Desicritics Category: Media: News

Revolution? You Kill My Guests I'll Kill Yours

temporal — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 02:25:13 EDT

The sudden surge in violence after Musharraf resigned is significant and telling.The Fasadi Pakistani Talebans are exploiting the leadership vacuum and making inroads. The losers are the civilians, who face death unexpectedly, the army whose morale is sagging, and the fledgling civilian administration trying to rebuild democratic institutions.

There is a way out, but the political and military rulers and their Western backers have always ignored it: serious land reforms, the creation of a proper social infrastructure and the establishment of at least a dozen teacher-training universities to lay the basis for a proper educational system. Malaysia has done so. Why not Pakistan?Tariq Ali's Way Out of Pakistan's Impasse.

In response to above iFaqeer wrote:...who's going to bell the cat? That's the basic question...Pakistan's headed for a revolution. The question is of what nature it will be and when it will happen. Today...the obvious option is scary...

Until recently my definition of revolution in the Pakistani context was: transfer of power from one un-elected representative to another.

But given the rise of religious militancy and extremism this definition is out the window. The revolution alluded to by iFaqeer will be unpredictable, chaotic and murderous.

I had heard this story growing up. The Pathans were very hospitable people and in one of their village they had a tradition. After sunset the villagers would head for the outskirts. If they found a tired hungry traveler headed in their direction they would jostle with each other for the privilege to play the host to the traveler. One evening, in the jostling between Badshah Khan and Peer Khan to play host to the lone traveler, the old Enfield rifle went off accidentally killing the traveler.

Said Badshah Khan to Peer Khan, "Khocha tum fik'r mut karo. Tum nay amara aik maimaan mara hum tumara dus maimaan maray ga." (Don't worry friend, you killed one guest of mine I will kill off ten of yours some day.)

Earlier today, near the entrance to a high security ordnance factory at Wah, suicide bombers killed 70 plus Pakistanis. [Death toll in Wah blasts climbs to 70]

Later on ARY TV, Maulvi Omar (not the one eyed Afghan Taliban leader) admitted responsibility for the suicide attack. He claimed that that suicide attack was in response to the government attacks in Bajaur and Kurram Agency. He also boasted that his forces were capable of carrying out attacks anywhere in Pakistan.

So in this political game, of killing guests the innocent Muslims are killed.

The Pakistan Army is at the receiving end and failing miserably. Like other classic armies, its Achilles heel is a sustained guerrilla fight. Their training and motivation becomes suspect and they open themselves up to ridicule. And with the fledgling civilian politicians bashing them openly, their morale suffers.

The Pakistani Talibans have the edge. Theirs is a guerrilla movement. They do not need planes and tanks and heavy artillery. They are mobile. They can disappear in the crowd. And they are armed with belief. Belief in their cause that may appear suspect and unfounded in western and Muslim scholarly eyes, but is unshakable and firm like K2.

Lessons learned fighting the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan have been polished. They have also demonstrated formidable political savvy. The weak Gilani government, under pressure from the West, from their own people, is desperate to find a solution - any solution that may work. And when they open negotiations, these Taliban groups use the pauses to regroup and re arm. Ho Chi Minh would have chuckled.

With encouragement and support from the Indians and the Iranians, the Mayor of Kabul accuses the Pakistani Administration of being spineless. The Pakistani government bristles. They opened their homes and welcomed millions of Afghan refugees. They still play host to nearly three million of them. The embattled and lame duck US Administration leans on Pakistanis to do more.

The civilian government of Yusuf Raza Gilani, rife with infighting and intrigues, and plagued with incompetence and inexperience is rowing furiously with one oar. Mohsin Hamid, author of The Reluctant Fundamentalist disagrees:

The US, for its part, will need to adjust to a Pakistan in which anti-America sentiment could seriously undermine US interests. The US can best do this by offering Pakistan not the appearance of an alliance but the equality and mutual respect that constitutes the substance of one. Pakistan's people have already demonstrated through the ballot that they reject the Taliban worldview, and the number of Pakistanis who died in terrorist attacks last year alone exceeds the number of Americans killed on 9/11. Pakistan should be allowed to determine how best to fight extremists on its soil. Pakistani solutions are likely to be slower and more cautious than US ones, but also, crucially, more sustained and popular, and therefore more effective in the long run. Pakistan is at last finding its voice. The US would be wise not to gag it - Mohsin Hamid.

