RIP

J . D. Salinger

QOTD

"what was needed (someone might argue) was not more communism but more public-spirited pigs."

Discuss

Which book(s) you will like to see on screen.

My preferences

1. Starship Troopers [1].
2. The Moon is a Harsh Mistress .
3. 1984 [2].
4. Chandrakanta  & Chandrakanta Santati [3]
5. Gora.[4]

[1] Yes Paul Verhoeven made one , without reading the novel and gave movie a fascists bent. I want Indian characters to be included  with Shahid Kapoor playing Rico .

[2] Adapted to India, the background being that Indira Gandhi never lifted emergency. Now most of you kids might not know, but Indira Gandhi lifted emergency because she was convinced she will win the elections, and not because of any pressure. Or so I have read somewhere.

[3] I know the serial  sucked big time, but trust me, the novel is better.

[4] Captures history of early 20th century Bengal much better Devdas or Parineeta.

Captain Obvious

Now Hindutva types would doubtless point out that this is because Muslims consider Persia and Arabia more important than the country of their birth. And they may be right. But a better explanation is that Indian storytelling about the fantastic always ends up being located elsewhere.*

PS. This henceforth should be called Jabberwockian school of lit review.

Speaking of Rashmirathi

रश्मिरथी - तृतीय सर्ग (*)

मैत्री की राह बताने को, सबको सुमार्ग पर लाने को,
दुर्योधन को समझाने को, भीषण विध्वंस बचाने को,
भगवान् हस्तिनापुर आये,
पांडव का संदेशा लाये।

दो न्याय अगर तो आधा दो, पर, इसमें भी यदि बाधा हो,
तो दे दो केवल पाँच ग्राम, रक्खो अपनी धरती तमाम।
हम वहीं खुशी से खायेंगे,
परिजन पर असि न उठायेंगे!

दुर्योधन वह भी दे ना सका, आशिष समाज की ले न सका,
उलटे, हरि को बाँधने चला, जो था असाध्य, साधने चला।
जन नाश मनुज पर छाता है,
पहले विवेक मर जाता है।

हरि ने भीषण हुंकार किया, अपना स्वरूप-विस्तार किया,
डगमग-डगमग दिग्गज डोले, भगवान् कुपित होकर बोले-
जंजीर बढ़ा कर साध मुझे,
हाँ, हाँ दुर्योधन! बाँध मुझे।

यह देख, गगन मुझमें लय है, यह देख, पवन मुझमें लय है,
मुझमें विलीन झंकार सकल, मुझमें लय है संसार सकल।
अमरत्व फूलता है मुझमें,
संहार झूलता है मुझमें।

उदयाचल मेरा दीप्त भाल, भूमंडल वक्षस्थल विशाल,
भुज परिधि-बन्ध को घेरे हैं, मैनाक-मेरु पग मेरे हैं।
दिपते जो ग्रह नक्षत्र निकर,
सब हैं मेरे मुख के अन्दर।

दृग हों तो दृश्य अकाण्ड देख, मुझमें सारा ब्रह्माण्ड देख,
चर-अचर जीव, जग, क्षर-अक्षर, नश्वर मनुष्य सुरजाति अमर।
शत कोटि सूर्य, शत कोटि चन्द्र,
शत कोटि सरित, सर, सिन्धु मन्द्र।

शत कोटि विष्णु, ब्रह्मा, महेश, शत कोटि विष्णु जलपति, धनेश,
शत कोटि रुद्र, शत कोटि काल, शत कोटि दण्डधर लोकपाल।
जञ्जीर बढ़ाकर साध इन्हें,
हाँ-हाँ दुर्योधन! बाँध इन्हें।

भूलोक, अतल, पाताल देख, गत और अनागत काल देख,
यह देख जगत का आदि-सृजन, यह देख, महाभारत का रण,
मृतकों से पटी हुई भू है,
पहचान, कहाँ इसमें तू है।

