tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86921936376138537222023-12-06T18:50:42.163+05:30Biting Friends.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01092073598786563360noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692193637613853722.post-39693239421427658332017-08-25T15:16:00.000+05:302017-08-25T15:16:20.075+05:30List of Published Works<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: silver; line-height: 115%;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Published Works<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Features, Series, Interviews</span></div>
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<a href="https://scroll.in/magazine/833331/no-one-eats-non-veg-openly-here-ahmedabads-food-lovers-on-the-citys-cultural-aversion-to-meat"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">No one eats non-veg here: How food
continues to divide Vibrant Gujarat</span></a><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> — Scroll Magazine, April 4, 2017<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://scroll.in/magazine/835016/suicide-attempts-are-no-longer-punishable-by-law-heres-why-thats-a-good-thing"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Suicide Attempts are no longer
punished by law, and here’s why that’s a good thing</span></a><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> — Scroll, March 24, 2017<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://scroll.in/magazine/831479/when-the-gujarati-word-for-fun-described-rioting-looting-and-murder"><o:p></o:p></a></span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"><a href="https://scroll.in/magazine/831479/when-the-gujarati-word-for-fun-described-rioting-looting-and-murder">When
the Gujarati word for fun described rioting, looting and murder</a></span></span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"> — Scroll, March 24, 2017<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://scroll.in/magazine/830588/they-wish-every-day-to-be-dead-the-struggles-of-children-in-gujarats-riot-rehabilitation-camps"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">‘They wish every day to be dead’: The struggles of
children in Gujarat’s riot rehabilitation camps</span></a><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"> — Scroll, March 2, 2017 <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://scroll.in/magazine/829608/from-mr-gay-india-to-dalit-beauty-queens-the-changing-face-of-beauty-pageants-in-india"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">From Mr Gay India to Dalit beauty queens: The changing
face of beauty pageants in India</span></a><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"> —
Scroll, February 28, 2017<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/stalking-2016-cases-on-the-rise-conviction-isn-t/story-YrTAnbOPrN3MowfbIC5dUJ.html"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Stalking cases on a rise. Convictions
lower than ever</span></a><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> — HT
Focus, data investigation, October 2016<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/on-social-media-the-faceless-stalker-could-be-someone-you-know/story-SxRHvG0GghQf97KS62vEYI.html"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Of Faceless Facebook Stalkers: Indian
Teenagers At Higher Risk Of Cyber bullying than ROW</span></a><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> — HT Focus, September 2016 <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/heroin-pills-and-weapons-on-sale-discovering-the-dark-side-of-the-web/story-oekXdbr6RPblBI1pzBcoHJ.html"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Dark Web Has Gone Mainstream</span></a><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> — HT Investigations, September 2016<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/nowhere-people-indian-citizenship-eludes-pakistan-hindus-in-exile/story-Js5ZcEX9Yg3XRQ65YLQShO.html"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Left in the Cold, Hindu Refugees from
Pakistan still waiting on “Acche Din” promised by BJP government</span></a><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> — HT Investigations, August 2016 <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.hindustantimes.com/static/facebook-joins-the-kashmir-crackdown/"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Facebook Joins Kashmir Crackdown</span></a><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> – HT Special Projects, July 2016<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/till-property-tear-us-apart-how-children-are-taking-their-old-parents-to-court/story-1m2e0qmJPcrQhYWaDRui7L.html"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Till Property Do Us Part</span></a><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> – how children are taking their aged
parents to court – HT Spotlight, June 2016<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Rape and the city – a three-part data driven investigation
into Delhi’s trial courts dealing with rape cases. </span><a href="http://www.npr.org/2016/05/09/477301507/rape-suspects-in-new-delhi-have-a-good-chance-of-being-acquitted-report-says"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">NPR</span></a><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> picked up the series and its findings — HT, May 2016<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">1. </span><a href="http://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi/in-delhi-a-rape-accused-has-83-chance-of-acquittal/story-2iknxGEDiqRVi196HTQnLJ.html"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In Delhi, a rape accused has 83%
chance of acquittal</span></a><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">2. </span><a href="http://www.hindustantimes.com/india/why-most-rape-victims-turn-hostile-during-trial/story-pjYLEJniCxceLIG6w6c8RK.html"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Family, police pressure: Why most
rape victims turn hostile during trial</span></a><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">3. </span><a href="http://www.hindustantimes.com/india/delhi-s-terrible-guilt-only-12-convicted-of-raping-children/story-lLIXdrSsOrNZ4Uyn0OCgpO.html"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Only 12% of those charged with raping
children convicted in Delhi</span></a><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://projects.hindustantimes.com/how-to-become-a-man"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">How to become a man</span></a><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"> — Hindustan Times, August 2015<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">A long form non-fiction story about one transman’s
struggle growing up in a lower middle class family in West Delhi and his
journey towards getting sex reassignment surgeries. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.hindustantimes.com/sexandrelationships/why-indian-women-watch-porn/article1-1376205.aspx"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Saying it explicitly: Why Indian women watch porn</span></a><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"> — Hindustan Times, August 2015<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">A feature about what pornography Indian women are
watching, and what they would like to see more/less of in adult films. The
survey was written and conducted by me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.hindustantimes.com/chunk-ht-ui-homepage-lifestylenews/porn-needn-t-be-smutty-feminist-erotica-director-erika-lust/article1-1376289.aspx"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Porn needn't be smutty: Feminist erotica director
Erika Lust</span></a><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"> — Hindustan Times, August
2015<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">An interview with Swedish pornographer Erika Lust
about why she thinks making porn women-friendly is important.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/juveniles-feel-remorse-are-capable-of-reform-former-cji/article1-1349855.aspx"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Juveniles feel remorse, are capable of reform: Ex-CJI
Altamas Kabir</span></a><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"> — Hindustan Times, May
2015<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">An interview with the former CJI on his experience
with juvenile crime, his personal views on the JJA as amended. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.hindustantimes.com/newdelhi/dec-16-documentary-depicts-mindset-of-rapists-udwin/article1-1323224.aspx"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Dec 16 BBC documentary depicts mindset of rapists:
Leslee Udwin</span></a><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"> — Hindustan Times, March
2015 <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">An interview with British director Leslee Udwin<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/when-in-legal-trouble-say-ram/article1-1271846.aspx"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">When in legal trouble, say Ram</span></a><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"> — Hindustan Times, Oct 4, 2014<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">A profile of senior Supreme Court lawyer Ram
Jethmalani<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.sunday-guardian.com/artbeat/nobodys-hero-notes-from-the-life-of-an-unassuming-troubadour"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Manu Chao: Notes from the life</span></a><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"> — The Sunday Guardian, Nov 3, 2013 and </span><a href="http://thestringer.com.au/nobodys-hero-notes-from-the-life-of-an-unassuming-troubadour/#.UoB25ZyPhp8"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Stringer</span></a><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">
(Aus.), Nov 11, 2013<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">A profile of Spanish songwriter, singer and
percussionist Manu Chao<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.sunday-guardian.com/artbeat/dancing-with-god"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Dancing with God</span></a><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"> — The Sunday Guardian, Sep 17, 2013<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A look behind the scenes of the iconic Dance Ganesh Visarjan
in Mumbai<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/people/One-girl-among-many/articleshow/21246884.cms"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">One girl among many</span></a><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> — Times of India, Jul 23 2013<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">An feature on an all girls NGO, Aware Girls, which operates
out of Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan FATA region and its founder
Gulailai Ismail<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">News Reporting – Exclusives<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="http://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi/builder-told-to-return-money-with-interest-for-incomplete-flat/story-DX67bgJDtQvidgU9pxcgTL.html"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Builder told to return money with 18% interest for
incomplete flat</span></a><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"> — HT, May 2016<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi/bollywood-style-revenge-plot-by-cop-lawyer-lands-them-in-jail/story-10afhcZHbqonFHzvUN5HTN.html"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Bollywood-style revenge plot by cop, lawyer lands them
in jail</span></a><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"> — HT, March, 2016<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.hindustantimes.com/newdelhi/discrimination-against-male-sex-crime-victims/article1-1342486.aspx"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Discrimination against male rape
victims? PIL in HC asks</span></a><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> — HT, April 2015 <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.hindustantimes.com/newdelhi/dec-16-gangrape-documentary-audience-says-film-does-not-give-a-platform-to-convict/article1-1322821.aspx"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The night Leslee Udwin found out a
criminal complaint had been registered against her for the documentary India’s
Daughter: first hand account</span></a><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> — HT, March 2014<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.hindustantimes.com/newdelhi/uber-rape-victim-gets-threat-calls-as-case-nears-end/article1-1318704.aspx"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Uber rape victim gets threat calls as
case nears end</span></a><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> — HT,
February 2015<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/newdelhi/society-turns-blind-eye-to-prisoners-kids/article1-1266918.aspx"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Society turns a blind eye to
prisoners’ kids</span></a><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> —
HT, Sep 22, 2014<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/no-family-no-lawyer-many-kids-in-delhi-reform-home-clueless-why-they-are-there/article1-1244297.aspx"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">No family, no lawyer: Many kids in Delhi reform home
clueless why they are<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>there</span></a><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"> — HT, Jul 25, 2014<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.tehelka.com/parliament-cannot-overrule-sc-judgment-on-convicted-politicians-legal-advisers-told-president/"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Ordinance is unconstitutional, President’s legal
advisers tell him</span></a><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"> — Tehelka magazine,
Oct 1, 2013<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Book Reviews<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Review: </span><a href="http://www.hindustantimes.com/books/review-leila-by-prayaag-akbar/story-LzcMm6vAFbytwWbB6YzTzM.html"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Leila by Prayaag Akbar</span></a><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"> — Hindustan Times, March 27, 2017<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Review: </span><a href="http://www.hindustantimes.com/books/no-way-home-review-of-deep-singh-blue/story-9k1lnkMtXqQW4AtL898VFL.html"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Deep Blue Singh by Ranbir Singh Sidhu</span></a><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"> — Hindustan Times, December 8, 2017<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Review: </span><a href="http://www.hindustantimes.com/art-and-culture/a-new-book-looks-at-limitations-to-free-speech-in-india/story-mF9tcylLiAxpiS255zL16H.html"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Offend, Shock, Disturb by Gautam Bhatia</span></a><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>— Hindustan
Times,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>December 03, 2016<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Others<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Editing: </span></b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Founder and EIC at <a href="http://www.instagram.com/the.ladies.compartment">@the.ladies.compartment</a>
(website launch in September.) Former co-founder, writer and managing editor of
a lifestyle blog: </span><a href="http://www.pyjamapeople.in/"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Pyjama People</span></a><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Multimedia: </span></b><a href="http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/i-thought-he-was-a-friend-but-he-raped-me/article1-1298845.aspx"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">I thought he was my friend, but he raped me</span></a><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Hindustan Times, Dec 21, 2014<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Op-Ed:</span></b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span><a href="http://www.hindustantimes.com/comment/analysis/sc-dowry-ruling-puts-wives-at-grave-risk/article1-1241174.aspx"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">SC ruling on dowry puts wives at grave risk</span></a><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Hindustan Times, Jul 16, 2014<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Fiction: <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">“</span><a href="http://www.asialiteraryreview.com/web/article/en/396"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Irrelevant Details</span></a><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Asia Literary Review, Summer Issue, 2012 <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">“The Green Thumb”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Out of Print Magazine, 2015<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Legal: </span></b><a href="http://www.asialaw.com/Article/708546/Article.html"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">“Well-known Marks: The Scenario in India”</span></a><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Asia Law: India Investor July 2008<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01092073598786563360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692193637613853722.post-19600733680724475612015-12-21T19:46:00.002+05:302015-12-21T20:04:10.457+05:30Juveniles in conflict with the law: Reform vs Punishment?<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
Three years after the gangrape of a young nursing student by a juvenile and five adults rocked the Capital city, the country is pushing for an amended Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act of 2014. If it succeeds, juvenile boards will have the power to decide if 16 to 18 year olds in rape and murder cases should be tried as children or as adults.</div>
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This new law, to be heard in Rajya Sabha tomorrow, is a departure from the existing law which mandates criminal cases against under-18s should be handled by Juvenile Justice Boards (JJBs) and provides for a maximum sentence of three years – without regard for the heinousness or brutality of the crime.</div>
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The Bill was introduced in 2014 as a direct result of the debate ignited when the Delhi JJB handed down a three-year sentence to the juvenile accused in the December 16<sup>th</sup> gangrape. Now we are back full circle, and it is more than obvious that 26 months was not enough time to heal the scars left behind on the family by the young man's actions.<br />
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Some of us may have had a huge part to play in the continuance of their sorrow, something that calls for a hard look at the media's sensitivity and accountability in reporting moments that involve nuanced issues.<br />
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While protests over the release of one 21-year-old are forcing Parliament to discuss the new Juvenile Justice Bill, we should also wonder if its introduction is in line with India’s obligations under the 1989 UN Convention on Child Rights. Under the convention, children should be protected from custody whenever possible and when deprived of liberty should be treated with humanity and respect and imprisonment of a child has to be used only as a measure of last resort and for the shortest appropriate period of time.</div>
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Others ponder a more basic question: How do we want to treat our children? Because, at the end of the day, who they become is the most accurate portrait of our collective conscience as a society.</div>
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The current JJA had fixed the age of juvenility at 18 for both girls and boys in line with its aims to rehabilitate and reform the juvenile offender so that they can be re-integrated into the society. That’s why it focuses on alternative sentences; keeps kids out of jail where they will be interacting with hardened criminals.</div>
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“The purpose for juvenile law – believes in possibility of reformation. It gives opportunity to all kids to be reformed. It is based on public policy consideration of crime prevention — reformation gives a high possibility of lessening the kids to fall back into crime,” explains child rights activist Anant Asthana while adding that “The new Bill is a highly juvenile response to juvenile crime.”</div>
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Many rely on the increase in juvenile crime rate to support the proposed law. </div>
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And it is true that the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) reports that the number of juveniles found to be in conflict with law under the IPC and the SLL has risen 13.6% and 2.5% respectively in 2013, as compared with 2012.</div>
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However, “the NCRB statistics actually prove that there is something wrong with the way juveniles are growing up in our country,” says Mr. Anand Grover, counsel for the Lawyers Collective who works actively with juveniles in his practice.</div>
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Sociologists agree and attribute rise in juvenile crimes is due to a variety of factors that can’t be addressed by simply lowering the age of majority. These factors include the government’s inability to curb increase in poverty; failure of the educational system causing young people to abandon schools; increasing income disparity; domestic factors such as violence at home and failure of parental units.</div>
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NCRB data also indicates that most juvenile delinquents are from low-income families and/or a marginalized stratum of society. Studies on juveniles including studies conducted by UNICEF also show that neglected children and juveniles are easy prey to criminality.</div>
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Numerous studies stand against clubbing juveniles with adult and often hardened offenders. Many worry that this approach, along with harsher sentencing and the increasing number of juveniles whose bail is rejected thus causing them to remain in pretrial detention, will backfire and result in increase in juvenile offenders instead.</div>
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“The new laws are, though they appear to be remedy for safety, but in fact they are a prescription for more crime in society. I guarantee that in 10 years you’ll see more crime in society,” promises Asthana.</div>
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<i>(A version of this article was published in Hindustan Times on December 20, 2014) </i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01092073598786563360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692193637613853722.post-24730819089666484282015-08-04T18:16:00.000+05:302015-08-29T23:42:33.587+05:30Erika Lust talks about how porn, ethics, values are not mutually exclusive ideas<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Erika Lust </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-size: large;"> B</span>orn in Stockholm, Erika Lust</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); color: #222222;"> is a Swedish feminist porn director, screenwriter and producer. Along with Anna Span and others. Lust has pioneered the field of feminist pornography across the world. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Lust is a graduate in political science and feminist studies. She became interested in pornography during her days as a student at the University of Sweden; she also credits authors Linda Williams and<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> Jean-Jacques Annaud as her inspirations. </span></span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">She has also written several <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Erika-Lust/e/B003YJCMN2">books</a> on the subject. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Lust works out of her own production house called Lust Cinema. The production house is known for its diverse films, ethical standards of production, and is hugely popular with women and men worldwide. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Apart from leading a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9LaQtfpP_8">Ted</a> talk on the future of the porn industry, Lust won the Feminist Porn Award for Movie of the Year in 2012 for her film </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); background-image: none; border: 0px; font-variant: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Cabaret Desire</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); color: #222222;">It also won the Cinekink Audience Choice Award for Best Narrative Feature. The first two compilations of her</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); color: #222222;"> </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); background-image: none; border: 0px; color: #222222; font-variant: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://xconfessions.com/">XConfessions</a></span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); color: #222222;"> series have won her the Feminist Porn Awards for Hottest Straight Vignette in 2014 and 2015 respectively. She has also written several books on the subject. She lives and works in Barcelona. </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">She sees “porn as a discourse about sexuality.” </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lust is known for promoting fellow female artists and directors</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lust with her family</td></tr>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">*<span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">Q&A </span></span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">with </span></span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">Erika Lust</span></span></i></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">How did you get started making pornographic films? <o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It was while studying political sciences and feminism at university in Sweden that I became interested in the link between feminism and porn. The book Hard Core: Power, Pleasure, and the Frenzy of the Visible by Linda Williams really opened my eyes to seeing porn as a discourse about sexuality, and it hugely influenced me and deepened my interest in porn as a genre and a tool for sexual liberation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I then moved to Barcelona to study film. I made the short erotic film The Good Girl and put it online, and within a few months it had over<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>2 million views! I was thrilled to say the least! That's when I realized there was an audience for the kind of films I wanted to make and see myself, a real appetite for intelligent cinematic erotica! I knew I wanted to keep creating films and decided to start up my own production company, Lust Films, and it's now been ten years since I made The Good Girl! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">What is different in your films the what one usually finds on the net? <o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Me and my team put a lot of work into script-writing, making sure the narratives and locations are captivating, that the performers are relatable and interesting... and they have to have real chemistry! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There is so much that goes into my films apart from the sex... the buildup, seduction , anticipation, the aesthetic. Humans are sexually intelligent creatures and there are so many things that can excite our senses. As much as I want the sex to be exciting,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also try to capture as many of those other things that make sex exciting too! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Also, with my project <a href="http://xconfessions.com/">XConfessions</a>, I get to know that people really fantasize about. On my website XConfessions.com, people from all over the world share their erotic fantasies and memories, and every month I pick two stories and turn them into erotic short films. It's an incredibly exciting and inclusive project. I get to make my audience's fantasies come to life! That's something that you won't see on a mainstream site. The stories that come in are so imaginative, each one is so different from the next!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Why do you think it's important to have female-centric porn when the stats say more men watch porn than women anyway? <o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Well, part of the answer is in your question, why do you think more men than women watch porn? Because most films out there are male-centered and cater to the male gaze only! It doesn't have to be that way though: alternative erotica offers more diversity, higher production standards and exciting narratives, that both women and men can enjoy! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">How do you feel about the treatment of women in the porn industry? <o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In chauvinistic porn, the sad reality is that women are often taken advantage of, abused and forgotten when they have been "used" - not in all porn, but of course that horrible side is a reality as well. I want to have an alternative to that! There is no reason sex on film should all be done in a smutty, shady, exploitative manner - it can be done in a safe space, artistically, humane and with respect for everyone involved. It can be a truly positive thing if we choose to create films based on good values and with respect and love for our fellow human beings!