Life-en-treats

To sharpen my writing skills I was going to go to bookshops and hunt for some books on clauses and idioms. But I chanced upon a book at my mother’s office library. Yes, that very library that fed my fires while I was younger. All my reading of the classics of several literatures took off from here. Significant memories are Dostoyevsky and Jane Austen. Like always, I freaked out a little bit when I went into the library, the minimum number I have wanted to pick up at any library are 20 plus books and definitely exceed the number of library cards I am allowed. Curse this love of books! This time, I spent a good time convincing and cajoling myself about the PhD work that awaits me and managed to get out of the library with a mere four books. One was on the history of Karnataka, another, a translation of Premchand’s stories, The Wisdom of Lao Tse and the last one, a book that summarized the workings of a newspaper, called Behind the Scenes on a Newspaper. Behind the scenes… is a small boo...

He was in Shiva’s outfit, in the same bus as I and got off the bus with me. Tall like a teak tree and lean, cloud-coloured skin, lightening-quick smile with a moon made of tin planted onto his head; He wore kanigale[i] flower on his arm. A plastic snake around his neck, a faded tiger-skin pattern, upon half a lungi. a Hawaii chappal… As if in response To my fascination He played the damaru[ii] Swayed the trishula[iii] Shook his anklets; galagala And said…I am Shiva. 2 I was at front, and he at the back, at the fair counter. While buying tickets too, --right behind me. In the junk jewelry store, he came before me, and rolled the shining nose-ring that he held in his palm and teased the shop-keeper, “How much does this ‘diamond’ cost?” In the balloon shop, ...

Janaseva Parishad, an activist organization from Mandya, staged two plays this weekend to collect funds for its Vishwamanava Anathashrama. The plays were produced by Janadani, a Mandya-based cultural and theatre group. Tirukaraja written by Nisargapriya and narrated in the traditional Janapada style by the Jogappas exposes the politics of a state critiqued only under the rule of a beggar-king. The ply begins with a spectre of anarchy after the king died without leaving an heir. The queen, the minister and the senani, all in the race for the throne, hatch plots against each other. But the rajaguru consults the dharmashastras and the royal elephant has to garland the person who will be king. More than even the feminist arguments put forward by the queen, there is a class critique in the play that comes up effectively. The elephant garlands the beggar causing much embarrassment. What happens further is a comedy of sorts. The audience thoroughly enjoyed the comedy. The beggar is groomed b...

Way back while I was an MA student, a dear friend once found this piece somewhere, took a print out and handed it to me with great love. Its a beautiful piece...I cannot forget its promise, despite my cynicism. If one day you feel like crying Call me I don’t promise you that I will make you laugh But I can cry with you If one day you want to run away Don’t be afraid to call me I don’t promise to ask you to stop But I can run with you If one day you don’t want to listen to anybody Call me and… I promise to be very quiet But… If one day you call and there is no answer Come fast to see me Perhaps I need you