Kallola

Star of Mysore, Feature Article. 06 May 2013.   It takes little to spark an inferno when it comes to community, beliefs and opinions. And such discussions become very important when foreign circumstances come into play.   Allow me to explain. From a particularly sensitive quarter, came a seemingly innocent query into the relevance of old culture in our fast evolving modern day. As expected, it instantly turned foul when the enquirer stated his own sentiment.    The reason for it to take such an immediate wrong turn was that, while he was happy to be associated with the community on its dedicated social networking forum, his views strongly suggested abandoning all traditional customs. Naturally, all hell broke loose and while the moderates tempered the situation, a question loomed: “Who are we, without our traditions?”     Those close to home, clearly, don't see these contemplations as life-chan...

Back in London for my usual holiday, I was revved off my jet-lag this morning, with phone calls from friends confirming that I was indeed in town. Talk went from the Kodava Koota coming up in September to the coveted World Heritage Site tag that some want for Coorg and others oppose, to the miserable situation of connectivity and why we all, in spite of being intrinsically in love with our homeland, cannot see sense in returning to it the way it is now. We spoke of the many resorts and home-stays that have come up and, how, while they are very convenient to visitors like us, rampant developments like these, would impact the future of our homeland some years from now. And how all forest cover might be wiped out soon, in the name of indiscriminate 'progress'. I was instantly reminded of a recent visit to my Grandmum's estate in Coorg where my little son hoppity hopped along the narrow pathways between paddy fields and...

To cry, or not to laugh... Deccan Herald. Sunday Herald, Cover Story. 10 June 2012 ~ http://www.deccanherald.com/content/255769/when-funny-isnt-funny.html A mong a hundred other things that keep me upbeat after reading Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam ’s Ignited Minds, the one observation that has left me thinking is the amount of gloom the paper boy throws over our gates every morning. You would be right in saying that our newspapers are really not to blame here – they are duty-bound to inform and make aware. From frivolous government policy and fickle polity to derailed wheels and separatist atrocities, not to mention exaggerated coup tales and related arms travails, there are a good 18-20 pages of distress articles to choose from every day, as company to the morning cuppa. And, yes, all these can have a direct bearing on our lives. But, just to ease the pain, what harm could one come to, if all front pages started carrying stories that are more positive and encouraging? Call m...

Deccan Herald. Sunday Herald, Cover Story. 29 Jan 2012 ~ http://www.deccanherald.com/content/222707/theme-dream.html I can watch Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Mary Poppins another ten times and be ready for more. But like my son, you might say, “ewww you’re such a guuuurl”, so no surprise there. Only, my husband still enjoys Star Wars, Iron Man and Voyager and will go to any re-release of them. My son and I would join him, as would thousands of others around the world, who filled up cinema halls to full capacity for similar fantasy movies like Finding Nemo, Enchanted, Twilight and apna Ra One.  And how many of you, with children at home, have accidentally tripped over a sabremobile or strongarm detached from a form-changing ‘Transformer’? For novices, these are fabulous toys of various built-in superheroes ‘cum’ robots ‘cum’ supersonic vehicles ‘cum’ long range weapons – virtually indestructible man-machines that can be transformed from one mode to the other depending on the ...

Deccan Herald, Sunday Herald. Cover story. Dec 18, 2011. http://www.deccanherald.com/content/212476/considerately-english.html Considering the oft-considered consideration that, “English is a bhery phunny language”, Namakhalaal Mr Bachchan’s top order verbal unleashment stays tops across common conversation even decades since Bollywood officially endorsed the extent of funniness the English language lends itself to. Very funny then and as punny now as the proficiency and intent of the speaker, spoken English, the way we know it and the way many would have us know, enthrals with vagaries sometimes hilarious, sometimes misleading, sometimes downright offensive but mostly…different…in a different sort of way. Its manifest boon or bane, ultimately, depends on how varied our reasons for speaking it are and where we speak it − all, always, ultimately, considerably considerable. While non-native speakers continue to cook its broth most relentlessly, only those who have had pers...

Deccan Herald, Sunday Herald. Cover story. Oct 16, 2011. http://www.deccanherald.com/content/198143/sense-sensibility.html The foundation of a ‘Welfare State’ has been most magnificently illustrated in Amish’s epic debut novel, The Immortals of Meluha . Its governance rests on the instruction of ‘give and give’, where each citizen is, by law, duty-bound to always do for the other. With everything taken care of for your self by the next person, no one is left wanting. Each citizen partakes, automatically, of a generous society that cares equally for its upkeep as it does for the sentiments of each other. Equal opportunity and abundance of resources and goodwill are a natural consequence and the state prospers under a moral framework poised on ethics and righteousness. By law. An ideal citizenry, in and of an ideal society. The Indian sentiment reveres it as Ram Rajya – the quintessence of ‘truth, tranquillity and peace’. Agencies of administration call it ‘Ideal State’ – a seemingl...