My article about Buryatia and India for the Russia & India Report

In the ocean of robed monks that descend on important Buddhist sites in India, there are increasing numbers of Russian-speakers, who can easily blend in with East Asian members of the monastic order. These Russians are Buryats, an ethnic group closely related to the Mongols and inhabiting the internal Republic of Buryatia, a Trans-Siberian area that is about one and half times the size of Great Britain.

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Book Review: Twilight in Delhi by Ahmed Ali

Once upon a time, there was a Delhi, where the central business district was Chandni Chowk and life revolved around an area near the Red Fort. This was a Delhi where the most talked-about events were poetry recitals in Urdu and Persian. Pigeon-flying and catching competitions were a popular form of entertainment and this pastime was enjoyed by several generations of families living in antiquated havelis.

Ahmed Ali's 'Twilight in Delhi' is a window into this Delhi, the 7th city of Delhi, before it stopped being the centre of gravity. The novel leads us through those times when the Durbar was held for the coronation of King George V and New Delhi was made the capital of British India. Beautifully and lovingly written and full of poetry, we get a glimpse into the lives of the inhabitants of the old city, in the lead-up to the independence movement, which started gathering steam after the First World War.

When I visited the Coronation Park last year, I had no idea, how big the whole coronation ceremony was and what it meant to Delhi.

Here is what the author says: "Many days before the coronation people began to pour into Delhi from all parts of India and beyond. The roads were washed; oil was sprinkled to keep the dust down; and the city looked spick and span. Motor cars which had hardly ever been seen before, came into Delhi and raced on the roads; and horses passed through the Chandni Chowk and the Chaori Bazar, and strange faces were visible all around.

Most fantastic and colourful dresses rustled in the streets of Delhi from long robes to short coats, and gowns to waistcoats, and head gears of a hundred kinds. In and out of this holiday crowd, walked the Tommies in their drab uniforms, Englishmen in their plain clothes."

English pageantry aside, the book is actually about a traditional Syed family that lives in a haveli in the old city and showcases the social life and functions of the day. There is a brilliant depiction of a high class Muslim wedding, which I think is the highlight of the book.

Many traditional families were forced to flee to what became Pakistan in 1947 and a lot of the Old Delhi was completely lost. Post-1947, Delhi was effectively Punjabised and the whole aura of the area changed. I am sure there are still traces of the Delhi that the author writes about. I just need to find someone who is either an expert on the old city or lives there.

There were reports in the media that the great poet Ghalib's haveli would be transformed into a museum. Maybe such an action will throw a fresh impetus into maintaining the old city and restoring some of the grandeur of a bygone era. This book is a must-read for anyone who loves Delhi.

It wouldn't be fair for me to not mention that the author, who was a patriotic Indian, without a hint of any communal feeling, was in China at the time of India's independence and was not allowed by India's ambassador to China, K.P.S. Menon to return to the land of his birth. Ahmed Ali was told that he was a Muslim and that he should go to Pakistan. So, this great author, who wrote a book championing the cause of India's freedom, lived in a life-long exile in Karachi, and never visited his beloved Delhi again. It's a shame that this great writer was not allowed to return to India, considering the fact that Pandit Nehru gave asylum to so many Pakistani Muslim writers and musicians, who then came to India and lived happily in a country, which at that time guaranteed artistic and creative freedom.

Public apathy in Bombay makes terrorism easier

The scene: Andheri station on a busy Monday afternoon. There is a large unattended sack near platform number one. A large number of commuters just ignore the sack and walk away. Not wanting anyone to die, I find a ticker-checker near the station master's office and alert him. He comes with me to the platform and sees the sack and says, he'll deal with it. When I ask if he will inform the railway police, he answers in the affirmative but doesn't seem to bother...

I find a lazy railway policeman who seems irritated that he has to get up from his comfortable seat and I accompany him to the platform. We ask 2 people now on the platform if the sack belongs to them. They both deny it and then someone comes and claims it. When the policeman questions him, the man laughs and says he was there all the time. A mild scold from the policeman and it's all over.

