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. 

The Ignominy of being Liberal

There are several definitions of the word 'liberal' but the one that I like most is (someone who is) "open to new behavior or opinions and willing to discard traditional values"

One would imagine that such a person would be regarded positively by most people. The rage and scorn that is heaped on 'liberals' in India today is therefore surprising to say the least. In order to understand this phenomenon one needs to:

1. Understand the connotations that the word 'liberal' has acquired beyond the dictionary definition.
2. Analyse what emotions these interpretations evoke amongst the public to see why 'liberals' are so reviled in our country.

So what has 'liberal' come to mean in India? Here is my view in no particular order:

1. Liberal stands for westernised in terms of education and use of the English language for communication. If you are reading this blog you are possibly a liberal but not necessarily! 
2. It stands for left leaning thinkers. In general the word 'left' has also acquired a wider meaning than it used to. Most socialist oriented people now fall into this category. The Congress Party, AAP and all political parties other than those allied to the BJP fall into this class. Institutions like the JNU and many others founded during the years that the Congress was in power fall into this classification. 
3. It stands for those who believe that Muslims should be pampered. This is an important point. NDTV, Barkha Dutt and some others fall into this category. Please note that as per this definition, Liberals do NOT believe in the equality of all religions but that Islam and perhaps Christianity are superior to Hinduism. 
4. People who dare to criticise the army are also called 'Liberal' Deification of the armed forces is an important prerequisite for not being a Liberal. 
5. Feminists and those who believe in equality of women are also classified as Liberal
6. I may be treading on quicksand here but I get the feeling that people outside the Hindi speaking belt of North India and parts of East and West are more likely to be tarred with the 'Liberal' brush. This is also applicable to those who do not subscribe to 'traditional Indian values' such as Vegetarianism and Cow Protection.

The astonishing thing is how rapidly these feelings have built up after the BJP has swept into power. They were obviously latent and festering below the surface. I have often said that secularism, gender equality and other such 'liberal' values are actually alien implants. They were fostered by Nehru, Gandhi and the Congress Party at the time of independence as these luminaries were essentially products of a Western sensibility. It may be argued that by imposing these concepts the country was able to put a lid on fisiparous tendencies that may have torn the fledgling country apart. That is the sympathetic view. The contrary viewpoint is that such ideas essentially went against the grain of the Indian ethos and it would only be a matter of time before they crumbled.

Today the genie is out of the bottle. By allowing the majority community to express their sense of grievance against centuries of foreign dominance, PM Modi has unleashed forces that may be beyond his control. In the best case they may find expression in a form of 'soft' Hindutva that may be beneficial in reforming some of the worst ills of our society. It may also help to curb the growth of militant Islam and correcting some of the gross injustices that were perpetrated in the name of religion such as the destruction of hallowed temples and places of learning. In its more virulent form we could see lynchings and mob action that are anathema in a modern society. We could also see regressive tendencies in the arts, gender inequality and rewriting of history gaining ground.

I have enormous faith in the ability of our country to self correct and to absorb extreme opinions. This has been demonstrated over the centuries. One hopes, therefore, that the middle ground will prevail and perhaps some day soon, true liberals will regain their place under the sun.

The Gas Chamber

There have been too many articles written about the pollution levels in Delhi. Much analysis has been done about the causes and the possible solutions. The purpose of this blog is to examine various possibilities and suggest some solutions.

The causes of extreme pollution in Delhi are well known. The following list is in no particular order and it may also not be completely exhaustive.

1. Stubble burning in the adjoining states of Punjab, Haryana, and UP
2. Small fires used for heating in winter using coal or wood
3. Fireworks 
4. Burning of leaves and other refuse in Delhi
5. Construction dust
6. Road dust
7. Vehicular pollution
8. Industrial pollution caused by factories and power plants
9. Domestic cooking using coal or wood

The first three are largely seasonal and start building up from around October. The confluence of cold weather and festivals around that time add to a lethal mix that chokes the citizens of Delhi during the period October - February. Winter rains bring a little respite in January but this period is the worst from a pollution point of view.

Finding solutions has not been easy. Here are some thoughts:

1. Stubble Burning: Very simply, farmers need to be persuaded to stop burning stubble. This has several angles. Paddy was harvested manually in the old days leaving only a short stubble that could be easily plowed in. With the introduction of mechanical harvesting the stubble length has increased and it is not easy to plow. The additional cost of plowing has become unviable given the low margins that farmers are getting these days. Clearly, this is a multidimensional problem. It also involves several states with different political dispensations. The Centre and the Delhi Govt will have to work together to propose a viable package comprising of incentives and penalties that are practical and enforceable to make this happen.
2. Small Fires: To be prohibited and strictly enforced by the Delhi Administration. 
3. Fireworks: Unfortunately the ban by the Supreme Court has taken on a political/religious hue. Clearly the citizens of Delhi cannot afford the luxury of unbridled use of fireworks as a method of celebration. In my view, the use of fireworks by private individuals and organisations should be prohibited (this includes weddings, festivals of all religions etc.) In lieu of this one may suggest public fireworks displays on Diwali and New Year.
4. Burning of leaves and refuse: To be prohibited and strictly enforced by the Delhi Administration. 
5. Construction Dust: This is a big contributor to pollution. Builders routinely flout all laws including dumping of building material so that it blocks the road. There is no attempt to restrict or eliminate dust. Again this needs strict enforcement by the Delhi Administration.
6. Road Dust - Vacuum cleaning by mechanical means is essential.
7. Vehicular Pollution.
   Clearly, Delhi can not afford to have more and more vehicles on its roads. The total cost of ownership of a vehicle has to go up dramatically. One time tax must be increased and so must parking charges. Illegal parking should result in heavy fines and confiscation of the vehicle. New registrations should be allowed only if the owner can provide proof that he has parking available.
   PUC certificates must be strictly enforced and fines should be enhanced for non compliance. There are already restrictions on usage of old vehicles and these must be enforced.
   The entry of trucks into Delhi is a sore point. After years of neglect the KMP expressway is still nowhere near completion. The railways have failed miserably in providing a cost effective and efficient alternative to long distance transport by road. All these issues need to be tackled on a war footing
   The Odd Even scheme is a good thing but only for short periods of time when pollution levels are peaking. This is an emergency measure.
8. Industrial pollution can be controlled by strict compliance. Again the Delhi Administration should take strict action.
9. Domestic Cooking using wood or coal: This is largely practiced by BPL families or slum dwellers. Free availability of kerosene at reasonable rates and small cylinders of LPG can help to curb the problem.

