"You need eyes to see what others can’t"

 His chiseled vocabulary has earned him the distinction of being a gentleman playwright, who hates inhibitions. In a conversation with suchayan mandal, playwright Mahesh Dattani talks on homosexuality in plays and society, and other allied issues

His plays have been a confluence of cultures. For the minds that refuse to allow contrary thoughts, playwright Mahesh Dattani’s plays are a caveat. He talks about sex, same sex relationship and same sex marriages as normally one describes sunrise. He is the first playwright in English to be awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award (1998), the highest award for a literary work in India for his book Final Solutions And Other Plays. His work has been recreated for the stage by eminent Indian directors such as Arvind Gaur, Alyque Padamsee, Lillete Dubey and many more. 

It is of high significance  to discuss the question of marital affair between the same genders in a taboo-oriented society. Relationships have always been a subject of major concern in India. In A Muggy Night in Mumbai, Dattani shows how Kamalesh, the hero of the play, convenes a meeting of his friends, who stand for the affair between man and man, and woman and woman. Dattani has always been vocal about issues that people ponder over but avoid explaining. His chiseled vocabulary has earned him the distinction of being a gentleman playwright, who hates inhibitions. 

An excerpt from the interview: 

From A Muggy Night in Mumbai  to The Big Fat City, how is city important in your plays? 

I think in A Muggy Night in Mumbai, although the location is a flat, similar to that of The Big Fat City, the events in the flat are of very much significant ~ the outside world that we face here. Whereas in The Big Fat City, it's the world that comes to the flat. There are three different stories and all are coming to the flat and collide with the incident that happens there. 

As a dramatist you have focused on various issues. How do you move effortlessly throughout? 

(Laughs) I don’t know if it’s effortlessly! I guess, again like I said, you need eyes to see what others can’t. And I think that can be very useful as a writer to see what others can’t. So that others see it through the writer. 

 What is your reaction to the Supreme Court’s judgment on homosexuality ? 

Well, my reaction is, even if the law is repealed, it is not going to change very much for the situation, until society changes it’s attitude towards itself. Basically, I feel, the struggle should continue to repeal that censorship. Any kind of battle, we always win some and lose some, so maybe this is the temporary loss. The battle will continue... 

 In rural India, homosexuality is prevalent and so is it in urban places. Do you believe that rural people don't know what it is, so they practice it without being bothered about legalities? 

They know it but they don’t want to talk about it! Because they are very intelligent people. They think that there are some issues that’s better not to be talked about! 

Do you think people with homosexual inclinations aren’t ready to come out of their closets? 

Because of the society. You see, society is hard on anyone who is different. It’s not just sexuality but it is anyone who doesn’t fit into the paradigm of marriage and procreation. So if you are single you are stigmatised! If you don’t have children you are stigmatised! You dont have a son, you are stigmatised! 

 Have you planned anything to write on gay themes to encourage people to come out of the closets? 

Maybe. Why not! I don’t know. At this stage I haven’t decided. But at present situation, the subject is not just a sexuality but the story. If I’ve a good story it’s possible. 

 What are your projects in the pipeline? 

As of now, I am working on two plays. I am also planning to direct one play. The plays I’m writing are yet to be titled. And even the theme is under wraps. So I won't be able to shed much light on them! 

 Dattani’s latest published work is a collection of plays, Me and My Plays (Penguin Books), which includes two of his well known plays, Where did I Leave my Purdah? and The Big Fat City. The book also has a wonderful essay Me and My Plays, where the writer introduces his philosophy and life experience to readers.  

Published in The Statesman , 21August 2014, Delhi Edition

http://www.thestatesman.net/news/72535-you-need-eyes-to-see-what-others-can-t.html

Saturday Interview:‘Vendetta is what they have against me’

It took Kunwar Natwar Singh two years and a month to complete his controversial autobiography One Life is Not Enough (Rupa Publications) after he began writing it in December 2011. A career diplomat, Natwar Singh was close to Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. In 1984 he resigned from service to contest elections on a Congress ticket.He won and served as a Union minister of state until 1989.

Thereafter, he had a sketchy political career until he became India's foreign minister in 2004.
However, 18 months later, he had to resign under a cloud after the UN's Volcker committee named him as a beneficiary of illegal payoffs in the Iraqi 'oil for food' scam.
In his autobiography, which was published this month, Natwar Singh has revealed that it was not Congress president Sonia Gandhi's “inner voice” but her son Rahul's fierce opposition that forced her to decline the Prime Ministership in 2004.Rahul feared that like his grandmother and father, his mother,too, would be killed. These and other revelations in Natwar Singh's book have embarrassed
the Congress, prompting party leaders to accuse Mr Singh of betrayal and sensationalism.
Having maintained a regular diary for 60 years Natwar Singh says he writes everything “from political happenings to who I met”. In a conversation with SUCHAYAN MANDAL,he discussed a range of issues.