Through ballot the people have turfed out the fundamentalists for now. But the key question is whether the people can withstand their bullets?

It is well to remember that for a short while after the lawlessness, mayhem and chaos in Afghanistan, following the Soviet withdrawal, the Afghanis did welcome Mullah Omar's Talebans the first time around. Will it be repeated in Pakistan? Will there be a rural-urban divide? One embracing the neo-Talebans the other rejecting them?

The population is divided. If there is a retrogressive Fasadi Revolution the rural population I suspect would welcome it, much like the Afghans did. But I suspect the Fasadi would have a tougher fight on their hands in the urban centers. For they have learned what havoc the orthodox and rigid Talebans have caused in Afghanistan earlier.

Meanwhile, in this revolution to come expect murder and mayhem in the name of Allah the Merciful.

Chiranjeevi Enters Politics, Promises Change

Aaman Lamba — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 11:16:52 EDT

The Obama spirit has many adherents. Telugu film star announced his much-awaited entry into politics on Sunday in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, promising change and that he would fill the power vacuum in state politics. He asserted he had no enemies in politics. His new party's agenda and name would be announced at a plenary meeting on the 26th of August in Tirupati. The date was chosen to coincide with Mother Teresa's birth anniversary.

Film stars in India have often chosen politics after attaining stardom, or rather, post their creative peak. Tamil Nadu is particularly prone to giving their celluloid heroes a chance at the political hustings, with M G Ramachandran and Jayalalithaa having garnered much political capital out of their earlier careers. The trend is more pronounced in the southern states, and Bollywood stars-turned-politicians have been perceived more as dilettantes in the political scene.

the other political groupings in Andhra Pradesh have been attempting to counter the potential threat in next year's elections from an expected shift towards Chiranjeevi's new party. While the Telugu Desam Party might claim the legacy of the late NT Rama Rao, they are covering their bases by inducting NTR's family members like Hari Krishna, Bala Krishna, and Taraka Ram - themselves film stars. The Congress (I) has enrolled Rajshekar and his wife, Jeevitha, who are film stars.

Chiranjeevi plans to include his own family members in his party. He is still active in films, although not as much as before. In his recent film, Stalin, he plays the eponymous Stalin, in this case an ex-army officer who wants to overcome the apathy prevalent in society by rendering unconditional support to any and all. He retains the adulation of a wide spectrum of fans, and received the Padma Bhushan award in 2006, following which Amitabh Bachchan termed him the 'King of Indian Cinema'. The role of fan clubs has long been recognized as a critical factor in the rise of film star-politicians. Political parties have also funded films that project their agendas and highlight favorable stars. It will be interesting to see if Chiranjeevi will be able to mediate his celebrity status to political success.

News Analysis, Electronic Media and Journalistic Integrity

temporal — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 10:35:35 EDT

News Analysis

Journalism is a vast field. I wish to examine a sub-genre called News Analysis. Good Analysis demands objectivity and fairness in reporting. In brief, be truthful and factual. While complete objectivity is not entirely possible to achieve, good analysts (and journalists) recognise it by being open, by being fair and by being guided by their conscience.

A good host or anchor wears many hats simultaneously. S/he has to be a good listener, a sharp analyst, a diligent investigator, fair and balanced and above all, given the time constraints, should be quick on foot.

When reporting or interviewing, they stick to facts, research them diligently, offer insights, counter points and counter-claims with references to balance the assertions and claims of the interviewee or the guests and are quick to explore misuse of facts and the biases, tilts and spins of their subjects or guests.

