Book Review - The Argumentative Indian - Amartya Sen

The Argumentative Indian

I picked up this book from a friend eons ago .. and found it challenging to complete ! :) Not because it is not good but simply because history is something that I don't prefer to read !! Nevertheless I did finish reading this and I am glad I did ...

Having said that I would not suggest this book to someone who has an insular view of a Hindu India that has had absolutely no influence of any other culture on it !!! It would make for a flammable reading if one went with such an attitude. Instead I would think an open mind with an interest to counter-argue with research if one disagrees on the many points made would be a better approach !!

The writing is dry and caustic, well researched and in the form of a series of lectures. It depicts India as a civilization where public debate was not unknown , multiple cultures and religions were part of its vibrant fabric along with atheism and materialistic approach to life , he touches upon the topics of science and maths in ancient India, Indian calendars ( this is an amazing chapter ! ) , relationship with China, the Indian identity , Westerner's views of India .. etc


One of the major themes is that India's greatness lies in its diversity and tolerance of all religions. Although the author is aware that this tolerance has not stopped the social inequalities either.

One can consider the book as an attempt to encapsulate a few thousand years of Indian history that an Indian can take pride in even as the country looks forward to a global future which was not completely unknown before !

I did feel that the leanings on Ashoka and Akbar were a bit more than required. After all there were quite a few other kings but then .. those other kings probably did not suit the point being made !!

The inputs on Rabindranath Tagore whom the author eminently respects made for interesting reading. I don't prefer the deifying biographies that one reads of our previous leaders and the perspective shown by the author of this person is of a reasoning mind.

In our country more often that not - issues are tried emotionally ... the author dissects many topics of the Indian history in an academic manner with a whole wealth of references. It can be read as a book on history or just to learn something more about our country without falling prey to zealotry.

Book Review - The Audacity of Hope - Barack Obama

Audacity of Hope - Barack Obama

It has been quite some time since I read a book completely ! I have so many books in the half-read stage that I think ... when I finally get back to them .. I will have to start each one from the beginning !!! Anywayz ...

Never underestimate the power of a title !!! :) I was intrigued by the title of this book ... !!! Never thought hope could be audacious ! :) Ended up choosing to buy this book instead of "Dreams from my father" which is supposedly better.

Before I put my thoughts regarding this book , I must say I am handicapped in my review by a couple of things

-- I don't follow American politics so I am not sure exactly how the "timing" of this book's release affected his presidential dreams and hence how calculated / slick the contents of this book are !!! :)

-- It follows from the above that I obviously cannot gauge how his real life veers from the said content of this book ..... on his stands over various problems ....

So ... about the book ... I found the writing lucid in a chatty style and definitely readable. Obviously it focuses entirely on America .... what comes through is the author's love for his country and a sense that he is doing his best in a job that poses myriad challenges especially to one's belief's and morality.

The chapter on the machinations behind American politics is interesting ... especially regarding the hardening of political stances. I feel it is something that happens all too frequently in India .. and the middle path seems more and more obscured .. since it is a path that gives no political gains !!!!

The main theme is that the author comes across as someone who embodies the American middle-class dream and is not too politically correct .... which is refreshing. Yes for most of the issues a neat middle-of-the-road path is taken but the reasoning behind the said stances are nicely portrayed. It is easy to identify with since it feels like the author is just a regular guy ... and so ... the book contents seem eminently believable ..

There is an absence of jingoism and acrid bashing , still he manages to paint the Republicans in a not-so-good light and is candid about his views upfront ... that he leans towards democratic ideals being a democrat himself !! :)

Nevertheless it obviously finds an echo somewhere in America ( and the world ) or I don't think this book would have been so popular so as to find itself even on the Pune streets !!! :)

There was a vague sense of deja vu on some topics and that was because I realized that some challenges that America faces have been highlighted in my recent read - "Hot, Flat and Crowded" by Thomas Friedman including the oil dependency woes and competition for jobs from across the world and US's foreign policy.

My take would be - read only if interested in American political machinations and to learn something about the American president !! Otherwise the other challenges/viewpoints can easily be read in other books or articles on the web.

If I had to pick the best statement in this book it would be - "In the world's greatest deliberative body ..... no one is listening" .. which happens when someone wants to explain / introduce a new bill.

Teenage Angst and hindsight ... :)

Yesterday my daughter and I spent time singing songs from my High school song book. I never expected that the book I maintained would last so long .. or that it would actually be useful !!!

While retrieving the book I found another set of books - diaries ... ! Maintained when I was a teen ... :) So when I got a chance I skimmed them .... :)

And I think after reading them ... they can be safely chucked in the fire !!! :) Why .... ??

- For one thing I don't even recognize the teen who wrote those entries !!!! :) Was it me who vacillated between those kind of highs and lows and terrible blues ? :)

- WOW .. I had a big sense of paranoia then .... I have names in code and the most mortifying incidents ( I don't remember them ) are not even penned down !!! Just who did I think would be interested in reading about them ? :)

- Did I really think that people cared to plumb the depths of my personality when I said "Nobody will ever understand me because I wear a mask" ? :)

- And who is this person I have sworn to hate forever ? One would think I would be able to at least recall the face and the reason why ? :)

- Why oh why did I not enjoy being more than 15 kgs lighter and younger :) ??

- Seems like the color gray did not exist in my world at that time ... things were black or white !! :)

- Just why did I think it was all-firing important to dissect the incident with my friend and her guy - facial expression by facial expression - with her ??

- Did I really take all those personality tests and read Linda Goodman's books from cover to cover ... and actually use that to glean meaning into my behavior as well as that of others ?

