Desicritics Author: kanjisheik

Book Review: The Last Mughal by William Dalrymple

kanjisheik — Wed, 4 Jul 2007 13:04:19 EDT

Now this is one book that will pique your interest in history. Scottish travel writer and historian William Dalrymple comes up with The Last Mughal, a groundbreaking work that poignantly portrays the events that occurred in and around Delhi during the Revolt of 1857. The Last Mughal is a refreshingly new perspective of the Revolt of 1857 and probably the first ever to present the viewpoints of ordinary people who lived during that tumultuous age.

The Last Mughal is not a biography of the last Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar, though he is one of the major characters; instead, it is an account of the Indo-Islamic civilisation which he represented. It also deals with the fall of Delhi in the face of the uninvited arrival of the mutinous Indian soldiers of the British Army, and then its destruction at the hands of the British invaders. At the end of the Revolt, Bahadur Shah Zafar was put on trial for treason, his beautiful capital was ransacked and destroyed, his palace [an architectural marvel] was detonated and a British barracks was constructed within it, and the composite Hindu-Islamic culture which he stood for had been eliminated.

Over the last four years, Dalrymple tirelessly worked through many of the nearly 20,000 virtually unused Persian and Urdu documents relating to Delhi in 1857, known as the Mutiny Papers, found on the shelves of the National Archives of India. These documents allowed 1857 in Delhi to be seen for the first time from a properly Indian perspective and not just from the British sources through it has been viewed till date. Meanwhile, the Delhi Commissioner’s Office Archive contained the records of the revived British administration, which describe the full scale of the viciousness and brutality they unleashed in the city after regaining it. Dalrymple was also able to gain access to the Punjab Archive in Lahore, which contained the complete pre-Mutiny records of the British Residency in Delhi. And a visit to Rangoon yielded Bahadur Shah Zafar’s prison records.

Using all these disparate sources, Dalrymple succeeds in creating a masterpiece that challenges the existing theories about the Revolt. Instead of the single coherent mutiny or patriotic national war of independence beloved of Victorian or Indian nationalist historians, Dalrymple says that there was in reality a chain of very different uprisings and acts of resistance that were determined by local and regional factors.

He sets the stage by introducing the main characters and describing how people lived in Delhi in the 19th century. The city of Shahjahanabad becomes alive through his marvelous prose and we begin to get an idea of the problems that the people faced. Bahadur Shah Zafar was an emperor only in name when he succeeded his father, but he managed to create a court of great brilliance and fostered a literary renaissance. He was extremely talented- an expert in calligraphy, verstaile poet, architect, Sufi mystic, patron of painting and much more; but he was not an able king and had a tendency to be indecisive- his greatest failing.

He suggests that the influx of Victorian Evangelists who tried to disrupt the Hindu- Islamic synthesis practiced by the successors of Akbar and regarded Indians as heathen natives who needed to be emancipated, was one of the major factors that led to resentment among Indian sepoys and civilians alike. This aggressive Christian sentiment in turn led to the rise of militant Islam- the jihadis who played a prominent role in the defence of Delhi till the end.

Once the sepoys came to Delhi and declared Bahadur Shah Zafar to be their leader and emperor, the die was cast. Even though the unruly sepoys looted the city, killed every Englishman they could find and harassed courtiers, Zafar felt that this was a God-given opportunity to re-establish the Mughal Empire and so he made the critical decision that linked the fate of his dynasty and that of the city of Delhi to the Uprising. Zafar’s openness to the Uprising, though never whole-hearted and always ambivalent, transformed the whole nature of the rebellion- a simple army mutiny evolved into the biggest war any empire had ever faced in the 19th century.

Ironically, it was the sepoys who were to blame for the failure of the Revolt in Delhi. Since the sepoys were not trained to command regiments and had no knowledge of battle strategies, their strikes almost inevitably failed. Although Bakht Khan’s arrival in Delhi almost led to the defeat of the British forces stationed nearby the city, political intrigues by his enemies among other regiments and the Mughal courtiers led to his departure from the city alongwith his regiments.

In the end, as people began to see the writing of the wall, thousands of sepoys began a mass exodus from the city of Delhi. Meanwhile, Muslim jihadis kept pouring into the city for a battle to the death. If the Uprising in Delhi started as a contest between the English and a largely Hindu sepoy army drawn mainly from Awadh, it ended as a fight between a mixed rebel force, at least half of which were Muslim jihadis, taking on an army of British-paid Sikh and Muslim mercenaries from the North West Frontier and the Punjab.

Upon victory, the British celebrated their triumph by letting loose a reign of terror on the fleeing insurgents and Delhi's inhabitants. The Mughal princes who had participated in the Uprising surrendered unconditionally to a British officer, William Hodson, hoping that their lives would be spared. Hodson stripped them naked and immediately shot them in cold blood. Then he promptly proceeded to strip the corpses of their rings and amulets, which he pocketed. In the Kucha Chelan neighborhood, Dalrymple says, about 1,400 residents were cut down: "After the British and their allies had tired of bayoneting the inhabitants, they marched forty survivors out to the Yamuna, lined them up before the walls of the Fort, and shot them." Among them were some of the most distinguished poets and artists of Delhi.

The victors made very little distinction between insurgents and civilians. George Wagentrieber wrote in the Delhi Gazette Extra: "Hanging is, I am happy to say, the order of the day here." Believing that the rebels had sexually assaulted their women (this was proved false by a subsequent inquiry commission), the British officers did little to stop the raping of the women of Delhi. To escape the victors' wrath, most of Delhi's residents fled to the surrounding countryside, finding shelters in tombs and ruins and scavenging for food. Looters went house to house, seizing whatever they could, while Prize Agents stalked the city, confiscating native property and delivering it to Europeans.

To punish the residents for having supported the Uprising, the British considered leveling the entire city. Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed. Even so, great swathes of the city- especially around the Red Fort- were still cleared away. Many fine mosques, Sufi shrines, palaces and the houses of notables were demolished. Dalrymple relates this story in all its horror, quoting extensively from the melancholy descriptions written by Delhi's literary elite and from accounts by the victors, who gleefully recorded the terrible vengeance they wreaked on the vanquished in what became known as the City of the Dead.