Are you working on a sequel to your current book, One Life is Not Enough? What is the idea behind the second volume of your autobiography?

No, I am not. It's a mistake that came out in the media. It's not a sequel of this. You can't have a sequel to this. It's another book. It will take another one-and-a half years. It will be on my daily affairs, like what I do in my dayto- day life. It may be on the journalists I am meeting these days,
or also may be on political discussions here and there.

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has dismissed your revelations about the Nehru-Gandhi family as a bid to market your product. What would you say?

First of all, why should I comment on anything that someone like Manmohan Singh says? Has he read the book? He can say whatever he wants, but that doesn't do him any credit. Do I tell my publisher not to sell books because Manmohan Singh has said so! It has sold 50,000 copies already.

Many Congress leaders have accused you of betraying the  Gandhis and misusing decades of your close proximity  to the family. Is this a fair criticism?

The Congress has betrayed Sonia Gandhi. I haven't responded to most of the Congress people. I think I have replied to two of them. I mean I have commented on them. One is Digvijay Singh, who has said something like the book wasn't worth reading. I have replied, Digvijay Singh is a very great political leader. I wish him good luck. I hope he becomes the PM of the country. And there was Anand
Sharma who criticised the book. I have said that I have no significance in front of Anand Sharma. He is a great leader. Let him become the chief minister of his state.What do you do? You dismiss the allegations.
I don't think the people who have criticised me have read my book. I can't think of anybody who reads in the Congress party.

The Congress has trashed your book and claims it is “sensationalism” arising out of “vendetta” since you were fired from the Union Cabinet and the party over your alleged involvement in the UN oil-for-food scam. Your comments?

It is eight-and-a-half years ago. How has the Congress treated me and my family? And then why did Sonia Gandhi and her daughter come to see me? Why? In the last eight-and-a-half years they didn't come to meet me a single time. Vendetta is what they have against me.Without giving me a chance to express
my views, they had betrayed me at that time. Sonia came and told me, “You're my closest friend. I don't even tell Priyanka and Rahul things we talk. In spite of this you're writing all these.”

Do you think Sonia Gandhi, despite her Italian origin, would have done a better job than Dr Singh as India's PM?

I don't think so. Manmohan began quite well during UPA-I The whole thing went to pieces in UPA-2. He wasn't an elected PM. Being a Rajya Sabha member he became PM twice, the only PM to have achieved such a distinction. Talking of Sonia heading the country in UPA-2, Rahul wouldn't have let her.

Do you think Priyanka Gandhi could be a better leader than Rahul in steering the Congress?

The decision has to be taken by the family. But Priyanka is a very attractive personality. She reminds me of her grandmother. She is a very good  communicator. She relates to people both in urban and rural places. She is down to earth and will eat meals with farmers. She is a very nice person. But then the question comes, what would happen to Rahul? I think Rahul is a very fine young man but the real test came in the 2014 elections and he couldn't meet the challenge.
The Congress tally drastically came down from 206 to 44. He and his mother were star campaigners. Nothing helped.

How would you compare Sonia Gandhi with Indira Gandhi?

There is strictly no comparison.Sonia had no challenge in Congress for that matter. For the last 15 years she has been president. Before she became president of the party, there was one Sangma or Sharad Pawar. But Indira
Gandhi had to fight the syndicate for three years. Tough people like Kamraj and Morarji Desai, and SK Patil, Atulya Ghosh and so many other people.

Are you planning to return to politics?

No, I don't have any desire. I'm 83 and I don't want to get involved in active politics anymore.

Published : The Statesman , Perspective , Page - 9 , 9th August , 2014

A food walk

On a food walk during Iftar, suchayan mandal was mesmerized by the aroma of the trinity ~ biryani, kebabs and phirni

