10. Readers-Digest

JULY 2020 `100

TAMING THE ‘WHAT IFS’ Worrying is natural but you can stop The Woman Who Won A Pot of Gold!

DRAMA IN REAL LIFE ‘Scammed By My Best Friend’

TALK TO AN EXPERT How To New Rules of Sound the Job Game Smarter

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CONTENTS

Features 42 64 �� TAMING THE 74 ‘WHAT IFS’ 58 �� We can’t run from �� our worries, but we What Goes In, Night Without End can keep them from Must Come Out A narrow escape from running our lives. Healthy bowel campus violence at a Here’s how. movements mean Delhi university. �� a healthy you. �� 78 54 �� 64 Tracking the The Woman Who Won �� Tiger Butcher a Pot of Gold ‘I Was Scammed Tigers are being farmed, A serial contest winner By My Best Friend’ killed and trafficked in shares her secret to An expert con artist Laos. One man hunts hitting the jackpot. is brought to justice. down those responsible.

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9 Dear Reader �� 10 Over to You 26 Period Leave for �� Men and Women, 34 Breast Cancer 14 There’s Always Churu’s Waterman in Men, Games and more to Beat Stress Room for Kindness �� . �� . �� and the Best �� Way to Get the 28 Jhumpa Lahiri, Right Sleep Conversations Hanif Kureishi and Mitch Albom �� 18 A Doctor’s Duty 36 An Insurance in Today’s World Cover for �� . �. �� Better Living COVID-19 �� 22 We Threw Our 30 Never Miss �� Workers under Breakfast Again! 38 Sound the Bus �� Smarter, �� with Expert �� 32 Drink to Beat Back Help 24 Rules of the Job �� Summer Heat �� Game: Learn �� and Upskill �� 32

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Culturescape The Genius �� Section �� 96 A Hell of an Actor 106 Surfing for �� . �. �� Brainpower �� . �� 98 Films, Watchlist, 110 Brainteasers Books, Throwback 112 Sudoku and Funny People 113 Word Power �� 115 Quiz 102 A Worthy Follow-Up 116 Quotable Quotes Humour �� 12

�� All in a Day’s Work 103 Louis Pasteur by 21 Albert Edelfelt Humour in Uniform �� 50 �� Laughter, The Best 104 Manjula Medicine Padmanabhan’s Top-10 Reads 73 As Kids See It 94 Life’s Like That 96

On the Cover �� by Nilanjan Das

Taming The ‘What Ifs’ ...... 42 The Woman Who Won a Pot of Gold!...... 54 ‘Scammed By My Best Friend’ ...... 64 How to Sound Smarter ...... 38

New Rules of the Job Game...... 24 �� : �� , �� : ��

6 ��

VOL. �� NO. � JULY �� E��C�� Aroon Purie G�� E�� D�� Raj Chengappa

�� Sanghamitra Chakraborty IMPACT �ADVERTISING� �� Nilanjan Das �� Manoj Sharma �� Bandeep Singh �� Anil Fernandes ��: �� Jitendra Lad �� Ishani Nandi ��: �� Upendra Singh �� V. Kumara Swamy, Kritika Banerjee ��: �� Kaushiky Gangulie Naorem Anuja, �� BUSINESS Saptak Choudhury �� Vivek Malhotra �� Khushboo Thakur ��, �� & �� Ajay Mishra �� , �� G. L. Ravik Kumar �� Sadhana Moolchandani ��, �� Kunal Bag �� Keshav Kapil ��, �� Anuj Kumar Jamdegni �� Harish Aggarwal �� Narendra Singh Reader’s Digest in India is published by: Living Media India Limited (Regd. Office: K9, Connaught Circus, New Delhi) under a licence granted by the TMB Inc. (formerly RDA Inc.), proprietor of the Reader’s Digest trademark. SALES AND OPERATIONS �� , �� Deepak Bhatt Published in 46 editions and 17 languages, Reader’s Digest ��, �� Vipin Bagga is the world’s largest-selling magazine. It is also India’s largest-selling magazine in English.

TRUSTED MEDIA BRANDS, INC. �� RDA I��.� P�� C�� E�� O�� Bonnie Kintzer VP, C�� O�� O��, I�� Brian Kennedy E��C��, I�� M�� Raimo Moysa F��: DeWitt Wallace, 1889–1981; Lila Acheson Wallace, 1889–1984

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8 �� DEAR READER Sanghamitra Chakraborty V. kumara Swamy Sadhana Moolchandani Saptak Choudhury

Taking Your Naorem Anuja Khushboo Thakur Ishani Nandi Aindrisha Mitra

Leave Keshav Kapil Kririka Banerjee �� to work for the times, as is normal in most families. India Today Group,14 years With a wonderful team and amazing W ago, as the editor of a health support from the India Today Group magazine, my son was an infant— and RD International, we have been today he is all set to fly the nest. Even able to bring RD into the 2020s—fresh when I took over at Reader’s Digest, columns, new voices, a bold new he was a middle-school boy. Where design and all. I can say with a bit of did the years go? pride now, my job is done. Working with RD, and serving you, I leave behind a team that I love, has been an incredible privilege. I have whom I will miss sorely. But they will had the opportunity to shape the ‘little be around, to work with the brilliant magazine that is a big read’, to make it Kai Freise—a friend and journalist I worthy of you. I often got teased about look up to—who will take over as the how I should learn to relax and treat it new editor, to keep the RD flag flying! more like a job. My brother would As I take your leave, I must also thank say, “Quit, come back home (to all my seniors and colleagues in the Calcutta), we will grow old group, not to mention our contribu- together.” I wish he was around tors, columnists and experts, I have to see this day. After serving as had the opportunity to work with editor of this wonderful maga- and learn from. zine for almost five years, I am Let’s all wish Kai and the finally moving on. team well, and keep reading Above all, I am grateful to the Digest. you, dear reader, for every- Goodbye for now! thing. You invited me into the RD family, shared your ideas and feedback, your warmth and good Sanghamitra Chakraborty wishes and also �� some frank disap- Send an email to

PHOTOGRAPH BY ANAND GOGOI, HAIR & MAKE-UP BY ROLIKA PRAKASH; SHUTTERSTOCK PRAKASH; ROLIKA BY MAKE-UP & HAIR GOGOI, ANAND BY PHOTOGRAPH proval, some- [email protected]

��.�� 9 needing the money for himself, had the heart to help a family in need. OVER TO These stories remind us that one does not need YOU to be rich, or of a certain �� age to be charitable and April �� strong-willed—it is just what people are made of. Selfless and unsung heroes like them are The Man with a Heart of Gold rare but restore our The courage and conviction demonstrated by faith in humanity. Dinesh Talapada in refusing to press charges �� , against a young boy involved in an accident, via email which resulted in the loss of life of his beloved Dear Reader cousin, proves that such kindness requires not only The coronavirus a generous heart but, perhaps, one that has been pandemic has revealed shaped by the experience of living with hardship. that most countries Most people, finding themselves in a similar situa- around the world tion, would have resorted to legal action against have focused far too the boy. Talapada’s extraordinary act of kindness— much of their efforts giving away a large sum of money to a needy family, developing and building who were almost strangers, is quite remarkable. It a large arsenal of arms, makes one wonder if one must be born in poverty while paying scant to understand giving and the joy of receiving. attention towards —�. ��, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh improving infrastructure for health care and the M. Rajeswari gets this month’s ‘Write & Win’ prize of ₹1,000.—EDs delivery of medical services. Even a global Good News and generosity in the power such as the US The stories of Caroline world. Caroline not is feeling the pinch, Malsawmtluangi and only displayed bravery with a large number Dinesh Talapada (in and saved a kidnapped of COVID-19 causalities. ‘The Man with a Heart minor, but generously One is tempted to of Gold’) are much- shared her award money argue that nature is needed reminders of with her as well. getting back at us, the existence of goodness And Dinesh, despite and our only solution

10 �� ’� �� is to hide away in our regardless of wealth, Wake Up Your Brain homes in fear and worry. the poor are the most Boredom causes exhaus- However, these testing affected due to long- tion or impatience in times have also brought standing problems many of us because one along some positive such as segregation by is resigned to performing changes—our environ- income, race and gender, dull tasks or being stuck ment is much cleaner, reduced economic with nothing to do. we can hear birds chir- mobility and the high Here are some more ping again, we have cost of medical care. suggestions on how to been compelled to It is undeniable that avoid such a situation: adopt healthy habits, low-income communi- Try to find new things we are back to eating ties are far more likely to to do. Start small—for home-cooked meals be exposed to the virus, example, pick a different and spending time surface a greater mortality genre of books from what rounded by our families. rate and suffer financially you usually choose to Perhaps this is a good as well. In times of an read. Small changes can time to make a resolution economic crisis, these add up to make signifi- to continue these positive vulnerabilities become cant transformations. habits, keep the healthy even more pronounced Be in touch with your choices going and refrain for marginal groups. emotions—identify your from harming the planet The government state of being and try to any further. needs to engineer a get to the root of negative —�� , response that prevents feelings and work on re- Mohali people from having solving them. to choose between a Boredom can grow Corona Takes missed pay cheque into a problem, if we the Crown and risking their own don’t actively work on The COVID-19 out- health as well as their fixing it. If nothing else break in India has put family’s. The govern- works, talk to a friend a spotlight on economic ment should also who can cheer you up inequalities and drawn target its economic with their company. our attention to our stimulus packages to �� , Pune fragile social safety net communities that that leaves vulnerable will be hit first and communities to bear hardest, and ensure Write in at editor.india@ the economic brunt of an adequate standard rd.com. The best letters this national crisis. of living for all. discuss RD articles, offer criticism, share ideas. While the virus —�� , Do include your phone blindly infects people Mohali number and postal address.

��.�� 11 �� in a Day’s WORK

Teachers shared with reddit.com the most questionable questions they’d ever been asked: �“How old was the average 18-year-old in 1942?” �“What are those pyramid-shaped things in Egypt called?” �“If the patient has a brain haemorrhage, “Before you tell me about your diet, I should can we tie a tourniquet warn you—I follow you on Facebook.” around the neck to stop it?” that requires getting to the best in the news an airport before 7 a.m. business. Here, they Cashier: I think I know —@�� point out the not-so-best: you from somewhere. ��: “In yester- Customer: I have a big Marriage vows should day’s jazz albums following on Instagram. be rewritten as “to have column, we incorrectly Cashier: Don’t you and to hold and to listen referred to Don Rendell work at the car wash to stories about your as a ‘terrorist’ when on Third [street]? workplace drama until it clearly should have Customer: Yes. It could death do us part.” been ‘tenorist’.” also be from there. —@�� : “One —@�� of the greatest gifts The Columbia Univer- you’ll ever give I’ve never wanted to be sity School of Journa- your family may the kind of successful lism often points out be your funeral.”

12 �� Scott Masear ��’� ��

��: I asked the kids in my nursery school � “City Manager class what they needed in order to Tapes Head to grow up nice and strong. One little District Attorney” � “Netflix Misses girl answered, “Birthdays!” Subscriber Mark” —��

As a brainwave technologist, I often WHAT’S UP WITH THESE 911 CALLS? ask post-operative Not all emergency calls to the patients to smile to police are real emergencies. make sure their facial �An Oregonian came nerves are intact. It home, heard rustling always struck me sounds from inside a as odd to be asking bathroom and could this question right see a shadowy figure after brain surgery, moving about under- so a colleague sugges- neath the closed door. ted I ask patients to The resident called chances. She called 911 show me their teeth. police. They arrived, after opening an Amazon Armed with this drew their guns and package at home that new phrase, I said ordered the prowler to was filled with peanuts— to my next patient, come out with hands packing peanuts. “Mr Smith, show me up. Receiving no res- �People.com your teeth.” ponse, they burst into �Escape rooms are a the bathroom, where, He shook his head, popular craze where according to a deputy, participants solve puzzles in staunch refusal. “We encountered a and clues to free them- “The nurse has them,” very thorough vacuu- selves from a locked room. he explained. ming job being done Many people find them —�� by a Roomba robotic fun, but not one burglar vacuum cleaner.” in Vancouver, Washington. Reader’s Digest will pay �5newsonline.com He broke into an escape for your funny anecdote �Peanut allergies are room after hours and be- or photo in any of our nothing to sneeze at, came trapped. He even- humour sections. Post it tually figured out how to to the editorial address, and one mother whose or email: editor.india@ son is highly allergic leave. He called 911.

�� rd.com wasn’t taking any �ravemobilesafety.com

��.�� 13 EVERYDAY HEROES

When the nationwide lockdown left thousands in despair, these conscientious people showed that ... There’s Always Room for Kindness

�� V. Kumara Swamy

esidents of three buildings owned Reader’s Digest. That was in early April. by 41-year-old businessman Bala Lingam came to Hyderabad RKoduri Bala Lingam, from from Sircilla, in Telangana, in search Hyderabad’s Balanagar, were in trouble. of a job in 1995. “Only 16 at the time, I Most of them contractual labourers, came to Hyderabad to escape poverty. they were neither in a position to I started with odd jobs, including that pay their rents, nor certain how they of a table-cleaner in a bar,” he says, would feed their families, as factories recalling his early days of struggle. To- and commercial establishments day, he runs a welding company that started shutting down, following the employs scores of people. “I now lead nationwide lockdown. a comfortable life, but I cannot forget When one of the tenants approached my past. I understand that these people Bala Lingam with a request that their are going through what I experienced rent be deferred until their earnings when I lived hand to mouth,” he says. resumed, the landlord decided to Driven by the desire to put his go one step further: “I told 70 of my hard-earned prosperity to good use, renters that they did not have to pay for Bala Lingam waived nearly ₹3.5 lakhs that month or the next,” Lingam told worth of rent. “Money does not matter

14 �� ’� ��

his tenants followed the rules, even as he, the landlord, assumed responsibility for their needs. Some have started paying their rents as they have returned to work, with the easing of the lockdown. “Many tenants are yet to get their jobs back. I have told them not to worry. I am happy that I could do my bit and will do more if I need to,” says this Good Samaritan.

Stepping Up for the Needy hen you have a heart and want to Wgive, all it takes is a bit of empathy and the will to be selfless. That is all Koduri Bala Lingam Vikas Kumar Jaiswal did. It all started when Jaiswal, deputy in times like these. I had to stand by superintendent and circle officer of the them—and that’s all I did,” he says. Sadar area of Agra, was put in charge Many of his tenants are from Bihar of monitoring the movement of mi- and currently without jobs. They would grant labourers along the highways have tried to return home, as thousands under his jurisdiction. “Our job was of other migrant labourers across to maintain law and order and ensure the country had done, with tragic that the migrants followed social-dis- consequences, when the lockdown tancing norms,” says Jaiswal. He saw was announced. thousands of exhausted men, women “I was horrified by the images of mi- and children, walking, in the absence grants struggling to reach their homes of any other means of travel, to reach and assured my tenants that they need their villages. Heartbroken by their not worry about their rent or food. My predicament, Jaiswal felt compelled only condition was that they stay in- to help and urged his colleagues to join doors and maintain social distancing him in the effort. “I noticed many of the to defeat the coronavirus,” he says. women and children were either bare- Without doubt, Bala Lingam foot or in worn-out footwear, walking

�� : �� succeeded in his mission. Each one of on the metalled roads in the scorching

��.��.�� 1500 ��’� ��

Fatehabad and Shamsabad, where the travellers stopped over. Volunteers manning the tents invited the migrants to try on and find shoes that fit them. Soon, around 3,000 pairs were distributed. Each migrant paused, picked a pair, thanked the police personnel and moved on, smiling in relief. Besides footwear, this group also distributed masks, food, water and other essentials. “This is the least we could do for them. Their smiles were the biggest blessings we got,” Jaiswal says.

The Ant That Vikas Kumar Jaiswal Moved Mountains WHEN YOU WANT TO aisri Akondi from Pune was visiting Sa friend in Manipal, Karnataka, just GIVE, ALL IT TAKES IS before the lockdown. Trapped by the EMPATHY AND THE travel ban, the 23-year-old researcher WILL TO BE SELFLESS. found herself frustrated at not being able to help during a national emergency. Back home, her colleagues at the heat. They were clearly in pain, but had National Chemical Laboratory worked to continue their journey. That’s when on innovative methods to deal with the we thought of providing them with pandemic, and she itched to contri- decent footwear,” says Jaiswal. bute in her own way. Soon, she spotted The department could offer little another opportunity to be useful. help to support the cause, so Jaiswal On the evening of 11 May, she came and his colleagues pooled in money across a group of 50 migrants be- from their own pockets. Their generous ing stopped and questioned by the donations went a long way in procuring police. Akondi learnt that they were necessary supplies that could sustain railway construction workers, aban- the poor migrants on their long trek. doned by their contractor after the Jaiswal and his team then set up lockdown, and were making their way

stalls along the roads in Gwalior, to Mahabubabad in Telangana, more �� ; �� : ��

16 �� than 680 kilometres away. “I instantly thought of helping them, noticing there were 10 children and a pregnant lady among them,” recalls Akondi. Her first task was to register the group on a government portal to help them get movement passes within the state. Then, with the help of a group called the Humanitarian Relief Soci- Saisri Akondi ety, Akondi arranged for food and convinced the railway authorities to let the through crowdfunding, pay for the mi- migrants stay at the Udupi station until grants’ travel back to their hometowns. their transport was arranged. On 19 May, just seven days since they Akondi next turned her attention were intercepted, the happy group of to the women, arranging for folic acid migrants were bidding a tearful good- and vitamins for the pregnant woman bye to Akondi, and, happily, by 20 May, as well as sanitary pads and UTI medi- they reached their homes. “Some of cation for the others. Alongside the them still send me pictures of them- arrangements, she continued to make selves and their families,” she tells us. frequent posts to the social media Afterwards, instead of leaving Mani- handles of the Telangana chief minis- pal once the lockdown eased, Akondi ter’s office, the Karnataka government stayed to help other stranded mi- and others, seeking their attention and grants—around 3,000, in fact—reach help for the migrants. There was no re- their homes in Assam, Jharkhand, Uttar sponse for days, but she did not give up. Pradesh, West Bengal and other states. Her relentless efforts paid off— Even as the world came to a standstill, Akondi was able to secure funding this large-hearted woman became the from the Telangana government and, ant that moved mountains.

What Are the Chances? In Belgium’s St. Symphorien Military Cemetery, the grave belonging to the �rst British soldier killed in World War I directly faces the grave of the last British soldier killed in World War I. The placement was completely accidental.

