Day 2 at the Kasauli Litfest-'18 

Posing with Sir Mark Tully: a moment to cherish

The sullen ‘caretaker’ I spoke about in my last post made heart-warming amends  by serving me hot and crisp paranthas for the breakfast next morning. Already,  the litfest venue, when I reached there late in the morning, was abuzz with excitement as there were interesting sessions on the anvil for day 2: October13. Syeda Hameed as interlocutor, and Reba Som and Ian Magedera were on stage discussing on the European videshinis like Sister Nivedita, Mother Teresa and even Sonia Gandhi who had made it to India and impacted us in their own ways. In the meanwhile a little commotion could be discerned in the veranda of the Club.  A tall, handsome figure of Shashi Tharoor draped in an orangish jacket came in view. There was already a throng of eager fans surrounding him – school kids included – seeking his autographs. It is not for nothing that women find him so impossible to resist, I thought. Pin drop silence descended over the place when he assumed his seat on stage and then began to speak on his new  book 'Why I am a Hindu' with Rajiv Mehrotra doing a masterful job in the role of an interlocutor. There was laughter and humour as witty barbs were flung at him about his politics, his ‘Tharoorisms’ and how and why women drooled over him. Tharoor answered them all with superlative candour, élan and finesse. He was equally  erudite and eloquent when he spoke on his understanding of Hinduism. He said that Hinduism is an eclectic faith as propounded by Vivekananda. It is not just about ‘tolerance’ but also about ‘acceptance’. About ‘Kama’, he said that Hinduism looks at it as one of the 4 natural elements in human life…unlike the parochial, pseudo-moral concepts propounded by the Orthodox Church. Victorian culture, he added with a chuckle, dictated even the piano legs to be covered because they resembled woman’s legs!

When he concluded, the audience was in thrall. And many were bursting with questions to ask and comments to make- yours truly included. I just told him about his book ‘Riot’ which I said I had read and loved. He said, “Thanks.” Then I added that it has a fair dose of ‘kama’ in it. He replied, “Yes, of course, it has; after all it is a love story.”  What I told him next evoked laughter in the audience: “Well, I gave the book to a woman – return requested - I wanted to impress. I was expecting a sweet, little ‘note’ tucked in the book on its return. But  inevitable happened and the hoped for didn’t: the book adorns HER bookshelf.”

If Shashi Tharoor held the audience captive, the one and only Navjot Singh Sidhu who came next,  mesmerized it no less with his exuberance and ‘Sidhuisms’. He spoke on ‘Believe to Achieve’.  Recalling his cricketing days, he said that lacking in self-belief, and sticking to his coach’s advice on how to handle fearsome West Indies’ pace bowlers: “होले, होले; पोले, पोले; थल्ले, थल्ले”, his legs used to shake. But then after a few balls had buzzed past him menacingly, he had a moment of reawakening. He discarded all advice and coming into his own, he stepped out of the crease at the next ball and hit a six. And what followed next was a flurry of record number sixes and fours in that historic match.

Well, you may have things to say about his politics and ‘misdemeanours’ if you like, but there is something special and charming about him. It takes guts not to be a run-of-the-mill stereotype, to do your own thing and live life and do politics on your terms. That’s why I love both Shashi Tharoor and Navjot Sidhu.

It was interesting to listen to illuminating discussion on Indo-Pak relations between Tilak Devasher and Lt Gen (Retd) Kamal Davar with the eloquence of Lt Gen (Retd) Syed Ata Hasnain acting as interlocutor, making it even more absorbing and thought provoking.

