When i returned back to my room after term 5 vacations, i found this book, freshly still wrapped in its polythene cover lying on the table and i remembered Paul’s words that i could freely open it and read it. I was wondering about, Amartya Sen, it is a heard name and later i realized he won Nobel prize in Economics and I was reading Justice, it is more like Social Sciences and went on to do a Wiki on him. A book by a scorpio, possibly a Bharani or Krittika, 76 years old and he won his Nobel prize when he was 65 years old. He must be a great great grandpa. So here is the review:
Introduction
Lord Mansfield, the powerful English judge in the 18th century, famously advised a newly appointed colonial governor: ‘consider what you think justice requires and decide accordingly. But never give your reasons; for your judgement will probably be right, but your reason will certainly be wrong’. The argument for tactful reason vs. doing right things made me wonder, do people ponder so much over reasoning and justice to write a book on this. Why can’t people just be sensitive to the people sitting next to them, the poor people around them while doing anything, justice will be then inherent in everything else that they do once they have that thought in their mind. How is my studying going to help the poorest of the poor lady i saw begging on the way to the railway station? Well that thought will make me study with sincerity, because, i know i have the privilege to change lives in ways feasible sometime down in future.
After two years of reading economics where professors give the ideal demand supply curve for one product and based on explain stuff, the fact that Sen ponders about why to have the concept of ideal
justice, when actuality is not so, is seriously worth pondering.
“The distance between transcendental institutionalism, on the one hand, and realization-focussed comparison, on the other is quite momentous.” Why bother about “the characterization of perfectly just institutions has become the central exercise in the modern theories of justice” when reality is sky earth distance apart.
An illustration of how difficult things can get with the three children and a flute, gave a different benefactor every time I analyzed. If Anna had to get the flute, what if Carla and Bob learnt to play it with equal or more dedication than Anna later or were already in the process of learning to play the flute and possibly become more expert than Anna. Then Bob or Carla would get it. What if Bob had petitioned that he was poor to many and others were willing to give him not just a flute but other toys as well, and bob was not keen, then Carla would get. If the labourer who constructed the building claimed that he built it with great love and care and hence it should be his, then what would the home owners do who paid for it all?
Sen’s obsession with rather stressing on plural reasons for any of the competing principles is just enough. “If a theory of justice is to guide reasoned choices of policies, strategies or institutions, then the identification of fully just social arrangements is neither necessary nor sufficient” strikes a chord.
“It is of course possible to have a theory that does both comparative assessments between pairs of alternatives, and a transcendental identification (when that is not made impossible through the surviving plurality of impartial reasons that have claims on our attention). That would be a ‘conglomerate’ theory, but neither of the two different types of judgements follows from each other.” The analogy of selecting a painting and having Monalisa as the perfect picture made me recollect of Oscar Wilde’s “All art is quite useless.” (Not that I consider art as useless, on the contrary am quite an admirer of such mesmerizing creations.) Nevertheless, Sen’s explanations with such examples drives home the point with such lucidity unlike his usage of jargons like comparative justice and transcendental theory that can be interpreted in as many ways as there are thoughts fleeting in a split second in one’s mind.
“The need for an accomplishment-based understanding of justice is linked with the argument that justice cannot be indifferent to the lives that people can actually live. The importance of human lives, experiences, and realizations cannot be supplanted by information about institutions that exist and the rules that operate.”
True, quite often we have rules all made in the best of the intentions by the law makers and we find people to smartly find loop holes to do exactly opposite to the spirit of the law while strictly following the rules. What use of having justice, which obeys the letter, yet fails the very purpose and soul of justice?
“We may do the right thing and yet we may not succeed. Or, a good result may come about not because we aimed at it, but for some other, perhaps even an accidental, reason, and we may be deceived into thinking that justice has been done.” Processes and outcomes, the never ending debate and the role of dumb luck, well, has always been a never ending deliberation.
PART 1: THE DEMANDS OF JUSTICE
1. Reason and Objectivity
Lack of smartness can certainly be one source of moral failing in good behaviours. Reflecting on what would really be a smart thing to do can sometimes help one act better towards others. Made me remember one of the panchathanthra tales which expostulates that it is better to have a wise enemy than to have a foolish friend. True indeed, if everyone were to think of others as self, find oneself in others and find others in self, then the world would be a better place. Today the politicians are talking of imposing GST and contention over it, while all the politicians want to do is get more for their share while the masses in the villages anguish over the exorbitantly raising prices of basic commodities.
“Indeed, one of the main points in favour of reason is that it helps us to scrutinize ideology and blind belief.” Am yet to meet a single person in this world, who does not have even one single blind belief. It could be wearing a particular shirt for interview or why even believing in god. If one were to reason out everything, there would not be this thing of falling in love. Does everything have a reason. Vivekananda might say, reason out and only then you ought to believe in even your own teachers. However, we do have numerous instances of miraculous healing due to sheer blind faith and belief. Now we could understand the distinction between faith and belief. One says faith healing and not belief healing.
For those who are eternally optimistic and believing in fluke success - a very dubious procedure accidentally giving a more correct answer than extremely rigorous reasoning compared with a stopped watch giving the correct time 2 times a day was simple yet profound.
The seemingly simple case of redistributing food during preventable famines made me remember P. Sainath’s lecture. He surely has a way of speaking that makes an everlasting impression. Having queens feast while millions were dying of starvation outside, having a feast in Nero’s time while convicted criminals were burnt alive to provide light for the feasters still sends a shiver down my spine.
“Indeed, in celebrating reason, there is no particular ground for denying the far-reaching role of instinctive psychology and spontaneous responses” I believe that in addition to reason, one should ignore the gift of intuition and gut feeling.
2. Rawls and Beyond
“Bliss was it in that dawn to be alive,
But to be young was very heaven!”
Verses from Wordsworth’s and other poets here and there suddenly transported me to Hitler’s Mein Kampf where he talks about these elitists who use flowery words and things that are of no serious value to community at large and the art of talking to masses – public speaking, instigating them and inspiring them with plain common words and rousing them for collective action. And page 3 sequence where they show the masses crave for vulgar stuff and the class for finer.
Indeed, in his Justice as Fairness: A Restatement, Rawls notes that “there are indefinitely many consideration that may be appealed to in the original consideration and disfavoured by others, and also that ‘the balance of reasons itself rest on judgement, thought judgement informed and guided by reasoning.’
‘If the justice of what happens in a society depends on a combination of institutional features and actual behavioural characteristics, along with other influences that determine the social realisations, then is it possible to identify ‘just’ institutions for a society without making them contingent on actual behaviours?
Since no one has argued more powerfully and more elaborately than John Rawls for the need for ‘reasonable’ behaviours by individuals for a society to function well, he is clearly very aware of the difficulty in presuming any kind of spontaneous emergence of universal reasonable behaviour on the part of all members of a society.
3. Institutions and Persons
Ashoka says, ‘He who does reverence to his own sect while disparaging the sets of others wholly from attachment to his own sect, in reality inflicts, by such conduct, the severest injury on his own sect.
