar not in consonance with modern times. He became a celibate like Tolstoy, but also propagated the same and almost forced his children . He believed that sex is to only procreate and once that  need is over one must leave it! Perhaps he was oversexed and craved for it as a young man , perhaps he was guilty that he was having sex with his wife whilst his father’s death was announced. Tolstoy too had become a celibate  after excesses. Therefore Gandhi’s prescription on sex is unpalatable and is impractical !

Power of Paper.  It is an old saying that ‘if  you do not have a matching Gun of your enemy then commence a newspaper’( gar  bandook mukabil na ho to akhbar nikalo!) . Gandhi commenced ’Indian Opinion ‘which was the mouth piece of the movement. Later in India he expressed his thoughts through ’Harijan’ and ‘Young India’.

Abilitry to face Hate.  Though Gandhi fought the Foreigners both in South Africa and in India; India was his home  and he was surrounded by his own people but South Africa was hostile . The hatred of the Europeans against Indians could be gauged from the following statement of one of the Europeans taken from the book:

   “   An evil smelling race and an eye sore  on this, one of the most beautiful countries in the world. Are we allow them here?(no). Are we to allow these human parasites to overrun a land  which is the heritage of the white people and for which they have fought and  bled?(no). Then let us take measures before it is too late or they will gain such a foothold as they have already secured in Natal( loud applause).”

Conclusion. In the end this book is a rare and possesses research material  which is very authentic. There is no doubt  that Ramchandra’s love and admiration for Gandhi is seen in the book but it is backed  with solid material evidence and preparation of many years. Guha states that the collected works of Mahatma was the main material in other works on him , for this he has extensively explored the letters of other people and opinion on Gandhi which is a new perspective.

 I await anxiously for the volume 2 on Gandhi’s work  on his arrival in  India.

                                                                                                                                               

KHUSWANT SINGH -- MASTER OF THE PERIPHERY

KHUSHWANT SINGH    -  MASTER   OF    THE     PERIPHERY

    I  had long decided  to write on Khushwant Singh on his death ! This was after reading his articles on the death of Amrita Pritam  and R  K   Narayan both writers of great repute! What I found astounding  was  that Khuswant was unfair to them. Instead of  paying tribute to them on the tragic occasion he talked of their private matters which I felt was  very insensitive. Regarding R K Narayan he narrated as to how he would continue to talk to his wife even after her death and that once when he was  with the novelist  on their visit to Singapore how fussy R K was about the food and searched all around for curd and rice; further he did not accompany Khuswant to the X rated films but was inquisitive to know of it on Khuswant’s return to the Hotel where the two were staying. He was particularly nasty about  Amrita , whom he boasted to have promoted by translating her famous novel on the subject of partition- Pinjar from Punjabi to English . He further complained that she did not pay him a penny for that and stated that there were two  types of people in the world ;Giver  and Taker and that Amrita  was among the latter.

        

      Reading his views on the two great writers I felt that death was not an occasion to say bad things of  people unless that person has done some harm to society as was the case on the death of the Margaret Thacher ,when the people publically protested the decision of the British Government to give her a State ceremonial  funeral; as she was against the poor and during her reign among the many anti poor policies  had stopped free milk supply in schools for children. Khuswant had broken a social norm by simply saying –with malice towards all…

   

       However I will be fair to him and would not run him down as he did to many in his long writing career! He was a prolific writer  and columnist and was followed in India and abroad. His articles were syndicated in many newspapers and by his on admission; earned a lot! I will therefore attempt  to carry out the correct assessment of the person.

 I have read him regularly in the Hindustan times columns. I  have also read three of his famous books- Delhi, his autobiography ‘Truth lies and some  malice’ and  ‘Men and  Women in my life’.. I could not complete his history of Sikhs though I attempted it once. His famous book ‘A Train to Pakistan’ also I have not read . His son Rahul Singh on his death has stated in an article that his father’s lasting legacy would be his two works-‘ A Train To Pakistan’ and his book on the history of the Sikhs. I was disappointed by his  comments on ‘Men and Women  in my life’ in the book he made fun of the curly hair of Chetan Anand and also was critical of Amrita Shergill; but showed regard for ISJohar and Balwant Gargi.

        

      He emerged into limelight with  ‘Illustrated weekly’ which he single handedly brought to the forefront as its circulation rose from mere 60,000 to 4.5 lakhs during his long tenure . Illustrated also helped Khuswant    breakout into big league , however in creative  and  commercial terms he could not match the success with the Newspapers he edited .Maybe he was better cutout for socio-cultural aspect than politico-economic!