Ramzan, which culminated last week, is recognised worldwide as the season of fast. Incidentally, it is also the season of good food. Evenings heady with the aroma of gulkand and the overpowering fragrance of kebabs set the tone in the lanes of Old Delhi. A number of delicacies are specially made for Ramzan and their aroma beckoned the faithful, who had been fasting the whole day. 
During the holy month just gone by, a food walk starting from Chawri Bazar Metro station till Jama Masjid made one realize the benefits of fasting throughout the day. From Old Matia Mahal road onwards, one could experience a food culture that is not only steeped in tradition but unique to this part of the city. Indeed, several closely guarded recipes are almost forgotten. 
Taking the spice route, Special Keema Samosa with chutney was available near the Jama Masjid. Rich flavours of garam masala and garlic well synchronised with the softness of the samosa. The 20-year-old Haji Mohammad Hussain outlet, situated on the left of Jama Masjid, is known for its fish and chicken fries.  
"To avoid the crowd I came before 7.30 pm as later on, it's too troublesome to order. What's best here are chicken and fish fries, which are dry and crisp," said Taufiq, a Delhi University student, who comes here thrice a week almost all the year round. "This is the time when you can relish these foods without much guilt ~ most of the year you think only about calories," he added.  
The chicken fries had the most takers. However, the cook refused to share the secret recipe. Following the crowds on the bylanes behind the masjid, one could zero-in on Dil Pasand Biryani, a favourite destination for foodies like Firdosh, a government employee by profession. "Chunks of fried meat are sauteed with long grain rice. This stall is also famous for beef biryani," he informed. 
Aslam Chicken Corner near Churi Walan gali serves the best butter chicken in Delhi, many of the outlet's customers contend. Roasted chicken is simmered in a butter-rich gravy though the humid weather may pose a serious challenge to the dish. But for foodies like Sandeep, who enjoys being here during Ramzan, this place was for him just a step away from heaven. "When you enter this gali you get the aroma of butter gravy," sighs Sandeep as he suggested that the best way to relish the butter chicken is to team it up with roomali roti.  
For the sweet tooth there was Khoya Samosa ~ samosa stuffed with khoya and dry fruits ~ a not-to-be-missed delicacy. Phirni was the other sweet dish quite popular in this area and almost all shops were equally good when it comes to tasting the best. 
Apart from the Walled City, there were plenty of places to take a gastronomic trip during Ramzan. Purani Dilli Restaurant at Zakir Nagar near Friends Colony was one such place to try Mutton Haleem. Mutton cooked in creamy gravy of lentils and flour was the best offering of the gastronomy pilgrimage during Ramzan. Haaji Noora at Bhaji Gali in Sadar Bazaar near Pulbangash was the best place to try Nihari, a rich stew of goat meat or beef that is cooked for 6-8 hours. "Mutton kebabs and mutton burra are best at Lazeez Darbar near Nizamuddin Railway station. The richness of the creamy gravy contributes to the tenderness of the burras," concluded Sandeep.

Chai Chai

As Indian Railways is promising a major revamp in all segments of its behemoth service, food appears to be where the buck stops. Suchayan Mandal travels the length and breadth of the country, gastronomically on wheels, discovering the fragrance of kulhars, the packed meals now served and much nostalgia for the hot food from the various base kitchens

Sanchayan Mandal, on his way back from Kolkata in Sealdah Rajdhani Express, had, what he described, a nightmarish experience. Not only did he find stains on the bedsheet, rats under his side of the lower berth but the food he was served was stale. The samosas in the evening had to be accompanied by Gelusil. The evening meal was even worse. 

Another passenger, Ramanathan, traveling from Coimbatore to Delhi, was happy with the vada served soon after the train departed. As the long journey proceeded, the quality and taste of the snack changed till he discovered that maida had later been added to the vada dough. Time was when railway food had that unique taste and could be relied upon for quality and quantity. Base kitchens at major junctions would keep trays of hot food ready for the hungry passengers on board. In fact, most travelers preferred to order this food rather than open their food hampers. 

Now, with the base kitchens having been dismantled and food supply contracted to commercially-run caterers, that charm of eating on trains has vanished. “Chai” supplied in mini-flasks for the higher classes and brought around in a drum and served in plastic cups has been replaced by tea-bags and hot water. The only constant is the call “Chai, chai”, accompanied by a variety of cooking smells wafting around at almost all stations across the country. 

Change in taste 

Till 1990s, when there were not many direct trains, people from, say, Bangalore going to Bombay, would wait at Guntakul in Maharashtra for hours, passengers from Kolkata to Coochbehar would take a ferry and then wait for three hours at Maldah in West Bengal. Similarly, those traveling to Madras (now Chennai) from Lucknow would spend some quality time at Jhansi. With direct superfast trains coming in, things have eased but the slow train, which allowed one to finish a novel, could be called a great teacher as well. 

"To learn a thousand dialects, eat a thousand cuisines and meet a million people, you need just one berth", is an age-old Railway proverb. And if you get a chance to travel in a train for 35 hours that connects Himalayas to the Indian Ocean, not only would you feel the inertia of motion even after deboarding, but would also end up wiser and less judgemental than 35 hours ago. And the food, whether bought on the train, off the platform or packed from home, would be a taste of mini-India. 