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sex can be fun, and so can its portryal </td></tr>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">What do you do in your films and company to counter the exploitation of women in the porn industry?</span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">If you visit my <a href="https://vimeo.com/erikalust/videos">page</a>, you can see plenty of interviews with performers from my films. They are all different and everyone has their own, unique story about why they want to be in my films. You will see that they are all articulate and have thought long about their decisions and all have their individual reasons they want to work with us. Something that they all have in common is that they are all sex-positive and smart people, who all understand that sex is a beautiful thing and nothing to be ashamed of! I only work with people who share my values and understand the Lust ethos.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In India, we are debating whether porn increases violence against women. Do you agree that it could?<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I think chauvinistic porn could have negative effects on society. I think porn is a discourse about sex and works like an educator about sex and gender<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- so if a massive part of the cultural landscape, meaning traditional porn, is chauvinistic in its portrayal of women and embodies regressive ideas about women, sure those ideas are going to rub off when they are presented again and again: that's why it's important to have positive alternatives!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">What do you think the industry and society could do to counter the false notion or real effect (as the case may be in your opinion) ? <o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">First of all, I don't think chauvinistic porn is a sole cause for violence against women - because those films don't exist in a vacuum- They are based on a sexist ideology and part of a patriarchal structure. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So just talking about porn isn't going to solve anything, we have to talk about everything, about women, about men, about gender, about sexuality, about double standards, about power. Talking is important, and once we start getting these important things out in the open, we can better understand why we have, for example, such a vast amount of porn that is hostile against women. Often people are just fed with images that they respond to without questioning where the ideas behind the pictures come from! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I would love to see more female-led erotica. Like all other sectors of society that are striving for equality, sex on film should be an equal thing as well. Cultural categories concerning sex and sexuality need the ideas and decisions from women! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Do you think female friendly porn is also important and appealing to men? <o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Often the category called "female-friendly" is often produced by men and is full of romantic clichés and terrible narratives. My films are different than those, and yes I know for sure that men love them! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Over half our audience is male. Just because my films pay attention to the sexual needs and desires of women doesn't mean that men don't want to see them. That would be quite depressing if that was the case! Luckily it's exactly the opposite, and men like women, love to see erotic films with high production standards where the performers look engaged, pleasured and enjoying themselves for real. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It's a myth that female-led erotica is just for women - my films are for everybody!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMa2491yTTrreIvREXt8BUnlCtYuQh1EfoUUuPiyTSHzG0IWctDlzeTPf9IHJ635W-NnCwIo0vlZrThyphenhyphen3evFlQ6lrbB1lTNW5nxHLyWKsvhWP_tUahjET7s9auR4b-Px6ynA3P0CQ3UQLY/s1600/erika-lust-reinventa-el-cine-para-adultos-1423499776.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMa2491yTTrreIvREXt8BUnlCtYuQh1EfoUUuPiyTSHzG0IWctDlzeTPf9IHJ635W-NnCwIo0vlZrThyphenhyphen3evFlQ6lrbB1lTNW5nxHLyWKsvhWP_tUahjET7s9auR4b-Px6ynA3P0CQ3UQLY/s400/erika-lust-reinventa-el-cine-para-adultos-1423499776.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i></b>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">What's your favourite part of a porn film? <o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">From my own erotic films: every part from initial idea all the way through the final product.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<i><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Which other directors and film makers would you recommend from the industry?</span></b></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Ovidie, Tristan Taormino, Jennifer Lyon Bell and Vex Ashley from A Four Chambered Heart. I admire their innovation and creativity in erotic film a lot and they are really engaging in the new erotic movement that is going on at the moment!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Any message for young girls just starting to discover porn and experiment sexually? <o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I think sometimes as a woman, it can feel as if your sexuality has been hijacked - maybe by societies ideas about sex, social stigma, mainstream porn, unrealistic beauty standards, - it can be a lot of different things! To enjoy sex, you have to think about what you want, what desires and fantasies you want to entertain and what makes you happy, and also what doesn't make you happy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It's good to know that all the images we see about sex are not necessarily true.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I think it's important to try to wash away the shame that it seems a lot of young women are still expected to feel about sex. Sex is meant to be pleasurable and fun! It's a natural thing after all. Whether you want to have sex or not have sex, you should be able to feel free to think about it, have it, and enjoy your sexuality in any way you want, as long as you don't hurt anyone else. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq2H5x44wCWWRNm3yE0rdvfQWSgpG4KSKHLfCwBmKqNRi8Url2wHF5Kg0Xw6IX7_qIyWVqXpF4TjKqfLb-TfS2MYjv38IFaxjsCt7Azxhy0ZO7jC9VTUUyyNda5SKjdEUdbFswFdst5X7V/s1600/lust+at+work.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq2H5x44wCWWRNm3yE0rdvfQWSgpG4KSKHLfCwBmKqNRi8Url2wHF5Kg0Xw6IX7_qIyWVqXpF4TjKqfLb-TfS2MYjv38IFaxjsCt7Azxhy0ZO7jC9VTUUyyNda5SKjdEUdbFswFdst5X7V/s400/lust+at+work.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i></b>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I</span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">n your opinion, what will change in society, and in how men and women view sexuality, if and when the genre of porn changes and starts making content that respects women?</span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I'd love to see more alternative erotic film makers. I hope my films will inspire some to make their own films. Also, It's been great to see that more and more people understand the concept of feminism more in the last couple of years, where as before it was so vastly misunderstood in the public conversation. I think that is something that can help in conversations about porn and representations of men and women. Feminism is about equality of the sexes, men and women, working together for equal rights. When we can talk about sex and sexuality more openly we can start to make positive changes that can benefit all of society!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;">What do you think of the GoI's recent ban on porn sites?</span></i></b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;">I find it quite contradictory that such a country with a young population, and a sex positive history going back to B.C., would go so backwards in time by banning pornography. I think that sexual education, and -- why not-- porn education, is more vital and effective than censorship.</span><br style="color: #222222; text-align: start;" /><br style="color: #222222; text-align: start;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;">Banning these sites won't stop people viewing X-rated content, it will only fire their desire to go to other places to find it, , or use thing like Black VPN. Possibly alternative erotica sites and material that do further the cause of ethical treatment of women in the films and industry will not be reachable from India, because they are going to be put in the same box as the chauvinistic porn.</span><br style="color: #222222; text-align: start;" /><br style="color: #222222; text-align: start;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;">India needs to keep fighting for their right to sexual expression and exploration. Looking at old scriptures of your ancestors exploring their sexuality freely is legal, but tryung to find a modern depiction of sex is illegal. That's irony defined.</span><br style="color: #222222; text-align: start;" /><br style="color: #222222; text-align: start;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;">People in India are smart and opinionated. You have already started the debate, let's discuss porn instead of banning it.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;"><i>*An edited and shorter version of this interview appeared on the Hindustan Times <a href="http://tinyurl.com/o22sgm3">website</a> on August 4, 2015</i></span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01092073598786563360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692193637613853722.post-58479480130452363822015-06-27T14:13:00.002+05:302015-07-19T08:59:25.421+05:30In All Things, Charity<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
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<span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>A</b></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">nnie was the first person to welcome me to my new
apartment. She didn’t live in the building, but had dropped by to ask if I
needed a cooking lady. A slight woman with a simple blue dress buttoned up modestly to hide a bosom too big for her shoulders; her salt and pepper hair
was sculpted with pungent coconut oil into a tight bun. Her spectacles hung on
a chain from her neck along with a simple gold crucifix. Without either she claimed to be blind. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I felt the urge to hide my ashtray full of spliffs when she
came in on that first day, but she smiled and said, “What can one say or do…
nowadays all you kids are like this, man.” <o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 29.333335876464844px;">She struck me as the sort of woman who having found God early on in life, had since been living for the eternal bliss she would eventually receive. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 200%;">We decided she would come in every morning and evening; but
when later that year I was fired from my job, she started coming in three
times. Rather than cook, she would come in and rip the </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 200%;">sheets off me who had taken to lying in bed all day</span><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 29.333335876464844px;">. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 29.333335876464844px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 200%;">While making me chai, </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 200%;">she’d tell me stories about her
younger son who had been born blind, her eldest who was the apple of her eye because
he had skipped two grades in school and her husband who drank so much liquor
that a single kiss from him left her inebriated. Daily, she’d take the train
from their little </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">jhuggi</i><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 200%;"> in Mahim;
inevitably, she had a story to tell about that as well. Sometimes an amusing
story from the platform, sometimes an unexpected harshness experienced in the
ladies compartment.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">In this time, I saw Annie more often than my friends. But, never considering her familiar enough to talk to about the terrifying listlessness unemployment brings about, I would sit on my dining table and listen to her ocean of stories. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 29.333335876464844px;">My house was the first of her stops and usually she worked late enough, that at the days’ end she’d have to take a cab back home as the train service had stopped. This she found annoying since no auto rickshaw would leave Bandra to go to town. The taxi home cost her at least 200 rupees on the days she could not find another person to share it with. This amount she considered obscene. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Descriptions of her family in Mahim bothered me.
Four of them shared a bedroom and kitchen along with one parrot - it sounded
overcrowded and depressing. Living by myself in a place thrice as big, I
couldn’t help but feel guilty at the luck of my draw. Inevitably I’d start to
shift around in my seat when she told me stories about her house. There was a resentment I'd feel towards her when this would happen, even though
she was good at keeping her stories amusing and light. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">When the month passed by without me finding another job, I was at my lowest and would not even leave my bed for chai. Annie started to push me towards alternatives I hadn't the heart to tell her were for housewives.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">“Do something good to occupy your time,
charity heals the soul” she said. For my part, I did my best not to make </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 29.333335876464844px;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 29.333335876464844px;">particularly obvious </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 200%;">the
advice’s fast track from one ear out the other.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 200%;">One morning, she came in with a pink flyer. Printed on it, a photograph of a tiny </span><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 29.333335876464844px;">cardboard box from which </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 200%;">three even tinier puppies were staring up </span><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 29.333335876464844px;">at the big bad world.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 200%;"> Their sad eyes seemed to implore you specifically, and it read “PUPPIES FOR
FOSTER - please help!!” along with a phone number for those so inclined. I
wasn’t and this is what I told Annie.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">“Come on, they’re like little babies!” she said, “It’s only for a
little while and it’ll do you good to help out!!” It took her a while and, frankly, I only agreed because I thought by then the dogs would have found a
home. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN8x4UnLPcMbazZlX3zlLAE6h5Gcx7BK4jYSBfoImB_q2Sz8QICE7W_0YK1PIu9wwX7gZBG7vpe4ilW8J5-iyCyOaerFmBpMHvOrJR31Dpq6WPykZ1XWskH7UKWWWstCiBadG0yKlC845I/s1600/money-banking-charity-collectors-charity_muggers-chuggers-pen-rron574_low.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN8x4UnLPcMbazZlX3zlLAE6h5Gcx7BK4jYSBfoImB_q2Sz8QICE7W_0YK1PIu9wwX7gZBG7vpe4ilW8J5-iyCyOaerFmBpMHvOrJR31Dpq6WPykZ1XWskH7UKWWWstCiBadG0yKlC845I/s200/money-banking-charity-collectors-charity_muggers-chuggers-pen-rron574_low.jpg" width="170" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;">The girl who dropped the puppies off was almost as perky as
Annie, she seemed only a few years younger than I, was dressed like a
university student. “There’s these three left, two of them have been adopted
and their owners will come pick them up soon.” she told me, “and this little
guy...” she said holding the tiniest one up for inspection, “is still looking
for home, so if you're interested...”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">He was so small, it was heart wrenching; he had droopy black
ears and stuffed toy body, with a curly-whirly attached to his bum instead of a
tail. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">“I doubt it,” I told her, “but I’ll take
care of all of them till you guys find homes.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I have not had dogs since I was twelve, and here are the
things you skip when raising a pet with parental supervision. They do not
sleep, your world is their toilet, they puke everywhere and they eat
anything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One week, four phone chargers,
eight pairs of shoes and innumerable late-night clean ups later, two of the
puppies were picked up; I surprised myself by feeling sad.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">“Little Tyson is the only one left!” said Annie when she
came in that morning. “Stop giving him a name,” I said to her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, secretly, I thought LT, the shortened
version of his Annie-christening, had a nice ring to it. LT certainly
described, perfectly the pugnacious, little puppy. I realised that I had grown
quite fond of him. “Maybe I’ll keep him,” I said, “I’ll go buy him a bed and
some treats today.” Annie was quiet, but I didn’t think too much of it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">When later that day I got a call back for a job interview, I
told Annie, “The universe is paying me back for helping out.” That’s not how
charity works,” she said, but it was laughingly; so I thought it alright to
roll my eyes at her and in my excitement, forgot her words. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">The next morning the realisation that I’d need a puppy
sitter in order to go for the interview had me nearly in tears. Annie arrived
as always on time. “I’ll watch him,” she said to me, forever helpful. “But
you’re working other houses.” I said. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">“I’ll take him home to my boys, they have summer vacation.
They’ll happily watch him and I’ll bring him back in the evening.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">It was a convenient solution for me, so I was quick to
agree. I had a car and would most likely pass Mahim on my way to Nariman Point
where the firm’s offices were. Searching for Annie’s little house in Mahim’s
tiny winding streets would make me tardy. So I never thought to offer her a
ride. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">The interview went off well and by the time Annie came back,
I was celebrating with a few friends and a few beers. “Oh yay,” someone said
ironically when the door bell rang, “dog crap!” I laughed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Annie stood with a boy, who was holding on to the puppy for
dear life. He reached till my shoulders, was about fourteen; wide-eyed and
skinny as children who run around Mumbai tend to be. “We’ve come to give you
your dog,” he said before Annie could speak. He let go of LT who immediately
bounded into the house.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">“What do you say Jonah?” she said sternly. “Thank you for
letting us play with him,” he said looking slightly dejected. “No! Why I thank
YOU,” I said to him in a tone equivalent to ruffling his hair. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Annie turned to me beaming “So how was the interview?” I
smiled back, “I got the job! They’ve asked me to start from the day after!”
“That’s wonderful!” she said. With that, she and her son went on their way.
When I turned around, my friends were feeding LT beer. I chastised them but
could not help laughing at the little dog’s bewildered expression after he’d
gone through a few bowls of lager.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I had to find someone to watch LT while I was at work, and
so struck a deal with the guard outside my apartment building. When Annie came
in the morning, I told her the plan. “All you have to do is feed him in the
morning and then give him to the guard, and bring him in, in the evening when
you come to make dinner.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">It didn’t seem like a complicated routine to me. Raised by a
working mother, my life had been a barrage of car pools and play dates. Annie,
however, looked skeptical, “Are you sure about leaving him
outside?” “Well, what would you have me do?” I asked. There was a bit of a
silence before she said, “I could take him. My sons love him.” I thought
of the one bedroom, four people and parrot and didn’t know whether to cry or to
laugh. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">“That’s the worst idea I’ve heard yet.” I said to her, “He’s
going to get bigger and bigger, where will you keep him? In your little <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">jhuggi</i>?” I was looking out for a puppy,
I told myself. After all, he deserved the best care, like I was able to
provide; with toys, treats and space. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">As the weeks progressed, I thought my plan was working well.
By the time I would get home from work, LT and Annie would be home and he would
be fed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I could have easily continued to sacrifice wires and shoes
to him, but as work got busier, his playfulness became a burden. On more than
one occasion, I sat him down and screamed, “Look dog, I don’t have time for you
right now!” To keep him busy, I substituted my time with a multitude of toys.
Still, he ate through both with a vengeance. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">As a month passed and he grew bigger, I realised it wasn’t
going to be possible to keep LT with me. The guard I entrusted him with had
taken to tying him to a pole through the day. His frantic barking had soured my
whole building to the idea of having a dog in the compound. So I did what
everyone does. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I put up flyers around my neighbourhood and a note on my
Facebook. I asked my friends if anyone wanted a puppy. There was a lot of noise
about how cute LT was, but no takers. Anyone with a space big enough to keep
him didn’t want it ruined by a dog. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">At that time, I thought of Annie, but could not bring myself
to ask her to bail me out. She quietly reiterated her offer to take LT, and in
fit of pride, I informed her that I had found a kennel that would take him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Since I had done no such thing, Annie wasn’t the only one
surprised by this announcement. To make matters worse for myself, I then went
on to say, “Oh yea, they’re in Bandra and a wonderful facility, big rooms for
the dogs and everything. I’m going to take LT there next week!” Annie was
ecstatic; she wanted to know the address so she could visit LT on her days off
and shyly she asked, “You won’t mind if my boys go with me would you?” Of course
I didn’t mind. I wouldn’t if such a place existed. It didn’t.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Turns out that one has to pay through the nose to house a
dog in Bombay, and that kind of money, I didn’t have. Looking at the mammoth
price tags in dismay, I felt for the first time as small as the room in which
Annie lived. After pouring through the Internet for days, I finally found a
‘dog motel’ (it was so called) nearby and one that I could afford. Sweet
relief!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I gave Annie the address almost triumphantly and in the week
that came, with a heavy heart, dropped LT off at the ‘motel’. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">The motel’s grounds, which ran in a semi circle before the
building, were well kept in a rather dull way; the grass was cut short but no
flowers or trees adorned the garden. The building, a one-storey bungalow, must
have been painted white once; literally just once. The original colour of the
outer walls could’ve been anyone’s guess; they were thoroughly blackened by
creeping mould. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">A wiry, old man wearing a wife-beater and a green <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">lungi</i> let me into the grounds. Apart
from him, not a soul seemed to breathe in the estate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Despite the state of the property and the
lack of staff, I tried to remain optimistic. After all, I thought, the website
rated the place with three stars. Three stars are good enough for a dog,
surely! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">In the coming weeks, work kept me busy enough that I did not
miss nor mourn LT’s absence. The only time I thought about him was when Annie
would mention him, which she did often while she was cleaning. With some amount
of dramatic woe she would suddenly pick up a rug and say, “It’s boring not
having that little bugger around running around but at least the house doesn’t
smell of number one anymore.” I would laugh, but that’d be it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Till one Sunday, I was out the door on my way to the office.
Having been unexpectedly called in, I was in a mood. So when Annie stopped me
by the door and said, “I’m so glad I caught you, listen we must talk about
Little Tyson <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">baba</i>. I went to visit
him yesterday. I don’t like the place at all, I’m positively worried for the
little fellow!” I snapped.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">“Jesus Christ Annie, don’t you have something else to worry
about? Your kids don’t need enough mothering or what? Relax about the dog okay?
He’s fine, I know because I’m paying for it through my nose! How much more can
I do!” She was a bit taken aback it was obvious, but with no time to fret about
anyone else, I moved on quickly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Later that week my boss was kind enough to give me a ride
home. I was excited, having never spent much time with my boss outside of the
office. It was certainly good for my career path to find an excuse to bond with
him. So I steered our conversation towards LT and my benevolent role in his
little life. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">My boss seemed interested enough to spontaneously suggest,
“Well, if this place is in Bandra, let’s go visit him, shall we?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>‘Fantastic idea!’ thought I and gave him
directions. So far, I had used every moment of the journey as a show-and-tell.
Look how serious and intelligent I could be. We’d exchanged a few laughs and I
was feeling elated. Was I using a puppy to further my prospects? I shrugged at
the idea. So what?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Once again there was only the old man visible on the
compound, this time in a maroon lungi. He was standing by the gate when we
arrived in our car. “Hello I’ve come to see the little mixed breed dog, is he
around back?” I said to the old man as he looked at me lazily. A funny feeling
started to unfurl in my stomach, fear perhaps. “Yes, they’re all out back but
you can’t go there. What does your dog look like? Tell me, I’ll get him for
you.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I described LT for him, “Black and white puppy, brown
markings for eyebrows, floppy long ears. He’s very frisky, I’m sure you know
him by now. Do you know which one I’m talking about?” He shrugged and went off
without another word. My boss stepped out of his car; looking around while
stretching his legs while I, leaned against the door waiting.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">“So how did you find this place?” my boss asked looking on
at the dilapidated white building curiously. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0AGWKuca5Sd6F4iyP6AnmFWCQtkpnkkLi8Byo93koeATHDDptPKY5TvFqJreNkoltIHOgapYzQFEn6k6Jjt4xW1Br3_09mmCBZw3ICqN4uhbOR8RW5rv4SwBjn1QMZApWbC0aEhp1U2OE/s1600/calvin-hobbes-auction-cropp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0AGWKuca5Sd6F4iyP6AnmFWCQtkpnkkLi8Byo93koeATHDDptPKY5TvFqJreNkoltIHOgapYzQFEn6k6Jjt4xW1Br3_09mmCBZw3ICqN4uhbOR8RW5rv4SwBjn1QMZApWbC0aEhp1U2OE/s200/calvin-hobbes-auction-cropp.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">“On the internet….” I replied
while looking away. When the man came back, he had LT on a tight leash.
Immediately the pup bounded towards me, yelping and howling; almost as if he
was trying to relay a story. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">My heart leapt into my throat upon seeing him.
I realized I’d missed him more than I’d allowed myself to admit. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I thought of
Annie as he jumped into my waiting arms. His tail wagging and tongue ever ready
to get in a sneaky lick of my faces. My boss seemed enthralled by him, and I
felt proud of my dog. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Then the magic was shattered as he exclaimed, “Oh he’s
covered in ticks!!” ‘What?!’ I thought, ‘How could he be, he’s in a three star
motel!’ But indeed his little body had at least a million squirmy round brown
insects stuck to it in various places. In some spots, more than one tick had
gnawed on and was nestled in. Upon close inspection I saw other tell tale red
bumps all over his belly and paws. Horrified, both of us moved away. Poor LT
never knew why. He jumped back and forth between our horrified faces.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">“Have you seen this before?” my boss asked, his face clouded
in a judgmental mask. Speechless I shook my head, “No, actually this is the
first I’ve had time to visit him, but this place has three stars! There must be
some kind of mistake!” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">“You must look into it, how irresponsible to just leave ‘it’
here...” He gestured towards LT, “Without checking the place out properly, I’m
surprised at you!” I could feel his disapproval boring a hole through my head.