Social Justice – advancing the welfare and freedom of people in general is an important role for the state as well as of the individuals in society, but also that this social enrichment could be achieved through the voluntary good behaviour of the citizens themselves, without being compelled through force.
Ashoka’s nyaya vs. Kautilya’s niti
Paying attention to the purpose and consequence in interpreting a democratic constitution – Justice Stephen Bryer…
To ask how things are going and whether they can be improved is a constant and inescapable part of the pursuit of justice.
In the inclusive perspective of nyaya, we can never simply hand over the task of justice to some niti of social institutions and social rules that we see as exactly right, and then rest there, and be free from further social assessment (freedom from morality)
4. Voice and Social Choice
5. Impartiality and Objectivity
Classical Utlititarian in disguise as Rawls puts or Smith's impartial spectator: - the strength of his approval is determined by the balance of satisfaction to which he has sympathetically responded.
The impartial spectator can work and enlighten without being either a social contractor,or a utilitarian in camouflage.
Impartiality need not always take the form of being linked with mutually gainful cooperation and can also accommodate unilateral obligations that we may acknowledge because of our power to achieve socailal results that we have reason to value (without bnecessarily benefiting from thsoe results).
Limitations
(1) Exclusionary neglect:
(Closed impartiality) this isse can be particularly problamtice for 'justice as fairness' in dealing with justice across border,s since the basic social structure chosen for a socitety can have an influence on the lives not only of memebers of that society, but also those of others (who are not accommmodate in the orignial position for that society). There can be much vexation without representation.
6. Closed and Open partiality
Why, then, the need for an agreement when there are no difference to negotiate? The answer is that reaching a unanimous agreement without a biding vote is not the same thing as everyone’s arriving at the same choice, or forming the same intention. That it is an undertaking that people are giving may similarly affect everyone’s deliberations so that the agreement that results is different from the choice everyone would have otherwise made.
Rawls shows with powerful reasoning why judgements of justice cannot be entirely private affair that is unfathomable to others, and the Rawlsian invoking of a ‘public framework of thought’, which does not in itself demand a ‘contract’, is a critically important move: ‘we look at our society and our place in it objectively: we share a common standpoint along with others and do not make our judgements form a personal slant.’
International justice is simply not adequate for global justice. Again reiterates the inadequacy of institutional justice. The notion of human rights builds on our shared humanity. These rights are not derived from the citizenship of any country, or the membership of any nation, but are presumed to be claims or entitlements of every human being.
Indeed, when leave the world of locally confined ethics, and try to combine a procedure of closed impartiality with otherwise universalist intentions, procedural parochialism must be seen as a serious difficulty.
Even in a single classroom, with comprises of brilliant graspers and kind of tardy slow learners, the teacher is caught between going to higher levels for the benefit of top level students while the rest struggle or going slow and taking up easy tasks, while the super studs get impatient and bored.
There is nothing like equal equality. Even though the hand is one, the fingers are all different, each with its own strengths and weakness.
After this PZ returned from his Vipasanna meditation. He liked the dates and walnuts cake i had baked along with my friend in the microwave. When i told him, i still had half the book to complete, he rushed to bookstore to buy me another copy. Since he didn't accept the money i owed to him from thiruvannamalai trip, i was glad, the book shop was closed. I hurried for my yoga classes. After yoga, i asked PVS to come taste the cake i had baked. When he came, there was hardly any cake left, instead someone had kept groundnuts in black polythene cover.
Well, this was one book, that took quite some to read. Hope i get to read the rest sometime soon.
PART II: FORMS OF REASONING
7. Position, Relevance and Illusion
8. Rationality and Other people
9. Plurality of Impartial Reasons
10. Realizations, Consequences and Agency
PART III: THE MATERIAL OF JUSTICE
11. Lives, Freedoms and Capabilities
12. Capabilities and Resources
13. Happiness, Well-Being and Capabilities
14. Equality and Liberty
PART IV: PUBLIC REASONING AND DEMOCRACY
15. Democracy as Public Reason
16. The Practice of Democracy
17. Human Rights and Global Imperatives
18. Justice and the World
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Monday, January 4, 2010
Kaarthigai Deepam in Thirvannamalai
Here’s my Dec1st thiruvannamalai saga.
I was looking for a company this time, coz it came on a week day and I was unsure, if someone would take leave and come for girivalam and deepam. So I was telling everyone during lunch about company and luckily PZ, a Swiss law student agreed. We practice yoga together every weekday.
Tuesday, Dec 1st 12:30 pm
We had lunch and boarded bus around 2 pm from the usual BMTC busstand opposite lalbagh gate. He wore a facemask in the auto in bannerghatta road. He used a disinfectant to frequently rub his hands, be it after eating bajji or bananas or oranges. Around 7:20 we were just 10 km from thiruvannamalai and found ourselves stuck in traffic jam. And it took close to 12 kind for the jam to get cleared and reach a place where we could board an auto from. We were amongst the last few people to remain on the bus, coz PZ had a 20 kg bagpack for his 10 days vipasanna meditation in Chennai where he was planning to go after girivalam.
12:30 am
We alighted and boarded an auto to go to temple and I discovered that my bag front zip was open, my mobile and purse containing debit card, 580/-, pan card, institute id card and photos was stolen apparently in the bus during traffic jam while I was asleep. We went nevertheless to the temple western gate this time and took bath opposite to western gate. And it started raining. We walked in the rain. Luckily PZ had got an umbrella. Guys were teasing me stating, how I got paired up with a foreigner which I chose not to mind.
5:00 am
We finished girivalam and just as we were about to enter the temple, we saw the three deities on the way and I was glad for a close and peaceful darshan. (kumbida ponna deivam kurukke vandha maadhiri) It was so crowded, more than Chithra pournami. PZ gave me auto fare and busfare and he went to Chennai busstop and I went to Trichy busstop and later villupuram busstop after waiting for some time.
7:30 am
The Madurai-karaikudi bus started and I reached home at 2-3 pm. I slept leaning on an old man sitting next to me. I didn't step out of quarters even once except for gathering dried clothes from terrace one whole week. I made keerai every day, and cooked and ate to heart’s content at home.
I was looking for a company this time, coz it came on a week day and I was unsure, if someone would take leave and come for girivalam and deepam. So I was telling everyone during lunch about company and luckily PZ, a Swiss law student agreed. We practice yoga together every weekday.
Tuesday, Dec 1st 12:30 pm
We had lunch and boarded bus around 2 pm from the usual BMTC busstand opposite lalbagh gate. He wore a facemask in the auto in bannerghatta road. He used a disinfectant to frequently rub his hands, be it after eating bajji or bananas or oranges. Around 7:20 we were just 10 km from thiruvannamalai and found ourselves stuck in traffic jam. And it took close to 12 kind for the jam to get cleared and reach a place where we could board an auto from. We were amongst the last few people to remain on the bus, coz PZ had a 20 kg bagpack for his 10 days vipasanna meditation in Chennai where he was planning to go after girivalam.