The other problem has been an objective metering and feedback on pollution levels. Here again the measurements have been coloured by politics. There is no single agency or reading that is available that everyone believes in.

If the Government is serious about curbing pollution in Delhi it should set up an empowered task force led by a Senior Bureaucrat which has representation from all agencies involved at State Level from Punjab, Haryana, UP and Delhi. The task force should have a mandate for at least a 5 year period and should report periodically to the Environment Minister Concerned at the Centre and the CMs of the States involved. Their reports should also be published in the press.

Unfortunately for us, we tend to focus on something only when there is a crisis. Public memory is short and once winter is over it is business as usual. We need a sustained drive to mitigate the curse of air pollution in Delhi.

No politics please.

The Metropolitan Curse

Shanghai is one of the four direct-controlled municipalities of China and the most populous city proper in the world with a population of more than 24 million as of 2014. - Wikipedia

A municipality (simplified Chinese: 直辖市; traditional Chinese: 直轄市; pinyin: zhíxiáshì), also translated as direct-controlled municipality (formally, municipality directly under the central government, or province-level municipality), is the highest level of classification for cities used by the People's Republic of China. These cities have the same rank as provinces, and form part of the first tier of administrative divisions of China. - Wikipedia

 

Rank	City	State or union territory	GDP per capita (nominal)[1]	GDP per capita (PPP)[2]
1	Delhi	National Capital Territory of Delhi	$3,580	$12,747
2	Mumbai	Maharashtra	$1,990	$7,005
3	Chennai	Tamil Nadu	$1,870	$6,469
4	Hyderabad	Telangana	$1,430	$5,063
5	Bangalore	Karnataka	$1,420	$5,051
6	Kolkata	West Bengal	$1,110	$4,036

India has some of the largest cities in the world. Unfortunately their growth and development has been held hostage to:

1. The fact that the politicians who rule them derive their power from the rural hinterland - for many years Maharashtra (and hence Mumbai) was ruled by the sugar lobby from Southern Maharashtra who has little sympathy with and knowledge of urban development.
2. Large scale migration from the poorer states that leads to overcrowding and a strain on urban facilities 

The stark difference between the Per Capita GDP of Delhi vs the other major metros is instructive. Many people will complain that Delhi has been unfairly favoured as it is the seat of the Central Government and hence a lot of money has been pumped in compared with the other cities. That may be partially true. However the main point is that it has been an administrative unit of its own as a Union Territory for a long time prior to becoming a state. That provides a sharp focus on Urban Issues and their resolution.

We would be well advised to study the Chinese model where the four largest cities are designated 'direct controlled municipalities' with the same rank as provinces. Translated into the Indian system this would mean making the largest cities into independent states. Inspite of all the bickering between the LG and the CM of Delhi the focus has remained clearly on urban issues. Recent improvements in Healthcare and Education are a case in point. The Delhi Metro's rapid development is in sharp contrast to the snails pace at which the Mumbai Metro is progressing.

Let us not succumb to 'The Metropolitan Curse' that our major cities are descending into. Over 3000 deaths a year on Mumbai's local trains is a frightening and shameful statistic. It's time that we breathed new life into our major cities by liberating them from the clutches of politicians who have no understanding or stake in their welfare.

The City by the Sea

One city that has managed to survive its rechristening is Mumbai. One anticipated a precipitous descent into the welcoming folds of a desi identity replete with rambunctious celebrations of festivals and oodles of vada pav.

Alas it was not to be!

A recent visit to Cyber Hub in Gurgaon was instructive. The stylish new restaurant, Burma Burma is the brainchild of an inventive Mumbaikar though the idea of vegetarian Burmese food may have been a nod to its Western India origins. So was the weirdly named Pa Pa Ya - Do you say it without a gap between the syllables or is is a paean to fatherhood? Theobroma followed - clearly Mumbai has a passion for unusual names for their foodie pursuits. Bombaykery, Farzi Cafe, Olive, Indigo.... the list goes on and on. All originated in our very own city by the sea.

And what did Delhi produce? Big Chill and Delhi Heights. Perfect menus and ambiance for wannabe aunties from Janakpuri and worthy successors to the late, lamented Nirulas.

Mumbai was and remains the style leader folks. Whether it's food, theatre, movies, whatever. Dilli is still assi tussi and hello ji.