Nodding I gathered little LT in my arms and a shudder ran down the length of my
body as I thought of the insects that infested his. I walked towards the
building, realising for the first time that I hadn’t even asked to see where
he’d be kept. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">The old man was promptly at the door before I could open it.
“What are you doing? What did I say, you can’t come back here!” he shouted at
me. Anger welled up inside me and I couldn’t take it anymore, I roared back;
“What do you mean? Look at my dog.” I showed him LT’s belly, all the ticks
latched on to its thin skin.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">“How have you been keeping him? What is all this? I’ve been
paying you good money to keep this dog safe. What kind of a person keeps a dog
this way? Answer me!” I must been right at the top of the decibel range,
because my boss came down the path to see what was going on. “What are you
doing shouting at him like that?” He chastised me, “Can’t you see that he’s
only an old man? If you have to ask anyone, ask the person who runs this place,
haven’t you ever spoken to them?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I had, once, on the phone. I had asked where I should drop
LT. Dejectedly I apologized to the old man as my boss looked on at me in a
mixture of, it seemed, pity and piousness. The old man, however, was not
forgiving. “Get out! Get out right now with your mutt! I won’t be screamed at
like this. I’ll tell the owners how you spoke to me. Go away right now!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Not knowing what to do or what to say, I asked my boss for a
ride home. He obliged on the condition that I keep LT in a cardboard box with a
lid on it. He didn’t want any objectionable creatures to escape and ruin his
leather seats. “Impossible to get rid of these things…” he muttered peevishly.
Though as I found out later, quite rightly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">The ride home saw only a shamed silence. Any remarks from
his end were disparaging and I knew better than to disagree with a man who
signs my paychecks. “So irresponsible of you to just leave it there. I mean if
you’re going to take a dog on, in Bombay, I’m not saying you should, with our
schedules and all. It’s stretching yourself too thin. But if you want to, you
must do it properly! I’m disappointed to say the least…” and so on, followed by
silence on my part. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">The building super saw me try to sneak LT in and gave me a
dirty look, which I only acknowledged from the corner of my eye. I was playing
ostrich I suppose, hoping not to be seen if I did not see. The rest of my night
was spent bitterly cursing the super, the old man at the ‘dog motel’ and
sometimes LT for he would squirm uncontrollably as I picked out the ticks from
his body and drowned them into a waiting plastic mug.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each tiny death rewarding me with brief
snippets of control.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">The next day, when my building super came and served me with
a final notice, “Look I’m not a bad guy” he said, though I felt
differently.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“These are the rules, I
can’t break them for you. Please find a place for the dog. Either he goes or
you both go!” I felt helpless and alone. I was at a complete loss now; it
looked like little Tyson would have to go back to the animal shelter where he
came from. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">That weekend Annie came in as usual and upon seeing LT, she
let out a shriek and started to play with him. They were so happy together that
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readily bawled out my plight. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">“You were right about the kennel, I don’t know why I paid
them,” I said to her. “I got him home last night, but already the building
wants me to send him away, and I can’t find anyone to take him. The pound says
they can’t keep him very long if he doesn’t find a home…and they say they’ll
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another building…” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Annie looked at me with gentle surprise and said, “Silly you
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love to have him! What could have changed?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01092073598786563360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692193637613853722.post-64060941367535173602015-06-13T10:47:00.000+05:302015-06-13T12:59:22.659+05:30A 6000 day wait on justice: The Uphaar tragedy commiserations<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihC9pF0w5NIvfj7G1keYJfYTBhXeF4Dmu4EQ0c6gNajoRFV2tq2_ANG_OMS_Sjlrm_yw03sbZdvBc3r6dt5uTCxvpXa1dPW-o-T4EQaZILoQOY3c7cvhCdSZhrwMlsx9KDTGl0Xmgwjc8b/s1600/16neelam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihC9pF0w5NIvfj7G1keYJfYTBhXeF4Dmu4EQ0c6gNajoRFV2tq2_ANG_OMS_Sjlrm_yw03sbZdvBc3r6dt5uTCxvpXa1dPW-o-T4EQaZILoQOY3c7cvhCdSZhrwMlsx9KDTGl0Xmgwjc8b/s320/16neelam.jpg" width="163" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Krishnamurthy</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A mother always remembers, Neelam Krishnamurthy had said two years – 730 days – ago. She had been talking about the 1997 Uphaar cinema fire in which her teenage daughter and her son died. It’s been 18 years since that fateful day but she still counts the days like an imprisoned person. “6570 days.” </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHXrREbfGVyDc8cBP0xmGoSv7yjgXHDPx0w6bjV-MPRuLtzKr1piLsSWndAhQdWsTtYehbCLp40E0ZUoHDugt1I4-MDV18OJEglT9zPlKbJazWAtN-nn2_8JvV4jZy_Rvcw2IFSVDh5mTN/s1600/22TH_UPHAAR_1307373f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHXrREbfGVyDc8cBP0xmGoSv7yjgXHDPx0w6bjV-MPRuLtzKr1piLsSWndAhQdWsTtYehbCLp40E0ZUoHDugt1I4-MDV18OJEglT9zPlKbJazWAtN-nn2_8JvV4jZy_Rvcw2IFSVDh5mTN/s200/22TH_UPHAAR_1307373f.jpg" width="200" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Krishnamurthy is one of many awaiting closure while Supreme Court deliberates the sentence to be given out to the real estate barons Sushil and Gopal Ansal – the owners of Uphaar who were convicted for willful negligence causing death on March 5 last year. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Another evidence tampering case against the Ansal brothers is pending before the Patiala House Courts Complex Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Sanjay Khanangal. The 56-year-old Krishnamurthy has never missed a single hearing in the case that’s stretched on for nine years.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“You would be my daughter’s age,” she can be heard telling the younger reporters who perchance upon her in the district courts.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOSvtPjOUNnFhWE0nkoJaapDUZXzdC1XgcaICRFGxPFLD3BUzX16bDmMLGVpAwAoHKfRSum4Ad6QjoPfx8wAEsw_Kh4I7XDZWtcwo0voKX_FvZXrG3tVNRkH5kJ15-9U7y82tnjOy7UGv6/s1600/6ee8730c-8266-4cb7-b0f0-9d5d2f9fcfe2MediumRes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOSvtPjOUNnFhWE0nkoJaapDUZXzdC1XgcaICRFGxPFLD3BUzX16bDmMLGVpAwAoHKfRSum4Ad6QjoPfx8wAEsw_Kh4I7XDZWtcwo0voKX_FvZXrG3tVNRkH5kJ15-9U7y82tnjOy7UGv6/s200/6ee8730c-8266-4cb7-b0f0-9d5d2f9fcfe2MediumRes.jpg" width="200" /></span></a><span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Meanwhile SC continues to deliberate on the question of quantum of punishment to be given to the Ansal Brothers. It was sent to a larger Bench for determination last year.</span></span></div>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The fire in Uphaar cinema located in South Delhi broke out during the screening of the movie Border. Fifty-nine corpses were recovered. Corners’ reports show that they suffocated to their deaths. During investigation it was revealed that the Ansals’ building did not comply with fire safety standards. One of the Fire Exits was blocked by extra seats, so the trapped victims could not get out of the burning hall.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“Members of the Association hope that the larger Bench would consider the enormity of the tragedy before deciding on the quantum of sentence. It is very evident from the findings of the Supreme Court that 59 invaluable lives were snuffed out due to wanton disregard of the statutes with the intention of making extra money rather than ensuring the safety of patrons. We also hope that the decision on the quantum of punishment is such that it would send a strong message to the occupiers and owners of public spaces that they cannot endanger human lives to fill their coffers,” AVUT (Association of Victims of Uphaar Tragedy) president Krishnamurthy said.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9dImnq27lWAzX1lZz8awtLtxSI1DZ8736S68fuixpKHb_B-pCKE9XYIIvtop_shtr2BgPXDBuM7bHCny_F_HXmut5XgwrWMhkB-BScoNpz8VRc3NvsgLp8GBWpYa4gBqPL33utKS8437d/s1600/DE14_PG4_4-COL_UPH_1486825f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="115" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9dImnq27lWAzX1lZz8awtLtxSI1DZ8736S68fuixpKHb_B-pCKE9XYIIvtop_shtr2BgPXDBuM7bHCny_F_HXmut5XgwrWMhkB-BScoNpz8VRc3NvsgLp8GBWpYa4gBqPL33utKS8437d/s200/DE14_PG4_4-COL_UPH_1486825f.jpg" width="200" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">On Saturday June 13, the AVUT will hold held a prayer meeting marking the 18 years which have passed since they lost their loved ones. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">They are demanding the sentence of the Ansal Brothers be decided by SC in an expeditious manner; they want the evidence tampering case in the district court to be finally heard. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“It’s been “6570 days,” says Krishnamurthy speaking for all the living victims of the </span>tragedy<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> “Don’t we deserve justice?”</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>(A shorter, modified, </i><i>version of this article appeared in an edition of the Hindustan Times June 13, 2015 papers)</i></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01092073598786563360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692193637613853722.post-26474092111497003552015-06-05T21:51:00.001+05:302015-06-11T13:46:57.903+05:30Bahadur Aur Beghar: No help for the Patiala House Court Complex's Nepali staff after Earthquake<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Kishan
Bahadur was a jolly, carefree soul. He's the first one telling a vakeelji who's
lost his files to chill; the first to smile as you enter Patiala House court
complex’s tension-drenched filing room. But since April 25, this year, Kishan
Bahadur has become a different person. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhDt0XtkTAwgEhsHM-q37P7ANKXlKmFVNcr8iEQPK8tmlSAcSmizzaG9ABhfj_lKk-brdXQ5WXRckL7zxmvnm1ZmkMatJEdO-37E7svnOnsOKr1sJEK5R4T9N-7Izgm1g_1wv_TUNwSyfA/s1600/Kishan+Bahadur.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhDt0XtkTAwgEhsHM-q37P7ANKXlKmFVNcr8iEQPK8tmlSAcSmizzaG9ABhfj_lKk-brdXQ5WXRckL7zxmvnm1ZmkMatJEdO-37E7svnOnsOKr1sJEK5R4T9N-7Izgm1g_1wv_TUNwSyfA/s320/Kishan+Bahadur.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
He’s
from Pokhara Village in Nepal, where a 7.8 Ritcher scale earthquake that hit
the country last month destroyed 90% of the buildings. Kishan’s house — where
his wife and two small children reside — was demolished he tells me. With a
sigh of relief, he adds, no one was home at the time.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
“My
wife was at the neighbors, and the kids were in school. It’s only by pure luck
and gods’ grace that I still have a family,” he explains.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
He
adds, "they don’t have a house to live in anymore and are staying with the
neighnours.” He shrugs, but one can tell his pride is hurt -- he's the sort of
man who believes in taking from no one. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Having
no home to go back to is not the end of Kishan’s woes. Due to the sudden force
majure, he also has no money for the trip home, or to fix the broken down
building once he gets to his destination. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Being
a proud Bahadur and has not yet asked the district judge in charge Amar Nath
for help as of yet. Truth told, he confesses, he did not know asking
the DJ for help was an option.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
In
fact, Kishan and others like him are worried that their pay will be affected if
they go to Nepal during court working days. At the moment, lower court staff is
only given a certain number of leaves, and anyone exceeding those gets a
pay-cut.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Those
Nepalis who have already used their limited number of paid holidays are not
getting any concession to visit their homeland post-Earthquake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the typical Bahadur sense
of humour he adds, the only good thing is that this happened at the beginning
of the year, so not many have taken holidays yet.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Strapped
for cash themselves, Kishan’s colleagues in the filing room are collecting
money on his behalf. So far, ten people have contributed, and they have Rs.
2000 to give towards rebuilding a house whose value in memories cannot be
quantified. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
“Not
a lot of the staff is being generous as well. I’ve contributed, some others
have. Some know Kishan needs the money but ignore us. I mean how much can one
go door to door also na?” one Reader tells me under the condition of
anonymity. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
There
are at least 20 Pokhara villagers working as junior staff or menial labour in
various district courts in Delhi. The overall count of Nepali workers within
the city’s judicial system exceeds 100. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Tis
Hazari court, which has about 50 Nepalis working in it has the largest number,
closely followed by Saket court that employs 20 and Patiala House Court that
employs 18-20 persons.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
I spoke to a number of them from various district courts, and their situation was
found to be similar, if not exactly, like Kishan’s story.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<i>(This reportage is entirely in my personal capacity, has nothing to do with my employer, and was done on my own time. Any liability stemming from the same should be placed on me, and no one else.)</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<o:p><i><br /></i></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<o:p><i><b>Ps- If you want to help Kishan and others like him, please go to the Court Staff Secretaries at the various district courts, and donate what you comfortably can to their cause. </b></i></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01092073598786563360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692193637613853722.post-25223401989664891162015-06-04T16:03:00.000+05:302015-06-05T00:13:27.985+05:30The law doesn't blame Madhuri for Maggi... even if you want to!<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It was reported on Tuesday that an independent advocate has filed a case against actors Amitabh Bachhan, Madhuri Dixit and Preity Zinta who endorsed the household product we all grew up with — Maggi. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg2leFa5mh6TjJQGeH0a7KJ6H7LOKrxgQee7VouW5kucFtWQ-LOdz2aJU9gae1JxweQh4HyZBjkCo0LD49lGNWK14Q05D6KUOSZBfJDLApmLNBrrjMJd2gNwJ1H7-kgd9wp2feGJZPLSLQ/s1600/maggi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg2leFa5mh6TjJQGeH0a7KJ6H7LOKrxgQee7VouW5kucFtWQ-LOdz2aJU9gae1JxweQh4HyZBjkCo0LD49lGNWK14Q05D6KUOSZBfJDLApmLNBrrjMJd2gNwJ1H7-kgd9wp2feGJZPLSLQ/s320/maggi.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The ‘two-minute’ noodles have been in the eye of the storm since it was revealed that several batches of their products across India contained dangerous levels of lead, which can be fatal. And now, so are the celebrities whose shining faces on silver screens told the rest of us to “Love Maggi.”</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It cannot be questioned that celebrities are people who exert a lot of influence over the general public, and should exercise this power in a responsible, not reckless manner. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">According to the Food Standards and Safety Authority of India (FSSAI) Act, anyone whomsoever is a party to a misleading advertisement or its publication can be fined up to Rs 10 lakh. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In February, last year, the Central Consumer Protection Council (CCPC), the apex body for consumer protection in India, ruled that actors could be held liable for making “false claims” in advertisements and endorsing a product that they “know to be misleading.”</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So, on the face of it, there seems a possibility that Bacchhan senior and the rest of Bollywood’s finest may be in a hot soup. But the CCPC was clear about one thing: these people can only be held accountable for endorsements or statements they made “recklessly” or if they had knowledge that the product was unsafe, or the advertisement claim false or misleading.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It all boils down to what lawyers call mens rea; and what we call intention. Did Amitabh know there was a high-lead percentage in Maggi noodles? Did Zinta? What about Madhuri? Did your local grocer know? Did the canteen-cook who gives you a plate during teatime every day? </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There is no belittling the role of celebrity endorsements in India —they account of half our country’s ads. Also, you don’t even need to be Indian to know the the influence a Bacchan exert on the country’s less educated population — which is, sadly, still in the majority. One can safely say, products can be moved on the basis of Madhuri’s smile alone. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Yet, the law is clear — to be liable, they must have been reckless or had knowledge of their false claims. As of yet, there is no proof of either criteria applying to any of the stars.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">If this were a case of deceptive advertising such as the infamous </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2011 </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Reebook </span><a href="http://www.afr.com/news/reebok-easytone-claims-falseaccc-20141023-11aft1" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Easy Tone </a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">shoes controversy — where the company sold shoes based on claims that they would provide extra tone and strength to leg and buttock muscles — one may be tempted to hold the celebrities involved responsible. This is an easy fact-checkable claim; all the celebrity has to do is use the product for a few months. Voila! truth will reveal itself, the star could be said to have intention to deceive. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Chillax, </span><a href="http://www.andhranews.net/Health/2009/October/22-Tone-Easy-Reebok-EasyTone.asp" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Bipasha</a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> isn't going to be found liable either. She endorsed the product in 2009, and the company only started <a href="http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2011-09-30/news/30228953_1_subhinder-singh-prem-reebok-india-easytone-footwear">settling</a> claims by 2011. (But, you -- who fell for that misassformation -- may get your <a href="http://www.livemint.com/Companies/T408oAy7KlsDzCMgzC4AfO/Reebok-refund-on-EasyTone-shoes-may-also-cover-India.html">money</a> back.)</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtgxejzaWJPPS9vPXuZh0mRZqdKy2F7wqlOfu7qSyykWVp6XuBlYQNRDiXB73unKFWlL4XRzrQgj58J2-37n-Ofd7NPAp8Iz3aVQZrJR_uWPPZ_xSPZBXYMy_x-d5gaqTYMCAuaQcx1ClQ/s1600/home-trade.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtgxejzaWJPPS9vPXuZh0mRZqdKy2F7wqlOfu7qSyykWVp6XuBlYQNRDiXB73unKFWlL4XRzrQgj58J2-37n-Ofd7NPAp8Iz3aVQZrJR_uWPPZ_xSPZBXYMy_x-d5gaqTYMCAuaQcx1ClQ/s1600/home-trade.gif" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This is not even similar to the <a href="http://www.suchetadalal.com/?id=a84da207-4714-aaa6-4a2f7809be28&base=sections&f&t=Home+Trade+scam%3A+still+waiting+for+justice+">Home Trade scam of 2002</a> in which Sachin Tendulkar, Hrithik Roshan and Shah Rukh Khan endorsed a company that created no products and scammed 1000s of crores of investor money. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This is an issue with a food product, which we’ve all been using years before any of the three stars complained against began endorsing it. It is an issue that was only recently discovered by the Food Safety & Drug Administration in Uttar Pradesh.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There’s no doubt that having lead levels which are seven-times the permissible level in food which is marketed and sold to children is a serious matter. And if Maggi, or the endorsers had knowledge of this danger, they’re liable criminally, ethically, and morally. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">But as the law goes, that knowledge is key; and ignorance — in this case — can be bliss of the Bollywood trio. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>(These views above are my personal opinions, and do not represent - in any manner - the opinion of my employer, or media organisations association with me.)</i></span></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01092073598786563360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692193637613853722.post-76253039230661589092015-03-25T08:38:00.002+05:302015-06-05T00:14:45.229+05:30A "lion" of a Judge: brief profile of Justice Rohinton Nariman<div style="text-align: justify;">
The youngest senior advocate and Supreme Court judge, Justice Rohinton Nariman has always been a trail-blazer. On Tuesday, however, by striking down as unconstitutional the draconian Section 66A of the Information Technology Act 2000, he cements his place in history.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The 56-year-old SC judge, once described as “wise and humane” by former-advocate-general Darius Khambata, is among only five senior advocates directly elevated to the bench.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
His very first judgment said death penalty reviews must be heard in open court by a three-judge-bench. The order confirms what Kambatta says fondly -- the ‘F’ in Rohinton F Nariman stands not just for his father Fali, but also for “fair.”</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The judgment went against years of SC practice, which allowed death penalty reviews to be heard by circulation and two judges. But Nariman is no stranger to standing up to authority.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The young man who joined the Bar in 1979 was a “lion of a lawyer.” His strong opinions and general impatience with briefing counsels are as legendary as his fantastic memory and command over jurisprudence.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
In 1993, then SC Chief Justice Venkatachalaiah designated as SC senior advocate a 37 –year-old Nariman against the minimum age of 45. </div>
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Since then, the judge – who is also an ordained Zoroastrian priest from Bandra Agiary Bombay – has taken on many initiatives for young and needy lawyers. Apart from donating Rs. 1 Crore for setting up the SC lawyers welfare club, Nariman has also instituted annual scholarships for young lawyers.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5xtWVvUHMEvopO7UUevdCJtRHSNKGQI9tZtIjbjnMfLnlMlCrZcb_6IYUfISweXeg03vPm1tQWr4YET2xRMSgBFx2ZIknaWy1z4ECNs469BxlPgGnR7Y7paOP9guKSBzfdqU3SxLf-WFx/s1600/hqdefault.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5xtWVvUHMEvopO7UUevdCJtRHSNKGQI9tZtIjbjnMfLnlMlCrZcb_6IYUfISweXeg03vPm1tQWr4YET2xRMSgBFx2ZIknaWy1z4ECNs469BxlPgGnR7Y7paOP9guKSBzfdqU3SxLf-WFx/s320/hqdefault.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">BTW: This is just him talking about Beethoven</td></tr>
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He is also a scholar of history and western classical music. His famous Nariman-memory (both he and father Fali are renowned for their recall power) can identify a 1000 pieces of Opera music from just their opening notes. He is also an avid daily walker.</div>
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Speaking about Tuesday’s milestone judgment, which was authored by Nariman, SC lawyer Gopal Sankaranarayanan told HT, “It’s a particularly erudite, wide-ranging judgment which reflects the author’s command over literature, religion apart from his obvious liberal credentials</div>
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<i>A shorter version of this article appeared in Hindustan Times March 25, 2015 Delhi edition as "Trail blazer judge lives up to expectations."</i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01092073598786563360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692193637613853722.post-15526074284604577072015-03-23T15:24:00.001+05:302015-06-11T13:47:43.754+05:30Breadcrumbs and the Flood<br />
Breadcrumbs on my bed were the first things that came into focus as I woke up. Fluffy and gnarly at the same time, and stale –they could a day old, two days maybe. Who knows?<br />
<br />
The phone rang shrill into my ear; it was lying next to my head, discarded and, incorrectly I had thought, in silent mode. I'd never liked answering phone calls; just the idea of calling someone seemed so demanding, so entitled.<br />
<br />
A name from back in the day flashed on the screen though. Here’s a person who hasn’t demanded in a while, so he was overdue, and so I answered.<br />
<br />
“Mmm?”<br />
<br />
“Good, you picked up. Check your twitter.”<br />
<br />
No surprise so far –Abhishek had lived for his Twitter before living on Twitter had become legit.<br />
<br />
"I’ve shared a link to Ijaz’s family’s coordinates in Srinagar. Retweet them. ASAP ok? He’s wild with worry. Hasn’t been able to get in touch with them since yesterday night.”<br />
<br />
Right, the flood in Kashmir, I remembered scanning the papers yesterday—it had been an exceptionally dry monsoon in Delhi though, so I hadn’t cared.<br />
<br />
But, a stray thought niggled at me -- Why had Ijaz called to tell me?<br />
<br />
Sure, we hadn’t spoken much since his marriage. Sure, I had ignored his call the last time he was in town. Sure, I hadn’t ringed back either. It made me mad nonetheless.<br />
<br />
If I were honest, I'd admit I was less pissed off and more panicked. In emergencies, you called friends for help; if you don’t, does that mean you’re not friends anymore?<br />
