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Review of Down the Road- Gray Oak Publishers

first thing I did after finishing ‘Urban shots’ by Gray Oak was to order their next anthology ‘Down the Road’. It is a collection of school/college centric stories designed to evoke déjà vu in the youngsters and nostalgia in the not so young. (I prefer calling myself young at heart, slightly older in other places, but that is beside the point)

The book is packaged cleverly and has been promoted smartly. But is it as good as Urban Shots. Not to me at least( but it is almost there). The stories vary in content and quality. Some of them are extremely good.  Sorroricide by Paritosh Uttam ( I am fast turning into a fan, Paritosh) unleashes  powerful and moving emotions; The music room by Tra Trivedi packs a punch; Dimples and cute smiles ( Ranjani Iyer), Well placed ( Ahmed Faiyaz) and the The worm that turned ( Malathi Jaikumar) invoke humor without even trying too hard; Just a moment (Nikhil Rajagopalan) ,Learning and unlearning ( Rohini Kejarival) and Strangers in strange places( Abhijit Bhaduri) succeed in unlocking a strong sense of nostalgia; while Loves me, loves me not ( Vibhi Batra) is plain chilling. The rest of the stories run the entire gamut from good to indifferent/juvenile, but there is enough punch to keep the reader occupied.The pick of the authors? Kunal Dhabalia for An accidental start. But I don't understand why was Between friends ( Paritosh Uttam) repeated. It was featured in Urban Shots just a few months back.

I think Gray Oak is doing a yeoman’s service to the cause of English writing in India by leading a revival of the short story and this book is recommended for all lovers of short stories. My rating 3/5.

Book review- Urban Shots

I started the book with a lot of expectations because of two reasons. One, I am inordinately fond of short stories and two; this book came with high recommendations. I was disappointed initially as the first two stories failed to keep up to my expectations. But things picked up with Liberation ( Malathi Jaikumar), and from Notes of discord ( Paritosh Uttam) onwards the book  proved to be a worthy read.

The book is a compelling read, touching different facets of urban existence. The anthology has five sections sub-titled love, friendship, relationships, angst and longing; each consisting of an eclectic collection of short stories and straddling a gamut of emotions and feelings. What I particularly liked about the collection is that stories talk of situations and characters which are very real life and easily identifiable, sometimes the very ordinariness of the situation making it an extra-ordinary tale.

This is not a book to be read in a hurry. I would describe it as a cup of my favorite Darjeeling tea rather than a cup of Instant coffee. So the best way would be to sip it slowly, savoring every moment. Some stories are worth reading and re-reading. While the best three stories according to me are Serendipity, Stick figures and The biggest problem; the pick of the authors is undoubtedly Paritosh Uttam.

I would rate the debut book of Grey Oak publications as 3.5/5.

If you want to order a copy of the book on-line, click here.

P.S. And if the editors of this book are reading this, please please please drop me an email asking for a contribution, next time you do another collection of short stories. 

A battle won....

I would like to congratulate each and every citizen of our country for the first victory in the present war against corruption.  A word of caution here, the first battle has been won but the war is far from over. Still, the positives that have accrued from Anna’s ongoing fast against corruption have been numerous and the major ones need to be enumerated.

The first and foremost is a clear and unambiguous message to the political establishment that people cannot be taken for granted forever and they need to lose the power-drunkenness they are suffering from.  That politics is the last refuge of the scoundrel is a well known adage but it may change yet. The bureaucrat –politician- criminal nexus that has held this country ransom for so many years may find their immunity snatched away rather rudely.

Secondly, it has shredded the cloak of helplessness, hopelessness and apathy that had enveloped most of the citizens of this country and given them HOPE. Most of us had simply accepted that corruption has seeped into the very fabric of our nation and nothing can be done about it. Now we know that anything is possible and the mantra of Satyamev Jayate has been resurrected.

Thirdly, it has given us all a true leader whose whole life till today has been a saga of selflessness.

Also, it has highlighted the role positive activism can play in shaping the destiny of a nation. In addition to Anna Hazare, people like Arvind Kejrival, Kiran Bedi and Swami Agnivesh  will act as role models for our youth .

Moreover, it has shown the power of media. The principled and courageous coverage of the agitation by both print and electronic media was instrumental in the eventual victory of the people in this battle. I wish that our media keeps up the high standards of reporting demonstrated this time and serves the people of this nation without fear or favour.