Itarsi is the virtual turn-around as far as food is concerned. As the Himsagar Express enters Madhya Pradesh, crossing the Vindhyas, one can relish North Indian alu bondas for one last time. A few hours later, the bondas  will become tangy with tamarind and samosas with tamarind chutney will be replaced by idlis served with coconut chutney. All South-bound trains, no matter wher they come from ~ East, West or North ~ have to pass through this otherwise irrelevant town. Same is the case with Mughal Sarai, Jhansi, Guntakal where trains stops but none get off. Only the food changes. 

On board food 

Vivek Express, the longest running train linking Seven Sister Hills to the Indian Ocean (Assam to Kannya Kumari) takes three days 10 hours 40 minutes to cover 4,278 km. Unfortunately, erstwhile Railway minister Mamata Banerjee’s dream project had no food being cooked in the pantry car when this reporter took a trip in early 2013. So food had to be ordered and was outsourced from various kitchens pan India. This turned out to be a great way to relish regional cuisine. So, it was lunch from Guwahati, dinner at Alipur Duar, breakfast at Durgapur and so on. At Alipur Duar, the first station in Mamata country, the silence of the coach was broken by a chaiwalla selling a cup of tea for Rs 10. 

Ramal who sells Misti Doi in Durgapur station in West Bengal revealed that misti dois were often sold for two days but that he used no adulterated stuff to prevent it from going bad. 

 While Rajdhanis and Shatabdis, the premiere trains connecting the country’s never ending geography through tunnels, bridges, tracks and fishplates, have their own all inclusive food service, the menu is fixed by the Railway Board. Unlike before, when food was served by Railways-run kitchens, now they are outsourced on contract basis. There is always announcement inside these trains that menus are available with attendants and that passengers could order as per choice.  But class disparity still exists in the trains. If one were traveling in 3-tier AC or Chair Car one won’t have access to these menus and would have to survive on what was being served. 

In Kolkata Rajdhani, Bhubaneswar Rajdhani, Dibrugarh Rajdhani, Kalka Shatabdi and a few more premiere trains, the evening begins with Samosa, Soan Cake, Sandwich with tea. If one wants coffee instead, the attendant would have to be coaxed and cajoled for a sachet of Necsafe. The dinner will be rice, roti, dal and chicken/ paneer depending on your preference with dahi and ice cream. Now, if one has paid more to travel in first class, brands of curd and ice cream will be better and the dal will be thicker. 

 Now a small tip for amateur travelers: Make sure to demand the bread to be toasted and egg poached when they ask preferences for breakfast in 3 AC. 

In some trains south Indian breakfast is also available, but as said, money is directly proportional to food served, you won’t be offered much. In the Executive chair car and first class the breakfast includes cornflakes with milk, bread basket, marmalade or Chana Kulcha, or stuffed paratha, or Besan chilla with chutney. 

For dinner there is an option of Rasgulla or Gulab Jamun but that’s all on paper  but not in reality. Railways lists a varied menu from cream soup to hakka noodles but one would have to reach to ministry level to be served so. 

A colleague joked, “Railways official menu on Internet is like the syllabus of a 3rd grade B school! The students are enthusiastic in the beginning about the prospect but soon faces trouble once it gets applied.” 

Good old days 

When the express trains were still brick red in colour, and mineral water bottles were yet to decide their market capturing strategies, green, red Milton water jar were the signature holiday symptoms. Each station the train made a stop, elders would rush forthe nearest tap to refill. Food would be loaded in Aluminium or steel plates with depressions to hold dal, sabji and chutneys. The waiters would balance 8-9 plates of hot food and distribute them. Flared tempers were common as food often fell short. Things changed when thermocol and plastic plates replaced them on the plea of hygiene but ended up ruining the environment with white plates flying across the tracks. “The flavour and fragrance, both were better and hygiene not taken into account whenever train food had to be consumed. No matter what you cook and carry, the train food had some amazing tastes,” believes food enthusiast Sayantani.  

Also, the journeys are not about traveling for journey’sake but also about getting acquainted with each other’s cultures. Marwaris, when they travel as a  large family, would carry a stock of food that would last  the entire journey. Piles of pooris will be in proportion to number of traveling members and number of meals required. Just when you await the pantry boy, the boxes would be opened and the entire compartment filled with a distinct aroma. Tamil families usually carry their stock as well. Bundles of idlis and chutney powder besides lime and curd rise makes up their packed meals. Bengalis, on the other hand, rarely carry food during travel. It is another reason for them 

to have “bahar ka khana”. After eating they would burp a little and wonder if the chicken served was as good as Rajdhani served six months ago ~ in most of the cases it isn’t. 

Trend is in 

Good old days have been overtaken by blindfolded consumerism. Several portals, including TravelKhana and Comesum, are delivering restaurant food on train. One just needs to download the app and fill in the details of  train, coach  and seat number and desired delicacy. At the next station, Pizza or Biriyani or Pasta would be awaiting you  in an otherwise unknown station.