Zafar was tried and convicted for hatching an international Muslim conspiracy against his English benefactors, and exiled to Burma. The charge was legally and factually absurd. Since Zafar had never renounced sovereignty over the Company, he could not possibly be guilty of treason. In fact, Dalrymple explains that, from a legal point of view, a good case could have been made that it was the East India Company which was the real rebel, guilty of revolt against a feudal superior to whom it had sworn allegiance for nearly a century. Equally groundless was the allegation that Zafar was behind an international Muslim conspiracy stretching from Constantinople to Delhi. "The Uprising in fact showed every sign of being initiated by upper-caste Hindu sepoys reacting against specifically military grievances perceived as a threat to their faith and dharma; it then spread rapidly through the country, attracting a fractured and diffuse collection of other groups alienated by aggressively insensitive and brutal British policies." The British "bigoted and Islamophobic argument" reduced the complexity of the rebellion to an oversimplified and fictional picture of a "global Muslim conspiracy with an appealingly visible and captive hate figure at its centre." Back in England, the Uprising and the aftermath of British bloodlust shocked the Parliament into assuming direct rule over India. Company rule was abolished, and Queen Victoria became the Empress of India.

In the years after the Revolt, there began a rift between Hindus and Muslims that widened under the “divide and rule” policy adopted by the British and finally led to the Partition of India. Indian Muslims, themselves, got divided- the modernists, led by Sayyid Ahmed Khan, embraced Western learning while the extremists created a madrasa at Deoband that went back to Koranic basics and stripped out anything Hindu or European from the curriculum. And more than a century later, the Deobandi madrasas in Pakistan and Afghanistan were instrumental in the development of the Taliban, “the most retrograde Islamic regime in modern history”, and the Al Qaeda who committed the most powerful and destructive counter attack the West has ever encountered. Dalrymple draws parallels between 1857 and the world post 9/11- an ongoing struggle between Western Evangelicals/Imperialists and Islamic jihadis.

He portrays the Uprising as a human event of extraordinary, tragic and capricious outcomes, and shows us ordinary people whose fate it was to be accidentally caught up in this great upheaval.The Last Mughal is a beautiful elegy in prose of the composite Hindu-Muslim civilization of the Later Mughals. Dalrymple has written a masterpiece- a scholarly work and yet a hugely enjoyable read, especially for people who have a keen interest in Indian history. I would definitely recommend it to any student who had to read about the Revolt of 1857. Books like this are required to make history interesting.

Book Review: An Ordinary Person's Guide to Empire by Arundhati Roy

kanjisheik — Sun, 1 Jul 2007 05:20:33 EDT

With The Algebra of Infinite Justice, Arundhati Roy proved that she could write non fiction as well as fiction. Hell, that’s an understatement- the book was a brilliant collection of polished essays, in which she displayed her trademark intellectual rants and lucid reasoning. And with this second collection of essays, she goes one step further. An Ordinary Person’s Guide to Empire consists of 14 well constructed, passionate articles between June 2002 and November 2004- some of which were delivered as speeches while others were published in newspapers- in which Roy deconstructs the concepts of empire, neoliberal capitalism, corporate globalization, and state terrorism with a degree of both passion and erudition that is truly astounding.

“ahimsa” deals with the struggle of the Narmada Bachao Andolan to make its voice heard in India’s policy deciding bodies. In this world that is increasingly fixated on terrorism and other movements of violent resistance, it is increasingly difficult for the votaries of non violence to be heard. She notes that “Any government’s condemnation of terror is credible only if it shows itself to be responsive to persistent, closely argued, non violent dissent”. What Roy fears is that people will be forced to abandon modes of non violent resistance and commit violence in order to grab headlines in today’s ‘free media’. Should such a thing come to pass, it would be a veritable deathblow to the theory of ahimsa that Mahatma Gandhi propounded and executed to great effect during the struggle for independence against British rule.

Roy says in “come September” that nationalism was the cause of genocides in the 20th century. Like a surgeon wielding a scalpel, she deftly shreds our most sacred doctrines. "Flags are bits of coloured cloth that governments use first to shrink-wrap people's minds and then as ceremonial shrouds to bury the dead." She enumerates the innumerable crimes committed by the United States government against humanity right from Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, the penchant for engineering coups and regime changes throughout South America, the wars in Korea and Vietnam, and finally the staunch support to Israel in order to prevent an equitable solution to the issue of Palestine issue- all under the excuse of ‘championing the cause of freedom’!! Arundhati Roy accurately points out that the real reason for the war against Iraq is to grab control of its oil resources. After an incisive analysis of the corporate globalization project and its end results, she concludes that just like Soviet–style communism, the American style market capitalism is doomed to failure- because it allowed too few people [“a handful of bankers and CEOs whom nobody elected”] to usurp too much power.

“the loneliness of noam chomsky” is Arundhati’s tribute to one of the world’s greatest and most radical intellectuals- Noam Chomsky, who showed us that nothing is what it seems to be in the free world. He showed us how phrases like ‘free speech’, the ‘free market’ and the ‘free world’ have little, if anything, to do with freedom. And he analysed the penchant of the United States to commit crimes against humanity in the name of ‘justice’, in the name of righteousness’, in the name of ‘freedom’. Chomsky brought out the grisly truth behind the American Dream and the American Way of Life. The USA has successfully rewritten its grisly history of massacre of millions of native Americans, and the kidnapping and enslaving of millions of Africans. And yet, it is amazing that Americans believe that theirs is a peaceful nation, a nation built on fundamental values! The sheer amount of research and analysis Chomsky did on the American invasion of IndoChina [Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia] in his book For Reasons of State is astounding. Arundhati praises Chomsky for revealing the “pitiless heart of the American war machine, completely isolated from the realities of war, blinded by ideology and willing to annihilate millions of human beings, civilians, soldiers, women, children, villages, whole cities, whole ecosystems- with scientifically honed methods of brutality”. The unsaid inference is that the United States has learnt nothing from its misadventure in Vietnam- and continues to make mistakes in Iraq, at the cost of millions of innocent Iraqi lives.

In her speech at the World Social Forum 2003 titled “confronting empire”, Arundhati Roy identifies the many arms of the monster called the New American Empire- the US government, organizations like the IMF, the World Bank and the WTO, and the multinational corporations. Using India as an example, she elucidates how dangerous byproducts like jingoistic nationalism, religious bigotry, fascism and terrorism are created by the corporate globalization project. Thus, empire is nothing but a “loyal confederation, this obscene accumulation of power, this greatly increased distance between those who make the decisions and those who have to suffer them.” Hence, if we are to tackle the spectre of Empire effectively, we must be prepared to lay siege to it. Roy says that America’s ugly past is out in the open; hence, this is the moment to convince the American public to rise up in defiance. As she concludes, “Remember this: we be many and they be few. They need us more than we do.”