अम्बर में कुन्तल-जाल देख, पद के नीचे पाताल देख,
मुट्ठी में तीनों काल देख, मेरा स्वरूप विकराल देख।
सब जन्म मुझी से पाते हैं,
फिर लौट मुझी में आते हैं।

जिह्वा से कढ़ती ज्वाल सघन, साँसों में पाता जन्म पवन,
पड़ जाती मेरी दृष्टि जिधर, हँसने लगती है सृष्टि उधर!
मैं जभी मूँदता हूँ लोचन,
छा जाता चारों ओर मरण।

बाँधने मुझे तो आया है, जंजीर बड़ी क्या लाया है?
यदि मुझे बाँधना चाहे मन, पहले तो बाँध अनन्त गगन।
सूने को साध न सकता है,
वह मुझे बाँध कब सकता है?

हित-वचन नहीं तूने माना, मैत्री का मूल्य न पहचाना,
तो ले, मैं भी अब जाता हूँ, अन्तिम संकल्प सुनाता हूँ।
याचना नहीं, अब रण होगा,
जीवन-जय या कि मरण होगा।

टकरायेंगे नक्षत्र-निकर, बरसेगी भू पर वह्नि प्रखर,
फण शेषनाग का डोलेगा, विकराल काल मुँह खोलेगा।
दुर्योधन! रण ऐसा होगा।
फिर कभी नहीं जैसा होगा।

भाई पर भाई टूटेंगे, विष-बाण बूँद-से छूटेंगे,
वायस-श्रृगाल सुख लूटेंगे, सौभाग्य मनुज के फूटेंगे।
आखिर तू भूशायी होगा,
हिंसा का पर, दायी होगा।

थी सभा सन्न, सब लोग डरे, चुप थे या थे बेहोश पड़े।
केवल दो नर ना अघाते थे, धृतराष्ट्र-विदुर सुख पाते थे।
कर जोड़ खड़े प्रमुदित, निर्भय,
दोनों पुकारते थे 'जय-जय'!


Awesome

Robot ?

Is Robot going to be a rip off of The Bicentennial Man? Well there is Shahrukh Khan. Someday we will have Starship Troopers too, hopefully genuine not the risible distortion.

Question

Educated readers,
As you may or may not know,In Kaala Patthar, unbecoming conduct of protagonist as a merchant navy captain is the back story which provides motivation and direction for his subsequent actions.
Is it inspired by Lord Jim ?

Tale Of Two Books

To paraphrase Mia Wallace * (and here relevance of the analogy must be judged in context of obligatory pop culture reference), every reader of economics based books can be classified either as Freakonomics reader or Undercover reader.

Both the books follows the similar style in the sense that they investigate a series of the issues varying from everyday observations to national policies. However their theme or their messages are different.

First I am sure people will find Freakonomics much more enjoyable that the other. Its quirky and a page turner, an usual description for a book dealing with economics.

In one of the investigation Freakonomics does deal with concept of incentive, (as mentioned in a previous post), however the overall theme of book is not any economic concept, in fact if there is any message of the book, it is the data and how it is analyzed to arrive at conclusions, in other words highlight on the empirical foundations of the economics.

Data and its analysis is of course bedrock on which knowledge is based upon. To me there are two interesting aspects, one is the reliability of data and second is the nature of investigation, on both of which any conclusion is dependent and both of which are susceptible to bias.
Which is why statistics is employed most often with a view to bolster the position, data and analysis then are made to agree with the premise. The science in service of intellectual libido.

Which is why it would be accurate to call statistics the hustler science **.

On the other hand The Undercover Economist is much more subdued. This is not to say it is not entertaining, far from it, but while being similar in style, it has a much more coherent economic theme. The underlying message of book is to understand the issues in terms of economics concepts such scarcity, marginal value, externalities etc.
The book elucidates on this message by investigations of issues which start from seemingly frivolous as price of coffee but progress to the question of why poor countries remain poor.