The chai story

Chai is one word that is synonymous withIndian Railways. Chai may vary in taste and aroma but the beverage won’t  disappoint!  “Chai Chai”, the  call is the most sought after when traveling by train. As the painted stations whistle by and you start from North India, cardamom tea will be constantly served. Soon, the kettle is replaced by urns, thanks to large business ventures. South Indian mornings on the train are welcomed by the strong aroma of filter coffee.

Published in The Statesman

Powered by nature

Taiwan's tribal culture provides a boost to its tourism. Relishing the tribal flavour, suchayan mandal fishes in Matai'an Wetland and takes the cable car to Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village

The old man in gumboots, reminding one of Santiago of  The Old Man and the Sea was walking down by the greenish stream. Casually holding a river carp gasping for air, he flung it for a while. The adult carp refuses to give in. The old man, maybe in his 60s, had a heavy gaze in his eyes. The fish was like a victorious trophy for him. As he crossed the wooden bridge and walked towards his hut, dark cloud gathered across the sky above the mountain. 
What we got was a glimpse of the Amis tribe of Fat'an in Taiwan. Till date this tribe has a unique style of fishing, which is less violent than the regular fishing methods one is familiar with.  
Fishing lessons

This unique method of catching fish in Matai'an wetland, called Palakaw in the local language, involves the use of hollow bamboo poles, common tree fern trunks and branches of the subcostate Crepe Myrtle tree to build a three- layered structure that is placed in water to provide a habitat where fish and shrimps can live and propagate. After some days the Crepe Myrtle branches are raised above the surface and the shrimp adhering to them are shaken off into a triangular net. The eels, catfish and other bottom dwelling creatures, hiding in the lower layer of bamboo poles, are caught easily by just immersing the triangular net. 
 On reaching, the Matai’an Wetland, our tour guide Francis "commanded" all of us to fold our trousers till the knees. Group members in shorts were soon inside the mountain brook, where the fishing was to begin. The knee deep water currents were strong. A local fisherman, who was in charge of the tour through the village, spoke in Mandarin about the fishing technique. While most words sounded Greek to us, we kept nodding our heads in anticipation. Most of us were busy posing with the fish that the old man had caught. The deal was, more the fish caught, more one got to eat! Unfortunately, our dedicated efforts didn't yield much result. One fish was almost caught, but then the carp tried some salsa and some bhangra and it was back in the water. A catfish caught after 40 minutes by one of our group members seemed to have been forgotten when it decided to take a gigantic leap from the basket to get back into the water. When Facebook status and photos having been updated with the caption "Fishing is fun", we felt hunger pangs taking over.  
 In one of the huts in the village, a delicious meal of roast duck meat, pumpkin fry and rounded rice was underway. Santiago of Matai'an, excitedly informed Francis that cooking will also be done in the tribal way. Barks of palm trees were folded and shaped like a pan. Fire will destroy this natural pan. So rocks were heated and the pan placed on them. Marinated in rock salt and minimal spices, one of us placed the fish in boiling water. One of the tribal women, dressed in traditional attire plucked some leaves from mustard-like plant and put them in the pan. Steam released from the pan informed our olfactory nerves about a forthcoming delicacy. Witnessing an organic culinary in process was equivalent to watching a Masterchef in action! 
Once the fish was cooked, our teammates insisted on sampling it. Soon, just the skeleton was left as evidence of the delicious taste. One of members of the group, busy clicking pictures, missed the fish and ended up munching the herbs.  The lunch was light with green tea, rounded rice, duck and tender chicken with some mashed pumpkins and lots of salad. Nature has its own taste and that's much much better than processed food, was the conclusion our chopsticks drew as we sampled food at Matai’an Wetland.   
Aboriginal village 
Our next day's plan was to visit the Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village. Unlike Matai'an, this has been moulded into an amusement park. Located at Yuchi Township, Nantou County, one can find tribal souvenir shops and tribal shows here. The dance performance, objectifying men (you read it right) was somehow too loud. More art could have been blended in the performance that was presented on a floating stage. The aboriginal village employs Taiwanese aborigines from nine tribes, with whom visitors can engage in living history. Activities include sculpting, weaving, pottery making, cooking, knitting, exercising, handicraft making, playing and dancing in the tradition of the aboriginal tribes. 
We toured the look alike tribal villages of different communities, Paiwan being a major tribe there. Visual illustration of Paiwan village chief and marriage rituals have been well displayed with rock structures and carvings. The enemy heads rack is a stone rack, which is generally built at the entrance of the village with skulls of the enemies killed in raids. Paiwans also worship human penis, which is to them the god of creation. Besides relishing the flavours of almost 200 years of civilization, we embarked on a cable car journey to sun moon lake, which was our next destination. 