    

        Firstly ; his writing was simple, informative and interesting. He had the knack of knowing what the reader liked and therefore  related and highlighted those facts only, he wrote on sex and related gossip which widened his base and his joke books were also popular. However his book on history of Delhi is regarded very high  for its simplicity and narrative of the history of the city in a very intimate manner . The book is recommended to international students in some institutions in order to understand the history of one of the oldest cities in the world. I learnt a lot of the famous poet Meer Taqi Meer from the book, it traces through a journalist and a eunuch the history of the city from Mahabharat till the assassination of Mrs Gandhi.  His ‘Autobiography’ is exhaustive; named ‘Truth, love and a little malice’ it was delayed publication as it got entangled in some legal issues with Meneka Gandhi, but on publication was received very well, incidentally  Meneka was one of the many writers whom Khuswant encouraged and patronized and helped her with her publication ‘Surya’. The Autobiography recounts his early days in Baluchistan, his education in England, his unsuccessful legal practice in Lahore, the partitition , his father joining the league of the great Thekedars who built the Luetans  Delhi! His joining the information service and being posted to England, his joining the Illustrated weekly, his days in The Hindustan Times, his rise as The Rajya Sabha member, his fondness for Sanjay, The Golden Temple tragedy  etc etc…

       Among the many facts what is revealed to us is that during one of the visits of Nehru to England Khuswant was there and being in the Foreign service information department interacted with Nehru and that Nehru treated him shabbily as he was upset to see his photograph in the British press visiting Lady Mountbatten late at night. It seems Khuswant carried the grudge all his life and was  not favorably disposed to Nehru.

   

    As the Editor of The Hindustan Times , he invited the criticism of one Mr Menon, who succeeded him as the Editor . Mr Menon in one of his articles in the paper highlighted the flaws in the English language of Khuswant; it made no difference to the admirers of Khuswant, and he continued to flourish, however no one knows of  Menon!

     

     In my opinion Khuswant was a lucid writer but there was no beauty in his writing, perhaps that was one reason why he appealed to so many, he was a star writer not a great writer! He also lacked intellectual depth. He was prolific , but often profane .What he had in plenty was ‘social sense’, but less of ‘political depth’. His fondness of Sanjay Gandhi and his policies explains   his limitations! What I also observed was that he did not give much importance to religious writings , rituals  etc , but interestingly was regular in reciting the sikh prayer ‘Japji’ each morning. He preferred literary pursuits  in old age rather than religious and recommended the same ,to which I agree. He promoted many writers which shows his generosity and is visible in the wide ranging tributes being paid to him. He was very popular in Pakistan  and considered Punjabis of Pakistan as the warmest hosts in the world! Though he wrote in English he promoted Urdu and lamented its decline! His legacy is being carried forward by many writers the foremost among them is Shobha Dey! She writes the similar substance and style!

  How will the future remember Khuswant? Perhaps as ‘ The Master of the Periphery’! As a novelist and writer he would be never  equal or match R K Narayan and Amrita Pritam and as a journalist   not comparable to Nikhil Chakravorty  or  Girilal Jain .

IDEOLOGY AND THE RULE OF LAW

IDEOLOGY AND THE RULE OF LAW

The extreme of disharmony among communities is 'violence' . It is a sign of a immature Democracy. In Democracies and even in modern societies irrespective of the type of Governance – Military Dictatorship, Benevolent Dictatorship, there may be unresolved contradictions and conflicts among communities, there maybe lack of communication, prejudice,bias but violence is extreme and violation of the rules and norms of the society.

How then to prevent violence or even verbal violence manifested in racial, caste , religious terms?

Western Democracies have not even evolved a social culture but also strong Laws which restrains citizens from violation because the punishment is immediate and there are few escapes. We have seen racial abuse in football field being punished immediately in the English Premier League in the case of John Terry who lost the National Captaincy . The case of Subramanium Swamy is another example wherein his extreme views on the Muslims resulted in his removal as a Guest Lecturer at Harvard where he was a regular. Denying visa for US to Narendra Modi is yet another example of the manifestation of the rule of the Law .

However ; the rule of the Law or the efficient police and judicial system does not necessarily ensure that the 'Hearts' of the citizens are pure/clean! But such measures restrain people from violence.

In the Indian subcontinent owing to the weak policing and sluggish judicial system there is no regard or fear of the rule of the Law. Whatever semblance of harmony in varying degrees is seen is because of the ideology being propelled by the citizens. They may be good social scientists , good parents or teachers in schools. The harmony or order in society is maintained by mutual respect for each other . Despite deep hurt and historical cleft and provocations their Tallem, Dharma, Insaniyat whatever we may call it restrains them to plunge into extreme action. It could be the principles of Gandhi , Nehru in the modern era and other social reformers of the past which influence our action and ideas. But to restrain and curtail bloodshed the respect of law is required which means the strength of the State machinery.

