Sakhalin: Crown Jewel of Russia’s Far East | Russia & India Report

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Sakhalin: Crown Jewel of Russia’s Far East Russia & India Report

Book Review: The Suns of Independence

Why are so many African countries considered economic basket-cases? Many an African will squarely lay the blame on 600 years of European colonialism.  Then there are writers like the late-Ahmadou Kourouma with guts enough to call a spade a spade.

In The Suns of Independence, Kourouma, who hailed from the Ivory Coast, mocks the direction that his country and its neighbours take after independence from the French. The book is the story of Fama, the last of the Dumbuya princes, who finds himself to be of little use in an independent Ebony Republic. Fama, like most members of the Malinke tribe, curse the independence and the division of their land between 2 new independent countries, the independence that gave power to a new autocratic elite. Fama's wife Salimata, the other central character in the book, is a victim of genital mutilation and brutal rape and tries all sorts of spells and magic potions from witch doctors to try and get pregnant to prolong the Dumbuya dynasty. The hard-working and sincere Salimata is the character that readers feel for.

Kourouma used the creativity of his native language and his understanding of the tribal psyche to deliver some beautiful, often sarcastic, yet hard-hitting prose. "Yes it all had to collapse, if only because the republics of the suns of independence had neglected to provide themselves with institutions such as fetishes, or sorcerers to ward off danger."

Europeans created new borders in the continent and divided members of the same tribes and clans. "So, the last of the Dumbuya introduced himself to Vassoko, spoke of the geographical boundaries of the Horodugu and the grandeur of its ruling dynasty, explained that he was ill and had to attend Balla's funeral rites. But the guard promptly replied that no one would allow Fama to pass, even if there were to dare let him through, the guards on the other side would not let him to the Republic of Nikinai." That passage sounds all so familiar for those who live in the partitioned Indian sub-continent.

The Suns of Independence provides a window to Francophone West Africa in the wake of independence and is an expression of anger from a great writer, who was deeply concerned yet felt helpless about the direction his part of the world was heading in.

Book Review: The Quarantine Papers by Kalpish Ratna

There were 2 horrifying facts that were brought to my notice when I sat for a book-reading of The Quarantine Papers. First, that the communal riots that occurred in the aftermath of the Babri Masjid demolition in 1992 and riots in the city in 1893 took place in the very same alleys. The very same buildings witnessed violence and arson, a hundred years apart.

The second and scarier fact was that the concept of concentration camps was introduced by the British in Bombay during the plague. They were called ‘Segregation Camps’ and any ‘native’ suspected of having any kind of illness was rounded up along with his or her family and interned there. This was half a century before Hitler had concentration camps built for Jews and Gypsies in Nazi Germany and Poland. Now imagine needing a pass to cross the Bandra-Mahim causeway? Or getting pulled out of local trains and then herded into a camp? This was a reality in our very own city in the late 19th century.

The Quarantine Papers is about the life of Ratan Oak, a microbiologist, who gets hallucinations that turn him into his great-grandfather Dr Ramratan Oak. Ratan lives the parallel life of his great-grandfather, recalling events and people from the 19th century. An excellent and graphic narrative, the book brings to life two of the most traumatic incidents that the city has ever witnessed: the 1992 riots and the plague of 1893. The book is a treat for history lovers, who know little about Bombay in the 19th century. A lot of research has gone in to bringing some characters of colonial Bombay (like Alice Kipling, Rudyard’s mother) to life. We also come to know of the pivotal role played by the dedicated Indian medical staff of Dr Waldermar Haffkine in making the anti-plague vaccine.

The authors, Kalpana Swaminthan and Ishrat Syed, are both surgeons and the name Kalpish Ratna is “an almost-anagram” of their first names. Be warned about the graphic details of autopsies and gore and blood that many doctors see in real life. Considering the fact that many of us have never seen a dead body in real life, the mechanical precision with which Ratan Oak cuts up dead bodies may be a bit much to handle.

The authors address the issue of communal violence and the role the colonialists had in orchestrating and encouraging it. Relations between Hindus and Muslims in pre-partition India weren’t as rosy as some of our history books would like us to believe. It’s not difficult to tell that the authors spent a tremendous amount of time going through the Bombay Archives.

There are a few images of and citations from historic documents, including one on the riots written by R. H. Vincent, the acting commissioner of the Bombay Police in 1893. One of the most interesting documents is the ‘Notes of a conversation with a Maulana, regarding the cause of the riot.’ The Maulana blames the Cow Protection Society for instigating riots in 1893. “I know of one of the Cow Protection Sabha members eating beef and pork with great gusto, as his ancestors relished the puran poli!” Isn’t it amusing that half a century later the same types of Maulanas were the ones who disliked Jinnah for eating pork and drinking alcohol?