Republic of Hunger

India’s policy addressing hunger and malnutrition in all age groups has a feast of questions and a famine of answers. India’s hunger, being worse than any sub-Saharan country, needs crisis management and a long term vision. With a new government at the Centre, is the expectation too high, wonders suchayan mandal

The change of guard at the Centre after the general elections has prompted expectations and high hopes from every nook and corner of the country. Manohar Das of Tewri village in Jharkhand, Shib Baksha of Amlasol village in West Bengal and Anita Devi in Maharashtra have no idea about the "Modi Sarkar" at the Centre, yet they hope some government will arrange for two full meals for them a day. India’s overall GDP growth at 4.7 per cent in 2013-14 due to low industrial growth and inflation, is expected to rise thanks to pro- industry steps by the present government. However, election promises for the downtrodden people and development blueprints have a vast difference, which was visible over the last few decades.

 One of the basic needs of the people, be it poor or rich has been food. And India isn’t a country that does not produce sufficient food. Rather, storage of surplus food has always been a problem. Yet, Manohar, Shib and Anita go hungry day after day and Anita’s two sons died of malnutrition before they could be sent to school. 

While development in many sectors is acknowledged, what is less known is that India has also made considerable progress on many social fronts, such as fertility decline, expansion of schooling and bridging the gender gap in education, especially at the primary and lower secondary levels. However, there is one area of human development, where India has not fared particularly well: tackling hunger and malnutrition. 

Child malnutrition rates in India are extraordinarily high ~ among the highest in the world, with nearly one-half of all children under three years of age being either underweight or stunted. Indeed, child malnutrition rates are higher in India than in many countries of sub-Saharan Africa, even though income levels are significantly higher and levels of infant and child mortality are lower in India. 

Pediatric malnutrition 

 Prevalence of child malnutrition in India has remained stubbornly high even after nearly a half-century of respectable agricultural productivity growth and two decades of post-reform economic growth and prosperity in the country. This is puzzling, since rising prosperity appears to have improved other social indicators in India, such as fertility, mortality, schooling and literacy. Adding more support to the view that child malnutrition is weakly correlated with income is the finding that among children of mothers with 10 or more years of schooling as well as mothers from the top income quintile, around one-quarter are underweight. Even in a relatively prosperous and dynamic state like Gujarat, child malnutrition rates have been stagnant over the past decade. 

The National Family Health Survey in 2005-06 showed that almost 50 per cent of Indian children aged six years or below were stunted and more than 40 per cent of children in the same age group were underweight. Moreover, almost 80 per cent of children aged six months to three years were anaemic. 

As India and the world have long known, malnutrition in young children is likely to have long-lasting functional deficits, affecting intelligence and other cognitive abilities, creating a susceptibility to various diseases and even affecting their reproductive health. Ironically, much of this pioneering research was done in India itself. 

The National Family Health Survey (NFHS) found that a significant number of adults in India suffer from malnutrition. Almost 58 per cent of pregnant women aged 15-49 were found to be anaemic. 

This reveals how the nutritional status of young children is being adversely affected from before they are born ~ stunting in children under the age of three years begins with their mothers, who are undernourished or anaemic during pregnancy. The Global Food Security Index also revealed that Indians lack adequate quantities of iron, Vitamin A and protein in their diets. 

 Public health specialist and activist, Dr Binayak Sen said, “Half of the children who die before five years of age have malnutrion as a cause in their pathogenesis. If we look at proportion of weight at birth, 23 per cent of children weigh less than 2.5 kg, which is below normal. This low birth weight has its reason in the womb, which is where they are malnourished already before being born. Low birth weight increases over time and so by the time they are three-years-old, half the children are malnourished. Because of poor sanitation we have widespread faecal oral contamination. Water and food sources have high degrees of contamination and it results in diarrhoea and other gastro intestinal illnesses, which increases the child mortality rate. 

State of famine 

In 1943, three million people died in the infamous Bengal famine. There was no shortage of grain in Bengal at that time, yet people had nothing to eat. Today, there is so much excess grain that the government is hard put to store it yet there are millions in this country staying hungry. In Amlasol, West Bengal, people eat ant eggs, earthworms and snails to stave off hunger. Interpreting the Famine of 1943, Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen suggested that the reason for it was the breakdown of the social arrangement in distributing food. However, a critic of Sen’s opinion, Amrita Rangasami's had written, “The sudden collapse into starvation that has been identified with the famine condition is only the final phase of famine, when the stigmata of starvation become visible, and the victims have collapsed. Famine is not, however, an event marked by the death of the victim. The basic failure in the understanding of famine is the inability to recognise the political, social, and economic determinants that mark the onset of the process. We need, therefore, to redefine famine and identify the various factors ~ political, social, psychological and economic ~ that operate to keep large classes in the population under continuous pressure." 

