Skip to main content

Exotic India



Media Watch

This week’s Open magazine is a treat with a difference. For a change, it takes us away from our murky politics to some exotic places in various parts of the country. The lead article belongs to Madhulika Liddle, and it is about Old Delhi. We get a brief history of Old Delhi – Shahjahanabad and its inimitable architecture. We can encounter “the cows, the goats, the dogs, the seething humanity” of Chandni Chowk. Look at the flowers piled outside the Gauri Shankar Mandir. Breathe in the fragrances of the spices at Khari Baoli, Asia’s largest spice market. Unlike in the olden days, now there are a lot of other wares on sale too: clothes, jewellery, electrical goods and spectacles. The author communicates the spirit of the 17th century as she takes us to certain places like the Khazanchi Haveli.

A few of the other articles in the issue take us to some places of religious interest such as the Buddhist caves in Western Maharashtra, Buddhist sites in Sikkim (and Thailand too, for a change again), some prominent Hindu temples and Mount Harmukh. We are led to the Tarnetar Mela of Gujarat too. Another article shows us the similarities between the cuisines of Rampur in UP and Bhopal in MP. Both were princely states which once shared a common Afghan-Pathan cultural ethos. The cuisines have undergone certain evolutionary changes as time passed. Bhopal today has a fabulous vegetarian spread because of its prosperous Jain trading community while Rampur has retained the nonvegetarian delicacies.

The magazine also takes us to two more exotic places: the David Scott trail in Meghalaya and Thasrak in Kerala. The former will take you to rivers and waterfalls, a “secret forest,” giant boulders, a cave, and so on in the abode of the clouds. The latter is a village which became famous after the celebrated Malayalam writer O V Vijayan set his classical novel there, though having changed the name of the village to Khazak.

India has these and so many other charms. Once in a while it is good that political magazines like Open take a break from our fetid politics and draw our attention to these delights.

*

But the harsh reality which is becoming increasingly harsher will catch up sooner than later. Last morning’s Malayalam newspapers came home with headlines that screamed about the hike in the price of cooking gas. But the English newspapers didn’t seem concerned; they relegated the report to an inner page. Except the Free Press Journal which put up a cartoon-like question on the front page. I look forward to a few editorials and op-ed content on the issue in today’s papers. Or are we getting used to price rises too? 


India Today has dedicated the latest issue to the power problem faced by the country. Its cover story tells us that April this year was the hottest April in 122 years. The mounting temperatures demanded greater power supply to run air-conditioners and/or coolers. But the government failed miserably. Not because we didn’t have enough coal as was reported in many newspapers. It’s because our government didn’t plan properly. India Today says that coal production has been growing by over 4% and India has 70 million tonnes of coal which is enough for running our power generators. But the coal is not reaching the generators. Such inefficiency in governance will keep the nation in the dark, warns the magazine, “come summer or winter, blaming each other” for government’s failures. 


*

Hindi became a controversy once again last week, thanks to silly leaders of the BJP who are hellbent on making it the national language. TJS George wrote in the New Indian Express [8 May] that “the more the Hindiwallas promote Hindi with their one-eyed view, the more anti-Hindi sentiments develop in the country.”  If you want other people to accept your language and culture, friendliness is the only way, dear North Indians. George says that quite explicitly.

Makarand Paranjape is man of the right wing. His views often don’t belong to a poet though he is known as one. But, for a change this time, his op-ed article in the New Indian Express [4 May] implies a change of attitude. He admits that the Hindus of the right wing are making farfetched demands on the Muslims in India. “What they [the Hindus] possibly mean is that Muslims should subsist as second-class citizens in India, constantly having to show their loyalty and obedience to the majority, rather than to the nation.” It is quite surprising to see Paranjape writing such lines. Towards the end of the article, however, he becomes his usual patronising self and counsels the Muslims in India to share “the burden of harmony and peace” by hosting some Hindu festivals like Ram Navami and forging cordial relationships with the Hindus. Good suggestion, no doubt. But will Hindus accept such gestures? Anyway, Paranjape has realised for once that antagonism will not strengthen the Hindu cause. Good for a start.

*

India is exotic. India has all the potential to be a world wonder. But it seems to lack the right persons at the top.

PS. Last Media Watch: Bulldozer Politics

Comments

  1. Hari OM
    Another fine roundup to start the week! Had a look at a couple of the articles from OPEN - and will browse some more. It is a sadness that India is still so determined on coal in a world where the need is to reduce (and eliminate) that in favour of renewables... but the reality, too, is that energy production and usage along with water supply is going to be an ever-growing challenge due to population growth. And the irony of the fact that running air-conditioning to the level it has been is a large contributer to the climate problems seems to be escaping government... And yes, India could truly be an incredible place if all its differences could be incorprated and celebrated as facets of the same gem... YAM xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Power generation is going to be a problem. STates like Kerala are encouraging consumers to opt for solar power as far as possible. Kerala is subsidizing domestic solar power projects. Similar ventures should be undertaken all over the country. North India has so much sunshine throughout the year. Instead of harnessing that, Modi govt is busy erecting statues and temples.