<br />
“Of course I’ll re-tweet,” I replied. And I did –immediately. It’s just one click.<br />
<br />
Abhishek and I spoke for another minute during which he told me all the things Ijaz should have: His mother and father were stuck in the attic of their 3-floor-bungalow in Srinagar for days. By the time the army rescued them, the pair had run out of food; his father was injured, last he heard it wasn’t serious though. His sister was safe in Delhi, but his cousins hadn’t been heard from in days.<br />
<br />
I couldn’t get the image of Ijaz’s parents out of my mind. His father, a rounded 6-footer, and his mother a shy slouching woman who gave off the ‘still a bride’ vibes.<br />
<br />
Were they sitting on their haunches in that dank attic? How terrifying it must be to stare anxiously at the river barreling through their dainty rose garden and cobblestone driveway.<br />
<br />
Checking my Twitter, I saw my retweet had gotten no further than my page. It became harder and harder to lie on my soft, springy mattress. The fresh conditioned breeze became stifling; the fur-lined blanket I used to guard against the air’s slight bite looked as obscene as it was. My friend was in need, and he hadn’t reached out to me. I should speak with him.<br />
<br />
His ringtone was a Hindi-movie song. “You are my hunny bunny,” crooned a melodious voice as my fingers rapidly tapped on my knee.<br />
<br />
“Hello…Yes?” He sounded exhausted.<br />
<br />
“Ijaz, it’s mm..me, Boppy,” I speak quickly and so I stutter.<br />
<br />
“I heard about your family; I’m so sorry.”<br />
<br />
“Yes, yes... Boppy!”<br />
<br />
“Is there anything I can do to help?”<br />
<br />
“Well…” his hesitation was a dagger to my heart. So that’s why he hadn't informed me… he didn't believe I could help.<br />
<br />
“See, basically,” he started with that matter-of-fact tone of a person who had repeatedly been telling his tale of tragedy.<br />
<br />
“They were near Dal Lake. Last we heard my cousin Ali was with them, and the army had evacuated them to a hospital near the Lake. That’s what we knew yesterday.”<br />
<br />
He sighed, I remained quiet. So far, only I knew he was right: I couldn't help.<br />
<br />
“But the phones are down. I don’t know what’s going on there. Abba has a heart condition; you remember, don’t you? He might have run out of his medicine and then… ”<br />
<br />
“Wait, let me check with people I know in Srinagar,” I said hoping to inject some light hope into the dark promise his voice makes.<br />
<br />
Immediately, I called another friend—a journalist who writes about the Army. “Karan!” I cried as he picked up. If there’s anyone in my circle who could help, who would know what’s going on, it would be him.<br />
<br />
“Listen, I know you’re probably getting calls left, right,” I began.<br />
<br />
“Yaar, Bops, give me their names. I’ll try. But I don’t know. The situation there is bad right now yaar. They’re throwing rocks at the army; Dal lake is flooding. No one knows what the fuck is going on. I can’t promise.” He blurted this out before I could say anymore –he sounded irritated at being asked like I was being entitled to try.<br />
<br />
The asshole, I thought.<br />
<br />
“Their names are Nagma and Ahmed Khan; they were picked fr---”<br />
<br />
“Just text me the details, na. I’m on my way to the Army chief’s to figure out more.” He was curt, collected. He had friends in the Army; he had friends in Srinagar; he had friends who were looking for their families. But he had no family there, so he can afford calm.<br />
<br />
I turned my TV on.<br />
<br />
Images of water walls hurling themselves at mosques, pounding into white brick buildings, of shikaaras floating despondently rider-less on what used to be streets flooded my eyes and brain. Even on a screen, the angry power of overflowing water petrified me.<br />
<br />
“I’ve asked a friend to find out. Will let you know soon.” I texted Ijaz. I checked my Twitter one more time—no retweets.<br />
<br />
I knew neither Rahul nor Ijaz would call me back. I knew I wouldn't have anything to say to them either. The TV stayed on; the river continued to flood, and I lay back down.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01092073598786563360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692193637613853722.post-51543170534816560382013-10-28T13:12:00.002+05:302015-06-05T00:13:06.852+05:30Did you say Hoe? Well, I say - So? <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br /></div>
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Every
now and then — actually more often than I care for — I hear one woman say to
another ‘you’re such a prostitute.’ We’ve also seen it used in a million
celebrity fights— most recent (to my recollection) the Sinead/Miley open letter
wars where Sinead O’Connor sincerely urges Miley Cyrus to ‘not act like a
prostitute.’<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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During
these moments, I’m less shocked by whatever these women are actually doing to
incite this manner of insult — Miley’s twerks are no Helen of Troy war starters
now are they? — and more curious as to what’s so wrong with the profession of
prostitution that merits such widespread social disdain.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
I
don’t know very many sex-workers, but that’s not to say I know none. Admittedly
the women I know do not fall into the mean average of what one finds or expects
to find when ‘sex worker’ comes to mind. Frankly, however, I don’t think anyone
falls into such strictly labeled boxes anyway. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
My
friends are young women who’ve made an active choice to pursue this profession.
Some are simply sexually ambivalent and use the money the same way I used my
bar tending wages or my call center pay — carelessly and to buy shoes. Others
got into it with full knowledge of the monetary benefits and use what they earn
to fund side businesses or pay off their college loans and mortgages. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
I’m
proud to call these women my friends. They’re smart, tough, imbued with innate
common sense; they’re sensitive and kind. It’s a joy to watch one of my friends
talk to a stranger at a bar — she could make a death-row inmate feel valued and
at ease five minutes before execution. I’ve seen her take genuine interest in
the war stories of an old guy who every other girl there made rude faces at and
wrote off as creepy. The veteran was better for the kindness she showed him,
and she — one of the best writers I know— better for her accepting attitude
because now she has a story or two in her arsenal. More importantly, for her,
even the grubby old man drinking himself to death in a mid-western bar deserved
respect. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
But
my objection against the stigmatization of prostitutes is greater than just the
fact that they do not deserve to be stigmatized in the first place. It’s that the
choice held against them is not the only choice they make — this is just
their profession. They’re no more defined by what they do than my lawyer friends
are defined by what they do in a courtroom all the livelong day. This constant
slut-shaming rhetoric that seems to go hand-in-hand with discussions about the
profession ignore a very basic fact — These women are more than how they chose
to express or use their sexuality. They are more than just their jobs. They’re
actors, musicians, writers, mothers, friends, and advisers. And a lot, lot more
— just like everyone else in this world. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
I’m
aware that my friends are simply one end of the spectrum. For every one like
them, there may be 8 women who are being forced into prostitution, drug
addiction and exploited by their pimps. The stories of these women are gut
wrenching. They face constant violence against their persons, and have no one
to turn to for justice. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
It’s
at this point that I ask: Is it the prostitute who’s to blame for this? Is it
the john? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Here,
I put forth it is neither. The fault lies not with the customer or the profession.
The fault lies with the law. If anything, this stigmatization— the
criminalization of prostitution, society’s two-faced hatred for sex-workers,
and this constant slut-shaming rhetoric plays an insidious role in propagating
the exploitation of women. It creates a lose-lose situation for any woman or
girl who is brought into the profession against her will. On one hand there’s
her pimp, on the other the long arm of the law. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
If
anti-prostitution laws and this anti-prostitution attitude were to be removed
from our legal and social discourse, I strongly believe women in the field
would be able to exercise a larger degree of control over their bodies — and
whatever they choose to do with this freedom, who is anyone to judge them?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Morality
has proved time and again to be subjective. Who is to say that having an avenue
where one can safely express one’s sexuality won’t benefit our society?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01092073598786563360noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692193637613853722.post-5287021569498241552013-09-29T14:50:00.001+05:302015-06-05T00:16:34.927+05:30Jung and Justice for Juveniles<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Jung and Justice for Juveniles</div>
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Our
new lieutenant governor believes that the age of majority with regard to
criminal actions should be lowered, he told the media this week. “These days,
young people grow up much faster,” PTI quoted Mr. Najeeb Jung, who was
appointed the Lt. Governor of Delhi a few months ago. Mr. Jung’s
responsibilities include overseeing police and education. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Currently,
under the Juvenile Justice Act 2000 (JJA), the age of majority is eighteen
years, which was part of India’s obligations under the 1992 UN Convention of
the Child’s Rights (CRC). This became a sensitive topic when it was found out
that one of the men responsible for the Delhi gang-rape case was only months
away from turning eighteen. This week he was found guilty and sentenced to the
maximum penalty under the JJA, which is three years at a reform center. This
decision has been met with protests, and criticism from many politicians and
activists. Mr. Jung’s statement comes in the context of these facts. </div>
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<br /></div>
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He’s
not alone in this belief. This year, the Supreme Court has dismissed several
PILs asking for revision of the JJA. Mr. Subramanian Swamy, a leader of the BJP
party, had filed a PIL in the Supreme Court asking for a reinterpretation of
the law so it takes into account a person’s mental and intellectual capability,
not their age, to determine whether he or she should be tried as an adult. According
to its website, the Supreme Court has rejected this prayer but Mr. Swamy
indicates that he is getting ready to appeal the decision. If he is successful
and such a reinterpretation is recognized, India will be in violation of the
CRC.</div>
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<br /></div>
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“People
are saying the age limit should be brought down to 16. Even if the age of a
juvenile were lowered to 14, there would be nothing wrong with that. There is
need to review it,” PTI reports Mr. Jung as saying. The Justice Verma
committee, formed last year to look into the issues surrounding violence
against women and recommend legal steps to improve the current situation — a
decidedly grim one — advised for several legal measures to be taken, but
advised strongly against lowering the age of majority. Meanwhile activists and
politicians have been unrelenting in their quest to do exactly that. </div>
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<br /></div>
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It
is true that the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) reports that juvenile
crimes have gone up 40% between 2001 and 2010. In the same period, rapes by
juveniles have gone up 50%, murder is up by a third and kidnappings of women
and girls nearly five times. These figures are disturbing and seem to support
the views of Mr. Swamy and Mr. Jung, but many of those working with juvenile
delinquents don’t see it that way. </div>
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“The
NCRB statistics actually prove that there is something wrong with the way
juveniles are growing up in our country,” says Mr. Anand Grover, counsel for
the Lawyers Collective and best known for his work in the re-interpretation of
section 377 IPC. Mr. Grover works actively with juveniles in his practice.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Sociologists
believe that the rise in juvenile crimes is due to a variety of factors that can’t
be addressed by simply lowering the age of majority. These factors include the
government’s inability to curb increase in poverty; failure of the educational
system causing young people to abandon schools; increasing income disparity;
domestic factors such as violence at home and failure of parental units.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Mr.
Grover explains, “The law, insofar as it is concerned with child criminality,
is interested in prevention first. The second thing is to see if reform is
possible, then we can look at punishment. This idea that young people are
growing up faster is misguided. They may have more information but that doesn’t
mean they have the ability to process or understand this information.” </div>
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<br /></div>
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NCRB
data also indicates that most juvenile delinquents are from low-income families
and/or a marginalized stratum of society. Studies on juveniles including
studies conducted by UNICEF also show that neglected children and juveniles are
easy prey to criminality. “Look at the profiles of the Mumbai rapists: they’re
completely out of social norms —they don’t have jobs, their parents don’t have
jobs,” says Mr. Grover, “With our economy cracking up, these kids are in a
position where they have no stake in society or even means to develop a stake.
How can we apportion blame on children who have nothing to look forward to at
all?”</div>
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<br /></div>
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Sociologists
and lawyers alike are also in agreement that lowering the age of majority will
have little effect on juvenile crime rates, and in fact may have little affect
on India’s crime rates on a whole. In general, most juveniles are booked for
petty crimes such as theft — the 2012 NCRB data shows that juveniles committed
4% of rapes in India. “Individual
incidences cannot be the reason to call for a change in the law,” says Mr.
Grover.</div>
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<br /></div>
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There
are also numerous studies that stand against clubbing juveniles with adult and
often hardened offenders. Many worry that this approach, along with harsher
sentencing and the increasing number of juveniles whose bail is rejected thus
causing them to remain in pretrial detention, will backfire and result in
increase in juvenile offenders instead. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Recent
studies show that a welfare based approach, where the juvenile is brought back
into the folds of society through reform, works better to reduce delinquency.
Tripti Tandon, also with the Lawyers’ Collective, who works with juveniles
says, “A young person’s involvement in crimes can be on account of many
factors, and these factors may be turned around through a system of education,
reform, support and encouragement. This is the philosophy behind the JJA and I
think it continues to hold.” Ms. Tandon adds, “The views of our politicians is
extremely hypocritical. On one hand they refuse to entertain lowering the age
by which a person may be sexually active — here they say they want to protect
the children— but when it comes to something so serious as crime and facing
punishment in the criminal justice system, then they want fourteen year olds to
be treated as adults. Then they don’t see the implications of making fourteen-year-olds
face life imprisonment or capital punishment?”</div>
<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01092073598786563360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692193637613853722.post-68863207758246972382013-07-25T18:32:00.000+05:302015-06-05T00:17:11.323+05:30Six news stories that deserve more attention than the 'royal baby'<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">All week, ‘royal baby’ nonsense has taken
over my Facebook and twitter feeds, and even the newspapers I like to read. All
week, people have been posting stories or status updates about what this baby’s
name should be, or what presents it will get. I even read an article this morning
about the fact that it’s being called a baby and not a fetus. Another story purported to tell me 7 things I didn't know about the royal baby - what could there be to know, it's just been born for crying out loud!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Here’s my frank opinion about the royal
baby: I don’t see why it’s so royal. Britain is a bloody democracy; to a large number of the people so enthralled, the royal
family actually serves as nothing more than a reminder of a long
gone and not at all proud era of colonialism. I neither care that it’s
born, nor do I think that its birth is a news worthy story. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">However, since all we seem to read now are lists and snippets about 'the royal baby', here’s a Buzzfeed inspired
list of some shit that is important, that happened, and you may have missed
over the past week’s baby fervor:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Bradley
Manning’s trial:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Bradley
Manning is a 25-year-old American soldier (read: kid) who’s been charged under
the US Espionage Act, and has been in jail for 3 years now. His trial began 8
weeks ago. He admittedly leaked documents about the Iraq and Afghanistan war to
Wikileaks. He says he did so to spark a public debate. The prosecution in this
case is claiming that Osama Bin Laden could have read Manning’s leaks and by
this twisted logic, Manning aided the enemy. The judge has refused to set aside this charge of aiding the enemy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Manning isn’t even claiming to be innocent — for one, he is
not. However, he is quite rightly asserting that the interpretation of the law
in his case is absurd, and that the punishment that’s about to be doled out to
him is disproportionate. If he’s charged with aiding the enemy, Bradley Manning
will get a life sentence.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 54pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Why
you should care: Such a wide interpretation of the Espionage Act effectively
means no one will ever talk to a journalist again. Anytime a whistleblower
comes to a reporter, and the reporter prints his story, the whistleblower is
essentially aiding the enemy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 54pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">2.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">CBI
autonomy:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> The CBI has to
ask for sanction from the government to investigate senior bureaucrats. The
same senior bureaucrats that make up the government, or are members of the
party that is the ruling government at the moment. Does that seem right to you?
So far, the government’s lawyers have been asserting that giving the CBI
autonomy will open the doors for a police state and/or lead to these officials
being harassed — the same officials that are responsible for the Coalgate scam.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Why you should care: Because you want senior officials in
your government to know they’re open to investigation by a third party that
does not answer to them. Because you want a government that is less corrupt,
and corruption can only be tackled by public accountability. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">3.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">RTI
is being changed to exclude political parties from its ambit:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> A major share of funding for political
parties comes from voluntary donations — and it is not you and I, or any
individual citizen making these voluntary donations. It is naïve to deny that
the sources of these funds assert some influence over the views held by
political parties and their MPs. As such, the funding of political parties is
information that pertains directly to your democratic rights. All the
functioning democracies in the world have a system in place to keep tabs on
political financing, but India does not. We might have been able to file an RTI
application to ask political parties (clearly public bodies) to disclose their
election financials, but a recent Bill calls to amend the RTI to take political
parties out of the Act’s ambit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Why you should care: Transparency in government starts with
transparency in political finance. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">4.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
Rupee is expected to fall to 62 against the dollar in the next two weeks:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Our merchandise exports are decreasing
while our imports are increasing. To curb the fall, the government is opening
up foreign direct investment into everything from telecom to defense.
DEFENSE!!! The other sectors that the government is opening up includes retail,
courier services, credit information companies. But please let me repeat this
for you, because it is important — DEFENSE! That it’s on a case-by-case basis
means nothing; when was the last time a tender went through the Indian
government without involving bribes? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 54pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Why
you should care: If you don’t care that our defense system is now open to
foreign investment, then care because your holiday abroad just got a lot more
expensive. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 54pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">5.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Chinese human rights activist</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">
Xu Zhiyong, a prominent lawyer and professor known for his support for greater
government transparency, was detained (again) on July 17th.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> He was held on suspicion of “gathering
people to disturb order in a public place.” Hundreds of people have come
together in Beijing to ask for his release. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Why you should care: This is a quote (you can find it on
Wikipedia) from Professor Zhiyong that explains better than I ever could why
you should care about this man: <i>“I wish our country could be a free and happy
one. Every citizen need not go against their conscience and can find their own
place by their virtue and talents; a simple and happy society, where the
goodness of humanity is expanded to the maximum, and the evilness of humanity
is constrained to the minimum; honesty, trust, kindness, and helping each other
are everyday occurrences in life; there is not so much anger and anxiety, a
pure smile on everyone’s face.”<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 54pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 54pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">6.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Suspension
of Five MLAs revoked yesterday</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">:
Five Maharashtran MLAs were suspended from the legislative assembly after their arrest in March for beating up a police officer. Why'd they beat him up? He stopped and fined one of them for over-speeding on the Sea-Link. These MLAs had their suspensions revoked
yesterday. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 54pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Why you should care: </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">The reason given for reinstating these violent thugs into office: since the police office who was beaten up was back to work now, the suspensions should also be revoked. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></div>
<!--EndFragment--><br />
<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01092073598786563360noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692193637613853722.post-89292765871390864902013-07-12T15:06:00.000+05:302015-06-05T00:18:03.744+05:30When fiction becomes reality<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
A couple of weeks ago, IBN-live
ran a report stating that the producer of a Gujarati play titled <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">'Aa NaMo Bahu Nade Chhey</i>' (This NaMo creates obstacles) was told by
the Gujarat state cultural board to change its title as the word NaMo was
associated with the State’s CM Narendra Modi and, in their opinion, the title could create
trouble. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Upon reading this report, I was
deeply disturbed for two reasons: first, when did any state’s cultural board get
blanket power to ban or change a play’s title based on their opinions; and
secondly, on a related note, I thought that the Bombay High Court judgment on
the ‘Nathuram Godse’ play had settled the idea that freedom of expression
cannot simply be curbed by the State without giving reasonable grounds under
the following sections of the Penal Code: Sections 124-A (sedition); Section
153-A (promoting enmity on grounds of religion, race, place of birth,
residence, language, etc. and for the maintenance of harmony); Section 153-B (to
protect national integration); Section 292 (against obscene books); Section
293<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(obscene objects); and Section 295-A
(acts meant to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its
religion or religious beliefs.)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Seeking some clarity, I contacted
the Gujarat State
cultural board using the phone numbers on their website, and also a few lawyers
practicing in Gujarat. The cultural board
proved to be entirely unhelpful, clamping up at the mere mention of the play.