Nandi Foundation had performed an assessment of children's nutritional status, covering around 44 per cent of all under-five victims of malnutrition. Former prime minister Manmohan Singh had said while releasing the study report that it was a "national shame". Of that there is no doubt ~ but the shame is familiar. Similar data are available from the National Nutrition Monitoring Bureau ~ part of the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) ~ for many years, and they are also corroborated by the findings of NFHS-III, carried out in 2005-2006. Meanwhile, the NHFS-III tells people that around half of all deaths in the under-five age group were closely associated with their poor nutritional status. The CIA World Fact Book puts India's IMR (infant mortality rate) at 46 ~ 14th highest in the world, higher than that of every South Asian country except Bangladesh, which is at 49. 

 To put the matter in a world context, every three seconds somewhere around the world, a child dies of causes related to avoidable malnutrition. "In those three seconds, the world armaments industry spends 120,000 dollars in order to keep the system responsible safely in place,” Binayak Sen told The Statesman. 

Sen further suggested, “The BMI (body-mass index) is derived by dividing the weight in kilogrammes by the square of the height in metres. The critical value of the BMI is 18.5. Values below 18.5 are indicative of chronic energy deficit ~ hunger. Pednekar from Pune has demonstrated through epidemiological studies that death rates increase as BMI falls below 18.5. If the death rate above 18.5 is taken as unity, then roughly, death rates from 18.5 to 17 are about 1.33, those from 17 to 16 are about 1.5, and BMI values below 16 are associated with a death rate that is double the 'normal' death above 18.5. WHO recommendations are that any community that has more than 40% of its members with a BMI below 18.5 should be regarded as a community in famine. For which, many Indian states should fall in the criteria.” 

Rising food price 

Skyrocketing potato and onion prices spell more woe for the masses, who are already paying "too much" to survive. International Fund for Agricultural Development’s (IFAD) Rural Poverty Report-2011 states, “While international food prices have declined since mid-2008, they are still substantially higher than prior to the price surge, and they are likely to remain at 2010 levels or higher for the next decade.” The report has suggested that about 100 million of world’s rural and urban people have to remain hungry. 

“In India, from 2000 to 2005 food grain prices declined with inflation rate in rural areas coming down from 8.1 per cent in 1993-2000 to 1.90 per cent in 2000-05. In 2007 when the Planning Commission prepared the poverty estimate for the country, the decline in poverty was attributed to low food inflation. But since 2006 food prices have been rising. Food inflation was about 14 per cent in December 2010. Indeed, rise in food prices in the past two years has been higher than in any period since the mid-1970s. From 2005 to 2010, the average wholesale price index for food articles went up by 40.76 per cent,” reads a report in Down to Earth magazine. 

“It will remain high, the era of cheap food is over," asserted Richard Mahapatra, managing editor of Down to Earth. "This is because productivity of agriculture is low and thus impacts production. This is the supply side issue. Also the rainfed areas that contibute a signifcant amount of foodgrain is not getting the policy focus. Even though the new second Green Revolution is aimed at that, it seems to be flawed. Now, the demand side. Demand is increasing but we don't have robust distribution mechanism. So, it creates further price rise. Also, there is huge diversion of agricultural lands to other uses. Combined with low productivity, less lands and absence of distribution mechanism, we are set for high price rise.” 

 According to Mahapatra, because growth per se is meant to reduce hunger, it helps a particular group of people. For the poor and food insecured people we need a different model of growth. But we unilaterally focus on growth model, he added. Due to the PDS and the public wage programmes starvation deaths have definitely come down, he contended. "Often we call cheap foodgrain programmes as populist. They are indeed popular as poor find them useful and their starvation is avoided with this entitlement,” he added. 

Adult malnutrition 

“Malnutrition in children is a horror story and malnutrition in adult is equally horrendous," said Binayak Sen. "Roughly 33-35 per cent of the entire Indian population have a BMI below 18.5, which is indicative of calorie malnutrition.They aren't getting enough food to eat. More than one-third of India is on a chronic basis not getting proper food to eat. Low BMI is also restricting people’s immunity.”  

“Wthout addressing nutritional status, there can be no adequate development. Food Security Act does nothing for betterment of nutritional status of the poeple as such. The Bill is like 'something is better than nothing'. Five kilos of wheat per person per month make two chapattis per day. With two chapatis the nutritional question isn’t answered. This terrible nutritional deficit is yielding polarization in society,” he added. 

Urban malnutrition 

With migration and job prospects, people from the country-side are settling in cities. A complex attitude that makes a farmer hate farmland and dream of industry has also resulted in problem of migration. In villages, people stay in close bond with each other, who can be approached for help in times of crisis. Migrating people in cities start living in slums and ghettos, where they have to live with people unknown and untrustworthy. Moreover, people fight here to make ends meet, which actually leads to self-centric attitude. 

