NRIPEN CHAKRABARTY

The life of Nripen Chakrabarty, a veteran communist and former chief minster of Tripura, is an interesting saga with a bitter, almost ironical end.

The party had him take up different jobs at different times according to its need: from a manual worker at a jute mill to an editor of a bourgeois daily newspaper. Finally, it sent him to Tripura to work amnogst the tribals. Not only he won over these tribals, he made Tripura his new home, and had lived since there as the most respected leader of the people. Though a chief minister, he lived a very simple life, and being a batchelor, had no problem living in his own spartan way.

Then in 1995, he involved himself in a row with Jyoti Basu, the Marxist moghul. So far as I remember, he questioned about the propriety of some of Basu's activities. He was summarily dismissed from the party. And there was little hue and cry.

I was surprised when I heard two days ago on the telly that he had been taken back in the party after nine long years. And the 101-year old man was here in Kolkata for treatment.

The man died the next day.

How do you explain the Marxists' gesture? Were they really sorry for what they did to an honest man? Or was it just an effort to protect theit image?
MRINAL BOSE

WEB MASTER IN POLICE NET

CEO of Baazee.com Avnish Bajaj, an India-born US citizen, has been arrested by the Delhi police for transmission of obscene material, in this case school sex clip. The Police summoned him from the US, and arrested him after it was established that eight CDs of the lewd clip were sold on the site.

Baazee.com is owned by eBay, the world's biggest auctioneer.

What do you think of such websites? Do they really sell anything besides these sleazy things? Have they got any guidelines regarding their sale policy? Or,is money the only motive?

The bottomline: sex and only sex sells on the net And when had a businessman ever had high moral ground?
MRINAL BOSE

SALMAN RUSHDIE IN KOLKATA

Rushdie comes to the city after twenty four years to inaugurate a retrospective of Satyajit Roy, the great maestro, of whom he has been a known fan. Unfortunately, the film festival was cancelled due to some technical glitch.

But Rushdie being Rushdie did not waste time sightseeing and partying. He went to artist and painter Paritosh Sen's residence to update his knowledge about contemporary art. On Thursday evening he even regaled an enthusiastic audience at GD Birla Sabhaghar with his views on myriad things in his unique style of wordplay.

Here're some of Rushdiespeak:

On Satyajit Roy: "Perhaps the great artiste this country has ever produced."

On terrorism: "I am against terrorism. I think it's regrettable."

On prophets: "On the whole, the role of the prophet is not one that I have applied for ..I have had some trouble with prophets."

On Private life: "Private lives today can't exist in isolation from public events."

On George W Bush: "In America, we have to deal with strange growths called Bush."

On Nobel Prize: "There is only one prize and there are many writers. I'm not holding my breath for it."
MRINAL BOSE

BEGINNING OF THE END OF THE CRICKET

Kolkata is among the top cricket-crazy cities in the world, and has always stood by and supported the game in a big way. A match at Eden Gardens always ensured a stadium-ful of audience.

Not any more. In the ongoing match between South Africa and India, the stadium remains empty for the most part. Even star-cricketers like Sachin, Saurabh and Shehbag, by whom the cricket-fans swear, have failed to draw the crowd.

Few people are watching the match even on TV. The marketers' new pin-up girl is of course seductive, but what an ugly face!

So, is this a sign of the beginning of the end of the game?
MRINAL BOSE

INDIAN JUDICIARY

How is Indian judiciary? A recent Supreme Court judgement finds out an unholy nexus between a former Kolkata High Court judge and former Bengal chief minister Jyoti Basu.

The judge in question is Bhagabati Prasad Banerjee who secured a four-katha plot in upmarket Salt Lake area in 1987 in exchange of a verdict in favor of the Government.

When a litigation involving the government's irregularities in allotment of Salt Lake plots came up in his court, he initially stopped the allotment, but just after four days, he modified his order, allowing only the chief minister to use his dicretion to allot the plots.

So, when the next list of allotment came in, the judge's name was on the top of it. It's now learnt that he had practically bargained for a plot while he was hearing the case.

A perfect example of "give and take"!

