Category: Uncategorized

Sea prayer by Khaled Hosseini

From the legend who gave you kite runner, thousand splendid suns and the mountains echoed; here comes a sad but beautiful and soulful poem

I generally do not read poems since I have always believed that poems are deeply read only by two people! One who writes it and the one for whom it is intended!

So if I had known that this is not a novel but an poetic ode to the Syrian refugees then I wouldn’t have bought it in a hurry.
Though it hits all the right places and then some, felt let down since I expected another heart rendering tale of dispair and hope.

War can never be good and the worst affected are the children whose childhood is lost in the fight for a piece of land which you cannot take when you die.

Though it was Khaled who made me buy the book, in the end I was more impressed by the soul stirring illustration by Dan Williams.

Since it is a review of a poem thought I end with one!!

Apparently one pound from sale of this book will go for refugee rehabilitation so I guess I have done my part.

Of what use is a prayer for the heartless
Of what use is light for the emotionally blind
Of what use is water for the eternally thirsty
Of what use is war when all are going to die one day

This will do for now Khaled but please write another Kite runner soon…..

When a tree shook Delhi….
By Manoj Mitta and H S Phoolka

Book review

Rating 3/5

Non fiction and political….

So this is what happens when a journalist whose heart is in the right place and when an advocate who had a personal experience with this tragedy come together to give an actual heart moving rendering of one of the biggest riots ever.

The deep dark truth when unfurls through the pages sends shiver down your spine and then some.

The book starts with the viewpoint of Mitta who was personally involved in the coverage and accounting of the 1984 riots. The cold blooded murder, arson, rape, rioting, burning, lynching of all males; you name it and the truth will blow your mind harder than fiction!

Add to it the extreme callousness of the protectors that is the police, army and the C##gress leaders is just too much to digest.

Then the second half of the book takes you though the personal eyes of the one who was in the midst of it all and lived to tell the truth. On top of it he was also the advocate who spearheaded the commissions who were appointed to look into the excesses of the riots. The despair and the might of the political arm twisting has been revealed with truth and nothing else.

Close to 3000 Sikhs slaughtered, burnt, raped or chopped in a period of three days all in conniving with the cops and workers. With lots of clues pointing out to planning and execution and not just a spontaneous out burst as it’s viewed till now.

Many tragic incidents have been narrated in a factual manner would melt even a stone. The levels to which humanity can stoop is just sad.

Few silver linings have also been penned and noted for good measure so that at least some hope remains. All humans are not the same is the final message.

All in all an eye opener on all counts; this one is sure to give many restless nights and days and I hope it’s for the right reasons.

This is not just another bad rain…

This is flood and destruction of massive scale!… So just like water every emotions also run high…

Hope is low but angst and despair is more.

People especially who are in the middle of this catastrophe are overwhelmed!
So if they are letting out their emotions, let them. They have been through a lot…

Adding to their woes is everyone who is trying to claim their contribution in helping out…

I have always believed that the best charity is service and silent donation and not a screenshot of your CONTRIBUTION for your social platform….!

So let politicians do their job but don’t play politics with this tragedy.

This is just the acute phase though…. Now you will have everyone giving help, since the heat is on and since the media glare is full!… Just see who will remain when everything settles down…

But don’t forget who came to help you in the first place. It maybe the army or the fishermen or some NGO or even your neighbour or your friend or a kind stranger…they are the real heroes…..don’t forget that….ever..

Everyone will just try to collect some bits and pieces of your life which has been broken into a big jigsaw puzzle and give you a little glue (read money and relief). But the putting together of life has to be done by yourself. Be prepared for that.

My earnest hope is that when you decide to start afresh after this big tragedy, you will get support from one and all just like now.

For now, as the water recedes and you see the destruction and loss just remember that you have survived the flood and you will survive this too and rise.