12:30 am
We alighted and boarded an auto to go to temple and I discovered that my bag front zip was open, my mobile and purse containing debit card, 580/-, pan card, institute id card and photos was stolen apparently in the bus during traffic jam while I was asleep. We went nevertheless to the temple western gate this time and took bath opposite to western gate. And it started raining. We walked in the rain. Luckily PZ had got an umbrella. Guys were teasing me stating, how I got paired up with a foreigner which I chose not to mind.
5:00 am
We finished girivalam and just as we were about to enter the temple, we saw the three deities on the way and I was glad for a close and peaceful darshan. (kumbida ponna deivam kurukke vandha maadhiri) It was so crowded, more than Chithra pournami. PZ gave me auto fare and busfare and he went to Chennai busstop and I went to Trichy busstop and later villupuram busstop after waiting for some time.
7:30 am
The Madurai-karaikudi bus started and I reached home at 2-3 pm. I slept leaning on an old man sitting next to me. I didn't step out of quarters even once except for gathering dried clothes from terrace one whole week. I made keerai every day, and cooked and ate to heart’s content at home.
3 idiots
Before Show
I had not known that Aamir Khan would be buying tickets for us. The moment mail came - 3 idiots - register for bus, I did it, coz this was going to be last informal get-together across sections.
3 disparate iimb junta started wondering about the timings and my company during movie. One was an academic intern AK, another our students affairs councilor DG and the third one was a batch mate VM. The bus was at 4. It was pretty far from here.
I was surprised to learn that AK had worked on English movies in US and she had taught film editing on and off for 10 years. She had got a card and a gift for Raju Hirani and others. DG luckily opted to come by the 5 pm bus and I was glad that I would not be juxtaposed with AK and DG.
The Movie
The show started on time. And I left my e7 seat next to AK, coz I found my section mates sitting in the first row of the theatre and was enticed to join them, leaving AK at the last row with other ladies. Initially my head started hurting with my eyes scanning the huge screen in front of me. Later i got used to it. The first scene when I had gone to watch shooting jostling amidst the crowd in C-block and which made me keep away from shooting ever after was the underwear ragging scene. Only later folks told me, that the real ragging done in north was nothing compared to what was portrayed on screen.
It was a good movie and made me reflect on how I studied for some exams, without liking some of the subjects, just for the sake of getting marks, without understanding, aimed at just giving what the prof wanted. Given a choice, I would have taken literature, and fine arts - painting after 12th instead of doing dad’s engineering. I was really surprised, how they made the sets for flooding scene, even the room they made sets with was a eye opener for me about the film industry. It was a neat finish. Though parts of it were overdone. Looking at iimb campus, iimb junta opening door, even our Saravanan sir running as police was amusing. Before I leave, am going to climb the tank around 5 someday next week, and see the campus from top.
After Movie – with Aamir, Maddy
AK was writing the names of the film crew on a card to be given to hirani. I got to the second row from the first row. Theatre folks got sofas for Hirani, the lyricist, VVChopra and the guy who stamps the butts in the ragging scene. Hirani looked at AK and acknowledged her who was sitting next to me in 2nd row. They entertained us and answered few questions, even sang song for us till Aamir came. Aamir was young as usual and full of life, even after getting whisked twice to reach the theatre to meet us. The first thing he asked for was - where is appa, my father-in-law. That appa, whoever it was had left, he spoke to Pankaj sir who were sitting right across along with the film crew. He answered all queries with full enthusiasm and thoughtfulness typical of a Piscean.
Why do we need an Aamir to say all this? Aamir said he had spoken to edu min and he was aware of the need to change the present edu system and academic approach. Aamir said, the kids talents should be appreciated. Instead of asking, how much marks you got, the mother ought to ask, how many students did you help this day. He said, how he never studied coz he started working when he was 16 years old. How he played tennis and beat the other kid. When he went back home, his mother after being happy for his victory, a while later used to wonder, how the mother of the defeated child would feel. He asked for little bit of caring and consideration on the part of the winners. He said the most out rightly blunt words of harsh reality about VVChopra and still made it sound funny, without spoiling the relationship between them.
Then he went on to say, how each child’s gift is great. He went on to talk about abilities in TZP. To love and be good with machines, to sing, to skate, to read the mind of others, to be good in sports, to care for others etc. At this point, AK squeezed my hands and said, don’t lose it, even if hurts you at some point of time. Vishwa threw couple of questions at Maddy who was being sidelined. Maddy got a call in between and was visibly hassled. He just said, apparam koopidraen and kept it off. It was 10:30 and we were starving. AK didn’t want to be alone with director and faculty for the dinner Hirani had invited.
Back to Campus
I broke my promise of not touching trans-fatty acids and ended up eating chocolates. We returned in iimb bus, where I blissfully collapsed on AK’s lap amidst shouting and singing in the bus. Came back, had 1 dosa, turmeric milk in night canteen. When i went back to room, I had orange and pomegranate peeled and kept ready for me in a big coffee mug. Oh man, I thought, in December to eat such things after 12 at night, but could not say no and ended up eating. Jolly good evening it was, after a hectic day.
On the side note
It was really surprising to know that our prof Shyamal Roy sir had been instrumental in granting permission for shooting taking place on campus. Roy sir is one of the few profs, I really admire both as a person and a teacher. I believe simplicity is the ultimate sophistication; he was simplicity and kindness personified.
I had not known that Aamir Khan would be buying tickets for us. The moment mail came - 3 idiots - register for bus, I did it, coz this was going to be last informal get-together across sections.
3 disparate iimb junta started wondering about the timings and my company during movie. One was an academic intern AK, another our students affairs councilor DG and the third one was a batch mate VM. The bus was at 4. It was pretty far from here.
I was surprised to learn that AK had worked on English movies in US and she had taught film editing on and off for 10 years. She had got a card and a gift for Raju Hirani and others. DG luckily opted to come by the 5 pm bus and I was glad that I would not be juxtaposed with AK and DG.
The Movie
The show started on time. And I left my e7 seat next to AK, coz I found my section mates sitting in the first row of the theatre and was enticed to join them, leaving AK at the last row with other ladies. Initially my head started hurting with my eyes scanning the huge screen in front of me. Later i got used to it. The first scene when I had gone to watch shooting jostling amidst the crowd in C-block and which made me keep away from shooting ever after was the underwear ragging scene. Only later folks told me, that the real ragging done in north was nothing compared to what was portrayed on screen.
It was a good movie and made me reflect on how I studied for some exams, without liking some of the subjects, just for the sake of getting marks, without understanding, aimed at just giving what the prof wanted. Given a choice, I would have taken literature, and fine arts - painting after 12th instead of doing dad’s engineering. I was really surprised, how they made the sets for flooding scene, even the room they made sets with was a eye opener for me about the film industry. It was a neat finish. Though parts of it were overdone. Looking at iimb campus, iimb junta opening door, even our Saravanan sir running as police was amusing. Before I leave, am going to climb the tank around 5 someday next week, and see the campus from top.
