The Homecoming:Genius is the word!!

The following line is what best summarizes Shashi Warrier’s latest book and will be etched in my memory for a long time:

‘I wonder how the fabric of my life came apart so quickly. It was a rich fabric, something I’d taken great pains and over three decades to weave. We might each recover individually, but the richness of the fabric is gone.’

These are the words from Javed Shariff, the protagonist of this remarkable story. The summary states that this is a tale of a family torn apart in the battle scarred valley of Kashmir. While the battered city of Srinagar and effects of terrorism and security are beautifully portrayed from the Kashmiris point of view, the beauty of this creation lies not in the plight of Kashmir but the crisp portrayal of human nature. How the strong, well travelled and successful 50 year old Javed is tested by circumstances. He has spent his life away from his home. Now that he has established an enterprise for his sons and saved enough, the tired soul wants to return home. However, the memories of the beautiful valley will have to make way for the military dominated Kashmir and the realities of life take a toll. A son’s betrayal, plight of grandparents, losing a trusted friend- all are a feature of the journey called life. You could associate it all to anyone, including yourself. The complexity of human nature is beautifully crafted here. Javed Shariff is still unable to hate the son who took everything away, understands the circumstances that have turned friends and family against him at trying times. With commendable strength, he treads on the path built on his beliefs; silently accepting jabs from everyone and sharing others’ problems.

The book is a big winner and has an impact thanks to the degree of realism. I would have attempted to draw parallelism with Khaled Hosseini’s Kite Runner initially but this creation leaves everything I have read far behind.

Nothing less expected from an author who travels the country on his motorcycle and understands human nature!!

Economic review: post Budget 2010

I am extremely happy that the budget this time has been armed with long term impact initiatives and the government had the courage to make a move that may not be politically rewarding. The good part was the income tax reduction which reappears (& is nullified) later in form of various cesses when people consume goods. The sore points amongst the general population are: withdrawal of tax breaks meant for the recovering economy (for the export sector, industries) withdrawal of subsidies in fertilizers and fuel. Jumping back to my perspective, people ask me why a die-hard petrol head like me is happy with the fact that petrol is getting dearer. After all, it has definitely taken a toll on my road trips and eventually my euphoria. However, I always found the subsidies on fuel benefiting the wrong category of people. Here’s a simple fact: the capital spent on fuel subsidy has been greater than the Nation’s health and education expenditure. While the latter are meant to benefit the masses, the petrol subsidies were predominantly enjoyed by the rich or the urban middle class.

Again an argument arises that this kind of subsidy saw a lot less of corruption than the state programs on health, education, the national rural unemployment scheme, the fertilizer distribution, etc. I was dumbfounded by this aspect initially. But with time, the Government has rewarded my faith with several other actions. The proposal of cancelling the subsidy on fertilizers and going ahead with a direct material distribution system is heartening. Such measures are bound to cut middlemen, replace cash flow with material flow and subsequently reduce corruption. In the same lines, a leader from the IT industry was invited to oversee the setup of the national-ID project. Once implemented, this system has the capacity to resolve a handful of issues. Fair ration distribution system, homeland security, taxation, the list is endless.

The Government’s latest fad of inviting renowned and proven industry veterans to optimize and create better systems has been taken positively by the society. My happiness knew no bounds when a high official from the centre invited a close relative to implement a new, better NREGS (rural unemployment scheme) system to improvise distribution and uproot corruption. It took some time to choose between the greener pastures of the corporate sector and the opportunity to serve the nation to make a bigger impact. Eventually the value of work won over the rewards (did the holy Gita have an influence here? We’ll never know!). Sustainable growth might well be an answer to a number of problems: unemployment, exports, wealth creation, security and even naxalism. Naxalism??!! Yes, Swami Ankleswara Aiyar convinced with his latest article linking industrial growth in Andhra Pradesh and drop in activities of anti-state elements.