Lastly, it has demonstrated the power of internet and social networks like blogs, facebook and twitter. The battle may have been fought at Jantar Mantar but it was won in the cyber-world and I am sure that this will act as a powerful weapon against corruption in future as well.

Once again, congratulations to all the soldiers of this mission and JAI HIND.

A wake up call

The battle lines are drawn. And the stand-off continues.  Anna does not seem to be a mood to relent. And the government continues to be magnificently unaware, reveling in an ostrich like attitude. Meanwhile, people from all walks of life continue to gravitate towards India Against Corruption, jolted out of the feeling of hopelessness, helplessness and stupor.

The media (both print and 24 hour news channels) have joined the battle, this time for a worthwhile cause.  The question is- Where do we go from here? What is going to happen now? I am no clairvoyant but this time I can sense the future happenings. So can every sensible person with a modicum of common sense. The only persons to be completely out of synch with reality seem to be the power drunk, bloated with their own sense of importance, ministers of Central Government.  They have gone to the extent of calling this Satyagraha coercive! So now the ideals of Gandhiji are coercive and against the tenants of democracy! Then please answer these questions!

 If this is undemocratic and coercive what was the freedom struggle?

And what is the difference between an imperial power/ dictatorship and a democratically elected government if they function in similar fashion?

If our politician- bureaucrat nexus is as honest as it claims to be, why is it scared of Jan Lokpal?

The Central Government is asking for more time. Time for what? Are they hoping that the protests will die off with time?

Why can’t the Prime Minister and the Chair-person of UPA intervene in the matter directly? Are they too big? Or they are still unable to understand the angst of the common citizen?

The citizens have woken up. It is high time the central government did. And please do not under- estimate the power of the ballot. If the government does not act now, the public will teach them a lesson in the next general election which is not all that far!

India against corruption- a common man's perspective

 The present fast to death for the implementation of Jan Lokpal Bill By Anna Hazare and the gradual flocking of enlightened citizens around him under the banner of India Against Corruption has triggered these thoughts, rather , a train of thoughts in my mind.

It is very good that at last someone is protesting against corruption. But is it a matter of too late, too less?  Will the institution of another watchdog, albeit with more teeth, solve the disease of corruption which has assumed epidemic proportions in our country? I rarely see honest Indians around nowadays. We travel in trains and buy half tickets for our above 12 children (asking them to tell TT uncle that they are eleven and a half when he comes.) We pay bribes for as mundane things as getting a birth certificate, ration card or a passport.  We don’t mind paying a little extra even for the smallest of our requirements (Suvidha shulk, it is called in Hindi). The so called noble professions like Teaching and Medicine have succumbed to the lure of the lucre. There is nothing called an honest or an upright politician in our country. The previously incorruptible branches of the system like the defence forces and the judiciary have become tainted. (The instance are too numerous to enumerate). Nothing and I mean nothing is sacrosanct, including conduct of entrance exams to premier institutions of the country. All the regulatory authorities need to be regulated. Now, will simplistic measures like institution of Jan Lokpal solve the problems facing our country?  And what about the huge economy of Black money that flourishes in our country, primarily sourced from corruption?

Vexing questions indeed and the answers prove to be elusive as usual. But then how do we explain the huge and spontaneous outpouring of support for the venerable Anna Hazare? Simple! However corrupt this nation has become, people have started to chafe under the yoke of this unending, blatant, all prevalent and unashamed corruption. They see the beginning of the end of hydra headed monster of corruption in Anna’s courageous fight. Maybe, one Jan Lokpal Bill will not solve all problems and like CVC and CEC, it will bend itself to the system. But at last, someone is protesting! Come on, my friends, let us wake up. Let us take inspiration from the clarion call-

ARISE, AWAKE, AND STOP NOT TILL THE GOAL IS ACHIEVED.

Let us dream of a better India, a corruption free India, and a new India.  There are so many of us. And if all put our hands together and push, I am sure that something will give. So join the protest, blog, tweet, use social netwoks but do something.

SPEAK  OUT AGAINST CORRUPTION.

Jai Hind

Book review- Battle for Bittora.