After Movie – with Aamir, Maddy
AK was writing the names of the film crew on a card to be given to hirani. I got to the second row from the first row. Theatre folks got sofas for Hirani, the lyricist, VVChopra and the guy who stamps the butts in the ragging scene. Hirani looked at AK and acknowledged her who was sitting next to me in 2nd row. They entertained us and answered few questions, even sang song for us till Aamir came. Aamir was young as usual and full of life, even after getting whisked twice to reach the theatre to meet us. The first thing he asked for was - where is appa, my father-in-law. That appa, whoever it was had left, he spoke to Pankaj sir who were sitting right across along with the film crew. He answered all queries with full enthusiasm and thoughtfulness typical of a Piscean.
Why do we need an Aamir to say all this? Aamir said he had spoken to edu min and he was aware of the need to change the present edu system and academic approach. Aamir said, the kids talents should be appreciated. Instead of asking, how much marks you got, the mother ought to ask, how many students did you help this day. He said, how he never studied coz he started working when he was 16 years old. How he played tennis and beat the other kid. When he went back home, his mother after being happy for his victory, a while later used to wonder, how the mother of the defeated child would feel. He asked for little bit of caring and consideration on the part of the winners. He said the most out rightly blunt words of harsh reality about VVChopra and still made it sound funny, without spoiling the relationship between them.
Then he went on to say, how each child’s gift is great. He went on to talk about abilities in TZP. To love and be good with machines, to sing, to skate, to read the mind of others, to be good in sports, to care for others etc. At this point, AK squeezed my hands and said, don’t lose it, even if hurts you at some point of time. Vishwa threw couple of questions at Maddy who was being sidelined. Maddy got a call in between and was visibly hassled. He just said, apparam koopidraen and kept it off. It was 10:30 and we were starving. AK didn’t want to be alone with director and faculty for the dinner Hirani had invited.
Back to Campus
I broke my promise of not touching trans-fatty acids and ended up eating chocolates. We returned in iimb bus, where I blissfully collapsed on AK’s lap amidst shouting and singing in the bus. Came back, had 1 dosa, turmeric milk in night canteen. When i went back to room, I had orange and pomegranate peeled and kept ready for me in a big coffee mug. Oh man, I thought, in December to eat such things after 12 at night, but could not say no and ended up eating. Jolly good evening it was, after a hectic day.
On the side note
It was really surprising to know that our prof Shyamal Roy sir had been instrumental in granting permission for shooting taking place on campus. Roy sir is one of the few profs, I really admire both as a person and a teacher. I believe simplicity is the ultimate sophistication; he was simplicity and kindness personified.
ShivaGanga
The inception
On Friday, my friend who was in IIMI came down to see me after 2 years. I was showing her, this is the water tank, which was shot in 3 idiots, and on a impulse, we climbed up the water tank, that involved scenes as in Bridget Jones diary, climbing up the rungs attached to the walls.
It was fun, sitting on the tank, with our feet dangling and watching the btm lake. It was breezy even at 10 am, not hot, pretty pleasant infact.
During lunch, she suggested, why don’t you go to Shivaganga, it is just like Nandi Hills. I had been to nandi hills on a pournami and it was great then watching the sun set from one end and the full moon rise from another. On Sunday night, after a nice swimming session, post dinner, suddenly i was possessed by this urge to go to Shivaganga. I asked AG, she said, she could not bunk classes on Monday and that she was ready for Wednesday. I asked my engg college mate, who was ready for Sunday and could not bunk his first day of the year at office, so i asked OR and he agreed after saying, he is not feeling well. I was feeling bad, so at night i decided to chuck this off and decided i will either go with AG or my college mate on Sunday. However, on Monday morning, while i was brushing my teeth, i was again beckoned and i called up OR who agreed.
Onwards to Shivaganga
We had 1 grape juice and 1 aloo parantha and boarded bus to majestic around 9:30 am. We got a bus immediately to dabasapete. Around 12 we reached dabasapete and took an auto for 40. We had 2 yellow bananas for lunch. We started climbing the steps and i realized, i cannot walk in this scorching sun. OR lost his patience, coz he was not used to straining when he was not well and when he had not had his proper lunch. He called up his gf to complain that he is only having only cucumber for lunch. Lo, i decided. I told him, if he wants to go back, he can, but i simply cannot afford another burning tanned skin after exposure to chlorine water in swimming pool yes’day on a hot Sunday afternoon. So, we killed time till 2:30 pm for around 1.5 hours talking about his mysore trip and other small things.
The 2 km trek uphill
At 2:30 OR decided, no am not going to wait any longer, it will take 2 hours to climb, so we will start. I wore my hooded sweatshirt to cover my hair from the blazing sun and we started our ascent. Every once in a while, i stopped to catch my breath and savour the rate at which things became smaller and smaller from top.
Just Near the Entrance
We had sugarcane juice for 10 per cup half way through. There were monkeys to accompany us most of the way. Monkeys didn’t spare a thing, not even a water bottle. It was good that we decided not to carry anything. On the way, we saw a garland, torn to shreds by the monkey, who ate only the yellow marigolds.
Nandi a little above the base
Another view
Half way through, we met ladies who were returning stating that it is too steep. It was a bit steep, but not unscaleable. It was a nice exercise for the legs and arms. Around 4:20, we reached the nandi, climbed up and went to the temple. I did my pradhakshina from outside, coz i didn’t want to remove my shoes and we walked up to the wall that served as tank and watched the blazing 4:30 sun. I still had my hood on. The breeze was strong and our legs were shivering, one wrong move would have plummeted us down to the abyss. But it was fun, to watch the lakes glowing in afternoon sun. We rested there for 30 mins or so, took snaps. I wanted to stay for some more time, but OR was prudent and he said, look it will get dark and we need to make it by 6 pm, before it gets dark. I was wondering, so what, god will guide us and we can walk down. So i sat there savouring the serene view from top with the strong hissing breeze, while he acted as my shield from the 4:30 blazing sun.
Shiva at top
Nandi
View From Top
Downhill
Then considering the kid had not had his lunch, i decided fine, we will push off. We bid adieu and started climbing down. For quite some time, we two were the only ones where ever we could see and OR was telling, how strange it was that no one was there. The shops were closed, only 2 monkeys were left and we started our descent, we took another route and found a underground tank, brimming with water. Something was written in kannada, and a ganesh was immersed in the water. A rotten lemon was floating in the water as well. I took the water and sprinkled on my head and climbed down further. Downhill was much simpler. I watched as the shadow of the hill, reached the three cross roads and in my next stop reached twice that distance within a short while. Around 6:30 we reached down, after having a mini cup of tea and elaichi cream biscuits for 12 totally.
Back to Blore
We took an auto for 60 this time from temple, we didn’t bargain. After reading various blogs we didn’t want to board a private bus. Boarded what looked like a govt. bus around 8 and reached campus around 10:30. I got onions and tomatoes and oil from night canteen. I put them in the oven before going to bath. After bathing, i made top ramen, i had few spoonfuls and then blissfully collapsed.
On the side note
My yoga mate, PVS sent me a link on Sunday showing kanchi priest indulging in perverse sexual acts inside the machesa perumal temple, attending to devotees. I was thinking, here I am going to pray to a male organ. I was admiring the genius of the man who created this cult of praying to linga. The shrewdness of people who created these rites and rituals of praying to nandi first, arranging poojas for money. Though Shiva Shiva is still constantly on my lips, it is still a conflict within me, as to what am i praying to. Is god within me, the person next to me and in every creature? Then why all this?