Electronic Media

The electronic media in India and Pakistan are still very much in their infancy. The anchors and reporters have still a long way to go. With some, one can see the influence of print media. They repeat incessantly - oft times repeating verbatim nanoseconds later what their guests had just uttered.

They speak on TV as if they were on radio - or worse - in a classroom. The anchors discuss subjects with their expert guests on which their knowledge is scant or non existent and oft times their homework is shoddy or non-existent.

The elements of journalism by Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel
Journalism's first obligation is to the truth.
Its first loyalty is to the citizens.
Its essence is discipline of verification.
Its practitioners must maintain an independence from those they cover.
It must serve as an independent monitor of power.
It must provide a forum for public criticism and compromise.
It must strive to make the significant interesting, and relevant.
It must keep the news comprehensive and proportional.
Its practitioners must be allowed to exercise their personal conscience.
It must protect and enhance the rights and responsibilities of citizen

Should networks and their anchors be neutral?

It is not possible to be entirely neutral. We see with our eyes and hear with our ears. The moment we hear we, our, I, me -- the neutrality is gone the way of Dodo bird.

We bring our personal take, our prejudices, our slant into what we say or write. While this is largely and universally true and applicable to the bloggers, netjournos and the media world over, the best in the media stand out because they try harder. They make that extra effort to compensate for their inherent shortcomings by listening fairly to the other view point, by being diligent in their research, by being fair in their comments and analysis.

Not every network or media person fits this portrayal. That is where one can sift between the wheat and the chaff - between the genuine and the erstaz - between the authentic and the wannabee - between the fair and the agenda driven media person.

The best in the media see the issues and persons as coins - they examine the contours, shape, metal, markings and symbols discernible on the coin - and - they also examine the other side of the coin similarly. And they try to do so with utmost fairness and integrity.

Seven Blasts Rock Bangalore

Deepti Lamba — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 05:33:06 EDT

At least seven blasts rocked Bangalore. Nayandahalli, Madiwala, Adugodi, Koramangala, Mysore Road and Hosur Road suffered bomb attacks in a span of 15 to 30 minutes which were triggered by timers. As of now one woman is reported dead and twenty injured. All these are very crowded areas of Bangalore city. Madiwala and Adugodi are part of the Hosur Road which leads straight to Electronic City.

The bombs are said to be of low intensity, possibly induced by gelatin sticks,ammonium nitrate, and urea. As of now, all the malls and restaurants, schools around the area have been shut down. An emergency cabinet meeting has been called for the evening.

People are advised to stay off the phone networks if possible as they are already intentionally jammed. The injured have been admitted to St. John's Hospital and Mallya Hospital.

The Police has requested people not to get panicky but people around these area are stranded especially in Koramangala and Electronic City. The blasts began between one thirty and one forty five in the afternoon.

The areas have been cordoned off but Bangalore has not come to a standstill.

Why Do Celebrities Make Sex Tapes?

Deepti Lamba — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 11:36:31 EDT

After the Mini-me sex tape fiasco starring Verne Troyer there is a whiff of a Madonna sex tape. Why do people, especially celebrities, make tapes of themselves having sex? In my mind its as weird as recording one's genitalia.

Sex is a private act. We talk about it but to record it seems way out there. What do people do with these tapes? Sit back and watch them on their home theater systems and say - hey I could have humped you better? Or For the next video we must try the 69 position?

There have been so many sex videos and most have been worse than the regular porno videos like the one with bits of Paris Hilton showing after her simpering - I want you to touch me there

Fact is real life sex does not look like porno tapes.

There is no glossy production quality or retakes; its just two people having regular sex and watching two regular people doing it without the artificial fluff makes it tardy.

It feels good to those doing the act but to the audience its like an illegal National Geographic porno moment and the tape is then dissected. Which was why Verne Troyer fought tooth and nail to stop the distribution of his sex video tape and Paris Hilton was emotional wrought when her tape leaked.

With the regular leaking of sex tapes one would think it would deter celebs from making them but I guess having glass ceilings just doesn't do it for them any more. They want to be the 'star' of the orgasmic moment.