THE MIRROR

��.�� 17 CONVERSATIONS A Doctor’s Duty in Today’s World Compassion, courtesy and information sharing are some of the key attributes of a physician, even in a tech-intensive world

�� Dr Professor K. Srinath Reddy

‘�� , Good clinical assessment is essential to relieve often and for interpreting a diagnostic-test result comfort always’ is an or in choosing between treatment aphorism of uncer- options. That is because context tain attribution by matters in analyzing and applying Hippocrates. It has evidence from research to individual been quoted widely, patients. Proven treatments may with variations, since still need consideration for patients the 15th century. This who have contraindications or are description of a physician’s mandate non-responders. Tests can yield false is valid even in this era of technology- positive and false negative results. intensive medical care, where pictures A well-proven mathematical model of beeping screens, organ scans and called Bayes’ Theorem explains that ‘miracle’ pills have replaced the kindly a post-test probability is the product doctor everywhere. of the test result and pre-test (prior) Technology supports but cannot probability, and not of the test result substitute a competent and alone. Clinical acumen comes into compassionate health-care provider. play while estimating prior probability.

18 �� ’� ��

A good doctor must also be an ethical and empathetic caregiver.

Knowledge of quantitative and quali- families seeking care are vulnerable— tative research methods is essential, to as the asymmetry of domain conduct, analyze or apply products knowledge makes them dependent of research. A good clinician should on the doctor’s decisions. Information be able to assess scientific publica- sharing, to enable patients and families tions—both for valid research metho- to participate in some key decisions, is dology and applicability of the result a doctor’s duty. A good physician must to a specific patient. Even as artificial possess the attributes of care, concern, intelligence is racing to develop diag- compassion and courtesy, while nostic and treatment algorithms, their dealing with patients or their families. application in specific situations will be Communication skills, which enable context-dependent, requiring the lens information sharing and providing of human intelligence to be interposed. comfort, are essential for a doctor, who For this, a doctor has to be a lifelong must maintain human contact and not learner and keen observer. hide behind a machine. Beyond scientific astuteness, a good Health care, in most settings, is doctor must also be an ethical and delivered by teams rather than as a

�� empathetic caregiver. Patients and their solo effort. Fellow doctors, nurses,

��.��..�� 3319 ��’� �� Conversations

technicians and other people are also health allied health professio- issues. As the 19th-cen- nals are involved in tury pathologist, anthro- collectively delivering care pologist and statesman in a hospital setting. In Rudolf Virchow said, primary health care, non- “Physicians are natural physician health-care pro- attorneys of the poor.” viders are an important Universa l hea lt h part of the team. Dismant- coverage is a health ling false hierarchies and A DOCTOR MUST system issue that is ad- building congenial wor- dressed through political king relations among BE BOTH THE priorities and financial team members is an PROPONENT AND commitments. Who else essential requirement, for PROPELLANT OF can make the case better increasing efficient deli- HEALTH AT THE than a doctor who sees very and quality of care. people being denied A doctor is a teacher INDIVIDUAL, treatment or driven to too. Not only for medical COMMUNITY, poverty by costly care? students, but also layper- NATIONAL AND In my view, a health pro- sons, family caregivers, GLOBAL LEVELS. fessional has to perform the general public, media many roles: alleviator, and even policymakers. caregiver, teacher, elu- Demystification of knowledge, through cidator, researcher, advocate, policy jargon-free communication, boosts the enabler and—if need be—agitator, as a ability of the whole community to pro- concerned citizen for essential reforms tect, preserve and promote health at in- in health and social systems. dividual and population levels. As fake Health is the best summative in- news floods sloppy social media, this dicator of sustainable global deve- role becomes even more important. lopment. A doctor must be both the Since many of the determinants of proponent and propellant of health health are social, economic, environ- at the individual, community, na- mental and commercial, a public spi- tional and global levels. I have tried to rited doctor must also argue for poli- live up to that ideal in my life. I hope cies that enable health and oppose young doctors will do so as well, with those that erode health. Tobacco, junk greater vigour and success. food and polluting industries are ob- vious examples, but climate change and Dr Prof. K. Srinath Reddy is President of economic inequities that dispropor- the Public Health Foundation of India.

tionately heap illness on disadvantaged The views expressed here are personal. ��

20 �� ’� ��

injured man with a carbine for my first shot. steering wheel embed- “Good news and bad �� in ded in his chest?” news,” my instructor UNIFORM Nervous and unsure, said. “The good news: I blurted out, “Drive You got a bullseye.” him to the hospital?” Before my head could For some reason, swell too much, he During a combat medi- the rest of the room added, “But it was in cal training class, the found this hilarious. somebody else’s target.” topic was blast injuries. —�� —�� At one point, our very intimidating instructor It was our first day on pointed at me and the rifle range at Lack- Reader’s Digest will pay said, “There’s been land Air Force Base. for your funny anecdote a jeep explosion. I felt confident as I or photo in any of our humour sections. Post it to the What would you do aimed and squeezed editorial address, or email if you came upon an the trigger of my us at [email protected] ��

��.�� 21 ��’� OUTRAGEOUS We Threw Our Workers under the Bus The injustice against our distress and intolerable hardship— migrant workforce will linger approaches the 1,000 mark (according to a public database). in our collective conscience At a time when the entire country was at a standstill, our migrants had �� Maitreesh Ghatak to do the moving—not in hope but in desperation. A survey of 5,000 self- �� on the tracks—a employed, casual and regular wage few rotis and personal belongings workers across 12 Indian states, con- Tstrewn around. Sixteen migrant ducted between 13 April and 23 May labourers were sleeping on the rails, by researchers of the Azim Premji Uni- exhausted from walking for hours on versity, found that two-thirds of those their journey home in the gruelling surveyed lost work, and those who heat, assuming trains were not running. didn’t had their earnings drop by more They were run over by a freight train on than half. Nearly 80 per cent of them 8 May near Maharashtra’s Aurangabad. were eating less food than before. Then there was the child trying to wake Also, nearly two-thirds of the respon- his mother, lying dead on Muzaffarpur dents in urban areas did not receive railway station, on 25 May. She had any of the cash transfers announced reportedly died from extreme heat, by central and state governments. No exhaustion and lack of food and water. wonder the migrant workers decided These searing images will linger in to head home. They grabbed a few per- our collective memory in a way that sonal items and some dry food for the no statistical analysis or reportage journey—rotis and biscuits (the only in- can. While the COVID-19 toll has dustry where sales peaked during April crossed 24,000, the reported deaths and May). Ironically, the government’s due to the lockdown—caused by economic package, that did very little

accidents, starvation or financial for them but was grandiosely called ��

22 �� ’� ��

labourers, with no security of income or employment and no benefits such as paid leave, health care or social security that are a given in ‘proper’ jobs. The number of casual workers in urban areas is around 19 million, according to government labour-force studies. Con- servative estimates place the number of migrant workers who were part of the first wave of reverse migration from cities during lockdown at 5 to 10 million. Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, provided the perfect title for their odyssey. THE ECONOMY ENGINE Migration is all about mobility, and RUNS ON THE FUEL OF yet, when they desperately needed to move, our migrant workers were left MIGRANT LABOUR. IT stranded, without access to transpor- CANNOT BE SWITCHED tation. And, some of them didn’t make ON AND OFF AT WILL. it. Such as those 16 who were run down by a speeding train—a symbol of movement and progress and ‘India Perhaps the human tragedy in- shining’—like a ritual sacrifice. volved here and its scale will not move At the heart of migration is the de- everyone equally. But the engine of cision of people to move from villages the economy runs on the fuel of mi- and towns in search of work and a bet- grant labour and cannot be switched ter life, in order to support their fami- on and off at will. Migrants will make a lies back home. In the dry language of choice once again when things norma- economics, economic activity occurs lize a bit. The scarring experience du- when factors of production—land, la- ring the lockdown may mean that they bour and capital—combine to produce will not be in any rush to return to the goods and services. But it is labour that cities that threw them under the bus at does most of the physical moving— a time when they were most vulnerable. from sectors where productivity is low, It will take time for the bloodstains such as agriculture, to those where it on the tracks to be washed away. is higher, such as manufacturing and services, in urban or semi-urban areas. Maitreesh Ghatak is professor of Of our total workforce estimated at economics at the London School of about 500 million, a whopping three- Economics and an elected Fellow quarters are self-employed or casual of the British Academy. ��.�� 23 ��’� ��

�� EXPERT Rules of the Job Game: Learn and Upskill In a changing job market, adapt by building skills the marketplace needs—don’t wait for another similar role

�� Abhijit Bhaduri

�� Businesses that have lived for more has ragas designated for each than a century such as J. C. Penney Hhour of the day. There are ragas (1902) and The Hertz Corporation that are sung at dawn and dusk—the (1918) have filed for bankruptcy. twilight zones when darkness and light Millions have lost jobs, taken salary wrestle with each other. When the sun cuts and seen their savings disappear wins this battle, it signals a new day. within weeks. When the darkness takes over, night The world of work will never go comes. We are going through a similar back to the Before Corona days and twilight zone in the world of work. it is time you look at your skills port- folio. Continuous learning, risk-tak- A Time of Churn ing and living with ambiguity will be The world of work had a Before standard features now. Corona (BC) era and what we will now see is the After Disruption or How to Plan Ahead Destruction (AD) era. We are going Think skills, not jobs: Hiring through a time of churn. Any industry �across sectors will be muted for a that brought people together has while, but there is a high demand for collapsed—aviation, car rentals, hotels, several cutting-edge skills in every restaurants, conference providers, sector, especially tech. If you have been entertainment and event managers. impacted by the recent slowdown, stop

24 �� waiting for another job to replace the wanted to start a YouTube channel one you lost. Think of your skills and or teach someone a skill. Create a who can benefit from them. Talking to marketing plan to launch brand ‘You’. a career coach can help you identify Build a personal brand that tells po- possibilities. Recraft your LinkedIn tential buyers about your unique- profile to appeal to those employers. ness. I know of a recruiter who left a Invest in learning new skills: stagnant career in a large IT firm to � Talk to search firms and head- become a stand-up comedian. And a hunters and ask them about the skills doctor, who is now a famous singer. A in high demand. They can also tell martial-arts sensation left a thriving you which sectors are hiring for skills career as a marketing head of a large that you have. Educational degrees firm to pursue her passion. You could and previous experience are beco- be the owner of a boutique café or a ming less valuable than the ability to dance studio or become a fitness guru. learn. There are online courses for Each one of us is now in the twilight just about any skill that you wish to zone of our careers. We can choose to build. Invest in skills that the mar- see it as the dusk when the sun begins ketplace needs. Be prepared to step to set. Or, a dawn when the darkness out of your comfort zone and change starts to fade as the eastern sky signals cities or sectors, or take a pay cut if that the beginning of a new day. helps you get started on a new path. Become a freelancer: Think of Abhijit Bhaduri is a life coach and � your hobbies and all those plans author of the upcoming book Dreamers and Unicorns. �� you made over the years. Maybe you ��.�� 25 GOOD NEWS �� Better Planet

along with some undergraduate Beyond the and postgraduate medical students, Call of Duty who were not in direct contact with COVID-19 patients, came forward to �� It’s not only those front-line donate blood themselves. Within a health workers facing COVID-19 who week, the hospital bank collected should be hailed as heroes. Listen to about 35 to 40 pints of blood with this story: The staff at Bengaluru’s Vic- over 20 doctors donating. When toria Hospital found that blood banks times are tough, every bit counts. were running low since they could not function amidst coronavirus fears The Waterman of Churu during the lockdown. With only six bags of blood left in their bank, the �� Sujangarh in Churu, doctors at Victoria Hospital realized Rajasthan, is one of the hottest they had to find a solution—and fast. spots in the world. Despite the There was a dire need for safe blood terrible weather, Mohammad Aabad for thalassemia and anaemia patients has taken it upon himself to quench as well as pregnant women all over the thirst of this town. He is seen

the state. So, the resident doctors going around on his auto, modelled �� : ��

26 �� ’� ��

as a hut, inviting people to come and has launched a unique initiative. It has drink his refrigerated water. He makes decided to offer menstrual leave, not it clear that the water is entirely safe, only to its women employees, but also as he buys it directly from an RO wa- to their married partners in case they ter-processing plant. Aabad started need care and support. The two-day, this service to honour his brother paid menstrual leave for women (one Mohammed Seth, who passed away day for men) has been welcomed by in a road accident. This extraordinary many, with multiple people wishing man provides his water-service other organizations would follow through the summer and it costs him suit. Horses Stable is clearly an equal- ₹2,000 per day. Barring the occasional opportunity employer. The scheme, donations he receives, most of the ex- ‘Nay to Yay’, is reflective of an organi- penses are borne by him. We doff our zation that is not only sensitive to- hats to this kind soul. wards women, who may need time off to manage their pain and discom- Period Leave fort, they are encouraging men to be supportive to their partners during �� A Bengaluru-based media this stressful period. production house, Horses Stable, —COMPILED BY V. KUMARA SWAMY

HEROES The Benevolent Businessman Mumbai-based businessman, Shah- nawaz Shaikh has sold his SUV to buy oxygen cylinders to be distributed among coronavirus patients. A lover of fast cars, Shaikh took this decision after his business partner’s pregnant sister succumbed to COVID-19 outside a city hospital. Apparently the young woman could have been saved had she received oxygen in time. This tragic incident prompted Shaikh to oxygen cylinders to hundreds of fami- sell his Ford Endeavour (with a special lies. We can only hope there are more number plate—007) and with the such heroes, who will stand up and be proceeds of the sale, he distributed counted, in these difficult times. Sources:Service: TheIndian Express 15.06.20;, Kindness:ew DainikBhaskar 03.06.20; Equality: NationalHerald 17.06.20;, Heroes: Matrubhumi.com16.06.20,

��.�� 27 POINTS TO PONDER

What a quality of innocence people have when they don’t expect to be harmed. Hanif Kureishi, author

Families are like pieces of art—you can make them from almost anything, any kind of material. Sometimes they look like you and sometimes they don’t. Sometimes they come from your DNA and sometimes they don’t. The only ingredient you need to make a family is unconditional love. Mitch Albom, author

... never think that war, no matter how necessary, nor how justified, is not a crime. Ernest Hemingway, author , �� , �� : ��

Hanif Kureishi Mitch Albom Ernest Hemingway 28 �� ’� ��

If you go through life without connecting to people, how much could you call that a life? Tom Hiddleston, actor

Do yourself a favour. Before it’s too late, without thinking too much about it first, pack a pillow and a blanket and see as much of the world as you can. You will not regret it. One day, it will be too late. Jhumpa Lahiri, author

Now that ‘woke’ Indian celebrities and the middle class stand in solidarity with fighting systemic racism in America, perhaps they’d see how it manifests in their own backyard? Abhay Deol, actor �� , �� : ��

Tom Hiddleston Jhumpa Lahiri Abhay Deol ��.�� 29 BETTER LIVING Never Miss Breakfast Again! To kick your day o� to a healthy start, try these easy options

�� Naorem Anuja

reakfast is widely considered the most important meal of the Bday, but it is also the one we are most likely to miss. Morning nutrition is vital as it replenishes your glucose levels and boosts energy levels, so you can start your day right. Here are some quick, nutritious breakfast ideas for your busiest mornings.

Eggs This superfood, packed with disease-fighting nutrients such as lutein and zeaxanthin, is a power- packed breakfast companion. Offering seven grams of high-quality protein, a single egg is 75 calories, which makes it a great choice for those looking to eat right. Whether you whip them

30 �� ’� ��

into a veggie-loaded omelette, or oxidants, which scavenge free radicals bake them into muffins, eggs are a from the body, as well as prebiotic smart and versatile choice to fuel your fibres and polyphenols, which promote jam-packed day. digestion. Yogurt is an excellent source Quick tip: For easy scrambled eggs, of protein and, as a fermented food, coat a microwave-safe mug with some contains more added benefits than cooking oil or spray and crack two eggs milk. Ease your mornings by stocking in it. Add salt and pepper to taste and up on these natural, no-fuss, nutrient- scramble with a fork. Microwave for 45 dense foods. seconds, flip the partially cooked eggs, Quick tip: Blend a fruit of your choice cook for another 45 seconds and serve. along with yogurt for a quick and delicious breakfast fix. Add in a spoonful Oats This health hero is packed with of flaxseeds or chia seeds to pack in fibre, helping you stay full longer. Oats omega-3 fats into your smoothie. also help lower cholesterol levels and keep your heart fighting fit. This Southern comfort Traditional nutrient-dense grain is gluten-free, South Indian foods like dosas and making it a great option for those idlis are a great breakfast option, with gluten intolerance. You can cook delivering a punch of carbohydrates them into a porridge or add into the and proteins. Made from fermented batter for traditional Indian breakfast cereal- and legume-based batter, the favourites like chillas, dosas, idlis lactic acid bacteria and yeasts add to or uttapams. While choosing oats, the nutritional profile of these breakfast remember that the less-processed meals. The fermentation process makes varieties are more nutritionally dense, these foods rich in probiotics, aids although this doesn’t mean that easy digestion and boosts the immune instant oats are a poor choice. system. What’s not to love? Quick tip: For a power breakfast that Quick tip: If you are pressed for time, you can prepare in advance and take opt for ready-made batter. This can it to go, the night before serving, put considerably cut down prep time. the oats in a jar and pour in milk/water and soak all night. Next morning, add in fruits of your choice, a dash of cin- namon and top off with honey.

Fruit and yogurt bowl Both fruit and yogurt are understood as components of a healthy diet. Fruits

: �� : �� are an abundant source of anti-

��.�� 31 FOOD Drink to Beat Back Summer Heat These 5 easy-to-make healthy refresheners will keep you hydrated when you need to cool o�

�� Mohini Mehrotra

32 �� ’� ��

�’� �� of the year when step- Literally meaning ‘cold’, thandai is ping out even for a few minutes is prepared using a mixture of almonds, Ipunishing—you come back dripping pepper, rose petals, cardamom, with sweat, craving something cool to vetiver seeds, saffron, milk, fennel quench your thirst. Be it aam panna seeds and sugar. or thandai or a glass of cold coffee, a refreshing beverage can get you back COCONUT WATER on your feet almost immediately. And if High in water con- you are pressed for time or too tired to tent and packed make them from scratch, you can stock with vitamins and up on instant versions too. minerals, coconut water should be your SYRUPS go-to drink before Concentrated fruit juice or syrups you step out on a hot day or right after are a quick and easy option that is you are back indoors. It instantly reple- both flavourful and energy boosting. nishes fluids lost through sweat without Add a spoonful or two of the syrup adding many calories. This also makes to cold water or chilled milk and you it the ideal post-workout drink. Coco- are done. And there are plenty of nut water is also great for your skin. flavours to choose from: orange, lemon, pineapple, rose—the list is endless. ICED TEA Many tea enthusiasts prefer switching AAM PANNA to the iced version of this perennial Made with raw green mangoes, aam favourite during the hot months. Brew panna is a delicious and nutritious old yourself a cuppa using flavoured tea favourite. Other than helping you fight leaves or go for an instant mix. Iced- dehydration, this sweet and tangy drink tea mixes are made by drying the tea is packed with vitamins B1, B2 and C, as leaves and then powdering them. You well as essential minerals such as po- can make a strong or a mild cold brew tassium, magnesium and calcium. You based on your preference. can stock ready-to-drink bottles or use an instant aam panna mix to make COLD COFFEE yourself a quick refreshing drink any Switch over from your regular mug of time of the day. cappuccino to a tall, frothy glass of cold coffee. Besides making it the traditional THANDAI way, you can also keep a few packs of While you may associate thandai with cold-brew mix in your kitchen—all you Holi, this drink is a super-nutritious need to do is add milk and ice and your

�� : �� cooler that’s perfect for a hot day too. chilled beverage is ready.