If it hurts you, it is because a judge is involved in it.

Has justice any chance if the judiciary is corrupt?
MRINAL BOSE

SECOND COMING

So, George W. Bush stays on in the Oval office, despite predictions and expectations to the contrary. But this time he has to rule over a sharply divided US and the world.

No doubt Bush is manifold empowered this time, but this time he will be under a scanner from people of his own country as well as those of the world.

But would this make any difference to his ways? Would he mend his practices particularly in his foreign policy? One's specially concerned about his strategy of pre-emptive strikes on countries, which he considers to be a threat in his warped imagination.

Osama and his ilk must have been glad and reassured over Bush's victory. Sure enough,they didn't want the face of their enemy to be changed. What looms now is a renewed and fiercer war between the two sides with inevitable ramifications.

Like Bush, terrorism also gets a fresh lease of life at this juncture of history.
MRINAL BOSE

BIN LADEN'S APPEARANCE

Why did Osama pop up around this time - just four days to US election? Would this appearance make any impact on the US voters? Is this going to make any difference to election result?

Conventional wisdom says that Osama wants George W. Bush to be re-elected. Bush, for him and the Islamic world, is the face of the enemy, and he has built this face up assiduously all thes years. A sudden cange in enemy's face would be a problem for his acolytes, if not for him, strategically and otherwise.

Then the Republicans are better bets for him than Democrats who have their own viewpoints of the world.

According to some political pundits here, Osama hands out an advantage to Bush, supporting the latter's threat perceptions by his presence.

But I doubt it would work that way.
MRINAL BOSE

DURGA PUJA

Bengal's greatest festival has evolved - or devolved, I'm not sure - to be a mega-event with all glitter and no soul. Sans any humanistic spirit, it has reduced itself to a mindless splurge.

Themed pujas are the order of the day. The organisers select a theme, often innovative and artistic, and spend lakhs of money to build it up, and spare just a small space to house the idol - marginalising it along the way.

This year I saw on TV a pandal the shape of a huge football in which the idol was placed. The theme was to promote the game of football, said the organisers of the puja. A good cause, no doubt, specially in these times when the cricket has cornered such a wonderful game, but how does it relate itself to the essence of the puja?

Gone are the days when the images were made of clay only. To bring novelty in images, they are now using any material - from pencils to marbles to cashewnut.

Perhaps only the Hindu religion can allow such flippant and derogatory attitudes!
MRINAL BOSE

GOOD NEWS

So, an editor loves my first novel at last. Thanks to John Amen, the award-winning Pedestal Magazine has published in its special political anthology an excerpt from THE DANGLING MAN, which I have been shopping around for more than four years now. The excerpt is the last chapter of the novel.

Curiously, this is the very chapter which many agents, and some editors of publishing houses did not like. In fact, they trashed it, and one British agent found it distasteful.

You can read the excerpt at the following URL:

http://www.thepedestalmagazinecom/Secure/content/cb.asp?cbid=4040

MRINAL BOSE

THE ETERNAL KASHMIR PROBLEM

Manmohan Singh is currently on a tour to US, and a meeting with Parvez Musharraf is high on his agenda. The two heads of state would be talking about Kashmir, predictably.

Kashmir is a fifty-year-old problem between India and Pakistan. And from the way the rulers of both these countries have handled it at different times during this long period, one suspects heavily that they really want to resolve the crisis. Hundreds of meetings and summits held so far have practically yielded nothing except that the Kasmir problem has now become complex and messy many times over, and very hard to crack.

But the willy Parvez this time will try to win some advantages from India with supposed help from US, its big brother. Given his current flagging status as the administrator, he needs to prove himself and boost up his image to his countrymen. George Bush, who has used Musharraf time and again for his so-called war against terrorism, is of course going to put pressure on Manmohan Singh to strike a favorable deal for Pakistan.

But Singh is an intelligent, cautious and cool-headed man. It's unlikely that he will rush into any such deal, especially at this time when there's growing doubt that Bush will emerge re-elected in the November election.

India can wait - to its advantage.
MRINAL BOSE

CENSUS COMMISSION REPORT

In India, Muslims grew at a rate of 36 per cent over 1991 - 2001 and Hindus at 20.5 per cent, according to a census commission report released recently.