“peace is war” deals with the importance of the ‘free media’ in the corporate globalization project. Roy describes how neoliberal capitalists have managed to subvert democracy- by infiltrating the judiciary, the press and the parliament, and moulding them to their purpose. As she says, “Free elections, a free press, and an independent judiciary mean little when the free market has reduced them to commodities available on sale to the highest bidder.” Roy points out that six major companies own America’s main media outlets, a disconcerting fact; this is why the American mainstream media does not critically examine the reasons for invading Iraq: a majority of the U.S. corporate media is owned and managed by the same interests. She commends the efforts of New Media in showing what Old Media really is- an elaborate boardroom bulletin that reports and analyses the concerns of powerful people. The mainstream media practice “crisis reportage,” but Roy challenges journalists in New Media to become “peace correspondents instead of war correspondents,” and expose the “policies and processes that make ordinary things… such a distant dream for ordinary people.”

In “an ordinary person’s guide to empire”, Roy depicts the brutal barbaric destruction of a civilization by the American army. Agreed, Saddam Hussein was a dictator, but the fact is that the American and British governments supported him during his military excesses, against Iran and during the extermination of Kurds. It was only when he invaded Kuwait that he turned into a liability- a dog who wouldn’t obey his master anymore. And so, he deserved to be killed. The enormous level of double standards that the United States committed during the war is appalling. Bombing civilian areas is just one example. Western ‘embedded’ journalists are called heroes for doing their duty from the frontlines of war but Iraqi viewpoints were denounced. In fact, the Allies even bombed the Iraqi television station. And the most ironic thing is- while the American taxpayers end up footing the spiralling war costs, the MNC friends of Bush, Cheney et al gain plump contracts for the ‘reconstruction’ of Iraq. The American Empire is “a superpower’s self destructive impulse towards supremacy, global hegemony.” Roy commends those Americans who have opposed the war as the ‘true heroes’, not the soldiers fighting in Iraq.

In “instant-mix imperial democracy,” a talk originally in New York City, Roy suggests that some of her listeners might think it “bad manners” for an Indian citizen to come to New York to criticize the U.S. government, but “when a country ceases to be merely a country and becomes an empire, then the scale of operations changes dramatically. So may I clarify that tonight I speak as a subject of the American empire? I speak as a slave who presumes to criticize her king.” In snappy, provocative prose, Roy argues that democracy “has become Empire’s euphemism for neo-liberal capitalism” and gives numerous examples from India, South Africa and the United States itself! She urges Americans to engage in civil disobedience in resistance to the war in Iraq because “the only institution more powerful than the U.S. government is American civil society.”

“when the saints go marching out” was first broadcast on the BBC and reflects on what has happened in the lands of Martin Luther King, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and Nelson Mandela after their times have passed. These three public figures were the representatives of three different struggles, the only common feature being the reliance on the mode of non violent resistance. Yet, in today’s India, religious fundamentalism is on the rise; South Africa is still festering with the pre-apartheid problems of extreme economic and social disparity; the United States has lost all manner of legitimate authority by the illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq- more importantly, the blacks, for whom Martin Luther King devoted his life, make up nearly one fifth of America’s armed forces and nearly one third of the US army [though they account for only 12% of America’s population] by way of the poverty draft. Roy appeals to black Americans to follow the teachings of King and to take to the streets in protest of the war in Iraq.

In a talk held at Raipur in October 2003, Arundhati Roy gave a tribute “in memory of shankar guha niyogi” to the leader of the Chhattisgarh Mukti Morcha, who passed away twelve years earlier. Roy lauds him for defending people’s rights, whenever they have been in danger. Shankar Guha Niyogi launched the CMM in order to fight for the rights of workers at a time when the Indian government was busy undermining labour laws. She praises the CMM for its numerous positive contributions to society, like building Shaheed Hospital for the poor and starting several schools to educate the children of the workers. Hence, Roy considers him to be a pioneer in the struggle against the forces of neo-imperialism.

“do turkeys enjoy thanksgiving” deals with the contours and the elements of what Arundhati refers to as ‘New Imperialism’. Unless countries surrender their resources willingly to the corpoates, either civil unrest will be fomented, or war will be waged. Roy explains the concept of New Racism, which is the cornerstone of New Imperialism, wonderfully using the allegory of the ‘pardoned turkey’ during Thanksgiving: “A few carefully bred turkeys-the local elites of various countries … wealthy immigrants, investment bankers … some singers, some writers- are given absolution… The remaining millions lose their jobs, are evicted from their homes…” Another instrument of New Imperialism is New Genocide which is facilitated by economic sanctions- the most notable case being Iraq, where more than half a million children have died during the last decade of sanctions. Since the Empire is so powerful, it is necessary that "local resistance movements should make international alliances in order to inflict real damage and force radical change”. She urges the WSF to lead the charge against the American Empire by rallies, non cooperation and economic boycotts.

Arundhati Roy explores behind India’s glittering facade and uncovers some bitter truths in her article “how deep shall we dig?” Some of the numerous problems facing us are terrorism in Kashmir and the Northeast, the rise of religious fundamentalism, POTA, targeting of minorities, incidents of starving or malnutrition. It is increasingly difficult for people to confront their own government. As Roy remarks, “The space for non violent civil disobedience has atrophied. After struggling for several years, several non violent peoples’ disobedience movements have come up against a wall and feel, quite rightly, the need to change direction.” Since the poor and the minorities are the most affected by the dual assault of communal fascism and neoliberalism, she urges them to take the lead in opposing the growing influence of Empire in India.

“the road to harsud” is Roy’s blistering take on the contentious topic of Big Dams and the struggle by the poor people who haven’t been rehabilitated as yet, to make themselves heard. Harsud is a town in Madhya Pradesh which is slated to be submerged by the reservoir of Narmada Sagar Dam. What use is a dam if the drawbacks outweigh the potential benefits? Roy says that the dam will submerge more land than it will ever irrigate, will produce power that is even costlier than Enron, and will destroy a vast reservoir of biodiversity, wildlife, and medicinal plants. And yet, the government of Madhya Pradesh relentlessly plows ahead with its disastrous plan and in the process, has rendered more than 30,000 families homeless. And worst of all, in spite of repeated assurances by the government, the displaced people have not yet received adequate rehabilitative measures.

Roy analyses the power ordinary people like us wield in today’s world in her essay “public power in the age of empire”. The world today is a deeply skewed reality. She says that both terrorism and the war on terror share the same excruciating logic- they make ordinary citizens pay for the actions of their government. And eventually, Roy concludes that “radical change cannot and will not be negotiated by governments; it can only be enforced by the people. By the public. A public who can link hands across national borders.” If we are to successfully confront the Empire, then we have to channel our energies into ‘concrete action’. Arundhati speaks in detail about three dangers that threaten resistance movements across the world- the meeting point between mass movements and the mass media, the dangers of NGO-isation of resistance, and the confrontation between resistance movements and repressive states.

