Manoj Das and Padma Award

The Bollywood actor of yester years, Raj Kumar known for his legendary style of dialogue delivery said this about his actor friend Dilip Kumar - "JAAANI,  HAMAARI INDUSTRY ME WOHI TO EK ACTOR HAI, BAKI SAB BANDAR HAI (In our industry only Dilip Kumar is an actor, rest are monkeys). It sounded like deja vu when I got the news of the Award of PADMA BHUSAN bestowed upon the Odia writer Manoj Das, who I believe is the real writer, way above most of his writers fraternity.

Sri Manoj  Das is one of the few Indian writers and fewer Odia writers I admire. His writing is cool,crispy, original, lucid, elegant and entertaining without using many bombastic words. Ever since I read his book ALOKA O ANANDA RA KAHANI (Story of Light and Delight) published by National Book Trust (NBT) in 1977, I never looked back. A bilingual writer at ease with both Odia, his mother tongue and English, he is an excellent storyteller.

His winning of the Award reminded me of the adage - Too little, too late. No doubt the Award is well deserved, but the man deserves a lot better, lot earlier. Though these Padma-whatever awards are politicized beyond redemption, I am glad a brilliant writer from my state of Odisha finally got much his deserved recognition, adding another feather to his cap.

I always consider Odisha as the perfect graveyard of any creative pursuit. We Odias (the usual disclaimers apply) are poor appreciators of art, literature and proactive contributors to the society. We prefer licking the boots of petty Babus, Vassals and politicians. Coming from a feudal society, I heard folks eulogizing the Babus - "ARRE SE IAS OFFICER PEE KI BADEILA" (So and So IAS officer got drunk and beat some hapless folks). Rarely they acknowledge or appreciate entrepreneurs, artists and writers. 

Unfortunately Manoj Das comes from such a milieu. He was conveniently ignored in a state where cheap detective writer Pramod Kishore Panda sold more books. Fortunately for him he relocated to Pondicherry where recognitions followed. Had Manoj Das been a Bengali he could have been put on a different pedestal. Glad he went out of Odisha, otherwise he would have rotted.

Soon his fame started spreading far and wide - from the far East Singapore who hired Manoj Das as their cultural consultant to far West America where his famous story ABU PURUSHA (The Hunchback) was published in a well known literary Magazine. Khushwant Singh regularly serialized Manoj Das's stories when the former was the Editor of the widely circulated Illustrated Weekly of India, only such magazine of the time.

When many writers were dying to get published under Khushwant Singh, the Sardar selected a few and one of those few was our own Manoj Das. The two writers were a mutual admirer duo. Sri Das admired the witty Sardar as "JANE NIRBHIKA LEKHAKA" (One fearless writer). 

Apart from writing some fabulous reads, Manoj Das is a vegetarian and spiritual person to core. His writing touches the simple truth and philosophy of life. He never hurts a fly. But Khushwant Singh never spared anyone, including himself through self deprecating jokes and mocking his own community and the religious Gurus.

One was known for his sagacious writing and the other for his salacious ones. Unlike poles attract each other. Manoj Das in his tribute to Khushwant Singh after the later's death has described how liquor used to flow during evenings at the Sardar's party, while Manoj Das would be sipping his endless glasses of Tomato juice in the literary company. 

These two great writers formed a unique bond in diversity, of mutual trust and respect. The old Sardar kept writing well into his 90s and may Sri Manoj Das, who now in his his 80s and still going strong continue the magic flowing from his pen.

US and China - An odd couple

Finally, the two largest economies in the world, US and China had to climb down from a confrontational mode of trading exchanges on their trade war to making compromise by signing a trade deal.

For Trump it works well, as politics is a matter of perception and he is now perceived as being tough on China - his hot air rhetorics not withstanding. It helps Trump in an election year when he can barely risk further escalation as more tariffs on Chinese good will jack up the prices of cheap consumer products flooding the American market, not to mention an unstable middle East and impeachment process at home being flies on the ointment. In the Middle Kingdom, as China is known as, a perpetual Hong Kong headache hogging the headlines it too needs a compromise as at 6% GDP, a big climb down from 32 consecutive years of astounding double digit growth it is heavily dependent on the indefatigable American consumer to sustain and survive.