��.�� 33 Stressed Out? Fire Up a Game on Your Smartphone

The Internet is filled with programs designed to help ease your mind—mindfulness meditation apps, they’re called. But a British study suggests that playing an enjoy- able game on your phone will help relieve work-related stress just News �� as well. Participants in the study spent WORLD OF 10 minutes a day over MEDICINE five days with either a shape-fitting game (similar to Tetris) or a meditation app. Their BREAST CANCER recovery from work strain was measured by MORE DEADLY FOR how relaxed, detached MEN THAN FOR WOMEN from work, capable and in control they felt. Of the approximately 2,79,000 breast The meditation app pro- cancer diagnoses in the United States each duced more relaxation year, fewer than 1 per cent are in men. But on day one, but the game offered increasing in a study of more than 1.8 million subjects, benefits over time, per- male patients had a 19 per cent higher death haps because players rate than female patients. Researchers believe were getting better at that undertreatment of the disease in men, it, which added to their enjoyment. So spend a along with differences in clinical characteris- few minutes with your tics between male and female patients, favourite game—it’s

accounted for the higher mortality rate. good for you! ��

34 �� ’� ��

Hypertension Help The Most Is a Group Effort Hydrating Drink? It’s a Surprise Most hypertension patients get treatment Researchers at from only one person: the University of their doctor. In an ex- St Andrews, Scotland, periment conducted studied 13 common in Colombia and beverages to see Malaysia, more people SHIFTING how much water were added to the SLEEP the body retained support team. Half two hours after they the patients received CYCLES had been ingested. traditional one-on-one Surprisingly, plain care. For the other half, Night owls taking part in water (still and spark- doctors shared some a trial published in the ling) was near the tasks (e.g., counselling journal Sleep Medicine bottom of the list. patients, monitoring were able to adjust their The winner: skimmed treatments) with non- cycles by an average of milk. Its sugar, protein physician health wor- two hours within three and fat slow down the kers. The researchers weeks. Each day, they emptying of fluid from also recruited ‘treat- got up earlier than the stomach, and its ment supporters’— usual, had breakfast, sodium acts as a friends or relatives took in as much outdoor sponge, keeping to accompany these morning light as possi- water in the body. patients to health ble, ate lunch at a set Oral rehydration appointments and time, avoided caffeine solutions are effective encourage them to and napping from late in keeping water in take their medication afternoon onwards, the body as well. Colas and follow lifestyle ate dinner before 7 p.m., and juices, with their advice. After a year, limited light in the eve- higher concentration the patients who ning and went to bed of sugars, also empty worked with a team early. This routine saw more slowly from the saw their overall them performing better stomach than water. cardiovascular risk and feeling less sleepy, However, the body score decrease almost less stressed and less pulls water into the twice as much as depressed. A similar small intestine to dilute those who saw schedule can help the sugars, making

�� only their doctor. avoid jet lag. them less hydrating.

��.�� 35 ��’� ��

MONEY An Insurance Cover for COVID-19 With the pandemic still raging, there are new guidelines in health insurance to keep you and your family covered

�� Amit Chhabra

ne of the rare positive outcomes with a plan to upgrade the policy later, of the ongoing pandemic has when financial situations improve. Obeen the rising awareness about health and how to stay safe. New IRDAI Regulations The galloping infection rate has led In light of the prevailing conditions, to worries about treatment costs, in the Insurance Regulatory and Deve- addition to the escalating medical costs lopment Authority of India (IRDAI) in general. The importance of keeping has drawn up several new regulations. yourself safe with an insurance cover Keeping consumer welfare in mind, the at the earliest cannot be overstated. IRDAI has directed insurers to process Also, that health insurance can be health-insurance claims within two the best possible means for financing hours from the time of receipt of an any future health-care expenses is the authorization request. What’s more, writing on the wall. they have allowed coverage for health- Besides the rise in demand for insurance policies for medical consul- health insurance plans, the COVID-19 tations via telemedicine. Also included outbreak has boosted a demand for in the regulations are guidelines for such plans with higher sums insured. introducing a standard COVID-19- However, for salaried individuals who specific health-insurance plan—a have experienced lay-offs or salary cuts, fixed-benefit one, where the insurer it is best is to buy a basic health-insu- will be liable to pay the entire sum rance cover, with sufficient sum insured insured, if the insured person tests to stay protected against COVID-19, positive for COVID-19.

36 �� A BASIC HEALTH INSURANCE COVER, WITH A PLAN TO UPGRADE THE POLICY LATER, WHEN FINANCIAL SITUATIONS IMPROVE, IS THE RIGHT WAY TO GO.

Buying a COVID-19 Plan Therefore, it is important to have While choosing a health insurance insurance coverage with an adequate policy covering COVID-19, it is sum insured. Do check if your policy important to be aware of the following has a co-pay clause and the quantum key factors. It has been observed that required for it. several COVID-19 patients only need a In COVID-19 cases, a large part diagnostic test and basic medication of the treatment cost is the hospital at the outpatient department (OPD) room rent, especially if the insured instead of a hospital admission. person is treated at a private hospital. Before buying a health plan, ensure Ask your insurer questions regarding the policy has an OPD cover so that any room rent sub-limits that the these expenses are taken care of. Most policy may have, since those could insurance policies will cover expenses result in large out-of-pocket expenses. if hospital admission is necessary. Make sure that your health insurance According to reports, the average covers the cost of consumables too— claim by a COVID-19 patient under- items that are intended for one-time going in-patient treatment is expected use—largely due to reasons of sterility to cost between ₹2 lakhs to ₹5 lakhs. and infection prevention. You should Moreover, due to its highly infectious remember, most health insurance nature, chances are that more than products do not cover consumables, one person in the same family may whereas they could make for a contract the virus. If you are a senior major part of the hospital bill during citizen or are buying insurance for COVID-19 treatment. one, keep in mind that they are more susceptible to COVID-19 and treatment Amit Chhabra is head of the health

�� costs are significantly higher for them. insurance division at Policybazaar.com.

��.�� 37 HOW TO

Sound Smarter, with Expert Help

Trying to impress the boss, the kids—or a date? We looked at scientific studies and boiled down the best insights into these quick tips

�� Lisa Fields �� Brandon Specktor

4238 �� ’� ��

��, �� instead of intelligent. Using big words admits that when he’s insecure, may also confuse listeners. “People he uses big words to appear associate intelligence with clarity of smarter. “Only when I need expression,” says Oppenheimer. That’s to impress the person,” says especially true when it comes to the Sthe 45-year-old. “Dates with women? written word. A study in Applied Cog- Definitely. At the grocery store? Not so nitive Psychology found a negative rela- much.” A few years ago, when flirting tionship between complexity of writing with a stylist, he asked her to give him and judged intelligence: The more a “symmetric” haircut instead of just writers tried to sound smart, the less asking for an even trim. And when he intelligent they were perceived to be. gave an attractive woman directions, he Why should we believe that experts made a point of telling her that the two are correct in recommending simpli- options they’d discussed were “equi- city in writing? One theory that predicts distant” rather than saying that both the effectiveness of straightforward were the same distance. writing is that of processing fluency. Adkins is among the myriad Simpler writing is easier to process, Homo sapiens who suffer from and studies have demonstrated that periphrasis. Translation—many processing fluency is associated with of us use longer words in place of a variety of positive dimensions, accor- shorter ones. Because folks know, ding to research from Princeton Uni- consciously or unconsciously, versity in New Jersey. So what can you that others form impressions of do to sound smarter? Speak clearly and them after a glance or a short directly. Leave the dictionary and the- conversation, and they work saurus at your desk. And follow these harder to give the ‘right’ impres- tips from behavioural psychologists sion. “People think, if I can show that (and other very bright people). I have a good vocabulary, I’ll sound smarter,” says Daniel Oppenheimer, Plan Ahead PhD, a professor of psychology at Whether you’re in a private conver- Carnegie Mellon University. 1 sation or at a company-wide town The problem with this plan is that hall, the most important thing you can it can easily go wrong. “It’s almost a do is make yourself heard, loud and game that two people are playing,” says clear. This can be daunting for an in- Eric R. Igou, PhD, a social psychologist trovert—and for the rest of us. The key at Ireland’s University of Limerick. “If is preparation. If you’re interviewing the observer, person B, doesn’t have for a job, review the posting and take the same theory, it can backfire.” Per- advantage of the whole googleplex of son A may be perceived as pretentious information about your prospective ��.�� 39 ��’� ��

company. If you’re attending a staff mental and emotional advances of oth- meeting, check the agenda. Going on a ers. Openness can convey confidence. date? Plan some talking points, even if To project self-assurance in a meeting, they’re just about favourite TV shows or adapt an open, expansive pose. Sit up movies. Feeling prepared will put you straight and leave your arms widely at ease and boost your confidence. spread on the table or at your sides. (This also works if you’re trying to at- Make Eye Contact tract someone’s eye.) If you’re wor- If someone looks at you while ried about projecting confidence, run 2 you’re talking, you’re more likely through a couple of power poses—such to think he or she is smart. “Good eye as standing with your hands on your contact means the other person is hips or using them to lean on your responsive to what you are doing or desk—in private beforehand. Research saying,” says Bogdan Wojciszke, a from social psychologist Amy Cuddy professor of social psychology at the has shown that holding these postures University of Social Sciences and Hu- for just two minutes can lower stress manities in Poland. “If he is not respon- and increase feelings of power. sive, this means that either you are dull or he is dumb. With such a choice, most Eliminate Pauses of us prefer to think that he is dumb.” Confidence is as perceptible in Researchers at Brandeis University in 4 your voice as it is in your body Massachusetts, USA, found that con- language. As you have probably no- versationalists who maintained eye ticed from watching any political contact scored higher on IQ tests than panel show or business meeting with those who avoided someone’s gaze. multiple speakers, the ‘winner’ of the talk is usually the person who speaks Strike a Power Pose most energetically and fluidly. Too Here’s a telling bit of business many pauses make you sound unsure 3 science: Researchers at Massa- of yourself. If you are unconvinced by chusetts Institute of Technology Media your own ideas, why should the rest of Lab concluded that they could accu- the room be convinced? Theoretical rately predict the outcome of any ne- physicist Leonard Mlodinow points out gotiation, sales call or business pitch 87 the impact of this bias: “If two speakers per cent of the time without hearing the utter exactly the same words but one conversation. How? By observing the speaks a little faster and louder and speaking–listening ratio, interruption with fewer pauses and greater variation patterns and body language. How open in volume, that speaker will be judged or closed your posture is conveys how to be more energetic, knowledgeable

open or closed you are to the physical, and intelligent.” �� , �� : ��

40 �� How to

Restate Others’ Lancashire, UK, evolutio- Smart Points nary psychologists describe 5 Because of one humour as a “heritable trait” of those unfair-but- that signals mental fitness and true mental quirks, intellectual agility to prospec- the person in a tive mates. In studies of attrac- meeting who sim- tiveness, both men and women ply summarizes the rate funny people as more at- good points made tractive, and cite having a good by everyone else will sense of humour as being one often be better re- of the most important traits in membered than the a long-term partner. people who came up So you can use humour with the ideas in the as a hard-to-fake cue to your first place. If you are intelligence. Just don’t forget struggling to get a word in at your next the punchline! staff gathering, take notes on the best comments your co-workers deliver. Curb Your Content Near the end of the meeting, restate While some believe that it is best these ideas in a concise, matter-of-fact 7 to provide multiple perspectives way. Even when giving credit to your and cover more content, there might co-workers, you will sound smarter. be benefits in keeping it simple, and in delivering a single-focused mes- Tell Some Jokes sage. Says Dr Varsha Singh, associate A French study published in the professor of psychology, humanities 6 journal Psychological Reports and social sciences, Indian Institute found that women find men they over- of Technology, Delhi, “In a 2012 study, hear telling funny jokes to be smarter we observed that the participants who and more attractive than those heard received a singular-focus direction talking about mundane topics. Other were better at making long-term deci- studies have shown that funny women sions than those who received a dual- similarly appear smarter to others. focused direction. Also, findings from There may be some validity to this, a 2013 study showed that single focus because a certain level of intellect is was less demanding on attention and required to consistently make clever cognitive resources. Therefore, keeping remarks. According to an article pub- a conversation focused on a simple and lished in The Conversation by Lowri single agenda might elicit greater atten- Dowthwaite, lecturer in Psychological tion and deliver a stronger impact.”

�� , �� Interventions, University of Central �WITH INPUTS BY MOHINI MEHROTRA ��.�� 41 ��’�’ ��

42 �� COVER STORY Taming ‘Whatthe Ifs’ We may not be able to run away from our worries, but how do we keep them from running our lives? We asked a handful of experts for tips on how to get a grip in these challenging times

�� Jill Buchner �� Ishani Nandi

�� Josh Holinaty ��.�� 43 ��’� ��

Defining Distress will come from future events or from the outcomes of occurrences � �� the terms that happened in the past. ‘worry’, ‘stress’, and �� Stress involves your reaction ‘anxiety’ interchan- to pressures placed on you. You Wgeably, but they aren’t feel spread thin or are overwhelmed the same. Each has unique qualities, because life is demanding too much and identifying which one is pla- of your limited time, energy or guing us will help us better address some other personal resource. it. Psychologist Kristin Buhr, co- While worries are thoughts, author of The Worry Workbook, stress is a feeling. breaks down the differences. �� Anxiety is your mental and �� Worry is a negative thought physiological response to a perceived you have about an uncertainty in threat. It’s like the body’s smoke life. Worries tend to focus on the detector—it senses danger and assumption that something negative signals your body to rev up to deal

THE WORRY METER Are you cool and collected or a total worrywart? Find out if your concerns might be exerting too much control over you

When you have a big You regularly worry You go about your day meeting at the office, you about everything from without consist ently get so worked up that forgetting to take your thinking ahead, but you you often have trouble medication to meeting still get nervous when sleeping or you might deadlines to being late for a key event comes even call in sick. When a date—but that will drive along. When you do something’s uncertain in you to set reminders for think about the future, your life, you usually jump yourself and be proactive you usually believe it to a worst-case scenario.* about your to-do list. will turn out okay.

E AS CH C ILL IC ED ON O HR U C T

*When your worries are interfering with your life, it’s time to talk to a doctor.

44 �� Cover Story

trigger anxiety when your mind perceives imagined ‘what ifs’ as real threats. While worry, stress and anxiety are normal, intense and frequent anxiety can become a problem. You might have an anxiety disorder if, for instance, you have recurring sleep issues or you’re skipping out on your customary activities. Excessive anxiety can be focused on a fear of something specific, with it. While worry takes place such as social gatherings (known only in the mind, anxiety can have as social anxiety) or a host of physical effects, such as speeding up experiences (known as genera- your heart rate. Worry can, however, lized anxiety disorder).

Why Worrying Can Be Worth It It protects you what’s important and & Coping tracked the 1“If you’re not at all con- might actually move you worries of university cerned there could be to prepare,” says Buhr. students and found that danger, you’re not going they were often solving to take precautions,” says It promotes problems while they were Buhr. That voice of worry 3problem solving agonizing. So, while it can remind you to put on A 2006 study published in feels unpleasant, worry your seat belt or check the journal Anxiety, Stress can be productive. that you turned off the stove. It keeps you safe. It motivates you 2Whether you have a speech to deliver or a home renovation to tackle, thinking about what could go wrong can spur you to get to work. “A little bit of worry lets you know

��.�� 45 ��’� ��

Ditch ‘What If’ trouble is, you can’t avoid uncertainty entirely, and the more you try to, the � ��’�� excessive worrier, scarier it will seem. Fortunately, most you probably have trouble dealing of the time things turn out just fine, Iwith uncertainty because you’re but telling a worrier this is unlikely to concerned it will lead to a negative calm their nerves. result. What’s more, you likely believe The best way to get comfortable that you won’t be able to manage with uncertainty is to expose your- that outcome. self to it and see that those imagined Buhr says that’s why most worriers worst-case scenarios rarely happen. develop generally negative “safety Even when something does go behaviours” to help them avoid risks, wrong, you can handle it. such as opting out of situations that So, if you tend to worry about scare them or asking for affirmation being late for appointments and from others when they’re unsure. The always leave 30 minutes earlier than

What Are Indians Most Worried About? ccording to the May online among adults country we are headed A 2020 edition of the between 16 and 74 years in the right direction, a monthly global study of age in 27 countries seven per cent surge What Worries The World around the world. from the previous month. conducted by the multi- However, certain wor- Another pan-India national market research ries, such as those regar- study titled Understan- company Ipsos, the top ding corruption—finan- ding Public Sentiment three sources of worry cial and political—and During Lockdown by IIM- among Indians include crime and violence have Lucknow’s Centre for the current coronavirus each seen a five per cent Marketing in Emerging pandemic, which leads decline compared to the Economies found that the list at 65 per cent; April 2020 survey. Also, while 79 per cent of the unemployment, cited by the majority of surveyed respondents were worried 49 per cent; poverty and Indians—72 per cent— and feeling fear (40 per social inequality—31 per feel optimistic that as a cent) and sadness (22 per cent. Each of these saw an cent), 60 per cent felt con- uptick from the April poll fident in India’s ability to with unemployment emerge from the current showing the biggest crisis citing government rise of the three at 11 per measures and individual cent. The survey was held safety protocols. ��

46 �� Cover Story necessary, Buhr suggests doing compromising or failing to succeed. away with that buffer. You’ll see that “Re-examine and, where possible, you do make it in time or, if you don’t, scale down expectations. Acknow- the person you’re meeting will likely ledge and accept the new normal, be understanding. and until things change, create new After starting with simple changes, definitions that align with the new work your way up to bigger risks— reality. A pristine house could mean such as a career shift. a once-a-week instead of a daily deep- clean; family dinners can be a quick How To Tackle Worry soup and sandwich, instead of a Learn to let go three-course feast, for instance,” We all multitask but when job lists Dubey suggests. run long, it can overwhelm you. “Worrying about how to manage five or six things perfectly at the same time, and trying to do so, will only lead to frustration or burnout. Be honest and reasonable about what absolutely must be done and prioritize those. Learn to let go of, or at least postpone, the rest,” says Try to unplug clinical psychologist Dr Vandita When chaos and turmoil surrounds Dubey, who runs online emotional us, our natural reaction is hypervigi- well-being workshops. “If you have lance. We pore over every news up- the option to delegate responsibility date and scroll incessantly looking and tasks, do so,” she adds. “People for the latest tweet or post, regardless have a hard time with this because of whether it affects us directly or not. they like to do things a certain way, While it’s important to stay informed, but letting go and allowing others to the resulting information overload do things their way will leave you can lead to what experts call ‘crisis more capable of focusing on your fatigue’ and escalate our worries. own tasks.” Bottom line: It’s more “Stay informed but steer clear of important that some jobs get done, dwelling on events and circumstances rather than how. that are not under your control. Draw up a list of things you can be on top of Reset goals and expectations and take charge,” says Dr Jai Ranjan Setting the bar too high can make Ram, senior consultant psychiatrist you feel like you are chasing an and co-founder of Mental Health unattainable goal and that you are Foundation, Kolkata.