The BJP and RSS have seized on the report, and are crying foul to evoke fear in the public that the Muslims will soon outnumber the Hindu population.

But is this overgrowth a scheme? The Muslim fundamentalist might be grinning in anticipation, but it is a fact that Muslims grow in a compulsive way under a strange atmospheric of poverty, illiteracy and joblessness coupled with their religious customs and practice.

Muslims have always been viewed as a votebank, and every political party has used them to this end, without ever addressing their real problems.

The excess of growth of the Muslim population is a pointer to the gross abuse of this community by our rulers, and indeed a shame to our nation.
MRINAL BOSE

GOOD ASSASSIN

Wihin a week of Dhananjoy Chaterjee's hanging, the Supreme Court commutes a convict's death sentence to life imprisonment. The crime was the same, that of rape and murder, but perhaps more ghastly because the victim here was only four years old.

Now, think about it. This convict's suffering is minimal compared to Dhananjoy. He had not spent fourteen years in the condemned cell. But he seems to come of a rich family, and moved on from one court to other with expert help from his able pleaders.

He was no pariah. The judges heard him, and granted his prayer.

Poor Dhananjoy! Only moments before his hanging he bemoaned that he was denied justice becuase he was poor.

In this judgement, the Supreme court does not only act in a partisan manner, but also gets us to believe that there are two categories of assassins, good and bad, based on their economic background.
MRINAL BOSE

STATE AS KILLER

Only one day before India's independence day, the state hangs a 40-year-old amid surges of protests across many of its cities.

The convict's crime was heinous, but he had already been in a condemned cell almost for fourteen years awaiting the execution. Under such peculiar circumstances, the convict's family and many human rights' bodies approached the highest judiciary, even the President A.P.J Abdul Kalam for commuting the capital punishment to imprisonment for life.

One had pinned some hope on the President who had, thanks to Indian media,a kind of sage-like image. But he also rejected the appeal. Proving that as a person, he was no different. It's just as naive to expect anything seminal from him.

But the rulers, especially of West Bengal, had a taste of the widespread protests from people who rallied around the jail at late hours of night, braving the police cordon, with placards and festoons, and shouting against hanging. They lit candles till the execution.

Ther's still hope for the mankind.
MRINAL BOSE

CIVILIZATION & PORN

Salman Rushdie has drpped another bombshell. A free and civilized society, he says, is judged by its willingness to accept pornography.

What he means is that civilization is directly linked to permissiveness it allows. But it seems too simplistic, and takes a lopsided view of civilization.

Consider India, for example. It has become far more permissive these days. One can have easy access to sex - direct and indirect, and nobody is raising eyebrow for that. Viewing blue film on video is a common enogh entertainment here, and internet chatting is coming of age. Besides, you see sex divas everywhere in different shapes and dresses.

Now take into account the fall-out of this permissiveness. Not a day passes without an incident of ghastly rape being reported in media. You hear about more paedophalia cases now. One experiences more sex-related violence now. If you're not already sick of all these, it's definitely not wholesome. In fact, it drags down the civilization to lower depths.
MRINAL BOSE

WOOING FUNDAMENTALISTS

If you think a fundamentalist is always hated, you're wrong. In these times, he can even be feted by the mightiest of powers.

This year, seven Kolkata Muslim clerics have found place in International Visitors' programme hosted by - guess who - the American Embassy, according to The Statesman, a premier Kolkata English daily. They will be taken on a tour to different American cities along with an assorted group of academicians, polticos, and mediamen.

Does it herald any change in the policy of Mr. Bush who once wanted to "smoke them out"? Does the big power, apparently cowering under threats from the terrorists, want to win over the Muslim fanatics now?

MRINAL BOSE

EPOCHAL!

Imagine the police is trailing a minister - a powerful Central minister at that - to arrest him with a non-bailable warrant!And the minister in question is forever on the run.

A comic, almost absurd scene. But such things are happening in today's India, thanks to history's fixing attitude now-a-days.