On the darker side, the slow death of the Bt brinjal saddens me. God knows we badly need a second green revolution and time has proved that the politically safe- subsidy based system has failed us. With majority of the population still producing and sharing a small percentage of the GDP with agriculture, an overhaul is badly needed. If the current scenario prevails, we are encouraging the rural population to head for the already burdened cities. The concept of technology in agriculture could have been received better by petty politicians and activists who created a hue and cry on the Bt. brinjal without having any solid theory to back their opposition. To be honest, even I don’t like the idea of consuming hybrid vegetables but in the long run, I don’t see many other options.

As an economist aptly quoted: “Can sound economics go hand in hand with sensible politics?” Let’s hope for the best. We can only wait and watch.

Blowback: book review

What started as a promising new series and a discovery of yet another Indian author has let us all down in the third book. Lashkar was impressive: the Indian special forces taking down a crime operative in a critical operation in Islamabad. The action, strategy, politics behind a war: all were impressive. So in the third book, what went wrong? The story revolves around the reformed terrorist who infiltrates the IM for Force 22. That the author's marvelous creation: The Force 22 stand and watch like buffoons doesn't make sense at all. Moreover, the terror plans lack zeal and seem very simple. Again, the only frightening part is that you can picture all the events and imagine how simple it must've been to organize the blasts at Jaipur, Delhi, etc.

The author stated that he was under tremendous pressure to finish the third and the upcoming fourth installment. If that's what pressure did to him, I doubt if I'll be picking up the Fourth book..

Anyway, I would still recommend the first book to war strategists and action junkies.. http://lifeisanopenroad2me.blogspot.com/2009/05/indian-fiction-mukul-deva-to-rescue.html

Tale of two Fords

This article comes from my experience with the two Fords that I drove recently.

The first one was KT’s aging Ford Ikon 1.3 Clxi. An 8 year old vehicle, it has still aged pretty gracefully. Not like a Honda or Toyota but still decently. KT doesn’t bother to lock it as he feels no other creature can afford to maintain it or run it. He reckons the body has borne the onslaught of city traffic with a couple of nicks and scrapes; the only thing reliable about this car is mileage. Since day one, it has consistently given 7-8 Km/litre. However, I find a lot of other things built solid as well. I’ll get back to that later but at first let’s have a look at the issues present in the car. The most striking one is the engine dying whenever an attempt to accelerate above 2000rpm is made. Usually, this happens in 2^nd gear. I suspect that in all probability there’s a problem with the fuel lines or the delivery system. High revving proves that the filters are just fine.

Nevertheless, the engine sounds just fine. Another impressive thing to note is the rear suspension. Hyundais, Marutis: as reliable they may be; or Opels: as German as they want to be: cannot match the robustness of a Ford. Just recall all the aging Astras, Esteems, Accents you may have seen with a funny bent rear. A lot I’m sure. Load them a lot and the suspension takes a hit with time. Yet, KT’s Ford stood proudly: upright and attentive.

The second one was the Ford Fiesta 1.6. Relatively new; having served just 2 years, the expectations were high. And the moment I switched on the engine, a racy note greeted me. A marked improvement over its predecessor 1.6L (found on Ikon 1.6 and the old Fusion) instills a lot of excitement. Brilliant: beyond doubt. Torque could have been improvised as the acceleration still could improve to live up to the 101 horses. You have to think for a moment before touching the accelerator. The car pounces forward. With the superbly distributed weight, it seems all the more spectacular accelerating.

Now the problems started. The steering seemed to have a mind of it’s own. Sudden jerks tried to turn it by a degree or two. I know that’s hardly anything but this can be very painful on long drives. You could make out the rack and pinion system meshing on the teeth. Fluid leak? Electronic over assist? Can’t nail the problem.. The lights are operated by a knob rather than a switch. This has been very smartly hidden on the little space between the right of the steering column and the driver’s door. Dropping sarcasm for a while, I wonder why something so necessary needs to be so impractical. The label also said ‘hey! I have ABS!’ But in spite of all my efforts, I was unable to find the switch to disable it.