Many of us, who witnessed the 1992-93 riots in the city, have a strong conviction that our country has moved on from the days of such mindless violence, but the book reminds us that we need to stay vigilant to prevent riots in the future. Again, I quote from the book: “Nobody alive remembered a riot. But the hardware that mapped the city- walls, boundaries, buildings, streets - these did.”

Without playing the role of a spoiler, I’d like to emphasise that this book has a very strong love story and also showcases the idealism of people who hailed from different cultures but were way ahead of their time in terms of thought process. The Quarantine Papers can easily be adapted for the silver screen by an international production team, though films never do justice to books.

This review was published in the August 21 edition of the Free Press Journal.

Kudos to IIT Bombay for a well-organised i-Race

The IIT Bombay campus in Powai is everything that the city of Bombay isn't: the campus is green, has broad roads, well-paved sidewalks and gorgeous nature. It's a plesant place to be in any season. The i-Race was held in the campus this morning in the best possible conditions that you can have in the city. It rained just before and just after the run but the rain gods were kind to the runners.

Despite the fact that several new buildings have popped up in the campus since the late-1990s, when I was a regular there, there is an unbelievable amount of peace. It was a great feeling to take 2 rounds of some of my favourite areas on campus, including lakeside and two of the hilly areas. The enthusiastic volunteers made sure that no one was dehydrated and no one lost their way.

It was also wonderful to run under the cloudy skies and to be protected by the trees during the moments when the Sun popped out to say hello. Since I am now a veteran of 21 kilometre runs, I didn't find this race particularly challenging but I played my part in encouraging people who stopped to get moving. A large number of runners were alumni of the great institution. In fact, the alumni association, which celebrates 10 years, were kind enough to gift all runners a t-shirt. It was inspiring to see a senior executive from a multinational, who studied at the IIT more than 30 years ago, taking part in his first long distance run. Bravo Parimal-Uncle!!

Having praised the run, I find their method of calculating the winners on some mathematical formula quite confusing. It reminds me of the Duckworth-Lewis system in one day cricket. I doubt Mr Duckworth or Mr Lewis ever played competitive cricket. I am baffled by the height/weight/age/sex calculation.

On the whole, I can say that there aren't too many better ways to start off a weekend. Thank You IIT for hosting this event.

Want to change the system? Enter and change from within

I really didn't want to comment on Anna Hazare's fast and the media circus that has been going on over the last few days. One of the best ways to ignore this "tamasha" is to not switch on any of the TV news channels.

I respect Anna Hazare but if he wants a position of power, he needs to stand for elections. I don't believe that an extra-constitutional authority should have the power to dismiss a prime minister. India has an excellent constitution, which only needs minor ammendments. Reforms are required both in civil and criminal law. The focus of the government should be on such reforms.

As for the masses going for these rallies, they are clueless about what exactly Anna wants. I met a few in Juhu and when I told them about some of Anna's unreasonable demands, they refused to believe me... If you're going to a protest, at least have some knowledge of what it is you are demanding!!!

Having said that, I solely blame the Congress Party for turning India into a corrupt and poverty-stricken country. The party, which was formed to get India independence, should have been disbanded after it met its main objective. However, I agree with Home Minister P. Chidambaram who said today that citizens only have the right to vote and not to make laws.

Another Ghost-Ship on Juhu Beach

A couple of years ago, I was telling Sakthi, a close friend of mine in Bangalore, about how shocked I was that a gigantic North Korean container ship ended up near one of the inhabited Andaman Islands and no one noticed it for days. His tongue-in-cheek reply: "This is India, everything goes unnoticed, except a couple sharing a kiss."

You'd think that after an 8000-tonne ship drifted into the waters off Bombay's suburbs in July, such an incident wouldn't happen again. BANG. The M V Pavit, a 1000-tonner lands up and is on the beach towards the Versova side. The ghost-ship has become a tourist attraction.  I only noticed it this morning, when I saw a crowd clicking photos and admiring the vessel.

What the "arrival" of these 2 ships shows is that our maritime borders are not even close to being safe. If 10 Pakistanis on a dingey could turn up in South Bombay and hold the city hostage for days, I break into cold sweat at the thought of how many people and weapons can be hidden in a ship like that. Imagine the scale of the massacre if one of those Trojan horses actually has the next set of Kasabs!

The Starer's Club!