However in the final analysis and in the long run it is the Ideology which should curtail violence and conflicts. When such a system prevails there will not be any need of the 'Law'. That will be the end of the 'State'. State of 'NIRVANA' !

ARVIND KEJRIWAL- THE NEW POLITICO-ECONOMIC ORDER

KEJRIWAL – THE NEW POLITICO-ECONOMIC ORDER

Last year when Arvind Kejriwal announced the Aam Aadmi Party, he also parted ways with his mentor Anna Hazare. At that moment many of us who had whole heartedly wished for the success of the Lokpal movement sided with Anna in his opinion that entering politics was a dirty game! Even after he formed his party,we did not give him much chance and pitied the path he had undertaken. When he made 'The Broom' as his election symbol we laughed at his self righteousness and lack of imagination. The first indicator of his acceptance by the people were the opinion polls, at that juncture he made us stood up to notice him, amusingly. I; though welcomed the indicator but never gave him more than 10 seats. However he has proved us wrong . He is now the chief minister of New Delhi.

His success has kindled new hope among the citizens who were trapped in the tyranny of the traditional political parties. Will he change the rules of the Game;seems so. There seems to be hope suddenly. All these years we were nurtured by the stagnant ideas of the mainstream politicians and parties, and had therefore looked for relief within that limited space . Arvind has opened a whole lot of new ways/paths for us. We had accepted corruption as a way of life, the VIP culture; culture which swallows so much of our money, security and manpower;with one stroke he has rubbished it! We were groomed to the diktat of the bureaucracy; their tantrums ;that too may change. We had considered it as our destiny that majority of the politicians will be from political families,very rich or criminals with clout; that too may alter. And many other things may too?

    Arvind Kejriwal has arrived on the ideology of 'Honesty' and 'clean Administration'. He has made deeply entrenched political ideologies and even the politics of the  Left parties questionable.  The issues raised by Kejriwal should have been raised by the Left parties but they failed to read the changing times and the mind of the masses. Sorry is their bookish tendency which has disillusioned many sympathizers, who now see hope in Kajriwal.

    All eyes are on the Parliament now, can he be successful there? Indeed he may. He may first contest all urban and semi-urban seats, pick up candidates with impeccable record from all walks of life( already his team has embarked on the task ;so we hear). He should not discount the rural areas, our perception that they vote on caste lines may be wrong. People have voted on secular and development agenda in the assembly elections in Bihar and other states. Organizational abilities and exploiting the 'e' system is his forte which can compensate for the lack of resources. There would be Bee line among aspirants and experienced to join his party and he has to be careful of the 'Trojan horse'.

   As Arvind in his new Avtaar will soon embark on National stage he will have to take stand on many tricky issues such as 'communalism' 'secularism', 'FDI', and other economic issues. He will have to spell out his stand on US! And foreign policy matters. He will have to dispel the existing notion that no political party can rule without the blessings of the Industrialists. He will have to device an economic policy of 'balance' between the corrupt and seemingly efficient Right and frugal and sluggish Left. His core competency is 'honesty' which propagates 'simplicity' and therefore reduction in 'consumerism' and 'consumption'. He;therefore will also have to control the ambitions of the middle class by propagating a balanced ideology on 'economics'.  

Is he our new Gandhi? I want him to be one! Though Gandhi was more involved in mass movement, Kejriwal will have to prove as an Administrator. Seeing the state of our polity I am sure Gandhi too would have jumped in the fray to redeem the Nation. Watching the reaction of the political parties who are quickly embarking on self cleansing mission it is evident that they have been shaken! We will wait for their dismantlement. Eradication of Dynasty! Eradication of communalism . Eradication of criminals ! Both financial and social.

BOOK REVIEW -- LOWLAND BY JHUMPA LAHIRI

BOOK – REVIEW

LOWLAND - BY JHUMPA LAHIRI

    Bengali literature is full of emotion, sentiments, rich ; very rich and therefore one expected Jhumpa Lahiri's book 'Lowland' to be reflection of the Bengaliness ; but it is different . It is cold, clinical, detached, aloof, distant, indifferent and yet arresting and interesting in its own way. Whatever sentiments, emotions, the characters feel is conveyed through their actions. They do not say much, as one expects them to. There are five principal characters in the story. Subhash and Udyan - the two brothers, Gauri- Udyan's wife, Bela- Gauri's daughter and Bijoli- mother of Subhash and Udyan.

      It is essentially a story of two brothers and their wife- Gauri ! The story is set in the fifties and traverses to the next century . The two brothers of middle class origin have a natural childhood bonding but at college stage embark on different paths as Udyan takes admission at the famous Presidency college and Subhash at the Jadavpur University. Soon Udyan is engulfed in the Naxalite movement and Subhash on the path to research and study in the  US . Whilst Subhash is in the  US Udyan falls in love with Gauri his friend's sister and a student of philosophy, he sends her photo  to Subhash and after a brief courtship marries Gauri. The parents accept the bride reluctantly, it is a cold and workable relationship at home. At the US Subhash  most of the time  is on his own immersed in his area of research.