Speakers who provided us such a wonderful intellectual feast included Sanjoy Hazarika, Geeta Gopalkrishnan and several others. I also loved a very lively discussion on ‘Women’s Socio-Religious Reforms’ by Zakia Soman, Masooma Ranalvi, Salman Khurshid and Shayana Bano. It was a shocking revelation for me when one of the speakers told so candidly about her own bad experience of genital mutilation that is  perpetrated on young girls (before they cross the age of 7) of Bohra community of Muslims by the quacks using clumsy methods and under unhygienic conditions. This reprehensible practice is still rampant. Gutsy Harinder Baweja was at her scathing best asking sharp and pointed questions from Salman Khurshid trying to wriggle out by his politically correct answers to many Muslim women-related issues.

I had stayed glued to my chair all through the day soaking in these magic moments.  Now the twilight hour was descending on Kasauli. The breeze was getting nippier by the moment. The message was loud and clear: DRINKS. And while Balaji Vittal, Annirudha Bhattacharjee and Abhilasha Ojha regaled us with sweet old songs, the Club hall was resonating with the buzz of human voices and the clinks of glasses. I deserved my fair share too which I had with glee.

 I would have loved to attend the concluding day’s events next day. But then I had my own miles to go and promises to keep back home. So rising early, I thanked the ‘caretaker’ (without tipping him), bade adieu to the Kasauli litfest, and headed home refreshed and recharged with a delightful stopover of 2 hours and a hearty Pahari lunch with my evergreen friend Tilak Vyas at Chandigarh.

                                                    ***

           The joy of being at the Kasauli Litfest-18

Dr Sanjeeva Pandey and Dr M K Ranjitsinh:  book launch at the litfest

                       

Mark Tully- erudite, witty and humorous

Dr M K Ranjitsinh: sheer elegance 

                                      

 Another miss last weekend. “Is ‘Palampurbeats’ losing steam?” you might wonder. But the fact of the matter is that your truly was at the 7^th Khushwant Singh Litfest at Kasauli (12-14 October). A bumpy  journey – particularly between Parwanoo and Dharampur - in a decrepit, weather-beaten Punjab roadways bus, a sleepless night in the PWD Rest House manned by  inhospitable staff, and therefore a sulky and angry frame of mind when I woke up on Saturday, plus the intoxication of being among the literati, conspired to prevent me from completing my half-written piece and share it with you as my blog post.

But now about the Litfest.

Having missed the opening, forenoon session, when I took my seat in the jam-packed back courtyard of the Kasauli club where the litfest  was being held, an animated post-lunch discussion on the knotty problem of Indo-Pak relations getting knottier by the day, was underway. And there was a sharp divide between the peaceniks and the votaries of a strong, muscular policy- both between the speakers on the stage and in the audience. But discuss as you may, both the Heaven-cursed countries lack the will and wisdom of say,  the two Germanies, and this sad, violence-torn subcontinent continues to suffer and bleed, mired in the British-inflicted misery with no end in sight at all. This fact came forth again in another discussion the next day on the topic: India-Pakistan: Breaking the logjam when Lt General (retd) Syed Ata Hasnain was the interlocutor and Tilak Devasher and Lt Gen (Retd) Kamal Davar were the speakers.

The forenoon topics which I missed were very exciting. I would have loved to listen to Bhaichand Patel on Khushwant Singh, and Gurcharan Das on ‘Kama: The Riddle of desire’ – his latest book. But was fairly compensated by listening to the likes of distinguished writers and speakers such as Mark Tully, Maja Daruwala, Syeda Hameeda and Seema Mustafa covering a wide range of subjects: women’s rights, human rights and other women-centric themes. All discussions were revealing and enlightening.  But I loved Mark Tully’s short discourse the most. He spoke about his two latest books and about the life and beauty of villages in Eastern UP, about the charm of travel in Indian railways (which he said, need more governmental focus than the insipid air travel) and how ‘misgovernance’ at all levels hinders India’s progress. His wit and humour throwing the captive audience into splits of laughter made it all so delectable and enticing.   I was delighted to find Dr Sanjeeva Pandey, my old friend – to whom goes the credit of nursing, grooming and protecting the GHNP Kullu with  care and dedication – give glimpses of  his book ‘The Great Himalayan National Park’ co-authored by Dr Anthony J. Gaston. Incidentally, yours truly had worked with Dr Gaston ( an avid birdman from Canadian Wildlife Service and in love with Himalayas) in the late 70s’ doing wildlife surveys in the Beas catchment areas- a pioneering work contributing to the establishment of GHNP. And it was a great pleasure to hear Dr M K Ranjitsinh- one of the great authorities on India’s wildlife - introduce Dr Pandey and the book in his chaste and elegant English. I also spotted the calm, composed figure of H Kishie Singh seated in a  corner and quietly soaking in the delights of this tryst with world of 'words'. As you know, he writes a column in The Tribune in his own gripping style on 'safe driving'. He too spoke briefly on a book he has just brought out on the subject. Should be a must-read, I am sure.