“peace and the new corporate liberation theology” was a speech first delivered in Sydney on the occasion of Arundhati Roy winning the 2004 Sydney Peace Prize. She says that war in Iraq is a sign of things to come- a logical conclusion to the corporate globalization project. History, it seems, has turned full circle with the return of imperialism like a phoenix from the ashes. The corporate-military cabal has been busy at work, dispensing its unique brand of ‘justice’ and ‘freedom’ to the world at large. Roy concludes by saying that it is our duty to join the ‘war against Empire’ now or it will be too late.

In conclusion, although the essays deal with various movements in different countries (the U.S., India, and South Africa, to name a few of the prominent examples Roy cites) the common cord running through each one is empire, which Roy defines as “a superpower’s self-destructive impulse toward supremacy, stranglehold, global hegemony.” Arundhati Roy draws parallels between various resistance movements and with her lucid analysis, she succeeds in elucidating the forces that work against ordinary people everywhere. But she also illustrates the great strength those ordinary people can muster if they can cooperate in opposing, for example, the building of a dam that will wipe out the homes and livelihoods of thousands of people. Despite its title, this book is not a guide to empire, rather it is a call to arms. Roy, thus, motivates those who may already be passively critical of U.S. policies to join the activists out in the streets. “History is giving you the chance,” she writes. “Seize the time.” And so we should. Before its too late. Before all that we treasure in this world and believe in is lost.

India And The Formation Of An Asian NATO

kanjisheik — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 11:06:15 EDT

[I had participated in a national level debate some time back in Loyola College, Chennai, organised jointly by the Centre for Security Analysis, a non governmental think tank, and the Loyola Society of Debaters. We [JIPMER Pondicherry] were honoured to be the only medical college to be invited for the debate, which probably says a lot about our literary talent! The other teams were St. Stephens New Delhi, St. Xaviers Kolkatta, ILS Pune, Christ College Bangalore, Vellore Institute of Technology, Madras Christian College, Stella Maris College and Ethiraj College, Chennai. Here's an edited version of my speech. I hope that this article will spark some intelligent discussion.]

I'll begin with a brief history lesson. The date: March 17, 1948. The place: Brussels. Five European nations signed a treaty of collective security, thus beginning a military alliance that would over the next 60 years swell up to 26 members and transform into a major voice in the international arena. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation also known as NATO.

Respected judges, fellow speakers and friends, I shall be speaking for the motion- India must take the initiative to create an Asian NATO.

Over the last century, the battle zones have shifted from Europe to Asia. Asia has several political and economic groups like the ASEAN, SAARC, AGCC, EAS, APEC, etc and what not, but none of these have been able to resolve the conflicts that have plagued our lands. Hence, it is essential to take the next step- in the military field. An Asian military alliance might well be the solution to the wars that have ruined our continent over the last 50 years.

In fact, the idea of an Asian NATO is nothing new. The USA has been propounding this idea ever since the failure of the South East Asian Treaty Organisation [SEATO] in order to create a group of Asian nations that would counter China's rising might and ensure the USA's position as the sole superpower in the world. In the last few years, the USA has been considering the idea of making India a prominent member of the proposed organisation, thus adding an incentive for Indian participation.

But, I believe that it is in India's best interests to take the initiative and create an Asian military alliance on its own, because the benefits outweigh the risks. India occupies a strategic position in the Asian landmass with an arc of influence extending from the Arabian Gulf in the west to the Straits of Malacca in the east. Hence, a military alliance with the countries in the region would ensure a safe and stable neighbourhood.

Ever since the USA started financing the mujahideen in Afghanistan in their struggle against Russian occupation during the eighties, the spectre of Islamic terrorism has been a major threat to the international world order. Almost all the major Asian nations have full blown terrorist movements on their soil, like Kashmir in India, Chechnya in Russia and Xinjiang in China. Hence, the primary objective of the Asian military alliance would be the eradication of terrorism in all its forms. It would also deal with maritime security and anti terrorism cooperation, especially along the major sea routes in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, prevent wars among member nations and help in sharing defence planning and intelligence strategies.

Over the last decade, India's Look East policy has begun to bear fruit with India being selected as a full partner of the ASEAN and included in the East Asia Summit. India's relationship with China has also improved considerably for the past few years. Last year, India and China signed a landmark agreement which institutionalised exchanges in military training and exercises, along with a regular and sustained dialogue on national defence issues. This was termed as a 'NATO style' treaty by the press. India must realise that any multilateral effort aimed at achieving the stated goals of stability and security in the Asia Pacific neighbourhood would be doomed to end in failure without China's participation. India's close ties with Russia has also led to the emergence of an India-Russia-China triangle in international affairs. India also is developing close military ties with Australia and other Southeast Asian nations. All these developments will facilitate the eventual formation of an Asian military alliance.

Ideally speaking, the Asian military organisation should have India, Russia, China, Japan, Australia and Saudi Arabia as its principal members. Such an organisation would be able to achieve stability and security in the hotspot filled unstable arc from Northeast Asia to the Indian Ocean to Southern Caucasia near the Caspian Sea.

Imagine an Asia without any conflicts, a strong and prosperous Asia, an Asia free from the scourge of war. This dream can be translated into reality once such a military alliance comes into existence. It may take years of diplomatic initiatives and negotiations, maybe even decades, to lay the framework. But the possibilities that may arise, if India manages to pull off this diplomatic coup, would be tantalising. Will India stand up and take its rightful place among the great nations in the international stage? Only time will tell.

Interview: Junkyard Groove

kanjisheik — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 15:21:49 EST

Some of you would recall my previous article on Desicritics about Junkyard Groove, the Chennai alt/funk rock band that is well on its way to stardom. Well, I'd talked to them sometime back about having a chat, and after the win at Dubai, I thought that this was probably the best time to do it. So I chatted online with Siddharth, the lead guitarist [left], and Craig, the bassist [right], and mailed them a list of questions which they promptly answered. Here is the transcript of the "conversation" that took place:

Can you tell something about your background, and how you all met and thought of starting a band together?

Siddhu: Well, I used to play with this band called "Powder in the Ashtray" before Junkyard Groove. I met Ameeth at IIT Madras 2005 when Powder in the Ashtray was playing (we won the competition that year). So it was Easter and I was at Ameeth's place for dinner at a family gathering. We then decided to put a band together and Ameeth had met Jerry and Craig earlier. So they were roped in to play drums and bass respectively. From there on, we planned to take part at our first competition which was held at a local club.