On Friday, my friend who was in IIMI came down to see me after 2 years. I was showing her, this is the water tank, which was shot in 3 idiots, and on a impulse, we climbed up the water tank, that involved scenes as in Bridget Jones diary, climbing up the rungs attached to the walls.
It was fun, sitting on the tank, with our feet dangling and watching the btm lake. It was breezy even at 10 am, not hot, pretty pleasant infact.
During lunch, she suggested, why don’t you go to Shivaganga, it is just like Nandi Hills. I had been to nandi hills on a pournami and it was great then watching the sun set from one end and the full moon rise from another. On Sunday night, after a nice swimming session, post dinner, suddenly i was possessed by this urge to go to Shivaganga. I asked AG, she said, she could not bunk classes on Monday and that she was ready for Wednesday. I asked my engg college mate, who was ready for Sunday and could not bunk his first day of the year at office, so i asked OR and he agreed after saying, he is not feeling well. I was feeling bad, so at night i decided to chuck this off and decided i will either go with AG or my college mate on Sunday. However, on Monday morning, while i was brushing my teeth, i was again beckoned and i called up OR who agreed.
Onwards to Shivaganga
We had 1 grape juice and 1 aloo parantha and boarded bus to majestic around 9:30 am. We got a bus immediately to dabasapete. Around 12 we reached dabasapete and took an auto for 40. We had 2 yellow bananas for lunch. We started climbing the steps and i realized, i cannot walk in this scorching sun. OR lost his patience, coz he was not used to straining when he was not well and when he had not had his proper lunch. He called up his gf to complain that he is only having only cucumber for lunch. Lo, i decided. I told him, if he wants to go back, he can, but i simply cannot afford another burning tanned skin after exposure to chlorine water in swimming pool yes’day on a hot Sunday afternoon. So, we killed time till 2:30 pm for around 1.5 hours talking about his mysore trip and other small things.
The 2 km trek uphill
At 2:30 OR decided, no am not going to wait any longer, it will take 2 hours to climb, so we will start. I wore my hooded sweatshirt to cover my hair from the blazing sun and we started our ascent. Every once in a while, i stopped to catch my breath and savour the rate at which things became smaller and smaller from top.
Just Near the Entrance
We had sugarcane juice for 10 per cup half way through. There were monkeys to accompany us most of the way. Monkeys didn’t spare a thing, not even a water bottle. It was good that we decided not to carry anything. On the way, we saw a garland, torn to shreds by the monkey, who ate only the yellow marigolds.
Nandi a little above the base
Another view
Half way through, we met ladies who were returning stating that it is too steep. It was a bit steep, but not unscaleable. It was a nice exercise for the legs and arms. Around 4:20, we reached the nandi, climbed up and went to the temple. I did my pradhakshina from outside, coz i didn’t want to remove my shoes and we walked up to the wall that served as tank and watched the blazing 4:30 sun. I still had my hood on. The breeze was strong and our legs were shivering, one wrong move would have plummeted us down to the abyss. But it was fun, to watch the lakes glowing in afternoon sun. We rested there for 30 mins or so, took snaps. I wanted to stay for some more time, but OR was prudent and he said, look it will get dark and we need to make it by 6 pm, before it gets dark. I was wondering, so what, god will guide us and we can walk down. So i sat there savouring the serene view from top with the strong hissing breeze, while he acted as my shield from the 4:30 blazing sun.
Shiva at top
Nandi
View From Top
Downhill
Then considering the kid had not had his lunch, i decided fine, we will push off. We bid adieu and started climbing down. For quite some time, we two were the only ones where ever we could see and OR was telling, how strange it was that no one was there. The shops were closed, only 2 monkeys were left and we started our descent, we took another route and found a underground tank, brimming with water. Something was written in kannada, and a ganesh was immersed in the water. A rotten lemon was floating in the water as well. I took the water and sprinkled on my head and climbed down further. Downhill was much simpler. I watched as the shadow of the hill, reached the three cross roads and in my next stop reached twice that distance within a short while. Around 6:30 we reached down, after having a mini cup of tea and elaichi cream biscuits for 12 totally.
Back to Blore
We took an auto for 60 this time from temple, we didn’t bargain. After reading various blogs we didn’t want to board a private bus. Boarded what looked like a govt. bus around 8 and reached campus around 10:30. I got onions and tomatoes and oil from night canteen. I put them in the oven before going to bath. After bathing, i made top ramen, i had few spoonfuls and then blissfully collapsed.
On the side note
My yoga mate, PVS sent me a link on Sunday showing kanchi priest indulging in perverse sexual acts inside the machesa perumal temple, attending to devotees. I was thinking, here I am going to pray to a male organ. I was admiring the genius of the man who created this cult of praying to linga. The shrewdness of people who created these rites and rituals of praying to nandi first, arranging poojas for money. Though Shiva Shiva is still constantly on my lips, it is still a conflict within me, as to what am i praying to. Is god within me, the person next to me and in every creature? Then why all this?
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
OAT with flowers
After designing pages, it was close to 1, when i collapsed in bed. After an oily breakfast of upma and paper rava dosa in mess, i dragged a reluctant kiddo Mukherjee who was saying he had 5 exams left. I had only 2 left + one submission. He said, he had not seen so many butterflies and pushed off to library the moment his tea got over.
I had started hunting for flower names ever since i read a Jhumpa Lahiri’s collection of short stories – believe it was Unaccustomed Earth. Right at the path that led from the library, there was this yellow hibiscus flower with a deep scarlet red core and at its heels were row of red geraniums exuding such shining splendour of a rising baby red sun. On the right were bushes with beetroot red leaves and hotchpotch of yellow and orange flowers along with pink and white daisies. And a row of marigolds decked the path to the OAT. Just lining the stage were these daisies again. All shades of pink daisies were there, from baby pink, amaranth pinks, ruby pinks, to fuchsia and touch of lavender magenta strewn here and there. And amongst these flowers were hovering a plethora of white and whitish green butterflies and baby bees and i found only one common mime butterfly basking in its black and white glory. All these paper thin butterflies and bees were flitting so fast from one flower to another and it made such a picturesque scene. I just removed my footwear and walked barefoot on the green grass around, gazing at these flowers and the smallest bees doing their job so early in life. The third deck in OAT had golden yellow sunflowers with marigolds and another variety of bright orange and yellow flowers. I walked by the side of these flowers and suddenly i became aware that i was stepping on these tiny-tiny yellow flowers the size of my bindi carpeted around, there was no way i could have taken another step without crushing these petite divine creations. On the whole it was so refreshing, so alleviating after the past 2 days. Now got to get back to my assignment.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
IT Odyssey on May 25
At last… all’s well that ends well. Probably am calling shots too early. Never the less, let me tell you this day’s saga:
The Deliberation
I was wondering about the IT returns cheque from April beginning. It was dated Jan 13 and was valid till April 13th. The cheque had a small print which stated valid for 3 months. Though it was deposited on April 6th, it bounced back stating it was out of date. I started bugging Chandra sir and ICICI bank and at last managed to retrieve the returned cheque on Saturday from jayanagar 3rd block. Because of cheque, I was late to office by 3 hours. Mean while I was also trying to hunt down the person in IT department. I spoke the finance team in Biocon who directed me to one Giri whose routine job was to hang around HMT office for Biocon’s tax affairs. He gave me a list of documents, that I was supposed to give to the IT department which included a letter stating why the cheque was not deposited in time, my last IT returns acknowledgement form, some XXX A form, id proof etc. I listened flabbergasted to Giri sir. He asked which ward? I was clueless. Ward??? He said, I might have to go twice to collect the cheque. Once to give the letter and two – three days later to collect the cheque.