- How did I think that poem that I wrote was a masterpiece ? Ugh ?? :)

- I spent that much time writing about clothes/music/likes and dislikes ? :)

- Feelings towards my crushes ( always long distance ... ) range from ... disbelief .. [ I mooned over that moron ?? Whatever happened to my taste ??? ] to ... just who is this person again ? :) I do recognize couple of them thankfully .... :)

- And just when did I study ? :)

But all in all ... I felt my drivel was very predictable .. typical teenage angst !!! :) Guess not all things nostalgic .. have a value !! :) But wait may be all is not lost ... perhaps this will help me understand ..... when my daughter hits the teens and thinks .. that her feelings are unique .... just like every other teen in the world !!!

Spiti Valley Itenary

Overview
When we visited Manali in Dec 2009 we found ourselves interested in the different modes to explore Himachal especially the cold desert area of the Spiti Valley, Leh and Ladakh.

One can go trekking to this area (with/without mules to carry baggage), drive through , visit via jeep safari ( where the items for camping are in a separate vehicle ), a camper van .... :) Everything can be arranged provided you have the time and ofcourse the money !!! :)

With a child we decided to go for the drive option with bookings in relevant hotels at the appropriate destinations. Our itenary was for 15 days and we would explore the Kinnaur Valley, Pin Valley and Spiti Valley. Our route was - Delhi - Narkanda - Sangla - Kalpa - Tabo - Kaza - Chandratal - Manali - Sojha - Delhi. [ Full itenary at the end of this post ]

We checked out many tour operators for this but finally we decided to go with Banjara Camp & Retreats. [ http://banjaracamps.com/ ] One was the cost factor, second was the inputs received from friends, third it seemed to make sense since at three prominent halts we would be staying at their properties - Sangla , Kaza and Sojha.

I must say we were very happy with Banjara. We had a problem with the driver they had assigned but when we complained about him they promptly swung into action. Within 30 min of our complaint they arranged for the driver to be changed. I expected them to ask us to adjust for the remaining days .. but they did not do so. Their properties were also very good. Scenic locations of the retreats and very courteous staff.

This drive can also be done in 10 days I have heard. But we took the leisurely route. The other alternate we checked out was travelling from Sangla to Kaza and then onwards to Leh/Ladakh. But it seemed a little rushed to us so we dropped it.  The route would have been Shimla - Sangla - Tabo - Kaza - Jispa - Serchu - Leh. Would have included Nubra Valley and Panging Tso lake.

I think this was a great blessing for us. We headed out of the Kaza area just one day before the Leh cloudburst. So may be someone up there ensured we did not do this route !!!!

Observations, Travel Tips

• Carry woolens, thermal wear no matter what time of the year. The weather is completely unpredicatble. One spell of rain can mean very chilly nights.
• July to August are the best months for Spiti Valley while May - June is the best time for the Kinnaur Valley.
• Check how comfortable the driver is driving these dangerous roads. I would consider the road to Chandratal ( very very narrow road jutting out of the mountain side ; just a dirt track ) , the road to Tabo via Maling ( rocky bedstreams and landslide area ) as well as the road to Kunzum pass ( again swift flowing rocky riverstreams ) very treacherous.
• Be mentally prepared for delays that span days. Many a times it may entail a complete change of itenary. So have a Plan B, Plan C and sometimes even Plan D in mind.
• Be prepared to be cut off from civilzation at any point of time. The roads to Spiti Valley from Kinnaur side or from the Kunzum pass side can get cut off at any time due to landslides, rock slides and streams.
• From Nako onwards electricity is a problem. [ Check your camera batteries !!! ]. We did not have electricity till we reached Manali.
• Try to cross the Kunzum pass early - the streams formed due to ice melting will be more full as the day passes.
• Carry snacks and shawls in case you are stuck somewhere without being able to move forwards or backwards !!!! Keep a first aid kit handy.
• We did not face any altitude sickness with our itenary but that may still be something to consider.
• BSNL is the only mobile that works after Puh ( enroute Nako ) till Manali. Can consider getting a prepaid card.Still sometimes even BSNL fails in these areas.

 Itenary:
Day 1
Jul 24: Delhi- Narkanda- Pick up from airport at 10 am. - 11 hrs drive – halt Narkanda

Day 2
Jul 25: Narkanda- Sangla via Sarahan - 8 hrs drive – halt Sangla

Day 3
Jul 26: Sangla – Chitkul ( Nagasthi ) – halt Sangla

Day 4
Jul 27: Sangla- Rakcham trek– halt Sangla

Day 5
Jul 28: Sangla- Kalpa (Kinner Kailash range views) - halt in Kalpa

Day 6
Jul 29: Kalpa- Tabo Via Nako - 7 hrs – halt Tabo

Day 7
Jul 30: Tabo- Dhankar- Kaza - 5 hrs – halt Kaza

Day 8
Jul 31: Kaza- Ki, Kibber Gete or [ LangKa, Hikim and Comic villages ] – halt Kaza

Day 9
Aug 01: Kaza- Pin Valley National Park drive – till Mudh – halt Kaza

Day 10
Aug 02: Kaza- Kunzum- Chandratal- 4 hrs drive and 4 hrs hike - camping at Chandratal

Day 11
Aug 03: Chandratal- Batal- Manali- 8-9 hrs drive. May be problems at Rohtang pass with traffic jams. – halt Manali

Day 12
Aug 04: Manali- Sojha - 4 hrs drive - Halt Sojha – Jalori Pass

Day 13
Aug 05: Sojha – Raghupur Fort - Halt Sojha

Day 14
Aug 06: Sojha - Relax / Sereoslkar lake - Halt Sojha

Day 15
Aug 07: Sojha- Delhi- 12-13 hrs. Late evening flight out.