During the rehabilitation phase the most dangerous problem is the water borne disease. So the same adage we follow in ocean (water water everywhere but not a drop to drink!) Must be followed here. Then it will be the basic essentials that will be paramount and of course the most important everytime and everywhere; Money….Am sure the state will help you with that along with the whole country….

Someone had mentioned that mallus will fight back!..I say you all are Indians first and seeing the overwhelming support you are getting from the whole country (and the world!); India will fight back with you!!…

May the support continue till every single person affected by this calamity is rehabilitated…..

Jai Hind….
#IndiawithkeralaandKodagu…

If you cannot take care of your own kids please don’t have them!…

I know many feathers will be ruffled with this… But kids are the responsibility of parents and no one else!…. Unless of course in rare circumstances which is not the point here anyway!…

It was raining heavily in Bangalore (seriously I am wishing for the doggone rain to stop!!)….and I was going on this ocean of vehicles and water and pot holes praying I don’t hit any when in a busy junction where even Trucks and big buses ply as if it’s their private property (for most government buses it literally is and they act like that only!!)….

So in this junction there is a tyre breaker (the official name is speed breaker but all it does is either break the tyre or the suspension!!)…… and in this junction you have vehicles slowing down their speeds for a nanosecond!

That’s the time needed for the Bravehearts of Bangalore (you know them by their common nomenclature called Pedestrians!!) to cross the road.

On this particular day, I saw an old man over 70 who could barely walk by himself pushing a huge pram and trying to cross the road. Suddenly he decided that enough was enough and he just ran into the road much to the chagrin of the bus and Trucks and all!

Luckily though sometimes even government bus breaks do work if you pray Fervently!

The bus stopped just a few inches away from the pram and the grandpa walked triumphantly pushing the Pram as fast as he could (which believe me was really really slow!)

Now we come to my point (finally!!); agreed many grandparents are healthy and active but is it not the responsibility of the parent??

What if at that particular moment that old man had an emergency? Or god forbid even worse?

At best grandparents can supervise the caretaker but the primary responsibility must be of the parents and no one else. I have known of parents who have ‘deposited’ their kids in grandparents house and moved on with their life!

Of course children are not investments for you to expect returns in the long run but if you don’t give them time now how can you ever expect them to give you any in future!??

This is of course an opinion but is it not an important point to ponder about especially when you are stuck in the Bangalore traffic waiting for the Bus in front of you to move an inch!!??……

And once more with passion….Rain rain go away!!!……

Mother Teresa the untold story

Book review

Non Fiction

Rating 4/5

No spoilers!….

First of get some details about the author who is a true blue Calcutta born Bengali in love with his city of birth and a physician settled in UK…. He has a research of more than 30 years into the life of Mother Teresa and is a virtual encyclopaedia on her life!!

Now this book review is purely a viewpoint of the author and as you can very well see it goes against the tide in a big big way!

From the first word he makes his position very clear that this is a book to demystify desaint and debrief anything and everything about the mother….

So starting from her setting up of the first centre, or her supposedly selfless nature, or her feeling for the poorest of the poor, or her spending anything on the ill or her deserving the Nobel or nobility and everything else has been quite convincingly argued by a practitioner of evidence based modern medicine like Dr Chatterjee…..

Some controversy like the conversion and not spending on treatment (mother believed that in suffering you are closer to God!!) were known at least in bits and pieces while the author had opened them wide and bare!…

Some of the rarer and unknown controversies are also mentioned with letters, correspondence, interviews, photograph and audio recordings so all in all it seems to be a patient well researched and well presented argument….. Whether you do believe the author is left to the reader since the sides have already been chosen…. The book will not change much!!

What it may do is maybe widen your perspective to understand that sometimes even seeing is not believing!… Though his treatment of Mother as a not so innocent and politically shrewd and opportunistic nun is sure to ruffle many feathers!!…

Am surprised though that this book and author have not been creating much controversy though!…..