HMT Bhavan Rendezvous
Meanwhile I had also sent a reply to the email, which was sent by IT department for tax receipt for my TIME GDPI classes. There was no reply. I went to the nsdl website and wrote a issue/query. Luckily they replied stating, that they are not the concerned party and gave me one strange number to contact, which I didn’t. I had looked up for IT offices in Bangalore and found the HMT office numbers. I asked mom to fax me the letter which she did this morning. One Mr. Sathyanarayana Bhat of ward 14(8) had issued the cheque. From morning, I kept on trying the numbers displayed in the website with no luck. I thought, today is pratmai, why waste time when dinapalan said efforts will go waste? But tomorrow was Tuesday and my chandrastama was starting on Wednesday, so I had to hurry.
Anyway pratmai was getting over at 14:25. To get over the post lunch soporific state, I kept on trying the number and suddenly Mr. Bhat himself answered the phone. He sounded timid or too conscientious I should say with madams pouring out profusely. He said this was his last week and that he was getting transferred to some other place and that I need to get the new cheque within this week. I was elated on first being able to speak to him, and second on his saying that he would reissue a cheque. Suddenly, I was wondering about speed post and all that. Then I decided, why not go to HMT office in person. My cab to main road from SEZ was at 14:30 and it was already 14:25. It was a good 12 minutes walk for me on normal days to reach the gate. I went there, the cab was still waiting. Once we reached the main road, I saw a bmtc bus and asked the cabbie to stop and I boarded the majestic bus just in time. After more than an hour, I reached majestic and I had yelahanka buses waiting, which dropped me at stop walk able from HMT bhavan. It took me around 20 minutes to cross the road to reach HMT bhavan. Suddenly I lost patience with the never ending stream of vehicles generously depositing smoke on me and I stretched my hand and crossed while the drivers loudmouthed.
I put on my smile after 2 and half hours of tiring journey and went to 3rd floor as I was instructed over phone and asked for Bhat. After asking 3 persons and after another 2 persons guided me without my asking them, they said go to 4th floor opposite wing and there he was. He was going through one big bunch of envelopes manually for another person sitting in one of the 3 chairs. He motioned for me to sit. After that was done, I gave my cheque to him. He didn’t ask for any reasons. Neither on phone nor in person. After a moment’s deliberation, he picked up the phone and asked for a cheque for < 25k. the small guy who came few moments later got a cheque for > 25k. So the small guy went to the drawer in Bhats room and took a <25 cheque, wrote down the details as I dictated my account number.
At Kumara Park ICICI bank
That was it. It got over in a jiffy. The boy was apparently from Kanchipuram and there was another guy from Madurai and so TN association worked. He quickly got it stamped, gave me a water bottle to quench my thirst and I was out with a new cheque. Near the lift, I asked a complete stranger as to where the nearest ICICI bank was. He said there is one near RT nagar and one near sadashiv nagar and if I didn’t mind, he could drop me near the nearest ICICI bank. I just wanted to deposit the cheque at the earliest and I agreed. He asked if it was IT returns cheque. He asked did he give the cheque? I said, yes, surprisingly fast. He said, earlier, they would not give the IT returns cheque without money. Now because of Lokayuktha, everyone was afraid it seems. Whoever is Lokayuktha, I will surely vote for them next time. His scooter was a dilapidated grey one which looked as old as he was. I sat behind him and he dropped me near Kumara Park ICICI. I had stayed in Palace Guttahalli for 4 months and used to spend my weekends staring at paintings in Chitra kala parishad and used to go for morning walks in Golf course. But when he asked me if I knew the place well, I said no on impulse (I don’t know why) and he went to describe, this is Asoka, this is golf course etc. I listened gratefully for his lift. He dropped me off at Kumara park and at bank, I realized when my turn came, I had not filled in the challan, nor I had a pen. I borrowed a pen from one guy and made the counter lady wait till I filled it up. Once I gave the cheque, I breathed a sigh of relief on having completed a month long pending task. Now I remember the nagalinga flowers on the busstop next to Kumara park ICICI bank. But I missed seeing them. I boarded the bus after waiting for less than a minute and boarded another bus from majestic and reached campus at 7:30 p.m. 5 hours saga in all. But am glad, Mr. Bhat didn’t ask for bribe, nor a reason for not depositing in time. He was a good guy. Chennai IT department didn’t return my 2K something in 2004, but Blore IT department returned and to top it all reissued a cheque without much hassles. Now I have to wait for 2 more days before the cheque gets cleared, which I hope, it will.
The Deliberation
I was wondering about the IT returns cheque from April beginning. It was dated Jan 13 and was valid till April 13th. The cheque had a small print which stated valid for 3 months. Though it was deposited on April 6th, it bounced back stating it was out of date. I started bugging Chandra sir and ICICI bank and at last managed to retrieve the returned cheque on Saturday from jayanagar 3rd block. Because of cheque, I was late to office by 3 hours. Mean while I was also trying to hunt down the person in IT department. I spoke the finance team in Biocon who directed me to one Giri whose routine job was to hang around HMT office for Biocon’s tax affairs. He gave me a list of documents, that I was supposed to give to the IT department which included a letter stating why the cheque was not deposited in time, my last IT returns acknowledgement form, some XXX A form, id proof etc. I listened flabbergasted to Giri sir. He asked which ward? I was clueless. Ward??? He said, I might have to go twice to collect the cheque. Once to give the letter and two – three days later to collect the cheque.
HMT Bhavan Rendezvous
Meanwhile I had also sent a reply to the email, which was sent by IT department for tax receipt for my TIME GDPI classes. There was no reply. I went to the nsdl website and wrote a issue/query. Luckily they replied stating, that they are not the concerned party and gave me one strange number to contact, which I didn’t. I had looked up for IT offices in Bangalore and found the HMT office numbers. I asked mom to fax me the letter which she did this morning. One Mr. Sathyanarayana Bhat of ward 14(8) had issued the cheque. From morning, I kept on trying the numbers displayed in the website with no luck. I thought, today is pratmai, why waste time when dinapalan said efforts will go waste? But tomorrow was Tuesday and my chandrastama was starting on Wednesday, so I had to hurry.