Most of the urban food is really not nourishing and leaves even rich kids under-nourished. Over nourishment or obesity is also hindering growth in urban society. 

Red corridor hunger 

“People who are in chronic situation and stable famine are able to withstand only because of their access to natural resources like land, water and forest," opines Binayak Sen. "Access to this resources was unrestricted. Designating the common properties as commodities that can be owned by corporates is restricting poeple’s right to access and in a way right to live. Any form of resistance is labelled  as insurgency. First they try civil ways and then take recourse in military measures. People have to confront. Application of eminent domain needs to be questioned. Under 5th schedule, govt has to ensure people’s access to natural resources but there is not a single instances of government intervening.” 

According to Mahapatra, over 1.3 million tribals and forest dwellers got rights over the land they had been using for years under the Forest Rights Act. "But six years after the Act was enforced, lives of the forest dwellers have not changed much," he pointed out. "Not one state has initiated concrete steps to officially register the title holders in the state land records. Without this they remain what they used to be ~ officially non-existent.”  

“They have mapped it as red corrridor but poeple’s deprivation hasn't been mapped yet," said Sen. "We need to relook at the arm forces and UAPA laws. Whole discourse in election has become restricted to attitudes to development. Development is about accessing resources. Nobody is saying there are vital issues involved. What is going to happen to the poeple whose right has been denied? State will not be thwarted in its course. There needs to be a contestaion in the level of people. They need to raise the issue.” 

Feast of questions 

So what needs to be done? The conclusion of most studies is that, taken together, these programmes have not made much of a dent in either protein-energy under-nutrition or child malnutrition rates in the country. Richard Mahapatra suggested, “Agriculture contributes around 16 per cent to GDP; it is coming down over the years. But still 60 per cent people depend on this. What does this mean? It is reliable as a source of livelihood or people don't have any other source thus depend on agriculture. In both the cases, shifting people out of agriculture is going to be a tough challenge. Industries or the service sectors have their own limitation and can't absorb such a huge number of people. Strategically, this will be a blunder as we kill out food self-sufficiency.”

Drum e Buzz

Insane drumming and great visuals made a deadly combo in Loop Zero. As Ben Walsh tours India,suchayan mandal asks him for his magic wand 

Drum drama. That's the best way to define Australian percussionist Ben Walsh's new show Loop Zero, which is an audio visual explosion exploring humanity, technology and reality. Melodic, rhythmic and purely scientific, this new performance plays with varying notions of how we shape and are shaped by technology in our world. Designed especially for Indian audience, it took the audience between the worlds of multimedia installation and live performance.
As the grey visuals and blue LEDs at Blue Frog Delhi started adding to the monotony of the ambience, Ben's trembling of symbols and hard hitting base drum flavoured the auditory nerves with all colours of the rainbow. Zero Loop through visuals and drum beats showed an office goer's return in a crowded local train ~ all stranded and weary. Alike this, the visuals ranged from his childhood, rejection in auditions and many more life events. With the electronic drum resounding in the music market with the thud of technological renovation, a worried Ben didn't support "electronifying" music initially, reminding one of the topsy turvy world of handicraft artists during the great industrial revolution. 
But once it got imbibed in him he realised how variety in technology added spice to his genre of performance. Talking about the inception behind Loop Zero, Ben said, "Whenever I premiere a new work there is an energy that is hard to replicate in a seasoned work. The audience will be watching me at a very new stage of exploration and that will mean I will be giving it my all."
This show is predominantly inspired by the many odd instruments that spring forth from Ben's imagination and delivers a solid dose of Walsh's trademark high energy drumming style. Ben performs upon instruments of his own creation with technological innovations designed by Kim O'Sullivan.
Necessarily inspired by Jimi Hendrix, John Coltrane and Chuck Norris, the 37-year-old has been playing since age of two, when he used sticks to beat on cake tins. At the age of six he was gifted a drum kit and the journey began. He uses carton, tins and iron pipes to create music. 
A cheerful Ben says how thinking of a career out of the box was difficult to pursue but fortune has smiled on him.
Ben, who toured India many a times and has also worked with Shubha Mudgal, said, "I cannot bring anything new to India. The music here is unique and rich. Indians understand music, drumming and technology", while playing an empty barrel in the Bhangra beats, which made the entire audience try out the popular Punjabi dance move.
About music piracy Ben felt, "Internet is a good source of information and downloading for free is a good sign that at least people are interested in your music. Let people hear you, piracy or buying EP doesn't matter. You have other options to earn. Music isn't a product to be sold."