I have been a reader for most of my life. The recent boom in Indian English writing has made me very happy and I am one of the biggest fans of Indian English writing. It is indeed remarkable that India has produced so many writers who choose English as a medium of expression. But I have always felt, however good Indian writers are, a front where they have lagged behind is humour. Barring an occasional Jug Suraya, no one has really explored this particular genre well enough. When I started reading Battle for Bittora , I was expecting a nice breezy read with maybe a few startling insights into the rough and tumble world of electoral politics, but what took me by surprise was the inherent thread of subtle ( and at times, wicked) humour  running throughout the book.  Maybe the title should have alerted me to the author’s irrepressible sense of humour (Bittora in Hindi means a heap of cow dung). And that is the USP of this wonderful story of childhood friends who find themselves on opposite sides of an election.

Sarojini Pandey (Jinni) a twenty-five year old animator suddenly finds herself the candidate for parliamentary elections, thrust on the center stage by her grandmother, an aging but seasoned politician. Then we find out her opponent in the election is none other than Zain Altaf Khan (Zak), a close friend from her growing up days. The two meet after a long time and sparks fly when they discover that they are still hugely attracted to each other. The story moves forward in the dust and grime of Pavit Pradesh where the two engage in a no holds barred electoral battle as the candidates for Pragati Party (PP) and Indian Janta Party (IJP). (There are no prizes for seeing through the thinly disguised allusions to real political parties in present day India.) The curiosity about the eventual outcome eggs the reader on. Who will win? Jinni or Zak? And will they eventually succumb to the mutual attraction they feel despite being on different side of the great political divide? No, I am not going to spill the beans. You will have to read the book to find out.

And the book is good; in fact, very good. The characters are well etched and the pace nice. Sustaining the reader’s interest through-out in a 423 page narrative is no mean feat. Yes, it has a few weaknesses, the main one being that the author looks at the political process through rose tinted glasses. The truth on the ground is far more crude and cruel. But then, the book it has its strengths as well. I have already told you that I loved the inherent sense of fun and the wicked humour.  I also liked the fact that the book is unabashedly and unapologetically Indian.   It has been written for the Indian reader with no footnotes to explain the Hindi words / Indian perspectives that creep in to (prospective?) foreign readers.  (How many of them read our books anyway?)

I will rate this book as 3.5 /5. If you want to order a copy on line please click here .

The best of Satyajit Ray- published by Penguin

I am writing this review with the express motive of highlighting a relative unknown facet of the versatile genius, Satyajit Ray. Well known as a brilliant movie maker, he was honoured by an Oscar for lifetime achievement and a Bharat Ratna in 1992. But apart from this, he was a brilliant writer who excelled in writing for children. His stories (written originally in Bangla), though primarily written for children, have a huge following in adults, who discovered subtle shades and hidden messages in them. In addition to many short stories about super sleuth Feluda (thirty five) and super scientist Professor Shonku (forty), he wrote some seventy five short stories, mostly about the super-natural and the unexpected.

And this book contains twenty one of those, some translated from original Bangla by the master himself and the rest by Gopa Majumdar. The short stories are a rare blend of humour, intrigue, supernatural, science fiction and the unexpected. In fact, when I hark back to my childhood, when I grew up reading these stories in Bangla, I realize that it was my first taste of the exotic. And some thirty years later, when I read the translated version, I found that their charm has only increased over time.  The stories will take you to a world that has an undying appeal and the twists in each and every story will leave you breathless. Ray’s world has ghosts (both friendly and malignant), aliens in unexpected shapes, carnivorous plants and extinct animals making an appearance in everyday life. There are brilliant descriptions, vivid passages blending with a rare economy of words. The first twenty stories are those which are popularly classified as Ray’s children stories and the last one Pikoo’s Diary was specifically written by Ray for adults. It is perhaps a very fitting end to this extraordinary book. (Incidentally, it was made into a tele-film by Ray in 1981)

The book has been published by Penguin and I will recommend it to each and every booklover. 

The unfulfilled promise...........

Now there was this kingfisher girl

Who had the country all in a whirl.

By promising to strut her stuff

And running around in the buff

If on the field our team did swirl.

Hey Poonam, this ain't fair,

Your assets you did not bare

We all think it is pretty mean

That you were nowhere to be seen.

And vanished after losing the dare.

The kingfisher  gal is pretty cool

First, she make the nation drool.

In anticipation, we moan and sigh

She vanishes without even a bye

While gleefully shouting APRIL FOOL