Now I know how easy it is for someone to plant something in the platform and get away with it. You have a bunch of people who would not give a damn until they get blown to pieces by a bomb and even worse, a set of railway and police employees who share that apathy! Some people and some cities will never learn

An unsung hero in Indian sports

Most newspapers on Sunday were excited when Leander Paes won the men's doubles title in the Australian Open. This was Leander's first Australian Open title and 7th men's doubles grand slam trophy. He has also won the mixed doubles twice. Now add to that, the fact that he won the bronze medal in the Olympics in 1996 in Atlanta and you have an athlete who has been a superstar in the international stage.

Leander, above all, is a wonderful human being who appreciates every bit of support he gets from a small fan following in India. Love for representing India in the Davis Cup, propelled him to some great singles victories, including a come-back-from-behind win over Goran Ivanesavic. According to the ATP website, his career prize-money earnings are about $6 million, a small amount considering the fact that the Calcuttan has been playing since the early-1990s.

Leander doesn't get the kind of media exposure, sponsorship, adoration or adulation that he deserves, despite being one of the greatest sportsmen India had ever produced. But the real sports fans in India and around the world put him where he rightfully belongs: on the highest of pedestals.

My article about Colombo in the Free Press Journal

Most visitors to the 'Emerald Island'bypass the capital altogether and head straight for the beach resorts in the south or the ancient and heritage cities upcountry, but Colombo has plenty of attractions on offer and is a nice way to see, feel and taste the essence of Sri Lanka.

 http://www.freepressjournal.in/news/45169-colombo-a-potpourri-of-sri-lankan-flavours.html

My article on Indo-Russian friendship on the tennis court

It’s too bad that the Olympics don’t offer shared or joint medals. If that was the case, we could have surely had 3 gold medals in doubles’ tennis for both India and Russia (and given how well Sharapova is playing, a fourth one for Russia).

Read more here

Reflections before Republic Day

On January 26, 1950, India ceased to be a dominion of the British Empire and became a republic. It wasn't just the King of England who lost the right to be the King of India; rulers of 600-odd princely states that merged into India also lost their titles.

Unfortunately in the India of 2012, we have another kind of monarchy. The Congress party of India, which is single-handedly responsible for the poverty of a majority of Indians, has meticulously followed a hand-me-down system, where ministers and members of parliament are succeeded by their children. So, yes, the Republic of India is still a collection of princely states, although an English emperor doesn't rule the country anymore.

To be honest though, every country gets the kind of government it deserves. On a train ride to Udaipur last year, I heard a group of Marwaris talking about how business was in their blood. That was the reason they discouraged their children from pursuing independent careers and wanted them to join the family business. One middle-aged man in that group went on to add that the Nehru-Gandhi family was in power for almost 60 years and transcended generations. "It was in their blood" to rule, according to this man. Politicians, doctors, movie stars, singers, businessmen and athletes, all belong to new castes in this republic.

I am not criticising the country or its people. These are mere observations.

Farm in Mandwa

It takes just 45 minutes to get to Mandwa from Bombay by ferry, but the voyage takes you to another world. From the mad rush of Bombay to the tranquility of the Maharashtra mainland. Here, the nights are really cold and starlit, the air is pure and the neighbouring metropolis seems a world away.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7444188@N05/sets/72157628997302367/

Stars in the Mandwa Sky

These words belong to Ahmed Ali, author of Twilight in Delhi, but sum up what I saw last week, while I was in a farm in Mandwa.

"The stars shine in clusters, so many of them, ever so many, little bunches of light, twinkling away with a white radiance, holding court, as it were. There are big stars and small stars, stars shining with a lonely lustre and stars glowing in bunches like pearls strung together in a necklace or like the forehead ornament of a beautiful brow. There are bunches of them shaped like a semicircular purse, and stars shaped like a nosering on a delicate nostril. And there are stars and stars, and inside the stars are cool green worlds, and every star is a lovely maid."