Anyway pratmai was getting over at 14:25. To get over the post lunch soporific state, I kept on trying the number and suddenly Mr. Bhat himself answered the phone. He sounded timid or too conscientious I should say with madams pouring out profusely. He said this was his last week and that he was getting transferred to some other place and that I need to get the new cheque within this week. I was elated on first being able to speak to him, and second on his saying that he would reissue a cheque. Suddenly, I was wondering about speed post and all that. Then I decided, why not go to HMT office in person. My cab to main road from SEZ was at 14:30 and it was already 14:25. It was a good 12 minutes walk for me on normal days to reach the gate. I went there, the cab was still waiting. Once we reached the main road, I saw a bmtc bus and asked the cabbie to stop and I boarded the majestic bus just in time. After more than an hour, I reached majestic and I had yelahanka buses waiting, which dropped me at stop walk able from HMT bhavan. It took me around 20 minutes to cross the road to reach HMT bhavan. Suddenly I lost patience with the never ending stream of vehicles generously depositing smoke on me and I stretched my hand and crossed while the drivers loudmouthed.
I put on my smile after 2 and half hours of tiring journey and went to 3rd floor as I was instructed over phone and asked for Bhat. After asking 3 persons and after another 2 persons guided me without my asking them, they said go to 4th floor opposite wing and there he was. He was going through one big bunch of envelopes manually for another person sitting in one of the 3 chairs. He motioned for me to sit. After that was done, I gave my cheque to him. He didn’t ask for any reasons. Neither on phone nor in person. After a moment’s deliberation, he picked up the phone and asked for a cheque for < 25k. the small guy who came few moments later got a cheque for > 25k. So the small guy went to the drawer in Bhats room and took a <25 cheque, wrote down the details as I dictated my account number.
At Kumara Park ICICI bank
That was it. It got over in a jiffy. The boy was apparently from Kanchipuram and there was another guy from Madurai and so TN association worked. He quickly got it stamped, gave me a water bottle to quench my thirst and I was out with a new cheque. Near the lift, I asked a complete stranger as to where the nearest ICICI bank was. He said there is one near RT nagar and one near sadashiv nagar and if I didn’t mind, he could drop me near the nearest ICICI bank. I just wanted to deposit the cheque at the earliest and I agreed. He asked if it was IT returns cheque. He asked did he give the cheque? I said, yes, surprisingly fast. He said, earlier, they would not give the IT returns cheque without money. Now because of Lokayuktha, everyone was afraid it seems. Whoever is Lokayuktha, I will surely vote for them next time. His scooter was a dilapidated grey one which looked as old as he was. I sat behind him and he dropped me near Kumara Park ICICI. I had stayed in Palace Guttahalli for 4 months and used to spend my weekends staring at paintings in Chitra kala parishad and used to go for morning walks in Golf course. But when he asked me if I knew the place well, I said no on impulse (I don’t know why) and he went to describe, this is Asoka, this is golf course etc. I listened gratefully for his lift. He dropped me off at Kumara park and at bank, I realized when my turn came, I had not filled in the challan, nor I had a pen. I borrowed a pen from one guy and made the counter lady wait till I filled it up. Once I gave the cheque, I breathed a sigh of relief on having completed a month long pending task. Now I remember the nagalinga flowers on the busstop next to Kumara park ICICI bank. But I missed seeing them. I boarded the bus after waiting for less than a minute and boarded another bus from majestic and reached campus at 7:30 p.m. 5 hours saga in all. But am glad, Mr. Bhat didn’t ask for bribe, nor a reason for not depositing in time. He was a good guy. Chennai IT department didn’t return my 2K something in 2004, but Blore IT department returned and to top it all reissued a cheque without much hassles. Now I have to wait for 2 more days before the cheque gets cleared, which I hope, it will.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
MS A Life in Music
“Simplicity, devotion to God and to her husband, respect for elders, and an eagerness to learn new things are the main characteristics that makes MS great.” – T.J.S. George
My Tryst with MS
The first time, I had heard about MS was after she died in 2004 in Velachery girls PG, by my roomie Abhi, a chubby maami. I read about MS in the Hindu weekend article and that was it. The second time, I heard about her was from another maami in 2005, Bhu. She sang kurai ondrum illai for me after I listened to her pour out on Saturday morning. I was struck to MS ever since then. I was surprised to see the mp3 in my system that dad had got from her and practiced so many times, that my folks gave a bemused look and left me alone with my system. I googled about MS and was glad to find that she was a virgo, a September 16. I have an innate admiration for virgo gals and the way they carry themselves. One Sep 16 was a school topper, karate blackbelt who made me promise that I should never grow nails on my right hand, a promise that I have conveniently broken for years now. Another Sep 16 was our school’s mesmerizing damsel who married our English teacher’s son after 8 years of his courting. She was so sublime. Even an erotic and embarrassing “aap jaisa koi” rendered by her, sounded pristine and chaste.
How the book landed
It is summers for us now and all our folks are in different parts of the world and I along with couple of others are struck to our hostel rooms. My familiar friend’s rooms are now occupied by interns from other institutes, I was craving for company. After seeing BK’s friend’s profile in orkut that had a translation of “Vaishnav jan to”, I kept on playing the same song in loop for days that KS remarked that MS had rendered “Vaishav Jan to” much more divinely than Lata. I searched for MS’s “Vaishnav Jan to” and I was not able to find it. I was lamenting about not finding this mp3 during a luncheon in my room to my neighbor MB and DG, that MB offered me her book “MS – A Life in Music” by T.J.S. George. Wow, I was ecstatic, on cloud nine. My gtalk status message that day was “MS in my hands”.
My Reflections on MS
But then, I was in the middle of VSN’s India Million mutinies and started Namesake as well. And work was piling up and I didn’t want to sacrifice my sleep and friends kept me engaged with all their stories. I would find myself listening to them till 10 pm, and then it was just time to sleep. At last, I read this book yes’day in office itself, unable to contain it any longer. My initial reaction was, oh my god, what is he doing. Just like Dom Moraes bio on IG. He started with the history of Kashmir and women rulers. So many details, without getting into the main topic of interest. Giving all the world’s details except what I wanted to read. I would have preferred more details, he just jumps years. Giving the outlines and historical trivia and mentions MS in the background initially. Later it was a page turner. Suddenly I was also wondering, would MS have liked details about her personal life spilled for the entire world to scrutinize. I would have preferred if VSNaipaul had not bared it all to French. Seek good and see only good.
Every chapter had a translation of Thyagaraja's kritis. Suddenly I was enamored to learn Telugu so that I could read all his kritis peacefully without googling every time. I kind of found this striking and sent it to my mentor who considers me his muse.
P:
cakkani rAja mArgamul(u)NDaga
1sandula dUran(E)la O manasA
A:
cikkani 2pAlu mIgaDa(y)uNDaga
3chI(y)anu 4gangA sAgaram(E)lE (cakkani)
I had read about MS in Ananda Vikatan about the way she keeps her kumkum without pissuru, about the way she does shringar with a careless abandon. About her daughter Radha admiring her, in spite of MS being her stepmom. At home, everyone scolds me since am the only person to talk to my dad’s lady. I can not and will not call her amma, but treat her as a human being, yes, I should and would. I devoured all articles on MS, when ever I got a chance. When Bhu told me that MS had created a scandal in those years by marrying an Iyer, I hardly knew what she meant, till I came to read about MS’s roots. So much hoopla over origins. Wonder, when all this would come to an end. Fawning, if some one is a king and disdaining otherwise. BLaw prof has taught us that treating unequals unequally is also equality. Okie whatever. I could see the 2-7 relationship between her and Gandhi, obvious submission by Nehru and could not help being amused.