One of the lawyers I spoke with defended the intervention by citing Section 95
(1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, and further promised that they would
provide me with a copy of an order that they were certain had been rightly passed by the State. I never heard from the lawyer after this
conversation. This became entirely understandable when I later discovered that
no order under any provision was passed by the State government. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Finally I decided to speak with
the producer and lead actor of the concerned play, Mr. Sanjay Goradiya. During
our conversation, he cleared up my first query regarding the state cultural
board. Mr. Goradiya told me that as per guidelines, scripts have to be
submitted to each state’s censor board and they are cleared once the censor
board decides that the script doesn’t touch any of the grounds I mentioned
above (i.e. sedition, obscenity, and incitement.) </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Accordingly, his play was also
sent to the Maharashtra and Gujarat censor boards, and while it was cleared in
Maharashtra, it was the Gujarat censor board that
approached him and said that while the script was not objectionable, the title
was a cause for concern. They told him that they would ban it unless he changed
the title. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
For perspective, here’s a
synopsis of Mr. Goradiya’s play: The ghost of a man whose name is Narottam
Morbiwala (hence the NaMo) takes over his grandson’s body at 6p.m. every day.
NaMo, in this case the deceased man, is an ill-tempered character who uses the
time he’s taken over his grandson’s body to create trouble for his son.
Troubled by these events, the son’s wife takes to doing <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">pooja</i> in all the temples of Gujarat
asking for the ghost to calm down and not fight. An official in the Modi
government hears of these <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">poojas</i> and mistakes
the family for supporters of the opposition party praying that Modi himself not
win the next elections. A comedy of errors that loosely resembles Oscar Wilde’s
‘Importance of being Earnest’ ensues. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
So, let’s go through the list of constitutional
grounds to ban a work of art once again: Does this synopsis sound like
sedition? Not to my mind. Does it sound like it’s trying to incite hatred
between different religious or ethnic groups? Again, I’d opine in the negative.
Are we to call this obscene? Doesn’t sound like it, does it? I think the censor
board might agree with me on these points since they’ve not changed a single
word, not one dialogue of the script itself. As far as Goradiya knows, their
only issue is with the word NaMo in the title. Goradiya tells me that his play
indirectly praises the Gujarat Chief Minister rather than degrades him or the
State government. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Is it that NaMo has become synonymous
with Modi to the extent that it’s now worthy of state protection? As far as I
know, Namo can’t be trademarked by Modi any more than Li-Lo can be trademarked
by Lindsey Lohan. Nor can its use be curbed <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">carte blanche</i> on the basis that the acronym can only refer to
Narendra Modi. In fact, if it does solely refer to Narendra Modi, shouldn’t
political discourse in the form of art be encouraged rather than stopped in a democrasy?
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Goradiya tells me that he doesn’t
even think Modi knows about this move by agents in his government. According to
him, “The people under Modi think that the issue may blow up, may cause trouble
and then they’ll come under fire from Modi later. To avoid getting into trouble with Modi later, they’ve asked
me to change the name of the title.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The play’s title has been changed
now to a title that was suggested by the censor board itself. Roughly
translated the new title means ‘This NaMo doesn’t want to fight.’ When I asked
if he agrees with the title change, Goradiya replied, “What can one man do?
This is how I make a living. If I object they’ll ban my play stating law and
order issues. If I was a bigger name, had more money I might have fought the
change but I don’t have the money to go to court on this issue. I’d rather just
release my play.” Sound like blackmail to you? Sounds like blackmail to me. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
What’s worse is that this isn’t
even the first time the Gujarat Censor board has jumped the proverbial gun in
order to protect their revered CM. Back in 2004, a documentary titled <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Final Solution</i>, which followed 2002 riots
in Gujarat, was also banned. The censor board
justified that ban by saying it was “highly provocative and may trigger off
unrest and communal violence". This begs the obvious question- any more
than the unrest that was availing in the State already? The ban was lifted in October
2004 after a sustained campaign</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Both these bans have come in
after the 2001 Bombay High Court judgment in the case of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Anand Chintamani Dighe & Anr. vs State Of Maharashtra And Ors</i>, where
the court quoted Justice Krishna Iyer in laying out the guidelines for
exercising a State’s power to ban works of art under Section 95(1) of the CrPc,
“A drastic restriction on the right of a citizen when imposed by statute, calls
for a strict construction. Explicitly, the section compels the government to
consider it a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>clear and present
danger</u></b> in the shape of promoting feelings of enmity and hatred between
different segments of citizens or as to its strong tendency or intendment to
outrage the religious feelings of such segments.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> The</span> court has clearly said that the
state MUST give grounds for their opinions as to why the work of art (in this
case it was the play <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I am Nathuram Godse</i>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">speaking</i>) falls under the purview of
section 95 (1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure. The Gujarat
censor board’s only reason seems to be that the title contains the word ‘NaMo’,
which is a common acronym for Narendra Modi. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I’ve given you a synopsis, the Gujarat censor board has proved by itself that there’s no
clear and present danger since they haven’t changed the script at all. What
worries me now is the idea that Modi’s underlings are so interested in
protecting their CM that they’ve lost all interest in protecting their
citizens’ right to freedom of expression; they’ve lost interest in the idea of
democracy; they’ve simply lost faith in the Gujarati citizens’ power to focus
on the content of a play rather than just a headline, or even their ability to understand satire. Is this what we can look forward to when and if Modi is elected into power in 2014? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01092073598786563360noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692193637613853722.post-15929580667978103492013-06-18T14:37:00.001+05:302015-06-05T00:19:33.375+05:30The courts must be crazy<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Since leaving the legal
profession, I’ve found myself defending Indian judgments more than ever before.
Sometimes it is much needed; legal orders are easily misinterpreted and
misquoted by the media, leading an average person to think all judges are
crazy. Other times, the average person is spot on- the judgment put forth is as
close to crazy as can be. Today, I find myself wishing I could call the latest spate
of supposedly women-friendly judgments passed by the Delhi High Court, and most
recently the Madras High Court, crazy. I really, really wish I could. Crazy
would be better than insidious. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">In case you haven’t read, last
week the Delhi High Court ruled (albeit in a matter of anticipatory bail) that promising
a woman marriage to obtain sex is tantamount to rape- an archaic sentiment that was reasonably overturned by the Supreme Court this year. Today, the Hindu carries
news of a Madras High Court order stating that pre-marital sex is all one needs
to establish the relationship of marriage. Even if these observations are </span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="st"><em>obiter dicta</em></span>, some lawyer, some lower court is going to bring this up again, for sure. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">For a brief moment, let's put aside the legal implications of these judgments - </span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">those are mind-numbing, to say the least</span>. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">On the face of it one might think
that these judgments have been passed to protect a woman but let’s call a spade
a spade, shall we? In two fell swoops, the court has made its message quite
clear: “Women need protection from licentious men, and women only have sex in
order to get married to the man.” To follow the thought to its logical
conclusion, women are so desperate to get married that they are being easily
duped by men into having sex with them on the basis of just a promise. Follow
it a bit further; a sexually active woman who doesn’t want or expect marriage
is a bad woman, a loose woman, a woman who is asking for it. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Both judgments are examples of a type of
sexism: Benevolent sexism; particularly difficult to counter purely because, as
the name suggests, it appears to be so affable. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The term was coined in 1996 by Peter
Glick and Susan Fiske. In 2012, the University
of Florida conducted an
in-depth study into the theory, and found that both men and women are equally
prone to benevolent sexism. The idea was summed up perfectly by Dr. Kathleen
Connelly, PhD the lead author of this study, as the perception that "<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">women are wonderful, but weak</b>" It’s
inbuilt into social norms that feminists have long fought against, without much
help from (even) other women. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">When faced with top level judges
enforcing this idea by insisting that women need protection from men who make
false promises; by insinuating that sex between two people is anything more
than that because it automatically leads to the women assuming there’s a
deeper, long-lasting commitment, what are we to think? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Connelly states that “several
studies have shown that when women read benevolently sexist comments, for
example, they tend to perform more poorly on cognitive tests, express feelings
of incompetence and weakness, and even experience greater dissatisfaction with
their physical appearance. Not to mention, it might even perpetuate current
inequalities—disparities in pay, for instance—that women still experience.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">An excellent example of the
hazard of this kind of sexism was given in the Scientific American blog. It’s
such a good example that I’m quoting it verbatim below: </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">For a very
recent example of how benevolent sexism might play out in our everyday lives,
take a look at this satirical piece, which jokingly re-writes Albert Einstein’s
obituary.</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">To quote: He
made sure he shopped for groceries every night on the way home from work, took
the garbage out, and hand washed the antimacassars. But to his step daughters
he was just Dad. ”He was always there for us,” said his step daughter and
first cousin once removed Margo.</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Albert
Einstein, who died on Tuesday, had another life at work, where he sometimes
slipped away to peck at projects like showing that atoms really exist. His
discovery of something called the photoelectric effect won him a coveted Nobel
Prize.</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Looks weird, right? Kind of like something you would never actually see
in print?</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Yet the author of rocket scientist Yvonne Brill’s obituary didn’t
hesitate before writing the following about her last week: She made a mean beef
stroganoff, followed her husband from job to job, and took eight years off from
work to raise three children. “The world’s best mom,” her son Matthew said.</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">But Yvonne Brill, who died on Wednesday at 88 in Princeton, N.J.,
was also a brilliant rocket scientist, who in the early 1970s invented a
propulsion system to help keep communications satellites from slipping out of
their orbits.</i>”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Sometimes, I wish I was making
this shit up.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Recently upon joining a new
work-place, I was told by someone to reign in my enthusiasm, to be a quieter,
more subtle version of myself. “Don’t talk so much, don’t be so loud-mouthed
with your opinions,” is what I was told. The example of a much quieter woman
was given to me as the epitome of how a female should behave in an office.
Never mind that the example/ epitome and I are totally different people. I’m
not a quiet person, I am opinionated. I know a lot of men who are quite similar,
and receive no criticism about it. In fact the person telling me so was pretty
much, even if he didn’t realize it, foisting his opinion of what is correct behavior
unto me- making him not very different from what he was telling me not to be.
Had his mother told him to behave like an entirely different person, she’d be smothering;
but when a man says these kinds of things to me, he’s being protective, he’s
offering advice- never mind that I didn’t ask for any advice from him. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The sad truth behind this kind of
benign sexism is that it’s not just the men that exercise it, but women as
well. Think about the last time a friend of yours bemoaned that she earns more
than her spouse, or Carrie Bradshaw cried over the lack of chivalry in this
world without so much as a thought to how this so-called chivalry came about?
What is the point of me lifting weights in a gym if I can’t even open the door
for myself? Why am I working to make money, if the man is supposed to pay for
my dinner? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">To be honest, I’m plain ol’ riled
up. I did wonder briefly if I would have been less irritated had these same courts stood up for the Verma Committee suggestions, and not buckled under pressure like they did. It might have been easier to stomach some of this, if India wasn't one of the only countries where marital rape isn't a crime. If the court didn't have the authority to rule on intimate
matters between people then, I can't believe they think they do now. I certainly don’t need Justice Easwar to protect my hurt feelings
or pride from every guy out there who lies. To put a rest to this line of
thinking, let me be honest, women lie too. Oh, yes we do; and we lie to get sex
too. Take a breath Judge- People, in general, sometimes lie to get what they
want; the world is not a fair place, pretending that it is will only help
prolong a stereotype that’s both insulting and condescending. </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01092073598786563360noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692193637613853722.post-49486040692639511102013-05-27T00:51:00.001+05:302015-06-05T00:18:44.928+05:30Memories and magic tricks<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #505050; line-height: 21px;">I've been slacking, sorry about that. Truthfully, between job hunting, writing a novel and general heart-wrenchingness of life, I've been avoiding this blog. I still plan to write a review of a book in here, but today's post is not a review. It is a song I wrote sometime ago, along with a friend of mine- big shout out to Arjun Verman for composing the melody. </span><br /><br />I've embedded a Drop-box link in the title. This will let you download the song if you are so inclined, and I hope that you do, and that you enjoy it.</span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
</div>
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/sh/173il0yc324actd/dUoCH6xNJv" style="color: #505050; text-decoration: none;">Memories- a song</a> (Click here to go to Dropbox link)</span><br />
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I met a guy once</span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">just a normal person </span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">but he made me smile </span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">till I came, undone</span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I ran, then he ran</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">we ran helter-skelter.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Blaming one another, though none were any better.</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I knew a guy once;</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">That what I say now.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Just a normal person.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Once, he made me smile</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">and we had a lot of fun</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="color: #333333; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 10px; text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><u>Chorus</u>:</span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 10px; text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Memories are like magic tricks;</span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 10px; text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Love's a white lie, not some giant farce.</span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 10px; text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It was great when we kissed,</span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 10px; text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">though hardly worth a broken heart.</span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 10px; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="color: #333333; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 10px; text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Love's a white lie, not some giant farce.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01092073598786563360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692193637613853722.post-80286290072685450882013-04-09T15:05:00.001+05:302015-06-05T00:34:41.990+05:30The flip side to sadness<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01092073598786563360noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692193637613853722.post-42671473201246022862013-03-23T12:37:00.000+05:302015-07-08T00:35:08.067+05:30Same same, but different<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p> </o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;">Once, for an English assignment, I wrote an essay on India
from a foreigner’s point of view. It was the third grade and my sense of
appropriateness hadn’t yet developed; I pretended to be George from the Famous
Five, and wrote three pages on how dirty the streets were and the number of men
I saw pissing by the sidewalks. My teacher didn’t think it was funny and I was
told to look at my own country in a more positive light.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
This was the attitude with which I went to get my visa at the
Pakistani consulate a few months ago- that it was my own country. I’d been to
Islamabad before but, as a seven year old, all I remember from the trip is that
their Barbies were nicer than the ones we got in India. Still, born into
Punjabi insolence, to me going to Lahore and Multan felt like going home. Going
to get a visa felt more surreal than the very real idea that this was another
country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
In the plane, just as the pilot announced our descent, a man
switched on his cellphone. He wanted to make sure his friend was waiting to
pick him up. No difference yet. Adrenalised, I suppose, by the idea of
re-visiting ‘my own country’, I rebuked him for what he was doing. It was out
of turn, the stewardess was right there and about to stop him. This was to be
my first lesson about Pakistan. He wasn’t annoyed or irritated that a woman was
telling him off and roughly at that; he was amused. It entertained him that I
even thought I could. He would’ve probably been just as amused if I had just
let the stewardess do her job. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
My grandfather’s friends met us at Lahore airport. At first
glance they looked exactly like an old-school Punjabi culture I’ve been long
estranged from, and frankly, I’ve always remembered fondly. The women clucked
around my grandfather, Celine bags held on the crook of their arms and just the
right amount of solitaires lighting up their eyes. They had been waiting in the
humid weather without a thought to their inconvenience; they welcomed me with
bear hugs; they bought us flowers and had Sim cards ready for our mobiles. It
was <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">atithi devo bhava</i> all the way. I
forgot briefly Cellphone man’s condescending look.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
It didn’t take long, however, before their hospitality began
to seem excessive; as we drove through Lahore in an SUV, the poverty,
depression, fear and tension were palpable. My grandfather and uncles openly
expressed their surprise at the state of the city. That this hurt our hosts’
pride was evident but they did a bang-up job hiding it. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Eventually I had to point out that there are parts of India,
fuck that, parts of Delhi that look like this too and perhaps we’ve just been
lucky enough to never take our huge air-conditioned vehicle through them. My
grandfather didn’t say anything but I know that it’s just me who’s been so fortunate.
I also know that he was simply recollecting a different time and that he’s seen
all kinds of things to bring me that luck. That realization was the second
lesson Pakistan taught me. It’s not easy to see the things that are right under
your big, fat, entitled nose, but that’s no excuse. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
We were shown the various sights of Lahore; what this meant,
basically, was multiple trips to Liberty market and a Chinese restaurant that
was latest foodie haven. At the same time there was a sit-down being organized
in Lahore; hundreds of people outside the governor’s mansion asking for law and
order in Quetta. It went on for many days and I asked to be there several
times, but there was almost always a way to bypass it. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
One day, however, so many had joined this <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">dharna</i> that the main roads of Lahore
were blocked. The last time I saw roads this jammed was when India won a
cricket match in Maholi back in 2010. A sick part of me, I suppose, enjoys
seeing similar images coming about for different reasons. Eventually the driver
had to take the route past the governor’s mansion and, the road being
ubiquitous with picketers, he had no option but to go slow. The faces I saw had
only weariness, anxiety and pride. I realised it was the first time, since I
landed into Lahore airport, that I had gotten to see something real. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br />
On one of these trips to Liberty market, while waiting on the
women I was with, I noticed a young girl dancing outside the shop we were in. She
must have been six or seven, her hair was cut short and so I could see her
filthy ears popping out of the sides of her head. Her hands were equally dirty
and scarred; when I asked her about it, she just smiled. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
We’d just spent thousands of rupees on suits and juttis and
it would be a lie to say that guilt didn’t spur me to give her a couple of
tenners and buy her some cotton candy. The swiftness with which I was told off
by our hostess didn’t surprise me; in less than a minute, I was surrounded by
ten more children each asking for money and candy; each of them looked more
malnourished than the other. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Having lived in India most of my life, I’m not jarred by
poverty; if I was, I’d be a nervous wreck. What really shook me was the
roughness with which our driver told the children off. It was such a big
contrast to the easygoing, almost fraternal manner with which he treated me. Those
kids aren’t helping him feed his family of five though, so one can say he
simply knows how to prioritise and I, despite daily desensitization, was the
naïve tourist that day. His name is Ajmal. He is, by far, he is my favourite
person in Pakistan, if only because I like those people that know how and when
to modulate their voices in appropriate manners. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Our trip to Pakistan was as much to attend a wedding in our hosts’
family, as it was to visit my grandfather’s ancestral village near Multan. On
our way to one of the parties inside the Cantt area, I saw a man with just his
torso intact. Arms and legs missing he was sitting square piece of wood that has
been fashioned with wheels. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
It was tempting to think that I’ve seen the same in India but
no person should be lumped as the same as anyone else based on such little
description. I don’t know how he lost his limbs; I don’t know the circumstances
that led to him begging in front of a high security area where the soldiers are
surely coming by to move him every hour. Ajmal wouldn’t have stopped the car so
I could find out and I never asked him to. Even the rage I saw in his eyes,
through the car window could have been a projection of my own middle-class
guilt. It struck me that put in his position, I’d be petrified to perch myself
in the middle of a road in Lahore; or Delhi; or anywhere for that matter. It
is, almost literally, asking to be hit by an on-coming car. It’s amazing the
cowardice that can live inside you when the need to test your courage has never
arisen. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
The Pakistani upper-middle class that I saw at these
functions is, perhaps, the world’s only Indophiles that I’ve ever seen.