It is some kind of narcissism to make these tapes and save them for posterity?

Do people then re-play the tapes? Do they save them along with their marriage tapes?

When they break up do they return the tapes and swear the returned tapes were original copies?

Do they have any pre-nup agreements about these tapes?

These questions need answers, maybe they are answered. The world of celebrities is way different from ours. It's what fantasies are made of, the only problem is when their world and ours collide they tend to burn and we enjoy the fireworks;)

MTN Walks Out on Reliance Communications - Family Feud

Aaman Lamba — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 17:18:22 EDT

It is one of the strange vagaries of modern Indian business that some of the largest companies exhibit concentration of captial to an extent not dreamed of by even the robber barons of the 19th century. Even with publicly listed companies, the mostly rubber stamp board allows significant decisions to be taken by the CEO, who in many cases is accountable to pretty much no one. While the institutional investors might not object as long as their interests are protected, there is an insidious effect of long-term erosion of capital and confidence that goes beyond even what one might expect with neo-liberal economies. The bull run of the last few years has emboldened the corporate satraps to disregard even their erstwhile political cronies.

The acrimonious Reliance conglomerate break-up and continuing feud has been reported in the business pages much like a celebrity hatefest in the gossip columns. The growing potential for irreparable damage to a significant tranche of capital due to impulsive decisions derived more from personal animosity than business rivalry has been ignored, or overlooked in the heady period of a bull market.

Recent events might mean it is time for greater regulation of the fragmented conglomerate, if only to preserve Indian credibility in global markets. The Mukesh Ambani-founded Reliance Communications went to Anil Ambani under the terms of the breakup agreement, currently controlling close to 66.75% of the company's shares, The company is now the second-largest mobile carrier in India, The Ambani zest for growth had led Reliance Communications to bid for 67% of Hutch in 2007, before being pipped at the post by Vodafone. It went on to acquire global companies like Yipes to further increase its global scale.

Reliance Communications entered into 'exclusive' talks with the MTN Group after the South African company ended dialogue with India's No. 1 mobile provider, Bharti Airtel. The two companies would have a combined worth exceeding $70 billion and over 116 million subscribers, making it the sixth largest telecom company in the world. Various options were explored by RelCom and MTN, including a reverse buyback, and the exclusivity period extended.

Matters were complicated when Reliance Industries, headed by Mukesh Ambani, raised the possibility of invoking their 'right of first refusal' under the terms of the break-up agreement. Anil Ambani and Reliance Communications questioned the validity of this clause, and refused to engage with Reliance Industries on the matter. Matters reached a head Thursday when Reliance Industries initiated arbitration proceedings against RelCom.

The MTN Group and Reliance Communications announced today in identical statements that they were ending their talks and the exclusivity period, with the statement

“Owing to certain legal and regulatory issues, the parties are unable to conclude a transaction, Accordingly, it has been mutually decided to allow the exclusivity agreement to lapse.

The news was greeted by concern in both Indian and global circles. Future negotiations between Indian and foreign companies could be overshadowed by the risks that affected the MTN-RelCom talks, and this could affect the global standing of Indian companies.

All the same, everybody loves a winner, and it is not unrealistic to expect Anil Ambani to bounce back soon enough from this debacle. The global appeal of Indian markets and incumbent players may overcome the fears of litigation, and at best, a higher risk premium might be applied to future deals.

It is unlikely the government will intervene, letting the markets take their own course. A market dominated by a few large players with ever-increasing concentrations of wealth (and risk) is not quite a free market, though, and may require some fresh air or new rules to level the playing field.

Rastafarians, Talibans and Hijabis: Charsis, Afeemis and Purdah-nashins

temporal — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 03:59:25 EDT

These are not digressions on Dar ul Harb and Dar ul Islam. LINK

Talibans have it to their credit that when they controlled Afghanistan they came down hard on opium growing. From supplying nearly 4 tons (nearly 75% of the world supply) to almost zero was one big achievement.

