8 | new delhi|friday, 28 SEPTEMBER 2012| millennium post mp Edit Page EDITORIAL Saving the Inside Batman’s secret lair rhinoceros A visit to the comic superhero’s hideaway, steeped in tragedy and spectres, is fascinating that combination of fantastic, sin- maid, had attempted to crack the The killing of two rhinoceres in Assam’s Kaziranga ister and sophisticated that sets his code to Bruce Wayne’s safe. We National Park by poachers should not have happened. Batman apart from its predecessors. strolled in the gardens behind the These rhinoceres were mutilated and had their horns As any Batman buff worth his hall where Gotham City’s elite had chopped off while one of them had its ears cut while still salt knows Wayne Manor burned partied while the reclusive owner alive. These are unnecessarily and brutal killings of pro- down at the end of Batman Begins watched from the suitably forbid- tected animals. This is not the first killing in the recent Shreya and Bruce Wayne vowed to rebuild it ding rooftop. past. Just four days ago another rhinoceros was shot dead. Sen-Handley ‘brick by brick’. In The Dark Knight, The cemetery scene with Michael The park has lost four rhinos within a week and fourteen he’s seen living in an oversized bach- Caine and Gary Oldman was also within the year. In fact, as many as 290 of these animals he day our resident Batman elor pad that is the farthest thing shot here, though the estate does may have been killed since 2001. Many hundreds have also fanatic had been waiting from his ancestral home. In the tril- not actually have its own grave- perished due to natural disasters, with as many as 700 of for dawned bright and ogy’s final film, Bruce Wayne builds yard. A sprinkling of CGI, a dis- the animals having died in floods this June. It is unfortu- breezy. My four year old his home anew, and the makers of creet set design team who kept the nate that these killings have taken place at the Kaziranga Tson leaped out of bed because today DKR knew they couldn’t just res- climax shrouded in secret and the National Park which is a world heritage site. The rhino is was the day we were visiting Wol- urrect the original Wayne Manor; wonderfully sinister aspect of the protected under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 and is laton Hall in Nottingham, the new they would have to find him a lair house made that final scene the listed as endangered by the International Union for the ‘Wayne Manor’ in The Dark Knight that was different but also similar unexpectedly shocking denoue- Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. At one Rises. enough to be a tribute to Batman’s ment it was. For good measure, time, the Kaziranga National Park was a remarkable story Our mission was to discover why childhood home. Chris Nolan filmed it ringed by of the conservation director Christopher Nolan chose And so it was farewell Mentmore the fiercest of Gurkha guards to of the great Indian Once plentiful in South Wollaton, a relatively obscure estate, Towers and hello Wollaton Hall! prevent leaks of the ending to the one-horned rhi- Asia, rhinoceros were and to see if it passed my son’s strin- Mentmore, the original ‘Wayne press or public. noceros, with their gent Batworthiness test. So, off we Manor’ has been many things, from Of course, if Hollywood’s fin- numbers increasing extensively hunted or set for our day at ‘Wayne Manor’, glorified gallery for Baron Roths- est turn up at your door, you must dramatically over captured, leading to knowing that Batman would not be child’s art collection, to a Maharishi make the most of it. Wollaton has, a large part of the the decimation of the in residence and we would have the Mahesh Yogi (Guru to the Beatles) quite naturally, capitalised on its new 20th century. How- luxury of scrutinising his new home ashram, to a sought after location connection with some Bat-themed ever, today, they are species minutely. We were under its spell as for Hollywood films including Eyes offerings, though not as many as once again among the soon our car began the ascent up Wide Shut and Batman Begins. In you’d expect from a place of such world’s most endangered species but have been reduced the wide tree-lined avenue to the fact, it has little in common with Wollaton Hall, aka Wayne Manor (inset) in The Dark Knight Rises significance to the Batman frater- to only about 2,500 in South Asia. It is of interest that the mansion’s imposing front. Wolla- Wollaton other than its extravagant nity. There’s a snazzy new logo for rhinocers is an ancient species which is depicted on the ton was completed in 1588, yet it Jacobean facade. Where Mentmore there’s no-one left in the house. ing staircases. But we weren’t con- the Hall, as close to the Bat Signal seals of the Mohenjodaro era 5,000 years ago and roamed is remarkably different from much is polished and prosperous, Batman’s Certainly, enough has happened vinced that anything sinister actually as legally permissible. There’s also a the plains of the Indus river. Once plentiful in South Asia, of the opulent architecture of the new pad is a tad decrepit and for- under this roof for it to house a few lived there till we came face to face Bat Trail for kids, with bat motifs on they were extensively hunted or captured, leading to the time. Elizabethan in its grandeur but lorn, but that suits the gloom of a ghosts. It’s been through a devastat- with wall upon wall of mounted the garden paths, which delighted decimation of the species. The further destruction of their Jacobean in its brooding demean- Chris Nolan production perfectly. ing fire, like Wayne Manor itself. It animal heads on the topmost floor. my toddlers. And a store packed habitat over the years as well as poaching has brought the our, there is also an obvious Ital- The house’s eventful history, has also been a penitentiary for Ger- The leering grins and glazed