��.�� 47 ��’� ��

Look within focus, prioritize and keep the fight When stresses accumulate, it’s easy going, because you’ll be tapping to lose sight of the ‘why’ in your daily into your deeper motivations, your life. “Every person, whether con- reason to get up and go every day, sciously or not, has something they and micro-tasks will feel less frus- deeply value,” says Dubey. “Whether trating,” she adds. it’s financial independence, being a good parent, taking care of elderly Stay present relatives or rising up the ranks pro- All of us have certain triggers that fessionally—certain goals are prime set us on the worry spiral—an im- motivators. Knowing and remembe- pending job loss, negative feedback, ring those goals can allow you to or a health scare. “Once that cycle

How Mindfulness Meditation Can Be An Antidote To Worry mily Thring, founder grounds you in the mo- Eof the Quiet Company, ment, reducing that anxiety a meditation studio in of what’s to come so you Toronto, Canada, that can be more present with seeks to foster mindful what’s happening now. experiences, shares the basics of mindfulness and How should one get how it can counter worry. started? Meditation isn’t something Thring recommends a What is mindfulness you do once and then feel a simple breathing exercise meditation? tremendous change in called box breathing to slow It’s focusing on your your life. It takes consis- down your mind and help breathing in the present tency and commitment. you feel more in control. moment and connecting Begin with a few minutes Here’s how: Inhale for a with how you’re feeling at the same time every day, count of four, hold for four and what you’re experien- and joining a local group seconds, then exhale for cing, without judgment. can help you face potential four and hold again for four challenges as you practise seconds before starting How does it target more frequently. again. Repeat this for worry? two minutes, working Worrying is about future Exhale your worries your way up to longer scenarios. Mindfulness When you’re overwhelmed, spans of time as needed.

48 �� Cover Story begins,” says Ram, “We catastrophize it, imagining disasters about the future that may not be real at all.” Break the cycle by focusing only on the present, on what actions can be taken here and now to manage an existing problem. Living mindfully, which means staying rooted in the present moment and doing as well as you can, is key. “Solutions are unlikely to emerge from overthinking about what could happen three or Buhr. Adds Ram, “Even if a trusted six months down the road—there confidant cannot offer solutions, are too many unpredictable events there is still great value in simply that might happen. What you can sharing what we feel, because in the control is the now,” Ram adds. process, we are also, in a way, talking to ourselves.” Speaking out the worry Seek joy or expressing the fear out loud allows “Identify and list out the things that you to perceive it objectively. Some of make you happy. Do one thing from them may turn out to be less severe that list every day within, of course, than it seemed in your mind. the limits of what is possible. Con- sciously thinking about the things Shift perspective that bring you joy will allow you to Worries can compound to the point notice the positives amidst the where one feels isolated and alone, doom and gloom, be grateful for adrift in a sea of problems. “Never things you may have taken for forget that anything you may be fee- granted and ensure you appreciate ling—anger, resignation, disappoint- what you have,” Dubey says. ment—are all very natural reactions to a complex and unpredictable Get it all out world. This not only means that there Telling a friend or family member is nothing wrong with you, but also what’s worrying you, or even saying it that you are not alone, others feel the aloud to yourself or writing it down, same way too,” says Dubey. “Ask your- can allow you to gain some perspec- self, ‘Five years from now, how impor- tive. “It’s a little easier to challenge tant will this be? What impact will it worries when your worries are on have?’ In the larger scheme of time, paper or said out loud rather than some things are not worth worrying floating around in your head,” says about,” she explains.

��.�� 49 LAUGHTER �� Medicine

A garden gnome is busy I just love mischief! he went to check it destroying some plants And what, may I ask, out. The horse’s owner

when suddenly a house creature are you?” said, “It’s easy to ride �� cat appears. The cat thinks for him. Just say ‘Praise “What are you?” a moment and says, the Lord!’ to make asks the cat. “I guess I’m a gnome.” him go and ‘Amen!’ “I’m a gnome. I steal —newbloggycat.com to make him stop.” food from humans, I Bill got on the horse kill their plants and I A Christian guy named and said, “Praise the raise a ruckus at night Bill saw an ad online Lord!” Sure enough,

to drive them crazy. for a Christian horse, so the horse started to �� 50 ��

��’� ��

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst— A nurse noticed a golfer for they are sticking to their diets. pacing up and down the —��.�� hall outside an operating room where another walk. “Praise the A North Korean judge golfer, who had a golf Lord!” he said again, leaves the courtroom, ball lodged in his throat, and the horse began laughing hysterically. was being treated. to trot. “Praise the “What’s so funny?” “Is he your relative?” Lord! Praise the asks his friend outside. the nurse asked. Lord!” he yelled, “Oh, I just heard the “No,” said the golfer. and the horse broke funniest political joke,” “It’s my ball.” into a gallop. Bill was replies the judge. —swingbyswing.com enjoying his ride so “Tell me!” much that he almost “I can’t—I just Reader’s Digest will pay didn’t notice the cliff gave someone life for your funny anecdote he and the horse were in prison for it!” or photo in any of our humour sections. Post it about to go over. Bill —�� to the editorial address, or shouted “AMEN!” at on reddit.com email: [email protected] the top of his lungs, and the horse stopped right at the edge of the cliff. Relieved, SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED Bill said, “Phew! Praise the Lord!” —�.�. via rd.com

Consider this ...... Mac and cheese implies the existence of PC and cheese. —@��

... Baby Yoda implies the existence of a Sporty Yoda, Scary Yoda, Ginger Yoda and Posh Yoda. The book I ordered from IKEA arrived. —@��

�� —@�� .�� 53 ��’� �� OTHER LIVES

The Woman Who Won a Pot of Gold A serial winner of consumer contests tells her amazing story

�� Indu Balachandran �� Keshav Kapil

BEFORE me was a blank entry form Chennai. The letter from the popular for a slogan contest: “I love shopping at household retailer simply said “You Vivek’s because ...” have won one of the top 15 prizes in I filled in the empty space with an Vivek’s Diwali Mela”. A grand line-up off-the-cuff rhyme: of household appliances greeted us. Every time I watch TV, We wondered excitedly which prize Grind, cook, clean or bake, our slogan won. My daughter had set I keep saying, secretly, her sights on a mini Solidaire TV; a VIP “Thank you, Vivek!” Strolly suitcase was my big hope. My daughter counted out the words. With each drum roll, the prizes went “Make ‘every time’ one word, Ma, and out—crockery sets, gleaming TV sets it’s 15 words exactly!” and washing machines. Once a family of This was in September 1997. Two eight rushed to the stage when a name months later, we jostled for space in came up. The audience whooped— a packed hall of excited families in perhaps ours would come next!

54 �� .�� 55 ��’� ��

Over 400 prizes were handed out. Time not one of them involved any luck or for the Big Three: all of them gold—yes, lottery (much as everyone says, “Oh but real 22-carat gold. you have such luck at contests!”). Sure, Two women wheeled in a grand I may have been ‘lucky’ to have had a display: chains, bangles, earrings. Dad who encouraged us three sisters The cheering was deafening as the to write Ogden Nash-type nonsense judges announced the prizes: for rhymes as kids. He also sang this witty 3rd place—250 grams of gold jewel- TV jingle he’d heard in England in the lery; 2nd place—500 grams of gold. ’60s: Clean your teeth with Pepsodent/ My daughter and I nearly stopped You’ll wonder where the yellow went! breathing. “This is like the Miss World I was only about seven then, but I was Contest,” she whispered, when you hooked. A lifelong pursuit of finding pray your name is not announced— fun with words began. Small wonder who wants to be a runner-up? then that I made a career in advertising. Finally, first prize. Who in this vast My earliest ever win for writing was hall of shrieking people would it be? in college. A hilarious typo about our And then we heard it. My name. We faculty members in our graduation won! We actually won one kilo of gold! invitation—‘Address by faulty mem- The beaming organizers even had a bers’—got me ₹150 from Reader’s Di- man, carrying a huge gun, escort us all gest for the humour column College the way home with our winnings. We Rags. When I joined an ad agency, I be- drove home in an advanced state of came suddenly aware of contests and lunacy, and ironically, only one thing prizes and sent in entries, usually in my registered clearly: I got my trolley bag. children’s names (for ‘luck’!). Picnic or Vivek’s had packed our shiny loot in a hike/ Go anywhere you like/ With your big (and free!) VIP suitcase. BSA Champ bike! would’ve been re- jected as too cheesy by my own clients, �� WINS, AND but it won my happy daughter, then 10, COUNTING her first two-wheeler. When Health & Some people win at beauty pageants. Glow launched their stores, I sent in Others, in politics. I am happy to say I four entries (all rhyming, of course). win consumer contests. In the course The 2nd prize was free air tickets for of pursuing my entirely middle-class, two to the Maldives. My son and hus- dream pastime, I’ve nabbed 25 prizes band were off to Malé that very month. so far, including a crash helmet, a mi- Soon, I was everybody’s favourite crowave oven, gift hampers, light fix- relative. Aunts and cousins badgered tures, air tickets, a backpack, flasks, me to “please just write me a line”. One cash for a shopping spree ... even two aunt was particularly annoyed that my tickets to the movie Iron Lady. And no, slogan for a department store won her

56 �� Inspiration only a dozen teaspoons. But not my sister Bhanu: She called frantically from Bengaluru, at the start of a Vir Das stand-up show—to “quickly send any one-liner” to put in a box. Off went this by SMS: I was offered a job as a babysit- ter. But who wants to sit on babies? At the show’s end, Vir Das declared the big winner: my ecstatic sister. And she got her first iPad. A MIDDLE�CLASS ADDICTION Last year, my son and I were at Vivek’s, The author (right) with her son looking for a new TV set. A poster Kanishkaa after their Maruti-car win caught my eye: Contest! Well, lightning never strikes the same place twice, but higher—a mother wrote for her son! hey, that gold win was 20 years ago. That seemed totally in line with good I secretly wrote out my entry, but Indian family norms. sent it in under my unsuspecting son Which brings me to why I never let a Kanishkaa’s name this time. contest go without trying. Most people One day in April, the bell rang. Two who hear of my wins exclaim, “I never beaming executives from Vivek’s were win anything”, but that’s probably be- shaking the hand of a bewildered cause they never sent an entry in the Kanishkaa at the door, with an invita- first place, certain that it’s all fake, it’s tion for winning ‘one of the top prizes’. too much work or that they’re just not On prize day, the suspense nearly killed ‘lucky’. I’m not a lucky person either— us. Ok, the first prize—a flat worth I’ve never won at housie in my life. I ₹25 lakhs—went to a farmer from have a trick or two since I write for a Chinglepet. When my son’s name was living, but many of them don’t work. announced for 2nd prize, our hearts But, the adrenaline rush of wishing for stopped altogether—a Maruti car! the results is indescribable. In that hall Panicking, my son grabbed my of excited families, I saw what every hand dragging me on to the stage. The one of us had in common—a middle- crowd stopped roaring temporarily. class delight in seeing the word ‘free’, an Terrified of being asked what he wrote, abiding trust in a family store and the my son blurted: “Actually it’s my Mom enormous optimism of ‘I can win this here who wrote a slogan, not me ...” too!’—as the drums roll and we wait for

�� : �� The applause went several decibels our names over hopeful cheers.

��.�� 57 ��’� ��

What Goes In Must Come Out Healthy bowel movements mean a healthy you. Here's how to avoid or fix problems

�� Lisa Bendall �� Naorem Anuja

58 �� HEALTH

��.�� 59 ��’� ��

�� good Second, if there is blood in your stool. reasons to improve your Third, if there is a loss of appetite and bowel movements. For consequently an appreciable loss in starters, maintaining a weight. Under all these circumstances, healthy bowel routine you must go to a doctor and get your k e e p s y o u r p e l v i c problem investigated,” says Setya. muscles fit and your Don’t ignore symptoms like fever, pain time on the toilet brief. or dehydration either. Use our guide It helps prevent chronic below to make your bowel movements constipation and diarrhoea, along with the best they can be. Tsecondary problems like haemorrhoids, tissue tears and unpredictable stools. Foods That Help Regularity Many of the lifestyle changes that The high sorbitol content in dried promote defecation, such as eating fruits such as prunes, figs and dates fibre and getting exercise, also reduce acts as a natural laxative. So does flax- your risk of colorectal cancer. seed. Fresh pears and apples some- Is there such a thing as too many times do the trick. Eating breakfast number twos? What about movements can increase your colon activity and that make only rare appearances? trigger a bowel movement. Dietary “There’s a huge range of what’s fibre is important for your bowel considered normal,” says Dr Dina Kao, a movements. Because it isn’t digested, University of Alberta gastroenterologist. it bulks up and softens stool, making it Some of us are on the throne three easier to pass. Most of us get just half times a day, while others poop once of the fibre that we require. every few days. There’s no need to You can also choose cereals with worry about the frequency of your added fibre. Psyllium is a popular bowel movements if your stool appears supplement, but watch out for inulin normal and you feel well. which triggers a sore stomach in some “In India, most people visit a doctor people. Whitney Hussain, a registered for what they consider is constipation dietician in Vancouver, Canada, who or a feeling of incomplete evacuation,” specializes in gastrointestinal disorders, says Dr Ashwini Setya, a gastroentero- suggests adding fibre to your diet logist and programme director at gradually to prevent gas and bloating. Delhi’s Max Super Speciality Hospital. “Just have one serving of a higher-fibre While not all changes are cause food, and slowly increase it each day. for worry, there are some red flags Spread the fibre throughout the day, you should not dismiss. “The first rather than having it all at once.” is if someone experiences a recent Says Delhi-based clinical nutritionist

change or alteration in bowel habits. Lovneet Batra, “Ensure that you eat five ��

60 �� servings of different kinds of vegetables. This dietary requirement is fairly easy to achieve for us, as traditional Indian meals usually include 2 to 3 servings of vegetables. Also, make sure you incorporate two servings of fruits in your daily diet.” Stressing on the need to eat wholegrains and healthy fats, Batra says, “To delete calories from our diets, most people tend to cut out carbohydrates and fat, and resort to protein-heavy meals and low-fat dressings. But, to avoid constipation and boost gut health you need to eat whole grains and incorporate healthy fats such as ghee and coconut oil.” GET YOUR BODY Liquid Intake Without enough fluid, your stool will MOVING TO KEEP YOUR be dry and hard. Other signs that BOWELS MOVING. you probably need more water—or other sources of fluid, such as milk, juice, soup and tea—include dry lips Foods and Drinks to Forsake and mouth, dark urine and urinat- Processed foods containing refined ing fewer than four times a day. The grain, such as white flour, may have a ideal amount of hydration is different longer shelf life, but they won’t do you for everyone and depends on factors any favours in the fibre department. like your body size and activity level. They’re also often higher in unhealthy Many people report urgent bathroom fats, a common constipation visits after their morning brew, but both trigger. White rice, as opposed to regular and decaffeinated coffee appear its wholegrain brown counterpart, to have the same effect. The warmth can be another culprit. Carbonated could be playing a role in speeding up beverages may give you gas and the system. Coffee also contains about bloating, as can certain foods like 100 different compounds, one or more cabbage, onions and lentils. of which may trigger the production of “While alcohol may or may not affect stomach acid and the release of diges- your bowel movement, it definitely af- tive hormones, and increase activity in fects your digestion and impacts your the large intestine. liver. Non-vegetarian food, bereft of

��.�� 61 ��’� ��

fibre, may also lead to constipation,” says Setya. Candies and diet drinks sweetened with sorbitol and other sugar alcohols, such as xylitol, can also have you running for the bathroom. Mindful Eating Helps How you eat is just as important as what you eat. Batra suggests that our food eating patterns could be adding to our gut issues. “Most of us do not put food first or practise mindful eating. Our hectic lifestyle means that we often push meal- times back, to accommodate work and HORMONAL SHIFTS deadlines.” Her advice: Chew your food properly, take time to savour your food CAN AFFECT YOUR and avoid erratic meal timings. Post- BOWELS AS YOU AGE. poning a meal or snack can lead to bloating. Avoid gulping your food or drinking through a straw, which can cause you to muscles. This helps push digestive swallow air and make you gassy. Same waste through the body.” with talking a lot during a meal. Overtraining is thought to cause bowel symptoms like flatulence and Get Active loose poops in some people, especially You need to keep your body moving in if they’re exercising intensely in a hot order to keep your bowels moving. environment, but that’s rare. Want to Regular physical activity, such as a reduce the risk of ‘runner’s diarrhoea’, daily brisk walk, can help prevent possibly caused by alterations in constipation. Bengaluru-based Dr Issac intestinal hormone levels and blood Mathai, founder and medical director, flow, and the bouncing of internal SOUKYA International Holistic Health organs? Avoid ibuprofen, energy bars Centre, recommends the same. “Mild and coffee before running, and wear to moderate exercise increases blood loose clothing that doesn’t constrict flow towards the muscles and digestive your abdomen. tract, which can help move food through it. Exercise also raises the heart Stay Calm rate, which reduces intestinal Anxiety and stress have an impact on sluggishness by stimulating the your poops. The gut literally has a mind

