Desicritics

Fiction: Agents of Discordia, Part I

Aaman Lamba — Thu, 9 Jul 2009 09:56:22 EDT

Here's a story/novel I'm in the process of writing. I dusted it off recently and would be interested in feedback. There's not much here, currently, I know. Maybe, I should enter NovelRace too:)

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She peered around the corner and pulled back quickly. He was still there, beside the door. She had only ten minutes before the shift change. If she had to do it, she would have to move now, while he was alone. The next shift was the one that had two guards, because some technocrat had done a time and motion study, and found that two people in the graveyard shift were less likely to fall asleep than one.

She bent down and picked up a pebble. Aiming at the streetlight across the road, she threw the pebble, hitting the metal bar. Instantly, the guard was alert and raised his gun, pointing at the light. She rapidly swung her gun and pressed the trigger. The gun emitted a lightless, silent beam that struck him on the neck, causing him to reach up and feel the sensation. Before he could complete the action, he slumped and then fell where he was standing.

Her new gun was a taser designed to ionize the air between itself and the target, causing a strong electric shock to be transmitted. The miniaturization into a handgun was inevitable, and meant that operatives such as her could stun their targets with minimal danger to themselves. Of course, her Corp had patented the technology and protected it fiercely, so she was sure that there was no defense yet. Further, by getting it classified as a non-lethal suppression device, they had avoided the modified Second Amendment, and the consequent registration formalities.

This was a quick in-and-out operation, so she rapidly moved to the door, easing it open and letting herself in. The corridor beyond was bathed in a dim purple light. Her Omnisense Mk VII did not indicate any moving bodies. She would have to minimize her own profile to avoid detection. She knew the best way of doing that was to stay against the wall, and use corners effectively. Her guard up, she moved through the corridors, looking for a room marked "Ops Lab".

The Case Against Section 377 - Is a Simple Gay Life Possible

Golden Boy — Thu, 9 Jul 2009 09:49:08 EDT

At last evening's (Basic India) Saturday Meditation Session, Uma played a narrative by Osho, about what he perceived as lying underneath all the destruction and war in the world today!

He blamed it all on our incapacity to deal with our own sexuality.

We agreed that the life-force energy, the energy we find around in nature, in the seedling, the plants, in animals - is essentially sexual. And everything in nature, except man, is able to express his sexuality easily. Doesn't mean that one goes around having sex with everyone, but the moment we even come face to face with sexuality in human relationships, we shy away from it. We repress it until it digresses into some "Perversion", according to Osho, - like anger, aggression, even murder.

In all this, I who was the only gay present in the session, asked myself - how much gay people like me in India, even in a metropolis like Mumbai, get to express our sexuality, leave alone explore it.

The denial of that expression alone, the repression, the judgements and the convention of denial and prejudice against being gay in Society, even in a circle of "friends" or "colleagues" - makes our Existence itself a big Oppression, a burden to be borne... when our very basic primal urge needs to be covered with lies such as "I am not married yet because I had a break-up with some girl", I don't have "girl-friends" because... And not to mention the sneaking glance at a passing good-looking guy when straight-men and women get to cruise away to glory.

In a City where everyone is so busy with their own problems, and bigger survival issues like No Water Supply, No Electricity, No Rains, Religious riots, Human rights violation in the name of Ignorance and Power, where does a gay start to express his own rights/ the right to live "as he is" without having to depend on double-identity or lies?

Even in the age of Internet, we find it difficult to find and explore people who are similar in urges like us, other gays! Most of us are paranoid with fear about their old-age in the absence of Government Social-Security Pension schemes like in the UK, Indian gays get married to have a child: a support in India/ a security for old age.

I, for one, am tired looking out for my angel - Gay matrimonials, parties, hang-outs! Why is it so difficult for somebody to find somebody to share his primal urge with, to live out life with, to care for and be cared for, to live like a couple? How can I, when there is Victorian law in the Indian Constitution Penal Code 377 which brands a gay as criminal in the eyes of law, making us easy targets for a corrupt Police Force? (Do something about it, Mr.Chidambaram!)

The thin line between hope and disappointment blurs everyday, and each night a new one is drawn... as I sing a lullaby to my own heart....

"Somewhere someone is made for me, is waiting for me, will meet me soon!" I coo to myself.

That will be the day! That will be the Day!
What are we each looking for?
A stranger with potential,
A one-night stand,
Or just a dance
Together
At some loud Party...
A funny chat over coffee
A movie, a play
Or a rain-dance
Getting wet in the rain
Hand in hand
At Nariman Point...?

What are you looking for?
What am I looking for?
Beyond these!
Seemingly meaningless rituals
Is there a future?
Two walking sticks together...?

Nawab and I: Knowledge Has Its Limitations, Faith Doesn't

temporal — Wed, 8 Jul 2009 23:18:12 EDT

t: How'd Elvis greet MJ?
N: Same way Hitler greeted Elvis?
t: How?
N: In three words twice - I don't know - doesn't bother me.
t: But you are the Wise One.
N: To play with Bertrand Russell - Knowledge has its limitations, faith doesn't.
t: You sweep the rug under my feet.

t: Point taken Nawab but..
N: But means you have not taken the point!
t: OK. what happens when you are dead.
N: You are not very perceptive today, I told you I don't know. How difficult it is?