US and China make an odd couple, ready to get even at each other. Or may not be so odd, conspicuously akin to numerous married couples who don't like each other but stick together simply because of mutual dependency. Otherwise, they know that HUM TO DUBENGE SANAM, LEKIN TUM KO LEKE HI DUBENGE (I will drown, but I will take you down with me). Simply means - we better stick together or perish together.

Both are suspicious, distrustful, frequently spy on each other, and occasionally flirt with paramours. They hold each other's hand and fake smiles for public consumption, fighting in private. Yet end of the day, they stay together to protect their common interest. Like two sides of coin they may not be able to see each other but need to live together. 

Their marriage was arranged by one Richard Nixon in 1973 on the advise of the irrefutable, wily matchmaker Henry Kissinger, known for his out of box maverick foreign policy to checkmate then Soviet Union at the height of Cold War. The husband US obviously had the upper hand then vis a vis a coy, unsure and insecure of herself China, a la a new bride in an arranged marriage.

Lots of water have flown down in rivers Mississippi and Yangtze Kiang. The irritant in the relationship but the reason for them to marry called Soviet Union has long lost it's venomous fang. Now China has an equal if not the larger say in the relationship. America cannot divorce her so easily and diverse his attention to another suitor as she has the custody of its debt like their child. This relationship will sustain as long as the producer-cum-debtor China will be lending in USD to its favorite consumer America to consume its product.

China wants American consumers to buy what it makes, otherwise its export oriented economy will be in serious trouble. It could open the lid of a can of worms which kept closed tightly till date by the Chinese authorities and lead to social unrest in a nation of 1.4 billion people which would be a nightmarish scenario for them to handle.

The smart and foresighted leaders of the Middle Kingdom know it. All bravado not withstanding both US and China cannot do without each other. Chinese products from Toys to Tilapia flood the American market. Even the ubiquitous American Flags visible on 4th of July have "Made in China" tag. 

Huge ocean liners ply goods across the Pacific manufactured in miles long Sanghai EPZ (Export Processing Zone) for the voracious American consumers. It's said that if those shipping liners stop coming to US West Coast for couple of weeks the prices in Wal Mart would double. China has managed to deliver what we call in Odia BEPARI (Business) parlance - SASTA, SUNDAR, MAJBHOOT (cheap, pretty and durable) products. What more a consumer wants from buying prospective.

Reminds me of the SAHUKAR MAHAJAN (traders and money lenders) in villages back home. They lend money to their customers in their village so that the latter can buy their produce. As it's said in Sanskrit RUNAM KRITVA GHRUTAM PIVET" - Borrow money to drink Ghee (clarified butter)", the US - China relationship perfectly describes it, on a larger scale of course. The show must go on. The couple likely to stick together for mutual benefits, their bickering not withstanding.

A letter to Trump fans in India from a well wisher

I see a lot of Trump fans in India who are also supporters of Narendra Modi and BJP. They are Right wing leaning and see American Conservatism and Donald Trump as their natural ally. A few have even gone to the extent of requesting me to cast my vote in favor of Trump in his reelection bid in the 2020 US elections. I have politely turned them down. One thing I am sure about myself - I am NOT voting for Trump. Period. That's non negotiable.

Don't think Trump even knows or even cares about his fans back in India. So here is my letter to Trump fans back home with love.

Apart from the word "Conservative", there is hardly any similarity between American conservatives and their Indian counterparts. American conservatives eat beef aplenty. Forget about eating bovine meat, the Indian right leaning Hindu conservatives even abhor the thought about it and hound those talk about consuming the bovine meat. Donald Trump and overwhelming majority of his fellow Republicans have no motherly affection towards cows and cherish their rare medium prime steaks.

The conservatives in US believe in  AMERICAN EXCEPTIONALISM - We all know this and there is some truth to it. Without certain exceptional qualities and leadership, America wouldn't be where it is today. Even virulently anti Americans grudgingly admit the same. Yet, self glorification takes the mojo out of it. Rubbing of self ego hardly helps, same as this Message - A Self massage doesn't give you the same pleasure, as much as the massage given to you by someone else.