Travel weary – and it was getting chilly too -  I skipped the last few events and retired to the uninviting Rest House, little knowing that the glum and sullen ‘caretaker’ will refuse to serve me daal-roti dinner and that  the rajai with a mouldy, smelly, shrunken cover will give me a sleepless night.

But a great feast of illuminating intellectual sessions was in store for me the next day on the 13^th.
                                                                                         (To be concluded)

                                                  *** 

                      Spellbound by the two books

                                   

Don’t  you have moments in life when something makes you  miss your beats? Well, something quite akin made ‘Palampurbeats’ miss its beats last weekend; and then I have been under a spell too. And the spell has been cast not by any magician or a ‘tantric’; nor by any Urvashi from Indralok, but by two books I have as my bosom mates these days. To call them just ‘books’ is an understatement. For me these are precious gems. I am almost done with ‘A Gentleman in Moscow’ by Amor Towles, with less than 100 pages left to savour and enjoy word by word. And the second one is a bewitching beauty in Punjabi: ‘Muhabbatnama’ by Jang Bahdaur Goel that I have just read a few pages of…Well, I never thought that the little Punjabi I picked up in school would find such good use.

Amor Towles weaves his magic by the sheer elegance of language. Every word, each sentence sparkles and fills you with ethereal joy as the story of Count Alexander Ilyich Rostov in post Revolution Russia unfolds. It moves at easy, gentle pace without undue twists and turns or steep climbs and descents. The Count, a widely-travelled, well-groomed and well-read aristocrat of exquisite tastes and refinement is put under house arrest for his poem which is termed as anti-State making him lead a life of confinement in hotel Metropol in Moscow. Not the one to be cowed down by this crippling circumstance, he manouvers his way through to still lead a life of fulfilment, purpose and creative engagement. For, the Count holds a firm view: “If one did not master one's circumstances, one was bound to be mastered by them.” As we follow the trajectory of Count’s life, we also get to know the changing scene in Russia under the new Communist dispensation: repression, curbs against freedom of expression, and the rich old artistic traditions and icons giving way to things not altogether pleasant or sweet. For me, reading this book has been like being perched  in an easy armchair under a balmy sun, caressed by gentle breeze and a glass of beer to sip on the deck of a ship merrily cruising along a vast stretch of seamless sea!   Delightful, elevating, spell-binding.

 Muhabbatnama

Well, with both books and women, advise the wise: one at a time. Otherwise it all gets messy. But in the case of ‘Muhabbatnama’, I just couldn’t resist and made an exception. I stole some moments for a casual browse and at once fell in love. It is, believe me, worth its weight in gold. As I said before, it is not a book. I look at it as a garland of beautiful, fragrant flowers strung together with love and care by Goel Sahib. It contains painstakingly culled biographical sketches of some of the greatest souls that walked on this earth with a peek into their love lives; and the accompanying pictures that adorn the book lend additional charm to the book. Some of these luminaries include Tagore, Amrita Pritam, Balzak, Turgenev, and Khalil Gibran among others. If ‘Palamurbeats’ keeps beating, I hope to write more on it after I finish reading it.

                                                     ***