After going through all her activity and actions one by one and dissecting it into human pieces the author then concludes by two glaring chapters on her Saint status and her Nobel prize….. Expectedly he decimates even these by crisp arguments and relevant points which are sure to raise many a frown and not the smile upside down kind!!…

The whole exercise seems to stem from the fact that the author is heartbroken because of the stereotypical treatment of India and Calcutta… Think Calcutta and these have made sure that the world will only imagine slums, beggars, lepers and what not!…..

He has gone one step ahead and even decimated the book City of Joy which he feels is equally responsible for the poor opinion of India and Calcutta!..

The fact of the matter is that at the end of it all legends are man made and one day everyone must realise that after all everyone is finally Mortal…. Nothing more, nothing less….

Read it to get a treasure house of controversy!!….

Sacred Games……

The series…..in Netflix….

Think an amalgamation of Gangs of Wasseypur and Satya and you will be halfway there!!….add one thousand cuss words and you will be almost there!… Then add some BOLD scenes just for making it spicy then your will reach Sacred games!!..

From abuse to bullets to gore exemplified to dead bodies falling like dominos to a controversial admixture of real events and politics; you have everything in a nice spicy package!…

After a while though the cuss words become forced and dated…..and frankly annoying!….but the realistic portrayal of the ways of police, politics and gang bangs is refreshing and new…. But maybe next time everyone concentrate more on story rather than just sex and violence and it will be more palatable to the general public…..

So binge watching eight episodes each lasting close to an hour was a good way to start my Netflix subscription!!…

So watch it only if you have close to 8 hours to spare!….also don’t expect a closure!…. This is just the beginning!…

Also like GOT, do not get used to any character!…..he or she may die before your can say Ganesh!!….

Sacred Games……

The series…..in Netflix….

Think an amalgamation of Gangs of Wasseypur and Satya and you will be halfway there!!….add one thousand cuss words and you will be almost there!… Then add some BOLD scenes just for making it spicy then your will reach Sacred games!!..

From abuse to bullets to gore exemplified to dead bodies falling like dominos to a controversial admixture of real events and politics; you have everything in a nice spicy package!…

After a while though the cuss words become forced and dated…..and frankly annoying!….but the realistic portrayal of the ways of police, politics and gang bangs is refreshing and new…. But maybe next time everyone concentrate more on story rather than just sex and violence and it will be more palatable to the general public…..

So binge watching eight episodes each lasting close to an hour was a good way to start my Netflix subscription!!…

So watch it only if you have close to 8 hours to spare!….also don’t expect a closure!…. This is just the beginning!…

Also like GOT, do not get used to any character!…..he or she may die before your can say Ganesh!!….

The name of the game is Kidnapping by Keigo Higashino….

Book review

Rating 2/5

No spoilers……!

This is it…the last translated novel of Keigo!…a novel called Newcomer is in the pipeline but I know the wait is going to be agonizingly slow!….

When I read Devotion of suspect X I had half a mind to learn Japanese so that I can read his other original novels!….. But after this last one I am prepared to wait!…

Not that this is a bad novel but the initial zest and fervor of his previous novels especially Devotion and Midnight Sun is lacking…

You do have the usual twists and turns and an unexpected out of the blue ending but then there’s something missing….it’s like a bland pizza with little flavours of Oregano seasoning but somehow the salt is on the lower side!…(reminder to self to never write a review when hungry to avoid such food references!!)

As the name suggests, there is a kidnapping, there is a game and of course since it’s Keigo, there are twists…

So while some specks of brilliance are there, this one is just another of those side projects am sure with a relatively open ending!…

If you have finished the others then finish this one just for completion sake…the good news is that it’s just around 200 pages long with not many characters (in Japanese that’s childsplay!)….

I have placed Keigo Higashino on a pedestal is the root of all problems!…. The reader should not make this mistake and then everything will be bliss….!!

So read on Nippon!!…

Emergency by COOMI KAPOOR

First some background information; Coomi is a journalist working in Indian Express… One of the few newspapers which did not accept the 20 point and censorship of the Madam and faces immense difficulty due to that.