Like most Indian politicians, Shibu soren is just another corrupt politician, but coming as he does of a poor and tribal caste background, he's a bit less clever and sophisticated. His behaviour is naturally gross and crass.

About twenty nine years ago he triggered a mass massacre in Chirudhi, and about nine years back, he murdered his private
secretary. He was naturally implicated in both the cases. But the court could not punish him. Soren evaded the court all these years despite an unbailable warrant against him. Of course, he had clout, and in India, it's easy for a politician to get away with anything.

Strangely, the old cases have been activated now - after all those years. No doubt the BJP is behind all this. But it's the beginning of a scheme to destabilise the current Monmohan government.

As I write this, Soren has submitted his resignation. A big triumph for the BJP. Whose turn is it now? Possibly, Advani and Co will now target Laloo Prasad Yadab, another tainted minister in the cabinet.

I wonder why the present government is not activating the case against L.K. Advani who was one of the provocateurs for the Ayodhya riot.
MRINAL BOSE

THE NAKED TRUTH

Imagine the Defence Minister of India being strip-searched by American security staff at US airport despite his protests and before his own embassy staff! Yes, that was what exactly happened to George Fernandes back in early 2002 and mid-2003. Thanks to Strobe Talbott's recently published book, we get to know the whole story only now.

Richard Hermitage, the US deputy secretary, who is now on tour to India, apolozises to George for the incident.

The more pathetic part of the story is that neither the minister nor the NDA government then did anything about it, and swallowed the ignominy without any complaint to the Big Brother. Perhaps it was politically correct to shut up but the whole incident was outrageous and crushing to any Indian's self-esteem.

Could we dare enact the same thing on a US minister? And what do you figure out about us and them from the incident?
MRINAL BOSE

TIMEOUT FOR ATALJEE

It's hard to believe that he was Prime Minister of India just about a month ago. Sans power, he is not just down these days, but probably on way out. The sad thing is that I don't feel sad about it all.

The image one has of Ataljee, thanks to our media, is that of an elderly, suave, mild-mannered and experienced politician with vision, insight and Indian values. But if you think really deep enough, he has hardly ever done justice to this image.

Let us recall, for example, his role in post-Godhra progrom sponsored by Narendra Hitler Modi. Well, when he visited the state as Prime Minister, he slammed Modi in right tone and with just words. But he didn't take any action against him. What added to our woes, he forgot the heinous crime and patted Modi on the back just after a few days.

This is the quintessential Ataljee for you. He'll stand up for one thing in the morning and act quite contrary to it in the evening. He's an unprincipled and wily man who can shape-shift quickly according to changing circumstances.

But what he did recently in the Mumbai party meet bordres on the ludicrous. Sensing his power in the party on the wane, he announced he would like to retire from politics. The media splashed the news and raved about the veteran leader's decision.

But only the following day, Ataljee quipped, "I was just joking. How can I quit my ideology?"
MRINAL BOSE

LIVE AND LET DIE

So what if five persons die of starvation in backwaters of West Bengal in India? Does it really matter? One should object to using the word 'starvation'. The news is an embarassment for all of us in these times when people don't like to hear such words as hunger or starvation!

It's indeed amazing how such a news had a place on the front page of a daily. Very few people have heard of Amlashole - a remote village down in west Midnapur. Admittedly, it's without any cultivable land, potable water, electricity or any health facilities. Only forest. But who do you know lives there? A tribal population that has no education or any touch with the civilization. Who has time to bother about them?

Bengal's Marxist Chief Minister -may he live long --says that starvaion-like conditions prevail in the area, but it's not really what you can call starvation death. His minister in charge of tribal welfare, himself a tribal, adds that two among the five died of jaundice. About three other cases, he fails to ascertain the cause. He's not a doctor, he rightly argues.

Newspapers say that one crore was allocated for the development of the area. The administration spent the money for promoting the tourism in this area. It bought generators and makeshift tents for the tourists. Anything wrong with it? Well, this is how we all boost up the local economy these days.

You are right:starvation is awful. But don't let it get on your nerves. Nobody strves these days. It's a constuct of the media. Believe it.