62 �� Health of its own—it’s lined with millions of teaspoon at bedtime with warm water. nerve cells that make up what’s known This remedy helps improve vision, as the enteric nervous system—and it immunity and has anti-ageing benefits sends signals to the brain, and vice versa. too,” says Mathai. “Castor oil can also That’s why your feelings of anxiety can help treat constipation—one teaspoon produce cramping and diarrhoea. Con- of pure castor oil, or processed with versely, research has found that psycho- herbs, taken at bedtime, normally helps logical strategies to reduce stress can solve constipation troubles,” he adds. improve these bowel symptoms in peo- Before resorting to drugstore laxatives ple who have functional disorders like to relieve constipation, consider lifestyle irritable bowel syndrome. Their brains improvements such as increasing your are more sensitive to gut discomfort, and fluid and fibre intake, getting more it’s heightened under stress. exercise and avoiding foods that plug you up. “If this doesn’t work, laxatives, Our Bodies’ Chemistry such as psyllium supplementation, stool Hormone fluctuations also seem to affect softeners or polyethylene glycol, may be your gut. About half of premenopausal necessary,” says Dr Carlo Fallone, a women who aren’t on birth control get gastroenterologist at McGill University constipation or diarrhoea depending on Health Centre in Montreal. “In general, where they are in their monthly cycle. one wants to avoid prolonged use of Hormones during pregnancy serve to agents that can damage the colon, such relax muscle contractions. “It may be a as senna products.” Senna, made from factor in why a lot of women get consti- the leaves and fruit of a plant, stimulates pation in their third trimester,” says bowel activity. But eventually it can Dr Geoffrey Turnbull, a gastroenterolo- prevent your system from doing its job gist at Dalhousie University in Halifax, naturally and shouldn’t be used for more Canada. Both men and women experi- than a few days. ence hormonal shifts as we get older, and these are thought to be a potential in- Understand Adverse Effects fluence on the decreasing diversity and All kinds of drugs, from antidepressants robustness of our microbiome (the to narcotics to blood pressure pills, microorganisms that live inside the list diarrhoea or constipation among human body) as we age. potential side effects. Setya advises against using strong Try to Keep It Natural purgatives (which completely purge If you are having trouble with bowel your system). Laxatives such as isabgul movements, natural laxatives can get you are better alternatives that should help back on track. “Try natural laxatives with normal stool. such as triphala choornam—take one —WITH INPUTS FROM KRITIKA BANERJEE

��.�� 63 ��’� ��

64 �� Joleen Zubek DRAMA IN REAL LIFE

I WAS SCAMMED BY MY BEST FRIEND She swindled me out of $92,000, forcing me into bankruptcy and destroying my once sunny outlook. But I finally got justice

�� Johnathan Walton �� HUFFPOST.COM

��.�� 65 ��’� ��

Ifell hard for one of the oldest cons in the book. But this scheme wasn’t cooked up by some fictional Nigerian prince soliciting me through a sketchy email. I fell under the spell of an immensely lovable woman who inserted herself into my life and became my best friend. She was also an international con artist on the run. She snared me in an age-old con called the Inheritance Scam, ultimately bilking me out of nearly $1,00,000. She simultaneously destroyed my sense of Today, she’s in jail, probably won- COM self and darkened my once joyful out- dering how on earth she became the . look. As she was ruining my life, she victim of one of her own victims. was also scamming dozens of others Allow me to explain. around the world by impersonating She introduced herself to me as psychics, mortgage brokers, psycholo- Mair Smyth in May 2013, when she gists, lawyers and travel agents and joined a group of angry neighbours in JOHNATHANWALTON even pretending to be a cancer victim. my living room to discuss what to do She was a true queen of the con, about losing access to our building’s using disguises and plastic surgery to swimming pool because of a legal spat alter her appearance. I was a reality with a neighbouring building. TV producer, working on shows such “I can help,” she told us. “My as American Ninja Warrior and Shark boyfriend is a lawyer who can get the Tank, and I never saw through her pool back!” masterful performances. She might I liked her immediately. We all did. have gotten away with cheating many She was brash. Funny. Intelligent and more people if she hadn’t turned me outspoken. Ironically, for someone into a vigilante. I started my own in- who turned out to be a liar and a con vestigation, uncovered other victims artist, she came across as a woman

and helped bring her to justice. who would always ‘tell it like it is’. �� : ��

66 �� Drama in Real Life

Soon Mair became more than just a neighbour or even a close friend. She, my husband (right) and I were like family.

Constitution,” she said. “See that sig- nature at the bottom? That’s my great- uncle’s.” I had no idea that, like her shoes, that tale was fake. Mair brought me Irish tea and pas- tries and regaled me with stories of how when she was a young girl, her OVER SEVERAL MONTHS, I LENT MAIR $15,000. I WASN’T WORRIED. SHE WAS MY BEST FRIEND.

She also came across as extremely grandmother, who was supposedly in wealthy. She wore expensive Jimmy the Irish Republican Army, would take Choo shoes and once showed me her her to the top of a bridge and teach closet filled with more than 250 pairs. her how to hurl Molotov cocktails I later discovered they were all fake. down on British soldiers. I was capti- After our initial meeting in my vated and horrified. apartment that night, Mair invited When I tearfully confided in her my husband, Pablito, and me to din- that part of my family had disowned ner. Over the next year, she frequently me for being gay, she pounced. “My wined and dined us at fancy restau- family disowned me, too!” she said as rants and always insisted on picking she fought back tears. “They’re trying up the bill. “I have a lot of money—let to get me disinherited.” me pay!” she’d plead convincingly. Mair told me that an uncle, the We’d hang out almost every evening patriarch of her family, had recently in our barbecue area, exchanging in- died, and her cousins were divid- timacies under the cool Los Angeles ing up an estate worth 25 million sky. Mair told us she was originally euros. She said she was supposed to from Ireland. One night she pointed receive 5 million euros as her share to a framed document hanging in of the inheritance and showed me her living room. “This is the Irish angry text messages and emails

��.�� 67 ��’� ��

from her cousins threatening that person would forfeit his or her share. she wouldn’t get a dime. “You’d better be careful!” I cau- Mair told me she had taken a lot of tioned her. “One of your disgruntled family money with her when she left cousins might try and set you up!” Ireland many years ago, so she never Many of her family members certainly needed to work. But she claimed she appeared to hate her. Why wouldn’t enjoyed working, so she got hired at a they set her up? I thought. travel agency where her family did a On 8 July, 2014, my phone rang. lot of business. “You have a collect call from an in- Fourteen months into our friend- mate at the Century Regional Deten- ship, Mair and I were like sister and tion Facility. Press one to accept,” the brother, even ending our phone calls computerized voice instructed me. COM with “I love you.” She told me that her It was Mair. I quickly pressed one. . barristers (I had to look up the word “You were right!” she sobbed. “I was to learn that it means ‘lawyers’) were arrested today. My family set me up having trouble trying to secure her to make it look like I stole $2,00,000 inheritance and that they had warned from my job.” JOHNATHANWALTON her about a clause in her uncle’s “I told you this would happen!” will stating that if any family mem- I yelled. I was distraught. I found a

ber were convicted of a felony, the bail bondsman and paid him $4,200 ��

68 �� Drama in Real Life

A queen of the con, Mair took on dozens of personas, using disguises and even plastic surgery to change her look.

had immediately paid back the $4,200 I used to bail her out of jail, so I felt confident she’d pay me back any other money I loaned her. But that’s the thing: The term ‘con artist’ is short for ‘confidence artist’ because these individuals are skilled at gaining your confidence and then using it to scam you out of your money. Over the course of several months, I lent Mair nearly to get her out of jail. That’s when I $15,000. You’d think I’d be worried first learnt that her legal name was about giving her that much money, Marianne Smyth, not Mair Smyth. But but I wasn’t. Not only was she my best she paid me back the next day, when friend, but she also claimed she was she was released from jail. Or, rather, about to inherit millions of dollars. I the married man she was dating at the never even considered that anything time paid me back. Little did I (or he) sinister could be taking place. know, she was scamming him too. One day, Mair called me and said As the months passed, Mair showed the DA was demanding $50,000 to me emails from her lawyers assuring dismiss the case against her. I didn’t her that the case against her was falling have $50,000 in cash. But I did have apart. I had no idea those emails an 840 credit score. So I let her charge were from fake accounts she had the $50,000 on my credit cards to get created herself, just like the messages the criminal case against her dropped. she claimed were from her cousins. A few months later, Mair was arrested Then, almost three years into our again. She said the judge had charged friendship, she told me that the dis- her with money laundering, something trict attorney [DA] prosecuting her to do with her using my credit cards, case had frozen her bank accounts. and punished her with 30 days in jail— So I started lending her money. She a ‘slap on the wrist’. She assured me,

��.�� 69 ��’� ��

I was a TV producer, not a detective. But I was determined to get justice.

once again, that as soon as she got out and received her inheritance, she would pay me back. Mair called me collect from jail every day. When I said I wanted to come visit her, she begged me not to. “I don’t want you to see me like this,” she said. But I insisted. So I logged on to frozen. There was no wealthy Irish the jail’s website to schedule a visit. family or inheritance. She’s not even That’s when the true devastation Irish! Those were all lies she used she had wrought on my life started to entrap me. to reveal itself. I went home and collapsed in my The website showed that Mair was husband’s arms. “How could I let this serving time for felony grand theft. happen to us?” I sobbed. This was no slap on the wrist. Eventually, my pain was replaced I took the day off and rushed to a by breathtaking anger and the deter- Los Angeles courthouse. With trem- mination to do something. bling hands, I reviewed every record The day Mair was released from I could find from Mair’s case. I disco- jail, I confronted her in the parking lot vered she had lied to me about every- outside our apartment building. She thing. I suddenly couldn’t breathe. denied everything. “That’s not true, I learnt that the $50,000 I let her Johnathan! That’s not true!” she pro- charge on my credit cards had gone tested as tears streamed down her face. to pay $40,000 as part of a plea agree- But I was done believing anything ment to a felony grand theft charge she she had to say. I balled up my fists, faced for stealing more than $2,00,000 clenched my jaw and walked away. from the travel agency she worked for. We never spoke again. Had she not been able to come up I went to the police days later, in with that $40,000, she would have re- March 2017, and filed a report. The of- ceived a five-year jail sentence, not the ficer interviewing me seemed skepti- measly 30 days she actually served. cal that there was anything they could

Her bank accounts had never been do. “Don’t give strangers your money,” ��

70 �� Drama in Real Life were his parting words. So I started A police detective in Northern my own investigation. Ireland told me that authorities in I dug up Mair Smyth’s high school Belfast had been looking for Marianne yearbook and learnt that she was born Smyth for years. The detective said she Marianne Andle in Maine and gra- had worked as a mortgage broker in duated from Bangor High in 1987. She 2008 and had scammed many people later moved to Tennessee, where, ac- and then vanished. cording to estranged family members All in all, Mair Smyth used at least I spoke with, she claimed she had 23 different aliases and has been breast cancer and allegedly scammed charged with fraud and grand theft in friends and neighbours out of thou- Florida and Tennessee. I was deter- sands for ‘treatments’. They told me mined to get justice and called the Los Mair was oddly obsessed with wanting Angeles police department every day. to be Irish. In 2000, she went to Ire- A year after I’d last seen her, Mair land on vacation. She ended up mar- rying a local and stayed for nine years. In the same way that wooden THE PROSECUTOR WENT stakes kill vampires and silver bullets OVER IN EXTREME DETAIL kill werewolves, publicity kills con EVERY DOLLAR MAIR HAD artists. I began turning my pain into a profound sense of purpose. I SCAMMED FROM ME. started a blog, johnathanwalton.com, detailing how Mair had scammed me. Soon, other victims of hers from all was arrested and charged with grand over the world started reaching out. theft for scamming me. She was re- I heard from one who claimed Mair leased on her own recognizance. I had scammed her out of $10,000 by never went near her, but one month impersonating a psychologist. She before trial, Mair filed for a restraining allegedly tricked our landlord out of order against me, asserting that I was $12,000 in rent by pretending to have threatening her with violence. It cost cancer. Mair had iron- deficiency me $1,500 to hire an attorney to fight anaemia and would purposely avoid her bogus claim. “If a judge grants iron-rich foods so she could get the restraining order, you would admitted into hospitals for iron in- be prevented from testifying fusions. While sitting in a hospital against her at her criminal trial,” my bed, she’d ask a nurse to take her pic- lawyer explained. ture and then email that photo to her Could this be her checkmate move? I victims to better sell her cancer story. wondered. I was apoplectic. She used this particular scam a lot. Thankfully, the judge refused to

��.�� 71 ��’� �� Drama in Real Life

grant the restraining order, and Mair’s me. And the 24 court appearances trial proceeded. The prosecution I made even before the trial—for presented a mountain of irrefutable continuances, pretrial motions and evidence. Though she was charged hearings—meant I missed a lot of with scamming only me, the judge work and lost even more money. Not allowed testimony from three other to mention the cost of hiring private victims to demonstrate a pattern. investigators in multiple states and Mair did not testify in her own countries to ferret out all her scams. defence. As witnesses described how But it was worth it. she had scammed them, she just sat On 9 January 2019, Marianne Smyth there with an emotionless look on was found guilty of conning me her face. That was probably her big- out of $91,784—the money she had gest tell to the jury. She was a brilliant borrowed plus thousands of dollars of actress while she was conning people, interest that had accrued on my credit but remarkably, she didn’t know how cards. She was sentenced to five years to act innocent. The only defence her behind bars. attorney had was that I was making Besides me, only two of Mair’s other the whole story up. Supposedly, I had marks reported her to the police. That persuaded all of the other witnesses— enabled her to continue scamming people I didn’t even know before Mair people for years. Most of her victims, scammed me—to lie under oath. He like most victims of any con artist, was terrifyingly convincing. were too ashamed to tell anyone what The prosecutor went over in ex- had happened to them. treme detail each dollar Mair had I am now suspicious of everyone scammed from me. Reliving that and everything. Making new friends is experience in front of a roomful of not something I’m good at anymore. strangers ignited fury and embarrass- And I’m ashamed too. But my desire ment and regret in a new, painful way. to stop her from hurting other people I spent two years pursuing Marianne is much stronger than my shame. Smyth. I had to file for bankruptcy HUFFPOST.COM �� , �� because of what she had done to �� .

1 euro was `85.24 and US$1 was `75.20 at the time of going to press.

The Fast and the Furious The speed limit is the maximum speed you can go by law and also basically the minimum speed you can go without ticking everybody else o�. �� REDDIT.COM

72 �� ’� �� AS KIDS SEE IT

“We can speak freely now. I’ve secured the line.”

My sister was out for nephew.] correct her, but a walk with her three- Nephew: It’s a turch! definitely not today. year-old son. On the Me: No, that’s a church. � �MOMTRANSPARENT1 walk, she pointed out It starts with C. an empty nest, telling Nephew: �en why is Me: Mommy just needs her son, “That’s a bird’s there a T on it? a little space right now. nest. The birds keep �CHRISTINE HOOVER Child [perched on top their eggs in there.” of my head]: Why? Her son looked My four-year-old has � �LURKATHOMEMOM up at her and asked been carrying a small innocently, “And notebook around all where do they keep day. She opens it, Reader’s Digest will pay their pancakes?” writes small scribbles for your funny anecdote �ASIYAH BAKSH and quickly closes it or photo in any of our back up. She’s calling it humour sections. Post it [Driving by a church her ‘secret diarrhoea’. to the editorial address, or email: [email protected] �� with my six-year-old Maybe someday I’ll

��.�� 73 KINDNESS OF STRANGERS NIGHT WITHOUT END Two students escaped campus violence in Jamia, after being saved by some good people they met by chance

�� Sanskriti Rajkhowa

�� Siddhant Jumde

�� is etched in the of 15 December, with an appeal minds of students across the for peace. country. India was erupting On what was to be Jamia Millia in spontaneous protests, Islamia’s unending night, I decided against the newly constituted to visit my friends there, along with DCitizenship Amendment Act, with Sakshi*, a friend from JNU (Jawaharlal young students leading the charge. Nehru University), where I had moved Assam, my home state, was under after my master’s at Jamia. curfew too. A group of us—students As the cab dropped us at Sarai from the Northeast—had gathered at Jullena, we could see clouds of Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on the morning billowing black smoke—the road *NAMES HAVE BEEN CHANGED ON REQUEST. 74 �� ’�’ ��

.�� 75 ��’� ��

leading to the Jamia campus was Everyone around was scrambling to packed with locals and students. It was escape, coughing and trying to cover past 5 p.m. now. We walked towards their faces somehow. Gate No. 7, where we met our friends We found a large assembly of and found that one of them was injured people around the Central Library— in a stampede. Apparently there had the explosions were getting louder been a police lathi charge less than and more frequent by the minute an hour ago. Before we could begin now. This meant that the police were to discuss it, the guards at the gate, drawing closer too. Until it actually otherwise very strict about student IDs, happened, and the scenes streamed pushed us into the campus. The police across TV screens since that night, we were approaching the campus, we were had believed that a library could never told. Without a word, we rushed in and be attacked. By now, all the campus the guards locked the gate behind us. exits were blocked—in panic we I felt a surge of relief on being able to started making calls. Just then, a tear enter, as I had forgotten my wallet and gas shell landed at our feet. I stepped identification card. over it and within a few seconds I was Sakshi and I stopped and looked choking and gasping for air, every part through the iron gates, as crowds of my skin, exposed to the chemical- gathered on the road outside. Then, laced air, felt ablaze. we hastily decided to retreat to the It all seemed never-ending—only Central Canteen for some tea. It was later did we realize our escape had exam season and we noticed groups of been a matter of about 20 minutes. students in huddles, discussing their After being tear-gassed, we had post-paper blues. rushed towards the narrow exit gate ahead of the library and next to uddenly, a commotion broke out the Jama Masjid. We had pleaded in the lane outside the canteen: with the guards to let us out. Four SWe could see students running men, complete strangers, formed a away from what appeared to be chain around us, and led us to the an approaching troop. We heard safety of the mosque. From here, we explosions in the distance—they crossed over to a school next to it sounded like low-intensity bombs, and entered one of the narrow back the sound of which we were so familiar lanes of Batla House. with in Assam during the agitations of the ’90s, when we were growing up. s we moved in frantic steps, Then, off went a loud blast—this one voices called out to us from the seemed much closer. A tear gas shell Adimly lit lanes, asking, “Where are had gone off right next to the canteen. you taking these girls?” The protective

76 �� Kindness of Strangers

TWO KIND STRANGERS— NAAZ AND AMEERA—WHO WE STILL REMAIN IN TOUCH WITH—OFFERED US FOOD AND SHELTER FOR THE NIGHT.

we still remain in touch with—offered us food and shelter for the night. Looking back, the generosity of these young women kept us safe and helped us heal through the trauma of having witnessed the brutality on the Jamia students. As videos of that night surfaced, we realized how lucky we had been. The nearby hospitals were swamped with the bloodied bodies of young students.