Junkyard Groove... Its a cool name, rolls off the tongue in a very stylish manner. Well, which one of you thought of it?

Siddhu: Thanks for the compliment, man. Ameeth and myself were walking around my block one night, just talking about what we were going to do- the big plans we had back then. Lol! And lots of band names were being floated, and I guess this one pretty much stuck on. And besides our music is synonymous with the name- you can find anything and everything in a junkyard. Our philosophy has always been "Anything goes" when it comes to music.

Craig: I think Ameeth and Sid thought of the name together, however after the first few shows, there were talks about changing the name, but then stuck with it to avoid further confusion. I guess now, after such a long journey together it fits in just right.

You people have built a reputation of winning in every competition you've participated in. How did that come about?

Siddhu: Well, I hope I don't sound bashful when I say this, but its not that we have won every competition that we have played. Rather, we have never walked away from a competition empty handed, but also most often we have won. I guess IIT Madras 2006 was one such time when we didn't win. But never have we walked away empty handed.

Craig: Well there were a couple of shows were we came in 2nd, but yes we've always walked away with something or the other every time. We'll, "How did that come about", we practice real hard, hang out with each other as much as we can, and we're united, even though we fight a lot. Its only with JYG that made me realize that, making a great band does not involve being good musicians alone, but each one's individual goals and how far he is willing to go to achieve them, the way we gel with each other, and realizing that there are no boundaries.

Well, lets talk about the songs then. All your songs- be it Twinkle Twinkle, Say Goodbye or Its Okay [to name just three] have really amazing tunes. How did you guys go about creating them? Is one person in charge of the process or do all of you contribute? And who does the songwriting?

Siddhu: Thanks again. Well, the creation process in our band is very simple- one person comes up with a basic idea, like a bunch of chords or something, and the rest of the band pitches in and contributes by coming up with their own parts for the song. So I guess its more of a band thing than an individual responsibility.

Craig: All of us do contribute to the creation of the songs. They have amazing tunes cause, the musicians that we look up to as Idols are simply brilliant. There have been a lot of influences from the greats, like Dave Mathews, Coldplay, RHCP, GNR to name a few. One more reason is that our music does not involve one genre alone. We are very different, in a good way. The song writing process involves what you feel at that precise moment, and that makes it so magical.

I wanted to talk about the song Folk You separately. It has a brilliant amalgamation of three languages- English, Tamil and Malayalam. How did you get the idea of converting a Malayalam rowing song into rock? The song just blows people away. Tell me how you did it?

Siddhu: Ameeth was with a pop band before, and its still sort of unclear how or when he came up with it. But when we heard it we liked it, and we all came up with parts for it. As I mentioned earlier, our philosophy is that anything goes when it comes to music. So you can expect Junkyard Groove to come up with more stuff that is out of the box.

Craig: Ameeth wrote that song so I guess he would be the best person to answer you. However I love that song cause, even though we love the western style of music we think it is very important to stay true to our roots. The world is starting to get so diverse, and so is the music.

You people must be in pretty high spirits right now after winning the Shamal: Battle for Dubai Desert Rock Festival on Dec 15. How was the experience of performing in Dubai in front of all those heavy metal fanatics?

Siddhu: Playing in Dubai was very nice . We were received very well by the crowd considering that we were the only non metal band playing. It was a great experience and there were lots of nice people whom we met, and we hope to meet them again. We frankly didn't know what to expect before we got on stage, but once we got on stage we sort of got the crowd going and then we knew that things were going to be just fine!

Craig: Absolutely! we are on top of the world. I am so proud of India, cause the only 2 Indian bands grabbed 1st and 2nd place. We were scared before going to Dubai cause we heard that there are a lot of metal heads, that might not appreciate our music, but it was so different. We were treated real good. There were people in the crowd who were singing along, and that was such a comfortable feeling.

And you people won big time that night, dint you? A 3 year recording contract with Creative Kingdom Records, USA. A reality show by Zee Arabiya. A music video shot by Zee Arabiya. Whew! That's really something, right?

Siddhu: Yes, it definitely is something for a small time Chennai band to land up winning so much. Hard work always does pay off, I suppose. We definitely are very excited about this whole thing and I cant wait to see where it leads us.

Craig: Yes the stuff that we're getting is like a dream come true. The people at Creative Kingdom and Zee Arabia are amazing. We got the feeling that they are pretty serious about what they promised us, and we feel reassured that they would be taking us under their wing. Looking forward to it.

So whens the album coming out?

Siddhu: I don't want to make any promises, but it should be done by mid 2007 or so. But then again who is to say how these things work...

Craig: Cannot give you an exact date, but we would be going to Dubai as soon as Sid's exams are over. So I'm guessing by the second half of next year.

Where do you see yourself in the near future, say, three years from now?

Siddhu: Well, I really cant see myself doing anything different from what I'm doing now. I love making music with my band and that is how it shall be. I wouldn't want it any other way. Three years is a long time but I'm sure I'm still going to be doing the same thing I love doing now. Just play all over the place..

Craig: I see us in a position were we could give up our regular jobs and move in to music completely. We'd love to be touring in other countries by then.

Almost all the people who have watched you perform live believe that you have the talent to be the first Indian band to become famous, I mean really really famous. I think that's testimony to the incredible rapport you create with the audience. Its like you were born to play. What do you say?

Siddhu: I say there's nothing else in the world that makes us happier than being on stage and playing for people. Its simple- its because we love music and playing. The people whom we play for are one of the reasons we play, because without their encouragement and support we would be nowhere at all. But I'm only too happy to know how much people appreciate the work we do.

Craig: Yeah we came a long way in just a year and a half and we're going to keep moving on till the "BIG GIG" happens. Sometimes its difficult for us to believe as well. But to put India on the map, as far as rock music is concerned, JYG would be honored to be responsible for something like that.

Finally, before we end this interview, do you have anything you would like to say to the JYG fanatics all over the world?

Siddhu: To the people who know us and like us, thanks a ton for everything, being there at our shows and screaming your lungs out. Keep rocking, and if you're a musician, never ever give up on your dreams!! They really do come true (atleast in our case). And to the people who don't know us-. WE'RE COMING TO GET YOU!!!

Craig: Thank you guys for all your support! We have been deeply humbled by the response that we've received. We love you!!!!