But they also have it to their discredit that when were driven out of power they used opium to finance their movement. Colonel North of Iran-Contra infamy has not been contacted by any media for comments. Even his patron these days Faux News has been silent over this. My contacts in ISI are not returning my SMS messages.

The annual US government estimate for Afghan opium poppy cultivation shows that approximately 172,600 hectares (426,503 acres) of poppy were cultivated throughout the country this year, an increase of 61 percent over 2005, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy said Friday. Two southern Afghan provinces -- Helmand and Oruzgan where the Taliban has been the most active -- are responsible for the bulk of the increase. Poppy planting there was up 132 percent from last year, compared to an 18-percent increase in the remaining 31 provinces. LINK

Hijab is banned in France. Other western countries are also succumbing slowly to Islamophobia and consider measures to check what they deem threat of Islamic encroachment in their backyards. Yesterday a hijabi woman was denied citizenship in France.

France's ban on religious symbols and apparel in public schools took effect Sept. 2, 2004. The ban includes all overtly religious dress and signs (including Muslim headscarves, Sikh turbans, Jewish skullcaps and large Christian crosses). However, the furor over the ban has focused mainly on the banning of Muslim headscarves or hijabs.

There are about five million Muslims in France – five to 10 per cent of the population – the largest Muslim population in Europe. LINK

Enters former Emperor Haile Selassi of Ethiopia, a god incarnate and the Rastafarians (The name Rastafari comes from Ras (literally "Head," an Ethiopian title equivalent to Duke), and Tafari Makonnen, the pre-coronation name of Haile Selassie I.) LINK

Who Are Rastafarians?

Last year Italy's Court of Cassation said cultivating even a single cannabis plant was a 'punishable offense'. And yesterday the Court ruled that Rastafarians can use cannabis.

Rastafarians have always regarded Ethiopia as the promised land, but Italy could rank a close second after its Supreme Court ruled that smoking or possessing cannabis is not a criminal offence but a religious act when the person doing it is a Rastafarian.

Italy's Court of Cassation has said Rastafarians use marijuana "not only as a medical but also as a meditative herb. And, as such [it is] a possible bearer of the psychophysical state to contemplation and prayer". LINK

We love Bob Marley. And Jamaica has beautiful beaches also in Negril and Ocho Rios. About Hijabis and Talibans we know less. And here, if ever, less is surely more. And if you have a clear MY on the scrabble board, with these seven letter D C I T O H O you can score big.

Nuclear Deal - India Goes to the IAEA - "Midnight Deceit"?

Aaman Lamba — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 00:43:55 EDT

In what was seen as a surprise move, the Indian government submitted the Application of Safeguards to Civilian Nuclear Facilities to the International Atomic Energy Agency, citing the need to have it reviewed prior to the meeting with the IAEA Board. The opposition parties cried foul, terming the move 'midnight deceit' and a betrayal of the commitments made by the UPA government to seek a trust vote before approaching the board.

The President of India has summoned the Prime Minister for a meeting, amid demands for a trust vote within the week.There were allegations of a 'deal within the deal' and of the Prime Minister treating this as his 'personal agreement.' On the other hand, the UPA praised the show of support by the G8 nations and termed this one of the best deals in the history of inter-governmental relations. They cited the safety clauses of India's right to take steps to maintain supplies to civilian nuclear reactors in the event of a nuclear test and a breakdown in international supplies.

At the G-8 meeting in Japan, the leaders stressed safe, peaceful nuclear development, while placing weak targets for emissions reductions on themselves. The climate goals were not seen as ineffective, and despite President Bush including China and India in the goals, there were divisions reported between the G-8 and the developing nations, with each wanting the other to move first.

In India, at least, the UPA Government took the initiative, breaking the stalemate, and losing no time in moving forward after the Left Front withdrew support. It remains to be seen if the current governments in either India or the United States have time to negotiate the agreements before they come to the testing grounds, as it were.

