Journey to the Hills and other Stories

It was a simpler life in the 1960’s. There was no television or hectic activity and families still took long, leisurely summer vacations in hill stations like Mussoorie. An army band played in the evenings at the Band Stand near the Library. Miss Mussoorie contests were the highlight of the season. People took long walks in the glorious sunshine and socialised with their friends on the Mall Road as the sun set over Vincent Hill. The schools were thriving, and summer visitors looked forward to their annual fetes. 

These stories are based on the experiences of an extended family during their summer holidays in Mussoorie in the 1960s seen through the eyes of children. So, dear reader, enjoy the gentle charms of a forgotten time and the innocence of childhood as you turn the pages of this little book.

I published my first book, Journey to the Hills and other Stories, in 2012. The stories were written over a period of 8 years when I was still working full time. They were loosely based on our experiences as children during our summer holidays in Mussoorie in the 1960’s. I published them by myself as an experiment on Amazon and Pothi.

I have been astonished and warmed by the response. It’s as if the book has touched a chord in many people who remember their holidays with their extended family with nostalgia and affection. The response has encouraged me enough to revise and expand the book and get it published again. I hope that existing readers will be motivated to pick up the book again and that new ones will be found who are equally nostalgic for the ‘good old days’.

Gone but never forgotten.

You can buy the book from Amazon Just click on the link.


Praise for Journey to the  Hills and Other Stories

Journey of a Masterpiece “…The charm lies in your lucid writing, non-complex plots but the way you wield your pen is worthy of praise. While reading this I feel as if I’m traveling to and in Mussoorie along with Babaji, Dadiji and all. Simple writing filled with sweet humour. Being simple is difficult and this book boasts of simplicity…” Manish Pandey

Puts you in the Scene “…Test Cricket was still played at Green Park’s Modi Stadium in Kanpur where Bhatnagar grew up and he writes vividly about the home and streets in Kanpur and its languid pace in the summer (when historically only mad dogs and Englishmen would step out). Summer meant trips to Nainital or Mussoorie and Bhatnagar describes Mussoorie so vividly that you feel like you are actually there with his family…” Californian

A Relaxing Read “…In writing this tale, Divyaroop is also able to bring out the strong bonding between members of extended families of cousins, uncles, grandparents etc, typical and unique to the Indian family concept…” Ravi. Pisharody

Tales to Relish and Enjoy “…What is really remarkable about the stories is the gentleness with which the author treats each of the characters in the book. The author paints a beautiful picture of a bygone era when hill stations were full of interesting characters and were really used as ‘summer head quarters’ by the affluent families…” Ambi Parameswaran

Beautiful depiction of Hills & life in North India in 1960–70s “…This book is not about giving any gyan or some funda message, and I like that. There seems to be masti and innocence in the air, some interesting family interactions and living lives of solid middle class values. Very nice piece of work. Hope you continue to write with the flair that you have...” Shekhar Srivastava

Nostalgia Personified “…Excellent compilation of stories - you will live the experience even if you have never travelled to this beautiful part of India…” Rahul Sandil

Feedback “…The clarity, imagination, avoidance of all clichés - and much more, persuade me that you simply MUST publish some more.This is simply the most absorbing, unusual, and (for me) amusing, insight into Indian family life in the foothills and below…Your characters are memorable, so true to life… It is a sophisticated ‘children’s book’ on one level… But it also entertains and informs the adult in me: there seems no straining after plot, no melodrama. Children and adults are painted with real insight and fond knowledge. Everyone is rounded, even minor characters. The portraits of Babaji and Dadiji are stunning, and I feel as if I have been welcomed into their holiday home! Far more than a polite chat over tea...The finest portrait of all, perhaps, is Mussoorie itself: I loved all the intimate, sensitively-drawn, details, period atmosphere and while reading and hours afterwards it is no exaggeration to say you transported me there… Robin Alexander

Memories “…Read the book today. Amazing. I am from Lucknow, now in Delhi for many years. Our grandfather used to take the entire clan to Mussoorie most of the summer holidays. The description of the train travel(throwing coins in Gangaji, food spreads kularh chai... repacking of holdalls etc and emotions related to same are so personal yet universal) and Mussoorie brought back old memories. Looks your grandfather was in some way exactly like my grandfather, may be both had similar upbringing. I miss him and wonder why I could not give the same tributes to him. The book is simply superb…” Bindu Saxena

Feedback “…The author really captures the joys, excitements and anxieties of a family group of children (siblings, cousins) of a certain age (say, 8 to 14 years), the dual view of adults (parents, schoolteachers) seen both as formidable, even scary people, but (sometimes seen only in retrospect) with integrity and golden hearts…” Rishiyur Nikhil

Feedback “…If I could give this book more than 5 stars I would - it was amazing. In fact, just thinking about it tonight brought tears to my eyes. (Good tears) I have never read a book like this and become one with the family in the book - I did with this one. In fact, it made me realize even more how important family is and how we need to cherish every moment…” Lara Polk

Charming, nostalgic and heartwarming
I’d read the original edition and it was a superlative read, especially for anyone that has an interest in the Hill Stations of India. There’s a rich cultural fusion of both geography and time and Bhatnagar writes with a languid fluency that is honest and charming. The new edition has been expanded with delightful illustrations and is now on Kindle. Highly recommended!!! M.Pant

You can buy the book from Amazon Just click on the link.