***

t: Sarah Palin?
N: Has been.
t: Has been for the next 4 years?
N: You think I am the wise one!
t: Bobby?
N: Jindal has a slim chance.
t: Obamama?
N: I am not telling?
t: This sudden humility is perplexing. OK Iran?
N: The mullahs are in league with the neoconzix?
t: They are? NYT, Haaretz, Debika - none has covered this angle.
N: Iranis are smart. They have done their homework.
t: hmmmmm. Saudis?
N: Don't waste my time. Go here.
t: what is your score? (link)
N: I would yawn if I could.
t: Alright last question. What is MJ doing right now?
N: Watching reruns.

Fiction: The Best of Both Worlds

Vinod Joseph — Wed, 8 Jul 2009 10:38:06 EDT

Mini saw the grin on Abhilash's face and immediately said, 'don't spend the whole weekend playing. Try and study a bit. You have an exam next week.' She resume powdering Abhilash's face and when she was finished, she patted his shirt to remove the few specks of talcum powder that had flown down from his face and landed on the light blue fabric of his shirt.

'But the test is only next Thursday! Why should I start studying now? And it's only a class test.'

'Because you must. Because I said so. Just do it, or you may fail the test.'

Mini gave Abhilash's belt a tug so that the buckle would be perfectly centered. However, she must have tugged a mite too hard since the belt moved too much to the right and had to be moved back.

'Ouch! No, I won't. I know most of Chapter Three anyway.'

'Don't you have both Chapter Three and Chapter Four?'

'Yes, but Chapter Four is very small and ..'

'Revise them both once. At least once. Okay? Make your Daddy sit with you when you revise.'

'But Daddy says we should only have fun when I am with him.'

'Don't you have fun when you are with me?'

'Yes, I do Mummy!' Abhilash gave his mother a hug, which Mini grudgingly accepted.

Mini was about to say, 'but you like your Daddy better, but she stopped herself just in time.

'Mummy, if I get full marks in the test, will you buy me a mobile?

'No, you are only ten. Ten year olds don't need mobiles.'

'What if I get the third rank in the half-yearly exam?'

'No. If you come first, I'll buy you one.'

'But I won't get first rank!' Abhilash wailed. There's Renju who is so clever and there's Jincy P. Kuruvila and ...'

Mini's mother breezed into the room, 'Is Abhilash ready yet? He might as well leave before it gets dark.'

'Is Jobin here yet?'

'Yes, he got back ages ago.'

'Normally he doesn't get back from the market so quickly.'

'Yes, but today he wants to go for a movie with his family after he drops off Abhilash.'

Mini grunted to show her displeasure.

'Abhilash, tell your Daddy to cut down on the liquor.'

'But Daddy has stopped drinking.' Abhilash looked at his grandmother's face to see if she believed him. 'Yes, since last Christmas, he hasn't touched a drop.'

'That's what he tells you. Won't I know better? That man won't change.'

'Mama, drop it,' Mini admonished her mother.

Abhilash picked up the small suitcase that he was to carry with him.

'See, he is raring to go,' Mini told her mother. 'Don't be in such a hurry,' she added to Abhilash.

'Ammachi said I should get there before dark. That's why I was in a hurry.' Abhilash put the suitcase down and waited for the two adults to make up their minds.

Ammachi took a deep breath and Mini clenched her teeth, though Abhilash's monthly trips to Panampally Nagar to visit his father had been going on for almost a year.

'He might as well go,' Mini said. 'It will get dark pretty soon.' She added.

Mini's mother was less forgiving. 'I hope they give him dinner when he gets there. 'Are you feeling hungry?' she asked Abhilash.

'No. Not at all,' Abhilash replied, trying to hide his anxiety.'

'Is mon ready?' Jobin's booming voice could be heard from the courtyard. Jobin was almost fifty and only Mini's father had the guts to reproach him.

In the absence of any injunction from his mother or grandmother, Abhilash picked up his suitcase which was propped against the light green wall. 'Mummy, I will come back before it gets dark on Sunday,' he told his mother and walked out, trying hard not to put a spring in his step.

He would be at VeegaLand tomorrow!

Forty minutes later, he was knocking on the door of his father's bungalow at Panampally Nagar.

Forty one minutes later, he was enclosed in a bear hug, his father smelling of something nice, something he would definitely drink when he was older.

'Moné, you look so very thin,' his father's mother said. 'Don't they give you enough to eat?'

'They do Ammachi.' Abhilash turned around whilst still inside his father's bear hug so that he could meet his grandmother's eyes.

'Why did you bring that suitcase? Don't you have enough clothes here?'

'Daddy your paunch is even bigger.' Abhilash got out of the hug and wrapped his arms around his father's tummy, which couldn't be encompassed with his two hands.

'Yes, it is,' his Daddy cheerfully admitted.

'You are going to stay here forever, aren't you?' his grandmother asked.

Abhilash smiled back at her.