Play Review: Lucknow 76

Tanay Behera — Mon, 7 Jul 2008 10:45:24 EDT

Few months back, Dr.BD had made a post on Lucknow, depicting few panoramas of the city sitting in a roof top restaurant relishing gorgeous food.

But why did this topic come into picture, the connecting chord is 'Lucknow', a city that I have never visited but have read about it and also heard lots about from my room-mate who graduated from IIM Lucknow. Last weekend, I was at Alliance Francaise de Bangalore, to watch a play titled 'Lucknow 76'.

The plot of the play was based on politics and history, shifting between two time frames of 1876 and 1976 looking at Lucknow city through the eyes of the common man. 1876 was a milestone for the Britishers, as that was the year, when Queen Victoria took over the command from the East India Company. 1976 was also significant in history because during that time, the once proud democracy, India was under the clutches of tin pot dictator, Indira Gandhi who had declared a state of Emergency as the Prime Minister of the nation.

So that reasons out for the numeral '76' in the title of the play.

But then why 'Lucknow' and why not 'Delhi' or 'Bombay' or 'Calcutta' or 'Madras' or 'Bangalore'. Because the director and playwright of the play, Abhishek Majumdar (AM) had spent some part of his childhood in this city. During AM's visits to Lucknow, his grand uncle, a scholar of history and geology had inundated his mind with tales and chronicles about the city from an old bungalow.

Now back to the play and the players on the stage.

The stage was a raised platform, bare minimal in terms of setting. A collage carpet dressed the entire floor. A ziz-zag geometrically-shaped stool, an artistically designed bench on one corner and few cushions were all the props used during the various scenes.

The play began with the entire cast of actors on stage firing words arbitrarily, and this state of confusion continued until two characters working in a press chisel in. Soon an old madam editor of the press enters and they discuss the sabotage of press and free speech during the 1976 emergency.

The sequence of the scenes in the plot follows a pattern like they do in these aerobic classes, one step back and then one step front. So one scene from 1876 and then one from 1976 and the flow continues. You get me right.

A greater part of the play covered, the 1876 era and it was masterly role-played.

The three lead actors for this part were a Muslim revolutionary, a Brahmin Compounder and a brownBritish madam. Now how can a British madam be brown, that's because her father, a Brit and a general on duty in India had married an Indian woman.

As the play moves to Victorian India, fervent and fiery debates rise about nation and ruler royalty neatly animated by the revolutionary and the Compounder. Questions are tossed about one's dedication to one's own motherland, supporting indigenous medicines against propagating Brit medical practices for general welfare, the language in which Vande Mataram was written and likewise. Though the two characters share views that are completely opposite, the Muslim revolutionary considering the very presence of Britishers in their own land a bane, the Hindu Compounder considering it a boon but yet they are the best of friends. These two characters expressed their school of views with downrightness.

The character of the British lady who wants to study India through the eyes of the common man was also commendable. She seeks the help of the Muslim revolutionary to take her on tours to the local bazaars, to the river bed of Gomti, to the sectors where the natives of Lucknow live, and where the street dogs, the cattle and innumerable flies add to the bustle. She is also introduced to mouth watering local food: the Dum Biryani, Sheermal, Zamin Doz, Kakri Kebab, Shami Kebab, etc.

During one of their saunters, the Muslim revolutionary cracks a joke to the Madam, the dialogue piece of which goes like this: 'Madam, you know what, in Lucknow we have more varieties of kebabs than you have Britishers in that small island.'

Few of the dialogues were engaging and just got glued to my mind. 'In a war, its beliefs that fight, not people.' You see the contemporary relevance, it was then, and it is the same, even today and I don't know what will happen in future.

The 1976 half of the play was more of a disjointed and garbled commentary. The unprovoked detention of innocent people, the abuse and torture of detainees in jails, the forced vasectomy of thousands of men under the infamous family planning initiative, the cutting down of electricity supply to publishing houses and the censorship on press were portrayed tactfully. The highlight of the 1976 era depiction was the naxal interaction which was arresting in terms of energizing acting and dialogue delivery. This bit was in Bengali which I feel quite a few in the audience could not understand.