I suggested that the steering column be checked at the dealership and I see faces smiles morphing to frowns. Ford dealerships are a rarity in any city. Quality of service is not up to the mark and the whole affair is mighty expensive. Owners are also not happy that why after so many years in India has Ford failed to adapt to the right hand side drive? The indicators are on the right panel. Does it prove Ford’s apathy towards local markets? The Japs are ready to rebuild the instrument cluster for the Americans Nissans & Toyotas, then why can’t Americans serve the Asians better?

Point proven. Fords may not be necessarily reliable or top notch on the quality front. Yet, I love Ford. Not sure if I’d like to own one but I certainly respect it a lot. Hard to explain. It’s a lot of factors coming together: the history, the Mustang, value for money and the durability. Some might question the durability so let me be specific: I love the durability of the vital components that make a car. Both the Fords discussed here had superb engines and chassis. However, they were let down by other components. The real substance of a car is what Ford focuses on. Solid build, weight, apt cornering, well mated tyres are an integral part of the Ford DNA. Ford Mondeo: though a flop, is still considered the ultimate driving machine in the second hand market.

That is why I am confident that of the Detroit’s big-3, Ford will be the first to bounce back. While GM cars are feature intensive, they have to work a lot harder to get their engines right. Remember the Opel Corsa, the Aveo and even the new Captiva? Harsh engines screaming for refinement..

So here’s wishing the new Fiesta, the Figo and the new Focus platform the very best. May we see a lot of blue ovals in the near future.

Road to Ranikhet: return of the "Raptas"

Just to satiate your curiosity, I’ll define a ‘Rapta’ and its history first. This is a word that used to prop up a lot during the senior generation’s conversations. My father, my mother, my uncles, aunts and even my grandfather- have a story or two on this. I have to admit, my ancestors were definitely a lot more adventurous than me on the road.

A rapta was quite a predominant feature in the alluvial plains of North India. Back in those times- when bridges were still a luxury, roads often passed through flowing rivers or small tributaries. This area of loose rock with water flowing is what’s called a ‘rapta’. Picture my uncles, aunties, my mummy & party in a Fiat struggling through a river and suddenly the engine stalls as water creeps in. An army truck comes to the rescue and ties and pulls them out just before the current begun to pick up strength. Am not sure if there’s a word in the English dictionary for this as this phenomenon remains pretty much localized. The first time I experienced the wrath of this was at the Dhikala camp in the Corbett national park. I still wonder how we got through those angry waters of Ramganga river. That too with the worst possible fleet- a Daewoo Cielo and a Maruti 800. Eventually, the Daewoo had to be pulled out by a helpful 4X4 Gypsy.

The road through Jim Corbett national park

Jumping to the present: My road hungry family decided to head to Ranikhet on the Holi day. The drive was a pleasant one till Ramnagar and the peripheral resorts of Jim Corbett national park. We were quite happy with our pace. 250 Kms in 4.5 hours- on the roads of UP and Uttarakhand. Our distance was just 90 Kms away and we had a lot of the morning hours left. Then they started: raptas- ample and propping out of nowhere. Some were dry and some featured flowing water. The climb was steep and the road was miserably narrow. However, papa had just switched to Bridgestone Turanzas recently- steel plated, dry tubeless. The highly angular grooves put up a good show: both in looks as well as handling. The new tyres were a boon and coupled with the Honda engine and the ample ground clearance, we made it through all with just one undercarriage thud and a couple of pebble rumbles. I can vouch for the Bridgestones, the grip was substantial and the advantage is noticeable when you tread mixed terrains. You still wish you had a 4X4 to take on the raptas but thanks to the Turanzas, such thoughts were kept at bay. The ascent took around 3 hours and the car operated in gear 2,1 and 3 most of the time (in that order). The low end torque of the engine kept shifting to the minimum (U need to do a lot of quick shifts if you’r driving mid range power delivery cars- Accents, Ikons or Marutis). The final mileage was 14.4 KM/Litre: wonderful for such a terrain:

One of the 'Raptas'

We also came across a lot of Holi hooligans, we were caught and bore the onslaught of colors twice, escaped twice and avoided 2 drunks who wanted to kill themselves in front of our car.