'Give him something to eat,' Abhilash's Daddy commanded his grandmother.'

'Yes, let me do that. Here give me your suitcase.'

'Where is Hannah?'

'Where else? She is in front of the TV.'

Abhilash's father put him down and Abhilash ran upstairs to the second drawing room where the TV was always on. Unlike the TV at his own place, which he could switch on only after he finished a certain amount of homework, depending on the mood swings of his mother.

As expected, Hannah was watching TV, some boring girlie cartoon that Abhilash would never watch if the remote control were in his power.

'Ammae,' Hannah called out and almost left the room, overcome by a sudden bout of shyness. Abhilash wished she would relinquish the remote, but she didn't. If anything, her fingers tightened her hold on the remote. There was another TV in his father's bedroom, but it was rather small and he sensed that his father didn't really want him watching it, even if he never said anything when he occasionally did.

The next day his Daddy took Hannah and him to VeegaLand as promised during his last visit. They had to make the most of Saturday, since Sunday would be a washout. They would have to go to church in the morning and that would take up the best part of the day. He was expected to get back to his Mummy before sunset, though the court order said nothing of that sort, he knew for sure.

For some reason, Hannah's parents, Jeboy uncle and Vimala Auntie decided to tag along when they went to Veegaland.

He had been to Veegaland before many times and he knew every ride and every nook and corner very well. May be he ought to have demanded something else, he felt. May be he should have asked that he be taken to that resort at Boulgatti. Never mind, there would be other weekends with his father, he consoled himself.

Vimala Auntie was someone who knew a lot about medicines, though she was not a doctor or anything. She had a chest full of medicines, which she happily dispensed to all and sundry along with a volley of advice, if they cared to listen.

Abhilash made the mistake of sneezing once when standing close to Vimala Auntie. They were about to get into a ride, one which ended with a splash in a pool of water.

'There, he has got a cold,' she told Abhilash's father. 'I don't think he should take any of the water rides.'

'Nonsense, my son doesn't have a cold. He just sneezed once.'

'Oh, let him be,' Jeboy uncle also chipped in. 'A single sneeze never hurt anybody.'

That almost settled the matter and they got into the queue for the ride. But then, Abhilash sneezed again.

'There, I told you,' Vimala Auntie said. 'Please let's not take this ride,' she beseeched Jeboy uncle and Abhilash's father. 'I have a strip of Coldarin with me. I'll give one to Abhilash right away.'

'May be we shouldn't,' Abhilash's father agreed. 'Abhilash's let's not do this ride. Let's find something else to do.'

But Abhilash loved the water so much and didn't want to give in so easily. 'But Daddy, Mummy always lets me play in the rain. Last week it rained and I went out and played for an hour! Mummy thinks it makes me stronger. And if I catch a cold, she doesn't give me any medicines!' The last bit was addressed to Vimala Auntie.

Abhilash's father was silent for a few seconds. Jeboy uncle looked down, as if he were embarrassed. Vimala Auntie looked angry. But Abhilash didn't care.

'Please Daddy, I won't be back here for a long time,' Abhilash pressed home his advantage.

'Fine,' his father relented. 'In any event, you can come back here next month as well.'

Abhilash wasn't sure if he wanted to come here when he had his next visit, but he didn't reject the promise out of hand. He might feel like visiting Veegaland next month, who knew.

'Take a Coldarin before you go. At least, the cold won't get worse.'

Abhilash accepted the Coldarin and swallowed it with some water from the bottle his father had in his backpack.

That evening, they had dinner at Morsels. When they got home, his Daddy said, 'I have a surprise for you. Guess what?'

'A cricket set.'

'No.'

Abhilash now knew that it had to be either a mobile or the model aeroplane. These were the only pending items that deserved the dignity of a 'surprise'. He looked at his father. Generally he could make out what was coming from the gleam in his eyes. His father was really excited. It had to be the mobile.

'The model aeroplane?' Abhilash asked tentatively.

'No,' his father sang out and waited for Abhilash to make another guess.

'A pair of jeans?' There was a stretch of four months when everything time Abhilash turned up, he got a pair of jeans. It had taken him a while to gently move his father from his jeans fixation to something else.

'No, not a pair of jeans.' His father's eyes never lost their gleam, until they did actually stop gleaming. 'You do have enough clothes don't you?' The intense dark eyes were now full of concern.

'Yes Daddy I do. Lots of clothes.' It was a fact. He had a dozen uncles and aunts on each side of the family and they all made it a point to buy his clothes, as if worried that he might be naked on account of his parents' divorce.

'I've got you a Nokia mobile phone!' his father intoned. Abhilash jumped with joy that was almost entirely genuine. A few months of lobbying and subtle hinting had finally paid off.

Abhilash paid close attention as his father showed him how his mobile worked. Of course, he had a pretty good idea, having paid close attention to the phone used by his mother, which was a Motorola.

'Let me save your number Daddy,' Abhilash said as soon as he managed to prise the phone from his father.

Abhilash knew his father's mobile number by heart. '94471... Now I can call you from school everyday,' he confirmed to his father.

'Don't get into trouble calling me,' he father cautioned him.