In this message of exceptionalism by the American conservatives, India or Indians hardly fit into the scheme of things. Most Conservative Americans are barely aware of or care about India or Indians. Some of those who have some idea, often mock at the Hindus for not eating the meat of a mere animal called cow. It may not sound music to Trump's fans back home.

Also during his 3 years of Presidency Trump's foreign policy has been whimsical rather than strategic. He has hardly initiated any kind of pro India foreign policy beyond the perfunctory optics of "Howdy Modi". When Modi was gleeing with joy by exposing his phalanx of 24 teeth holding the hands of the American President in Houston, Trump's body language showed that he was clearly uncomfortable.

My dear Right wing supporters in India, for your kind information it was during a Champion American Conservative and Republican President George W Bush's tenure in 2005 your MAHAPRABHU Modi was denied Visa to visit America. It was during Obama administration this ban was revoked and red flag was changed to red carpet. Obama is a Democrat.

One measurement of the importance given towards a country by the President of United States is how many times he visits a nation in his first term. So far, not a single time Trump has cared to visit India, whereas he has already visited many nations in Western Europe, China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore - some multiple times. Obama was the only President after Jimmy Carter in 1978 who visited India on their first term. Obama also invited Manmohan Singh for a  ceremonial White House State Dinner, a rare honor to a visiting dignitary. Both Carter and Obama were Democratic Presidents. Republican Presidents irarely extended such hospitality to any visiting Indian Prime Minister, including Trump.

American administration in general, whether Republican or Democrat follow a deeply self oriented foreign policy in a world where there is no permanent friends or enemies. Only permanent interest thrives. So hold on to your horses Trump fans until you see Trump making a strong foreign policy overture to India, a la Nixon to China in 1973.

Your truly

A Reality checker & Well Wisher.

Mess in the Middle East post Suleimani's killing

Middle East, what a mess ? It is getting messier and murkier. Qassem Sueimani, the powerful, legendary Iranian general considered second most powerful person in Iran, was assassinated today when his convoy was attacked by American Airstrike just outside of Baghdad International Airport. US claims that Suleimani was taken out for his alleged involvement in the killing of an American soldier and military contractor in a recent attack in Baghdad. 

But the truth is lot more complicated. Suleimani was not new to dealing with USA. In 2008 during the peak American occupation of Iraq, when questioned about his involvement in a Rocket attack inside Baghdad's heavily fortified Green zone he famously responded, "If the attack is accurate, it is mine". He also assured the Americans that the attack on them in Iraq by the Shia Militias trained by him will be reduced, provided a dreaded captured militia leader Qais Al Khajali captured by Western forces is released.

His power kept growing and extending beyond Iraq, a nation with Shia majority (Arab Shia make 60% of Iraqi population who were oppressed during Saddam Hussein's dictatorship). Suleman was a formidable General, the head of the Iran's dreaded Revolutionary Guard or Qud force. He was the strategic brain behind many spectacular Iranian operations in the Middle East, especially in Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Lebanon. 

His Shia backed Militias were fly on the ointment to the American, Saudi and Israeli interests. He was supposedly the mastermind behind a recent drone attack on Saudi flagship Aramco oil installations. The American Advanced Warning system given to the Saudis failed to apprehend and foil the attack. 

Interestingly, at one point Suleiman was helped by the US when he led the elite Republican Guard or Qud forces fight against ISIS, a Sunni outfit who considers the Shias as heretics. Americans cooperated with the Iranian backed Militias giving them air cover during their fight with ISIS. This yet vindicates at there is no permanent friends or enemies in the shadowy world of foreign policy where only permanent interest thrives, nothing else.

Suleimani was answerable only to the Supreme Commander Khameini of Iran, not their elected President (Iran has some semblance of democracy, a rarity in the Mullah landscape). Clearly the Americans acted on the behest of the Saudis and Israelis who have no love lost for Iran. The charismatic Iranian general was getting too powerful & charismatic to be kept on loose. A shadowy figure, the Americans must have got some timely, accurate intelligence on him which enabled them to carry out their successful operation.