Anyway, reaching the place was a reward in itself and the hotel turned out to be the icing on the cake. A heritage hotel, the Chevron Rosemond has retained most of its British era features and early 19^th century feel. Though we were truly awed by the place, there was more to come the next day.

We visited the army golf grounds (definitely one of the highest), temples and spent rest of the time walking. I recommend that this be your prime activity at such places: exploring trails and the unknown peaks.

PS:

I noticed that what used to be Uttar Pradesh, was declared as the new state of ‘Uttaranchal’ and finally rechristened ‘Uttarakhand’. Also, a cursory glance at the number plates of the vehicles got my brain running in the usual direction. Cars were identified as: UK 07-xxx or UK 01-yyy. Hence I immediately messaged /called up my dear friends:

CALL:

Shubham: Hey, I’ve reached UK and am doing fine.. gotta run now, will call you later..

A: ???!! (SLAM- phone disconnected from my end)

K: How? But you wer.. (SLAM- phone disconnected)

SMS:

Shubham: Happy Holi, just reached UK. Roaming is killing me.

The subsequent responses:

SidV: cool! Becoming total globetrekker!

Bugga: hehe (this guy is smart)

Gogo: --- (I’ll post the response when I get one; Gogo takes a couple of days to notice a message and some more to reply)

Dash: what?!! Awesome yaar. Angrezo pe balloons mariyo J happy holi

Contact the senior generation for more exciting stories featuring the young, the old, chevys, fiats, Ambassadors and army convoys stuck in raptas..

Route map:

One way distance to destination: 330 Kms

Ranikhet day-2: Worshipping the Himalayas

Day 2

I had heard a lot about some ‘view points’ at this hill station from where the Himalayas are supposed to be visible. We set out for a walk early in the morning hoping to catch a glimpse. An hour later, having soaked in as much fresh air, chirps of birds, but no sights of snow covered peaks, we returned to the hotel. Nevertheless, it was a divine experience.

The Army is the best thing that has happened to this place. While commercialization and mongering crowds have corrupted places like Nainital, Mussoorie and Rishikesh, the cantonment regulations at Lansdowne and Ranikhet have ensured that there is a cap on the number of hotels, hoardings and the number of incoming people. We reached our hotel where we met the manager. He did not fail to point out that the hotel had featured in a couple of movies: Koi Mil Gaya, Vivah, etc etc. We decided to have our breakfast in the lawns. I look forward to buffets and today was no exception. I was carefully bringing the mount food on my plate when my parents told me look up. Behold!!

What I saw was one of the loveliest views that will be etched in my memory forever. The Himalayan range was visible in its full grandeur. I stood still and gazed for a minute. When I recovered, my first thought was to run to fetch my laptop and try to justify the sight in words. Foolish.. I grabbed the camera. They say a picture is worth a thousand words… Several attempts to capture the grandiose of the Himalayas were made. Modes were changed, features were explored but after a while, I gave it up. They say transcendental and celestial beauty cannot be captured. Today I could understand that. Apologies to the greatest writers and the skilled photographers but no words, pictures or videos can do justice to the grandest feature of the planet. So I just stood there and stared..

We headed for the apple orchards next and rest of the time was spent exploring the unknown. The dinner at the hotel was pretty grand as well. One distinct feature of this buffet was the quality of the variety put up. The number of dishes available was limited, yet each one was a masterpiece!

To conclude, this is a place for people who can live with nature. One category of humans complain that there’s not much to do here- not enough ‘points’, boating, shops, etc. Absence of the same and abundance of natural trails- that’s what the other category yearns for..