Spark Word.World.Wisdom India Decoded August 2011 AUGUST 2011 INDIA DECODED 05 August 2011 Dear Reader, It is never easy to talk all about India in one issue. How- CONTRIBUTORS: ever, what we have done is to earnestly try to bring in as AMRITA SARKAR many perspectives as we can in the August edition of Spark themed, ‘India Decoded’. ANUPAMA KRISHNAKUMAR We have a beautiful poem by R.Seshan that will awaken BIJESH KRISHNADAS the Indian in you and remind you of your responsibilities BHARAT BASWANI towards the nation. P.R.Viswanathan brings to life Moth- MEERA SUNDARARAJAN er India yet again through his words and this time, she is worried about what’s happening to her. Meera Sundara- NILESH J.BHANGE rajan captures the various contradictions that make In- PARTH PANDYA dia what it is, from a commoner’s point of view. Bijesh Krishnadas decodes the most talked about topic in India P.R.VISWANATHAN today—the Lokpal Bill. Parth Pandya brings in an inter- R.SESHAN esting perspective with his piece—talking about the In- VANI VISWANATHAN dia that exists outside of India—the NRI community. Varsha Sreenivasan throws light on the martial art legacy VARSHA SREENIVASAN of India—something that we ought to be proud of. YAYAATI JOSHI Anupama Krishnakumar pens five ‘100-word’ stories that capture little fragments of the Indian way of life. Vani Viswanathan writes an amusing piece on the connection WRITERS OF THE MONTH: between India and animals. ANJALI JOSEPH Amrita Sarkar portrays the many hues of the Indian AMISH TRIPATHI woman through her painting, while Bharat Baswani and Nilesh J.Bhange showcase the true beauty of India PREETI SHENOY through their amazing photographs! KARTIK IYENGAR Anupama Krishnakumar talks to four young Indian writ- ers who sparkle among Indian authors taking the Indian English literary scene by storm. Catch Anjali Joseph, CONCEPT, EDITING, DESIGN: Amish Tripathi, Preeti Shenoy and Kartik Iyengar in con- ANUPAMA KRISHNAKUMAR versation with her. VANI VISWANATHAN We hope this issue will not just be an enjoyable read but also one that will let you think about your role in the country’s progress. Happy reading! See you next month! — Spark Editorial Team POETRY The Road to Freedom by R.Seshan ——————————–—-- 4 NON-FICTION Non-Resident India by Parth Pandya————————————-5 Inside this issue of spark August 15, 2011 by P.R.Viswanathan———————————--17 Tautology by Yayaati Joshi————————————————-22 Lokpal Decoded by Bijesh Krishnadas———————————-39 Ancient India and its Martial Legacy by Varsha Sreenivasan—–42 India—a Case Study of Contradictions by Meera Sundararajan-51 Critters in Our Indian Lives by Vani Viswanathan——————--61 ART The Many Hues of the Indian Woman by Amrita Sarkar———--50 PHOTOGRAPHY The Beauty of the Indian Landscape by Nilesh J.Bhange———-14 Glimpses of India by Bharat Baswani———————————–35 INTERVIEWS Anjali Joseph—————————————————————–-10 Amish Tripathi—————————————————————-25 Preeti Shenoy—————————————————————--45 Kartik Iyengar—————————————————————--54 FICTION India and India Only! By Anupama Krishnakumar——————-63 THE ROAD TO FREEDOM As the clock struck midnight, A Nation stood as one, A thousand battles had been fought, The War for Freedom won. Three hundred years of slavery, And towering above all the rest, And generations of shame, There rose a single man, Were swept away in a tidal wave, POETRY BY R.SESHAN In a simple loin cloth he stood, As martyrs marched to fame. And dared the British Raj. From every corner of this land, In the history of the world till now, Sprang men of steel and grit, No fight like this was seen, With guns and swords and mighty words, The might of the British Empire crumbled, They threw the British out. Against a non-violent dream. For every name in the Hall of Fame, There were a million more, The deeds they did and the price they paid, None will ever know. The air of freedom that we breathe, Was paid in blood and tears, Be proud of this Nation, friends, And make this Nation proud. 