While Freakonomics is certainly more enjoyable, the Undercover makes economic concepts interesting.

Which is why I am an Undercover guy.

* A brunette Uma Thurman! Is Tarantino crazy ! [What gave you the hind: ed]

** Now this must provoke Sri Sri Sharan Sharmaji

Update: Of course I wrote this post from a perspective of a dummy, some one who is well conversed with economicspeak may or may not share my opinion.

Shorter Ritwik : Statistics doesn't dissimulate or embellish, people do.

Stories for babu and neta

1. The Dead Past

2. Blind Alley

3. Evidence

4. In A Good Cause

The individualist

(On his 100th birth anniversary)

Robert Anson Heinlein (July 7, 1907 – May 8, 1988)

He is one individualist whom one can afford to like because he recognized the limit of reason itself. His libertarianism was based on faith on humanity, that way why he could deal with religion and nationalism. In other words one who admitted the possibility of transcendent.

What is more even though he changed his orientation from a socialist/communist to individualist/libertarian, he always compelled to think, pushing the envelope in his stories.

Both he and Asimov categorized their body of works as social science fiction. This in my view is a mistake. While their works have commentary and speculation on future of human society, their treatments are vastly different.

For Asimov social conditions propelled the story forward, guiding the action of actors, but the commentary was always in background with the emphasis upon the actors, it was only in the climax that social conditions were dwelt upon usually by the protagonist.
Examples are The Caves of Steel, The Naked Sun etc.

In contrast, Heinlein stories had social commentary were the very part of narrative. Indeed in most of his famous works contain monologues by protoganists (acting as his proxy) which delineate his views on philosophy, society and role of freedom. His commentary were more often than not device to further the narrative in a much more direct way.

What a man !

Pragmatics of patriotism speech

Price of liberty monologue by Dubois in Statship Troopers

My posts on Heinlein

Read his defining novels

1. StarShip Troopers *
2. Stranger in a Strange Land*
3. The Moon is a Harsh Mistress*

The moon and the bard

(One of my favourites, by Ramdhari Singh Dinkar)

चाँद और कवि

रात यों कहने लगा मुझसे गगन का चाँद,
आदमी भी क्या अनोखा जीव है!
उलझनें अपनी बनाकर आप ही फँसता
,और फिर बेचैन हो जगता, न सोता है।

जानता है तू कि मैं कितना पुराना हूँ?
मैं चुका हूँ देख मनु को जनमते-मरते
और लाखों बार तुझ-से पागलों को भी
चाँदनी में बैठ स्वप्नों पर सही करते।

आदमी का स्वप्न? है वह बुलबुला जल का
आज उठता और कल फिर फूट जाता है
किन्तु, फिर भी धन्य ठहरा आदमी ही तो
?बुलबुलों से खेलता, कविता बनाता है।

मैं न बोला किन्तु मेरी रागिनी बोली,
देख फिर से चाँद! मुझको जानता है तू?
स्वप्न मेरे बुलबुले हैं? है यही पानी?
आग को भी क्या नहीं पहचानता है तू?

मैं न वह जो स्वप्न पर केवल सही करते,
आग में उसको गला लोहा बनाता हूँ,
और उस पर नींव रखता हूँ नये घर की,
इस तरह दीवार फौलादी उठाता हूँ।

मनु नहीं, मनु-पुत्र है यह सामने,
जिसकी कल्पना की जीभ में भी धार होती है,
वाण ही होते विचारों के नहीं केवल,
स्वप्न के भी हाथ में तलवार होती है।

स्वर्ग के सम्राट को जाकर खबर कर दे
-रोज ही आकाश चढ़ते जा रहे हैं वे,
रोकिये, जैसे बने इन स्वप्नवालों को,
स्वर्ग की ही ओर बढ़ते आ रहे हैं वे।

- दिनकर

Reads....