Knight in a Honda City!

This post is coming a week late, but I need to thank my anonymous hero from marathon Sunday.

After running the marathon on Sunday, three of us struggled to get a taxi outside VT. We were too tired to walk back to Churchgate station as every ounce of energy that we possesed that day was sapped by the marathon. Finally, a cabbie agreed to take us to the suburbs and all was well, or so we thought. As we drove past the same Bandra-Worli Sea link that we conquered around sunrise, the cab ended up getting 2 flat tires. The cabbie managed to get us past the toll booth but then the wheels started coming off.

We were exhausted and stranded on a stretch with no energy to walk to S V Road. Still in our running clothes and wearing our medals, we tried to hitch a ride to the main road. After a few minutes, a kind gentleman stopped his brown Honda City and gave us a ride all the way to Andheri. We got off at a signal and couldn't get our Knight's name. I didn't have my card to pass on to him. All I know is that he swims at The Club in Andheri. Oh, how I wish I could find my knight and buy him an expensive bottle of champagne. He was my hero on marathon Sunday...

Mumbai Marathon 2012: All Glory!!

When I walked into the holding area for the marathon runners at the Azad Maidan yesterday, there wasn't an inkling of doubt in my mind about how I would perform in the marathon. Yes, my preparations were plagued with illnesses at the wrong time and the knee that I injured during the Delhi Half Marathon could have posed a problem for me. But this was about me running my marathon in my city...

It started off wonderfully well. I initially stuck to the 5 hour and 30 minute pacers. Rahul Verghese and Tanvir from Running and Living were the bull's eyes that I focused on. The weather was perfect and the city was beautiful in the early morning, well before sunrise. Despite the run starting early, Bombayites turned up in large numbers. The marathon means a lot to this city and the crowd support was a huge help to me.

The first 20-odd kilometres were like the gentle sea breeze in the morning. We negotiated Haji Ali, Worli and the Sea Link without a hint of problems. But the knee that I injured in Delhi started acting up and I struggled till the 24 kilometre mark. The medical team suggested that I pull out or take it really easy. No force on earth was going to make me pull out on that wonderful day.

Cheered on by the voiceferous crowd, I put in everything and like last year, got a burst of energy at Caddell Road, near Shivaji Park from the wonderful locals. My father lived near Shivaji Park in the 1960s and always told me how wonderful the people there are. How right he was!! I think it's the sporting tradition of the park, which has produced some outstanding sportsmen that the faithful of the area encourage athletes.

We were pleasantly surprised to be cheered by the policemen on duty!

It started getting more difficult the second time around Worli Sea Face, when we had to run all the way till the Prabhadevi end. Once again, I was encouraged by the locals. In fact, I caught a glimpse of the 5 and a half hour pacers who were ahead of me and Tanvir urged me to keep going. That, I was going to do. 31 kilometres and on the sea face, a few kids offering biscuits and water... and I am talking 7 and 8-year olds told me "Uncle, keep going, just 11 kilometres left."

The most difficult part was to come. The stretch from Worli Sea Face to Haji Ali felt like 20 kilometres in itself!! The sun was out and it was getting warmer. The voices in my head started telling me that my knee wouldn't let me finish in the heat. After all, there was the climb up Pedder Road. I just had to tell the voices in my head to shut up! The much-dreaded climb past Jaslok Hopsital and the Russian Cultural Centre was rather easy.

Past Babulnath and on Marine Drive, less than 5 kilometres separated me from the finish line. By this time, it was more mental than physical. I suddenly realised that it was quite a distance from Churney Road to Marine Lines and from Marine Lines to Churchgate. I was at Talk of the Town and closing in on the Flora Fountain and yes, the glory of Victoria Terminus and the finish line beckoned me. 500 metres, 200 metres and yes, I DID IT!!!!! 42.195 kms.. I was a marathoner!!! Almost 24 hours after it was all over, the feeling hasn't sunk in yet.