The scenes were as sensitive as was the dark period but to add some easiness in the air, subtle and clever jokes were cracked like 'it's difficult to understand the philosophy of philosophy' (pun on Indira Gandhi's intent for the Emergency) and about the 'Mango tree on the Moon'. (Can someone guess what was actually pointed at here, for the second bit, though I have my own version but not sure if it fits perfectly to the context?)

The lighting was dim for most of the time, mostly because events showcased on stage were from pages of history. A quiet whiskered man, sitting on one corner, strumming his guitar and lending his voice to few evocative songs in Punjabi and Hindi in his countrified voice made the audience travel through the lanes of Lucknow both in 1876 and 1976. The music was a one-man-show, full credits to this gentleman.

Though I am not a connoisseur in the theatrical aspects of sound, lighting, music but still arrangements on the whole for 'Lucknow 76', appealed to me. The only glitch that I could notice, many in the audience had was that many crucial parts of the play were enacted in languages that was not deciphered by all (around 75% of the play was in English and the rest 25% in Malayalam, Hindu, Bengali, Tamil and Kannada).

There were around 12 performers for this play, (sorry, I don't remember their names, and I even lost the play's brochure) and each of them performed splendidly. This play was supported by the Black Coffee Productions in aid of the Concern India Foundation. The director Abhishek is an engineering graduate from NIT Trichy, one of the best technical institutes in India and then an MBA from Delhi University, after which he entered into his professional life in Bangalore. But his heart was in theater, Abhishek won the Charles Wallace Fellowship and went to do a course at the London International School of Performing Arts for a year in 2006. A couple of months back he was awarded the Metro Plus Playwright Award by 'The Hindu'. In a couple of months he is heading to the UK again armed with an Inlaks scholarship.

Bon voyage and wish you all the best.

No Pride But Gay - India's Gay Parades

Sakshi Juneja — Tue, 1 Jul 2008 11:55:23 EDT

While the three other metropolitan cities of India had the Gay Pride, Mumbai’s non participation was definitely a subject of much debate and bewilderment.

I mean, if Delhi could have it, then how come the most recognized city on the Indian map, the city of dreams, the fabled city of chill and chic, didn’t?

‘Hypocrisy’ is the one-word answer I got when I posed this question to a Gay friend. Apparently, there is much infighting and lack of unity among the various Gay groups and NGOs in the city. The divides runs deep between the classes and the masses, and never the twain shall meet - or so he said.

The white-collared lot happily goes about its business without caring about ‘burning’ issues like rights or laws, said another Gay friend. In Mumbai, it seems, not many can be bothered enough to dress up and walk the streets the way they did in Delhi, Bangalore and Kolkata. But the same does not hold true for parties, I recently discovered.

Boy do they dress up there, and boy, do they party.

In snooty South Mumbai, I experienced my first of such parties. As a straight person, one doesn’t often get to see this side of Mumbai, and my Gay friend was only happy to take me along to one of the dos. Us three straight chics and five strapping Gay lads.

They say that first impressions are the lasting ones. Well I had more than my share of first impressions:

I often wondered where all the cute men have gone. Now I know.
Indian men can dance. Rephrase that – Gay Indian men can dance – the pelvic thrust being an extremely popular move.
Swapping partners, a common thing.
Several men. Five women. Not one got a second look. (I’m talking about the women.)
The ladies toilet isn’t just for the ladies. If you know what I mean.
Makeshift bedrooms, the restrooms.
Celebrity spotting. No Karan Johar though. Or his better half.
And… the best bit… all of the above happening on top of a family restaurant.

The pride may not have happened in Mumbai. And it’s probably more than just lack of unity between Gay groups. After all how can we forget our political mai-baap also play moral police at the drop of a hat.

But, who says the pride in their identity isn’t there?

(* Pic : Times of India)

Check out the YouTube Video Footage. Some powerful stuff.