“It all seemed never-ending,” says ext morning, on our way to the Sanskriti Rajkhowa. metro station, we saw the campus Nstreet strewn with wreckage, which men occasionally answered, assuring shocked us beyond words. A rickshaw them we were students looking driver dropped us off at Sukhdev Vihar for refuge, as the university was and said, “Apunaluk dujon axomor being ransacked. neki?” (Are you both from Assam?). The police had closed all the entry Introducing himself as Mustafa Amin* points and metro stations in the area. from Kokrajhar, he told us that there From Batla House we crossed some were around 50 families from Assam tense but bustling roads, a graveyard who lived nearby. “All our homes are and reached the other end of Tikona open for you, should anything like this Park. Our male friends left us there ever happen again,” he said. to attend to the injured in Al-Shifa May nothing like this ever happen Hospital. At Johri Farm, two kind again, I thought. He still calls to check

�� : �� strangers—Naaz* and Ameera*—who if we are alright.

��.�� 77 ��’� ��

78 �� BONUS READ

Large numbers of tigers are being farmed, killed and trafficked in Laos. Karl Ammann pursues those responsible TRACKING THE TIGER BUTCHER

�� Terrence McCoy ��

��.�� 79 ��’� ��

� �� there some- to investigate its wildlife practices. where, at the top of He was unarmed. Neither Keovised the hill, the man Karl nor his boss had ever been charged Ammann had come to with anything, let alone arrested. If see. It would soon be discovered, the equipment Ammann night. The forest was all had with him—the drone, the hidden shadows and sounds. cameras, the satellite images of the HAmmann had driven across Laos to country’s tiger farms—would imme- reach Tha Bak, a remote river village, diately unravel his cover story: that to confront the person he believed he was a tourist. had murdered more tigers than any- But he could already feel the one in the country. In the distance, he familiar intensity. It had driven could hear dozens of tigers roaring. him to undertake dozens of risky, For nearly five years, Ammann, 71, a self-funded investigations, pushed Swiss counter-trafficking conservatio- him to the fringes of the conservation nist, had tracked Nikhom Keovised. He community and caused even friends had placed hidden cameras inside what to describe him as obsessive, if

THE TIGER IS ON THE VERGE OF BECOMING A FULLY INDUSTRIALIZED COMMODITY.

had once been the largest tiger farm in not a little crazy. He couldn’t South East Asia, an illegal operation stop. Those responsible had to be where tigers had been raised to one held to account. end—slaughter. And he had listened For 10 days in late 2018, I joined to the man doing the slaughtering de- Ammann on an undercover journey scribe it in his own words: “Use the to determine whether Laos, a global anaesthetic,” Keovised had said. “Then hub of wildlife trafficking, had just cut the neck.” Then “peel its skin.” fulfilled its promises since 2016 to Now Keovised had just opened here stamp out the wildlife trade. Now in Tha Bak what his boss—considered we’d arrived at this hill, where, above, one of the nation’s biggest wildlife the tigers were becoming louder. traffickers—described as a zoo, but They were hungry, Ammann what Ammann suspected was a front announced. It would soon be time to for selling tigers. feed them. He slung his camera over Ammann knew the risks. He was his shoulder and started up the hill,

in the country without permission in search of tigers and their warden. : �� , ��

80 �� Health & Medicine

During his investigation of tiger trafficking, Ammann drove hour after hour to remote locations around Laos.

nearly all been killed. Ammann was A RISK TAKER one of the few people who’d seen The tiger, whose captive population inside the country’s farms. now dwarfs its numbers in the wild, When I’d first spoken to him is on the verge of becoming a fully in June 2018, I’d expected to find industrialized commodity. Over the someone who was, if not optimistic, past century or so, the population then at least hopeful. Since 2016, in the wild has plunged from an international authorities and some estimated 1,00,000 to fewer than conservationists had applauded Laos, 4,000, while the number in captivity home to some of Asia’s biggest wildlife had exploded to more than 12,500. traffickers, as it announced overhauls Nowhere else was the animal’s to clean up the trade. commodification more complete than Shops trading in bones and wildlife in tiger farming, where it is raised, merchandise were to cease. All three butchered for parts and sold for tens of the country’s illegal tiger farms, of thousands of dollars. And nowhere which stored 700 tigers, were ordered else had these farms operated with to stop farming and convert into zoos greater impunity than in Laos, a and conservation centres. No new nation whose own wild tigers have facilities breeding endangered wildlife

��.�� 81 ��’� ��

for commercial purposes would open. But Ammann was neither optimistic nor hopeful. He cited operational tiger farms in Laos and how we were being taken for “bloody fools”. “They all want hope and happy endings,” he said of producers and audiences who ignored his documen- taries. “And I don’t see any happy endings.” Almost every conservatio- nist I asked said Ammann’s findings were sound. He could be trusted—but ... But what? “He takes a lot of risks,” Steve Galster, a counter- trafficking expert in Bangkok, said after a long pause. He had been kicked out of Amman's combative exterior hides a deep an international conserva- regard for the animals he is trying to help. tion meeting for aggressively He is pictured here in the mid-1990s with confronting officials. a gorilla orphan he found in Gabon. “A bit of a kook who gets results,” a law-enforcement consultant he’d dispatched to CITES, the UN in Laos called him. commission charged with regulating Ammann sent me some of those the wildlife trade, accusing it of being results, photographs of a diseased “a big part of the problem.” He’d sent tiger in a claustrophobic cage— the same letter to a European Parlia- mangy, eyes desperate. The next ment official, attaching this comment: showed seven tigers in cramped cages “So you cannot say you did not know. eating raw chicken off the ground and, My motto for doing this.” from high above, drone images of I called Ammann at his estate at two massive tiger farms, showing the the base of Mount Kenya. He was animal in cage after cage. going to Laos again, before year’s

He included a 3,700-word missive end, he said. This time, he hoped to ��

82 �� Bonus Read personally meet those who’d profited country, investigating rumours from the death of the tiger. “Why of a never-before-identified tiger don’t you come,” he asked, “and see enclosure, buying tiger products for yourself?” from merchants and flying drones So, for 10 days in late 2018, I joined over tiger farms. Lastly, he’d venture Ammann on an undercover journey to to a new resort and ‘zoo’ named determine whether Laos had fulfilled Say Namthurn at Tha Bak, where its promises since 2016 to stamp out Ammann hoped to finally meet the wildlife trade. Keovised, the tiger butcher, and his boss, Sakhone Keosouvanh, who THE JOURNEY BEGINS helped bring tiger farming to Laos. I arrived at my hotel in northern Inside the van, along with Am- Thailand past midnight. We’d planned mann were his cameraman, Phil Hat- to meet at 8 a.m. but a note waiting tingh, a towering South African, and a for me from Ammann said we had to young Hong Kong Chinese woman meet at 7 a.m. A long day was ahead. named Grace Chan. After a handshake and a few quick “They’ll think you’re a customer,”

CHINA’S ECONOMIC GROWTH IGNITED A MARKET FOR TIGER PRODUCTS. words, we were inside a van, bumping Ammann said to Chan, explaining towards the Laos border. that his plan for her on this trip Ammann wanted to cross into the was to visit shops while wearing a country by nightfall, where he said the hidden camera to buy tiger products. real journey would begin. Landlocked Ammann met Chan in 2017 after and mountainous, Laos has nearly she’d contacted him to discuss 2,575 kilometres of borders with Viet- elephant trafficking. nam and China, whose appetite for To bolster her expertise on the illicit wildlife products had both deci- tiger economy, Ammann handed her mated numerous species and trans- a tattered book. It showed pictures of formed Laos into a global epicentre of a tiger skull, femur, tibia and hip, and wildlife trade. A 2017 CITES report was described the bones as a ‘precious blunt: “Everyone can buy everything crude medicine’, whose medicinal and cross the border.” use in China traced back more than Over the next 10 days, Ammann 1,400 years. As China’s economy grew, planned to traverse much of the the animal’s mythical qualities—none

��.�� 83 ��’� ��

of which are substantiated by modern medicine—ignited a market CONSUMED BY OUTRAGE for tiger products. We drove into the night until a city With only a few dozen tigers left, sprang out of the blackness. Lexuses the Chinese government banned and Mercedes wheeled down its killing endangered species in the wild streets with Chinese licence plates. while encouraging their ‘domestica- People swarmed around a large tion’ and breeding to sate demand casino at the town’s centre. for tiger products while protecting Known as the Golden Triangle those in the wild. Instead, demand Special Economic Zone, this sliver exploded further, said Vanda Felbab- of Bokeo Province is controlled by a Brown, a Brookings Institution senior transnational criminal operation that fellow who’s studied the industry, in- “engages in an array of horrendous il- citing rampant poaching of wild tigers licit activities,” including child prosti- all over Asia. tution and human, drug and wildlife Chinese officials in 1993 prohibited trafficking, according to the US Trea- domestic trade in tiger bone but sury Department, which imposed didn’t close the country’s many sanctions on the network.

AT AN OPEN-AIR STORE, A CHINESE SALESMAN SAID HE HAD TIGER PARTS TO SELL.

farms. That year, CITES, which has On our first morning here, Ammann few enforcement tools, banned tiger was already exasperated. His driver was farming for commercial purposes. not going fast enough, his computer China chafed against the restrictions had stopped working, and the hotel then, and now. In 2018, it legalized where we’d spent the night before—the trade in tiger parts for medicinal only one that still took Western guests purposes but, under international following the US sanctions—had just pressure, quickly reinstated its ban. told us to clear out. To bypass it, some Chinese Ammann knew how he sometimes customers flock to border towns in sounded, but there was no time for the Golden Triangle area, where niceties. In conversations, he frequently the countries of Myanmar, Laos and brought up environmental studies Thailand converge. he’d just read, all of them apparently That was exactly what Ammann grim. The planet could soon lose wanted to investigate first. 60 per cent of primate species,

84 �� Health & Medicine

Ammann believes this ‘zoo’ in the eastern Lao town of Tha Bak, which he visited in December 2018, is really a front for selling tigers. according to the peer-reviewed journal, previously protected by dense jungle. Science Advances, noting how bush- The outrage he’d felt soon consumed meat hunting had sped their demise—a him. In the early 1990s, he went revelation that, to Ammann, wasn’t a to remote merchants and logging revelation at all. It was his origin story. encampments and returned with In 1988, Ammann was in a longboat gruesome images. Decapitated gorillas. chugging up the Congo River in what Charbroiled monkeys. Butchered was then Zaire. By then, he’d already chimpanzees. He published books, spent two decades in Africa, where lobbied governments, led international he had worked as a hotelier and petitions against wildlife slaughter. photographer, eventually becoming He described it all graphically, wealthy opening and selling an eco- hoping to shock people into action. tourism camp in Kenya’s Maasai Mara “Up to their elbows in blood,” he said National Reserve. But along the river’s of bushmeat hunters in one 1995 banks, he saw hundreds of slaughtered newspaper interview. “Maybe I’ve primates awaiting transport to nearby become too extreme,” he confessed in markets. Deforestation had provided another, and many conservationists

�� : �� hunters with access to animals then agreed.

��.�� 85 ��’� ��

Jane Goodall, the renowned chim- panzee conserva- tionist, said he was too aggressive, and he said she wasn’t aggressive enough. Other conservationists accused him of “cultural imperialism”, and he countered that they worried more Ammann's team found these tiger fangs selling for about fundraising $1,340 (₹1,02,707) in a Lao border market. than truth. “He won’t stop,” “MR HE SENT US” says his wife, Kathy, even after he She was dressed in black. Black hat. was named a Time magazine Hero of Black sunglasses. Black blouse, the the Environment in 2007 for “almost top button of which concealed the single-handedly raising awareness of camera. Ammann wanted us to keep the issue of bushmeat,” and was told our distance from her at first. Sellers to slow down. these days store their jewellery and Two personalities jostle inside medicine in back rooms and hidden him, said Dale Peterson, a former drawers that open only for wealthy collaborator. He was one person Chinese customers—which was how around people—combative, cynical, Ammann hoped Chan would appear. “miserable”, as Peterson put it—and We met her at the counter of an another around animals. That was the open-air store named Exotic Family. Ammann who’d stop and discuss even There, a thin Chinese salesman was a small bird, he said, “in the most saying, yes, he had tiger parts to sell. affectionate way.” He was “driven by Out came a small, hollowed tiger bone something larger.” with intricate carvings: $223 [₹16,759]. That intensity building within, Also a tiger claw: $223. And two tiger he pulled up to the market along the fangs: $1,340 [₹1,02,707]. Mekong River, straddling the Lao- Ammann asked to see more. The Thai border. The door opened, out man pulled out his phone and sent a Chan went, and from the market contact request on the messaging app entrance, Ammann watched her WeChat to Chan. All she needed to

disappear into the stalls. do was enter a few keywords—‘jelly’ �� : ��

86 �� Bonus Read for ivory, ‘king’ for tiger products— stall and the market, believed there to thwart a blanket prohibition on were even more tiger enclosures now the trade on China’s leading in Laos, which hadn’t yet been iden- commerce sites. tified. One was rumoured to be right But one rare product didn’t appear here in the Golden Triangle: He had on the seller’s WeChat profile. Did he to find out whether it was true. have any tiger skin for sale? We drove several miles, coming to “No tiger skins anymore,” he a stop on a desolate dirt road wedged said in Chinese. “Tigers in Laos are between thatched-roof huts and jun- now protected.” gle. Ammann got out, reached for his Ammann knew Laos had vowed to camera and approached the walls, stop the trade in wildlife products, from which hung signs praising the and yet here this merchant was doing facility’s supposed role in conserva- just that. So how likely was it that tion. “Caring rare animals, protect the much had changed? blue planet,” said one in English. A promised ‘full audit’ and phase- “This must be it,” he said, walking out plan by the government of the up to the metal gates of a compound

EVEN AFTER ALL THIS TIME, SEEING TIGERS UP CLOSE STUNNED AMMANN. country’s captive tigers had faced said to be controlled by the local cri- numerous delays. The same tiger minal syndicate. He started banging. breeders were still involved in the A young shirtless man came to see operations, where the tiger population what was going on. Ammann decided has been fluctuating dramatically, to bluff his way in. indicating possible trade. “Tell him Mr He sent us here,” A farm called Vinasakhone—where Ammann directed Chan, who had no Keovised had worked—reported idea what he was talking about, but a sudden loss of 300 tigers in 2017 decided to do it anyway. without ever explaining how that hap- The gate was slightly ajar. Ammann pened. Then a new and massive farm vanished beyond the wall. Chan and was disclosed by a Vietnamese news I followed. A sound of joy and won- outlet in April 2017 in the central Laos der came into Ammann’s voice. In town of Lak Sao and as of last year the darkness of one of the structures, housed 106 tigers. stripes were moving. Even after all this Ammann, walking away from the time, seeing tigers up close stunned

��.�� 87 ��’� ��

him. They were so big, moving with never going to win,’ but you keep the latent energy of coiled springs. going,” he answered once. “If I’ve had The worker wanted us out. He was a few bad nights’ sleep over what I’ve staring at Ammann, who continued seen, well, let me give a few others a to film. He was calling his boss again. bad night’s sleep.” One more look, and Ammann was in The van now crossed a muddy river, the car, and it was pulling away, and continuing along Highway 8. The he couldn’t help but shake his head. town of Lak Sao soon came into view. “Yeah, but Laos is closing down the We bounced off the main highway, tiger farms, isn’t it?” he said. forked into a quiet village and rolled onto an unmarked dirt path. ANOTHER NEW FARM “This is it,” Ammann said. Just Days later, after Chan had bought and down this road was the Lak Sao tiger filmed tiger parts being sold in shops farm, with around 100 tigers inside, if all over Laos, and after we’d left her in not more. Hattingh, the cameraman, the capital of Vientiane with her job was reaching into his bag. Out came complete, we headed across the coun- the drone. They had five minutes— try to the Vietnam border. 10 tops—to get what they needed Ammann was in a darker mood and get out. than usual. “It’s frustrating to care “If you see people running, bring it about something this much,” he said. home and get out of there,” Ammann “Am I wasting my time?” said. “If they catch you with a drone Several times during the trip, I’d and no licence, they can throw the asked him why continue if he thought book at you.” the work was futile. “The real chal- Hattingh climbed out. He stepped lenge starts when you know, ‘I’m into the bush behind the back of the compound’s tall concrete walls. The drone, the size of a hawk and buzzing like the world’s loudest cicada, levitated into the air. The video was beamed back into a hand-held screen, showing tigers pacing in their cages, appearing as small as insects. This operation wasn’t like the last one, not another small tiger enclosure hidden away in the hills. This was in- dustrial. The drone came down. Hat- tingh hurried back. We got in the van,

and Ammann told the driver to hit it. ��

88 �� Bonus Read

Keovised was the one who met with ARRIVING IN THA BAK an investigator Ammann had sent Deeper into the countryside we went, into the farm equipped with a hidden until there came the river village of camera and the cover story that he Tha Bak. A sign announced the resort was there to inquire about four tigers of Say Namthurn, listing its offerings: for a farm that his ‘millionaire’ Chi- golf course, drinking water, zoo. Tigers nese boss wanted to build. roared atop a hill shrouded by forest. Over months, the two men deve- Ammann reached for his camera. loped a friendship. The investigator That is where he hoped to would take Keovised out for drinks, find Keovised. then secretly record their conversa- Ammann first heard that name tions. Soon Keovised was delving into in early 2014. His investigation had how tigers were illegally bred, killed brought him to central Laos, where and harvested for parts at a level that Vinasakhone, the country’s biggest staggered Ammann. farm, stored hundreds of tigers behind During the first 10 months of 2014 concrete walls. alone, Vinasakhone and another

THE VINASAKHONE FARM SAID IT WAS HELPING TO PRESERVE THE TIGER POPULATION.