I need to thank Rahul Verghese, Tanvir and the Running and Living Team. Please check out their website. http://runningandliving.com/ These are a wonderful set of people, who encourage and promote long distance running. Thank you guys..if it weren't for you, I wouldn't have had a prayer of finishing.

I also want to thank the people of Marine Drive, SHIVAJI PARK, Pedder Road, Worli Sea Face, Prabhadevi, Mahim and Girgaum Chowpatty for coming out and cheering us. It's people like you that make this one of the greatest cities in the world. I am proud to be a Bombayite and days like yesterday make me prouder to have been born and to live in this city.

Special congratulations to my friend Bjorn Eklund, who came all the way from Stockholm and set the roads of the city on fire, completing the marathon in good time. He ran for a good cause (for AAWC, a charity that supports children of commercial sex workers).

And finally, kudos to Procam for organising a flawless event. The route was altered, making the run easier and volunteers and event crew helped make the run smooth and fun.

Sri Lankan Passion for Life

If there is one trait of the Sri Lankan people that really stands out, it is their passion for music and dance, which is their own 'joie de vivre.' The island nation's faithful love to sing and dance and are always on the lookout for an occassion.

When I was in Matara last month, I saw a group of young people put on carnival-esque costumes and dance with a band playing in the background. So, what was the occassion, I asked. These were friends of a couple that tied the knot the same morning and they were planning to playfully suprise and abduct the couple in a bullock-cart.

The group would grab passers-by and make them dance to their tunes. The only ones that would be 'spared' were the monks.

The dances were a free public spectacle and just about everyone on the street seemed to be happy and enjoying the performance. While the band was hired, the dancers were just a bunch of late 20-somethings who wanted to make the wedding day memorable for their friends. What I particularly liked was the entire unpretentious way the street party was held and how everyone was free to join in.

What is the punishment for murder of 7 people in India?

In November 2006, a drunken rich brat drove his fancy car off the road and over 15 labourers. Alistair Pereira managed to kill 7 of those labourers. In 2007, he was convicted and handed a sentence of just 6 months (!!!) imprisonment and a fine of Rs 5 Lakhs to be paid to the kin of his victims.

Of course, the young man challenged the sentence and today, the Supreme Court of India handed him a sentence of 3 years! That's it!! 3 years for the murder of 7 innocent and poor people. This is what you call justice in India. Sigh

Read more here

Book Review: In Search of Sita

When I was in Yogyakarta last year and watched a wonderful rendition of the Ramayana, I was ashamed that despite being from India, I didn't even know the story properly. There are various versions of the great epic, but I had a skeletal idea of the most accepted version.

'In Search of Sita,' a compilation of essays and writing on Sita and the Ramayana, edited by Malashri Lal and Namita Gokhale, is a good look into the various versions and folklore associated with the epic in India. The editors have gone through a lot of material before carefully choosing what to include in the book. A large number of these essays written by scholars such as Reba Som and Shashi Deshpande, question the broad and obedient acceptance of the actions of Lord Ram.

The most powerful of these essays is written by Mallika Sengupta and titled 'Sitayana.' Here Sita is quoted as bluntly asking her estranged husband: "You have done grave injustice on me and my sons merely on the suspicion of what may happened in Lanka. There can never be a proof. Today, if I take the oath of chastity, will you give us back those twelve years of our lives, Your Majesty?"

The book also contains valuable insights from scholars like Indira Goswami and Madhu Kishwar in a dialogue format. 

I personally could never just accept the 'excuses' made by various people for Lord Ram's mistreatment of his wife. All this stemmed from a chauvanistic attitude that a vast majority of Indian men have toward women. Like in other parts of the world, women have had to fight hard to earn their rights in India, which has been by and large a sexist and patriarchal society. After reading this book, I have developed a great deal of respect and admiration for Sita, a strong, loyal and beautiful woman, who was wronged by her husband and the ever-backward society of India. 