      Delete
  2. There is so much in Delhi to explore! I have been there just once but a touch and go kind. Need to explore it at leisure. And 7 sisters in North East are on top of my bucket list.
    As for the prices going up, here in France as well we have seen rise in prices of staple food items, grocery, etc courtesy the Russia Ukraine war.
    Don't you think whether it's war or incapabilities of the governments world over that the comman man suffers?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, Delhi is a treasure house of history. I lived there a decade and a half and explored quite much. I loved that historical aspect of the city. I lived an equal number of years in Shillong too and agree with you that the Northeast has much tourist potential with its mountains and valleys.

      Economy is a problem all over the world. The pandemic and the war have affected all countries. But look at the way the Indian government is spending its revenue. An unforgivable amount goes into advertising its unfulfilled projects! A lot of money is spent on statues and temples. A lot is wasted on sheer propaganda-related works. Why doesn't the govt do something about unemployment, poverty, hunger, and so on? India has gone below neighbouring countries on all these vital parameters. It's a shame.

      Delete
  3. Interesting column. Would look to reading it from now on. I too agree that prices are rising up and we are made to believe that this is natural. I think the weaker opposition is also responsible for this. They sometimes speak but it seems kind of half hearted. Delhi has a lot to offer and i think it will need more than a life time to experience all of it. I too agree that the buerocracy and politicians have done nothing but harm Hindi. A true lover of the language would never do such things. I love hindi and it's my primary language but forcing a language would just make one hostile towards it. People should learn a language out of their own accord.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Adventures of Toto as a comic strip

  'The Adventures of Toto' is an amusing story by Ruskin Bond. It is prescribed as a lesson in CBSE's English course for class 9. Maggie asked her students to do a project on some of the lessons and Femi George's work is what I would like to present here. Femi converted the story into a beautiful comic strip. Her work will speak for itself and let me present it below.  Femi George Student of Carmel Public School, Vazhakulam, Kerala Similar post: The Little Girl

The Little Girl

The Little Girl is a short story by Katherine Mansfield given in the class 9 English course of NCERT. Maggie gave an assignment to her students based on the story and one of her students, Athena Baby Sabu, presented a brilliant job. She converted the story into a delightful comic strip. Mansfield tells the story of Kezia who is the eponymous little girl. Kezia is scared of her father who wields a lot of control on the entire family. She is punished severely for an unwitting mistake which makes her even more scared of her father. Her grandmother is fond of her and is her emotional succour. The grandmother is away from home one day with Kezia's mother who is hospitalised. Kezia gets her usual nightmare and is terrified. There is no one at home to console her except her father from whom she does not expect any consolation. But the father rises to the occasion and lets the little girl sleep beside him that night. She rests her head on her father's chest and can feel his heart...

India in Modi-Trap

That’s like harnessing a telescope to a Vedic chant and expecting the stars to spin closer. Illustration by Gemini AI A friend forwarded a WhatsApp message written by K Sahadevan, Malayalam writer and social activist. The central theme is a concern for science education and research in India. The writer bemoans the fact that in India science is in a prison conjured up by Narendra Modi. The message shocked me. I hadn’t been aware of many things mentioned therein. Modi is making use of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan’s Centre for Study and Research in Indology for his nefarious purposes projected as efforts to “preserve and promote classical Indian knowledge systems [IKS]” which include Sanskrit, Ayurveda, Jyotisha (astrology), literature, philosophy, and ancient sciences and technology. The objective is to integrate science with spirituality and cultural values. That’s like harnessing a telescope to a Vedic chant and expecting the stars to spin closer. The IKS curricula have made umpteen r...

Two Women and Their Frustrations

Illustration by Gemini AI Nora and Millie are two unforgettable women in literature. Both are frustrated with their married life, though Nora’s frustration is a late experience. How they deal with their personal situations is worth a deep study. One redeems herself while the other destroys herself as well as her husband. Nora is the protagonist of Henrik Ibsen’s play, A Doll’s House , and Millie is her counterpart in Terence Rattigan’s play, The Browning Version . [The links take you to the respective text.] Personal frustration leads one to growth into an enlightened selfhood while it embitters the other. Nora’s story is emancipatory and Millie’s is destructive. Nora questions patriarchal oppression and liberates herself from it with equanimity, while Millie is trapped in a meaningless relationship. Since I have summarised these plays in earlier posts, now I’m moving on to a discussion on the enlightening contrasts between these two characters. If you’re interested in the plot ...

The Real Enemies of India

People in general are inclined to pass the blame on to others whatever the fault.  For example, we Indians love to blame the British for their alleged ‘divide-and-rule’ policy.  Did the British really divide India into Hindus and Muslims or did the Indians do it themselves?  Was there any unified entity called India in the first place before the British unified it? Having raised those questions, I’m going to commit a further sacrilege of quoting a British journalist-cum-historian.  In his magnum opus, India: a History , John Keay says that the “stock accusations of a wider Machiavellian intent to ‘divide and rule’ and to ‘stir up Hindu-Muslim animosity’” levelled against the British Raj made little sense when the freedom struggle was going on in India because there really was no unified India until the British unified it politically.  Communal divisions existed in India despite the political unification.  In fact, they existed even before the Briti...