The New Middle Class

We recently stayed at a colonial hotel in Darjeeling. The hotel is very la di da and focuses on creating an ambience reminiscent of pre-independence British India complete with afternoon tea and coal fires in all the rooms. It is a small hotel and apart from us and a few westerners, there were a large number of people who were part of a fitness group led by a well known nutritionist. This group was a mixture of people, old and young, and there were children too. Most of the participants were from Gujarat and Maharashtra though there were a few from Kolkata as well. Evidently, anyone who stays at this hotel is reasonably well off as it is an expensive, upscale property.

It was interesting to observe the behaviour patterns of this group vs the other residents of the hotel. All of them took off their footwear before entering any of the rooms. All the floors were carpeted and it was fairly cold so everyone else, including the hotel staff kept their shoes on. Clearly there was some cultural conditioning at work here. The hotel served the finest Darjeeling tea, perfectly brewed and presented without any milk or sugar. This group all asked for masala chai, obviously finding the Darjeeling tea insipid. Further, a sizable chunk of them had strict dietary preferences such as Vegetarian food or a Jain diet. They mostly spoke in Gujarati or Marathi with some Hindi thrown in. Though they were dressed in western clothes mostly, they did not speak English. If they did, it was with a broad regional accent, It would be fair to assume that most of them did not go to the so called 'Convent or Missionary' schools and that they did not have English speaking parents.

Vir Sanghvi's recent article captures the profile of this segment New Middle Class (NMC) and its political leanings. Apart from whether they are English speaking or not, the critical difference between this segment and the Old Middle Class (OMC) seems to be their religious underpinnings. In my view this manifests itself in two ways. Please note that whether they are OMC or NMC, the underlying religion in India is mostly Hindu:

1. The OMC tends to practice religion intermittently. (There are shades of difference between people in this segment and it is not as black and white as it is presented here) Events like marriages, deaths, and other significant life events are celebrated with full ritual but that's about it. Temple visits are minimal and are more like tourist events. The NMC is certainly more ritualistic and practices religion overtly.
2. The OMC explicitly states that it is secular. Not everyone is sure of what this means but I presume that in this context it refers to treating people of all religions equally. The NMC does nothing of the kind. The Hindu religion is clearly superior for them and they would, at best, tolerate people from other religions without too much of social mixing.  

It is clear that the OMC is dwindling in numbers. This is the breed which is often derisively referred to as the Lutyens Elite, Presstitutes etc as most of the established civil service and media were from the OMC segment. They are being simply overwhelmed in numbers by the NMC as time goes on. This change has profound implications for India. Perhaps because of the stronger Hindu underpinnings of the NMC they naturally gravitate towards the BJP, a fact that the party has joyfully accepted and exploited. Whether it acts on their aspirations (Mandir in Ayodhya, Common Civil Code, Muscular policy against Muslim separatists in Kashmir, Expelling illegal Bangladeshis etc) or not is still work in progress. It may be argued that a 'strong' pro Hindu policy is easier to articulate when you are in opposition rather when you run the country with a sizable majority.

The opposition parties, specifically the Congress have totally failed to appreciate the growth of the NMC. There is a strong vested interest spearheaded by a section of the English language media (NDTV, Sagarika Ghosh etc) that essentially looks down upon the NMC while deifying the tenets of the OMC. There is also a belief that, with time, the NMC will become like the OMC. That sounds like wishful thinking and is unlikely to happen. In reality the OMC has all but withered away. Unless the opposition parties recognize the growth of the NMC phenomenon they will be unable to strategise on how to deal with it.

The foregoing discussion essentially boils down to changing attitudes towards religious minorities, specifically Muslims. This is indeed the key differentiator between the OMC and the NMC. English speaking is a non issue. Global realities will ensure that English will grow and prosper in India. We have a natural advantage in this respect and it would be foolish to fritter it away. So what do these changing attitudes translate into? In my view there are 4 critical issues:

1. The perception that the Indian 'secular' state favours religious minorities over Hindus. This perception leads to demands for a 'level playing field' or loosely translated a common civil code (common here would largely equate to a Hindu civil code)
2. Righting of historical wrongs. This centres around issues like building the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, identifying the Taj Mahal as a Shiv Mandir or changing Muslim place names like Allahabad to Prayagraj 
3. Rewriting history like defining Maharana Pratap as the victor at Haldighati or highlighting Hindu Kings like Lalitaditya who have been ignored by Colonial and Leftist historians, or insisting that most scientific, medical and other discoveries happened in India
4. Reforming obscurantist Islam - issues such as the ban to triple talaq or allowing the entry of women into Muslim shrines like Haji Ali.