'No, I won't.'

'Do any of your friends have a mobile phone?' his father asked.

Abhilash hid his irritation at being asked the same question again. 'Geojit does, but it's not a new phone. Preetha also has a used phone.'

'So you will be the first one in your class to have a brand new mobile phone?'

'Yes Daddy. Abhilash gave his father another hug.'

Sunday was a washout as Abhilash knew it would be. He took a short nap after lunch and woke up at around four. He was to leave at five so that he would be at his mother's home before six.

His grandmother sat glumly on a rocking chair, rocking herself slowly. On the other hand, his father was a bundle of nervous energy, which he tried to dissipate by walking up and down. Every few minutes, he would ask Abhilash some inane question, which Abhilash tried to answer as best as he could.

'Do you want to take guitar classes?'

'I do.'

'Why won't your Mummy let you do that?'

'She says I will not study if I go for guitar classes twice a week.'

'Why can't you take those lessons when you are with me?'

'Because I must take those lessons at least once a week. Else, there is no point.'

'So why can't you... Okay, okay.. Shall I speak to your mother? No, I won't... there's no point. Why don't you ask her yourself?'

'I did.'

'And what did she say?'

Abhilash wanted to scream at his father. Instead, he mustered together the last vestiges of his patience and said, 'she said No. She thinks I will neglect my studies if I go for those classes.'

'I can give you the fees for those classes. No, that won't help.'

Finally his Jeboy uncle and Vimala Auntie came into the drawing room (they had been keeping away till then) and took charge.

'He grows taller each time we see him. Soon he will be taller than his father.'

His father and grandmother were silent since agreement would mean that he was being fed properly by his mother.

'Do you need anything?' Vimala Auntie asked him.

Nothing! Abhilash shrugged his shoulders. Departure was always a touchy issue and there was little he could do to make it easier for anybody. If only the adults could be pragmatic about things like this instead of lugging so much excess baggage around!

Finally, Kochamma the maid who had been with the household for over thirty years announced that tea was served.

'I don't want any tea,' Ammachi announced wiping away a tear.

Abhilash was embarrassed. He always felt that way when any grown-up cried. It was the same with his maternal Ammachi who broke into tears every now and then when discussing her daughter's predicament.

Never mind Ammae, let's all have tea,' Jeboy uncle declared.

They trooped into the dining room and took their places. There were mutton puffs, banana chips, pancakes, avalose undas, shortbreads and a big bunch of small yellow plantains.

Abhilash was hungry and he dug in with vigour. His father, Jeboy uncle and Vimala Auntie sat around nibbling.

'Where's Hannah?' Abhilash asked, in between mouthfuls.

'She's still sleeping.' Vimala Auntie told him. Abhilash was irritated. Why couldn't Hannah have the grace to wake up and say goodbye?

'Wake her up!' he told Vimala Auntie.

'She fell asleep at three thirty. Let her sleep for some more time,' Jeboy uncle replied good humouredly.

Abhilash stopped eating. He was almost full, but if Hannah had been brought down to say good bye, he would have eaten a bit more.

'Have you had enough?'

'Yes,' he said sulkily.

'What's the matter?' his father.

'I don't want to go back Daddy!' Abhilash burst into tears at that. He felt a bit guilty for a very brief while. No, he hadn't done anything wrong. Admitting that he was bugged with Hannah for not being awake would have sounded very childish.

His father hugged him, put his down and walked out of the room for a few minutes. Abhilash knew he was crying and felt very bad. Vimala Auntie wiped away a tear. Even Kochamma who was standing in a corner started to sob. Jeboy uncle was the only dry-eyed person in that room.

'Ten minutes to five. You might as well say goodbye to everyone,' Jeboy uncle told him.

Abhilash washed his hands in the washbasin that stood in a corner and went to the drawing room where Ammachi was still rocking herself on the rocking chair.

'Ammachi, I am leaving.'

'Moné, take care of yourself. Study well. Don't ...' The rest of Ammachi's advice was lost in a sudden outbreak of tears.

Abhilash turned on his heels and went back to the dining room. Thankfully Jeboy uncle made the rest of the good byes easier.

'Give your Daddy a hug. Yes, there, now a kiss for Vimala Auntie. Good. A hug for me.'

Abhilash did particularly want to hug Jeboy uncle since he didn't seem to be as much affected by his departure as the others were. Nevertheless he hugged Jeboy uncle and he was done.

As expected, his Dad pressed a wad of notes into his pocket. Yes, he knew his father paid his mother a fixed amount of money every month for his upkeep, but this pocket money was strictly a deal between them.

Finally Abhilash was in the car. As the car started moving, he quickly waved goodbye to his father and the others and settled down. They turned a corner and he could no longer see his Daddy's house. He took out the wad of notes from his pocket and counted them. The usual one thousand rupees in hundred rupee notes. He put five hundred rupees back into his shirt's pocket and the rest into his trousers' pocket. His mother expected him to be given some pocket money and she would ask him what he got and take it from him. He would part with the money in his shirt's pocket. The balance would be added to the pile he hid in the cavity he had dug out in the Rabbit.