It is interesting to note that by taking out Saddam Hussein the US laid the groundwork for an Iranian general to operate inside Baghdad - the heart of Iraq. Ironically it is also the same Americans who bumped the Iranian  general off. Saddam Hussein hated the Iranians to the core. He famously said - God should not have created 3 things. Sands, Mosquitoes and Persians (Iran), keeping Iran at bay. No sooner Saddam came to power than he attacked Iran. US supported Iraq at that time. 

What's going to happen next? A long year is ahead. The global gas prices are going to go up. India an energy hungry country which imports 80% of its oil need is bound to be impacted. A $10 per barrel increase in crude price is estimated to bring down India's GDP by 0.2 points. 

Diplomatically, India needs to tread very carefully in this murky middle East quagmire and should not get drawn into the swamp. Of late India had been seen siding with US - Saudi - Israel nexus. That's too myopic. It acquiesced to US pressure not to buy oil from Iran. India's recent bonhomie with Saudis has not gone unnoticed to Iran (It's another matter the Saudis are recently showing sympathy to Pakistan on the Kashmir issue). If China, Russia, Japan, South Korea et all have good relationships with Iran, then why not India ! Don't think it is prudent to put all the eggs in one basket.

It took the fallacy of one George Bush to give a golden opportunity to Iran to infiltrate Iraq and expand its sphere of influence. Iranians may be opportunist, but not suicidal. They will wait for the opportune moment to strike American,  Saudi and Israeli (Iran considers the Jewish state as an extension of US) interests. They can launch a Cyber attack, block oil supplies and make some stealthy, retaliatory attacks, but may stop from a full fledged war.

Right Wing governments are known to launch military strikes in an Election year to improve their winning chance. Modi did the same last year. Trump and his lackey Republicans are following the suit. Timing is after all the leitmotif, sine qua non of politics. Trump has begun the New Year well with a bang.

Happy New year 2020

The teen year 2019 paves way for the year 2020 - a leap year, year of the Summer Olympics and Presidential Elections in the United States. While we step into it, we don't know what lies ahead, what's in store for us. As the old man 2019 bends his spine and extends his hand to open the door to welcome the New Year, it is now time for some introspection. 

A la getting rid off old cloths for the new ones, the soul moving from one body to another as famously extolled by Lord Sri Krishna in the BHAGWAT GITA and other Hindu Scriptues, 2020 will be reborn yet again at midnight tonight. The year dawns with the cherubic smile of a newborn, as another number is added to its age in the form of a New Year.

But hardly anything ever changes. Life trudges ahead as the same shit, different day - with different color and texture. Hardly anything cataclysmically different happens, rather more or less the status quo is maintained. I don't make any New year promises to myself, as I don't and can't keep them. I just roll over to the year ahead of me.

We may forget history but we don't forget to repeat it year after year. Similar to this starting stanza of the Kishore Kumar's song :

EK RUT AAE, EK RUT JAAE PHIR,
MOUSAM BADLENA, BADLE NASEEB.

"One season comes and another goes,
Seasons change, not the fateful woes".

This year came and went with a mixed bag of good, bad and ugly for me, with additional baggage of memories rolling into next year. Made new friends, revived old ones and lost a few near and dear ones, once and for all. Yet the year comes with this stark reminder - life goes downhill from here, tasks become uphill and years are numbered before I go over the hill.

To me, almost all the New Year wishes expressed over the years have been pleasant enough to makes them forgettable. Homo Sapien's inherent instinct is to remember the unpleasant ones. I being no exception - remember this one from 1st January,1982. On the first New Year after his marriage to Diana, Prince Charles wished the nosey British Paparazzi, "Have a Nasty New Year".

But I don't have to be nasty. So let me repeat the forgettable wish, as I do not forget to do at the end of every year - HAVE A WONDERFUL NEW YEAR ahead and stay blessed.

Trump is likely to win in 2020

Few days are left before we hit the year 2020. It is going to be the year of American Presidential election. One thing I have decided - that I am NOT going to vote for Donald Trump. Period.

Though I don't want him to be reelected, he has a high chance of winning his reelection. A week is a long time in politics. November 2020 is eons away. Lot of things can happen in between - for better or worse. Barring a recession in the American economy, Unfortunately for detractors like me, he is likely to get a second term.  Here is why.