eyes of to the rafters with Caped Crusader rhinos to the brink of extinction. They are killed because ian influence which comes from its steeped in tragedy and spectres, man prisoners during World War the stuffed animals half-hidden in merchandise their body parts are prized and their horn is an ingredi- master mason, brought from Italy, would have appealed to the film’s II. And the spirit of the cantanker- the shadows of Wollaton’s almost- As we said our goodbyes to ent in traditional Asian medicines. and it’s impressive Sistine Chapel- location hunters, as much as its look. ous Lady Middleton has allegedly forgotten natural history museum ‘Wayne Manor’ standing proud The horn has also been used to finance militancy in esque painted ceilings, the work Beneath the mansion is a network never left her erstwhile home. Par- was creepier than any ghost could on its hill, we conjured up, one last the north-eastern states of India, which has caused the of Baroque maestro Verrio. And of subterranean cellars and passages alysed after a fall, she spent the rest have been. Our little boy was sat- time, the vision of Batman in his extinction of rhino populations in some protected areas. It if there’s something almost East- in which paranormal ‘experts’ swear of her life cooped up in the room isfied though, that in this house, echoing Bat Cave directly under- is even more alarming that their habitat is rapidly shrink- ern about its soaring minaret-like they have encountered restive spirits. she now haunts. his hero had all the atmosphere he neath, testing some cool new gadget. ing because of the conversion of grasslands for agricultural towers, it’s because it was conceived We didn’t get to look around, but you The thought of ghouls lurking in could need. But Batman has left this build- fields. There are other pressures on rhinoceros as well such as a homage to the Temple of Solo- can just imagine Batman sneaking the manor excited our young Bat- The day wasn’t complete with- ing, possibly forever. Can Wolla- as growing population. The worst challenge to their exis- mon in Jerusalem. It is immediately in and out of them to fight crime! If man freak no end and we spent a out a peek into every nook and ton become a star in its own right? tence that has emerged in recent years is poaching. Even obvious why Chris Nolan, weaver that’s not enough, a centuries-old few happy hours pursuing ephem- cranny immortalised by DKR. So Shreya Sen-Handley is a writer as there are government programmes to foster the rhinoc- of dark dreams, wanted Wollaton pipe organ in the main hall can be eral phantoms through long gloomy we had a look around the kitchen and illustrator. She now writes for The eros population and to increase their numbers, and the for his Caped Crusader. The hall has heard on wind-swept nights when corridors and up sweeping, squeak- where Catwoman, disguised as a Guradian and other UK newspapers laws against poaching are strict, they are not rigourously enforced. Forest departments face challenges such as the lack of equipment and finances. However, more impor- tweet tant has been the lack of political will, which has meant RETWEET that rhino consevation has had a low priority. Badal’s political woes increase Shobhaa De While new taxation hurts small farmers, the chief minister is silent on political issues @DeShobhaa Cutie Bilawal, The future of cars that the ‘Congress-led United Hottie Hina, Creepy Progressive Alliance (UPA) gov- Zardari. What a ernment is forcing the Punjab script! Modern-day is driverless government to impose property Laila-Majnu. Go for tax and has withheld Rs 1100 it, lovebirds! Take the It’s a stuff that science fiction is made of. Or so we crore grants sanctioned under thought. Google has signed a law with California gover- the Jawaharlal Nehru National Birkin with you nor Jerry Brown to launch self-driven cars. The date and B K Chum Urban Renewal Mission Cen- time is hidden in the womb of the future but the signing tre last year and Rs 900 crore Aftab shivdesani of the law means that the technology major have been able his week’s column will this year’. He, however, did not @aftab_ps to convince lawmakers that self-driven cars are the way to deal with two issues: explain the reasons of the Cen- go. It’s a zoom into the world of films like Total Recall and Announcement of new tre’s ‘arm-twisting’ for impos- Perceptions until you Fifth Element. But then if in late nineteenth century one taxation measures by ing property tax. The fact is that become memories spoke about automobile cars with navigation facilities peo- TAkali-Bharatiya Janata Party under the urban reforms pro- eventually ple would have thought they are quoting from the works government; and, Punjab chief gramme, the states can claim of HG Wells. But it took a few decades to let that happen minister Parkash Singh Badal’s JNNURM grants only if they, ful- and when it did, we were far from surprised. ‘We’re look- intriguing silence on the BJP fill the pre-condition of raising ing at science fiction becoming tomorrow’s reality,’ Brown leadership’s demand for Prime their own share by levying prop- is reported to have commented while signing the law. He Minister Manmohan Singh’s res- erty tax. The pre-condition is Onir is not being prescient, merely a little ahead of time. This ignation on the coalgate issue. applicable on all the states. Many @IamOnir new car will be powered by technology company Google The inevitable has happened states have fulfilled the pre-con- which has been developing self-driving technology since on the additional resource mobil- dition and availed of the grants. Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal Man just wants to 2010 and has reportedly tested a fleet of such cars along isation issue. The government But the Punjab government has clamouring for higher minimum land ceiling laws. These reports forget the bad stuff Californian highways. Google’s futuristic cars are said to last week announced new levies failed to fulfill its commitment. support prices (MSP) for agricul- had alleged that several big land- and believe in the depend on video cameras, radar sensors, lasers and data- Nobody can legitimately deny How does ‘arm-twisting’ by the tural commodities, disregarding lords had saved large chunks made up good stuff. base made from millions of information systems that col- that the state needs funds for Centre arise? the fact that high-priced agri- of their surplus lands not only Its easier that way lect driving data from cars driven manually. They all come meeting committed expenditure, Sukhbir’s statement is obvi- cultural commodities are also by showing them belonging to together to synchronise a system that is truly in auto-pilot. development and for filling the ously to placate his party ally BJP, largely responsible for the rising benami farmers but also show- Two things should be noted here. state’s empty coffers. whose urban vote bank would cost of living. ing their cattle as their benami The fact that it’s Google and not any of the car majors The situation poses three mainly be hit by the new prop- As compared to the small owners! who is driving the automobile into the future is a signifi- questions. Who is responsible erty tax measures. farmers, it is the large landhold- What is intriguing for the cant development in the industry and can shake the future – the state’s ruling class or the There are more shocks wait- ers who produce larger surpluses. Punjab watchers is the silence of of the industry in more ways than one. Second, the safety Centre – for pushing Punjab to ing for the common man, espe- Higher MSPs fetch them higher the Chief Minister Parkash Singh We have not been norms and security issues involved could fundamentally the brink of bankruptcy? Should cially the urban voter. He should returns. On the other hand, sur- Badal on the BJP’s demand for change the way in which road rules are now negotiated. the common man, and not the be ready to bear additional bur- pluses of small and marginal Prime Minister’s resignation on able to make an impact In the long run it could revolutionise our ways of think- rich economic and political class, den of taxes as the Akali Dal is farmers are comparatively much the coalgate scam. Some media on a world scale ing about roads, urban infrastructure and urban living. bear main burden of new taxes? not likely to cut down the quan- less and yield them lesser returns. reports claim that Badal’s per- commensurate with our After the internet through which Google has fundamen- What are likely to be the political tum of huge subsidies and free- This is also one of the reasons sonal equation with Manmohan tally changed the reception and production of informa- implications of these new levies? bies it gives to its own vote bank. for the widening disparities of Singh is the main reason for not large scientific manpower tion, Google seems to be on the way to becoming the Lord Fiscal mismanagement and Free power for the farm sector incomes in the farm sector. The supporting his favourite ally’s pool of the roads too. But how will this development impact the populist policies of the alone costs the exchequer Rs small farmers, therefore, need to demand for PM’s resignation. India? For all we know, someone can bar its entry citing successive Akali-BJP and 6000 crore annually. be given higher MSPs. Even if far-fetched, some of MANMOHAN SINGH the sentiments of drivers and auto-rickshas. Before that Congress governments have been Nobody would want to deny It can be argued that differ- Badal’s critics have a contrarian we have to find out if self-driving cars would involve FDI responsible for the state’s present the supply of free power to small ential rates of MSPs for the large view for his not supporting the in retail in which case its future is doomed anyway. But terminal financial health. The farmers, those owning up to five and small landholders can lead resignation demand. They claim millenniumpost.in in case it makes its way we may as well spare a thought present Akali-BJP rulers have acres. But the Akali leadership to frauds. Large landholders that although the Congress-led for the drivers who might lose their employment. One been charging the Centre with will not curtail the quantum of with larger surpluses will claim UPA-II has been tainted with Log on to write letters to the editor thing is for sure. The alcohol industry will rejoice at the discriminating against Punjab in free power subsidy for the farm- higher MSPs by showing part of mega scams, the latest being or send them to thought of self-driven cars in India! The huge demog- giving financial help. Now, Dep- ers owning larger holdings. They their surpluses as belonging to coalgate, Punjab has also been hit [email protected] raphy of drunk nocturnal revellers will now drink their uty Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh are the main beneficiaries of free small farmers who are entitled by several gatecams, though of You can also send your comments to life to the lees because they will not need to drive after a Badal has given a new dimension power, the class to which most to receive higher MSPs. One is comparatively miniature scales, The Editor, heavy drinking bout. All they have to do is take their seat to his anti-Centre tirade. leaders of the ruling Akali Dal reminded of the reports about like the cables-gate and the sand- Millennium Post, in their car and just press a button. Zoom! Talking to the media at Gur- belong. It is mainly this class such tricks played by landlords and-gravel-gate. The latest is the E–137, Okhla Industrial Estate, daspur on 31 August, he alleged of landholders, who also keep at the time of enforcement of the landgate. IPA Phase–III, New Delhi–110020