MRINAL BOSE

PUBLISHING CLIMATE

If you're lucky to get any editor or agent to read your work, the one thing you can expect from him or her is a short rejection letter couched in cliched language ( "not right for me" etc). These people usually disconnect after that,and would never give you any response even if you ask them any sensible question.

But Sam Humphreys, editor Picador India, seems to be a bit different. In response to my formal "thanks for reading my work", he sends me a personal and insightful e-mail.

"I imagine it's of little consolation, but I think the response you've met with is caused by the current publishing climate --which makes it increasingly difficult to take on new writers and be sure of establishing a place for them in the market --rather than any lack of flair or talent in terms of your writing. You may well be right that small publishing houses are likely to be the most receptive, and I
hope you succeed in finding a home for THE DANGLING MAN."
MRINAL BOSE

REJECTION BLUE

For the past four years as a struggling novelist I have been getting my share of rejection letters from agents and editors who care to read through the ms of my debut novel THE DANGLING MAN --partial or full. Her's the latest one from a biggie.

"I think there's much to recommend your novel (or at least what I've seen of it) in terms of subject matter and indeed, the strength of your writing, but in the end, I don't feel it would be quite right for Picador - it just didn't strike me as quite innovative or distinctive enough..Sam Humphreys, Picador Editorial, Pan Macmillan.

Now, do you find any inconsistency in it? Or is it plain corny?
MRINAL BOSE

PEOPLE'S MANDATE

It must be a great moment for Indian democracy. The people this time had a wonderful mandate against the powers-that-be: it has worked steadfastly across the country to throw out the regime run by a bunch of self-seeking, laptop-savvy crooks. It is really one such moment when you feel like believing in the power of the silent masses.

But this was really what nobody had even imagined. Take our media people or even smarter psephologists who are supposed to be in direct contact with the people. All of them predicted a clear edge, if not absolute majority,of the NDA alliance. The NDA alliance comes second, getting seats far below the 200-mark. Now, what do you think of the quailty of our media persons or psephologists? These are another bunch of smart-alecs with little thinking power or prescience. Stop reading papers if you can. And never believe an exit poll.

So the Congress has once again emerged as the biggest political party,
though on an anti-incumbency vote. Now the Congress will form the government with help from the Marxists who have gained in strength(about sixty seats). But who'll be the Prime Minister this time? Though Mrs. Sonia Gandhi publicly says she does nor hanker after the primeministership, she will prove to the biggest deterrant to some one else, like Monomohon Singh, being the Prime Minister.And in the end, given her large circle of sychophants and Ganndhi-family link, she will in all probablity head the new regime.

But is she capable of running such a large and complex country as India? Has she got the requisite qualification? Has she got the minimum education, knowledge, insight and wisdom to be at the helm of a country?

She as Prime Minister will sure be a liabilty for the country. And it may herald another bad spell for the democracy.
MRINAL BOSE

CRIMINALS IN INDIAN DEMOCRACY

"Jailbirds belong in jail, not House: HC",screams a newspaper headline.

It refers to a landmark judgement by Patna High Court which orders that criminals behind bars must not contest the elections. It also asks the Election Commission of India to countermand the elections if necessary "wherever such persons have contested seats for the 14th Lok Sabha."

Now, this judgement is going to ruffle many feathers. Every political party worth its salt has criminals in its fold, and most of our netas have criminal nexus. It is almost impossible to win an Indian election these days without muscle power.

Ever since the independence, our netas have relentlessly used the criminals though in a sneaking, almost unobtrusive way, to meet their ends. As only expected, the criminals have emerged as an open and formidable force over the years. No wonder now that mafia dons like Pappu Jadav or Babloo Srivastab or Md. Shahabuddin have long been contesting the elections, some are MPs even, with direct patronage from our leaders and main political parties.

So will the Election Commission heed to the High Court's order? You can never say for sure, because Indian poticians are a very wily and unprincipled breed, and they know how to flout a court order.
MRINAL BOSE

POLL 2004

On the first phase of Lok Sabha poll, held on April 20, half of India's voters did not turn up at the hustings. And the other half excersied their franchise in a way not really to the liking of rulers of the country.