Abhilash took out his new mobile phone. His father had assured him that he needn't worry about the bill, which would be sent to his father. The SIM was in his father's name anyway.

He dialled Shibu's home number and got a message that suggested that he had the wrong number. He dialled again and got the same result. Ah! He had to add Kochi's STD code before dialling the number, didn't he? 0484... he dialled and soon Shibu's mother answered the phone.

'Is Shibu at home?'

'Shibu? Do you know how I am calling you?'

By the time he hung up, Abhilash had made Shibu very jealous. He then dialled Junaid. Unfortunately Junaid was not at home, Junaid's mother informed him.

'Are you acting in the play as well?' Junaid's mother asked him.

Oh yes, he was.

Junaid's mother knew all about the play. She was so much looking forward to seeing the play when it was staged in around six week's time.

Should he invite his father to come and watch his play? If he did, his mother would be mighty bugged. If he didn't, his father would be very sad. Not angry, but sad. Later year, he had wanted to invite his father to his school for Sports Day, but his mother had thrown such a big tantrum that he hadn't.

Sports Day was no big deal. He was not particularly good at any sport and he hadn't won any prizes. He knew he wouldn't. But the play was different. He had the second most important role and he had never acted in a play before. His father would be thrilled to bits if only he knew. He almost broke down as he imagined how hurt his father would be if he ever came to knew. But he resisted the tears. His father was no saint. Didn't he hit his mother so often when they all lived together? Of course, his mother had once flung a dish full of curry at his father. And his father's mother used to crib every time his mother went out. His mother had once called his father a bastard. Some of the memories were a bit vague, but Abhilash had no doubt that they were all a bunch of nasty idiots who deserved no better.

He fished the mobile out of his pocket and dialled Sanjiv's number.

Farewell, MJ - You'll Always Live In Our Hearts

Gauri Warudi — Wed, 8 Jul 2009 10:34:31 EDT

As I sat and watched the memorial service to the King, Michael Joseph Jackson, it all seemed so surreal. Was he really no more? It hit home really hard - yes!! The King was gone - moved on to History.

Cut to: June 26th, 7:30 am, my son suddenly wakes up when an sms buzzes on his cell--"Michael Jackson is dead' says the clinical message.

He scrambles out of bed, almost yelling, "Ma, Michael Jackson is dead". I hardly react. That's not news one expected. It doesn't sink in. Not one bit. I go about my work, and am almost in denial, maybe? Until, the newspaper comes in and the headlines announce the cruel news.

Even then, it hasn't really sunk in. I log on to facebook and it is then that I see people's status messages that announce, his sudden cardiac arrest, his death etc. Holy God!! He is dead, isn't he, I ask myself. By the end of the day, news channels are going to town carrying various versions of the news, the foul play angle, the alleged murder, the tired Michael buckling under-so on and so forth.

Not many then even remotely remembered his brilliance; oh the news channels that is. The 'aam aadmi' was already talking about his music and his special brilliance, his entertainment quotient and all that comes with being MJ.

Over the days, the paparazzi and the oh-so-sanctimonious news channels had found other sensational news and MJ took a back seat, with an occasional news flash, about his autopsy report. His family maintained a stoic silence, even when the news about the 'will' broke.

It was only yesterday, at the Staples Center, Los Angeles, that the true picture about MJ started opening up. The memorial service had thousands in attendance inside and outside the Staples centre and billions round the world, glued to their TV sets. Yours truly was one of them. In rapt attention and with goose bumps, I watched the service, listened to odes/tributes and shed tears. Well, my eyes were moist, for sure. Wasn't his a wasted life? A persecuted man, who finally got his much deserved rest? As MJ's brother Marlon, put it, "At least now, they'll leave you alone, Michael" Indeed. Everything that MJ did, was news and controversial news at that. Nothing he did seemed good enough for the media, the critics.

It doesn't mean he did no wrong! Of course, he made his mistakes; he was a sensitive fool, who became a sucker often times. Who was every bit a showman. But, he was human, wasn't he?

I remember, it was way back in the early '80s that we first got a chance to listen to MJ tracks, when we got a VHS tape of 'Motown 25' with a lot of early footage of MJ's performances. Around the same time, he was already making it big with hits like Billy Jean, Beat it and other tracks, and picking up awards like they were meant only for him! He was a King, the ultimate showman, he sure was.

When Jennifer Hudson sang, "Will you be there?", the end lyrics in MJ's voice reflected his hurt and pain so clearly! Tributes flowed from his contemporaries and his friends. He was very generous, did a lot of charity and truly cared for the lesser privileged. He created a platform for black talent, they said. I say, these words came a tad too late. Too late. Wonder if you heard them and smiled, MJ?

Whatever. Now that you've beat it, and reached Neverland, may you rest in eternal peace and continue to hum, "I'll be there."