Bollywood, Polki jewelry and Satya Paul have never had bigger fans; the women
could not contain themselves from asking why I wasn’t wearing a saree. It is,
at best, sweet but taken at its worst, it made me think of something I heard
Atish Taseer say once: that we’re going to live to see the day when these
people are at our borders asking for refuge. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
A particular woman, as immaculate as could be, asked me if I
thought the poverty in Pakistan seemed as bad as the Western and Indian
newspapers make it out to be. I say she asked, but really she was implying that
she did not think so. I was quick to tell her that I’d only seen Lahore, which
was supposed to be one of the richer cities in Pakistan, and every day I felt
an urge to cry when I stepped outside. Even to my own ears, I sounded angry. I
didn’t tell her that the disconnect between the wedding festivities and rest of
the city was a constant reminder of how fake the former were and that this was
the real cause of my anger. Who hasn’t lived in denial to protect their pride,
right? I wish I’d told her instead that she was strong to put up such a brave
front. It would have been more productive and certainly strained our
relationship less. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Apart from our host family and Ajmal, the person I interacted
with the most was a man I met only a few weeks before, while he was visiting
Delhi. Some of my best friends are known to treat me with less kindness than he
showed me, a near stranger. He is an artist and teaches architecture at the
university. When he showed me his corner of Lahore, it was a far cry from the
old-fashioned opulence of my Punjabi hosts; every inch of his home drips in a
style that is as smooth and beautiful as fresh honey.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
We had a lot of conversations about Pakistan and what it
meant to him to be Pakistani. When I told him the story of the Cellphone man,
he laughed and said he was glad when Indian girls come to Pakistan and give the
men a jolt or two. I told him that I’d seen some fierce women since I’d come
over and he did not dispute that this is really the first thought that comes to
mind when dealing with many Pakistani women- that they are hella strong. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Several times he expressed a great frustration with the route
his country was taking and his role in it. We played devils’ advocate for each
other’s countries when we spoke about the beheaded soldiers in Kashmir. The
incident had taken place only a day before I landed into Lahore. I saw on the
news, on both sides, totally disgusting ‘if it bleeds it leads’ coverage; I saw
on my social media little Thackeray demanding, in apparently appropriate retaliation
to the incident, that the Pakistani hockey team leave Indian soil; I saw, in
this Pakistani man’s eyes, a very real hurt caused by the actions of the
Pakistani soldiers. I’ll take him over little Thackeray any day.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
It wasn’t till I got to Multan that that the divide between
the Indian I am and the Pakistan I was in really began dawning on me. It
stopped being enough that we were all Punjabi when my host told his wife, who
had been complaining of a sprained ankle all evening, to take me to the market.
I say told, I never heard him ask her anything. She is one of the nicest, most
deferential people I’ve ever met. When she hobbled around the tiny market, no
Earth would’ve shook had I not been to it, she made it fun for me. It would be
easy for me to see their marriage in terms of yet another patriarchal society. Yet,
at least to my observation, there was a lot of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Quid pro quo</span></i><b> </b>in
that marriage. This was a happily married woman. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
It would also be easy to think of this man as cruel or
unkind, but to my observations he was quite the opposite. He was soft-spoken
when he spoke to his staff; he smiled with the ease of a child when he showed
me his gardens, which he tended to personally. By the time I left, I’d
nicknamed him The Gentle Giant. Sometimes people can be a lesson in themselves.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
The existence of a patriarchal society in Pakistan and North
India can’t be denied, nor can the damage it does be taken lightly. Another
woman told me that when her daughter decided to pursue Law, her first reaction was
to try and stop her. ‘Law is no place for a woman,’ she said. I told her that
there were more female lawyers than male lawyers in the world now. I also said that
if I ever went back to Law, instead of trying to climb the steep incline of
being a decent writer, my mum might die of joy. She replied my mum would
probably be happiest if I just got married and didn’t believe me when I told
her she was wrong.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
The road to my grandfather’s village was so unchanged, since
he last visited in 1985, that he could actually direct Ajmal. The village was
called Amirvalla. When we got to the area where once stood his family’s
havelis, there were only soft cement, single storey huts and dust, lots and
lots of dust; it had been a while since these villagers had seen rain. The name
of the village and the state of its inhabitants were so ironic, my
grandfather’s friend pointed it out before I could. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
I saw no grown women, only the men and children came out to
see who we were. A few of them walked along with my grandfather and his
friends, telling them tales of how they had moved here and used the stones from
the then standing <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">havelis</i> to make
their own homes. I could see a little light flicker out in my grandfather’s
eyes. A part of his history had been taken and used up by these people. He
didn’t hate on them but I could see that his heart wasn’t big enough to feel
sorry for them either. I judged him for it then, because, apart from reading
the newspaper, I’ve never been confronted with such stark poverty. Nor have I
felt to my bones the hopelessness of their situation in our increasingly
urban-centric countries that have forgotten that agricultural and provincial
are not the same thing. Just like with the Immaculate Woman though, my judgment
was less about him and more about an increasing self-hatred. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
That poverty, bad government and despair are rampant in
Pakistan is undeniable. It’s even undeniable that the same is the case
everywhere, including India. At the moment, Pakistan has it worse than us but
time makes a yo-yo of history everyday. It’s important, however, to stop
talking about the country as a single-minded entity and as Indians, for us to
stop reminiscing, as I did, about it being ‘our own country’. It’s dangerous to
blanket the nation as an Islamist country and extremely important to remember
that it is a land of vast differences and home to many contrasting characters. I
was moved in Pakistan, seeing images, people and things that I see every day in
India too. I was moved by the simple act of seeing past my big, fat Punjabi
nose. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
When I came back, I told my mum everything and asked her
which would make her happier: my going back to Law or me getting married? She
rolled her eyes but then asked, hopefully, if my asking her meant that I was
ready to give up on this writer stint and get married now. I suppose, in
certain cases, things really are same, same but different.</div>
<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01092073598786563360noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692193637613853722.post-20218734502035075532013-03-05T15:39:00.002+05:302013-03-06T16:01:23.885+05:30Dress at a funeral<br />
<div>
It was made of a heavy fabric; a clothe that fell between her fingers. Holding the dress up against her body, she turned to face the full length mirror. It ended appropriately, just below her knobby knees. She stared listlessly at the reflection of two, drainpipe calves. Of all her black dresses, it was the only one that might do. And, it had to be black. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
At the church, Clarence was wearing dark colours too. Briefly, she wondered if he wouldn't be more comfortable in his electric blue Superman tee-shirt. She'd seen it on him so often, the running joke was that he had lived in it. In death as in life, she thought, and so it would be fitting for him to be buried in it. And maybe along with his bass guitar too. In death, as in life.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Then she thought, perhaps his family may want these things as keepsake. It seemed only natural really. The biggest hoarders are those who have lost something, someone, equally big. These are the only people with enough space in their lives. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Clarence's coffin was red. Some sort of cherry wood. His sleeping face serene in the cathedral's white light. He was half the boy he had been only a year ago. Body and life wasted by cancer. But, because it was Clarence, that was still a lot! His big personality was highlighted by every tear shed that afternoon. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
She stared at the box; trying so hard not to cry that her face became a blank slate. She wanted to watch the other people, but it didn't seem right. Even congregated as they all were, a person's pain is private. She stared at the body. Yes, it was now, just a body. Still Clarence, but now with the added description: Clarence's body, half-a-Clarence.<br />
<br />
Uncharacteristically silent, and dignified- in death. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Except for the wads of embalming cotton sticking out from his very still nostrils. From where she stood, aisle six from the front, the cotton looked like a giant booger. One that he'd never have the chance to pick out. Camera clicking could be heard from any corner with a decent light. Friends, who were also photographers. Poe-like in their dealings with pain. The instrument's snapping noise of capture seemed, all at once, more pronounced. He'd be buried forever with a cotton booger but she wondered if they would take care of the image in post-production.<br />
<br />
Just as the thought crossed her mind, Clarence's older brother quietly pushed the cotton higher up the body's nose, so it couldn't be seen anymore. He's brave, she thought, for he didn't cry.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
A few hymns later, the gathered left the church. She found her younger brother, who had played drums with Clarence in a band, the remaining members of which were also present. They'd all been together since her brother was ten. Clarence must have been fifteen and she, seventeen, when they'd first met; a decade ago. Each of the young boys had red eyes but dry cheeks. The backs of their hands were wet and glistened; It wasn't a hot day and the cathedral almost chilly. They, too, were brave.</div>
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Everyone dissipated. She went home filled with memories of Superman tee-shirts, Slipknot and cotton wads. She took off the black dress, found her purple payjamas and crawled into them. She switched on the television and let the laughter track tell her how to react to the given situations. She found this lack of complication comforting. It was a re-run she'd seen before, so she already knew when to laugh and when to cry.</div>
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How strange, she thought, that it was so natural for life to move on. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01092073598786563360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692193637613853722.post-10230055364557845332011-09-28T19:35:00.000+05:302015-06-05T00:37:01.648+05:30Tee-Ai-AiI wrote this screenplay for a friend of mine.. but I don't think he's gonna do anything with it so here it is..draft one...<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>YEH HAI MUMBAI</b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Setting</b>: <i>it's late in the evening, the camera opens up at the Colaba slums, near the railway tracks. There’s a line of women defecating on it. Somewhere in the background an old radio is playing "ai dil.. jeena kahan, zarah hut Kay.. zara bach kay... Yeh hai Mumbai meri jaan." </i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i></i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>There is a man crouched and hiding in the bushes and watching women defecating on the railway tracks, it's dark, he seems to be too busy to notice the sound of an approaching train. The song continues to play absentmindedly in the background as suddenly he is blinded by the light of the incoming collision. There is the sound of something being hit, the high pitched wailing of the train, camera pans out before too much detail is revealed and you see the non curious almost matter of fact faces of the defecating women- this isn't new to them. The song is playing "zarah hut kay..zarah bach kay.." Screen goes blank.</i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Roll credits on black screen, song fades out.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>The screen becomes white and sort of fuzzy, as if it were the eyes of the person who has only just woken up. In the background there is the sound of two people- man and woman fighting. </i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Man: "you're mad is what you are, how do I know where the maid is and why she hasn't come into work, maybe she got tired of your nonsense, I know I am"</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Woman: " You’re a liar! After all these years you think I don’t know you and your habits? Can't keep it in your pants long enough to zip them up! She hasn't been coming for a few days now, I know it’s got something to do with you!! couldn't you at least leave the maid alone, bastard!"</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>A mobile phone rings with a decidedly western ring tone. You see the hand picking it up and the boy who has just woken up speaks in,</i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Boy: "Yo wazzaaap, nah just about surfacing now actually" </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>he laughs as he listens to the person on the other end.</i> </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Boy: "yeah man wicked night, I don't know if I can do a repeat- no energy or money I think," </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>again he's quiet as he listens to the other side of e conversation. </i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Boy: "yeah dude, maxed out my dads card yesterday buying champagne, had to yaar, there was Sonal Kapoor standing next to me, had to show her what's what right?" </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>More silence and laughter as he listens to the boy on the other end. </i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Boy: "yea maybe I could do a movie but a Bollywood movie bro? seriously?”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>There is silence as the voice on the other end makes its point</i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Boy: “ok, ok, damn! alright, meet you there in an hour, laterz bro!"</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>Boy gets up off the bed, the room is filled with gadgets, it's large and with obviously expensive furniture over which clothes and other mess are strewn around. The man and woman are still fighting in the background. </i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Man: “I wouldn’t touch the maid, why would you even go there?”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Woman: “Please! I know men okay! The lower you have to go for your pleasures, the better you feel about it… just tell me alright!”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Man: “You’re a crazy person! I did not screw around with the maid! How should I know, maybe she ran away with those boys who used to come visit her!”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Woman: “Boys? How would you know huh? You’ve been watching the maid very closely..”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>The boy rummages around for his jeans and upon finding them, digs deep for his wallet. It's empty. He makes an uncertain and unpleasant face and sneaks down the hall of apartment into his parents’ room. The apartment is also obviously expensive and well decorated. </i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i></i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>He checks to make sure the parents are still fighting and then with a practiced stealth takes out a wad of cash from the wallet lying on the dresser. </i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>Cut scene and the boy is standing in front of a movie theatre in Colaba with a group of friends- boys and girls - all of them expensively dressed and holding the latest cell phones etc. </i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Boy 2: "damn dude you look scruffy" </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Boy: "man shut up, this is the worst idea, just look at this line, it's a huge line, we'll be here for another hour or so at least!"</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Girl "I know right and why this hall..." she looks around the area with a crinkled nose, "why can't be go watch X-Men or something in the IMAX," </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Boy: "yea dude I hate waiting in line, this is going to be ages..."</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Boy 2 (checking out boy from head to toe, noting his scruffy attire and grinning with not uncertain malice: "so mom finally fired the maid eh? Too bad, she was cute,"</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Girl (<i>screws her face into a disgusted expression</i>):"ew gross you're looking at maids now, how desperate are you… I mean she’s the <i>maid</i> man she probably smells!"</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>Camera pans out towards the colaba slum area- following the back alleys in fast motion and then slows down till we see in the frame, the running legs of young boys. There is the air of great excitement and a huge smile on the little boys faces as they’re running. </i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>[note to self: the dialogue for the slum kids is written in English and MUST be translated into Hindi later- with a mind to the slang they use]</b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Slum Kid 1: “Arrey Amar!” </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>The camera moves to show a young boy, about seventeen years old, standing by a water pipe which is gurgling out water in spurts. In front of the pipe, there is a line of some fifty women, some children sitting in a daze or crying and pulling at their mothers. The women look tired, they are all holding one haanda each. In the background there is conversation about where to find work. The women are speaking about the new constructions in Bombay- flyover, sealink, roads etc that they are helping build. The woman right in front fills her haanda and then says to the women behind her,</i> </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Slum woman 1: “Try and keep my place okay, I’m going to go put this back home and i’ll come back for the second haanda. Won’t be longer than half an hour for me to get home, but please try...” </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>The other woman looks at her in irritation.</i> </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Slum woman 2: “What do I look like your servant? I spent all day working on the flyover and now you want me to wait for you too? No, ask someone who has the time to care, I don’t, I have my own problems,” </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>She indicates towards a crying, half naked baby sitting by himself towards the side. The baby is sitting on a pile of trash; playing with a bunch of empty Coke cans and covered in mud.</i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Amar: “Both of you just shut up now, everyone has to wait in line for themselves, those are the rules don’t you know? Now hurry up Kalavati, or else I won’t even let you buy the water, you hear me?” </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>Both women immediately see, afraid and exchange quick looks. Kalavati fills her handa and goes away, three little kids following her down the alleyway. </i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>The Slum kids gather around Amar and thwap his back </i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Slum kid 1: “You showed her whose boss huh? Naikbhai will be so proud!”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Amar: (<i>laughs</i>) “We will see we will see, now then, what do you kids want?”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Slum kid 2: “You promised we would go watch Rang de Basanti today, remember? we are ready! , lets go lets go, you promised we would go to see the Rang de Basanti, lets go, lets go, the last show starts in an hour..””</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>Amar laughs again, he is a confident, almost cocky looking kid.</i> “I did didn’t I? I have some work here though, can’t just leave can i? can’t you see?” </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>An old woman wearing a tattered suit is walking around the water pipes, she’s mumbling something to the people standing in line and while most of them speak to her normally, she catches Amar’s attention and he pushes some of his friends aside in order to go over to her. </i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>Amar (while watching the old woman speaking to another woman towards the middle of the line) “</i>Just watch the pipe for me, just one minute ok...” </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Old woman (speaking to the people in line): “Have you seen my daughter anywhere, Padma, you know her right? Of course you do, she grew up here only, she went to get water two days ago and hasn’t come back since...” </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>The people in line are exchanging looks but no one offers any explanation or answers to the old woman. </i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Amar: “Oi, old woman, why are you irritating these good people when they’re trying to go about their day eh? What do you want?”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Old woman: “Amar beta, you know me, you know Padma, Padma is missing, please help me, she came to get water here a few days ago, hasn’t been back home since...”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>The woman breaks down into tears, her wailing is mostly ignored by the people passing by. Amar begins to look uncomfortable and then his face hardens.</i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Amar: “Yea I know Padma, but it seems to me old woman, that you don’t know your own daughter! everyone here knows she probably ran away to be kept by that rich boss of hers... check under your mattress, maybe she left you pity money!” </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The old woman is stunned into silence for a moment, the people standing around look at each other but no one says anything; the slum kids are laughing in the back. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Old woman: “Shut up shut up, why are you spreading these lies about Padma, she isn’t even here to defend herself, my poor child, my poor hardworking good little girl, Why are you saying these untruths about her?” </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Amar: “Yeah, I know her, we all know her! why even Ramu here knows her better than you know her apparently, go away old woman before you get hurt or hear something you don’t want to. Just go, come on,”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>and with that he herds her away even as she continues to protest. In the meantime, taking advantage of Amar’s distraction, some women are beginning to cut the line for the water tap. As he’s shuttling the old woman away, a fight breaks loose. The other slum kids start wailing, Amar’s friends are laughing. Amar runs back when he realises what is happening and breaks the fight apart.</i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Amar: (holding two women away from each other) “Stop this right this minute, fighting amongst yourself! GOD! neither of you can get water today, go on, get out of here!!”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Woman 1: “Arrey she’s the one who cut the line, how is this my fault, why are you penalising me Amar? You know my daughter is sick, I need water, her temperature is rising, she’s burning up, she needs water!”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Amar: “You should have thought of that before getting into this fight. If your daughter is sick, tell a doctor, don’t tell me, I’m not your uncle or even the dada of this area.. now go on get out the two of you”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Woman 1: “Arrey how hospital? I took her to the free government hospital, you know how they are! all the beds are taken! they have no time to see her and no room either and whose going to give me money for a doctor?”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Amar: “Well now you can’t get any water, so you’re saving that money, go on, go use it for the hospital”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>He snatches the woman’s haanda from her hands and pours out the water on the ground. The women in line watch the wasted water with envy, tiredness and quiet distress. </i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>A group of foreigners led by an Indian man are walking about, they are on tour, are taking pictures of everything; with flash. The people look uncomfortable at first but then soon, kids start running around the foreigners and posing for pictures.</i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Indian Tour guide <i>(In English):</i> “and this is Colaba slums, these came up during the 1970s, during a wave of migration into Bombay, people came from villages to find work...but the government didn’t construct housing at the time; some say to control this same migration. As you can see, it didn’t work. Now these people are largely ignored by the government, though the slums have seen over 40 demolitions, mostly without notice to any of the residents living there,”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>One white guy goes closer to the tap where the women are queued up and Amar and his friends are standing watching the tour. He has a large bottle of mineral water in the side pocket of his backpack. One small child comes and lifts the bottle slowly. The foreigner shouts, the child runs but is caught by the Indian tour guide.</i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Indian tour guide (<i>holding the boy from his arm as he struggles</i>): “Oi boy, what do you think you’re doing,” </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>He grabs the water bottle out of the child’s hand and gives it back to the foreigner who has a guilty look on his face.</i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Foreigner: “Never mind, let him have it...” </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>Seeing what’s going on, Amar and his friends move closer to the tour group, they look a bit angry but before anyone can do anything, a big beefy looking guy walks into the frame. </i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Big Guy: “Oi Amar, Naikbhai wants to see you, you have the count for today? He’s in a mood, so I hope you managed to make some decent money!”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>Amar looks worried; he purses his lips into a single line and nods in a serious manner. Turning towards his slum kid friends he says: </i>“Ok listen you guys go on to the movie theatre, I’ll come in a bit.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>He takes out a hundred or so from the pockets of his shorts and hands it to one kid. </i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Amar: “Get my ticket also, I’ll be right behind you.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>The kids cheer and disperse towards the theatre. </i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Amar: “Acha ok Bhagwati, watch these people for me will you?”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>The beefy guy nods and stands by the water pipe now and Amar makes his way towards Naikbhai’s offices.</i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>Naikbhai’s “office” is a small room with a brown door with a giant lock on it. In front of which stands a wooden desk and a chair on which sits Naikbhai. He’s surrounded by goons and a large Rotweiler is lying on the floor sleeping. There is a single exposed bulb hanging from the ceiling, there’s more shadows than light in the room. He is smoking a Marlboro with one hand and is petting the dog with the other hand. </i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Amar: “Yes Naikbhai, you asked for me?” </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Naikbhai: “Did I ask for you, did i? Yes, I think I did;” </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>He stubs his cigarette out on the desk with a controlled violence. Amar looks nervous and shifts his weight between his legs. </i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Naikbhai: “How much did I make today? Tell me, give me the cash,” </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>Amar nods and hastily hands a wad of cash to Naikbhai who then counts the amount, holding each note deliberately. The notes are small, (5 rupees, 10 rupees) tattered and dirty. He laughs as he counts.</i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Naikbhai: “See this, the cleanest bloody money in India... you know why?” </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>Amar shakes his head, he’s looking at the floor and standing at heel.</i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Naikbhai: “It’s the money of hard working people, manual laborers, the people who build this city you know, I mean really build it, from ground up. Or at least it used to be their money... Now it’s mine!”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>He cracks up laughing and Amar joins in hesitantly. Then Naikbhai gets silent, he’s giving Amar a suspicious look. He gets up from behind the desk and walks over to Amar. Standing over the boy in an intimidating manner.</i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Naikbhai: “The count is correct isn’t it? You know what happens to people who try to jip me..”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>Amar swallows nervously. </i>“Yes Bhai, of course, you know I wouldn’t ever do that, me jip you, how can that happen? I would never. Count again if you like.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>Again Naikbhai laughs, a booming laughter and smacks Amar hard on the back; as if in jest.</i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Naikbhai: “Arrey Amar, I was just joking yaar, joking you know? jokes?” </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>Then he gets a serious look on his face again and walks back to the desk and towards the door behind it. He opens the door while saying,</i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Naikbhai: “but just to be certain, let me show you what happens to people who piss me off...”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>The door opens to reveal a dimly lit closet-room with a single bed in it. On the side is a bucket on which hover flies and mosquitoes. There is a small water bottle by the side of the bed. On the bed, tied and gagged lies a naked and bruised body of a young woman with terrified eyes and a face streaked with blood and tears. She sees Amar and there is a look of recognition that passes between them, She tries to speak and struggle, but she’s obviously hurt and weak. Naikbhai laughs and shuts the door. Amar looks visibly shaken.</i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Naikbhai: “She deserves it, thought she was too good for you didn’t she?!” </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>Amar simply nods, he starts looking at the exit door nervously and continues to shift his weight between his legs. </i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Naikbhai: “Chalo, see you tomorrow,” </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>He ruffles Amar’s hair in a gesture of affection and Amar looking grateful to be let go, runs out into the alley and throws up a few feet away, behind a dumpster, so as not to be seen, behind Naikbhai’s house. He then cleans his mouth with his hand and shrugs and starts to walk away from the house and presumably towards the movie theatre. </i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>Cut back to the movie theatre and waiting there in line are the Rich boys & Girls, while a few places behind them Amar’s slum kid friends are also standing; being excited and rowdy. The Rich boys and girls are watching them with both discomfort and a kind of irritation. The girls move closer towards the boys they are with. </i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Girl: “That’s it, I’ll have to sit with them, ugh, I bet they smell, told you we should have gone to IMAX.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>Just then Amar comes up and joins his friends in the line. He is quiet and looks disturbed. His friends are however boisterous and start pushing him around. The Rich Boy is watching the group of slum kids curiously.</i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Boy: “You know I think that that guy has come to my house before...” <i>nodding towards Amar.</i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Boy 2 (sarcastically) : “Oh you’re friends?”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>The Boy gives Boy 2 a disgusted look and snorts as if that were a preposterous idea.</i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Boy: “Don’t be ridiculous dude, I mean I think he came to see my maid once or twice... I wonder if he knows where she is....”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Boy 2: “Aw, the baby is missing his maid servant, why don’t you go ask him about her, she may be missing you too...!” </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>Boy gives Boy 2 a shove, not rough just enough to make him stumble back a bit.</i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Boy: “Missing the maid! Ha as if! You’re an asshole dude...”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>Cut to a shot of a small hut, there is blue plastic for its roof and no door so one can see inside clearly. </i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>Sitting inside is the old woman from before. Her eyes are closed and she is praying silently. In front of her is a tattered picture in an old silver picture frame, it’s sitting in the squalor of dirt with a string of fresh and bright orange marigolds adorning it. The picture is of the girl that Amar saw in Naikbhai’s house. In the picture though, she is smiling and looks faraway but happy. </i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">THE END</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01092073598786563360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692193637613853722.post-60215584198013978722011-09-13T00:22:00.016+05:302013-03-06T14:38:16.232+05:30Oh no they didn't!<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify;">