Its co-owner at the time was a short farm traded nearly eight tons of lion man named Sakhone Keosouvanh. and tiger bone, the former of which Equipped with government connec- is sometimes passed off as tiger tions, he helped craft Laos’s failed bone, according to one government plan to save the country’s last tigers document by the Lao Division of and represented tiger farmers at an Forest Inspection that I obtained. The international tiger preservation mee- report, first reported by the Guardian, ting. His farm promoted itself as hel- accused the farm of breaking ping to preserve the tiger population. international and local law. Meanwhile, tiger breeding, killing But no action could be taken against and selling were going on inside those it. The farm had “approval from walls, according to Laos government government,” which imposed an extra reports, and the man who oversaw tax of 2 per cent on all wildlife exports, much of it was Keovised. (Neither according to a 2003 Laos customs Keosouvanh nor Keovised responded document. A 2016 confidential to numerous requests for comment.) survey of the country’s wildlife farms

��.�� 89 ��’� ��

by the Lao Department of Forest MEETING THE BOSS Resource Management said the farm wasn’t breeding tigers for “scientific “If Sakhone is here, we have to be care- research”—as its permit stated—but ful,” Ammann said. The tiger farmer for slaughter. One corpse was believed had been so well protected that he’d to go for $30,000 [₹22,54,630]. never faced charges. Ammann worried “We use this anaesthetic” was how about that power. Our intentions for Keovised described the process in a being there couldn’t be discovered. conversation with Ammann’s investi- We walked through a tourist attrac- gator. “They fall down.” tion bereft of tourists to the restau- “How do you kill it?” the investi- rant patio along the river. “There he gator asked. is,” Ammann said softly. Keosouvanh Some have their throats cut. But was coming our way across the patio, many clients refuse to buy pierced wearing a blue button-down, gold ring

BEHIND TWO LINES OF FENCING WERE FLASHES OF TEETH AND SLATE GREEN EYES.

skin, so “we use the elastic string to and watch, with a Toyota Hilux key tighten its neck … until it died.” dangling from his belt loop. Some buyers want the meat, others For so long, Ammann had known the bones, and others only want a Keosouvanh only as a name on dense block of hardened resin known investigative reports and translated as tiger glue made by boiling the bones. transcripts. But now he was gripping In 2016, a new Lao administration, Ammann’s hand and smiling broadly. yielding to international demands, an- Keosouvanh took a seat at our table nounced that the farms would close, and looked us over. Beers arrived. accusing them of illegally “trading Ammann, playing the role of tourist, tiger products to international buyers.” did the talking. Through an inter- Soon after, 300 of Vinasakhone’s 400 preter, he asked Keosouvanh how he’d tigers vanished. made his money. Then Keosouvanh, the co-owner, “An import–export company,” abandoned the farm, beginning a new Keosouvanh said. tiger operation out here. And with Ammann asked what he exported. him, Ammann heard from his inves- “Mainly coal,” Keosouvanh said. tigator, he had brought along his farm Ammann later told me he’d had the manager, Keovised. urge to turn on his camera and confront

90 �� Health & Medicine

Nikhom Keovised at Vinasakhone, once the largest tiger farm in South East Asia him. He wanted to tell him that he’d “What animals are left in this forest?” actually exported tigers—and accuse he asked, waving a hand towards the him of still doing it. “We breed them to trees. “Are there any tigers left?” get their babies” to sell, Keovised had Keosouvanh looked at him for a recently told Ammann’s investigator, moment, his face blank. illegal trade an investigative Vietna- “No,” he finally said. “None of those.” mese agency has discovered as well. Then there was something else: Am- THE FARM MANAGER mann had learnt what he believed was The tigers weren’t in the forest, but the truth of the missing 300 tigers from up the hill, on the other side of the Keosouvanh’s farm. Many had been resort. The next afternoon, Ammann killed, frozen and trafficked, accor- went past the gates, the river far be- ding to Keovised and interviews I’ve low him. He kept his gaze fixed on had with two other people with knowl- the ramshackle structure—chain- edge of the missing tigers. But Ammann link fencing, anchored by poles and could say none of this, not here. patched with blue tarp. The sound of Instead, Ammann glanced out into groaning tigers was all around. the forests on the other side of the river. He went inside. Behind two lines of They looked so dense. So dark. Surely fencing, on either side of the narrow

�� : �� anything could be out there. hallway, were flashes of teeth and slate

��.�� 91 ��’� ��

green eyes. Thirty-five tigers, some now here Keovised was, sitting outside weighing over 180 kilos, stalked back a small concrete house, doing nothing and forth, housed separately in 9 x 12- more than drinking and smoking foot cages. after a day of work. Ammann and I Every now and then, a worker took seats at his table. Keovised smiled would pull open a side door connec- at the unexpected guests, pouring us ting the cages, and in would come beers. This time, however, Ammann another tiger. The two would mate, did flip on his camera. then separate, an act that Ammann Then, as his Lao guide interpreted, and I witnessed three times in less he started in with it: than an hour. Standing here, I realized, “What is going to happen to the existence of the tiger had been these tigers?” reduced to this: endless pacing, speed “So how often do they get tourists?” breeding and a meal of raw chicken “We saw three tiger pairs mating,

KEOVISED HAD SEEMED IMPOVERISHED, DOING WHAT HE HAD TO DO TO SURVIVE.

hurled into its cage at 5 p.m. so in three and a half months, how “You couldn’t licence a zoo like many babies?” this anywhere in the world,” Ammann Keovised laughed and offered said. After spending hours here— Ammann more beer. He said he’d during which we saw only one group worked with tigers since 2007, and this of local tourists pay the admission fee enclosure, which he’d taken over seven of $2 [₹150]—he turned to leave. Then, months before, was just getting started. just outside the front entrance, on the These tigers would never leave. Few gravel, he saw him. tourists came, but soon there would be Keovised. more cages filled with tiger cubs. What He was sitting at a table strewn he didn’t tell Ammann now, but what with beer bottles—a short man with he’d told Ammann’s informant: The ti- yellowing teeth, wearing dusty black gers were profoundly inbred, and few pants and flip-flops. cubs were surviving, only 18 so far. Ammann walked over to him. “So, much work needs to be done?” How many hours had he listened Ammann said, motioning towards the to the farm manager in the recordings construction, where more cages were describe the most macabre of details being built. Keovised only laughed in the most perfunctory of ways? And again. Ammann took one last look

92 �� Bonus Read

at him. Then he finished his drink, parks or zoos. Ongoing illegal trade in turned off his camera and got up from tiger parts. Signs of expansion at several the table. He’d had enough. farms. Allegations that many of the He descended the hill, as the day’s missing 300 tigers had been killed. And last light bloomed orange and red proof that the same people who had above the mountains. illegally butchered and sold tigers were still acting as keepers of the animals. “THIS IS OUR SYSTEM” Then he was in a barren conference Then it was morning. Ammann di- room, facing a CITES bureaucrat. I sat rected his driver to take him to the at the end of the table, watching as capital to present his findings to the Ammann’s anger began to build. local office of CITES. He stared out the “We know there are two more tiger window and thought of Keovised. He’d farms,” Ammann said. “Two new tiger always pictured him as powerful and farms! You said you’re closing them menacing, but he hadn’t been that at down?” On and on he went—but it all. He’d seemed impoverished, doing was no use. Take it up with the bosses what he had to do to survive. At least in Geneva, he was told. There wasn’t Keovised was who he presented him- anything the office could do with infor- self to be, Ammann realized, and the mation brought in like this. self-congratulatory networkers at the “This is our system,” the official said. wildlife conferences were not. Ammann took down the official’s Soon he was walking inside an email address. He thanked him for his expansive building carrying a briefcase time. He picked up his briefcase with where he’d stored evidence of his the proof he’d never been asked to findings. Two new tiger enclosures that show and walked out. didn’t look to him like conservation At the entrance of the building, he stopped for a moment. On either side of the doorway was a statue of a tiger. Stripes had been etched into their wooden bodies. Their expressions were frozen in garish snarls. Ammann reached down to touch the head of one of the tigers—an animal once defined by ferocity, now an ornament, lifeless �� and commodified. Then he quickly lifted his hand and walked away.

�� , ��

��.�� 93 “I see my kids’ laundry.”

session, going on would be dangerous about this, that and to drink and drive,” the other. When she she said. “The straw LIFE’S finally paused to come could go up your nose.” Like That up for air, she had one —�� . question: “Who am I �� talking to?” —�� It always irked my My husband and his single mother that sister are notorious A few of us were dis- her grocery store yakkers. They can hold cussing the perils of didn’t carry eggs in court on any subject. drinking and driving packages of six—just One day, he called her. when my five-year-old by the dozen. Then All he had to say was granddaughter threw one day, her wish “Hi,” and that launched in her two cents. came true. She walked her into a marathon “I can see why it into the grocery and

�� Harley Schwadron 94 �� ’� ��

My favourite thing about watching a your hair done?” new movie with my five-year-old is “Why, yes. Thank probably watching it 17 times a day you for noticing,” said Denise, flattered. for the next three months. “I thought so,” —@�� the doctor replied. “Because your found fresh eggs in friend Denise made scalp looks red cartons of six. an appointment with and irritated.” “I was so excited,” a dermatologist who —�� she told us later, “that happened to be very I bought two!” attractive. After a full Reader’s Digest will pay —�� examination, the for your funny anecdote doctor cocked his or photo in any of our humour sections. Post it Suffering from an un- head and asked, to the editorial address, or sightly scaly rash, my “Denise, did you get email: [email protected]

GEE, THANKS, MOM �“I’m leaving for the weekend, so I Mothers always know just what to say hid $100 in your room for food. Clean when you’re feeling lost, confused or just your room and you will �nd it.” downright sad. These razor-sharp mums —��.�� may not have got that memo though: �On my wedding day, my mom told my bride, “No refunds, no �If I ever voiced disapproval exchanges on sale items.” of a photo of myself, my mother always had a ready —Glen Zeider reply: “Want a better picture? Get a better face.” �“Be nice to your brother. You might need one of his —Maria Zagorski kidneys one day.” — @cocogurl86 �ME: Mom, you’re invading my personal space. MOM: Well, you came out �I told my mom I expected a boyfriend of my personal space. That and a new car for my birthday. She said, makes us even. “A Ken doll and a Hot Wheels. Got it.”

�� , �� — @WVandertie — @jordanmei

��.�� 95 CULTURESCAPE ��, �� Entertainment

A Hell of an Actor Feted for his performance in Pataal Lok, Jaideep Ahlawat has’’ grabbed a long-awaited and well-deserved spotlight

�� Anna M. M. Vetticad

Is it true you wanted to be an of Wasseypur] was being praised? Army officer? (Laughs) At the time, Facebook was the I did. That was the environment in my biggest social media platform, and I hometown in Haryana—most students used to get messages and see posts with prepared for the Indian Army exams. A articles in which I was being praised. I bunch of my friends and I tried to get didn’t realize it’s a big step. I was just in into the Army as officers too. a happy zone that I had done an Anurag Kashyap film with great actors. Then, How did you end up in films? maybe a week or month later, I realized After two or three failures with the people had started recognizing me on Combined Defence Services exam, I got the road. That is the moment it got real. messed up in my head. After gradua- It felt amazing. tion I didn’t do anything for a year because I was so angry with myself, and Before Gangs of Wasseypur, so frustrated. I started theatre that year, did you feel like giving up which helped. Then I joined a master’s at any point? course in English, because being in a Never, because this is the only thing university meant I could be in univer- I like to do. I have a diploma in sity plays and inter-university contests. education—I am eligible to teach After that, I applied to the Film and students under class 5—but I never Television Institute of India (FTII). gave myself that option. Especially because of FTII, I knew it’s a matter How did you feel when you realized of time, and it’s not like if you go your role as Shahid Khan [in Gangs to Bombay they will serve you

96 �� ’� �� everything on a platter. So I was just WITH PAATAL LOK, trying to get better projects. MY PERFORMANCE Critics have been praising you for REACHED MORE a while, but the scale of audience PEOPLE’S HEARTS recognition for Paatal Lok has been unprecedented. How do you think AND MINDS. this happened? Not just critics—the audience also watched Gangs of Wasseypur, Raazi, much more favourable towards me. It’s Vishwaroopam—but when they found actually quite normal. me featured as the protagonist and In Paatal Lok, my role also had my performance was good, they were the length of the entire series, so my performance reached more people’s hearts and minds.

Do you prefer today’s world with its �� massive social media presence and immediate response to Paatal Lok or an earlier, quieter world? Even if I prefer the earlier world, I can’t do anything to change things.

Some people don’t have social media accounts at all. I am hardly on social media. When I do go online it’s only to talk about my work or something I feel strongly about. For me, it is social media, not my- personal-life media. I restrict myself online because that suits me. I don’t post what I’m eating or reading. I don’t do that. ��’’.�� 97 Lin-Manuel Miranda (second from left) in Hamilton

RD RECOMMENDS

Alexander Hamilton, one of the United States’ founding fathers. The Films film sheds light on Hamilton’s role as ENGLISH: Based on the multi-award aide of George Washington during the winning Broadway musical of the American Revolution and his work same name, HAMILTON is a musical as the first US Secretary of the Trea- drama film charting the life of sury in the post-war years. It is written, produced and composed by Poster for the supremely talented Lin-Manuel the Charlize Miranda, who also plays the role Theron-starrer, of Hamilton. The film streams on OLD GUARD Disney+Hotstar from 3 July. The Charlize Theron-starrer, OLD GUARD, premieres on Netflix from 10 July. The film follows a secret group of immortal mercenaries who have been guarding the mortal world for centuries. But, immortality comes with its own burden, besides the risk of being exposed. It falls to the group’s leader, Andy, and its newest recruit,

98 �� ’� ��

Nile, to protect their secret from being monetized and abused. Directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, it also features KiKi Layne and Chiwetel Ejiofor. In what’s being considered one of the first movies to be released in theatres in the wake of the coronavirus crisis, the psychological thriller UNHINGED is scheduled for release on 31 July. The film depicts a road-rage incident that turns ugly and has severe repercussions for a divorced, single mother who comes to be stalked, harrowed and tormented by a mentally unstable stranger in the aftermath of the incident. Directed by Derrick Borte, A still from the film stars Russell Crowe, Caren Pistorius UNHINGED and Gabriel Bateman.

#WATCHLIST: this timely series siblings land them 0N OUR RADAR streaming from in hot water: While 8 July on Netflix. some end up in the past, others find Stateless: The lives of The Umbrella Academy themselves in the four strangers clash in Season 2: In this sea- middle of a nuclear an immigration centre son, the time-disrup- apocalypse. Strea- in the middle of an ting activities of the ming from 31 July Australian desert in superpowered on Netflix.

Japan Sinks: 2020: This animated series sees Japan being ra- vaged by catastrophic earthquakes, and the efforts of several families to escape and A scene survive this annihila- from Japan tion. Streaming from Sinks: 2020 9A July still onfrom Netflix. Space Force

��.�� 99 ��’� �� Books Shaheen Bagh and the Idea of India, edited by Seema Mustafa, Speaking Tiger Books In December 2019, Shaheen Bagh was not just a protest venue, in a corner of south Delhi, Scope Out against the Citizenship COVID-19: The Amendment Act, it Pandemic that Never became a symbol of Should Have Happened, resistance for the entire and How to Stop the nation. As the protest Next One (Hachette): gained momentum, Debora MacKenzie the backlash was also tells the story of how swift and brutal. important questions: the pandemic un- This anthology, Can the Shaheen Bagh folded, and how to featuring ground movement undo the prevent future ones. reports, essays and damage done to Indian interviews of some democracy? How did The Pull of the Stars of the brave women the non-violent move- (Pan Macmillan India): of Shaheen Bagh, by ment sustain itself? Set in 1918 Dublin, journalists, authors, Will the movement Emma Donaghue tells social activists and continue to inspire the story of three scholars, is essential more such solidarities health-care workers reading. It raises in future? who come together in a hospital. Utopia Avenue by David Mitchell (Hachette India): Set against the The Peppermint Tea backdrop of a psychedelic London Chronicles (Hachette): in 1967, Utopia Avenue depicts a In Alexander McCall band’s brief blaze of glory, before Smith’s latest book, they embark on a journey to Stuart revives an old America, where psychedelia was friendship, while Ber- morphing into something more tie and his friend have sinister, stimulated by drugs. It is an unexpected adven- a celebration of music and a swan- ture in the circus.

song to a vibrant era on the wane. �� , �� : ��

100 �� Culturescape

speeches during the lockdown, to Funny People the US ban on H-1B Danish Sait visas. Sait’s revolving cast of characters, bsurdity is what His sketches developed from his ABengaluru-based draw upon a bunch radio-jockey days, is Danish Sait draws of contemporary funny and memorable. upon for his comedy. themes—from Though they are The 33-year-old’s on- the Prime mostly parodies of line videos have been Minister’s common, working- a laughter riot—cap- class people of turing the eccentrici- Bengaluru, they ties, obsessions and hold true for other frustrations of these Indian cities too, times. Little won- capturing audiences der then that many in Chennai, Mumbai of Sait’s sketches or Delhi. on Twitter and Given how TikTok have prolific he is, and gone viral, how popular his winning sketches are, his him instant phenomenal fame and following is har- fandom. dly surprising.

Historic milestones motion and gravita- Norfolk, England. in politics, science tion, is published in and publishing Latin on 5 July 1867. �The Catcher In the Rye published: �Laws of motion �Princess Diana The beloved work and gravitation born: Diana, by J. D. Salinger come to light: Isaac Princess of Wales, is published Newton’s Principia, is born Diana as a novel by containing his foun- Frances Spencer Little, Brown

THROWBACK dational laws of on 1 July 1961, in on 16 July 1951. �� : �� COMPILED BY SAPTAK CHOUDHURY ��.�� 101 ��’� ��

REVIEW A Worthy Follow-Up Articulate and insightful, though not as powerful as Nanette, Hannah Gadsby’s Australian comedian Hannah Gadsby Douglas is still a treat to watch world now appears her show before to be reminded of the going on to expertly �� Shougat Dasgupta iniquities of racism). deliver it nonetheless. Gadsby’s Netflix The show is named AUSTRALIAN comedian show was cathartic, after the rectouterine Hannah Gadsby’s ex- eye-opening, emo- pouch, a feature of traordinary Sydney tional—taking a flame- the female body, laid Opera House perfor- thrower, for instance, claim to by Scottish mance of Nanette—her to society’s reverence anatomist James Doug- intense concoction of of Picasso as a transfor- las—a typical example, comedy, drama, story- mative artist while Gadsby says, of patriar- telling, art history, ignoring his history chal entitlement. social commentary of violent misogyny. Douglas lacks the and feminist, outsider But Nanette was not coruscating originality anger—became an about cancel culture of Nanette, but it re- international Netflix so much as a viscerally mains a treat to watch hit. Articulate, intelli- expressed plea to be Gadsby, particularly gent, insightful and heard, for the right to her excursions into provocative, Gadsby be heard. In Douglas, art history, her mock tapped into a post- her Netflix follow-up, despair at what great #MeToo vein, her Gadsby is less perfor- art reveals about the Netflix special airing matively angry, less predilections of men just as the world ap- abrasive but also less and her very real des- peared to be waking up interesting. Her stylish pair about who gets to to the iniquities of the opening gambit is to make art and who gets patriarchy (just as the set up the structure of to tell their story.