There is indeed a much lower level of response in favour of the NDA. And though each of the exit poll surveys puts the NDA as a winner, the figures point to its shrinking vote-base.

I'm no believer in such hocus-pocus as exit polls, but this time it may have some ground reality in its figures. Will the NDA get defeated in this election? I'm not sure, but the BJP's not going to emerge as a stronger party, as some people hoped and predicted, in the post-poll political climate.

During its tenure the NDA rulers have proved their worth or lack of it in every sphere. The average man is just harried and tired of their skullduggery. A mandate at the hustings to teach a politician a lesson is long due and expected of him.
MRINAL BOSE

RAHUL GANDHI

The 32-year old, fourh generaration scion of the Nehru-Gandhi family has recently been inducted tnto active politics. He's in fact contesting the Amethi Lok Sabha seat on a Con(I) ticket this year.

Now, politics being the trade of the country's most-talked-about family, Rahul's joining politics is hardly any news. But our media views it as a big event, and covers it in a special way as if it's the coronation of the heir apparent or the next big leader of the country.

Rahul looks like the weakest scion of the family so far. He has neither the brilliance of his great-grandfather nor the shrewdness of his grandmother; besides, he is lacking in sound education and oratory skill. In most respects, he's very much like his own parents, only less presentable.

His passions include fast cars and pistol-shooting.

But his dynastic connection overshadows all his disqualifications. Don't get surprised if he gets elected the leader of the party someday and aspires for the primeministership of the country.

CRICKET DIPLOMACY

Can you imagine a cricket match where both sides win? Absurd as it may seem, this is exactly what may happen in India-Pakistan cricket match now being held in different cities of Pakistan.

Now, cricket is not simply a game here. It's part of a bigger game between India's Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee and Pakistan's President Parvez Musharraf. The stakes are very high(more for Vajpayee since the Lok Sabha election is round the corner) and none of them can afford to lose the match. The current political climate dictates that they are at par in every respect, and under no circumstances any form of oneupmanship could be allowed into their gesture.

So the first match goes to India as a gift by Pakistan. India reciprocates by losing the second match at Pindi. Subsequent matches are most likely to follow the same spirit and pattern. I'm not sure, though, how the final and decisive match would be managed to keep the crucial evenness.

The cricketers, as revealed in today's front-page picture of most Indian dailies, have cringed to the wishes of their political masters. The forced smile on their faces and their funky look in company of general
Musharraf are a tell-tale sign of their trapped condition.

It's of course fun and hip, by today's standard, to hijack and use cricket as a tool to improve the relation between two neighbouring countries. But will anything really come out of it given that the two countries have long and deep-rooted discord?
MRINAL BOSE

DUGDUGI DAYS
Mahesh Bhatt, one of Bollywood's few intellectual filmmakers, can sometimes regale you with wonderful insights. His latest addition in this category is about the film actors joining the political parties now. They are dugdugis, he says.

If you don't know about dugdugi, it's a percussion instrument to attract people. In the non-tech days of yore, the street magicians and other tricksters effectively used it to pull a large enough crowd before they went about their real business.

Perhaps no one could not be more trenchant than Bhatt about the role of these film actors in politics. Parties know these people are mostly no-brainers, but have the capacity to draw the masses around them. Besides, the current media is interested in all the inanities they mouth, any tantrum they indulge. So why not use them to catch voters?

The BJP, India's ruling party, is now marketing savvy, and has arranged a crash training programme for these actors. It will teach them what and how to talk, and whom to address.

It all seems like a huge fun. Without any real issues being projected by any party, the election this time is getting to be a novel one.

These are truly dugdugi days!
MRINAL BOSE

JOIN AND PERISH

The legendary lyricist and writer Bhupen Hazarika has joined the Bharatiya Janata Party. And from all indications available, he's going to contest the next Lok Sabha election on a BJP ticket from somewhere in Assam, his home state.