Where is all this leading? That's a tough question to answer. I am of the very strong opinion that India is a self correcting society. By that I mean a place that does not swing towards extremes. Social revolution, military rule, totalitarian regimes etc will not flourish here simply because of the inherent pluralism of our society. But will we find a new equilibrium where our Hindu identity finds greater focus? Yes, I do think so. What does it mean for us and how will it impact our daily lives only time will tell.


                         Check out my book of nostalgic family tales set in the 1960's in Mussoorie 

                           The book is available as a paperback or Kindle edition on  Amazon 

Corruption

"Dishonest or fraudulent conduct by those in power, typically involving bribery." - Oxford Dictionary

I looked up the definition of the word 'corruption' in several dictionaries. I think the Oxford Dictionary definition seems to be the best. There are three critical aspects in this definition:

1. Dishonest or fraudulent conduct
2. People in power
3. Bribery

This is a very precise definition. It is important to realise that all forms of illegal activity are not corruption. Only those which specifically involve misuse of a powerful or official position.

In addition to this stream of thought, there is another aspect that merits understanding. Corruption is of basically two types in my view:

1. Transactional corruption - This could also be referred to as the sort of corruption that a common man or even a company encounters in daily life. For example, this could refer to a petty matter such as bribing a traffic policeman to avoid a challan, paying 'speed money' to get a driving license or paying a bribe to get a government department to do their job. It could also involve paying money to get building plans sanctioned by a builder or to get a completion certificate. This kind of corruption is all pervasive and we all face it on a daily basis. Are we guilty of giving bribes? I am, for one. There have been innumerable instances where we condone transactional corruption as otherwise it would be well nigh impossible to get anything done.
2. Institutional corruption - This refers to matters such as the 2G scam or the Bofors deal or the purchase of the Rafaele fighters (I do not wish to get into a political debate or controversy here. These are merely illustrative examples). The beneficiary in such cases may be political parties with some collateral flow into individual pockets. These would also include scamsters like Vijay Mallaya or Nirav Modi who are driven by simple venal greed. Typically, the sums involved are mind boggling and average people are not really able to comprehend the modus operandi or the issues involved. The normal reaction is one of anger and frustration but for most ordinary people there is no clarity on how these scams happened or how they can be prevented.

The third aspect which comes up when you try to analyse corruption is, "What is the public perception of those who are corrupt?" In my view this is a real conundrum. Successful business men may be idolised, even though we all know that their business empires may be built on questionable ethics and practices. Corrupt politicians command a major fan following and are repeatedly elected.A related matter that often comes up is of election funding. The deliberate ambiguity that surrounds this area benefits all political parties and taints a large swathe of politicians and common people.  One may conclude that the thin line between sharp business practices, governance and corruption is not clearly defined, at least in the eyes of the common man. Until this definition is sharply etched, largely by proper enforcement, legislation aimed at tightening controls on political funding, a watchful independent media and the judiciary, there is little or no incentive for Institutional corruption to be curbed. Frankly, I see little hope for significant change in this area going forward.

Unfortunately, public attention is largely focused on Institutional corruption as it involves glamorous public figures and huge sums of money. The common man and the problems he faces are of little interest to anyone. In reality the common man is most impacted by transactional corruption. If the political parties could see beyond their noses they would realise that curbing transactional corruption is low hanging fruit as it covers a vast number of people and provides a nice little halo for them. How does one tackle transactional corruption? I have the following ideas:

1. The leader (whether he is a PM or a CM) should publicly and strongly repudiate transactional corruption. He should make examples of bureaucrats, policemen and politicians who are caught with their hands in the till.
2. IT - by providing IT solutions to small issues like driving licenses, Direct Transfer of Benefits and other similar matters corruption and the role of touts can be significantly reduced.
3. Oversight - for example CC TV proliferation would bring down examples of corruption in traffic policemen as there is risk that illegal transactions would be captured on camera.

I could go on with the list, but the objective of this blog is not to provide a primer on how to curb transactional corruption. The authorities are far more capable than this blogger to formulate such a strategy. I may be cynical here, but by curbing transactional corruption the government does not lose anything. Instead, it gains significantly in brownie points. If that glory refurbishes their tainted halos they may be eventually motivated to actually tackle the hydra headed spectre of Institutional corruption that is consuming our country.