In the summer, when I used to take long walks on the beach with a friend, I noticed how people would stare at her for wearing sleeveless tops. The friend in question is no Charlize Theron but her exposed arms would get way too much attention. The perils of being a girl in this sex-starved city, or so I thought.

This morning, when I went on a wonderful monsoon run to Juhu, I was the victim of stares! From men and women. I was wearing my singlet from the KL half-marathon. Those running in normal t-shirts were ignored but the cross-cultural, cross-class starer's club spanning Andheri, Vile-Parle and Juhu couldn't keep their eyes off me! So what is it about arms that make them a magnet for attention?

I am without a clue!

IIT Bombay to host the Mumbai i-race

There are very few places in this crazy city, where you can enjoy a good run like the green and sprawling IIT campus in Powai.

On August 20, the institute will host a 5K and 10K run with a twist. According to the race's website, "the uniqueness of i-Race is that the participants are compared with their own limitations, and the ones who come closest to their abilities are ranked higher."

So, even if you finish slower than other participants, you could be the eventual winner. They use this model http://i-race.yolasite.com/model.php  Under that model, given my weight and height, apparently I can finish the 10K in 34 minutes!!! Pigs would fly first.

It will be a wonderful occasion for sure and a lot of fun. Register on the website and get to the campus by 6:30 am on August 20.

The Sacred Night by Tahar Ben Jelloun

It's not very often that I find a book so gripping that I just have no power to stop reading. That was my welcome to the world of North African literature. The Sacred Night by Tahar Ben Jelloun is the story of a Moroccan girl raised as a boy in order to circumvent Islamic inheritance laws in the country. The father completely fails to see the psychological impact that this would have on his daughter until he is in his death bed. The narrative filled with allegorical interpretations is a haunting look at the psyche and culture of the Maghreb countries.

I've often wondered how women from conservative families in these countries feel about traditions that are chauvinistic in nature and forced down upon them. What's different about women in these countries compared to say India, is the fact that the French colonizers tried to impose liberal values in Algeria and Morocco, whereas the English wanted Indians to be more like citizens of Victorian England. So Indian conservatism blended well with Victorian English traditions, whereas, the conservative Islam of Morocco was incompatible with French values, making women from traditional families in the Maghreb countries in conflict with fellow citizens who had a liberal outlook.

Ben Jelloun is crafty in his usage of Arabic fairy tales, but the basic nature of the book is rebellious against the idea of religious conservatism. I will quote some passages from this book, which would have instantly led to its banning in India, if they reached the authorities.

"As I bent down low, I couldn't help thinking of the animal desire my body, especially in that position, would have aroused in those men if they had only known they were praying behind a woman. Not to mention the ones who start playing with themselves the moment they see any rear end thus presented, male or female."

Ben Jelloun was born in Morocco in 1944 and moved to France in 1971. I wonder what kind of sentiments the people of his native land have for him.

The book touches upon a series of issues regarding gender role, sexuality, religion and violence. The author's courage to question some norms that are accepted as the word of God, need to be commended. Yet there isn't anything that is even remotely sacrilegous in the book. The Consul, one of the main characters, says, "I like the Koran as an exquisite poem, and I detest people who exploit it like parasites and limit freedom of thought."

With this being the month of Ramzan, I can't wait for the 27th night, when the Angels of  Destiny roam the earth. I will try and get a glimpse of them as the devout among my Muslim friends pray till sunrise.

Mon oncle d'Amérique

It takes sheer brilliance to combine psychology, biology, philosophy, humor and ordinary 20th century lives and put the finished product on the silver screen. Only a director of the stature of the great Alain Resnais could have managed to pull of this masterpiece of a movie.

In Mon oncle d'Amérique (My American Uncle) the great neurobiologist Henri Laborit presents his theories about animal behaviour and applies them to the lives of people. Laborit who acts as himself in the film uses evolutionary psychology to question the role that society plays in the lives of people.

Until watching this movie, I was under the impression that the yearning for individualistic freedom and the need to get away from norms established by some selfish people generations ago, were areas that people started exploring just in the recent past. However, this film made in 1980 looks at this very issue and has a direct message to the moral policemen of the world to live and let live.

I would also like to add that this film was far more interesting than any science lesson I had in school and I learnt a lot more from Resnais and Laborit than I ever did from my teachers. One of the morals of the film is if you don't find an effective way of letting out anger, the anger will swallow you up faster than you can imagine. Gerard Depardieu fans must watch this film and see the serious side of a great comedian.

The film won the Special Jury Prize as well as the Fipresci Prize at Cannes in 1980.

A special word of thanks to the Alliance Francaise of Bombay for screening this film.