So, what's new in it, especially in this big bang time when there's a scramble for the famous and rich to join the ruling party? Well, when a film-star like Hema Malini or Dharmendra joins the bandwagon, you don't give it a damn because they were never serious people, and always behaved like that. But can
you ignore someone like Hazarika, now 78, becoming a member of the BJP, a tainted party what with its leaders like Narendra Modi or its current 500-crore pollskreig with the tax-payers' money?

Initially, I found it hard to believe. It sounded almost like Noam Chomsky joining Bush's pary in USA. But things like this are only representative of our times, however ominous they may look.

The inducement is, one hears, the BJP has assured him of the portfolio of a full cabinet minister in charge of Information and Broadcasting if it returns to power. A nice offer indeed. But how do you get to compromise with your long and great humanistic past, Mr. Hazarika?
MRINAL BOSE

Tehelka is back

The legendary Tehelka is back, this time as a weekly paper( launching date February 2). Of course, it's different with its own fare of stories and articles in its line of commitment, but one misses the characteristic punch it had in its earlier avatar as news portal.

What immediately puts you off is its tabloid-like look, and once-sensational"Blitz"-like layout. Since it champions the real, investigative journalism, it should have come in a new distinctive format. Those who don't know about it might take it as another run-of-the-mill newspaper.

The lead news titled "George Bush Has A Big Conversion Agenda For India" is a well-researched story, but is too long and exasperating. As a topic, it's neither hip nor hot at a time when the country is abuzz with forthcoming general election. Other stories in the news section are no better, and seem like fillers.

In 'essaya and opinion' section, you have writers like Pankaj Mishra, Gita Hariharan, Patric French and Hari Kunzru. Except French, all of them churn out the usual --nothing much insightful or extraordinarily thought-provoking.

But I have enjoyed Tarun J.Tejpal's editorial and Shoma Chaudhury's
'The Making Of A Paper'. Tarun is a brilliant writer, and can hook you easily with his honesty and conviction.

No doubt the paper will evolve with each issue, but is it possible in this milieu to run a paper which is not "affiliated to any political party or business house", and consists of "crusading and constructive journalism" and "display a moral centre"?

Anyway, I have subscribed to the paper. And I wish it a smooth journey.

MRINAL BOSE

VERNON GOD LITTLE

Is it a literary novel? Since it won the Man Booker award this year, you suppose so. But as you read through a few pages, you feel this is not your expected stuff. Rather it reads like a fast-paced thriller spiced up with f-words, besides those usual ingredients. It, however, revolves around a serious theme.

Vernon, a sixteen-year-old Texas school student gets framed by an apparently firm administration for a carnage committed by his classmate. The greedy media blows it up, projecting the boy as the murderer and seeks to reap monetary benifit out of it. The boy's mother, a widow who is determined to shape up his life with a new partner, collaborates meekly with the media --of course for material gains. In the end, however, Vernon gets saved just before the hanging, thanks to Providence and his attorney. In a somewhat unbelievable way, though.

The novel is a scathing and eloquent commentary on current American culture and life. But it falls short of good literature because of its somewhat mindless and rambling style.

DBC Pierre has the talent of spinning a yarn in his own voice. He is endowed with insight and knowledge. One wonders why he dealt with a great subject in such a flippant way.

May be he thought the style fit for the degrading culture, which he had not much respect for. I'm not really sure.

MRINAL BOSE

PUBLISHING IN THE NEW YEAR

"Write, if you have the right name or face," screams a headline of a daily I subscribe to.

The news story says:Publishers are reducing the number of books they release to concentrate on "big name" authors or "good looking" first-time novelists who are more marketable.

So if you're a struggling author, but not handsome, you're doomed! Your talent's not going to help you. It's as simple as that.

For quite a while, the publishing scenario is changing rapidly without a care for the discerning readers' tastes or sensiblities. The corporate honchos who're out to make money out of book business, are increasingly becoming more and more desperate as the business suffers and their audience falls in number. In an already degraded milieu, the current paradigm shift suggests the beginning of a black period for serious writers and readers.

Brace yourself: the market will be flooded with more trashes by Madonna-like writers targeted at lowest common denominator readers. If you're a serious or eclectic reader, you're left with no choice except to discontinue your reading habit.
MRINAL BOSE
bosenet@vsnl.net