Michael Jackson's Memorial - The Last Greatest Show on Earth

Aaman Lamba — Tue, 7 Jul 2009 12:18:00 EDT

The Running of the Bulls in Pamplona was more interesting than watching paint dry on the doors of Forest Lawn Cemetery in Los Angeles. Nevertheless, global media cut away from regular programming to give Michael Jackson greater airtime coverage than ever before, and perhaps the largest broadcast in world history. The advertising-supported broadcast was a publicist's wet dream, as 'watch parties' were organized across Europe and the world, and the global community was connected through the death of a global icon. Criticism of the $4 million expense to the city of Los Angeles in a near-bankrupt state was voiced, albeit on the sidelines of the media. The city posted a web page to accept donations from people to offset the expense.

Millions of television viewers, web conversations, and album sales give Michael Jackson the chance to dethrone Elvis Presley as the greatest dead celebrity ever. While his creative genius is indisputable and he had a seminal influence on the music industry, on popular culture, and on millions of people around the globe, the sad pathos of the waning years of his all-too-short life gave a tragic tinge to the genius.

The funeral procession made its way to the Staples Center in Los Angeles, where an array of entertainers, family, and friends paid homage to a complex man. Rev. Jesse Jackson, Larry King, Barbara Walters, and many others were there to pay tribute, while John Mayer, Jennifer Hudson, Mariah Carey gave their music, culminating in a group performance of "We Are The World", led by Michael Jackson. Diana Ross sent a note of condolence, as did Nelson Mandela.

The media treated the event with a mixture of solemnity and awe, unmingled with cynicism. it was morbid capitalism at its worst. The worldwide wall-to-wall coverage was reiterated incessantly, and the 'world entertainer' refrain dinned into viewer years. They gawked over memorabilia, exulted over the 'celebratory' nature of the event, praised the 'Michael Jackson brand', and speculated on the 'enormous profit' from unreleased albums that would trickle out over the years. Ad breaks were closed with MJ clips, and Hilary Rosen, former CEO of the RIAA was interviewed.

Fortunately, the talking heads stayed silent through the actual concert tribute, playing it uninterrupted and giving the world a great experience of the King of Pop's life. From Benny Gordy of Motown Records to Queen Latifah, his life was richly paid tribute to.

The positive outcome of all of this will be to the benefit of the Michael Jackson estate, his children, and various charities, of course. The celebration of his life was necessary, and he was doing what he loved best in his last days, rehearsing for the 50-show concert tour planned in July.

poetry: blind mirror - andha aaeena

temporal — Tue, 7 Jul 2009 11:05:48 EDT

seeing and showing
lips sealed
wavering fingers jab

in the air

spring fever
inebriating love
condemning fatwas
scab snakes on bare backs
rusty incriminations
rustic insinuations
repeating ...'you, you, you...'

capturing crimes
of centuries past
in the web of words
am fearful
(of this mirror)
blind
and blinding
is this mirror god?

Andha Aaeena

lub b'muh'r aaena
dekh raha hay
dikha raha hay

sarsirati oongliouN ki sarghOshiaN
kabhi bahar ki mehak say pu'ur
kabhi pyar ki mudhoshi say terr
kabhi fatwON kay bojh say jhuki
kabhi peeth per raqsaaN saaNp dikha'aye

maghloob ho ker hum nay

n'janay kiya kuch na keh dia

hum aisay nahiN, hum waisay nahiN
woh srif zair e lub muskurahta raha
goya keh raha ho, 'tum, tum, tum'

yeh aaeena
khuda kaisay bun gaya?

aalooda sadiouN ka muhasiba
kaisay aaya alfaaz kay hisaar maiN?

maiN larazta hoon
apnay aaeenay say
kiya tu khuda hay?

Movie Review: Kambakkht Ishq - Desi Hypocrisy Laid Bare

Deepti Lamba — Tue, 7 Jul 2009 08:41:41 EDT

In Kambakkht Ishq, Bebo is a reflection of Bollywood's take on what modern desi women are all about. She is a career minded size zero hot bitch with a feather brained friend who lets Bebo run roughshod over her life. Bebo hates men and thinks all they have on their mind is Sex and would do anything to get it. She is foul mouthed and neurotic hip female the Desi Bad boys would love to lay their horny hands on.

If the bad boys happen to be like Vijay Shergill from our very own Punjab with an accent to go with they would love to lay a frigid bitch like Bebo. Vijay is a Hollywood stuntman who has blond women including Denis Richards (pronounced Deneese Richards by both Vijay and Bebo) slobbering all over him. Bad boy Vijay cannot keep his pants zipped up and has oodles of consensual sex with blond white babes and thinks nothing of it. His entire machismo personality revolves around his one eyed monster. Its a wonder Bebo didn't call him Dick head.

Now Bebo doesn't have to literally sleep with him to bring him to his knees. All she does is sing and dance in a hotel room. He falls in love after sleeping with her nakkid in the same bed without letting his bad boy have its way with her and thinks of marriage. She, on the other hand howls her heart out thinking she had 'sex' with a man!

Ah! the preoccupation of Bollywood with a woman's character revolving around sex. A woman cannot and will not have sex outside marriage in most Bollywood scripts especially not frigid urban pure as un-driven snow highly paid babes like Bebo.