   Suddenly there is shock ; Udyan is killed by the police in a fake encounter; his wife witnesses his killing from a distance; helpless. Subhash returns home, Gauri is pregnant with Udyan's child and from the attitude of his mother they are not very keen to keep Gauri with them after the child's birth. A sense of responsibility compels Subhash to marry Gauri and take her away to the US. Then a ‘churning’ takes place and affects all the players! All are put to test .

   Is it guilt? Is it responsibility? which directs the actions of the characters need to be explored and interpreted. The story returns to Kolkata when Subhash and Bela visit their parent and grandparent respectively. Gauri never forgives Kolkata it seems , but does visit the city at a very distant future, as it was there her husband was killed or she shares some responsibility of having participated tacitly in the Naxalite activities in support of Udyan? The tragic death of Udyan shatters the parents too who cannot come to terms with the tragedy ;never let the wounds heal too for they had seen their son being searched and then captured and then heard the gunshot. There was no police complaint registered, no accountability? They were probably subconsciously very hurt with the system and their son too! The main characters remain an enigma. So ‘monk’ like they have been created .There is this strong sense of 'sacrifice' and 'self-denial' for worldly pleasures and society in them. Is it out of idealism? Is it out of strong sensibilities? One wonders!  What ails these characters is not known. It can only be conjectured. In today's materialistic world people may wonder as to what is the fuss about?

   The Naxalite movement is not much debated in the story but looms large on the setting, characters, specially Udyan's ,Gauri's and Subhash's who are victims of it, also the parents .The daughter Bela born in America is an outdoor person like Udyan. In her commitment to the cause of farmers; is she reliving his dreams in another country; another setting. Idealistic and very independent she is! They do find, to the relief of the reader some solace in the dying chapters of the book. There is some satisfaction , but it is 'too late -too little'. As I have said earlier Subhash, Gauri, their daughter Bela, and their mother Bijoli are like ascetics/ renunciates caused by the death of Udyan. Subhash leads a studies and sedate life at Rhodes island with his daughter and then later largely alone. The stay in US it seems barely changes his outlook, he could have settled in any academic atmosphere . In the story the 'geography' of the characters is more associated with 'distance', 'farness', 'aloofness'. Gauri emerges as the most complex and seemingly ungrateful one. She abandons her physical identity soon on reaching the US by cutting her hair short and switching to slacks from sari! Her sudden action is very uncharacteristic! She pursues her studies in philosophy and acquires a PHD and later rises to be an imminent Professor.

    There is this dominant sadness in the story as after many years of emotional toil and detachment the principal characters find balance and peace. For they have stayed restless and withdrawn all their life. Sadness is on account of the time lapsed. The prime of their youth is lost in brooding and only when they are past their fertile and productive years they settle to some scale of satisfaction in their separated lives. Subhash evolves as someone so pure and unreal. Gauri; despite her defects and oddities is likeable for her self sacrifice. Bela is admirable for being committed to social cause, for her idealism and for being an unlike American. One cannot stop thinking of the writer; though she carries a Bengali surname ; how unbengali is Jhumpa Lahiri! She too seems to be part of the characters she portrays! Distant yet captivating. She seems to know Bengal/Kolkata as an astute observer and yet not mingles with it. There is hardly Bengali in her expression, her setting , her characters, her treatment. By the time one completes the novel one is convinced that the writer too is discovering herself with her characters. It seems very difficult to separate her from the plot or the book. She has created such unique and strange characters that the reader is struck by the approach and personality of the writer too..

There is much symbolism in the book. The 'lowland', 'the two ponds'. One brother seeking Presidency college for education while the other goes to Jadhavpur- indicating divergent paths! One brother taking ‘left’ ideology and the other ‘right’ to US for education and occupation. Silence , isolation, desolation is dominant in the atmosphere created – of all the places in US, Subhash takes admission in Rhodes island a secluded studying center! Some of the symbolism is evident- when Gauri is leaving for the Airport on her way to US suddenly the clouds appear indicating her anxiety, it slows down her journey but soon the clouds clear- she overcomes her fears! Also when she is being driven home from the airport in her maiden journey by Subhash she wants to turn to left, but Subhash steers to right! The death of Kanu Sanyal is also perhaps death of her left idealism and adopting US life or coming to terms with it late in life!

  This book is serious  reading , not  a routine  one, I had not read any of her work prior to this, had seen the movie ‘Namesake’ and had liked it. Such  a work arrives, occasionally . Strongly recommended.