Junkyard Groove: The Meteoric Rise of an Indian Rock Band

kanjisheik — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 15:20:44 EST

"What do you get when you put a drummer with heavy metal roots, a guitarist with classic rock roots, a bassist crazy about Jazz and a very drunkin vocalist, in 1 band?"

Thus begins the bio of Junkyard Groove on their website.

Junkyard Groove is an alt/punk rock band from Chennai, India. It consists of Ameeth Thomas on the vocals and rhythm, Siddharth Srinivasan on the lead guitar, Jeremiah John on the drums and Craig Maxworth on bass. This group of exceptionally talented musicians has created a dedicated fan following among college students and rock crazy yuppies in South India over the past year and a half.

They have an exemplary track record of winning prizes in every competition they have taken part in. Some of their achievements include:
[1] Le Royal Meridian, Chennai {2005}:Junkyard Groove landed up in second place and bagged the best guitarist award too.
[2] Spandan 2005 {JIPMER, Pondicherry}: Junkyard Groove won best band, vocalist, guitarist, drummer, own composition and second best bassist and rhythm. Never really left much for anyone else!!!
[3] Strawberry Fields 2005 {NLS, Bangalore}: The band walked away a lot richer and won best band, best vocalist and best guitarist.
[4] Madras Christian College: Junkyard Groove won in the best band and best drummer categories.
[5] IIM Bangalore: The band came in second and also won best bassist.
[6] Raagam 2006 {IIT Chennai}: The band made it through to the finals and walked away with best guitarist and a fancy little guitar as a prize.

In the one and half years since the band was formed, Junkyard Groove has established itself as one of India's premier rock bands. They recently made international headlines when they won the Shamal: Battle for Dubai Desert Rock Festival on December 15 in Dubai. As you know, Shamal is a talent hunt by music industry experts for the best, unsigned rock band in and around the Middle East to open up for some of the biggest international rock bands in the world. Junkyard Groove beat seven other participants- DaVinci [Egypt], Point Of View [Dubai], Pin Drop Violence [India], Gorthall [Dubai], Hydrophobia [Dubai], Wasted Land [Saudi Arabia] and Whimagon [Iran] in the finals.

Just check out the official Shamal press release:

Seven unsigned bands from in and around the Middle East took to the stage in this intense battle between India, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Egypt. All genres of rock music were played from metal, melodic, death metal, acoustic, alternative, funk and gothic.
The event was an intense 4 hours, with the crowd pulsating to the music. At least 1,000 people attended with bus loads turning up from Abu Dhabi to give their support. All cultures attended, here to support their countries, here to support their music scene.
The bands' standard of live performance and musical composition was high. The judges commented that it was a hard decision to decide on a winner, but there could only be one band that could walk away with this phenomenal prize...
Junkyard Groove from India were that band! Fusing rock with funk to give an uplifting style that reaches out to all ages, they wowed the audience with a tight, high energy, flawless, musical stage performance.....

The victory at Shamal gave Junkyard Groove a 3 year worldwide recording contract with Creative Kingdom Records USA, a reality show by Zee Arabiya and a video to be shot by the same channel. Most importantly, they will be playing at the Dubai Desert Rock Festival on March 9th and 10th. They will be opening both nights of the Dubai Desert Rock Festival for international acts like Iron Maiden, Incubus, Children of Bodom, Mastodon, In Flames, Stone Sour, The Prodigy, Prime Circle and Lauren Harris.. Incredible, isn't it?

Well, I first saw them play in Spandan 2005 in JIPMER, Pondy, and I admit I was simply bowled over by their incredible music. And since then, I've watched them onstage four times till date, and I must tell you that these people create magic onstage! This band has the potential to break into the big league, and can succeed at the international level. If you are curious, just listen to their music at their MySpace site. And check out this homemade video of their song "Its Okay":

Well, here's some info about each member of the band...

Ameeth Thomas [vocals/ rhythm]:
Ameeth has played in quite a few bands in the past and has a talent for songwriting. Like most of the other members in JYG, Ameeth's quest for the right band did not quite work out until he found JYG.
Despite his eccentric behavior on stage, he has a talent for making one listen to what he has to say, which is rather entertaining, and has shaped JYG's style.
He is open to any genre and fulfills the requirement of any song thrown his way. An extremely enthusiastic personality and has music in his family for years now. A complete treat to watch on stage, the party kinda person with a party kinda job. Loves to smoke and laugh in the most inappropriate of situations.
Ameeth's influences include Dave Matthews Band, John Butler Trio, Pearl Jam and lots more. His sense of commitment to Junkyard Groove proves that this band is here to stay.

Craig Maxworth [Bass]:
Born and brought up in Chennai, Craig played bass for quite a few bands in his early days. After his previous band did not work, he gave up playing bass and resorted to the simpler life. But things were about to change when he met Jerry and Ameeth.
Calm as can be, yet capable of snapping into a fit of violence with that guitar of his. Liquid like bass lines and funk underlined tones bring him down to fitting in just right. A hard worker and a team player, he's highly appreciated by the rest of the band.
His influences have been Dave Matthews Band, Audioslave, RHCP, Rage Against the Machine, Miles Davis, Marcus Miller and loads more... Craig now vows to go through the hard work and create some good quality music with Junkyard Groove.

Jeremiah John [drums]:
Jerry, a Dubai born Indian, came down to India for further studies and to get back to his roots. Like any other Dubai born Indian who uses the excuse to come back to India to study, he attempted drumming for a few bands, trying to find that special something. After about 4 years of living in India and about 4 bands later, he realized that Junkyard Groove shared the same passion as he did.
He drives this message home with his hard pounding yet soulful work on the skins. One of a kind around the city and loves to break it down to killer funk beats and once in a while, he spits out some gut wrenching thrash beats. There's no stopping this guy when he's on a roll. Having been at the skins many years now, the fluency shows in his many "Best Drummer Awards", proof that he has indeed worked his ass out.
His influences are Dave Matthews Band, Incubus, Dennis Chambers, Carter Beauford etc.... Jerry has given up a lot for Junkyard Groove, to reach his own goals, which by the way works out just right for JYG.

Siddharth Srinivasan [Lead guitar]:
Baby face would be apt to describe this guy. Siddharth has played in numerous bands throughout school and college and takes a lot of pride in playing with JYG. Influenced by funk and blues bands, Junkyard Groove fits him in just right.
Cool calm and collected, his sound is unique and different. He takes a lot of care to ensure that he gets the best sound out of those pedals and leaves sound engineers confused when he tells them what he needs!
Sid, the youngest of the lot, leaves guitarists, much older than him, spell bound. Whether its razor sharp riffs or cleverly crafted solos, he's the kinda guy that adds to JYG's unique sound. He certainly is a versatile musician and can throw you into a wall of sound, letting you know that JYG is in the house.
His influences have been a lot of classic rock, mixed with some funk. Bands like Guns in Roses, Deep Purple, Red Hot Chili Peppers etc... have been his Idols. JYG just wouldn't be the same without this kid.