Vijay, despite his bad boy persona is a gentleman - he won't do a passed out woman. A dilemma that only Indian boys can answer. At least there the script writers could have saved the Indian manhood - Desi men do not take advantage of passed out or drugged women!

But the positive spin was fucked up by the crocodile tears shed by Bebo. Desi hypocrisy was laid bare - Men can fuck around but women must remain frigid men hating sex scared moralistic bitches.

That is the crux of the script of Kambakkt Ishq starring Kareena Kapoor and Akshay Kumar. Forget about the witty one liners or the out of place comedy relief provided by Javed Jaffrey or the much touted about two scene shots of Sylvester Stallone the movie reeks of racism, sexism (against both genders) and reinstates that when it comes to comedy Bollywood is still at an infancy stage.

Further on, its perception of urban Desis is screwed and endorses the preconceived stale notion that America is a hedonistic land full of amoral sex and bikini clad nymphomaniac blondies.

IMDB gave Kambakkht Ishq 4.6 out of ten and I give it a 2. A movie to be avoided, no matter how big a fan one might be of Akshay Kumar and his Punjabi accent.

Another Interview

Zia Ahmad — Tue, 7 Jul 2009 08:31:19 EDT

Making eye contact with words ending with a Y does not make you chinky. Making eye contact with a prospective employer in this pure land of ours doesn’t do you any favors. At best, it only makes the tongue of your mind go flat for some brief period of time. You feel as if the earth beneath your feet starts spinning around while your employer to be (or not) gives you one unsettling stare. You decide to put up your cheeky exterior and vocally pride yourself in your ability to be forthrightly honest with your employers. The interviewer glances over the dozen less one listed previous employers listed on your resume’ and glances at you again with that reptilian glare. You remember not to keep any eye contact and start staring at his toupee. Brown color is healthy for fat bald people. The more the chocolate the brighter the future is. You remember you gobbled up your last Mars bars on your way to the grocery store earlier in the January day.

The prospective employer proceeds to say something but you lose interest after you hear a certain negative conjunction and tune your mental frequency to a different wavelength. Swinging Johns at the tail end of an uncompromising banana metropolitan don't miss their Whining Janes. They keep slugging their brew of bitter resignation and pass the cup around.

As you walk out into the blazing sun with a vague hard to place feeling of despondency, you reflect on the fearsome abandon of your response to get a life and a job that ultimately is met with head scratching brittle confusion by faceless employers. You look up at the windows of their office tucked above mile high plush buildings and try ever so hard to find any sort of semblance of a thought that might reside in cobwebbed minds of faceless, heartless HR personnel.

But that’s a perception only shared by a hapless lad at the foot of the mile high building who chews and chews bile and contempt away and spits it at the drudges of his imaginary white collared foes. He snarls at the fallacious samplings of the latest weather reports, curses himself for not displaying the requisite measure of despicability enough in the interview that would have certainly wrangled him the job. He stomps his way into another forgiving marmalade evening.

Homosexuality is Not a Crime Anymore

Sujai — Mon, 6 Jul 2009 10:05:35 EDT

In a landmark judgment, the Delhi High Court has pronounced that homosexuality is not a crime. This is a historic verdict that sets the course towards modernizing our country living up to the promise India made to its citizens when it became independent. It is a long journey for India to unshackle itself from the hold and sway of bigotry and prejudice dominated by ignorance, which is the weakness on which religion thrives, to say that it is ready to overturn the opinion of majority to protect a minority. I never thought that India would address the issue of homosexuality in my lifetime. And yet, Delhi High Court has set a precedent that clearly upholds the constitutional rights granted to citizens of India whatever their sex or sexual orientation is.

Section 377 of Indian Penal Code created nearly 150 years ago was borrowed from the moral ethos of Victorian times where homosexuality was considered a crime and was a punishable offense. The ethos was based in orthodoxy of religion compounded by celebration of ignorance. Origins of that law come from long-standing bigotry perpetuated by religion against people who are considered deviants, either in practice or in thought. The modern science and research has thrown light on the subject and has found homosexuality natural, not an aberration, and yet, most religious people continue to consciously remain ignorant and repeat the clichés that are downright wrong and sometimes dangerous.

While the West in general and the liberals and rationalists of the East in particular detest the ideologies, ways and methods of Taliban, many religious and nationalist people of the East love Taliban. It is nothing but an exaggerated icon of their ideals. Taliban loves to ban books, so do the religious and patriotic people of the East when and where necessary. Taliban loves to cover up the women from head to toe all in the name of protecting the women, so do Indian colleges who mandate that women should not wear jeans and t-shirts all in the name of the protecting them from molesters and eve-teasers. Taliban loves to blur the lines between morality and criminality, and so do Indian religious people who believe that anything they don't like is criminal.

When it comes to homosexuality, all religions of India stand united. The same VHP which is vehemently antagonistic to Indian Muslims now sings the same song. Christian groups who get targeted by Hindu groups are now joining hands to protest in unison. Muslim groups, Christian groups and Hindu groups of India have all agreed to stand united on this issue to condemn the HC ruling.

Baba Ramdev, who is an icon to many religious Hindus, said:

Do these people consider homosexuality natural?... These (Gays) are sick people and should be sent to hospitals. Then they can marry or stay bachelors like me...