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So I read a news story in the L.A. Times a few weeks ago that really pissed me off. Basically it said that Muslims were the new untouchables of India. It detailed the bigotry an average Muslim citizen of India encounters within the confines of his ‘motherland’. It detailed how while the investigation of the Mumbai bomb blasts was concluded in less than four years, the events preceding it, the Hindu riots against the Muslim community in Mumbai are still undergoing investigation; while most of the top political figures and their right hand men, men who are responsible for hundreds of killings continue to rule the roost in Mumbai. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The article made my blood boil: As an Indian, I’ve never been so angry before. All I could think was, this could not be true because I’m an Indian and this is not what I've been raised to believe, not what I've been taught in school.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Remember school? Where they told us about Nehru and Sardar Patel and the Indian dream? Where we were told that our country’s greatest claim to honor was that we decided to look above the petty confines that religion puts on a man. That in doing so we declared ourselves to be the world’s largest secular democracy and that this feeling of unanimity is deeply embedded in the Indian spirit. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Seriously, I got really mad! I was poised and ready to write a scathing comment under the article to let this reporter know what I thought of him and his horrible lies about my country; and then I remembered- it was the school that had lied! </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Nothing that the reporter pointed out was untrue. Not a thing. In fact, he was almost being nice by not drawing attention to a million other examples that go much further in embarrassing any Indian who dares to proclaim that our country is in fact a secular nation. Lets just face it- It is not. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">It is a country where great artists who are also Muslim are forced to die in exile because their paintings happen to upset the religious sentiments of self proclaimed Hindutva zealots like the Shiv Sena. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">It is a country where the then ruling BJP party encouraged and endorsed a re-write of historical textbooks to suit their pro-Hindu core philosophy, making Muslims invaders and promoting Hindus as indigenous people of the Indian subcontinent. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">It is a country that provides around the clock protection for Bal Thackerey, a man who holds no official office in the nation’s government and whose famous words </span></span></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">'Islamic terrorism is growing and Hindu terrorism is the only way to counter it.'</span></span></i></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></i></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">are quoted in Wikipedia for all the world to see.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">and today it has the distinction of being a country whose highest court of law staged a cop out of such wginormous proportions, I don’t think I’ve seen anything like it since Clinton’s drama of ‘I did not have sexual relations with that woman... define sexual relations to me please’ </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The Supreme court order in the Gujarat riots case against Narendra Modi can’t be called anything more than what it is- a giant, giant exercise in wanking off. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">To take years to charge the man. To allow the man to run for office while he's being investigated for communal agitation. </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">To order an Special Investigation Team. A</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">nd then after years of passing the buck back and forth with the SIT that you appointed, to refuse to pass an order? say it with me- WANKING OFF!</span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">and where is this case to go in the absence of any orders from the Supreme court- back to the local magistrate. In Ahmedabad. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ahmedabad, the capital of the State where Modi is the Chief Minister. A state where he is for all accounts and purposes, the most powerful man and pretty much reigns supreme. Where the Muslims are so scared that they're basically voting for him just to stay under his radar. (Sadly this wouldn't be the first time, think back to the post-riot elections in Mumbai where Shiv Sena actually got more Muslim votes than ever before)</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">It's such an obvious cop out that I’m just going to go all out and assume that the much spoken about sealed SIT report told the Supreme Court judges something that the last (almost) decade did not make clear to the rest of us. </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Perhaps it tells them that the testimony of </span></span></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">senior IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt, who filed an affidavit detailing how Modi asked the local police to let ‘the Hindus vent’ and be indifferent to calls for help from victims during the riots, is actually false.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Perhaps it explains the mysterious murder of BJP MLA Haren Pandya only a few months after he disclosed that Modi asked police not to come in the way of a Hindu backlash after Godra. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Perhaps it explains also what Modi meant when he said ‘</span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">every action has an equal and opposite reaction,</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">’ no more than two days after the Godra incident and only a few weeks before the outbreak of riots in Gujarat.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Perhaps they’ve decided that since the rest of us are convinced the man is guilty, the only place that Mr. Modi can get a fair trial is in the heart of a land which he not only rules with an iron fist but where he is actually known as the ‘Iron Man’. (thereby forever sullying the term which was once synonymous with one of the founding fathers of what was meant to be a secular India - Sardar Patel)</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Perhaps reports of the Gujarat government’s active attempts to suppress evidence in the Riots case have not reached the ears of our highest of high courts.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Perhaps they do not care to ask why after officer Bhat basically blew the whistle on the Gujarat CM in this highly controversial case and despite their instructions to keep him under a security coverage of 11 men, the Gujarat government - more specifically t</span></span></span><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">he State’s </span></span></span><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Director General of Police-</span></span></span><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> unceremoniously downsized the security assigned to officer Bhatt to only one man.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Perhaps the Supreme court did not see anything gained by attaching importance to this much publicised by Tehelka extract from the SIT reports: ‘</span></span></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The Modi government appointed Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh-affiliated advocates as public prosecutors in the riots cases. The government did not stop the illegal bandh called by the VHP on February 28, 2002. </span></span></i></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Police officers who took a neutral stand during the riots and prevented massacres were transferred</span></span></i><span style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">’</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So this is the state that the SC thinks is the ideal place for the fair and adequate trial of Narendra Modi? A state that he effectively has by the throat and where he controls virtually all spheres of life and branches of governance- including the judiciary and officers of the law. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I'm also going to go ahead and assume that it's not the love he gets from Big Business that's making the Courts read into the evidence more (or less?) than the rest of us seem to have read- because I know that the judiciary of ALL people remember their history. Big Business love tyrants; investment in Germany shot through the roof during Hitler's reign as well. </span></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">And also going to go ahead and assume that this has nothing to do with the fact that the Congress isn't looking good for the 2014 election which means chances are that the BJP might be in power once again (with their poster boy for progress: Narendra Modi as the strongest candidate)</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So in another nine years, when the details of the SIT report are eventually 'considered' in the magistrates' court, we're all going to see that the Supreme court of India did not just refuse to exercise their Apex powers in favour of passing the buck on, in a case that could not demonstrate more EXACTLY why they were conferred with extraordinary jurisdiction in the first place;</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"> just to keep their own asses in comfortable leather seats for a few more years. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Hopefully that's what's going to happen later. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">It's only been a few hours since the (non) order but the BJP is already calling it a complete vindication (they're probably right!) and Modi is tweeting about the greatness of God. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">And me? I'm Indian, a Hindu and deeply, deeply ashamed of both right now. </span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01092073598786563360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692193637613853722.post-84692343927522060582011-05-26T21:56:00.005+05:302015-06-05T00:40:23.182+05:30Making it through the water<div style="text-align: justify;">
I'm a lethargic person, not something that pleases me but I've learnt (as any lazy ass does) to get around it. Basically, I trick myself into doing thing. This blog for example, I started because I wanted to practice and thus I told myself I'll try to write four posts a month. A normal person would have just maintained a journal, which by the way is a wiser decision because mostly journals are only read by parents and the people that are ill-mentioned in them (karmic law). I've decided it's decidedly worse when the whole world can see exactly what you're thinking - such is my plight right now because while I don't really want to talk about anything, I did want to a few days ago and now I feel the need for another post just to take that post off the first page of my blog. Please don't go looking now...! Not that I'm going to delete it, it should stay to remind me to shut the hell up on occasion. </div>
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A lot has happened over this month, there's a lot I could talk about. Osama's death, Obama's stand up at the White House correspondents' dinner, The Arab Effect's full effect is finally being felt, Shane Warne's trial, Bob Dylan celebrating his 70th birthday. In India, we saw our state elections- typical wins, though it was nice to see the Congress results in the South wasn't it? Even if the right messages aren't getting across, some kind of a message is. But I don't want to talk about serious things, because I don't think anyone is taking things as seriously as they should. </div>
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Instead, I'm going to do the equivalent of turning the television on to zone out; I'm going to talk about a television show that I recently watched called Treme. It's a docudrama that follows the lives of various key and non-key residents of in New Orleans, post hurricane Katrina. It's written and produced by a man who I think makes the only watchable shows on television - David E Simon. I'm not going to gush on about how he's a genius, but he is pretty fucking smart and I like how he thinks. His previous productions have included The Wire, Generation Kill, Homicide: Life on the streets (basically a list of my favorite shows). Treme is the latest addition to this enviable list of work.</div>
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The show is slow paced, as is most of David Simon's work (think the first season of The Wire). The storyline sort of saunters; and is deeply entangled, but in a manner that is so natural its the closest to real life that you can get on television. Why would you want to watch the real shit on television you ask? Because its nice to see intelligence reflected and even better, celebrated on television. It really is but I imagine that still isn't a good enough reason to watch this show- it does test your attention span at times - so I say if nothing else, watch it for the music - the old Jazz, the new southern hip-hop, the funk, the Marde Gras Indians, modern Jazz. There's tons of cameos from greats like Irma Thomas and new talent like Kermitt Ruffins. I promise you even if you don't like Jazz, by the end of the first season; you have an understanding with it.</div>
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Another reason to watch it (apart from the above mentioned musical intelligence it's got) is that it, like all of David E Simon's work - is very very relevant. It asks hard hitting questions, it proposes logical theories, on matters that range from economic to emotional to simply social. It is a wide range I can tell you- in one hour you may witness a sixteen year old girl's teenage embarrassments along with a middle aged man's battle with life-weariness. It is like I said; like life- there's a lot going on. </div>
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My thing is, I don't think that the show is only relevant for New Orleans, or even just the US. We in India would do well to have a few producers like David Simon, people who are telling the hard stories, asking the right questions and not taking the first easy to digest answer they're being given. </div>
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All in all, if I haven't convinced you to watch it- just watch it because it teaches you a lot about people. David Simon's characters come in all shapes and sizes, all colours, all backgrounds. You have the broke trambone player whose juggling women, gigs and more women; you have the struggling but street wise, chef whose really just a soft hearted country girl; the smupid (that's a stupid smart person) deejay who comes from a rich family but thinks he's the white reincarnation of Sammy Davis Jr, there's the angry English professor, I don't want to go on and on about each character specifically but I could.</div>
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That's the beautiful thing about David Simon's characters; they're multi facted, real, to a large extent good hearted and relevant. The chef shows the audience the food, the DJ preaches about the music, the English teacher helps put things into perspective. Everyone is there for a reason and it all melts into a wonderfully rich multi-layered and fascinating watch. You can tell which ones he loves the most though; those characters come across as Randian delights- the old Indian chief who won't let anyone punk him, the single mother trying to juggle a family along with her civil activism and her legal career, the young uber-talented overly modest fiddle player. Just good people who want to go about their work without being harassed too much in the process. </div>
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Anyway- as a parting try- here's some of the soundtrack: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jVE5uEmk0Y">Made it through the water- Free Agent brass band</a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01092073598786563360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692193637613853722.post-17987210565852134882011-05-16T12:31:00.009+05:302015-06-05T00:36:45.371+05:30Tiramisu- a play<div style="text-align: justify;">
A friend of mine tricked me into attending a theatre workshop over the weekend. I attended the first day enthusiastically and in true Avantika form, skipped out on the 2nd to go home and chill instead! The third day however we were all supposed to come up with a ten minute play and me being me, I took the road easiest to travel and converted my short story into a play. <br />
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It's on this last day that I really came to appreciate the spirit behind the workshop and when everyone's plays were showcased, really I was amazed by how much talent there was in the room. Also I have to admit, it's a rush to see your words take on a three dimensional form - my heart was pounding and my knees shaking. The actors may not appreciate what I'm about to say now but they really do make the best 'writers' test dummies'!<br />
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My favourite part though was watching virtual strangers find their own connections with my work and interpreting it for themselves - what each person saw in the words, gave me a glimpse into their soul. After the showcase, they didn't feel like strangers anymore.<br />
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Anyway since this is the place for my first drafts, here it is; the first play I've ever written (though hopefully not the last)</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">TIRAMISU - A PLAY<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Time: Late night<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Setting: A South Delhi apartment. Door opens (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">at stage right</i>) into an open plan living room (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">at stage left</i>). On the kitchen counter (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">upstage</i>), the remnants of take away are visible. The living room (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">down stage</i>) has two large armchairs and a coffee table. Across the armchairs, the television is on and one can hear the insincere laughter soundtrack and unfunny punch lines that are the trademark of late night television. The door that leads to the bedroom (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">upstage left</i>) is slightly ajar and reveals a glimpse of a pristine white bed that looks almost clinical. The apartment is smoky but well lit. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Characters: A boy and a girl; about 22-23 years old. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">The boy is sitting in the living room on one of the armchairs and hunched over the coffee table. The clock on the wall chimes to indicate its 2 a.m. The boy is rolling a spliff while watching television</span></i><span style="font-size: 11pt;">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 11pt;">The doorbell rings, once, twice, thrice... He suits up the spliff and then walks over to answer but in no particular hurry. He opens the door, standing there is the girl. She has a disappointed look on her face.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Boy: “Hello! Fancy meeting you here and at this time! I thought you were on a date?” <i><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 11pt;">The girl shrugs and silently moves past the boy into the apartment. He follows her in, lighting up the spliff he has just rolled. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Girl: “Got anything to drink?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Boy: “Yes, there’s some Coke in the fridge, help yourself.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 11pt;">The girl fetches the Coke from the fridge as the boy goes back to the armchair he was sitting on, still smoking.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Boy: “So? How was it with the tennis player? It’s late, I’m guessing someone had themselves a good time!” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Girl walks back to the living room. She sits on the other armchair and scoots it towards the boy. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Girl: “It was okay....”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Boy: “Just okay? I thought he was perfect.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Girl: “So did I. But then halfway through the date I realised something; nobody’s perfect.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Boy (<i>laughs</i>): “I could’ve told you that! But you slept with him anyway didn’t you?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 11pt;">The girl nods<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Boy: “Why?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Girl: “I don’t know…. I guess I get lonely.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Boy: “You mean horny!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">The girl grimaces and sighs but says nothing.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Boy: “and how was it? Also just okay?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 11pt;">The girl nods<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Boy: “So you’ll see him again.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">The girl shakes her head<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Boy (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">relieved half laughter)</i>: “Poor guy, he’ll be wondering what he did wrong in the sack!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Girl: “He didn’t do anything wrong. It’s just that.... I don’t know… sex is just so much better when you actually love the person....”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Boy: “but you just met him, barely even know him. Aren’t you expecting a bit too much too soon?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Girl (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">nods her head</i>): “Yes, I don’t know him. I guess that’s the problem. It wasn’t bad mind you, it just wasn’t….” <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">She makes a face </i>“I want to say, perfect.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Boy: “Well yes then you definitely have a problem. Nothing is ever going to be perfect.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">The girl shrugs<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Girl: “Some things could be perfect.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Boy: “Like what?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Girl: “Like....” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Boy: “See...you can’t think of anything, because nothing is.... perfect I mean.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Girl: “Ok, ok, maybe sex wouldn’t be perfect if you loved each other, but it is different. It’s got layers you know... tenderness, passion, lust, vulnerability, there’s more to it than just instinct then...you might even say its flavourful...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Boy: “You’re going crazy. Are you seriously comparing food to fucking now?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">The girl laughs.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Girl: “Hey, that’s not fair. You guys did it with American Pie remember? Besides I’m not talking about fucking, I am talking about tiramisu…”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 11pt;">There’s a pause, the boy leans in, he’s curious. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Boy: “Tiramisu?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Girl: “Uh huh, sex with someone you love is like a perfect tiramisu,”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Boy <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">(snorts and rolls his eyes</i>): “you can live la vie en rose if you want, but considering that you’ve just met the guy, what we’re talking about is fucking is it not?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Girl: “Are we still talking about him? I thought we were talking about love and sex... screw that, lets just talk about tiramisu.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Boy: “No forget the tiramisu, let’s talk about sex.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Girl: “OK lets. Like I was saying sex without love is like a dry tiramisu...” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Boy: “Why do you keep going back to this tiramisu business? You’re hungry aren’t you? Yes you’re hungry, are you?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Girl: “Was that a question or an answer?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Boy (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">laughs</i>): “and did you just ask a question to answer a question?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">The girl is silent.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Boy: “This is why women make good detectives…” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Girl: “What?” (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">pause)</i> “What does that mean?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Boy: “You’re all so good at following leads!” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 11pt;">He throws his head back and laughs loudly. The girl shuffles in her seat, looking un-amused, takes the spliff out of his hand and starts to smoke it while looking in the direction of the television and away from the boy. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Girl: “To answer your <i>original</i> question, No I’m not hungry and I guess now I’m not horny either.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Boy: “But it wasn’t like a perfect tiramisu?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Girl shakes her head sadly</span></i><span style="font-size: 11pt;">, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Girl: “It was good, but no... I wouldn’t say it was like the perfect tiramisu.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Boy: “But sex with love is like a perfect tiramisu?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 11pt;">There’s a moment of hesitation where the girl seems to be thinking about the answer <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Boy: “Ok tell me honestly are you hungry? It’s odd but I have some tiramisu in the fridge,”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Girl: (<i>smiling</i>) “I know you do, I saw it in there when I went to get the Coke,” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 11pt;">The boy gets a scared look on his face</span></i><span style="font-size: 11pt;">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Girl: ‘Oh god, chill out, or are you keeping your blow up doll in the kitchen cabinets these days?’ <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Boy is quiet for a moment, a sheepish expression on his face. The girl looks at the boy quizzically, he clears his throat.</span></i><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Boy: “So, do you want tiramisu?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Girl (<i>smiling)</i>: “Only if it’s perfect...” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Boy: “Dude, its a tiramisu, I don’t know if it’ll be perfect, it’s been lying in the fridge for a while now...” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Girl’s smile grows wider <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Boy: “oh what...you’re now talking about sex again aren’t you?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Boy gives girl a frustrated look and gets up from his arm chair in a sudden motion, <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Boy: “I’m going to go get that tiramisu,”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Girl (<i>adamantly, grabbing his wrist</i>) “No, no don’t...that’s not what I want!” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 11pt;">The boy rolls his eyes but then sits. She keeps a hold of his wrist for a few seconds; he seems not to notice this.</span></i><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Boy: “Alright so explain this to me again, sex is like tiramisu?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Girl: “No love is, and so sex with love is,” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 11pt;">The boy looks uncomfortable and starts to fiddle with things to make a new spliff. In the process, he pulls his arm away from her, still seemingly without noticing.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Boy: “Alright, I’ll accept that.” <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">(pause)“</i>So then let me ask you this,” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 11pt;">There is a pregnant pause; boy turns to the girl looking immensely serious, as if weighing his words carefully. The girl shuffles in her seat again, starts to sit cross-legged, looks into the boy’s eyes earnestly.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Boy: “What makes a perfect tiramisu?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Girl (l<i>aughs wryly</i>): “Oh mon cherie...a perfect tiramisu…that is a question for the sages...or at least the chefs.... and at the very least it will take time....” (<i>laughs</i> <i>again</i>) “Just like the tiramisu!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Boy: “We’ve got time, tell me.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Girl: “Well, a proper foundation is everything, so the base has to be right. You can’t cheat, you need ladyfinger cookies, soaked in espresso, timing is everything, you can’t let things lie too long, then they are no good to anyone, except maybe your old grandma....”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Boy (i<i>n a mock growl</i>): “Leave the grandma out of this lady...” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Boy and girl laugh together. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Girl: “Ok Ok, anyway...so after you’ve prepared the foundation, you need to add something extra, something sweet, like chocolate if you will.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Boy: “Has to be chocolate? Can’t it just be sugar?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Girl: “Well my dear boy, if you want it to be right, the beginnings have to be correct...nothing good comes from bad beginnings. You’re interrupting a lot, are you sure you want to know this?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Boy nods and makes a gesture to indicate he will be quiet. His expression is mocking; the girl continues to speak without missing a beat.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Girl: “Then you have to combine the mascarpone with the egg whites and rum, you need to whip that till its ligh...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Boy: “Whip it baby! I can’t believe we’re still talking about tiramisu!” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 11pt;">The girl rolls her eyes but this time she also smiles<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Girl: “I was being serious you know,”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Boy: “I know.” (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">He ruffles her hair) “</i>Maybe its not as complicated as you think it is.... you chicks do have a tendency to over think things you know. The secret to love is to lower your expectations."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Girl: "Firstly we’re not chicks. Secoundly, everybody knows that. Besides I don’t think that’s a gender specific problem, or maybe it is... perhaps because we don’t have dicks our brains are free to think for us.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Boy (<i>laughingly</i>):“Now there’s a low blow if any. I think my penis is offended. I’ll confer with it later and I’ll tell you for sure” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Girl (<i>sighs impatiently</i>): “Why don’t you guys want to grow up?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Boy: “I don’t know, but if we’re doing the thing where we ask questions that we can’t answer. Riddle me this, when did it become fashionable to wear your biological clocks on your wrists?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Girl: “it’s not the same thing!!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Brief pause, girl looks at the floor with a thoughtful expression on her face, boy looks around the room to finally rest his gaze on a wall clock.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Girl: “Feeling sleepy? Do you want me to go?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Boy: “No, not at all, why would you think that?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Again a brief pause, both look at each other as if trying to figure out what the other’s thinking.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Boy: “What is it with women and French pastry...?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Girl: “Tiramisu is Italian darling,” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Boy: “French...Italian...is it a stud thing?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Girl: “A stud thing?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Boy: “like French guys are, Italians, Gérard Depardieu, Jean Reno you know, stud boys?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Girl: “what do studs have to do with pastry?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Boy: “No, not pastry. Love. It’s just that I've never heard a woman compare love to sweet and sour soup nor heard a girl say that Jackie Chan is sexy. Do you think maybe the two things are somehow related?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 11pt;">The girl laughs, the boy seems pleased.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Boy: “the French, the Italians, they seem to have produced a land full studs.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Girl: “Now you’re just exaggerating!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Boy: “Don’t pretend with me like you don’t know. I’ve seen you girls check out the men. Ooohing and Ahhing about their barrel chests and behemothic biceps. And all that talk about French kisses, Italian sausages...” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Boy shakes his head as if in defeat. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Girl (<i>giggles</i>): “I’m sure there’s French boys out there who don’t know how to kiss...” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 11pt;">She pats him on the shoulder as if to comfort. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Boy: “Well, if there is I’ve never heard about him. I bet, that if a man is born ugly in these countries, they just kill him. Seriously, have you ever seen an ugly French baby?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Again the girl laughs again. Her hand is now on his forearm.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Girl: “Or maybe they deport them?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Boy: “Yes! Maybe they deport them to....” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Girl: “Sri Lanka.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Boy (<i>quizzically</i>): “Sri Lanka? That was fast! Too fast. How can you just condemn an entire nation of men like that...that’s just wrong.” <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">As he says this</i> <i>he leans towards the coffee table and away from the girl, her hand falls unto the arm of the chair. </i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Girl (<i>looking pained</i>): “You know what’s wrong?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Boy: “What?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Girl: “A guy who wastes a perfect tiramisu.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01092073598786563360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692193637613853722.post-88648644497595842932011-04-28T19:15:00.006+05:302013-03-06T14:42:57.293+05:30Justice Walker: what's all the fuss about?<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdEaLZut4Be0sajniC5JnFGK4doYM-ALeqZE0D-M15AzO9vFAguGajBxNfY20puXwAEU536GKEeHvCCqizGe9rntRvHZ6rR41dzqkGvqvPXlfYE_XKG_y7WAz-pchIrqGWHzzoBU6oKZvO/s1600/prop-8-pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdEaLZut4Be0sajniC5JnFGK4doYM-ALeqZE0D-M15AzO9vFAguGajBxNfY20puXwAEU536GKEeHvCCqizGe9rntRvHZ6rR41dzqkGvqvPXlfYE_XKG_y7WAz-pchIrqGWHzzoBU6oKZvO/s200/prop-8-pic.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I love the fact that humans have a judicial system; seriously, it gives me hope for our future that at some point we decided to set a standard for ourselves as a whole which is higher than a large number of us as individuals can achieve. </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">And I’ve always wondered about the moment when we came to this dual realization; that we were capable of these higher standards only if they were imposed by a higher power and that higher power wasn't some God. I’ve always thought it must have been a moment of great clarity and honesty. It seemed to me a sign that we are spearheading our own evolution - into a world where stupidity and stupidity alone was the enemy. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Which is why all forms of discrimination disgust me and the people who practice the same only serve to remind me that we have not evolved as much as I might like to think. That in some ways, our society’s growth may be rotten in its very core ideas.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">But in 2008, the Californian Supreme Court did a beautiful thing; they passed an order that stated that the right to marriage between consenting adults was a constitutional right and could not be hindered on the basis of the couples’ genders. In other words, they made legal something that any couple knows - marriage has nothing to do with sex! </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">In doing so, these justices struck down two California Acts; one of them being Proposition 22 (introduced in the year 2000, would I be wrong to assume by an ex-Military man to spite his gay son?) by remarking that </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">race, gender, sexual orientation were all constitutionally suspect basis to impose different standards on people. </span></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">To say</span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">that this decision by a State Supreme court had far reaching consequences is to belittle the giant set of balls it took for these judges to author the order; this was a legal first for the civil rights of homosexuals to the same extent ( if not more so,) that Loving v Virginia was for African-Americans (the case overturned the state's marriage ban on mixed race couples). Soon after they got various other State Supreme Courts to grow a set as well and lo and behold! something good was achieved. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Not for long though, nothing good can ever be allowed to last in an election year can it? Nope, state elections especially are for stirring shit, so come November of the same year, Californians are rushing to pass Proposition 8 - a ban on gay marriages. So much was the hurry, that they basically proposed a re-instatement of the archaic law that had only just been struck down by the judicial system. Just right here one would like to ask- why should I have any faith in the American judicial system when the people are so stupid - or is that racism?</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">But then in the spirit of the enterprising country that it is, they gave me another reason to believe. 2 gay individuals sued for their right to marry and the same was upheld by a Chief Justice Walker. The decision I remember came out August 4, 2 days before my birthday and really I thought it was a sign from God, letting me know that there were still sane and intelligence-loving individuals left in that stupid country that they like to call Gods’ own. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Now the trial was widely publicized (not in the least because the defending party was the Terminator himself) and almost every legal blog on constitutional rights was abuzz with details of the case. More so, Americans like their gossip right? They like to know what you wear to bed and what cereal gets your particular set of bowels moving, so not surprisingly even I, who had no idea who Justice Walker was before this trial, came to hear that he was in fact gay. The story ran in almost every newspaper in the world in some form or the other. Justice Walker never admitted it but he never denied it either. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The poor guy, I remember thinking lasted all these years in the profession without being ousted and then I remember thinking - well if he’s gay, he does have a slight vested interest in the case. And frankly I then thought, ‘well at least he’s got the right bias!’ [thus proving that I myself am not as evolved as I’d like to think but if Dick Cheney’s hunting buddy can try his cases then who are we kidding about recusal of judges in America?]. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Of course then I took this idea to its logical end and realised that by this logic, a Catholic or a Mormon judge could never rule on the matter, nor could a straight married man (and how many unmarried straight male justices are there in the Supreme Court?) and so perhaps even the female judges. Take it a step further and an African American judge cannot try homicide cases (sorry for the generalisation guys, statistics are statistics) and women should never hear cases about abortion. So I realised that my idea was a moment of stupidity that really couldn’t hold water. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">In fact there are actually arguments to be made for including a minority member in the bench when a minority party’s rights are being heard. Studies of the US courts themselves can be quoted saying in panels which contain at least one female judge, the male judges were 15% more likely to rule in favor of a sex discrimination plaintiff than on panels that contain only men. Being watched makes us fairer; this is not only the truth but the very truth that the judicial system is based on. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">All this of course, assuming Justice Walker wanted to be married, it could backfire if he was a commitment phobe; Jay Leno was quick to point that out. Yes, it was even on Leno but the opposition - who apparently hear the voice of God telling them everything else - did not hear this news. If they did, they certainly did not bring it up in court. Perhaps because they too realised the countless arguments against it, perhaps they were too embarrassed with the ridiculous arguments they were already putting forth in court- the ones they fought tooth and nail to make sure we did not see. Perhaps they knew that just like race and gender, a judge’s sexual orientation was not a valid ground for recusal or perhaps, they simply did not have the balls it takes to ask a judge head-on to clarify his sexual orientation.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">For whatever reason they didn't bring it up, they cannot now say that they did not know about Judge Walker's sexuality during trial and as is obvious from the State’s declination of appeal that there exist no other valid grounds for appeal, so what has changed? That Justice Walker has come out in public (after his retirement I might add) and announced that he has a homosexual partner of 10 years? Would it have made a difference if Justice Walker had revealed sooner that he was in a relationship? Me, personally I think he should have revealed it; not because its appropriate (in fact it is the most inappropriate measure of a judge and I feel compelled to apologise to the man for my opinion) but because it would have revealed the hypocrisy of the opponents in one fell swoop. What exactly is the argument here - that a straight married man would have definitely ruled different? </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Apart from negating Leno’s contention that he may in fact be a commitment phobe, that changes nothing. The rules are clear, if you didn’t bring it up in trial, you cannot use it on appeal; so take that you homophobic, unhappily married assholes who filed the amicus brief [pardon my french] - for once the system works as it should. Perhaps Project Marriage and the other private parties who are appealing Justice Walker’s decision should be more worried about the issue of locus standi - after all, where do they get off challenging another party’s right to marriage? how does it effect them in the least?! Or perhaps they are aware that this question will be their undoing and that is what all this hulabaloo is really about. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Having said that and in the interests of not jinxing the proceedings: I’m knocking on wood.</span></span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01092073598786563360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692193637613853722.post-89568463134740433612011-04-15T13:54:00.006+05:302013-03-06T14:43:59.096+05:30Sorry affairs of our states (not) continued...<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Just in case anyone else hasn't seen the newspaper today... A very good thing happened. This morning, the Supreme Court of India not only granted bail to Mr. Binayak Sen (details of his case have been discussed in the post Sorry affairs of our states) but also saw fit to drop the charges of sedition for which Mr. Sen received a life sentence. The newspapers have quoted the judges orders saying "</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>evidence on record proves no sedition case against Sen. At the worst he could be termed active sympathizer of the Naxals</i></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"</span></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Take a moment people, praise the lord because its rare when the democratic devices actually work the way they should. I extend my congratulations on a job well done to Mr. Sen's family, his friends, legal counsels, the SC judges who came through to make the correct decision, the EU officials who came to watch the proceedings and most of all, CONGRATULATIONS MR.SEN!! =) </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I haven't read the actual text of the Supreme Court's order dismissing the sedition charges yet but the news coverage suggests that they have made some important remarks about the nature of evidence of sedition which will most likely consequence the outcome of Mr.Sen's trial in the Chattisgarh High Court as well. I will be expanding this post once I've read all the literature on the matter but that's later. Right this moment, I'm going to go have celebratory drinks as I'm guessing will Mr.Sen's wife, friends and legal team and as I think every Indian should probably do. It's a good day for the good guys ladies and gentlemen, cherish it!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Link to the Times of India article on this subject: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/SC-grants-bail-to-Binayak-Sen-drops-sedition-charges-against-him/articleshow/7987813.cms</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01092073598786563360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692193637613853722.post-54533203853805166702011-04-12T15:53:00.012+05:302013-03-06T14:45:19.756+05:30Bleeding Blue? No, oozing green<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Winning the World Cup isn’t enough, the cricketers of India are now likely to receive tax waivers on their prize money and other such bequeaths which our government has generously provided them with for bringing home the Cricket World Cup 2011.</span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Is this different from any other team and any other World Cup I ask? The prize money isn’t (though in 1983 the prize money was 20,000 pounds and now it is 1.9 million pounds), perhaps this isn’t even the first time cricketers have been given properties. What is different however is the financial climate. What is different though is this above mentioned tax relief. What is different is that we’ve all been played for fools......well perhaps that’s not so different. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So that there are no misunderstandings let me inform you: yes, I am not a fan of cricket, yes, I do think the game is outdated or meant to be played by a group of lazy colonists while their delicate rosy cheeked women pick on cucumber sandwiches and darjeeling tea. But let me be clear: I am Indian, its impossible for me to hate the game, being raised in Delhi by a cricket zealot father, I know more about the game than I do about any other sport and I have been known to get caught up in the cricket fever when it’s in full swing (because lets admit it, it spreads faster than the common cold!). I went to Mohali and cried my throat hoarse to support the Indian cricket team, I waved the flag and danced around India Gate with the rest of Delhi when we won the World Cup. I did this because I was happy.. not because we won the game but because I watched the game unite an entire nation. That is the beauty of it after all. One nation, one colour, bleed blue!</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Now...its been a week since and we’re still bleeding; this time we ooze green. Green for the cricketers who finally brought the cup home; green for want of funds that could easily be put to a better use than to give them exorbitant amounts of prize money. Where does this prize money come from we ask? and we’re told that it comes from “a surplus” in our Education Funds. </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Look around you, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to ask the question - what surplus money could we possibly have? Last I checked, we were a country riddled with political, infrastructural, economic problems that we could scarcely afford to pay for.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">But I’m jumping ahead of myself. To begin at the beginning, let us ask, where does this money come from? Whose filling up the Education Fund that is so liberally being used by our governments, which in all honesty is not given to honor the sportsman but to get a five second foot into the door of a positive front page headline. The Education Fund comprises of money collected by our government through an Education cess, which is a tax enforced in order to collect funds for education - by the current Budget it is calculated as 2% of a Service Tax or Income Tax. It’s deducted from all central taxes. It’s taken from your paychecks, your electricity bills etc.</span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">You know who could use a few rocket scientists? India! You know who could use any extra money that’s floating around the Indian Education Fund? the children of India; the youth of India; we’re one of the youngest countries in the world ladies and gentlemen and an alarmingly large proportion of this youth hasn’t been educated past the tenth grade level. For those who want to be educated further; our universities are horribly under-equipped because there’s no money to modernise; and terribly understaffed because the teachers are not paid enough. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"></span></span></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Still, I bet my writing hand that at least 5% of the people out there don’t mind that the Indian cricket team is being paid with that 2% of their paychecks or their 1000 rupee electricity bills (but at over 10 crores in overall prize money bequeathed, that 2% sure does add up , huh?) Further I bet just as </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Sheila Dikshit</span></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> probably was, that no one would ask too many questions about where the money was coming from. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Here’s something that she didn’t count on though: there is someone in her camp that’s blabbing. The Times of India ran a piece yesterday that let us know that the cricket prize money was indeed coming from a surplus in the Education Fund but that while the surplus was only 2.4 Crore, the total prize money given away is 6 Crore. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The question begs to be asked - where did the rest of the 3.6 crore come from? Certainly not from Ms. </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Dikshit’s</span></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> private funds; those are most likely squirreled away in bank accounts that the government does not know about and which the government is not taxing. No this money is going to come from other sources, from a re-structuring of the city’s budget. In short some project - it could be the cleaning up of the rivers, it could be the construction of better roads, it could be new school books for the government funded schools - some one somewhere is going to have to pay for this - and it’s not going to be Ms. </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Dikshit</span></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, it’s not going to be the cricketers. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ok it could have been the cricketers, perhaps the prize money received by the cricketers will be taxed? There is such a thing is Gift Tax in India is there not? But no, this money is not going to come back into the system that easily. Why? Because one fine evening, our F</span></span></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">inance Minister Pranab Mukherjee announced a 100% income tax exemption to Team India for its World Cup win</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The irony can escape no one because </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">on the surface he trumpets reforming tax laws; he says he seeks to increase social spending and limit unrequired tax exemptions. So was it a case of cricket fever? </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">A lot of us made ridiculous offerings in those first few overs after Sehwag and Sachin were taken out but this one seriously? </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Perhaps he really is the “Lucky Financial Minister” for Indian cricket - but the question hangs - for who is he acting? the country or the team?</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The problem isn’t just central, various state governments have also jumped on the band wagon and presented the players with housing projects, plots of land; you’d think its enough that a stadium is going to be built and named after you but apparently not.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">What this demonstrates is the endemic flaw in a democratic government (apart from its inevitable slide towards corruption) - its need to cater to the minute by minute desires of the masses at all costs - why? because come re-election, it is the masses that decide its fate. Why they assume that masses have long memories but individuals are stupid has always baffled me.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So now let me ask one final question: Where is the Indian cricket federation coming up with the cash money to pay the cricketers? Last time I checked they owed various cricketers over $ 6 million for the Champions 20Twenty cup. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We’re still reeling from a recession that could have easily turned into a depression and lets not fool ourselves, we haven’t fully recovered yet. Yes, Mr. Manmohan Singh can rest assured that India is one of the only Asian economies that continues to grow at the just-about-acceptable rate of 6% but given decisions such as these that highlight our governments obvious disconnect with the ground reality of the situation and apparently every minister’s willingness to gain a bit of publicity at the tax payers’ expense - are we really going to be able to trumpet our success much longer? </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">My solution: GROW UP! realise that the country’s cash reserves need to be utilized for bigger problems and in doing so, you will automatically affect morale. Realise that the cricketers’ didn’t just play for the love for the game and afford them a reasonable cash prize. Realise that they are going to bombarded with fan mail/ fan followings which in turn are going to result in lucrative endorsement offers - realise that they do not need the tax payer’s 10 crore. Pepsi/ Coke/ Adidas are lining up to give them much more and what’s more (in the interests of fairness) we as consumers are willing to spend money on the Pepsi/ Coke/ Adidas type products just because its got Sachin’s face stamped on it. Isn’t that enough? </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">It’s easy to take the high road when you’re broke and very difficult to give back a fool’s money when he’s just giving it away; but I would urge the cricket team (I bet their PR team could spin this in their favour better than Ms. </span></span></span><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Dikshit’s</span></span></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> will be able to in hers), give back the housing projects to the people who need them, donate the money to the causes that could use them; you and the rest of India (heck the rest of the world) knows you’re already getting paid enough; and frankly, while you earned our respect, our adoration and a consumer following for any product that you should now endorse: you did not earn these prizes; one does not earn this sort of money playing a game. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">To put things in perspective: In 1998 Amartya Sen, a highly respected, amazingly intelligent man who contributed a lifetime to the study of welfare economics and is an active civil rights advocate, received the Nobel Prize; the cash prize was (and still is) $ 1 million. Following this, in 1999 he was awarded the Bharat Ratna but no other cash prizes, or plots of land. You, my dear boys, played with a bat and a ball. </span></span></span></div>
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