4 NON-FICTION BY PARTH PANDYA Non-Resident INDIA It’s a well-known fact that there is an India residing outside of India in countries like the U.S., the U.K. and Australia. What exactly are the sort of sentiments that run within the minds of these non- resident Indians (NRIs)? Parth Pandya writes on the global Indian’s life. Among the many things he talks about, is also their perception of the country that’s their real home. 30 million of my brothers and sisters live outside in India and utters, “Oh, is that dish worth Rs. India. I learnt about these siblings in a pledge I 200?” Never mind that the same person would 30learnt in school. The number -- I need to thank not blink for a moment when gobbling down a Wikipedia for it. What does it mean to be a popu- latte and a slice of bread to go with it even lation larger than countries like Australia and Ma- though it may cost the same. It isn’t their fault – laysia? A diaspora this size can hardly be called the complaint is not about the money involved. sporadic. Do we then have an India outside of The shock is that of not recognising that while the India that is without the hegemony of borders India in their head has stalled to when they last and the dissonance of states? Is this the India of visited it, or mainly, when they last spent a good the NRI, by the NRI and for the NRI? time experiencing it, the real India that is growing Each one of those who has ventured out of India and mutating in all ways and means, has moved to go to their destinations – be it the United ahead. States of America, or the United Kingdom, or These migratory birds who leave the shores of down under in Australia, or to unexpected loca- Mumbai or rise above the smog of Delhi share a tions like Iceland, carries a snapshot of India that common trait – the desire to go back. I’ll focus on forms the basis of how they remember their a small sub-section to illustrate my case. Consider place of origin. Every subsequent trip to India is Indian students who come for graduate study in an exercise in revising this image. How often have the U.S. From my extensive conversations with you seen the shocked expression on the face of colleagues who have signed on for this non- an NRI when he looks at a menu in a restaurant resident experience, I have come to describe the 5 NON-FICTION BY PARTH PANDYA Literally. It is a fabulous experience, a coming-of-age for home- grown boys and girls, a step into a life which is tangentially oppo- site to the one you know, a rite of passage that will shadow you for the rest of your life. Therein lies the dilemma. How influential is the shadow? How long will the effects linger? How long are you bound to stay in this country? Expatriates often fail to clearly an- swer the one question that they should have answered foremost: why exactly are they here? For the love of God, money, educa- tion, partying, freedom, women, men, rental cars, Walmart, rent- al apartments, unlimited refills of soda, Taco Bell, long weekend deals, rolling Rs: one of these, all, or none? They go to the U.S., get through their Masters, get their first paycheck, their first car, make first serious attempts at arranged nuptials, actually getting married, getting their H1B visa stamped, applying for the green card, buying the first house, fussing about their lawn, buy bulk groceries from Costco and if productive, have a couple of babies too. situation with what I call the ‘n+5 theorem’. Ex- rental apartments, unlimited refills of soda, Taco cusing a few variations, almost every story starts Bell, long weekend deals, rolling Rs: one of these, with folks boarding an airplane wearing a ridicu- all, or none? They go to the U.S., get through lous suit, with loads of relatives happy to see their Masters, get their first paycheck, their first them off and a sense that they aren’t really pre- car, make first serious attempts at arranged nup- pared for the unexpected. The trip abroad is a tials, actually getting married, getting their H1B shift of the magnitude of the movement of tec- visa stamped, applying for the green card, buying tonic plates. The breaking up of world into conti- the first house, fussing about their lawn, buy bulk nents. Literally. It is a fabulous experience, a groceries from Costco and if productive, have a coming-of-age for home-grown boys and girls, a couple of babies too. The seemingly unbreakable step into a life which is tangentially opposite to sequence of events stated above is punctuated the one you know, a rite of passage that will with trips to India where a few tears are shed shadow you for the rest of your life. Therein lies with the parents, comments are made about how the dilemma. How influential is the shadow? How India is progressing, observations are made about long will the effects linger? How long are you how the country has changed beyond recogni- bound to stay in this country? Expatriates often tion, pleasant nods are given when told that kids fail to clearly answer the one question that they are best brought up in India, U.S’s role in world should have answered foremost: why exactly are affairs is tch-tched, and a general doomsday pre- they here? For the love of God, money, educa- diction is made about how your life will go down tion, partying, freedom, women, men, the drain if you decided to stay on forever in the 6 NON-RESIDENT INDIA U.S.