If you look at all Presidential Elections in history since the World War II when the term of an American President was reduced to only two terms - only two Presidents lost their reelection bid. They're Jimmy Carter in 1980 and George Bush Senior in 1992. Both went to their reelection presiding over an economy in Recession and lost.

A bad economy doesn't necessarily mean that Trump will be defeated, unless the Democrats present a better, viable alternative. So far, the Democratic candidates look listless. Joe Biden, the most likely Democrat nominee reminds the Americans of same old, same old establishment guy - an Washington insider. A new face like Obama with a driving message connecting to audience is much needed, but absence.

The American Primaries are starting in January. First in Iowa, followed by New Hampshire, Nevada, South Carolina and Florida. I have a feeling Joe Biden will eventually get the nomination. Hope against all odds he manages to defeat Trump and pushes him into the dustbin of history as the 3rd sitting President in American history since the Second World War not to get a Second term.

Trip to Savannah 2019 - II

America is blessed with gigantic water bodies to sustain the river cruise liners. The rivers are fed by rainfall which is well distributed throughout the year, not just limited to a particular season. It explains why there is no particular "rainy season" in most parts of America. In the relatively dry West, snow clad mountains feed the rivers, making them perennial. US is filled with big lakes of different shapes sizes - starting from tiny ponds to Great Lakes in North, all gargantuan sources of freshwater.

It was a crazy, cold rainy day here in Savannah. Water, water every where - literally pouring down from top in form of rain and the Savannah river brimming in water below the River Cruise liner with the drenched American flag fluttering on the tall flagmast atop the ship.

All were ensconced inside the ship as it was too windy and blustery out there. From the comfort of warm enclosure, peeking through the pounding cold rain we watched the seagulls brave the weather, diving into the river water for a fresh catch. The Seagull catches fish the hard way, under harsh circumstances in the pouring rain and low visibility. It yet vindicates that fishing on your own way gives you better confidence than being an armchair angler.

Americans have even mastered the art of commercializing things which even Science doesn't accept. US is full of hunted hotels, mansions where folks pay a premium to stay. It is said that the Actor Jim Carey once stayed in one such famous Hunted hotels paying heavy price. In the middle of night he was seen running bare bodied with only his shorts on in the hotel lobby. He promptly shifted, never going back to his room again. When asked, he never disclosed the reason for his weird behavior in the middle of the night but vowed never go back to that hotel again.

Same goes with the Ghost tours and Savannah in the state of Georgia is famous for that. A trip to Savannah is incomplete without taking one of the several ghost tours available after dark. Many stay in the Hunted hotels for the sake of experiencing spooky stuff, but we preferred to avoid such hotels. I am afterall a meek Odia without much water stored in his ass (GA**I RE PAANI NAHI, as they say in Odia).

The weather was perfect for a Ghost tour - Cold, Dark and Stormy. We took a guided tour of the most famous Hunted House of Savannah - Andrew Lowe's mansion. Andew Lowe was a rich and influential man who minted money by exporting Cotton when the demand for the cash crop was high at in the initial days of the Industrial Revolution.

But even stinking rich people are not immune to tragedies as one after another struck him at the height of his money and fame. His wife and couple of kids died young. Andrew Lowe was left crestfallen. Many since have witnessed shadowy figures in that mansion, a man in a Butler's dress named Tom. Smell of cigar suddenly wafts inside the hallway with no one seen smoking around. 

A few have smelled a rosy perfume close by as they felt like suddenly brushed aside by some. The perfume was supposedly worn by Mary, the second wife of Andrew Lowe who died young in that house. 

Following the hurricane of 1979, men working around the Mansion heard the painful sobbing of a woman. Their first thought was it was someone taking refuse there, as many mansions were used as temporary shelter homes for the hurricane evacuees. They followed the sobbing sound to one room above the staircase, but found nobody there. However, they found that it was the Anniversary of the death of Mary, who died in that exact room where the crying came from.

As a finale to our Savannah travelogue here are a few Spooky Jokes told by our Ghost tour guide retold here.

Why the Skeleton didn't go to Prom ?Because he had nobody. 

Why the Ghost didn't couldn't get his crush?

Because he had no guts.

What's the cross of a Vampire and a Snowman- Frostbite.