Her husband was also one of the journalists arrested by putting a frivolous case by a high and mighty individual of the Coterie gang.(you would understand that quote when you read)

Her co brother is the famous Subramanian Swamy who was one of the heroes of Emergency protest!

In an adventure streak akin to a movie, he hoodwinked the entire emergency machinery to emerge a hero of sorts!…

So now we begin this retelling of one of the darkest hours of Indian democracy…some comparisons are even worse than the atrocities committed by the British….

So next time many of my blind friends comment that the situation now is like emergency I would sincerely advice them to at least go though this mind blowing personal detailing of the atrocities of the Madam and her son…..

The court judgement which started it all…how it was manipulated and made into a drama of sorts….

How even the best commission called the Shah Commission report was crushed and burnt..

How a movie depicting this was seized and burnt by the prodigal son..

How the son made mockery of democracy and started Maruti as his pet hobby and made sure everyone was arm twisted into investing in this….(more in the book…)

The absolute censorship of the media…. First two days the electrical and water supply to the media houses were cut!… Then only the Raj approved news were allowed!!…

How (and why!!) Pranab Mukherjee tried to white wash the emergency in his book….

How massive sterilization camps were done with numbers and targets with guns and force….one widower was forced to do it only to end up dead on the table….no one batted an eyelid in spite of these atrocities….

How opposition was crushed worsen than the quit India struggle.

JP…a well respected leader who was arrested healthy and released years later with diabetes and damaged kidneys…

Vajpayee…..was arrested again healthy then house arrested after unnecessary surgery for appendix, then septicemia then slipped disc….. Body and mind both broken….

So many other leaders were arrested and kept in solitary….or sharing room with other prisoners withn a small stinky room with a hole in the ground serving as toilet…..Beaten,bruised and CBI and income tax department used as their own personal errand boys..

The worst was when in a zeal to catch George F, his brother was picked up and tortured without arrest and when he asked for water the constable was told to URINATE IN HIS MOUTH!…. Yes you read it right….sad brutal Raj and nothing else…

The licence Raj, the commission, the curruption and the atrocities leading to many physical and mental trauma and many times death…..

Students not getting permission to write exams, wrong arrests, wrong evictions, illegal slum clearance, no bail, instant re-arrests…..if you have a crime by a government to the innocent you can make it here…..

This was emergency….the dictatorship of a power hungry few who have thought that ruling this country is their birthright…

Kudos to Coomi for getting the emotions right in this one….don’t ever give it a miss….don’t forget…ever…don’t forgive….ever……

A midsummer’s equation by Keigo Higashino….

A quiet little place in a dull country side, an old family run inn, an environmental protection team, an eccentric but genius scientist and detective and finally the most important….an accidental death!…or was it an accident!??..

So from being a routine run of the mill novel about some minor mix up, this turns out to be a twist and turn extravaganza as expected from Keigo!….

By now the only good point is that I have gotten used to the Japanese names and gender to a good degree!… And since this one is only around 300 pages long, it’s not very confusing!…

Like we have been taught in tonsillectomy that every dissection must yield result, you can be rest assured that every query or statement from the quirky Galileo is bound to mean something!…

So whilst a lot of time and pages are wasted in things not even close to the murder, you can still forgive the author in beating around the bush (to a certain extent of course!!)

Like his earlier novel especially the last one called Journey under the midnight sun, here also Keigo gives an important place and character to the young ones (mini spoiler!!)….. In fact at the very beginning it seemed like a John Grisham novel of the Theodre Boone series!… But that’s John and this is Keigo!…. It’s like Messi and Ronaldo!…. Both play their games in their own delightful ways!!…

This is the penultimate book by Keigo translated in english!… Only one more to go and I would have completed the whole set!… Of course a new translation called Newcomer is on the offing in August but we shall board the train when the time comes!…

For now read this to get a feel of Japanese country side, sea shore, tourism and of course the Japanese twister Keigo….