Book Review: King of Ayodhya by Ashok K. Banker

kanjisheik — Thu, 26 Oct 2006 09:32:17 EDT

One thing I love about Ashok Banker's Ramayana series is the way each part is better than the preceding one. As a result, there is no disappointment for the reader. This pattern continues in King of Ayodhya, which is undoubtedly the best book of the series.

In King of Ayodhya, Ravana commands Varuna to destroy Rama's armies as a response to Hanuman's devastation of Lanka. Varuna's tsunami and the consequential death toll enrages Rama and he uses his brahman shakti against the god. Varuna placates Rama by offering his services to create a natural bridge of greybacks for the armies of vanars and bears to cross the ocean and reach Lanka.

But Ravana's awe-inspiring feats of sorcery- changing the very topography of Lanka as well as creating an entire race of rakshasas- exterminates vanars and bears by the thousands. Vibhisena is banished from Lanka, and joins Rama in the struggle against Ravana's adharma. Rama finally uses his brahman shakti and wreaks havoc on the rakshasa hordes with the Bow of Vishnu and the Arrow of Brahma. All this leads ultimately to the showdown between Rama and Ravana.

Banker is verily a gifted writer: we can feel the emotions of the characters, as if we were them. This is what makes this Ramayana series so much more fascinating than the traditional versions of the Ramayana.The war is not glorified- it is depicted in its entirety. It is the only means to get Sita back, and so Rama has to do it. The pain, the sadness, the rage, the jubiliation of victory, the horror of dying- everything seems so right, when we read them..

Banker has created the action packed war scenes brilliantly. There is a lot of blood and gore, in fact, the names of the Kaands [The Book of Skulls, The Forever War] might give you an idea how graphic it is. Hanuman impresses with his fighting skills, as usual. The battle sequences are described from several characters' points of view: Hanuman, Jambavan, Sugreeva, Nala, Angad, Mandaradevi, Kambunara are some of the prominent warriors. And Garuda's appearnce is sensational.

And the perspective from Lanka is equally impressive. Ravana's mindgames with Sita, Supanakha's feelings, Mandodhari's futile rants- all are dealt with so realistically that it is as if we are in the story itself!!! The ending may seem a bit of an anticlimax,and several questions are left unanswered. The agniparikshan scene was portrayed elegantly.

Valmiki's ancient poem is not a conflict between "absolute good" and "absolute evil", though it may seem so at a cursory glance. Rama, the champion of dharma, committed shameful deeds like the murder of Vaali and the banishment of Sita. While Ravana, who might seem to be utterly evil, is actually a great king; one who did a lot of good to the world, before he strayed away from the path of dharma. It is to Banker's credit that he has succeeded in portraying the subtle shades of this immortal epic in a series spanning 6 books.

To conclude, I must say that I had found Bridge of Rama brilliant, but compared to King of Ayodhya, its nothing... King of Ayodhya is that good! This is one of the most un-putdownable books I've ever read.

An epic has ended. And another will begin. I'll wait with a lot of expectations for Banker's retelling of that other Indian epic, the Mahabharata.

Book Review: Bridge of Rama by Ashok K. Banker

kanjisheik — Sun, 22 Oct 2006 12:22:45 EDT

Ashok K. Banker's fifth book of the Ramayana series, Bridge of Rama, elevates the series to a whole new level. Yet again, Banker has managed to astound readers with this magnificent book eclipsing all the previous ones in greatness.

Rama and his huge armies of Vanaras and bears have reached the southern coast of the mainland, and are busy building a bridge to Lanka, where Sita is held captive by Ravana, the lord of the asuras. Meanwhile, Jambavan, the king of the bears, tells Hanuman the truth of his heritage- that he is, in fact, the son of the wind god Vayu. But then disaster strikes- Rama is told by Dasaratha's spirit from the beyond that Sita's life is in peril.

Hanuman, after attaining self realisation of his divine shakti, agrees to leap across the ocean to Lanka and bring Sita back. On seeing that Lanka is not the hellish place that he imagined, instead its the very image of civilization and beauty, Hanuman is surprised and redoubles his efforts to find Sita.

Meanwhile, Ravana has not been sitting idly. After brainwashing his people into believing that he is the person who adheres to dharma while Rama is the villain who committed genocide at Mithila and has come to exterminate them now, he proceeds to play with Sita's mind by acting as the perfect host, and treating her with respect. However, she sees through his plans and wants Rama to be aware of Ravana's nefarious motives.

So when Hanuman finally finds her, she refuses to escape. Sita wants Rama to come to Lanka and expose Ravana for what he truly is, so that people all over the world shall know the truth. Hanuman accepts the infallible logic of her statements, and then decides to send a message to Ravana. Using his enormous reserves of shakti, Hanuman goes on a rampage through Lanka, reducing it to shambles.

After singlehandedly destroying an entire regiment of the rakshasa army and defeating several great armies, he submits to Indrajit when the latter threatens to unleash the Brahma astra. Once he meets Ravana, he expresses his view of the events that occurred so beautifully that, for once, even Ravana is left speechless. After his tail is set on fire, he manages to escape and sets Lanka ablaze.

Hanuman assumes centrestage in this book- he is truly one of the best characters in the Ramayana series. The readers can identify with him, because of his immense faith in his lord Rama. Hanuman's total devotion to Rama and his adherence to dharma enable him to overcome obstacles and eliminate his weaknesses, as the scene in the Tower of Lanka demonstrates so vividly.

Banker has evolved with each book of the series. Bridge of Rama ensures his position as one of the finest story tellers in the world today. Whats truly incredible is that you don't even feel the effort of reading the pages; its almost like there is this guy sitting next to you and telling you the story. You will lose yourself in the majesty of the plot, and the people in it. His characters are extremely well crafted; every word they utter is natural and believable. No matter how unimportant the character may be, each one of them has his or her own uniqueness, thus adding to the melange that forms the story.

In a sense, Bridge of Rama is the lull before the storm. Rama and his armies are poised to invade Lanka and rescue Sita, no matter how many tricks Ravana might have under his sleeve. So then, onwards to Lanka! Let the battle begin.