According to the High Court ruling, homosexuality is no longer considered a mental disorder as of 1973 when it was removed from Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for mental disorders. The World Health Organization (WHO) removed homosexuality from its list of mental illness in 1992.

Muslim clerics in Delhi said:

India is secular, but most Indians are religious and no religion allows this.

Not many people recognize this but it was secular Nehru who emancipated Hindu woman from the clutches of Hindu tradition which treated her as property of man without rights of her own. When Nehru proposed to pass the Hindu Code Bill there was opposition from Hindu groups who insisted that there should be no provision for divorce since Indian culture does not allow it. They also objected to giving property rights to a woman reasoning that it will upset the normal Indian family. They were sure that Indian family as knew it would cease to exist. They were also not happy that Nehru was forcing Hindus to give up polygamy which according to them was sanctioned by Indian mythology. Yet, Nehru prevailed. Being secular doesn't mean bowing down to a religious sentiment. Being secular means protecting an individual from the religious traditions that seem to discriminate people on their sex or sexual orientation.

Times Now, a news channel, has said that majority in India has favored this verdict. I don't think so. Indian politicians knew their constituencies more than others, and many of them have come out to oppose this ruling. Also, the support for this ruling seems to be confined to a minority and that too in the urban areas. In most villages, towns and even the cities of India, homosexuality is still a taboo. Here are some of the snippets of readers to THE HINDU.

India is a pluralistic country with a rich ethos and culture. Homosexuality is opposed to the nature and culture. A small minority cannot demand that the country recognise its way of life. Any move to decriminalise homosexuality would be an attempt to destroy the family system for the sake of the sexual minorities. [Selvaraj, Chennai]

On one side we celebrate India's pluralistic nature, which inherently means that it accommodates people of many faiths, cultures, races, languages, etc, and yet we go on to deprive a group's identity and way of life demonizing them and criminalizing their private life practices. That shows how much we don't understand pluralism means.

Homosexuals are not the only marginalised group in India. Not that they should be discriminated against but I think a minority group should not get preference over other groups. [Malni Raghavendran, Chennai]

A modern nation is formed on the basis that an individual's rights should be protected from authority of a state or any powerful group, and that the interests of minority group should be protected against onslaught of the majority group. Decriminalizing homosexuality is not tantamount to giving them 'preference over other groups'. How is that deduction possible? Does allowing a person to live the way he wants to live in his privacy translate to preferring his rights over others? There is something grossly wrong with that kind of thinking.

Homosexuality will have a negative impact on society and the traditional family system being followed in India over thousands of years. [Vijay, Bangalore]

For many people, homosexuality is bad because it doesn't make a family, which comprises traditional mom, dad and kids. Since homosexuals do not procreate they are an aberration and an anomaly. Indulging in sex other than to procreate is a sin and the religious groups want it to be criminalized. So how about masturbation? It does not procreate. Should be it a criminal offense too? Do we always have sex onto procreate? Shouldn't we ban condoms first?

But legalising things over which we have no control, including abnormal sexual behaviour, may lead to an increase in the incidents of sexual abuse. [Gopala, Hyderabad]

The repeal of Section 377 will only lead to an increase in homosexuality. Children who work for daily bread -- not a negligible number despite the ban on child labour -- can be subjected to harassment because of the abuse of the freedom gained, in the absence of a law restricting it. It is better to think twice before setting the genie free. [K.C. Joseph, Thiruvananthapuram]

Sexual abuse and child abuse are already taken care of by other set of laws which are not repealed and still in existence. There is no correlation between abnormal sexual behavior and sexual abuse. Are we saying that 'abnormal' sexual behavior, such as homosexuality, leads to an increase in incidents of sexual abuse, while 'normal' sexual behavior, such as heterosexuality, doesn't?

Is the sexual abuse of a boy by another man somehow more harmful to society than sexual abuse of a girl by a man? But heterosexuality is legal! So how come we are not banning heterosexuality?

The freedom given to individuals is accompanied by responsibility and accountability. Freedom sans responsibility is dangerous. The repeal of Section 377, in the name of respecting the freedom of sexual minorities, will create social disharmony resulting in the disappearance of social values. [K.T. Krishnaswami,Singaperumal Koil]

The court observes:

"Moral indignation, however strong, is not a valid basis for overriding individuals' fundamental rights of dignity and privacy. Constitutional morality must outweigh the argument of public morality, even if it be the majoritarian view".

India took 150 years to reverse a law that criminalized an activity which is now considered natural though different from the majority point of view. India has come out of its traditional past and colonials shadows to come to terms with creating a modern nation where every individual, however deviant or different, is given the same rights, thereby allowing us to express ourselves in speech, in practice of faith and even in sexual orientation.

We have a long way to go as a nation to educate our masses, our elite and our leaders in understanding basic principles of our Constitution and its interpretations to sway them away from the prevalent opinions that originate in ignorance and prejudice.

Constitutional morality is not a natural sentiment. It has to be cultivated. We must realize that our people have yet to learn it.
B.R. Ambedkar.