I badly want to see her Shakuntalai and Meera. I was struck by GNB, no wonder MS was. Kind of amused by the words people used in those days in their love letters. As it always happens, what is serious this day, will be farcical tomorrow. I wish I could know the time of her birth as well, so that could analyze her more. She should be Bharani or Krithiga. I was surprised by the way Kaanchi Shankarcharya made her change from Madisaar to normal sari before blessing her. If a satguru of his stature made her supplicate so, am wondering about the whole of state of affaris in general.
When I listened to her singing in English in UN, I stopped it half way through, the second time, I didn’t know it was a fiasco.
Yesterday evening, I was there in OAT, reading it, lying on the grass, till Socks came up to me and drooled saliva on my kurta. There were ants and so I went near the stage and Socks went away. Prof JH’s parents came. Ma ji was telling me that her knee cap had broken and it was difficult for her to walk. She said Indian knee caps were waste and the ones she had bought in Australia were good. And she saw the book in my hand and told me that she had seen the Bhaktha Meera on TV. Uncle was asking did I know BalaSubramanian? I knew he was referring to Balasaraswathi and told him yes, and that she had revolutionized Bharatnatyam. He was saying, that she came for an Edinburg performance, when he was a student. But it was very costly for him it seems. So he didn’t go for her performance.
Looking back, once a person has achieved it all, everything is good, everything glorious. Whatever, it is all gods krupa, that such a bundle of maidenly delight treaded on this earth.
My Tryst with MS
The first time, I had heard about MS was after she died in 2004 in Velachery girls PG, by my roomie Abhi, a chubby maami. I read about MS in the Hindu weekend article and that was it. The second time, I heard about her was from another maami in 2005, Bhu. She sang kurai ondrum illai for me after I listened to her pour out on Saturday morning. I was struck to MS ever since then. I was surprised to see the mp3 in my system that dad had got from her and practiced so many times, that my folks gave a bemused look and left me alone with my system. I googled about MS and was glad to find that she was a virgo, a September 16. I have an innate admiration for virgo gals and the way they carry themselves. One Sep 16 was a school topper, karate blackbelt who made me promise that I should never grow nails on my right hand, a promise that I have conveniently broken for years now. Another Sep 16 was our school’s mesmerizing damsel who married our English teacher’s son after 8 years of his courting. She was so sublime. Even an erotic and embarrassing “aap jaisa koi” rendered by her, sounded pristine and chaste.
How the book landed
It is summers for us now and all our folks are in different parts of the world and I along with couple of others are struck to our hostel rooms. My familiar friend’s rooms are now occupied by interns from other institutes, I was craving for company. After seeing BK’s friend’s profile in orkut that had a translation of “Vaishnav jan to”, I kept on playing the same song in loop for days that KS remarked that MS had rendered “Vaishav Jan to” much more divinely than Lata. I searched for MS’s “Vaishnav Jan to” and I was not able to find it. I was lamenting about not finding this mp3 during a luncheon in my room to my neighbor MB and DG, that MB offered me her book “MS – A Life in Music” by T.J.S. George. Wow, I was ecstatic, on cloud nine. My gtalk status message that day was “MS in my hands”.
My Reflections on MS
But then, I was in the middle of VSN’s India Million mutinies and started Namesake as well. And work was piling up and I didn’t want to sacrifice my sleep and friends kept me engaged with all their stories. I would find myself listening to them till 10 pm, and then it was just time to sleep. At last, I read this book yes’day in office itself, unable to contain it any longer. My initial reaction was, oh my god, what is he doing. Just like Dom Moraes bio on IG. He started with the history of Kashmir and women rulers. So many details, without getting into the main topic of interest. Giving all the world’s details except what I wanted to read. I would have preferred more details, he just jumps years. Giving the outlines and historical trivia and mentions MS in the background initially. Later it was a page turner. Suddenly I was also wondering, would MS have liked details about her personal life spilled for the entire world to scrutinize. I would have preferred if VSNaipaul had not bared it all to French. Seek good and see only good.
Every chapter had a translation of Thyagaraja's kritis. Suddenly I was enamored to learn Telugu so that I could read all his kritis peacefully without googling every time. I kind of found this striking and sent it to my mentor who considers me his muse.
P:
cakkani rAja mArgamul(u)NDaga
1sandula dUran(E)la O manasA
A:
cikkani 2pAlu mIgaDa(y)uNDaga
3chI(y)anu 4gangA sAgaram(E)lE (cakkani)
I had read about MS in Ananda Vikatan about the way she keeps her kumkum without pissuru, about the way she does shringar with a careless abandon. About her daughter Radha admiring her, in spite of MS being her stepmom. At home, everyone scolds me since am the only person to talk to my dad’s lady. I can not and will not call her amma, but treat her as a human being, yes, I should and would. I devoured all articles on MS, when ever I got a chance. When Bhu told me that MS had created a scandal in those years by marrying an Iyer, I hardly knew what she meant, till I came to read about MS’s roots. So much hoopla over origins. Wonder, when all this would come to an end. Fawning, if some one is a king and disdaining otherwise. BLaw prof has taught us that treating unequals unequally is also equality. Okie whatever. I could see the 2-7 relationship between her and Gandhi, obvious submission by Nehru and could not help being amused.
I badly want to see her Shakuntalai and Meera. I was struck by GNB, no wonder MS was. Kind of amused by the words people used in those days in their love letters. As it always happens, what is serious this day, will be farcical tomorrow. I wish I could know the time of her birth as well, so that could analyze her more. She should be Bharani or Krithiga. I was surprised by the way Kaanchi Shankarcharya made her change from Madisaar to normal sari before blessing her. If a satguru of his stature made her supplicate so, am wondering about the whole of state of affaris in general.
When I listened to her singing in English in UN, I stopped it half way through, the second time, I didn’t know it was a fiasco.
Yesterday evening, I was there in OAT, reading it, lying on the grass, till Socks came up to me and drooled saliva on my kurta. There were ants and so I went near the stage and Socks went away. Prof JH’s parents came. Ma ji was telling me that her knee cap had broken and it was difficult for her to walk. She said Indian knee caps were waste and the ones she had bought in Australia were good. And she saw the book in my hand and told me that she had seen the Bhaktha Meera on TV. Uncle was asking did I know BalaSubramanian? I knew he was referring to Balasaraswathi and told him yes, and that she had revolutionized Bharatnatyam. He was saying, that she came for an Edinburg performance, when he was a student. But it was very costly for him it seems. So he didn’t go for her performance.
Looking back, once a person has achieved it all, everything is good, everything glorious. Whatever, it is all gods krupa, that such a bundle of maidenly delight treaded on this earth.
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