(A)
Finished the second part of (in)famous trilogy by V. S. Naipaul. It is not hard to comprehend why the book evoked vehement response.
Although, the book as far the scholarship goes is not the most accurate (understandably, with Vidia dismissing even legitimate griecvances of nationalists with distortion of history as denial).
However the book is right on the mark where it matters, that is the problem with Indic civilization.
V S comments (astutely, for someone who was not born here) the fundamental malice of
India is the  fact that she is bereft of ideas. 
Instead of original thinking, Indians borrow ideas wholesale from the outside, centuries of subjugation have turned us into intellectual parasite. In fact the things have come to such a pass that the very idea of civilization has withered away.
This sucking on west's udders, import without application will explain the earlier tryst with socialism, and present flirting with libertarianism (I predict that in coming decade our intellectual class will be overwhemingly libertarian), and I have no doubt that results will be only slightly better than the former, that too 
in medium run, long run will be same saga of decay.
Civilization do not prosper, neither do nations become great because the labour (skilled or unskilled) is cheap. Human destiny is founded upon ideas, and as someone who is reaping the benefit of labour of countless thinkers over countless millenia, we, the modern man have obligation, nay it is the morality crucial for all ages to replenish the fount of intellect.

(B)

Currently reading Mother. This novel by Maxim Gorky became the clarion call for socialist revolution resulting ultimately in Bolshevic revolution.
This makes one wonder Gorky was appropriated by Communists, Nietzche by Nazi, Premchand by so called Dalit activists and Iqbal by pro-Pakistan elements. The only conclusion is that literature and politics do not go together.

Die Potter Die

Enough is enough ! I really had it. What exactly is the deal with Potter being hero anyway ? Admit it, he is a blemish to glorious institution of boyhood. He can not incant a decent spell, he is non decrepit in studies, and he can not even defend himself, always rescued either by insufferable Hermione or stupid Ron. What is one to do with such a weak, emaciated hero protected by "tender love of his dear departed mother", sulking from one angst to another. This fetish for mediocrity, to make heroes of undeserving is the most abiding past time of our age.
We are no pioneers, rather safely ensconced in mind numbing comfort of society, we have shrivelled to a shadow of our former self, becoming weaklings in spirit if not matter.
If superman embodied the spirit of earlier age, now it is the horrid metro sexuality which is at display in all its ignoble infamy.

And please don't get me started on the literary merit. It would have been understandable if the
work was unqualified manure. But it is not, and there in lies the true tragedy, that of unfulfilled potential. J. K. Rowling did show promise in first two novels, but after that popularity got her, and the rest of books are a painful exercise in advancing the stories and keeping the readers guessing. Result is a tangled web of plot lines, and not much of content. Of course the books are popular, feeding on the media generated hype and frenzy, which is as good as merit nowadays.

(If the post makes no sense, don't worry, it doesn't make any sense to me either)

Reading Vidia

One good thing that came out of train journey over weekend was I was finally able to finish A House For Mr Biswas. I started the book with some trepidation, for my previous experience of Naipaul was limited to either autobiographical or non fiction, written exclusively in first person, reminisce and anecdotes blending into pithy observations in a manner which is brilliant without being verbose. I was not sure what to expect from the book, which to me was the first work of fiction by him. With the caveat that I am hardly connoisseur of literature, I admit that I have been most impressed with the book. In style Naipaul is similar to Joseph Conrad, as well as Ernest Hemingway. He narrates story with short and simple sentences, and like aforementioned authors uses the power of prose to weave a rich and intricate pattern of life, euphoric and enchanting.

What attracted me most about the book was he managed to bring a vivid picture of Indians (or to be precise diaspora) without exoticizing India as our modern writers are wont to do. Of course spices, and colour do make an appearance, but here they are part of larger story, instead of props (or should we call item numbers of literature) or worse the whole story itself.

All in all, a most enjoyable read