In my pursuit to know more about the Ramayana, this book is a valuable reference point. I have decided to read a few versions of the book this year, as well watch some folk performances in different parts of the country.

Images from Sri Lanka

Here are some pics from the Emerald Island, the Pearl of the Indian Ocean.

The South

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7444188@N05/sets/72157628773183565/

Kirinda and Usanagoda
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7444188@N05/sets/72157628792886199/

Yala National Park
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7444188@N05/sets/72157628790081249/

Kataragama
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7444188@N05/sets/72157628787602881/

Kandy
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7444188@N05/sets/72157628804799689/

Colombo
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7444188@N05/sets/72157628631150001/

Chekhov's tryst with Sri Lanka

The great Russian author and playwright Anton Chekhov never visited India but he managed to spend 3 days on an island often described as “the teardrop of India,” that is Sri Lanka.  While the author’s brief stay in Sri Lanka gave him a lot of happiness, little did he know that the island-nation would continue to celebrate his work and legacy with zeal.

Read more here on the Russia & India Report

Hambantota: A New Era

Before writing this post, I would like to make 1 thing clear: I am a fan of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa. He is by far the best leader the country has ever had. I may not agree with everything that he does but by and large, I think the man is a visionary who sees Sri Lanka as a high-income country in Asia in the next 3 decades. He is also the most pro-India leader in independent Sri Lanka's history.

There was a time when a pilgrimage to the temple of Kataragama (Murugan) in southeastern Sri Lanka was dangerous. There were very buses that plied the roads and stories of elephants attacking jeeps weren't uncommon. A friend of mine once recounted how his bus broke down somewhere near Hambantota in the 1970s and they feared for their lives from an elephant attack. "There were no shops, no petrol pumps, nothing from Matara to Tissamaharama," he said. Now, development is visible everywhere but it isn't the ugly variety that you would find on the other side of the Palk Straits.

President Rajapaksa hails from the south of the country, where he is reverred. As a gift to the people in his consistuency, he is modernizing the sleepy areas on the southern part of the island. The first step is the Colombo-Matara-Hambantota expressway. The 1st phase is ready and now it just takes an hour to drive from Colombo to Galle. The Chinese are building the port in Hambanatota, which will also have Sri Lanka's finest airport.

The town of Hambantota is also witnessing rapid development. Many complain about the environmental impact of all the developmental activity in the region, but ask the locals if they want to remain relatively poor. The southern part of Lanka is where a unique Sinhalese culture has been well preserved. The differences between the south and the up-country highlands is almost as glaring as those between the Kenyan highlands and the Swahili coast.

I personally think it's wonderful that pilgrims can fly in straight to Hambantota and visit Kataragama before heading out to see some game in Yala, all this while completely avoiding the Colombo area. After spending almost 25 percent of the country's national turnover on a 26-year long war, the money can now go into making the island, an economic powerhouse of the region.

Nugegoda Mon Amour!

Just a few kilometres away from the madness of central Colombo is the peaceful town of Nugegoda, a place that I call home whenever I am in Sri Lanka.

Nugegoda is a friendly town and a reflection of Sri Lankan society at large. A smile greets you at the smallest of shops, most of which are family-run. The clerks at the post office are actually helpful and still understand what letters and postcards are!! There is a genuine sense of relaxation in the town. The High Level Road is Nugegoda's main street, with its share of shops and offices of utility providers. Along the railway station is a spotlessly clean and civilized market.

What I like most about Nugegoda are the leafy lanes with traditional houses. Many of them were built in the late 19th century and there is a peculiar charm about these homes (complete with well-moved lawns) that have combined Sri Lankan and European architectural styles. Tucked away in 1 such lane is a beautiful Buddhist temple, where monks chant and sing prayers both at sunrise and sunset.

Yes, KFC and McDonalds have reared their ugly heads on the High Level Road but that won't stop me from grabbing some cheese kothu from a smaller shop. No multinational can dare to compete with Fab, the best cake shop on the island!