Book Review: Armies of Hanuman by Ashok K. Banker

kanjisheik — Fri, 20 Oct 2006 08:56:48 EDT

Ashok K. Banker continues Rama's tale with typical flair in Armies of Hanuman, the fourth part of his Ramayana series, after Prince of Ayodhya, Siege of Mithila and Demons of Chitrakut. Banker fulfills all the expectations by churning out a novel that is even better than the previous parts. For those who dint know, this book was selected as one of Blogcritics' Top Reads of 2005.

The war against the 14,000 strong rakshasa regiment finally ends after 13 years of incessant battles, with Rama securing a decisive victory in Janasthana after a momentous last stand. Hanuman, who has been observing the way Rama and his people fight the rakshasas against tremendous odds for several years, meets Rama and expresses his admiration for the way Rama behaves- as a champion of dharma. Later, Rama decides to return to his home on the banks of the Godavari with Sita and Lakshmana and they spend the rest of their exile in idyllic bliss.

Meanwhile, under Mandodhari's rule, Lanka undergoes a transformation from a prison in hell to a city as beautiful as Indraloka, the capital of the gods. After 13 years of inactivity, Ravana is miraculously revitalised by Supanakha's return to Lanka, and he immediately begins his plans to destroy Rama. Banker concentrates on the narrative in Lanka, giving it far more prominence than the previous books and thus making the characters there more rounded, especially Vibhisena, Mandodhari, and of course Ravana himself!

Ravana decides to abduct Sita and enlists Mareecha's help. The abduction of Sita forms the most riveting sequence of the book. Rama and Lakshmana have no other choice but to approach the Vanaras for help. They meet the vanaras engaged in a war council and Rama agrees to slay Vali in single combat and make Sugreeva king of the Vanaras, in exchange for Sugreeva's support and the Vanara armies to get Sita from Ravana's clutches.

Armies of Hanuman is an extremely entertaining read and confirms Ashok K. Banker's abilities as a story teller par excellence. All the characters continue to mature with time, thus making the story interesting; hell, even the rakshasas are multifaceted and enigmatic. The story flows seamlessly, and one can just sit back and admire Banker's handiwork. His style of writing works out well- his metaphors and descriptions give the book an amazing vitality.

The book ends at an interesting stage, with Sugreeva keeping his part of the bargain and assembling the enormous armies of the Vanaras. Now, the stage is set for Rama and Lakshmana to head towards southwards to Lanka. Truly, Armies of Hanuman is worthy of the tag "epic". So people, if you've finished the first three parts, then you are in for a sumptuous treat. Go check it out!

Book Review: Demons of Chitrakut by Ashok K. Banker

kanjisheik — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 00:46:25 EDT

Demons of Chitrakut is the third part of Indian author Ashok K Banker's Ramayana series, and continues Rama's epic tale beautifully.

Rama weds Sita and returns to Ayodhya, after an encounter with Parashurama on the way. Meanwhile, under the spell of Manthara's intrigues, Kaikeyi "persuades" Dasaratha to banish Rama and make Bharata the yuvaraja instead. The scene where Rama tells Sita that he has been exiled is probably the most touching moment of the book. And eventually, they walk out with Lakshmana by their side towards the forests of Dandaka, where they must stay in exile for 14 years. Rama' evolution into a great persona, who follows his dharma steadfastly, no matter what the obstacles may be, is almost palpable.

Eventually, the Supanakha episode is played out. The mutilated rakshasi calls on her brother Khara and Dooshana to avenge her, and a fourteen thousand strong regiment of bloodthirsty demons march from Janasthana to settle scores.

After the heady action of the first two parts, Banker slows down and concentrates on the diverse threads in the storyline. Demons of Chitrakut is so interesting because he retells the incidents- that we all know so well- in such a refreshingly new manner. Truly, this Ramayana is his very own.

Each character is unique and hence stands out- devious Manthara, serving the dark lord Ravana, and manipulating Kaikeyi; helpless Dasaratha, who is forced to send Rama to the forest; wise Vibhishana, who wishes to create a righteous Lanka; Ravana trapped inside a rock, powerless; the girlish yet forthright queen Sumitra;the vulture king Jatayu, who comes to Rama's aid...

Banker has the enviable ability to slip into the "skin" of the character, and it shows. The end result is truly a masterpiece. I feel that this Ramayana series will achieve the same exalted status that Valmiki's Ramayana, Kamban's Tamil epic, Sant Tulsidas's Ramacharitamanas, Ezhuthachan's Malayalam version, and lots of other Ramayanas retold by literary geniuses in their own vernaculars were able to attain.

Book Review: Siege of Mithila by Ashok K. Banker

kanjisheik — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 09:52:03 EDT

Siege of Mithila, the second part of Ashok K Banker's marvellous Ramayana series is as interesting, if not more than the first part, Prince of Ayodhya. And it begins just as eerily as the first part; this time however, it is Sita who has the nightmare!

The guru-shishya relationship between Rishi Vishwamitra and the princes Rama and Lakshmana has been conceived brilliantly. The chapter in which they discuss how Ravana could be vanquished is extremely enlightening. Ravana's plans to invade Aryavarta form the crux of the book. The ten headed rakshasa's character is enigmatic, and he promises to be one of the most interesting characters of the series. Meanwhile, in Ayodhya, Manthara continues her nefarious schemes to eliminate Rama. Banker weaves in another thread in his web, by visualising her as a stooge of the Dark Lord.

Sita is a revelation - this Sita is no damsel in distress, instead, she is a warrior princess. Fiercely independent and courageous, she is probably the best thing in the book. Definitely someone Rama [or I, for that matter :~)] would fall for! Sita believes that the rakshasas are preparing for an invasion, and so on an impulse she sets forth incognito with her trusted bodyguard Nakhudi towards the dreaded Southwoods to search for evidence. And who do they meet? None other than Rama and Lakshmana!

The two princes alongwith Rishi Vishwamitra are heading towards Mithila to attend Sita's swayamvar. Since "Janaki Kumar" and "Nakhu Dev" are also travelling to the same destination, the all knowing sage decides that they should go together. On the way, Rama rescues Ahalya from her condemned existence as a stone- one of the most magical chapters of the book, in my opinion. Vishwamitra reveals that Mithila will bear the brunt of Ravana's onslaught, and the book moves on rapidly to a momentous climax.

Banker's writing is magical - before you know it, you are sucked into the world of his Ramayana where anything is possible. From Ayodhya to Mithila to even Lanka, Banker sets you off on beautiful flights of imagination. Truly, one roller coaster of a ride. Ashok K. Banker rocks!!! And yes, Rama rocks, too.