102 �� Culturescape

STUDIO

Louis Pasteur by Albert Edelfelt

Oil on canvas, 60 X 50 inches, 1885

LOUIS PASTEUR was among the medical luminaries, alongside Robert Koch, Pierre-Paul- Émile Roux and Ferdinand Cohn, who changed micro- biology forever, with their important con- tributions. Not only did Pasteur’s findings lend overwhelming support to the germ theory of disease, there and set up the delicate use of light co- he also discovered scene with Pasteur’s ming through from an pasteurization, a consent)—his labora- unseen window—with technique to treat tory in the rue d’Ulm, a touch of the tech- bacterial contami- Paris, amidst his nique of chiaroscuro— nation in milk and equipment. realistically highlights wine, and the first It captures a signifi- Pasteur’s grace, poise vaccine for rabies. cant moment—the and thoughtful expres- In the lifelike por- scientist holding a jar sion, while conducting trait of Pasteur, the containing the nerve this experiment. Finnish artist Albert tissue of a rabbit in- The popular portrait Edelfelt pictures the fected with rabies, is currently housed in scientist in his natural which he would use the Musée d'Orsay habitat (Edelfelt to develop and test the museum in Paris.

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS WIKIMEDIA himself was present rabies vaccine. The �BY SAPTAK CHOUDHURY

��.�� 103 ME & MY SHELF

Manjula Padmanabhan is an author, playwright, artist and cartoonist. She won the 1997 Onassis Award for Theatre, in Greece, for her play Harvest. Her comic strip Sukiyaki appears in Chennai’s BusinessLine. Her books include The Island of Lost Girls and two collections of plays, Blood And Laughter and Laughter And Blood.

Alice’s Adventures animals. This visual device heightens in Wonderland and the pathos and suspense, whilst also Through the Looking Glass providing a soft, self-deprecating hu- BY LEWIS CARROLL, Penguin Classics, `250 mour: The Jews are mice, for instance, These two small books contain a vast while the Nazis are cats. universe of ideas—about a child’s limit- less imagination of finding friends and The Gormenghast Trilogy battling fears. About the games that rule BY MERVYN PEAKE, Vintage Classics, all our lives, the mirrors that distort `1,099 The name Gormenghast belongs reality and the delights of fantasy. to a vast, stony castle. The trilogy, beginning with the birth of Titus Groan, the Maus: A Survivor’s Tale 77th Earl of Gormenghast, follows Groan, BY ART SPIEGELMAN, the castle’s rituals and its unforgettable Penguin UK, `999 denizens. The language has a mind-al- A searing representa- tering quality, with elements of humour tion, told through and horror, sweetness and tragedy. drawings, of Jews living through the horror- The Sea of Fertility years of Nazi Germany. BY YUKIO MISHIMA, Penguin Modern Most of the characters Classics, `17,365 The four novels in this

are represented as tetralogy combine extreme beauty with �� : ��

104 �� ’� �� exquisite pain through the life of its pro- Cuckold tagonist, Shigekuni Honda. He follows BY KIRAN NAGARKAR, a thread of love that spans four different HarperCollins Publishers, lives, in successive reincarnations. It is `599 Set in 16th-century a breathtaking exploration of human Mewar, the story follows the longing, desire and loss. life of Maharaj Kumar. He is based on a historical char- Gödel, Escher, Bach: acter, Bhoj Raj, but he speaks to us An Eternal Golden Braid in the familiar voice of a modern man. BY DOUGLAS HOFSTADTER, Basic Books, He is warm and charming, but his wife `999 It has been described as a gymna- is the legendary Meerabai, in love sium for the intellect—and it is! The forever with Lord Krishna. A story author dissects human intelligence of impossible, immortal love. with dazzling wordplay, puzzles of logic and mathematical riddles. The Watchmen BY ALAN MOORE AND DAVID GIBBONS, The Night DC Comics, `1,199 It’s a novel, told via Circus comic-book imagery, about a group of BY ERIN retired superheroes. When one of the MORGENSTERN, group’s members is mysteriously mur- Vintage, `399 dered, another member, Rorschach, A magical tale, set in attempts to expose what he believes is the US and Europe, a monstrous government conspiracy. about two powerful Densely plotted, with multilayered sorcerers and their battle for supre- storylines, it is as clever as it is prophetic: macy. The story spans several decades, [spoiler alert] New York is almost des- starting in the early 20th century, skip- troyed in a monstrous attack. ping back and forth in time. It is centred on the circus—a thrilling, dream- The Magus inspiring confection. BY JOHN FOWLES,Vintage Classics, `499 The novel unfolds like a beautiful, The Alexandria Quartet maddening puzzle. Nicholas Urfe, BY LAWRENCE DURRELL,Faber, `1,876 a young Englishman, visits the Greek This story weaves through the lives of a island of Phraxos and becomes dozen characters, in Egypt just before enmeshed in an elaborate psycho- and after World War II. The book is as logical game of truth and deception, much about the philosophical confron- love and death. It is intense, surreal tation between the East and the West and deeply disturbing. as it is about love, power and betrayal. —COMPILED BY SAPTAK CHOUDHURY Book prices are subject to change. ��.�� 105 THE GENIUS SECTION 11 Pages �� Your Mind

SURFING for BRAINPOWER How to avoid being clickbaited by your own brain

�� Daniel T. Willingham �� THE NEW YORK TIMES

106 �� Joleen Zubek ��’� ��

�� anything on the survive because they learnt about their internet, so why do I so often environments; a forager that occa- Y learn things I don’t want to sionally skipped a reliable feeding know? When I’m surfing the web, I ground to explore might find an even want to be drawn in by articles on better place to eat. Europe’s political history or the Humans, too, will forgo a known nature of quasars, but I end up pay-off to investigate the unknown. reading trivia such as a menu In one experiment, subjects were from Alcatraz prison. Why am asked to choose one of four photos, I not curious about the things each carrying some chance of paying I want to be curious about? a cash prize. Photos repeated, so sub- Curiosity feels as if it’s jects learnt to pick the best-paying, but outside your control, and when a novel photo popped up, they trying to direct it sounds as ill- chose it more often than the odds conceived as forcing yourself dictated they should. This preference to find a joke funny. But if for novelty is, of course, the reason you understand what prompts manufacturers periodically tweak curiosity, you may be able to product packaging and advertising. channel it a little better. But it’s good to know about your Across evolutionary time, cu- environment even if it doesn’t pro- rious animals were more likely to mise a reward right now; knowledge may be useless today but vital next week. Therefore, evolution has left us with a brain that can reward itself; satisfying curiosity feels pleasurable, so you explore the environment even when you don’t expect any concrete pay-off. Infants prefer to look at novel pictures compared with familiar ones. Preschoolers play longer with a mechanical toy if it’s difficult to deduce how it works. What’s more, curiosity doesn’t just ensure new opportunities for learning; it enhances learning itself. In a recent experiment, subjects read trivia questions and rated how curious each made them feel. Later, they saw the questions again, each

��.�� 107 ��’� ��

I WANT TO BE DRAWN IN BY ARTICLES ON THE NATURE OF QUASARS, BUT I END UP READING A MENU FROM ALCATRAZ.

followed by a photograph of a face, factoid. We’re maximally curious and judged whether that person when we sense that the environment looked as if he or she would know the offers new information in the right answer. In a surprise final memory proportion to complement what we test for the faces, subjects better already know. remembered those appearing after Note that your brain calculates trivia questions that made them what you might learn in the short curious. Curiosity causes a brain term—your long-term interests aren’t state that amplifies learning. a factor. That’s why a cardiac surgeon This function of curiosity—to who is passionate about her job will heighten memory—is the key to nevertheless find a conference pre- understanding why we’re curious sentation on the subject boring if her about some things and not others. brain decides that the talk won’t add We feel most curious when explo- to her knowledge. Conversely, when ration will yield the most learning. her friend persuades her to watch a Suppose I ask you, “What’s the documentary on type fonts, her brain most common type of star in the may calculate that this will be a rich Milky Way?” You’ll obviously feel no source of information—and she finds curiosity if you already know the an- herself fascinated. swer. But you’ll also feel little interest It’s that disconnect between long- if you know nothing about stars; if you and short-term interests that makes learnt the answer, you couldn’t con- frothy internet articles so frustrating. nect it to other knowledge, so it would The feeling of curiosity promised you’d

seem nearly meaningless, an isolated learn something and, admittedly, you ��

108 �� The Genius Section

did—now you know French citizens’ feature scores of stories on the front favourite macaron flavour—but you’re page, banking that one will strike each disappointed because your new know- reader’s sweet spot of knowledge. ledge doesn’t contribute to your long- So visit websites that use the same term interests. You’ve been clickbaited strategy but offer richer content: for by your own brain. example, JSTOR Daily, Arts & Letters If following curiosity results in Daily and ScienceDaily. disappointment, maybe it shouldn’t And pay more attention to by- be allowed to take the lead. Why not lines. Curiosity arises from the right just search for topics you truly want balance of the familiar and the novel. to learn about? That sounds logical, Naturally, writers vary in what they but a search for ‘quasars’ will yield assume their audience already knows thousands of hits and no way of and wants to know; when you find an knowing which offers the just-right author who tends to have your num- match to your current knowledge that ber, stick with her. will maintain your curiosity. You’ll Albert Einstein famously advised probably end up like the surgeon at a young student to “never lose a holy the boring conference talk. curiosity.” Given our evolutionary If you wish for more serious rea- history, there’s little danger any of ding when you surf the Web, the op- us will. The challenge is changing its portunistic approach is actually fine. focus from the momentary to some- You just need to frequent better thing more enduring. foraging grounds. The New York Times �� , �� Many websites that snare your time �New York Times, nytimes.com.

Deep Thoughts from the Readers of Reddit.com Alexander Graham Bell’s �rst telephone was absolutely useless until he made his second one. �� When I was a kid, my parents taught me to not believe everything I saw on TV. Now I have to teach them to not believe everything they see on Facebook. ��

Humans are really bad at recharging; it takes them about 8 hours to charge for 16 hours of use. ��

��.�� 109 BRAINTEASERS

Path Puzzle Di�cult Draw a path that 2 leads from one of the maze’s openings to the other. As the 3 path winds from one cell to the next, it can move up, 4 down, left or right but not diagonally. It cannot pass through any cell more than once. A black number tells you how many cells the path passes through in the corresponding row 5 or column. A red number indicates the total number of cells the path passes 5 through in the corresponding row and column. Can you trace the path? 6 3 4

14 Go Forth, Subtract and Multiply Moderately di�cult Fill the whole numbers from 1 to 9 into the cells, using 4 each number once. If the three numbers in any given row, from left to right, and the three numbers in any column, from top to 25 bottom, are A, B and C, then the number provided for that row or column is equal to 45 20 25 (A − B) × C. DARREN RIGBY DARREN � MULTIPLY AND SUBTRACT FORTH, � GO KIMBALL; RODERICK � PUZZLE � PATH

110 �� ’� ��

Dominoes Easy A standard double-six set of 28 dominoes has been arranged into the rectangle on the right. Can you draw in the lines to show the placement of the dominoes? We’ve shown each one on the left so you can cross them o� as you �nd them.

True Blue Moderately di�cult Noah, Esmé, Shubham and Olivia are wearing solid- colour shirts. The colours of their four shirts are red, yellow, green and blue. Only the person in the blue shirt tells the truth, while the other three people lie. They make the following statements: Noah: “Shubham is wearing a red shirt.” Esmé: “Noah is not wearing a yellow shirt.” Can you determine each person’s Shubham: “Esmé is wearing a blue shirt.” shirt colour, and whether or not we Olivia: “I’m going to wear a blue shirt can expect to see Olivia in a blue tomorrow.” shirt tomorrow?

For answers, turn to PAGE 112 FRASER SIMPSON FRASER � BLUE TRUE � DOMINOES;

��.�� 111 ��’� ��

BRAINTEASERS ANSWERS JIGSAW SUDOKU

FROM PAGES 110 & 111 �� Jeff Widderich

Path Puzzle

2 3 4 3 4 7 8 9 9 8 3 5 5 4 8 9 6 3 4

Go Forth, Subtract and Multiply 6 1 8 8 6 7 14 1 4 3 1 2 4 9 4 5 25 7 6 2 5 4 45 20 25 6 Dominoes To Solve This Puzzle

Put a number from 1 to 9 in each empty square so that:

��every horizontal row and SOLUTION

7 3 5 2 9 6 1

vertical column contains all 4 8

4 2 1 8 5 7 3 9

nine numbers (1-9) without 6

7 4 3 8 9 2 1 6

repeating any of them; 5

7 8 5 4 1

True Blue 9 2 3 6

2 8 6 1 3 4 5 7

Esmé is wearing red, Noah � each outlined, irregularly 9 7 2 8 1 9 6 3 5

is in yellow, Shubham is in 4

3 9 5 2 7 6 1 shaped zone has all nine 4 8

green and Olivia is in blue. 9 8 7 4 3 1 6

2 numbers, none repeated. 5

4 3 5 1 7 9 2 8 Olivia will wear a blue shirt 6 again tomorrow.

112 �� The Genius Section

9. unorthodox adj. WORD POWER (un-’or-thoh-doks) � not conventional. � Eastern. � beneath the surface. At first glance, this month’s words might not seem like birds of a feather. But each 10. welkin n. (‘wel-kin) has an animal name (or two!) nested � fleece vest. inside, the way ‘menagerie’ contains � sky. ‘nag’. So make a beeline to the quiz, � accordion. try to spot the critters, then vamoose 11. epigram n. to the next page for all the answers. (‘eh-pee-gram) � long farewell. � witty saying. � ghostly presence. �� Emily Cox �� Henry Rathvon 12. malevolent adj. 1. dogma n. 5. forbear v. (muh-’leh-vuh-lent) (‘dog-mah) (for-’bair) � masculine. � false belief. � hold back. � spiteful. � perseverance. � go before. � good-hearted. � established opinion. � carry off. 13. papeterie n. 2. cataract n. 6. simoleon n. (‘pap-eh-tree) (‘cat-uh-rakt) (sih-’moh-lee-on) � poetic meter. � waterfall. � lookalike. � letter jumble. � tomb. � dollar. � fancy stationery. � eyeshade. � coincidence. 3. toponym n. 7. execrable adj. 14. demur v. (‘taw-puh-nim) (‘ek-sih-krih-bull) (dih-’mer) shy away from. � misprint. � discarded. � take exception. � place name. � immortal. � strongly imply. � opposite. � horrible. � 4. escrow n. 8. camellia n. 15. clamour v. (‘eh-skroh) (kuh-’mee-lee-yuh) (‘klam-er) � money held in trust. � flowering shrub. � shine brightly. � gross exaggeration. � horned lizard. � demand loudly. � eviction notice. � love song. � leave speechless.

��.�� 113 ��’� ��

The Canine Islands You might think the Canary Islands were named for canaries—after all, the yellow finches are indigenous to the Spanish archipelago. But ‘Canary’ here actually refers to another animal: the dog. In Spanish, the islands are called Islas Canarias, derived from the Latin word for dog, a moniker bestowed by ancient explorers who reported seeing large canines there. The native songbirds were named, in essence, after dogs!

Word Power 6. simoleon �� dollar. 12. malevolent �� Ravi was down to his spiteful. Cinderella ANSWERS last simoleon when wondered why her 1. dogma �� established Lady Luck arrived. stepsisters looked opinion. Galileo’s ideas so malevolent. challenged the religious 7. execrable �� and scientific dogmas horrible. We had 13. papeterie �� of the time. execrable weather fancy stationery. Soniya last week: five rainy sent her wedding guests 2. cataract �� waterfall. days in a row! handwritten thank-you “Canoeing over that notes on beautiful cataract would be very 8. camellia �� papeterie. unwise,” warned the flowering shrub. Many park ranger. people don’t realize 14. demur �� take that tea is made from exception. You say 3. toponym �� place camellia leaves. there’s no chance name. “Half the topo- of winning this game— nyms on this map are 9. unorthodox �� well, I demur! unpronounceable,” not conventional. Kari’s Farzana grumbled. unorthodox approach to 15. clamour �� investing paid off when demand loudly. The 4. escrow �� money held she retired early. protesters clamoured for in trust. “I’m afraid there’s the jailed activist to be not enough in escrow 10. welkin �� sky. released immediately. to cover the taxes,” said A faint rainbow stretched the lawyer. across the welkin.

5. forbear �� hold back. 11. epigram �� witty Vocabulary Ratings If you’re offering my saying. The poet Dorothy 9 & below: moderate favourite cookies, how Parker was known for her 10–12: swanky

can I forbear? biting epigrams. 13–15: shrewd �� í ��

114 �� The Genius Section

10. The record for the QUIZ fastest non-tornado wind gust was set during tro- pical cyclone Olivia in �� Samantha Rideout which country?

1. Swahili, one of the most 6. What actor topped 11. In 2019, Italian artist widely-spoken languages the 2019 Forbes list of Maurizio Cattelan taped in Central and East Africa, the most in�uential what item of fruit to a wall is the o�cial language of Chinese celebrities? and sold it for US$1,20,000 which country? (₹90,63,480)? 7. In what resort can one 2. Now very rare, thanks race in a Star Wars-themed 12. What kills more to vaccines, what infec- half-marathon? people worldwide: tious disease is the reason road accidents or homi- why Spain remembers 8. Who wrote the follo- cide (including war and 1613 as ‘the year of the wing? “Is there meaning capital punishment)? strangulations’? to music? ... Yes. And can you state in so many 13. The person who was 3. Before humans risked words what the meaning born Princess Anne-Marie �ying in a hot-air balloon is? ... No.” of Denmark would now be themselves, they sent up the queen of which country which three animals? 9. How old was Greta had it not abolished its Thunberg when she �rst monarchy in 1973? 4. Late blight, the plant became an activist? disease that caused 14. What sport, invented Ireland’s Great Famine, in Amsterdam in 1901, no longer threatens potato requires four men and four crops. True or false? women on each team?

5. Acclaimed humorist, 15. The ancient Egyptian Sir P. G. Wodehouse, god Khepri was portrayed was a big fan of which as what insect, or some- sport in the early days times, as a man with that

of his career? insect for a head?

15. 14. 13. A scarab beetle. beetle. scarab A Korfball. Greece. deaths. human 40 in one around for blame

12. 11. 10. 9. Road accidents, which are to to are which accidents, Road banana. A Australia. old. years 15 Copland. Aaron

8. 8. 7. 6. 5. 4 The Wandering Earth Wandering The The composer composer The World. Disney . of star Jing, Wu Actor Cricket. False. .

3. 2. 1. Answers: A sheep, a rooster and a duck. They landed safely. safely. landed They duck. a and rooster a sheep, A Diphtheria. Tanzania. ANDERS HELLBERG/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS HELLBERG/WIKIMEDIA ANDERS

��.�� 115 ��’� ��

QUOTABLE QUOTES

I want to tell [girls] that they have the right to feel beautiful in spite of what society thinks of them. Laxmi Agarwal, acid-attack survivor and activist

Two armies at death-grips—that is one great army committing suicide. Henri Barbusse, novelist

Horror is the removal of masks. Robert Bloch, author ��

Laxmi Agarwal Henri Barbusse Robert Bloch