138

The dreaded bus number 138 that connects Colombo Fort to Maharagama is the bane of many a motorist or pedestrian in Colombo. I am surprised that 138s haven't killed more people in their quest to reach their destinations faster and grab as many passengers as possible. I have had many a tense moment on the High Level Road when a 138 missed me by the narrowest of margins.   

For me, the bus is like a number 7 subway train from Grand Central to Flushing or an Andheri local from Churchgate. It takes me home to Nugegoda a lot faster than any other mode of transport and at 19 Sri Lankan rupees, it's the cheapest way to pass the Havelock and Kirulapona. Despite the fact that a 138 passes a bus stop every 3 minutes, there are standees at rush hour. I will never figure out how that is humanly possible, considering the fact that there are less people in Sri Lanka than Bombay.

The owners of the 138s are among the most open-minded religious people in Sri Lanka. You will see photos of Kali, Murugan (Kataragaama, Buddha, Ganesha, Laxmi and Saraswathi above the dashboard of each of these buses and one special and large pic of Laxmi (for wealth, of course). It is in the 138 that religious and linguistic lines blur in Sri Lanka. Sinhala, Tamil, Hindu, Buddhist, whatever!

Notes from Kandy

This quiet provincial town, which is an entry point to Sri Lanka's hill country, appeared to be more crowded than Bombay on New Year's Day. It looked like all of Sri Lanka descended on Kandy to pray at the Temple of the (Buddha's) Tooth. Of course the crowds thinned by sunset.

There is a permanent relaxed and holiday feel in Kandy. A walk around the small lake is always a pleasure and it's quite a spectacle to see the birds go crazy at sunset to find space in the trees. Kandy, is an early to bed, early to rise town. It looks abandoned after 7 pm and activity starts from 5 am, with the prayers at the Temple of the Tooth.

I have been to the temple a countless number of times and not once did I pay for an entry ticket. Now that my Sinhalese is not bad, no one on earth can tell I am an Indian. At worst, I am a Sri Lankan, who lives/was raised abroad.

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As far as hotels go, the Queen's Hotel is one of my favourite boutique hotels in the world. Old-world charm and elegance are personified in the hotel. I love the red-carpeted wooden staircase, the antique elevator, the elegant ballroom and the wonderful rooms with wooden flooring and a lake view; not to mention the wonderful architecture of the building.

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Kandy can now proudly boast of a large shopping mall (sigh). The mall contains everything from electronic stores to bookshops and a supermarket. Why oh why do the authorities insist on playing instrumental Bollywood music from Shah Rukh Khan's films? Oh did I mention that the 2 bookshops in the mall have more books written by Indian authors than those written by Sri Lankans? It is impossible to find Martin Wickramasinghe's classics in English anywhere in the country!!!

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One of the "best kept secrets" in the city is no longer a secret. The wonderful hill from where you get a great view of the lake and the temple and the city as a whole, has now become a tourist attraction. Yes, the area is full of souvenir stalls, touts and package tourists! I am glad I enjoyed the place before it was discovered.

Twilight in Mount Lavinia

This is how every evening should be: A crimson sun sets into the Indian Ocean; a stunning twilight follows ...The rough waves are at their loudest when a train isn’t passing nearby. Colombo’s World Trade Centre and Bank of Ceylon buildings shine in all their glory in the distance. 

Away from the beach, the cool January ocean breeze carries with it the aroma of the flowers that brighten the gardens of the elegant villas of Mount Lavinia. The last train from Kalutara passes the station en route to the Colombo Fort. And in a quiet lane in a pretty neighbourhood, gentle tunes from a guitar come out of a white-washed house, which glows in the moonlight from a star-lit Sri Lankan sky.

City life ought to have been this simple, this pleasant, this memorable...I know that this is not the kind of life that awaits me in the madness of Bombay. Yet, I dare dream of more Mount Lavinia evenings.